Reign (The Vendetta Series Book 2)

by Kris Anne Dean

  I drift off to sleep wrapped in his warm embrace and sleep deeper than I have in months.

  ***

  It’s early afternoon when I wake. The midday sun cascades through the open curtains and washes over us. I’m naked under the sheets twisted around my body. Cal’s asleep next to me in a pair of boxers with Abigail on his chest and an empty bottle lying by his side. He must have gotten up with her while I was sleeping. Our clothes are scattered on the floor leading a trail from the door to the bed. I smile at the memory of how we made love in the early morning hours. I brush his hair off his face and kiss his forehead.

  He smiles and opens his eyes. “What time is it?”

  “After three. As much as I never want to leave this room, we should probably get up.” I shift Abigail into my arms and watch her suckle her tongue. Her soft coos fill my ears and I’m at peace. My perfect, beautiful family.

  While Cal’s in the shower, I mix up a quick breakfast of eggs and toast and scarf down my share before taking my turn in the bathroom. Within an hour we’re ready to leave. We step out onto the cobblestone street and the warmth of the sun beats down on us. I lift the visor on the stroller and we make our way from the quiet Tribeca neighborhood toward Ludlow Street. It’s a thirty-minute walk, but it’s a beautiful day and for the first time in a long time we’re not looking over our shoulders waiting for Angelo to strike. I know it’s asking too much for the truce to last but for now I’m relishing in the peace it brings to my heart and soul.

  When we arrive at Moonshine, the lunch rush is over and Victoria is preparing for the evening crowd. My eyes scan the room, looking for any signs of danger. I know Abigail is safe here but I still have a hard time letting go. After a little prodding I let Raquel, Dario’s long-time girlfriend take her into the back room so I can get some work done. I can see them through the open door, Raquel is fusing over her and sending hinted eyes in Dario’s direction. He’s watching her with a wide smile while shooting a game of pool with Marcus. Cal and Lu huddle around a table. By the way their hands are flying in the air, it’s a heated conversation. I imagine Lu isn’t happy about the revelation that Matteo is Cal’s father. Dan, our bartender is busy stocking the cooler with a new shipment of domestic beer while Victoria and I review the delivery log. The jukebox belts out the first few chords of Billy Joel’s Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and the three of us sway to the music. The guys belt out the chorus off key. We’re laughing and having a good time when Victoria freezes and her eyes drift over my shoulder.

  A hint of that familiar scent hits me. There’s no need to turn around, I sense him before I can see him. The hairs on my arms stand on end and I know he’s close. The proximity of his body to mine, when I spin around, catches me off guard and I lose my balance. Luckily there’s a bar stool to catch my fall. My eyes level with his chest. His defined, well-built curves visible through his shirt. The buttons straining to hold him in. My eyes roam up his body to those hauntingly dark eyes. But they weren’t looking at me, they were staring intensely on Victoria. The heat radiating between them is unmistakable but somehow I know his presence has more to do with me, than her. He reaches up with his muscular arms to push his thick jet black hair back and delivers a devilish grin. The good mood shatters, like a dozen broken glasses.

  Sheer frustration wells up and bursts from my lips. “Why is it every time I turn around you’re watching me?” I find my footing and right myself, raising to his eye level. “Who the hell are you and what do you want?”

  Cal, Lu and Dante are at my side in an instant. That stupid grin still plastered on his face, seemingly unphased by my outburst. “Because that’s my job, Princess.”

  Chapter 26- Kayden

  My hand hovers inches from the door handle when I freeze and pull it away, taking a step back. I’ve had the same internal argument for the past month. It’s not like me to be so indecisive. I’ve already emerged from the shadows, she’s seen my face. Why not just go in? I pace up and down the street, grumbling under my breath while strangers eye me suspiciously and rush by. I’m sure talking to myself doesn’t send the right vibe, but I’m wearing a three thousand dollar suit for Christ’s sake, it’s not like I’m drunk. And even if I was, this is New York City, anything goes.

  Inhaling a deep breath, I turn back and open the door. Secrets are about to come to light. Hopefully she’s ready for what she’s about to learn because if she’s not I’ve blown my cover to hell for nothing.

  When I enter the bar my eyes lock on a scrumptious redhead with big blue eyes and legs that don’t end. One look at this beauty and I forget why I’m here. The way her tight green dress hugs her curves as she sways to the music leaves nothing to the imagination but man would I love a peak at what’s underneath. The lights are turned up high, illuminating the soft glow on her face and flawless skin that kisses her dress. Her voice rings across the bar, as she belts out the words to the song they are singing. I’m at a loss being hit with something so powerful. I can’t explain the way it soothes me. I can almost feel her body wrapped around me just by the sound of her voice in my ear. My heart slams against my chest when she catches me staring. I’m lost for words and swallow hard when Brie turns around, spewing something about me watching her. It breaks me from my trance and sends my defenses through the roof. “Because that’s my job, Princess.”

  She’s quiet for a moment as if she’s contemplating her next words, studying my face as if she hasn’t seen it a dozen times. Cal crosses his arms and glares at me with daggers in his eyes. Not exactly how I pictured this moment but at least it got me what I wanted. A face to face with Cal Carracci.

  Tension fills the room. Cal’s eyes shift to Brie and then cuts to me. “You have ten seconds to explain yourself.”

  “It’s complicated. I will need more than ten seconds.”

  “Nine.”

  “Does the name Demetri Morgano mean anything to you?”

  “No. Eight seconds.” Cal’s hand fists at his side, his fingers itching to pull the gun holstered there. “Seven seconds. Are we talking or are you leaving?” His Glock 19 now locked and loaded in his hand. I don’t doubt him for one second. I’ve seen him in action, when push comes to shove, he’s always the one left with the upper hand. He’d just as soon shoot me where I stand then let any harm come to his family. Except he has no idea who the fuck I am, and I’d take a bullet for Brie just as quick. It’s what Demetri hired me to do.

  Shifting my suit jacket to the side, I reveal my own arsenal. A Colt 45 and a steel S blade. Weapons that have shed more blood than he ever has. I raise an eyebrow and my free hand as both a warning and a gesture. “My name is Kayden Blake, and Demetri Morgano hired me. You probably know him as Danny Morgan.”

  Brie’s eyes grow wide and she braces herself against the bar with one hand and raises the other as if asking Cal to stand down. “I don’t understand. My father has been dead for years.”

  Now we’re getting somewhere. “I said it was complicated. Perhaps this conversation would go smoother with a round of beer instead of a time clock.”

  Things are looking up. Cal holsters his gun and motions to a table. “Victoria, bring us a round, please.”

  Victoria. A perfect fit for the goodness standing before me. I whisper her name under my breath. I like the way it vibrates off my lips.

  Pulling out a chair across from Cal and Brie, I unbutton my suit jacket and sit down placing my hands squarely on the table. It’s a move meant to reassure them I mean no harm. Cal leans into the back of his chair, pulling Brie’s chair closer to his side. It’s a possessive move but I’m not surprised. “I’ve had enough of complicated lately. Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

  “Danny Morgan is known in our circle as Demetri Morgano. His father founded the original Commission back in Italy and he was the sole survivor when the family was brutally slain.” I release a deep sigh. The heavy burden of this secret now out in the open. “He turned away from this life and never looked back. Until they found
him.” I stare at Brie, watching her reaction. It’s almost sinister the way her eyes darken but her face turns a ghostly white. The realization that her father wasn’t the man she thought he was, hits her hard.

  “Demetri…” I stumble over my words as the goddess of my dreams purposely brushes her arm against mine, placing a beer in front of me. A single second of contact and I’m shifting in my seat from the tightening in my pants. It’s clear by the seductive smile on her lips, she notices the way my body responds to her touch. She strolls away with a sexy as fuck sway of her ass and damn if the confidence rolling of her doesn’t arouse me even more. Shaking the thought out of my mind, I force myself to focus. “Danny hired me to watch over you. He was very clear that I was to keep my distance, which wasn’t hard at first but recently things have gotten trickier. The deeper Cal got into this business the closer I got to protect you.”

  “Protect me from who?” Brie keeps her eyes low, absently peeling away the label on the beer bottle in front of her with her long red fingernails. She angles her eyes up, making eye contact from under her dark lashes for only a split second, “Angelo?”

  “He’s only a small part of your problem. The real threat runs much deeper. The commission is behind it all. When they pull the strings, you dance like marionettes and don’t even know it. Angelo Deluca is just as much a toy as you are.” Lifting the cold beer to my lips, I sip slowly. My wandering eyes perusing the length of Victoria’s body up her long legs to where the low-cut back of her dress flirts between the slight arch in her back and her tight ass.

  The drumming of Cal’s fingers on the table pulls my attention back to the conversation. His eyes narrow in a stern warning I’ve hit a nerve and possibly crossing a line with my dalliance. “So how is it you know so much?”

  “That’s where it gets complicated. I’m a hit-man, responsible for many assassinations at the request of the commission. They don’t like to get their hands dirty but my loyalty has never been for sale. When they gave me a job to locate Demetri, I declined. Instead, I searched him out myself. Our families had a long history, and I needed to warn him. He refused to hide any longer, said he couldn’t leave Brie behind without protection. I agreed to use my skills to protect her, if anything ever happened to him. When I learned of his death, that’s what I did. I’m the best at what I do because I make it a point to learn as much about the people I work for as I do the men I put down. And you're at the top of the list. Which poses a conflict of interest for me because it puts Brie in danger.”

  Cal raises an eyebrow. “There’s no way I will let that happen,” he growls, his jaw tightening with fury.

  “That’s why I’m here.” I slam my fist on the table. The commission has plans, I’ve only begun to uncover, but there’s no doubt we need to stop them. “If we work together, we can bring them down first.”

  When she breaks the silence, her voice is cold and detached. She’s almost robotic in her effort to speak. “If you’ll excuse me. I need time to process all this.” While sliding out of her seat, she squeezes Cal’s hand, her voice turning deadly, “Get it done.”

  Chapter 27- Lanah

  The music pulsing from inside the hotel bar drew me in. The Jubilee isn’t my normal hang out, but that’s the point. To drown my sorrows where no one will know me. The bartender places my drink order, an Old Fashion, in front of me as I finish the one in my hand. Instinctively, I turn the empty glass over remembering a serial killer case I heard about in the bureau. 41 victims linked by a number etched in glass.

  The dull lighting and fluid crowd moving in and out makes it hard to focus on anyone or anything except downing my next drink. That’s what I’m here for, anyway. The heartache of losing the one you love can be overpowering. Couple that with the asshole responsible for his murder walking free and you’ve got a woman on the verge of self-destruction. That’s what the Deputy Director called it, anyway. Apparently, my need for revenge and the occasional drink to steal my emotions is grounds to take my badge. I’m not giving it up without a fight though. I was born for this job. I live it and breathe it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Sacrificing everything for the badge, including Emilio. I warned him about taking the assignment, going undercover and infiltrating the Bianchi family was dangerous. They don’t play by the rules, especially Angelo Deluca. He wasn’t playing by the rules when he executed the love of my life.

  Ordering another round, I gulp down the fresh drink before me and slam the empty glass down. Perhaps with more aggression than was necessary but tonight the alcohol isn’t doing its job. Instead of numbing me it’s causing me to lash out. I order another as memories surface pulling me under the wave that’s taking over my body. Is it so wrong to not want to be me for a while, to not think about the hell I’m living day in and day out? Maybe the Director is right, am I becoming self-destructive? I certainly wasn’t thinking when I followed Brie to that run-down apartment building or when I tailed Cal from the same building to the Hamptons. Maybe the Vodka in my water bottle is responsible for what I heard pressed up against the outside wall of Deluca’s pool house. Brothers. The thought causes my head to spin. The Bianchi’s are known for a lot of shit but separating triplets at birth and passing one off as their own takes the cake. Why would anyone do such a thing? Either I was hallucinating or something’s foul here.

  I shake the thought from my head. Tonight I’m not an agent and the turf war for the city isn’t my problem. I’m just a woman desperate to find some solace. If it's not at the bottom of my glass, then maybe it’s in the arms of a stranger. It’s been too long since I felt a man's touch and the need to feel alive is welling up inside. I order another drink and scan the crowd. A cluster of men dressed in pressed suits and ties share friendly banter over a round of beer. They’re likely at the hotel for a convention. Strangers yes, but too much like the suits in the office. I’m not looking for respectable, I’m looking for a distraction. Mindless giggles erupt from the blonde sitting next to me as the man at her side scans her body. She’s overdressed if you ask me, advertising herself for the night and it looks like she has a buyer. His eyes are glued on the top of her strapless dress, but I’m sure he notices how the smooth black satin runs straight down to her knees. I sip my drink, slowing my pace so I don’t vomit all over some poor unexpecting soul and contemplate my own clothing choice. I discarded the black slacks and blazer and opted for a more feminine look. I like the way the purple hues of my dress contrast with my tanned skin and hugs my curves. An involuntary snicker escapes my lips. We can’t all be a size two. I’m an FBI agent, my body may not be slender but it curves in all the right places. I’ve never had any complaints.

  I flag the bartender down to order another round when my eyes settle on a lone wolf, taking up space at the far corner of the bar. The way his bulging biceps and rippling muscles constrict under his tight red shirt makes my mouth water. He looks like a man able to make a woman forget. Hell, I may have already forgotten my name. The brooding expression in his dark eyes tell me he’s got his own demons to fight. If the way his fingers grip that beer bottle is any sign, he’s on the losing end of the battle too. If he squeezes any tighter, he’ll be picking shards from his hand. His haunted eyes drift up and lock on mine. I can’t resist the urge to raise my glass and offer encouragement to move closer.

  I melt under his hot stare as he sidles up to me. Swiveling in my stool for a better look, I study all six foot of pulsating muscle as he takes the neighboring stool and motions to the bartender to bring us a round. Normally I’d find the move brazen but tonight I’m open for something new. I don’t even need the next drink, I’ve already lost all self-control. I hold my breath and my heart speeds up under his withering stare.

  “Hard day?” I whisper, afraid the slight tremble in my voice would give away my nervousness.

  He raises the beer bottle and pauses just before it touches his lips. “Something like that.” After a long draw of his drink he takes stock of my empty glass and motions for another. �
�That’s some powerful stuff your drinking. Whose memory are you drowning?”

  Raising my glass, I tip my head to look him in the eye. “Your story first.”

  “Let’s just say I have a boss that’s questioning my loyalty.” Swirling his beer around in the bottle contemplating his next words. His eyes harden and fists tighten. “I’m not always a good man but I’ve always been loyal to a fault.”

  Watching him, I wonder how his strong hands would feel roaming my body. The danger radiating off of him and the alcohol poisoning my judgment sets my body on fire. “I’m not looking for a good man or loyalty tonight.”

  The conversation quickly deteriorates. A hint of a smile creeps across his face, seemingly amused as he swallows back his drink and slaps a hundred-dollar bill on the bar. Standing before me he reaches out a hand. I grip on and follow him.

  We cross the tile floor of the lobby and he motions for me to wait. I watch nervously as he approaches the front desk and pulls a credit card from his wallet before taking the room key from the clerk. He turns towards me and excitement rushes through my limbs as he nears. His eyes draw me further and further in until his strong arms wrap around me and he guides me into the elevator. His lips are so close to my neck I’m certain he can feel my pulse beating out of control.

  He whispers against my skin, “I’ve been wanting to get this dress off you since the moment you walked in.”

  Our lips crash with hunger, our tongues battle for dominance. My head is spinning and my knees weaken but I can’t tell if it’s the way his hands control my body or the alcohol coursing through my veins. His strong body pins me to the elevator wall as his hand roams up my dress, squeezing and needing my thigh. A little higher and he’d feel how wet I am. When the elevator door opens on our floor, I tug my dress down but he spins me around working it higher up my thighs. “Don’t bother it’s coming off.”