Power (The Santini Assassins #1)

15. Simone’s Brother

15

SIMONE’S brOTHER

SIMONE

S imone was ready to rock it out. She was fired up from training, but she’d be sore as hell tomorrow. Didn’t matter. She’d push herself to ensure she was at the top of her game. ALPHA depended on her. Luciano was counting on her to deliver.

And she was not going to let them down.

There was a time when she lived for the challenge of the chase. She loved hunting down the monsters, forcing them out of hiding, and moving in for an arrest.

As she worked alongside Luciano, a different set of emotions took hold. Her body thrummed with energy. Though they were laser-focused, she was tuned in to his every move. And she found herself mirroring him.

He crossed his legs. She’d cross hers. He sipped the sparkling water. She’d drain her glass. Though she could have been annoyed with herself, she wasn’t. She was drawn to him in every way that mattered… and even those that didn’t. He cleared his throat and she fought the urge to clear hers.

He broke the silence with, “Not clearing yours?”

“Busted.” She loved that he was as aware of her every action. “I’m not usually a copycat.”

“I like that we’re in sync,” he murmured, then he pulled her hair aside and examined the back of her neck.

His tender touch ignited her passion and touched the deepest part of her heart.

“Does it hurt?”

“No,” she whispered surprised by the ache in her voice.

“Did the itching stop?”

“Yes.”

Streams of excitement flitted through her. He leaned close, pressed his lips to the back of her neck, and kissed her.

And her engine kicked on with a burst of adrenaline.

“Tutto meglio,” he murmured. “All better.”

“You shouldn’t be kissing me,” she whispered.

“Do you want me to stop?”

She didn’t want him to stop. She loved his touch, craved his attention. But she had to ratchet it back.

“It’s not professional.”

“Do you want me to stop, Simone?” he repeated.

She melted from the way he pronounced her name. She imagined staring into his beautiful hazel eyes and kissing him. Heat spread from her chest to her neck, then settled in her cheeks. She never got flustered, but he was turning her inside out in the best of ways.

Of course she didn’t want him to stop. She didn’t want things to become complicated either. An office fling was the best way to ruin a great working relationship.

“I don’t know,” she murmured.

“Look at me.”

She did. And the need to pull him into her arms took her breath away in a whoosh of anticipation.

“Are you playing with my emotions?” he asked.

His trust issues were beyond anything she could comprehend. Someone must’ve hurt him bad. Real bad.

“Of course not,” she replied. “Why would you ask me that?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you playing with my emotions?” she asked.

“Never,” he replied.

She peered into his eyes wondering what demons haunted him. Rather than push for answers, she dragged her gaze back to her laptop, refocusing her attention on the long list of ALPHA employees.

There were twelve people who had been with ALPHA during the first attack that were still working there today. She could eliminate Dakota and Slash, but she still needed to vet ten employees.

Throughout the afternoon, Luciano’s phone buzzed with incoming texts or pinged with a never-ending string of emails. But he stayed focused on his search.

At six o’clock, as they were packing up, she asked, “Are all those messages from work?”

“I haven’t looked.”

“Aren’t you concerned?”

“I’m concerned The Bomb Maker is going to take out those federal buildings and kill thousands of innocents. Santini International can’t fall apart in a day. Most times, it’s little fires. A million unexpected things. I’ve got smart, hard-working employees?—“

“So you trust them?”

His eyebrow arched ever-so-slightly, then his cheek muscles ticked in his jaw.

Of course he doesn’t.

“I expect them to do their jobs.” He slid his laptop into his leather satchel. “Are you free for dinner?”

“I’m having dinner with my brother and his husband,” she replied. When disappointment flashed in his eyes, she blurted, “Come with. My brother and his husband will love you.”

“Another time.”

For reasons she couldn’t begin to understand, she didn’t want him to spend his evening alone. “No, Luciano, you’re coming with me.”

“Grazie, Simone.”

In the hallway, they were met with an eerie silence. Side by side, they made their way through the cavernous building and into the hangar where he led her to his Range Rover. After driving out, he tapped an app on his phone, then waited for the giant door to close before leaving.

The gray autumn day had bowed to dusk.

“What did you find out today?” he asked as he turned onto the main road.

“Don’t you need directions?”

“I’m stopping at my house for wine,” he replied. “Do you want to ask your brother?—”

“It’s fine, really,” Simone insisted. Plus, she wanted to see the look on Gary’s face when she introduced him to Luciano.

Within minutes, he pulled up to the iron gates of his property. The security guard greeted him, then asked for an eight-digit code, which Luciano gave him. The guard thanked him, then opened the gates.

As Luciano drove up the tree-lined driveway, she asked what the code was.

“If you’re forcing me here at gunpoint, I use one code. If everything is good, I use a different one.”

“Which did you use with me?”

“If four, armed security guards meet us at the fountain, you’ll have your answer.” In the darkening car, he flashed her a smile.

And damn if she didn’t find herself smiling back.

As she expected, they were alone at the fountain. He ushered her inside, then led her into the kitchen where Louis was working away, a pretty Black woman relaxing at the island with a glass of wine.

“Mr. Santini,” Louis said. “I hadn’t heard from you, so I’m making pan-roasted Halibut with a citrus beurre blanc, Inca red quinoa, and broccolini.”

Simone’s heart fell. Broccolini was the vegetable she’d served Frederica. The reminder felt like a sucker-punch to her gut and she flew out of the room. In the privacy of the bathroom, tears blurred her vision.

Get it together.

No matter how hard she tried, they flowed down her cheeks.

Tap-tap.

“Simone, you okay?” Luciano asked from the hallway.

She blotted her cheeks with a tissue, opened the door.

Concern filled his face. “What’s going on?”

Feeling embarrassed, she said, “It’s nothing.”

He hitched a brow. “Simone.”

“It’s stupid.”

He pulled her in his strong arms, held her close, and caressed her back. “Dimmi. Tell me.”

Feeling safe in his embrace, she urged herself to tell him. Heaving in a breath, she peered into his eyes.

“Fred came over for dinner before her mission and I served broccolini.” Another wave of sorrow hit. “It’s stupid, I know.”

“I got you.” He cradled her in his arms for the longest moment while she clung to him. “Grief sneaks in like a monster under our bed.” He dropped a loving kiss on her forehead. “Do you want to go upstairs and have yourself a good ugly-cry?”

She laughed. “Those are the worst… and the best.” Standing on her toes, she dropped a light kiss on his lips. “Thank you. I feel like an idiot?—”

“No. Never.” His encouraging smile helped chase away the sorrow.

After chugging in a deep breath, she said, “I’m okay.”

Back in the kitchen, he made introductions.

“Louis, Therese, this is Simone.” Simone shook their hands. “Chef Louis is the best in the DMV and his wife, Therese, is my lead attorney at Santini International.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Therese said.

“Good to meet you,” Simone replied.

“I’m having dinner with Simone and her family,” Luciano explained.

A smile danced in Louis’s eyes as he glanced over at Simone. “Very good, Mr. Santini. The meal will keep for you.”

“You and Therese enjoy,” Luciano said before disappearing into the next room, returning with a Santini gift bag. “Do your brother and brother-in-law drink?” he asked Simone.

“Wine with dinner,” she replied. “An occasional drink before.”

“Perfect,” he replied.

After saying their goodbyes, he escorted her to the foyer elevator. He tapped the down button, the single door slid open.

“Why are we going downstairs?” Simone asked.

“We’re taking my McLaren.”

When she worked at Mitus, the underground garage was packed with twenty cars. Tonight, she counted twelve.

“You’re a collector,” she said.

“I have a few,” he replied.

His luxury collection included the Range Rover, a Mercedes-Maybach, a Rolls Royce, an Audi, a Porsche, a BMW, and a McLaren. He opened the passenger door of his sports car, then waited until she was tucked in.

After shutting her door, he slid behind the wheel, drove toward the exit.

“I’m in the Batmobile,” she said.

“If you see the Batman logo in the sky, we’ve gotta change our plans.”

She smiled, grateful for the playfulness.

As he sped down his private drive toward the gates, he asked, “Is this a date or are we two working professionals having dinner?”

“What about friends? Could we be two friends having dinner?”

He stopped the car. “Is that what you want?”

She stared into his eyes. Even in the darkened car, they burned like a million suns, the intensity of his gaze searing her.

“What would you do if we were just friends or coworkers?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he replied. “But if we were on a date, I would do this.” He wrapped his large hand around her thigh sending zings of desire shooting through her. “I would tell you how beautiful you look, and I would do this…” He cupped her cheek with his other hand, leaned close, and dropped a tender kiss on her lips. Then, another before he gripped the steering wheel with both hands.

The air turned volcano hot around her, the need to touch him, kiss him overwhelmed her thoughts. She should keep things professional, but she burned for him in a way that had her buzzing with hope.

She was waging war with herself.

My head or my heart? Or is this just a sexual fling?

“Let me know what you decide.” He drove to the gates, they swung open, and he pulled through. He rolled down the window, said goodbye to his guard, and headed toward Tysons.

“Your brother lives in Monarch Towers,” he said. “Is that where we’re headed?”

“You did your homework.”

“Of course.” After a beat, he said, “Tell me what you learned today.”

I learned I could be on a date with Luciano Santini.

“There are twelve employees who worked for ALPHA, then and now. Seven Ops, four from the Internet team, and one admin.”

“What does the Internet team do?” He stopped for a red light.

“Research on perps, suspects, witnesses. We also have a Forensics team.”

“What about people who interviewed for ALPHA, but didn’t get offered the position or turned it down?”

“Z and Providence could help with that.”

The light turned green, but he didn’t move. Just then, someone flew through the intersection and almost T-boned the car in the other lane.

“That woulda hurt,” she said. “How did you know to wait?”

“Elsa taught me to drive,” he said as he hit the gas. “She’d tell me to wait, then she’d say, ‘Look first, Lulu.’ As a teen, I didn’t listen to her, until I almost got hit. Now, I wait.”

“Great advice.” Simone’s phone rang. It was her brother and she answered, put the phone on speaker. “Hey, I’m running late.”

“Totally fine,” Gary said. “I thought maybe you forgot.”

“I’m bringing you a surprise.”

“Wonderful,” Gary said. “I hope it’s something delicious to drink.”

“We’ll be there in ten.”

“We?” Gary blurted. “Simone, who?—”

“Love you.” Simone hung up, and Luciano chuckled.

“If he wants to hang with his sis, you just sent him into a tailspin.”

“He’ll be fine.” After a pause, she continued. “Given what I know from being a watcher, if I reported questionable behavior, the prospective employee wouldn’t get called in to interview. I’m pretty sure they only bring in people they’re excited about hiring.”

“What about people who got fired from ALPHA?” he prodded.

“You ask good questions.”

Luciano pulled into Monarch Towers and parked. They exited the sports car, he pulled the gift bag, and they made their way toward the brightly-lit lobby.

“For the people who got fired, I’ll see if there’s a report I can run,” she replied. “If there isn’t, I’ll ask Z and Providence.”

“Nice work.”

“What did you learn today?” she asked him.

“I found a comment in a different chat room,” he murmured. “It said, ‘The Bomb Maker and Friends are unstoppable. Epic destruction on victory day.’”

“Friends?” she asked. They entered the building and she lowered her voice. “He’s taunting law enforcement.”

“Law enforcement doesn’t know he’s back,” he murmured. “He’s taunting ALPHA.”

An older couple joined them at the elevator bank. “Hi, there,” said the woman. “Do you live in the building?”

“I’m visiting my brother,” Simone replied. “How ‘bout you?”

“We’re on the penthouse floor,” said the man.

“That’s where my brother lives. Gary Redding.”

They broke into grins. “We’re buying one of their puppies,” said the woman. “Have you seen them?”

“We’re about to,” Luciano replied.

The elevator doors opened and the men waited while the women stepped into the cab.

The man regarded Luciano. “You look familiar. Are you a celebrity or a sports figure?”

“I’m not,” Luciano replied.

Yes, you are.

If he wasn’t going to mention his company or his top-shelf spirits, neither would she. Clearly, he liked his privacy.

The elevator doors opened, everyone filed out. The couple stopped at their home. “Enjoy those puppies,” said the woman.

They continued on until Simone stopped in front of her brother’s front door.

Seconds after ringing the doorbell, Gary swung the door open and grinned. “There’s my baby!” When he saw Luciano, his eyes turned full-moon large, and he gasped. “Mr. Santini.”

Bruce appeared cradling a puppy. “This is for you, Simone, honey.” He regarded Luciano. “Would you like a puppy too?”

LUCIANO

Luciano didn’t like that Simone had gone silent about their evening. He wanted tonight to be a date. To make matters worse, the guilt he carried had only intensified as his interest in Simone grew. It made his head ache.

As he entered the two-story penthouse, the last thing he wanted to do was ask for an aspirin.

“This is Luciano Santini. This is my brother, Gary, and his husband, Bruce.”

After exchanging handshakes, Bruce offered the pup to Simone. “This is little-no-name number four.”

Simone’s joyous laugh made Luciano smile.

As she cuddled the tiny black French bulldog, Bruce said, “I think someone has a new roommate.”

“Please, Lord,” Gary said to Luciano. “Let it be you.”

Everyone laughed, the ice was broken, and Luciano relaxed. It had been years since he’d met a woman’s family.

A lifetime ago.

While Gary stood there starry-eyed, Bruce welcomed them into their home. Luciano admired the modern furniture, first-class all the way. The living room was furnished with opposing white sofas covered in light gray pillows. On the far wall hung a large, framed painting while a baby grand filled the corner near the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Your home is beautiful,” Luciano said.

“Thank you, Mr. Santini,” Gary eked out.

“Luciano.”

“Uh-huh,” Gary said.

“Who wants a drink?” Bruce asked.

“Me, for sure,” Gary replied.

“This is for you.” Luciano held out the bag.

Gary took it, peaked inside, and pulled out a bottle of Santini Chianti. “Thank you. We love your Chianti and hope you come out with an entire line of reds.”

“Or a chardonnay,” Bruce interjected as he extracted the bottle of Santini Whiskey from the gift bag. “Much appreciated. You didn’t have to.”

With puppy number four in her arms, Simone hugged both men.

“Who wants a glass of something?” Bruce asked.

“Whiskey, please,” Luciano said.

“I’d love a glass of wine,” Simone said, “but you can save Luciano’s chianti for a special occasion.”

“This is a special occasion,” Gary said. “You brought Mr. Santini home with you. I wish you’d told me. I would have put on a Santini Original.”

Bruce laid a comforting hand on Gary’s shoulder. “Honey, he’s just a man.”

“Oh, please,” Gary said. “He’s a designer god. An industry icon, and he’s standing in my living room.”

Bruce laughed.

“Where are all the puppies?” Simone asked when Bruce walked into the kitchen.

Luciano meandered toward the windows while Simone chatted with her brother. The living space was open and airy with a minimalist vibe. The panoramic view was stunning. Lights dotted the horizon toward the east and the north. As he stared into the night, he wondered what life would be like if he lived in a home like this. His had been a refuge, but also a self-imposed hell.

Simone sidled over, the adorable dog still in her arms, and smiled up at him. “Thanks for being here. I didn’t think my brother would be so weird.”

“He’s fine,” Luciano replied.

Wasn’t the first time someone had reacted like that to him. Wouldn’t be the last. People got tongue-tied around him, so he did his best to dispel their nerves.

Bruce appeared with a stemless wine glass for Simone and a lowball glass of whiskey for him. Gary joined them.

“Welcome to our home,” Gary said. They clinked glasses, sipped their beverages.

“We’re having filet mignon,” Bruce said.

Luciano slid his gaze to Simone who remained silent. He was surprised they didn’t remember she didn’t eat red meat.

“Let’s go visit the babies.” Bruce led the way up the stairs to the second floor.

Gary opened a closed door to puppy mayhem. They were wrestling while Mom watched. One of the dogs raced over, yapping, its tail whipping back and forth.

Luciano’s phone hadn’t stopped buzzing. While he didn’t want to be rude, he needed to see what was going on.

“Excuse me,” he said. “I need to check on something at work.”

“You’re welcome to step out,” Bruce said.

Luciano scanned his work emails, then read the text from Sin.

Call me when you can

Later

He pocketed his phone, glanced up to find Simone sitting on the floor, the rowdy pups crawling all over her. Gary was beside her while Bruce sat in a chair. He paused to appreciate the joy on her face, the way her smile touched her eyes, and how something so simple as animals could bring her such joy. In that moment, he envied her.

“Luciano, come sit with us,” Simone said.

He crouched down and the dogs pounced on him, the mom too. They were small balls of energy, and he wondered if he would have caved and bought a dog for his children. While the moment should have been filled with laughter and joy, his heart felt heavy.

As if sensing his pain, she nudged him back. “Sit on your butt, Luciano.”

“Oh, dear Lord, don’t talk to him like that,” Gary blurted.

She picked up two frisky puppies, placed them in his lap. One climbed up him and stared into his eyes, barked once, then bounded off to get a toy. As he played with them, he couldn’t help but smile. They were adorable, na?ve, and filled with boundless energy. When puppy-time ended, they returned to the first floor.

Back in the kitchen, Gary and Bruce got busy. The filets were removed from the sous vide, then Bruce seared them in a buttered cast iron skillet. The sautéed green beans were dished out along with the twice baked garlic potatoes.

He liked that they didn’t re-route them into the dining room simply because he was there. After slicing into the steak, which was cooked to perfection, he complimented them. They beamed like they’d painted the Sistine Chapel.

“Simone, don’t you like the filet?” Gary asked.

“I don’t eat red meat.”

Bruce opened the fridge and pulled out a glass container. “I made breaded chicken breasts last night.” Two minutes later, he traded the red meat for the warmed chicken.

“This is delicious,” she said. “Thank you.”

The conversation moved from the puppies to Gary’s software company, then Bruce asked how long he and Simone had been going out.”

“We… um… so, it’s—” Simone stuttered. “Complicated.”

“This is our second date,” Luciano said. “Our first date was on my yacht, the Omega.” He said it like it was fact, like speaking his intention would turn it into a reality.

All eyes on him.

Is that what I want? A relationship with Simone?

As he and Simone connected across the table, they shared a smile.

I do want that, and I’ll deal with the guilt later.

“Mom and Dad invited us to South Carolina for Thanksgiving,” Gary said.

“Are you going?” she asked.

“We can’t,” Bruce explained. “We’re spending Thanksgiving with my sister and her family in New York.”

“Frenchie too,” Gary added. “All her pups, but number four, are spoken for.”

“We’re gonna keep him,” Bruce added. “Unless you want her.”

“No to the puppy,” Simone replied, “and I’m not spending Thanksgiving in South Carolina.”

That’s great. I’m spending Thanksgiving alone.

“Simone, spend the holiday with me,” Luciano said. “It’s at Carrera’s this year.”

Silence.

Her eyebrows jutted into her head. “What was that?” she murmured.

“How wonderful!” Bruce exclaimed.

More silence, until Gary said, “Simone, honey, what do you say?”

“To whom?”

“To Luciano for the invitation.”

“Okayyyyy,” Simone replied. “Sure.”

“Thank you for inviting her,” Gary said.

But Luciano couldn’t miss the subtle curve in her lips and the smile in her eyes. No denying she liked his invitation. Now, if only he could get her to admit her feelings. That would help him in more ways than she could ever know.

When they finished dinner, they thanked their hosts, and left.

As they rode the elevator down to the first floor, she said, “You don’t have to spend Thanksgiving with?—”

He snaked his arms around her waist, pulled her flush against him, and kissed the hell out of her. A kiss that let her know exactly what he thought of her. She hugged him tight, slid delicate fingers into his hair, and kissed him back with so much passion his cock took notice.

A lot of notice.

When the doors slid open, she broke away, and released a sigh. “Damn, you can kiss.”

He clasped her hand—because it was the most professional thing he could do to—and strode to his car. Once there, he opened her door, sandwiched her face in his hands, and kissed her again. Only, this time, he kept his touch light, his kiss gentle.

And she groaned into him, but she didn’t deepen their embrace. After several tender pecks, she pulled away.

“This is breaking so many rules,” she said.

“ALPHA has rules?” he murmured while nibbling her ear.

“Ohgod, you’re making me crazy.” She moaned. “My rules. I don’t date men I work with.”

“Well, Simone Redding, it’s time to try something different.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’re a smart, determined, beautiful, hard-working woman. Have you ever been married?”

“No.”

“Are you on any dating sites?”

“No.”

“Do you date?”

“Not much.”

“Maybe you should take advantage of the low-hanging fruit.” He pointed to himself. “I’m interested, and I’m the only man standing here. You could do worse, you know?”

Her smile split her face, then she laughed. “You’re an assassin. What’s worse than that?”

“An asshole.”

She laughed. Hard.

They got in the SUV and he returned Sin’s call.

“Simone is with me. You’re on speaker.”

“Someone came to my office today,” Sin began. “He wasn’t sure he needed a fixer, but he didn’t want to go to the police. You both need to hear his story. Come to my office tomorrow at four.”

Luciano glanced at Simone. She nodded.

“We’ll be there.” Luciano hung up, headed out.

Once again, he wrapped a possessive hand around her thigh. If she didn’t like it, she could remove it or cut if off. Either would get her message across. Fortunately, for him, she did neither. To his surprise, she covered his hand with hers and wove her fingers between his.

Baby steps worked for him. This was all new territory for him.

All new territory.

He pulled into her driveway, killed the engine, and walked her to the front door.

“I want to invite you in,” she whispered as she leaned up and kissed him goodbye, “but my first day back at ALPHA can’t include sex with my new partner.”

He kissed her cheek and murmured, “As you wish,” then kissed her other. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at three-thirty.”

“I can meet you?—”

“Let’s do this my way. Yes?”

She offered him a little smile. “Yes.”

“Sognami, bella Simone. Dream of me, beautiful Simone.”

One small step at a time.

This wasn’t a sprint. This was his life. And hers.

Maybe even… ours.