The Rossi Crime Family: The Complete Five Book Mafia Series

by J. L. Beck

  Keira is still in danger. I turn back to Hayley. I am right in front of her—fully shielding Keira. The gun is still pointed at me, but Hayley makes no move.

  Anger like I’ve never felt runs through me as reality settles in. She shot at Keira. She fired a gun at my soon-to-be wife. All-consuming fury floods my veins, shutting down common sense and reasoning, leaving me to act on pure instinct. My most primal instinct tells me to protect what’s mine.

  I close the distance between me and Hayley with two long strides. All the blood drains from her face. Her hand is shaking so fucking hard, she drops the gun.

  Her eyes are so wide, they look about to come out of their sockets. I can see her mouthing, “Please,” but I’m too far gone to register her pleas—or even care.

  My hands move effortlessly, of their own accord, wrapping around her thin neck. I grab the base of her skull. My fingers dig into her flesh, and with one hard twist, I feel her bone crack as I snap her neck.

  I peer down at her face. Her eyes go vacant in an instant, frozen in time, never to blink again. Her body goes limp in my hands. Adrenaline courses through my veins. My heart races furiously.

  As soon as I realize she’s dead and I have eliminated the threat, the fog of fury lifts, allowing me to think for the first time in minutes.

  Shit. I just killed her in my house…with the front door wide open. Fuck.

  My house is fairly secluded—covered by trees and bushes. But there’s still a chance someone could've seen us, and even if they didn't, they certainly could’ve heard the gunshot.

  I drag her farther inside and shut the door.

  Only then do I let go of her, and the lifeless body falls onto the hardwood floor with a thump. I gaze up at Kiera. She’s still standing in the same spot—her entire body has turned to stone.

  “Keira, it’s going to be fine.” Even I’m surprised at how low and calm my voice sounds. Holding my hands up, I walk toward her slowly, like I’m trying to sneak up on a wild animal. Her eyes are fixated on Hayley’s body until I step into her line of vision, blocking her view.

  God, I wish she wouldn't have seen me do that. And yet I don't feel a smidge of guilt. Only guilt that my sweet Keira had to witness it.

  I gently place my hands on her shoulders—the same hands that killed someone a few minutes ago. I've killed for her now. And given the chance, I'd do it again if it meant she’d remain safe.

  I expect Keira to pull away and run, but she makes no moves. Her eyes move from my chest to my face. I see fear leave her gaze when our eyes meet, relief flooding her features.

  In an instant, she leans into my body, her tiny arms wrapping around my middle.

  A sob rips from her throat, and she cracks straight down the middle.

  “Everything is going to be okay, baby. No one is going to hurt you. I need to make a phone call, and then we are going to go somewhere.”

  “You could’ve died.” It sounds like her heart is breaking, and then I realize what she said. I. Could've. Died.

  Those three little words nearly send to my knees After all she witnessed, watching me kill a woman right before her eyes, and she’s worried about me dying. She’s worried about me fucking dying. My heart soars from my fucking chest, and I reach down and pick her up, placing my hands under her ass.

  I hike her up my torso, and she wraps her legs around my middle with little effort. I carry her into the kitchen and settle her onto the counter, inserting my body between her legs. Her face is still buried in my neck, each little breath she takes fanning my skin.

  As badly as I want to calm her down, nothing I say is going to help until I get Hayley’s body out of the house. I pull out my cell and glide my fingers across the screen, pulling up Toni’s info. I hit the green call button and bring the phone to my ear.

  Keira pulls away slightly, her brown eyes peering up at me.

  “Boss,” he answers casually.

  “I’ve got a body I need dumped. It’s at my house.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll be over with the men in just a few.”

  I hit the end key and pocket my phone. I can’t imagine being in Keira’s shoes. These things are normal to me. I’ve seen more people die than be born, so death is nothing to me. Calling Toni to remove a body? Normal.

  It’s normal to Toni too—just another day of work. But to Keira, my fragile beauty, it’s not, and I don’t want her to ever look at me differently for the things I did tonight.

  “Are you okay?” I lean down, inhaling her sweet scent. I’m so far gone, so fucking in love with this woman, I’d burn down the fucking world. I’d kill anyone or anything that tried to take her from me.

  “Yes, I’m just…” Her lips tremble as she tries to speak. “I was afraid I might lose you back there. Afraid she was going to take you from me.”

  Her fear is understandable, but she doesn’t have the slightest clue how badly it could’ve ended.

  “She didn’t come here to shoot me, baby. She came to shoot you.” I trail my thumb over her bottom lip. “And I was going to be fucking damned if I let her succeed. You are my all—my start, my middle, and my ending. She tried to take you from me, so I ended her life. Nobody fucks with what is mine. Nobody.”

  Keira fists my shirt. “I was just...I was scared.”

  I cup her cheeks. Her skin is warm and wet with tears. “No one is ever going to take me from you. The fact that you care more for me than yourself, or that I killed someone right before your eyes…” I shake my head. “It rattled me to the core, baby. You’re selfless, and your kind and caring nature makes up for everything I lack.”

  Keira’s frown turns into a soft smile, and I lean down, pressing my lips against hers. Her head falls against the cupboard, exposing her smooth neck. I want to fuck her right now—to make sure she feels secure, happy, content, but she doesn’t need that right now. She just needs me…my touch.

  I pull away, exhaling a ragged breath. Keira’s chest heaves, pressing her breasts up with each breath. As I stare down at my soon-to-be wife, her beauty reflecting upon me, my brother’s words pop into my head.

  “Damon, I need you to come to the mansion. We have some important matters to discuss, and you should bring Keira as well.”

  I’m not dumb enough to think this was a coincidence. The fact that my brother called and demanded I come to his home, then Hayley has a mental breakdown and shows up at my house with a gun—it’s all fishy as fuck, and I’m going to figure out what the hell is going on.

  “Baby, we need to go pack a couple bags. We’re going to go stay with Xander for a little bit.” Worry flickers in her eyes, and I know she’s still in shock. She’s going to need some time to digest all this.

  “Actually, you know what, wait here, I’ll pack some stuff.”

  “Okay,” she mumbles, not even making a move to get up.

  I rush upstairs to our bedroom, my feet slamming against the wood floor with each step. When I make it to the room, I go through the drawers, grabbing panties, bras, T-shirts, yoga pants—anything I can get my hands on. I pull a small suitcase from the closet and shove all the shit into it. I don’t worry about my own clothing. I have a bunch of shit at Xander’s place anyway. Once done, I race around the bathroom grabbing a bunch more of Keira’s shit, and when I get back to the kitchen, I toss the suitcase aside and look at Keira. Her ass is still seated on the counter like she’s a part of it.

  “Are…?” I start, but the sound of the doorbell ringing interrupts us once again, and I grind my teeth together, pulling away.

  “Stay put until they get the body out of here. Okay?” I hate the way I sound and how bossy I am being. I don’t think she would get up anyway, since she hasn’t moved since I put her on the damn counter.

  Keira nods her head, placing her hands in her lap. She still seems shaken up, but I know she’ll move on. She knows nothing’s going to happen to me, and anyone who tries to hurt her may as well commit suicide because they’re dead for trying.

  I step over Hay
ley’s body and peek through the glass, checking to make sure it’s Toni. When I see his round face and two of my men flanking him, I open the door. After he and the other men enter, Toni’s eyes scan the scene. He doesn’t ask questions, and even if he did, I wouldn’t give him answers. He doesn’t need to know what happened. I pay him to clean up the mess and keep his mouth shut.

  “Boss,” the three greet me in unison, and I tip my chin at them.

  “Make it look like an accident. I don’t care what kind.” My stomach churns as I walk away, leaving Toni to clean up the mess.

  I march back into the kitchen, walk over to Keira, and cup her cheeks. I rub my thumbs up and down them, breathing deeply.

  “Everything is going to be fine, baby. Everything is going to be fine,” I whisper, praying like hell my words aren’t a lie.

  If anything happens to Keira, I’ll kill everyone.

  Every. Single. Person.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Keira

  I stare at my hands as we stand in the kitchen, waiting for them to move Hayley’s body. Her death hasn’t fully sunk in. Strangely, I don’t feel bad. You’re supposed to feel bad when someone dies, right? I was sad when my brother died. I should be sad Hayley’s dead. I should be terrified the man I love killed her, snapping her neck right in front of me.

  He did it without thought—like his body knew what it was doing—like it was something he did every single day.

  I’m still waiting for feelings to come, but I feel nothing. My emotions twist out of control, and all I can think about is I could’ve lost Damon—and if I had, it would’ve been at her hands.

  A horrible thought enters my mind. I want to forget it, but once it’s there, I can’t seem to get it out. If I would have had the chance, I would have killed her myself. If I were as strong as Damon—no, I know I would have broken her neck myself.

  Damon is standing right in front of me, watching me as if I’m seconds away from exploding. He’s probably wondering how I’m going to handle all this. What would he think of me if he knew what I was conjuring up right now?

  My dark thoughts are interrupted when Toni steps into the room.

  “All done, boss.”

  “All right. Come on, baby.” Damon offers me a hand, helping me off the counter. He guides me out of the room, grabbing the suitcase he packed on the way out.

  We walk through the foyer where Hayley’s dead body was laying across the floor. It’s gone now, but my eyes are still fixated to the spot. I walk around the area like it’s going to burn my shoes if I touch it—like the wood is tainted or something…as if her death has left an evil residue on the floor.

  Damon holds my hand, practically dragging me out the door to his car like nothing happened. It’s strange to go from someone dying to pretending like nothing happened.

  When we make it to the car, he opens the door and all but lifts me into the passenger seat. I know I need to say something, anything, to make him aware I’m okay, but I don’t want to say a word. I don’t think I can without breaking down.

  All I can think about is a world without Damon. I knew he was dangerous, that he came with an X on his back, but I guess, in my eyes, he seemed invincible. But after tonight, I know he’s not. He’s just as close to death as the rest of us—maybe even closer considering what he does for a living.

  I don’t even realize Damon’s in the car and we’re driving down the road until I catch a pair of headlights coming at us.

  “Would you please say something?” Damon’s white knuckling the steering wheel, clearly upset by my silence, but I don’t know what to say that I haven’t already.

  “I’m okay,” I mumble. I can see the worry in his gaze, and I don’t want him to be concerned about me, because it’s not me I’m worried about. It’s going to take time, but I’ll be okay.

  I spent so much time trying to run from him and fearing him, only to end up being terrified of losing him. Even after all this, all we’ve been through, all he’s done, I love him beyond this life.

  I’ll love him forever.

  For the rest of the drive, I stare out the window and watch the scenery whizzing by while I try to remember the person I was this morning. Damon doesn’t say anything else after I tell him I’m okay, and I’m thankful.

  We pull up to the Rossi mansion, and I take a deep breath before opening my door at the same time Damon does. We both get out of the car, and Damon grabs the suitcase from the back. My feet feel heavy as I trudge up the stairs, my hand in his. It isn’t until we’re halfway to the front door that I notice Xander standing at the top, waiting for us just like he did last time. He looks like the king. Like he owns the whole fucking world.

  “Little brother, I wasn’t expecting you today. I thought we agreed on tomorrow,” Xander calls out in a cheerful voice. He gives me a smile, showing off his straight white teeth.

  I blink, my gaze swinging to Damon’s, wondering why Xander was expecting us tomorrow. I know right away there’s something he isn’t telling me, and I don’t like it. Not at all. Damon gives his brother a heated glare, looking as if he’s about to break someone’s neck again.

  “Let’s get inside and have a drink before we talk about anything.” Damon sounds irritated, and his tone confirms my hunch that there is something going on I don’t know about.

  “Be my guest.” Xander gestures for us to enter.

  Damon’s hand tightens in mine, and he pulls me over the threshold and into the house.

  Did I mention I hate being here?

  We walk into the dining room, and my eyes move to the table where we had dinner, then out over the patio and garden.

  “We should really discuss this in my office.” Xander’s eyes bore into mine. “Alone.”

  I want to smack the stupid right out of him. If he thinks I’m giving them privacy than he’s dumber than I thought.

  “She goes with me. Someone just fucking shot at her, and I had to kill the bitch, so I don’t really care what you have to say about it, Xander.”

  “Fine. I see you are in a foul mood. Maybe you should just call it a night and we’ll talk tomorrow when you are more…settled.” Xander gives us a wicked smile and steps aside for us to pass.

  “You’re right. Let’s go get some rest. We’ll deal with this tomorrow.” Damon tugs me past Xander and up the staircase. I don’t complain. Lying down in a bed right now sounds amazing—especially when Damon is going to be lying next to me.

  I practically sprint up the stairs. I’m more than eager to get away from Xander, ready to lock myself in the bedroom with Damon. As soon as we enter, the lights filter on and he closes the door, flicking the lock into place. I highly doubt that lock would stop his brother from coming in, but I guess it’s the thought that counts.

  “I’m sorry.” Remorse, maybe even guilt, coats Damon’s words. It doesn’t sound right—the word “sorry” falling from his lips. I get the feeling he doesn’t say it often…if at all.

  “Why? You don't have anything to be sorry for,” I say, turning around to face him once my ass hits the bed. He releases the suitcase, and it falls to the floor with a thud. Then he’s on me, crossing the space between us in a second.

  “I’m sorry because I brought you into this shit world. You could’ve left—hell, you should’ve, but you stayed. And after tonight, after how close I came to losing you...it’s killing me I might have lost you.”

  “Damon, you didn’t bring me into this, my brother did.” The words pain me, but that doesn't make them any less true. I know Leo was trying to support me, and that makes my guilt even worse, but in the end, it was Leo who got caught up in this. He could have found another way. We could have found another way together.

  “My brother is the one who started this with whatever he did or didn’t do for Xander. He got himself killed and left me to deal with his mess. You took me in when you didn’t have to—you take care of me and protect me. So don’t tell me sorry for doing what you do, when I wouldn’t have it any other way
.”

  There is so much more I want to tell him, but it doesn't seem like there are enough minutes in the day. I want to profess all the emotions coursing through me right now to him. I want to make sure he does not have an inkling of doubt in his mind about us. I want to tell him I’d kill for him too, and I couldn’t imagine my world without him now. Damon is no longer just my protector. He’s my soon-to-be husband—my everything. I want to tell him all that and more, but I can’t, because his lips are pressed to mine in an all-consuming kiss.

  I feel every single emotion in that kiss—adoration, lust, desire, safety. I feel it all. His tongue pushes into my mouth, and all I can think of is his tongue all over my body—on my neck, my breasts, my stomach, trailing all the way down to my pussy. My muscles clench around nothing but air, and I wish it was his tongue dipping inside me.

  I moan into his mouth and grab onto his shirt. I fist the material in my hands, desperately wanting it off. He breaks the kiss long enough to give me a panty-melting smile before ripping my shirt off.

  I hear material rip, but I don’t care. Everything separating our bodies from becoming one is an inconvenience.

  Slamming his lips back onto mine, our teeth clash. My arms snake around his neck, pulling him closer.

  I need him closer…so much closer.

  I feel his fingers unfasten my bra, and I help him get it off. With a gentle nudge backward, I’m lying on the bed as he peels off my yoga pants, then tosses the remnants to the floor.

  I watch him start to take off his own pants, biting my lip when his huge cock finally springs free.

  My body is restless. My thighs keep rubbing together in anticipation, and I can feel how wet I already am…just from kissing. I want more of him—his fingers, his mouth, his cock. I want him to own me and worship me—all at the same time.