The Syndicates: A Dark Mafia Romance Collection

by Raven Scott

  “I don’t know why they never hurt me. The fact of the matter is they could’ve just swept you aside at that point, no problem. But they didn’t.” The thoughtfulness in her tone was one I shared, and I rubbed my head absently when she paused. “I mean, what was the point of even grabbing me if they didn’t do anything?”

  “My best guess, they thought they had more time than they got. The Italian Mafia don’t generally take hostages. They usually just kill the person. Plus, I’m sure Diamon or whoever didn’t give those guys proper directions, and they were amateurs. If they had a proper interrogator, it probably would’ve ended differently. At the time, I knew enough about both sides of the conflict to know that they were going to try to negotiate with Carlyle and then kill me. Which is stupid.” My drawl earned me a faint hum, and I thought back on that time with a fondness blossoming in my chest. “I’m guessing they thought they hid well enough to have more than just a week.”

  “Maybe. I guess we’ll never know for sure.” I didn’t have a response to that— Lucy was right. Carlyle’s stunt was all over the news even though I barely paid any attention to it. Now, there wasn’t much of the Italians left, and I was positive Diamon was rotting away in the basement of Carlyle’s office building. He didn’t like getting his own hands dirty, my brother.

  But who cared about that anymore? Not me. There was no room in my life for Carlyle.

  “The doorbell rang.” Speaking up, Lucy sunk against my back with a sigh, her soft breasts cushioning my spine. Surprise rose my brows, but I made no move and hoped that whoever was at the door went away. Downstairs, the dogs were quiet. I’d trained them not to bark so that if anyone ever tried to rob me or something, they’d be in for a nasty surprise.

  The bell rang again, though, and I groaned as I pushed myself up onto my arms. Finally, Lucy rolled off me, and I grabbed my jeans to stuff my legs in but left the fastenings undone. She curled up around a pillow, her hair wild and a rosy glow on her skin, and I swung my legs over the side of the bed to stand with a grunt.

  “If it’s Mickey, tell her I’ll talk to her when I go home.” Shuffling out of the room, I took the back staircase down to the kitchen, and Sriracha came from his spot by the back slider to wedge between my knees. Ketchup barreled in from the backyard, and I ran my hands up my face and into my hair to heave a massive breath.

  When I opened the door, Lucy’s friend stood on the other side, and I frowned before silently closing the barrier again. I turned away before I could see her expression fall, and I clenched my jaw as renewed irritation boiled my blood.

  On my way back upstairs, I glanced at the time on the stove, and my grimace soured slightly. Who shows up at seven-thirty at night? Behind my lids, Mikayla’s form flashed, and I rubbed the back of my head confusingly while the sounds of my dogs playing around chased me up the stairs.

  “Come here, Lucy.” Crawling back into bed, I let the issue drop as I wrapped my arms around her, and Lucy rolled into my embrace leisurely. Her hair framed her face so beautifully, and she rested her cheek on my arm as I caressed up and down her side. Big, blue eyes popped open to meet mine, and my heart palpitated as her long, French-manicured nails crept up my chest.

  “Next time, I’ll bring Marshal over so he can play with your dogs. Mikayla’s home right now. She’s really upset about what happened at the store earlier.” Humming softly in acknowledgment, I arched slightly as Lucy’s fingers creeped up my sternum. The hairs on my chest stood up, and her eyes twinkled brightly as I folded my arm to draw her mouth to mine. The taste of her fogged my mind, and I slipped my tongue past her teeth when she moaned quietly.

  Reaching to cup her tight ass, I squeezed as need roiled just under my skin, and Lucy hiked up her leg over my hip. Her heat rolled off her, and I savored the taste of her as our tongues danced. Our kiss deepened, and I pulled her closer as desire seared a path down my abdomen. A little gasp breached our mouths as I ground against her, and pleasure gripped my spine in a vice when she shivered in delight.

  My jeans became restricting as need gorged my cock, and Lucy’s nakedness quivered enticingly. Caressing up her back, I palmed her breast as her own hands reached between us, and I shuffled when she pushed down my jeans.

  Panting when we pulled back, I kicked off my jeans completely, and warmth flooded my chest at the depths of Lucy’s eyes on me. Ducking to kiss her neck, I squeezed her breast, and she gasped as she arched into my hand. The perky globe fit perfectly in my palm, and desire stiffened my cock as her leg tightened around my waist.

  “Mateo . . . ” The way Lucy breathed my name was nirvana, and I groaned as we ground together like teenagers. I couldn’t stay away from her plump lips, and she arched into my touch when I tweaked her rosy nipple gingerly. My cock buried in her folds as she opened his mouth for my tongue, and my breath hitched when she cupped my face.

  Our movements devolved from the obvious, and my cock coated thick with Lucy’s juices as I thrust to the tilt of her hips. Making out shamelessly, the heat that weighed down the atmosphere settling on us heavily, and I left her breast to grab her ass and squeeze. Her little moan clogged my throat, and my cock throbbed as we reveled in just the feel of each other.

  I’m gonna write her a song.

  Pulling back to hiss, I shuddered when Lucy gasped to suck the heat from my skin. Her little moans and whimpers urged me on, and I rolled on top of her to brace my fists on either side of her head. Both her legs fell open, toes curling sharply against my calves, and a strangled groan escaped me. My heart threatened to burst from my chest as she writhed, throwing her head to the side, and I kissed the furiously beating pulse point she exposed.

  Lucy arched off the bed, her thighs clinging to hips as she shivered and gasped, and her tight expression was mesmerizing. The face she made when she came was almost enough to get me, and I clenched my jaw hard against the tingles assaulting my tail bone.

  “Shit, Lucy.” Gasping hoarsely, her eyes popped open, and Lucy sputtered as her nails scraped down my sides. That gnawing need that we’d ignored for so long rampaged through my veins, only growing more ravenous when she pushed at my shoulders weakly. When I drew back, holding myself on quivering arms, it wasn’t far enough, and she struggled to push herself up from her elbows.

  She pulled her legs under her, and my sluggish brain connected the dots- but not until after Lucy pumped my cock firmly. A sea of gold cascaded down her back as she hovered over me, and I gathered it up in trembling, clammy palms while she practically drooled with hunger.

  31

  Lucy

  “You’re so good to me.” Smiling at the gruff grumble as powerful, warm arms slithered around my waist, I zipped up the package of roast beef while Mateo kissed my shoulder. “I’d starve without you, Lucy.”

  “I made us both a sandwich. I was only making one for myself, but I thought that wasn’t fair.” He laughed at me, an explosive burst of laughter that sent spittle flying, and I tilted my head as he squeezed me playfully. “You deserve a bonus for all your hard work.”

  “Oh, thank you. I’m capable of hauling my ass downstairs and making us a sandwich. Obviously, I didn’t do my job if you can still walk.” My brows rose at that, and Mateo frowned under furrowed brows as he pulled back, confusion masking his face. “What?”

  “You do know that’s stupid, right? It’s almost four a.m., and we’ve been lying in bed for an hour. That’s more than enough time to come down.”

  “Yes, I do. I have never screwed a woman into being a paraplegic, and that’s terrifying to think of.” Gasping in surprise, goosebumps swept down my legs when Mateo smacked my butt playfully. His easy smile, so familiar and tender, stretched his lips, and his brow eyes sparkled with content. “Thank you for the sandwich.”

  “You’re welcome.” I passed Mateo his sandwich, wrapped in a paper towel, and he kissed my cheek as he took it. He only had whole grain bread, which was fine, and I put the roast beef and Swiss cheese back in the refrigerator before grabbing my own and shu
ffling to sit at the island. His shirt bunched up around my hips, and goosebumps washed my legs as my butt connected with the cold, wooden seat.

  “I was thinking of going to find a music store and get some instruments today.” Pausing as Mateo just casually threw out that declaration, my brows rose in interest, and he stood across from me to catch my eye firmly. “Do you want to come?”

  “Yeah, definitely.” I answered immediately, and excitement blossomed in my chest as I took an animated bite of my sandwich. The taste of mustard and roast beef and cheese pulled a groan from behind my lips, and Mateo smiled, satisfied, before taking a bite of his own. “So, what instruments can you play?”

  Mumbling around my bite, I slumped a little to hold my cheek on my palm, and he hummed in recognition. For a moment, I couldn’t taste my own mouthful as Mateo visibly enjoyed what I’d made him, and warmth suffused my chest. He chewed slowly, and I forgot to chew at all as I watched him in the early morning gloom. Only the light on the stove illuminated the kitchen, and shadows danced on his face before he swallowed.

  “Ah, piano, guitar and drums, but I’m actually the best at electric violin. I went to college for four years for it, so I better be good at it.” He smirked a little, and I continued chewing even as my heart fluttered at the idea of him playing such a romantic instrument. “I can play the standard violin pretty okay, I think.”

  “I would love to hear that.” Swallowing my bite, I licked my lips of mustard while Mateo nodded, and the memory of that brief moment in Hawaii floated through my mind. “You have a beautiful voice. If you put yourself out there, you’d be a rock star, easy.”

  “Professional music takes way more than I’m willing to put into it. I could’ve done it, but, eh.” Mateo shrugged, and I smiled as I took a bite out of my sandwich while he leaned on his elbows. His face twisted in disdain, and my brows furrowed even as he opened his mouth to continue. “I don’t like all that attention. Maybe, it was growing up knowing that secrets are really hard to keep with the spotlight on you constantly. Also, some people are real jerks that manage to hide it really convincingly, and that’s a lot of pressure in itself to have a public image.”

  “Yeah.” The kitchen descended into a peaceful silence, and I knew just from the way Mateo spoke that he’d put a lot of effort into deciding whether or not to go for it. During college, maybe, or even beforehand. Growing up the way he had, he knew that money for the sake of money was hollow, and musicians had it rough.

  “I like this peace. I don’t want to lose it.” Tender, brown eyes met mine, and my heart ached as I smiled around my bite. “No one gets lucky like this often.”

  “Once things settle down, it’ll get even better.” His cheeks picked up in a smile, and I swallowed my bite to sigh in utter bliss. “I’m going to go online and find a good camera for Seth. I talked to him a few days ago. Apparently, Meredith went on a rampage about the wedding, but really the only thing you did was destroy the dress, so he wrote her a check for it and threw it at her and told her that he hoped thirteen grand was worth him as a son. He even showed me a video of their fight that his sister took. It was really nice to see him stick up for himself.”

  “Good for him. We can have a housewarming party or something- maybe next weekend. I like Seth— he’s a great guy.” But as quickly as that affection infected his tone, Mateo frowned. “Are you going to have a serious talk with Mikayla about what happened at the store yesterday?”

  “If I have to say anything more, I think that speaks in itself. We’ll see what happens when I go back later.” The truth was, I knew Mikayla was probably tearing herself to shreds. She acted so bubbly, but she was probably really worried about me, and people do stupid things when they’re worried about someone. Sex with Seth had never been meaningful . . . enjoyable, sure, but not anything more . . . and she knew how important tonight was to me.

  We’ve been friends so long, and she’s never seen that side of me. It was a side I didn’t know I had, and I didn’t like it. Being told off over superficial stuff, I could handle, but . . .

  “I think you two will be fine, Lucy.” Everything was coming together, slowly but surely. Like this house, I would gradually be filled with wonderful experiences, and I’d have my family here— the family that proved itself to me, Seth, and his sisters, and their husbands, and Mikayla. Despite everything, Mateo wouldn’t keep me from them. He accepted that they were permanent fixtures in my life despite the engagement and the breakdown.

  They were bumps in the road, and he didn’t try to smooth them over for me. I held on to what I could, and he embraced the beautiful parts and ignored the rest.

  And that was why I loved Mateo. Even when we were stuck in that room, when he was in terrible agony and suffering, he brought out the beauty in it.