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Vendetta del Cuore

Page 6

by Leigh Kenzie


  “Thank you...for trying to protect me,” I say gruffly. I wouldn’t thank anyone else, but Emilio just brings something out of me. This time he actually responds. It’s not much but he moves his good hand up and touches mine. It doesn’t take long before he falls back to sleep. I can tell he’s beginning to feel more pain as well, so I set the ice chips down and page Luca to get me the doctor. Someone needs to take over here, and now that I know my boy is okay, it’s time for me to do my fucking job. There will be retribution for this.

  Chapter Sixteen

  One Week Later

  There’s dead silence in my office. My boys have congregated around my desk, all except for my Emilio. That’s the issue. The news Ignacio gave has everyone carefully looking down, not meeting my eyes. Even Luca isn’t looking at me. I’ve already had to replace my office chair once from the last time I lost my temper. I’m lucky I didn’t break my foot or Dr. Conti’s neck when he pointed it out. Fucking good thing Luca was here to drag him away.

  “Would one of you like to go explain to Emilio that you all have failed to find who shot him?” I ask in a calm voice. My hands curl into fists. I’m the most powerful person in this fucking town, and they have nothing? How the fuck is that possible?

  “Boss, we’re looking. We’ve tried the Irish. You even agree that Brendan O’Connel didn’t have anything to do with this. If it’s not him, someone else in his mob is going around him, and they’re being fucking effective at it. We’ve tried everyone else on the list, the Cartel, hell, even the fucking Russians, and they barely have a presence here,” Luca growls in frustration, his hand tugging at his hair as he finally looks at me.

  “Get back out there. Set a reward. Someone has to know something. In the meantime, pay Cliff a visit. We never found out exactly who told him.”

  “You don’t want to go?” Antonio asks incredulously. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days. Fuck, I don’t think any of us have. At my glower, he backs down, trying to melt into the wall he’s leaning on.

  “I’ll do it, Boss,” Ignacio pipes up. I nod at him. If anyone can get information out of Cliff without killing him, Ignacio would be my second pick. Luca is my first, but he knows I need him nearby. Not only would I be likely to fucking kill Cliff, but I also don’t want to leave my boy. I have plans for Cliff...ones that he has to live to see.

  I dismiss them, but Luca stays seated. I don’t say anything. I already know I’m not going to like whatever he has to say if he’s waiting until the rest have left. I take a deep breath, resisting the urge to yell, and gesture for him to hurry up and tell me what the fuck is going on.

  “The man on your uncle,” Luca states carefully, “he’d like permission to follow your aunt as well. We’re not finding anything concrete with your uncle. He’s seen some...discrepancies with your aunt.”

  It takes me a moment to process his response. Then I’m up and out of my seat so quickly that Luca barely has time to flinch before I’m hauling him out of his chair and pushing him against the wall. I have my hand against his throat, and I watch as his face turns red the harder I squeeze. Tears begin to leak from his eyes, and while he brings his hands up, he doesn’t push at me, instead he just grabs my arm firmly. His submission breaks through the red haze of anger that consumes me, and I release him quickly. He sinks down to the floor, and I crouch down in front of him when I hear his ragged gasps and dry heaving.

  I help him stand and then lean back against the desk as he recovers. He keeps his head bowed, and I want to growl. I hate being a fucking dog trainer, but I need to reassure our bond. As my father always instructed, give enough crumbs of attention to keep boys under my sway, but not enough to make them feel like equals or so much less they want to leave.

  I pull Luca close to me and embrace him lightly. I won’t apologize. I’m still his master, after all. But I can give him some measure of comfort. His body immediately melts into mine. I kiss the side of his head before gently nudging him back.

  “As my second, what do you recommend?” I ask, reaffirming his position, reinforcing his bond to me.

  “I believe it’s worthwhile to at least ensure she is not being harassed or taken advantage of, Boss,” Luca replies hoarsely. I’m not sure if he believes she would have no malicious intent, but it’s possible.

  “Very well. I trust that it will be taken care of correctly,” I respond grimly. He should realize I’m making it fucking clear that if she gets any hint she’s being followed on her nephew’s orders, I’ll kill whoever is assigned. Painfully.

  “Is that everything?” Nudging Luca aside I push myself up from the desk, anxious to go see Emilio. He’s like a siren to me lately, one who calls to my very blood. I need to rid myself of his sway over me. If I don’t...well. It’s best not to think of that ramification.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Two Weeks Later

  I come awake slowly, my eyes fluttering open, my body tensing as soon as I hear movement, but once I see it’s Luca, I go lax again. He’s taken to visiting me regularly. Between him, Master, and the occasional visit from the other boys, I don’t have too much time to get stuck in my own mind. This is a good thing right now.

  “How are you?” Luca asks as he helps me sit up and gives me a cup of water. I scrunch my nose at it, missing coffee, but Dr. Conti is still refusing to let me have any. He appears to be a sadist and feels caffeine isn’t good for the body. No matter my pleading or threats, he won’t give in. I’m tempted to let Master know, but I’m not quite sure what he’d do if he found out the doctor was pissing me off. Right now, Master is a bit...volatile. Never thought I’d say that, but it’s more so than normal. Luca is much calmer, thankfully.

  “I’m getting there. Hard to believe it’s been three weeks. At least they have been doing physical therapy, finally,” I grumble as I take a larger sip of the water. It’s been fucking hell to be stuck in this room healing. I finally adjusted to the pace of my new life, and I want to be out there, hunting whoever tried to harm Master. Not to mention I need the pleasure I’ve found with sex; another thing Dr. Conti has taken away from me.

  “Need any new books?” Luca eyes the bedside table with the mountain of books. There are no small children's books this time, but it seems like every time people stop by they bring me a new book. At least they know I’m not a flowers or chocolate get well soon man. I can’t even believe I’m twenty now. It fucking sucked missing my birthday, not that I think we would have done something for it. None of them mentioned it, but I did notice each one stopped by. Even Antonio visited. I can’t say we’ve become friends but there’s possibly less hatred on both of our sides.

  “No, I’m good for a bit,” I finally respond, knowing it was too long of a pause. My mind seems to ramble now. Part of it is the drugs. They keep me a little off balance. The rest, I’m sure, is the fact I’m going to stir crazy. I was never good at being sick, even as a kid. I was always grumpy because I couldn’t go to school. I’m the same way here. I need to be doing something, not simply lying here uselessly.

  “It seems like an eclectic mix,” Luca murmurs and gives me a sideways smile. Lately, it’s been doing things to me...that attention he lavishes on me. It’s like I can’t quite catch my breath and a blush steals across my face.

  “Well. Everyone brings different kinds,” I remark with a grin of my own. “Marcus likes to bring me history,” I say with a wrinkle in my nose. Those are my least favorite, although I don’t want to hurt his feelings by saying so. “Antonio brings me fantasy, Ignacio dark, and Master brings me all sorts. Even a series about wizards that I know are for kids originally, but it’s totally not.”

  “And what does Luca bring you?” Master says, and I jolt. I didn’t even notice him coming in and, from how Luca stiffens, he must not have either.

  “Luca brings…um…romance and some pretty steamy reads,” I force out, barely louder than a whisper. My face must be tomato red at this point, and I shift uncomfortably.

  “Hmm. Learn anything new?”
Master teases and comes closer. I can’t manage a response this time, instead, an even deeper blush overcomes me because the authors certainly are inventive. Between that and having Master actually teasing me, I’m not sure what to do other than squirm. Being their sole focus is intimidating in a way that’s much different than it was in the beginning. Their chuckles make it clear they see how they affect me—and like it.

  “I’ll get out of your way, Boss,” Luca says as he stands up from the chair, stretching. I can’t help but eye his strong form, even with the suit covering him. He catches me doing it and sends a wink my way before heading towards the door. Master stops him and whispers something to him. Luca nods as he strolls out of the room, leaving as silently as Master must have been when he entered.

  “Dr. Conti says you’re healing well and making progress with physical therapy. He may have mentioned that you’re a bit...difficult as well,” Master states as he takes Luca’s spot, quirking an eyebrow at me. I give him my best innocent look, the one that has never worked on him, but I figure it’s worth a try. His narrowed eyes remind me that no, it isn’t worth a try when it comes to him, and I gulp deeply.

  “I just want to be out there with the rest of them. I want to find out who is trying to hurt you,” I growl. It would be more impressive if it didn’t come out a bit like a whine

  I watch as Master shifts in the chair, his head lowering. It’s the most uncomfortable I’ve seen him. He glances back up at me and, with a sigh, straightens. Tapping his lips, he seems to come to some sort of decision.

  “We haven’t talked about it, but…” Master pauses, appearing to search for words. “Whoever was the shooter was, they were targeting you. Not me. However, we’ve been trying to find the person, and all the boys have been on the trail. My soldiers are keeping an eye out as well. I will find out who did this. Nobody touches what’s mine.”

  It seems so long ago that I would have taken offense to being referred to that way. As Master’s property. In this instance, it floods me with a certain degree of warmth, one that clashes with the icy cold fear that floods my veins. Why the fuck would anyone shoot at me? I have a million questions, but I choke them down. I know anything I ask they’ve already thought of or if they knew, he’d tell me. He may have hidden this exact piece of knowledge, but even as a puppet master playing games with me in the beginning, he never lied. No, I was the one proven wrong. I grimace, thinking of Radcliff.

  “Are you in pain?” Master asks, rubbing his hand along my arm gently.

  “Not physically, I was thinking of Radcliff. And the interesting lessons I’ve learned.” I give a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless, to show Master everything is okay.

  “Very well. I need to take care of things and get back to work. Is there anything you need?”

  “No, Master,” I say with a dip of my head. “I have books, that’s plenty.”

  “Good.” He stands and looks at me closely, nodding his head to his unspoken thought before bending forward and whispering in my ear, “Remember to be a good boy for the doctor. You may not be up to it now, but I will keep track of every infraction for later punishment.”

  With those whispered words, he leaves, and I look down at myself. The blanket isn’t doing shit to hide my erection after that. Fuck. He just can’t resist torturing me.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Leaving Emilio hard and wanting didn’t help me either. I adjust my cock as I walk into the office. Luca is already waiting for me, and he raises a perfect eyebrow at me when he sees my bulge. I give a brief thought to taking him up on what he’s offering, but I dismiss it for now.

  “Explain,” I snap out, looking at my desk that had an urgent message from him. Of course, then he disappeared into Emilio’s room, I think bitterly. I’m not sure how to feel about how close those two are getting. Emilio belongs to me, but I can’t discount how much fun it is to watch them play. It grates on me that I can’t even teach Emilio a lesson right now as he heals.

  “The Irish are pushing at us. I’ve fielded multiple calls from Brendan. He’s concerned about his brother,” Luca sneers. “They still insist on being innocent in this situation, and he wants to come to see his brother in person.”

  I sit down with a growl and tap my fingers against the desk. Brother. Ridiculous. All Brendan cares about is getting control of Emilio. I’m not going to let Brendan fucking interfere with my boy.

  “We could do a video chat,” Luca offers, tipping his chair back. “It’s probably safer.”

  “Fuck that. He wants to come here? Fucking let him. It'll be under my terms, and he can see exactly why nobody should fuck with me,” I state harshly. I stand and pace, unable to stay still. I’m pissed that this fucking wannabe wants to invade my home, and see my boy, but if he wants to so help him, he’ll learn his fucking place.

  Luca lets his chair fall back to the floor. He’s silent for several minutes, pinching the bridge of his nose. I can tell he wants to argue but knows it’s pointless. I won’t accept any excuses for why not. My team is stronger, and I’ll be as safe as if we did a video call. I’m quietly daring my second to say anything other than how my organization will sacrifice everything to protect me to the fullest, but he can’t. Finally, he lets out a gust of breath.

  “What’re your conditions?” Luca looks at me warily, hesitating over the words.

  “No more than three guards. He also has the following choices. Bring me the person who gave the information to Cliff, a sacrifice, if he can’t find that person, or $250,000,” I say evilly, enjoying Luca’s quick look of surprise. I’m sure Brendan will have quite the response to this, but fuck if he wants to keep up the fucking charade about how priceless his brother is to him then he will meet my demands. I doubt he’ll find the person responsible, not when we haven’t found him yet, but it’s an option that would benefit us both.

  “Well, at least you’re kind enough to give an option,” Luca laughs while shaking his head. That golden colored hair is long enough to draw my attention as he moves his head. My cock is still half hard from teasing Emilio and begins to fill again as I watch Luca’s muscles ripple as he stands. I barely keep a groan in, but Luca must be able to tell I’m in need because he gives me a sultry look that normally gets him into trouble with me. It’s the look that normally ends with him bent over the desk or shoved against a wall somewhere with me driving into him, needing relief. Lately, all the boys have wanted attention, but none as much as Luca.

  My shoulders twitch, not knowing if it’s because he feels the same edgy attraction to Emilio that I do or if he’s missing my presence and that’s what is causing his increased neediness. While we were never overly compatible sexually, we’ve never been in a situation where he may not feel like the favorite still—and honestly, I’m not sure if he is right now. They may actually be equal.

  Despite both of us having obvious bulges in our suit pants, I wave him away. We both have plenty of work to do. A pout quickly crosses his face before he schools his features in the same calmness I always expect. As much as I want to get off, if I don’t show discipline, I can’t expect the rest of the boys to do so.

  “Good job, Luca,” I say as I walk him out of the office. His eyes light up at the praise, and I congratulate myself mentally for giving him what he needs. It may not be what he wants, but I try not to spoil my boys too much. The fact they have the honor of being one of my boys is enough. Knowing I’ll meet their needs is the important part. I’ll never let them suffer unnecessarily, which is why Brendan can fuck off. My boys are mine, and Emilio won’t be going anywhere.

  Chapter Nineteen

  One Week Later

  It’s been a month since I was shot, and even though I’m not hooked to machines or have to be in one of those damn hospital beds, I still haven’t been taken back to my room. No, I’m still regulated to this damn wing. At least I’m not under constant supervision anymmore. Dr. Conti still checks in on me, and I’ve toned down my attitude with him. He’s just so fun to mess with, and I
have so little to work with here. My only other constant outside contact is the physical therapist who, at this point, I suspect lives here now with how often he’s in my face. Granted, at least he’s pretty with wide eyes with black lashes, set off by his glasses, and a thin physique that somehow still has definition. Neither of us knows what to think of each other. He’s geekier than I thought physical therapists would be. I expected a jock of some sort, maybe a former football player or something. Instead Benjamin, no nickname please, looks like he stepped right out of my old life. He’s soft-spoken, intimidated by his own shadow, and we trade math and science jokes like crazy. Part of me looks at him and grieves for who I used to be, who I could have been before all of this happened. He stammers too easily about not wanting to be killed, so I’m pretty sure Master was his normal charming self. However, he’s also sadistic as fuck, and not in a fun way. I’m pretty sure if I had access to a gun, I’d shoot him. Maybe. My shoulder is doing much better with all his pushing. Still, I might give him a flesh wound. At least, that’s what I tell myself as he continues to work me over again and again.

  I have five more minutes to go before I can take the ice off my shoulder that Benjamin threw at me, unimpressed with my snarl from the last set of exercises. Thankfully, I have better coordination than he does because he almost hit me in the face with the ice pack. I’m reading a book Luca gave me when the door opens. I want to snarl, thinking it’s Benjamin coming in again, but instead I note it’s Master and Luca. I shift uncomfortably in my chair, because I can tell I’m flushed from what I’ve been reading. I’ve been squirming all throughout reading from the words the author wrote. I wouldn’t have felt embarrassment with Benjamin, but seeing Master and Luca stokes the flames already consuming me.

 

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