Nico

by Sarah Castille

  “I couldn’t decide what I wanted more that night,” he said, brushing a kiss over her temple. “You naked and on my desk or tied up and used as bait for your father.”

  Guilt speared through her when he mentioned her father, bringing her to her senses. What would he do if she told him that Dante was the one who pulled the trigger? How could she continue this when she was keeping a secret from him that he would see as the ultimate betrayal?

  Nico helped her up and turned to dispose of the condom. Mia scooted off the desk and pulled on her clothes. By the time she was done, Nico had dressed and was back to his impeccable self.

  “What do we do now?” She stuffed her shredded panties into her purse, suddenly overcome with how reckless she had been. What would her father do if he knew she was consorting with the enemy? Or maybe he knew already.

  “We do what all Italians do when there is a food waiting for them.” Nico pulled open the door. “We eat.”

  FOURTEEN

  Ben parked his vehicle and turned off the engine. His unscheduled meeting with Jack was four hours away. Jack had given no reason for the change in day, but Ben hoped it had something to do with the end of the assignment. In all his years undercover in the mob, he’d never seen craziness like what was going on right now. People were going to get hurt. Good people. People he cared about.

  Until he’d joined the new crew, he would sit in his apartment with the TV blaring and a beer in his hand before his meetings with Jack. He would handwrite a report of all the criminal activity he’d witnessed in excruciating detail, listing names, locations, and descriptions—anything that might help the DA with the big case that never seemed to get off the ground. But tonight, he wasn’t in the mood. He hadn’t been in the mood for two fucking years.

  He respected his boss. Admired him. He was loyal, honorable, and protective of his family, his crew and the people in his territory. But right now he was distracted. And that meant he wasn’t listening for the rumbling of the storm. And there was a storm coming, no doubt about that. Ben had friends who passed him intel the Mafia could never get. Snippets of information from other undercover cops that told him something big was brewing. Good thing Ben had his boss’s back. He just had to find a way to tell his boss he needed to get his head back in the game or he was going to lose more than his heart.

  His own heart ached because tomorrow was supposed to be one of his days with Daisy. But when the boss called and told him he had guard duty in the morning, he couldn’t say no. He’d had guard duty all day today, too. Now it was late—too late. But maybe he could stop by and say good night. Give her a hug. Maybe she’d even still be up. Ginger always partied on a Friday night.

  Half an hour later, he pulled up outside Ginger’s house. The lights were all on, and music was blaring through the windows. No chance of Daisy sleeping through that. He knocked, but when no one answered, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Ginger looked up from the couch, slurring her words as Ben walked into the living room. Her shirt was pushed up around her neck baring her breasts and she had a blanket over her legs. Her hair was a crazy tangle around her head, and her eyes were dilated so wide they looked black. A needle lay on the carpet beside an empty beer can, and Ben fought back the urge to shout so he didn’t disturb Daisy.

  “Are you shooting up when our little girl is in the house? Christ, Ginger. Cover yourself. Look at you. What the fuck happened to that sweet girl I met in a bar seven years ago.”

  “Gabe rescued me from the drudgery of motherhood.” Ginger pulled down her shirt, sucked on her cigarette. “You should take a hit sometime. He’s got a line on some good quality stuff. Might help you pull the stick out of your fucking ass. And what the hell are you doing here anyway? What the fuck time is it?”

  “I’m just here to say good night.” Ben turned away, feeling sick. He had to get off this case for Daisy’s sake. Ginger was a disaster waiting to happen. And Gabe …

  “Ben.” Gabe stepped into the hallway in front of Daisy’s door. He was wearing nothing but a pair of track pants loose around his narrow hips, his junk clearly outlined by the thin material. He was all ink, toned pecs and smooth muscle, the kind of body every man dreamed about having if he had ten gallons of protein powder, a steady supply of steroids, and no job so he could spend twelve hours a day in the gym.

  Ben frowned when Gabe didn’t immediately get out of his way. “I’m here to see Daisy.”

  Gabe tipped his neck from side to side, making it crack. “She had a busy day. She’s all worn out.”

  Every hair on the back of Ben’s neck stood on end, every nerve ending flared in warning, every instinct that had kept him alive ten years in an organization that would kill him if they discovered he was a cop, screamed danger. “Get out of my way.”

  Gabe smirked, stepped to the side, forcing Ben to brush past him to open the door. “We were just having a bedtime story. It’s our nightly ritual since her daddy’s not about.”

  Ben’s hand opened and closed, hovered near the gun holstered by his side. He imagined pulling it out and shoving the barrel into Gabe’s throat, pushing him up against the wall the way his pals in his crew did with anyone who pissed them off. But Ben couldn’t cross that line. Even thought he was undercover, he was still an officer of the law. He couldn’t beat someone up because of a smirk.

  “Stay the fuck away from Daisy.”

  “Kinda hard since we’re living together. Me and Ginger and your pretty little girl.”

  Walk away. Walk away. Gabe was baiting him and he couldn’t risk a fight. If Ginger called the police and he was arrested, he risked having his cover blown because Jack would have to come and identify him to have him released. Every Mafia family had cops on the payroll. Someone would tell his boss. He’d be taken for a ride, and he’d never come back. His boss had zero tolerance for thieves, traitors, and rats. He had a reputation for being merciless with those who displeased him, and protective of those under his care. If Ben asked his boss for a favor for Daisy, Gabe wouldn’t live to see the sun rise again.

  Ben walked into the dark room and closed the door behind him. He was a cop, and he had to follow the rules, and the rules didn’t allow asking for favors from the mob.

  “Daisy?”

  Daisy shot out of the bed and threw herself into his arms with such force that Ben stumbled back against the door.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead. “I came to say good night.”

  She squeezed him tight, plastering her thin body against him, her fingers digging into his back.

  That warning prickle came back, and he forced himself to take a breath. “You okay? Anything wrong?”

  “I want to go out of here,” she whispered.

  “Okay.” Ben stroked her head, trying not to let his anxiety show. When he’d come by during the week to visit, she hadn’t been interested in doing the things they usually enjoyed doing together. She didn’t want to play in the park, go for ice cream, or hang out at the mall going on rides and buying sparkly jewelry and clothes. Instead, she clung to him, holding his hand as they walked around, her body plastered against his side. Whenever he sat down, she curled up on his lap and pulled his arms around her. She didn’t even want to talk, and his Daisy loved to talk. But she hadn’t been as agitated as she was now.

  “You get dressed, and we’ll head out.”

  “Please, Daddy.” Her body shook, and she shuddered in his arms. “Take me out of here now.”

  His throat tightened and he had to force out the words. “What’s wrong? Did Gabe…” He couldn’t say it, didn’t want to hear his biggest nightmare had come true, because if it had, there was no law he wouldn’t break to avenge his little girl.

  She shook her head, and he released the breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “Sure. We just gotta put some clothes on you. We’ll go for a ride somewhere.” He detached her finge
rs and looked around the tiny room for some clothes.

  “I don’t want to go for a ride. I just want to sit with you.” Tears trickled down her cheeks and Ben thought his fucking heart would break. He wanted to take her away from Vegas, but if he walked off the job, he would have to go into witness protection and that meant leaving Daisy behind unless he could sort out the custody issues before he left.

  “Anything you want.”

  He found some clothes and got her dressed before he carried her out of the house. The next few hours went by in a blur. He picked up a prepaid phone, drove around until he found a safe, quiet spot to park overlooking the city, and settled Daisy on his lap. She listened to the radio with him until finally fell asleep. Ben gently placed her on the back seat and covered her with his jacket, before giving Jack a call on his secure line.

  “I’m not going to make it tonight.” Ben leaned against the vehicle, looked out over the peaceful, residential neighborhood spread out below him.

  “I haven’t heard from you all week,” Jack said. “You haven’t filed those reports you promised me. What the hell is going on?”

  “I’m real worried about my Daisy being in the house with Gabe.”

  Jack gave a sympathetic murmur. He had a wife and two girls, one of who was the same age as Daisy. “I did the basics on Gabe for you. No criminal record. Not even a parking ticket. He’s got a valid driver’s license. Pays his taxes. Last job was as a cement mixer for a construction company. No current employment. I hit a roadblock internally when I tried to dig deeper. Some kind of clearance issue. There’s nothing else I can do.”

  “Fuck.” Ben thudded his fist against the wall. “What about the social worker? Did she stop by the house?”

  “Daisy is at the bottom of the list because there is no evidence of abuse—no reports from doctors, teachers, coaches, or neighbors. They are totally overworked, so she’s got a low priority.”

  “Something’s wrong with her, Jack.” Ben scrubbed his hand over his face. “She wouldn’t talk about it. And things with the crew are getting way the fuck out of control.”

  “I wouldn’t know since you aren’t filing any reports,” Jack snapped. Ben braced himself, pretty damn sure he knew what was coming next.

  “I’ve been cutting you some slack over the last year because I know it’s a matter of life or death for you every day,” Jack continued. “But the higher-ups started getting concerned when they heard about things going down involving your crew and we weren’t hearing about it in your reports. We’re worried about you, Ben. I’m worried.”

  “Forget about it.” His hand closed in a fist. “I gave you more than enough evidence to convict the top bosses and the department wouldn’t act. If they hadn’t dragged their feet for the last year, those bastards would be in jail, and the families would be on self-destruct. Now the bosses are dead and we’re starting from square one. You think I have time to write reports? And because I don’t, you question my loyalty? You tell me you can’t help my kid even though the reason she’s unprotected is because I’ve spent ten years of my life on this assignment? No fucking way.”

  “We’re pulling you out,” Jack said. “We think you’re in too deep, and this stuff with Daisy is compromising your ability to do your job. Our recent conversations have had more to do with her than your work. You’re putting yourself and the investigation at risk.”

  “This stuff with Daisy?” Ben fought back the urge to smash his phone on the nearest rock. “I think something’s going on in that house. She’s scared, Jack. That’s not ‘stuff.’ That’s a crime. This is what we’re supposed to do. Protect civilians. Protect my daughter.”

  Jack sighed. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you might be overreacting. You’re not thinking straight. It’s been a tense situation, and we didn’t really consider the ramifications of that massacre at Vincenzo’s on you. Our psychologist thinks you just might be projecting your anxiety on Daisy. After all, Gabe’s been around for a while, and you never had any concerns about Daisy until just after it happened.”

  “Holy. Fucking. Shit. I can’t believe you just said that.” Ben felt like the rug had been ripped from under his feet. Projecting? Not thinking straight? That didn’t sound like Jack. He was a straight-up guy. Never went for that psychology shit. What the hell was going on?

  “Listen, Ben.” Jack’s voice dropped to a low, cajoling tone. “You come to the diner right now and someone will come to get you. I’ve already finished all the paperwork for witness protection. You’ll be sent away until the situation is all sorted out and they make all the arrests. I’m not sure how long that’s gonna be, but you’ll be safe until it happens.”

  If Jack had made the offer weeks ago, Ben would have jumped at the chance. He’d wanted this. Wanted out. But now that it was offered, he realized it wasn’t what he wanted at all, and he couldn’t believe he’d been begging Jack to make it happen.

  “What about Daisy?”

  “She can’t go with you because of the custody order. Only way would be if you took Ginger, too, but I’m guessing that’s not going to happen.”

  “No fucking way.” He couldn’t stand being around Ginger for ten minutes, much less forever.

  “So Daisy will stay in her current situation—”

  “No.” He barely managed to keep his voice low so as not to wake his sleeping daughter in the car. “Absolutely not.”

  He could hear Jack’s sigh of exasperation. “Well, what then? You won’t come. Daisy can’t go with you because it be would be considered child abduction. What do you suggest?”

  “I’ll get a fucking court order.” He stared out over the city he’d come to after he left foster care, his stupid teenage head full of dreams of taking down the mob. “I’ll keep my head down and do my job. I’ll call you ten fucking times a week if you want. I’ll file the fucking reports. Meantime, you’re going to push harder to get Social Services out to see Daisy. When Daisy is mine again, that’s when you’ll pull me out. In the meantime, I’ll deal with Gabe.”

  “You’ll deal with Gabe?” Jack’s voice rose in pitch. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means that I’m going to find out what’s going on, and if that fucker hurt my girl in any way, the streets are going to run red with his blood.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Jack shouted. “We’re cops, Ben. We don’t do vigilante justice. I’ll give you two weeks to sort yourself out, then custody order or not, you’re done.”

  “Don’t back me into a corner when my little girl is a risk,” he warned. “If you’re that worried about me, tell the fucking department to pull some strings with the judge.”

  “I’ll pass on the message, but you’re making the wrong decision,” Jack said. “You’re in way too deep, Ben. You’re thinking like a wiseguy, talking like a wiseguy—hell, you’re acting like a goddamned mobster.”

  Ben turned off his phone, and checked on Daisy, still asleep in the vehicle. Jack was wrong to overlook the benefits of Mafia-style vigilante justice. There was no administration or red tape to go through. No legal proceedings or victims’ rights. There was the fucker who had scared his girl. And there was the bullet that would go through his head.

  Would he go to jail if he pulled the trigger? Or would he become a made man?

  FIFTEEN

  “Your father wants to see you.”

  Mia looked up from her terminal in the community center computer lab. She had just logged in to for her Saturday morning coding class. Rev stood in the doorway, filling the space with his pumped-up bulk. Her pulse kicked up a notch. Usually her father summoned her over the phone. Rev was his top enforcer, entrusted with keeping Dante safe. That her father had pulled him off bodyguard duty to come and get her told her this was one meeting she did not want to attend.

  “I’m teaching a class.”

  He walked toward her, idly kicking at the chairs as if they were pebbles. He wore a sweatshirt, sleeves torn away to showcase his massive biceps, and ripped down
the chest to reveal his revolver tattoo.

  “He wants to see you now.”

  Mia opened up the web browser, watching Rev out of the corner of her eye. She had come early to set up her class, and there weren’t many people in the education wing of the community center on a Saturday morning.

  “Now will have to be in two hours when I’m done.” When the web browser finally opened, she quickly logged in to her personal email, and then froze. What was she doing? Who was she planning to email? She’d been called to her father’s office dozens of times and never once had she asked for help. She had weathered all sorts of storms alone, suffered many beatings, and always managed to make it out alive.

  “Now means now.”

  But this was a different type of storm. First, Rev was here, and it was clear he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Second, she had still not been called to account for what happened with the Wolf. Third, she had been indiscreet last night going out in public with Nico. And fourth, well, if anyone had been watching when he dropped her off at home, there would be no doubt they were more than business acquaintances. At least he hadn’t accepted her invitation to come inside..

  “What if I refuse?” Who could she email anyway? Jules wouldn’t be able to help her. What about Nico? She didn’t have any way to contact him except through the casino, although she was pretty sure he would jump in his car and race to the community center if he thought she was in danger. Even the thought that there was someone who had her back made her feel stronger inside. But asking him for help would just escalate the war between the families. There had been enough bloodshed already.

  “Then I’ll get to put my hands all over that pretty curvy body when I carry you out.” He moved toward her at a slow, steady pace, as if he had no fear that she might escape.

  “That might attract some unwanted attention. Especially if I scream.” She sent a quick email to Jules asking her to come down to the center ASAP to take over the class, and added a small note at the end about being dragged to her parents’ house. As an afterthought, she added a scared emoji, and hit send just before Rev’s meaty paw clamped down on her arm.