Defying Her Mafioso

  That hadn’t stopped me from aching for her, slowly going insane with missing her. For weeks—months—we’d gotten closer and closer. She had become not only the girl I loved, but my best friend.

  Now here she stood, more beautiful than I remembered, my need for for having only grown in the time we’d been apart.

  How the fuck had I thought I could keep from giving in now?

  “Why do you want to know?” I didn’t even try to keep the coldness out of my voice. Did she honestly think I would just tell her about Volkov?

  “I have my reasons.” She shifted on her feet, drawing my eyes to the bare skin of her creamy legs. She had legs for days and I wanted them wrapped around my waist.

  Damn it. She knew my fixation for her legs and was trying to distract me to get information.

  Forcing my eyes back on her face, I saw the sly little glint in her eyes and knew it was exactly what she was doing. I wanted to wring her little neck, but she knew I wouldn’t ever hurt her. Crossing my arms over my chest to mimic her stance, I narrowed my eyes. “What I know about Volkov isn’t anything I would ever share with you, Scarlett. He keeps his private life as quiet as I do. So if you wanted to know if he has an opening for a new mistress, then I can’t help you. And if you dare to apply for the position, I’ll break his fucking neck.”

  She rolled her eyes at me. “You can be really dense at times, you know that, right?” Shaking her head, she started to move around me to get to the door. “I guess I’ll just have to find out about him from someone else. See ya around, Ciro.”

  As she passed me, I caught her arm and pulled her closer. No way was she going to walk away with that little threat hanging between us. Find out from someone else? Like hell. She’d go looking and get herself in trouble and I’d have to kill some poor fucker.

  Her nostrils flared, and I liked the way her eyes dilated when her nose was filled with my cologne. Her next breath shuddered out of her and the pulse at the base of her throat started ticking in time to my own racing heartbeat. “Tell me why you want to know, Scarlett.”

  Her free hand lifted, pushing at my chest, but her nails unconsciously curled into my shirt. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested in him? I have my reasons for needing to know, Ciro, but not one of them is because I want him for myself. Even though you sent me away…” She stopped, swallowed hard, then boldly met my gaze, knocking the air out of my chest with her next words. “I’m stupid enough to still care about you.”

  It had taken guts for her to admit that to me, and it wiped away every shred of jealousy I had for Adrian Volkov. I saw her true feelings shining back at me from her brown eyes and knew—fucking knew—that I couldn’t keep fighting what we had. I didn’t deserve her, but I’d destroy anyone who tried to take her away from me.

  First I had to take care of what she’d sought me out for.

  “Victoria.” There was no other reason she would want to know about the Russian so much. Relief flooded through me and I pulled Scarlett even closer before I could think better of it. Fuck. She smelled good and felt even better. Her body fit against mine perfectly, like she had been made specifically for me.

  After only a second of resisting, she came willingly, the top of her head tucking under my chin as she molded her body against mine. I felt the fingertips of her left hand trace over the stubble on my jaw and I closed my eyes, savoring the gentle contact. “I just need to know if there is anything in his personal life that could hurt her,” she murmured with a little sigh that made my dick throb.

  This was the Scarlett only I’d ever seen. The softer side of her that she kept hidden from everyone, including herself at times. She was so strong—and, fuck, more than a little bitchy—at times that it was impossible for others to see the vulnerable side of her. Before I’d had Vito send her away, she hadn’t been afraid to let me see her weaknesses, had known that I would protect her to my last breath. This moment was just a taste of what I’d given up when she’d gone to Sicily.

  One minute, I promised myself as I let my hands roam freely down her spine. One minute of touching her was all I would allow myself, and then I would let her go and find out whatever the hell she wanted about Volkov. One single minute of paradise and I’d gladly take an eternity in hell for her.

  I was slowly counting down the seconds, savoring each one of them as she let me hold her. A sharp tap on the door was quickly followed by it opening, interrupting us before I’d reached fifty.

  I reluctantly released Scarlett as Jet Hannigan stuck his head into the room. The biker was a huge motherfucker and an ex-con, but there were few men I trusted as much as him. Green eyes roamed over the room until they landed first on Scarlett and then me. The shock didn’t show on his face, but I could tell by the set of his shoulders that he hadn’t been expecting to find her with me.

  “Sorry, man. Your mom didn’t say you had company.”

  I shot a glance at Scarlett, saw that her mask was firmly back in place again and then gave the other man my attention. “Scarlett had something for me to handle for her. Let me walk her out and then we can talk.”

  Jet gave a single firm nod and stepped back as I crossed to the door. Scarlett followed. She kept her hands at her sides and a bored look on her face, but I could still see the pulse beating like a little jackhammer at the base of her throat. It was just as hard for her to turn off what she felt as it was for me, and I was fucking tired of turning it off.

  She was quiet as I walked her to the front door. I opened it and waited for her to step outside, but she paused on the threshold, her brown eyes full of curiosity. “Are you really going to find out about Volkov for me?”

  “If I don’t will you go looking for the answers yourself?” Her silence was the only answer I needed. She would do whatever she had to as long as she found out what she needed about the Russian. She wanted to protect Victoria, and I wanted to protect her. “I’ll see what I can find out and let you know as soon as I have anything that might upset your sister.”

  “Thank you, Ciro.” Her voice was little more than a whisper as she reached up and pressed her lips to my cheek. I had to clench my hands into fists to keep from grabbing hold of her and never letting go. Not yet. I’d find out about Volkov first, then give in to what we both wanted—fucking needed—so desperately. The feel of her soft, warm lips against my cheek barely lasted a second before she was stepping back and turning away.

  I watched as she walked down the steps and let one of her guards open the back door to one of Vito’s Town Cars. Once she was inside, the guard lifted his chin in acknowledgement before taking the front passenger seat. As the car pulled away, I slammed the door shut, my body throbbing and my chest squeezing as the only person in the world I couldn’t live without rode away.

  Chapter 8

  Scarlett

  My fingers were still shaking as I sat in the back of the Town Car on the drive home. Had that been what I’d gone there wanting? Rather than expecting him to give me answers, had I wanted him to find them for me?

  More to the point, had I been wanting the all-too-brief moment we’d had before the rough-looking guy in the leather vest had interrupted?

  Even as the question whispered in the back of my head, I knew what the answer was. Yes, I’d wanted it. Yes, I’d hoped. Yes, I was stupid for not being able to move on. Hell, I was a masochist where Ciro Donati was concerned.

  My phone started ringing but I didn’t hear it until the guard in the passenger seat glanced back at me. Clenching my hands into fists to stop them from trembling, I finally pulled out my phone. Seeing that it was my sister, I nearly groaned. I might have been able to hide what I was feeling from the men in the front seat, but there wasn’t any way I could do it with my twin. She would know the second I answered that I my emotions were too close to the surface.

  Grimacing, I reluctantly lifted it to my ear. “Where are you?” I demanded, going on the offensive to distract her from what I was feeling.


  “Do I really need to tell you where I am?” She giggled, and I grimaced again, this time for an entirely different reason.

  After the night before, I should have realized that Victoria was so into Adrian that she wouldn’t even think about what I was doing. I was both relieved that I didn’t have to explain myself to her and nervous because there was no telling what Ciro would find out about Volkov. The happiness that was practically radiating through the phone hit me with a blast of real fear for my sister’s wellbeing.

  Maybe I needed to pull her back a little. Waiting for the answers might do more harm than trying to step in before I had them. “Tor…”

  “Uh-oh.” She giggled again. “There’s that mother-knows-best tone I’ve been dreading. Chill out, I just had lunch with him. What’s the harm in that?”

  “Just lunch?” She couldn’t really fall in love with the guy over a meal, I assured myself.

  No, she had probably been halfway there the night before. “Where are you?” I asked again. “I’ll meet you and we can talk.”

  “I’m on my way home, but I’ll have the guys stop and we can have coffee.”

  “Wait…” I lowered my voice. “Did you just leave?” I glanced at the thin, platinum watch on my left wrist. “Tor, how fucking long were you with him?”

  “A while,” she hedged, and I nearly groaned again.

  “Was eating the only thing that went on?” I heard her giggle again and nearly face-palmed myself at the dirty little way my sister had just taken my question. Holy Christ. My innocent little twin was thinking dirty thoughts. Something more than having a simple meal had taken place.

  “Just get home, Victoria,” I snapped, worry for her rolling through me and making my stomach clench with anxiety. “We have to talk.”

  The giggles abruptly stopped. “What’s going on, Scarlett?” She sounded unsure now, and I knew I was going to hurt her before Ciro could even get me answers.

  I blew out a frustrated breath through my nose. “I’ll be home in five minutes. Come up to my room when you get there. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she whispered, her tone so soft I barely heard her.

  I hung up before I said more. What I needed to tell her wasn’t something I wanted to do in front of two of my father’s men. Their loyalty was to him, not me or Victoria, and I knew they would take whatever information I had straight to him or Cristiano.

  We were a few miles away still when the driver pulled to a stop at a red light. I barely remembered his or the other guy’s names. They hadn’t said more than a hundred words to me in my entire life. Keeping me safe was their only priority, plain and simple.

  While we waited for the light to turn green, I glanced out the window, worrying about Victoria. If Adrian was messing with her, playing with her heart to possibly get back at my father, I would destroy him. I wouldn’t need Ciro’s help to do it, either.

  An expensive sports car pulled to a stop beside the Town Car. The driver’s window was down, pulling me from the dark thoughts of how I would slit Volkov from neck to navel with the little daggers I’d gotten in Sicily. They were small, sharp and very deadly. I’d been playing with them since I’d bought them, throwing them at targets in my room. I was getting good at hitting the bulls-eye, but I thought I would enjoy tearing the Russian’s skin from his flesh with them more.

  The driver of the other car had a nice golden complexion, the glasses on his handsome face hiding his eyes from me. I knew he couldn’t see me through the tint of the back window, but he was looking right at me, a smug little smile on his face. It was unsettling, but I didn’t look away from the man. I guessed him to be in his late twenties, maybe slightly older than my brother and Ciro, but there was a tilt to his chin that was more arrogant than actually confident, unlike the other two men.

  From the front seat I heard the guard in the passenger seat mutter a harsh curse. In the next second the car was jerking forward. Before the light had even turned green we were flying through the intersection and headed toward the compound at triple the legal speed.

  The guard in the passenger seat pulled out his phone, barking orders so fast I couldn’t understand everything he was saying. The gates were already open and as soon as we pulled through, they were quickly closed.

  Cristiano was already standing by the steps to the house, his eyes not on the Town Car but at the gate in the distance. I hadn’t had time to react to what had just happened, but as I followed my brother’s gaze I saw the sports car that had been at the red light and realized that whoever that cocky bastard was, he was bad news.

  The guards jumped out before I could even think about moving. The back door opened and Cristiano was there to pull me out. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to his side, and rushed me into the house.

  “Who was that?”

  Cristiano slammed the door shut behind us. “Trouble,” he growled. “That’s Carlo Santino, Jr.” His face twisted with rage as he spoke the name.

  I knew enough about my father’s connections to remember that the Santino family was a West Coast rival. Santino Senior had been trying to push his way into my father’s business not only in New York but also in Chicago for decades.

  My father and Benito appeared as if out of thin air. I hadn’t really thought about the danger of the situation until Papa wrapped his arms around me, muttering curses at Cristiano, and I actually felt him trembling. My father never reacted like this unless he thought something had happened to me or Victoria. That he was now had my heart pounding as I remembered the look on who I assumed was Carlo Jr.’s face.

  How had that asshat known where I was? Was he following me?

  It wasn’t often that something as little as a guy’s smile could unsettle me, but right then a shiver went down my spine and all I could think about was how much I wanted Ciro to be the one holding me right then. I knew my father would protect me to his dying breath, but I felt the safest when I was with Ciro.

  As if I’d conjured him with that silent plea for him, the door opened and the beast of a man stormed into the house, rage seeming to flood off him in waves. The few guards who had been in the foyer with us suddenly found other things to do.

  Papa released me as Ciro stepped forward, but he didn’t hold me like I’d wanted. Instead, he just stood there, his blue eyes stormy as he clenched his hands into fists at his sides. “Did he speak to you?”

  I shook my head. “No. He just stopped at the red light and looked straight at me.”

  He turned away, his shoulders so tense I thought he might punch something. “Don’t leave the damn house,” he ordered as he opened the door again. “Make sure Victoria stays close too.”

  I felt winded as he left, my heart racing as I thought about Victoria possibly being in danger from that little creep.

  “Where is Victoria?” Papa suddenly demanded.

  “She’s on her way home, Papa,” I assured him, hoping to distract him before he could ask who she was with. “I spoke to her before everything happened.”

  “You girls are not to leave the compound again until we get Santino under control,” Cristiano grumbled. “It’s too dangerous for you with that bastard running around.”

  I wanted to roll my eyes at my brother, but stopped myself before I could. Even though I was a little shaken now, I wasn’t scared of Santino Jr. Ciro would deal with him, I was sure of it. Whatever Santino was up to he wouldn’t last long now that he’d pissed that particular capo off.

  Chapter 9

  Ciro

  Blood was still pounding in my ears as I jumped into the back of the SUV I’d told Desi to keep running when I’d gone into Vito’s house. I shouldn’t have taken the time to stop, but I’d needed to see for myself that Scarlett was safe and unharmed. She hadn’t even been shaken by the whole incident, while I’d been trembling so bad that I was scared I would have crushed her if I’d dared to touch her.

  I couldn’t believe the balls Jr had. That fu
cker must have been watching her from the time she’d left the compound. He had a death wish, that was more than obvious, and I was going to give him exactly what he wanted as soon as I got my hands on that little prick.

  “She okay?”

  I didn’t even glance at Jet Hannigan, who had been waiting for me with my men. He hadn’t hesitated to jump into the situation with me when Cristiano had called to tell me what Jr had done. The Hannigan brothers had more reasons than I did to want to get their hands on the bastard, but now that he’d approached Scarlett, I wasn’t just going to hand him over to the MC. Not alive.

  “It would take more than this to disturb Scarlett,” I muttered as Desi pulled into traffic.

  I wasn’t looking at the biker, but I could hear the grin in his voice when he spoke. “She’s got some balls on her, that’s for sure. Interesting female you have there, man.”

  “She’s not mine,” I bit out. Not yet, anyway. I wasn’t about to announce that to anyone, however, least of all the ex-con who was involved with my little cousin or my two men who were watching me with unreadable eyes.

  “He’s in the wind again, capo,” Paco informed me from the front passenger seat. “We lost him when we stopped.”

  Fuck. I knew better than to pause, but I would have lost my mind if I hadn’t checked on Scarlett. “I want every available man looking for that motherfucker.” I spared Jet a glance. “Including your guys.”

  He shrugged. “Colt and Raider are already out with four of your men. I’ll tell Uncle Jack and Trigger to get out in the field as well.”

  “You too.” I had growled the command. The MC guys might have been there for their own reasons, but they still worked for Vito and took their orders straight from me. “You know Jr as well as I do. Put that brain of yours to good use, Hannigan. I want that fucker found tonight.”

  The biker didn’t even blink at my harsh tone. We’d been working together for years and I doubted he was as scared of me as my own men were, but he wasn’t stupid either. He knew I wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in his head. “I’m on it, Ciro.”