21. Romeo
Chapter 21
Romeo
I ’m sitting at the bar in the entertainment room when Aurora floats in. My breath catches in my throat, choking me at the mere sight of her. The silky material of the red dress she’s wearing clings to every curve of her body. From the front, it looks classy and demure, but when she turns toward Daniele who’s standing behind her, I can see her exposed back, hinting at the lack of lingerie.
Fuck me.
In the two weeks since I took her, she’s ingrained herself under my skin. Nothing more has happened between us since she tried to attack me, but we dance around each other each night, both aware of the other but unwilling to cross the line of captor and captive. It helps that I’ve kept myself busy, limiting our interactions as much as possible.
With the safety of a room between us and in the presence of an audience, I let my eyes roam over her freely. Ties hang over each shoulder, begging to be undone, and I clench my fist to stop myself from reaching for her. A simple pendant hangs around her neck, dangling down the length of her spine and touching the base of her back. Will it hit against my hand if I rest it there?
I look away, my jaw tight as I take a sip of my drink. The amber liquid burns as it travels down my throat. Like an addict needing a fix, my eyes find her again, bouncing over the image of her. With her hair piled on top of her head, she’s exposed, and for a moment, I wonder if she chose the dress with the intention of driving me to distraction. From my position across the room, her scar is barely visible, but I know it’s there and I wonder if she’s as aware of it as I am.
Inappropriate thoughts fill my mind. Bodies entwined as I thrust into her from behind, my fingers tracing the scar and healing the only imperfection she has. Except it’s not . There isn’t an inch of her that could be considered flawed. I swallow the lump forming in my throat.
Cristo .
I need to get the hell out of here. Standing, I demand my focus returns to the task at hand. Tonight, we come face-to-face with Francesco Costa. We have to be on our guard. We can’t have a repeat of what happened at the restaurant. Especially when some of the city’s most prominent players will be in attendance.
Throwing back my drink, I slam the glass on the counter, the bang from my frustration drawing the attention of Aurora and Daniele. With a tug of my cuffs, I walk toward them, grinding out, “Come, we need to leave.”
Inclining his head, Daniele responds, “Yes, boss.”
Aurora’s chin drops a fraction, her gaze moving to the garden beyond the window. Her dismissal of me irks more than I care to admit. I know her body in the most intimate of ways, and yet, I don’t command her attention the way she does mine.
Frustration bubbles beneath the surface and my tone is curt and demanding when I continue past her and snap over my shoulder, “Now.”
Maria holds the front door open as I step into the lobby. She offers up a polite smile as I approach, but I don’t return it. My face is no doubt covered by a mask of indifference, despite the frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Through the door, I see Massimo on the stoop, his phone glued to his ear as he talks in hushed tones. When I cross the threshold, he nods before walking to the other end of the veranda. My brows furrow before I release them and reassure myself that Massimo isn’t the enemy. We’ll meet him tonight .
Coming to a stop at the top of the steps, I slot my hands into the pockets of my slacks, lifting my face to the sky. A light breeze blows through the air, bringing with it the smell of freshly mown lawns. Over the past week, there have been more days filled with sunshine and less with rain. It makes me hopeful that things might start going in the right direction for us.
The subtle hint of jasmine envelops me, alerting me to her presence along with the hairs on the back of my neck that stand to attention. I clench my hands in the confines of my pockets as she passes, heading toward the three black SUVs that line the driveway.
She keeps her attention on the stone steps, lifting the hem of her dress as she descends them. Six-inch black strappy stilettos adorn her feet and I’m assaulted with an image of her bent over the bed with nothing but her shoes on as I pound into her. The visual makes my cock twitch with excitement.
I track her as she moves across the gravel driveway toward the front car. With one hand out for balance and another lifting her dress, her hips sway in a slow and hypnotic rhythm. Daniele must have told her which one we were traveling in. The muscle in my jaw ticks when Nico holds the door open for her, his eyes lingering a moment too long.
I’m vaguely aware of Daniele coming to stand beside me, but it’s not until his hand lands on my shoulder that I realize I’ve traveled down the first two steps. Pulled from the red mist, I look back, first at his hand and then to his face.
He removes it quickly, his face void of any emotion. “Massimo has an update for us, boss.”
Inhaling sharply, I nod, returning to the top step. I need to focus . My attention can’t be on the temptress that I’m going to have to spend the evening keeping up appearances with. What matters most is la mia famiglia and Aurora Costa is not part of that. Nor will she ever be.
Massimo’s fingers fly across his phone screen before he pockets it and joins us. “That was Dante. They’ve swept the venue. There doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious, but we know that doesn’t really mean much.”
Leonardo comes to stand with us, holstering his gun. We’re all armed, as always. Tonight, we might be surrounded by civilians, but based on what happened at the restaurant last week, we know that Francesco has no qualms with taking out anyone who gets in his way.
Running a finger under the collar of my shirt, I straighten my bow tie and reply, “It doesn’t. But we do want there to be something. Ideally, Francesco. Without him, we have no leads.” I pause, looking each man in the eye before I continue, “I know I don’t need to say this, but I’m going to anyway. Be alert. If the slightest thing looks out of place or someone looks like they might be up to something, I want it looked into. I don’t care if it’s the next president, I want fucking answers. Capire ?”
A cocky smirk lifts the corner of Massimo’s mouth and he inclines his head toward the car behind me. “No distractions, eh ?”
This fucker. He was the one insistent that I bring her. It was his housekeeper that picked out that fucking dress. But it was me that took her.
Gritting my teeth, I spit, “I’ve never let a woman, much less one who’s my captive, distract me from protecting this family, Massimo. I’m not about to start now over a pretty cunt .” The word tastes like venom on my tongue because she’s so much more, but admitting that is a sign of weakness that I’m unwilling to show.
Holding his hands up, Massimo shrugs. “If you say so, Rome.”
With a chuckle and a shake of his head, he takes off down the stairs, closely followed by Leonardo. They jump into the second car, shutting the door behind them.
Tonight is going to be exhausting.