Chapter Three Tyler #3
Tobias introduced me to Preston not too long after, and together, we formed our own plan.
One we’d put into action if and when Preston got into his current position.
For the most part, everything has played out perfectly.
It’s the appearance and agenda of the woman I sunk my tongue into last night—and very nearly my cock—that could possibly take the opportunity I’ve been waiting for my entire time as a Raven and Marine away from me.
Not fucking happening.
“I wanted to make his punishment long and painful. So once I confirmed it was him, I was going to take my time with this one, but we’ll have to move fast. Really fucking fast, and either somehow get this woman to come clean or figure out their motive and plan before they get a chance to carry it out. ”
“Any ideas on how we do that?” Tobias asks.
“I’m working on it. I have to fucking find her first. Fuck!” I say, slapping the laptop shut.
Another knock on the door has us both aggravated. I jerk it open to see Russell on the other side.
“We have her. She came willingly. She was on a run, walked straight into the open car door, and told us not to speed away or make a scene. It’s like she was waiting for us. I’ve got her in a guest room at your place.”
I glance back at Tobias, who now looks just as on edge as I am, as I put a voice to it. “This is way too clean, T.”
He nods, lost in thought, before I turn back to Russell. “Keep her fucking guarded, don’t let them take their eyes off her, she’s slippery.”
Russell nods. “You all right, man?”
“Yeah, just need some shut-eye. Give her the bare minimum. Water only, and it goes without saying, cut all access, TV included. I want her aggravated.”
“Already done,” he clips.
Shutting the door, I turn to Tobias, and he soaks in my demeanor.
“I can see it in your eyes. You won’t have it any other way than yours,” he tells me. “So do whatever you need to and get ahead of this. Use whatever resources we have. I don’t want another war if we can help it.”
I nod. “If she’s aware of everything, she’s not being obvious about it. And if that’s the case, we can’t trust that she’s had some change of heart.”
“Fuck,” Tobias sighs.
“Happy fucking Monday,” I grumble. “Shit, I’m wiped, but I think I might have an idea of getting what we want with minimal risk.”
“Just keep me updated.”
“You’re calmer now.” I scrutinize him. “That’s unexpected.”
“Well, it’s not like the bad guys don’t know about all the alphabet agencies’ existence. Worst case scenario, we have to come out publicly and are forced to abbreviate our own and design a fucking logo,” he groans. “But I don’t want that.”
“Yeah, me neither,” I admit truthfully. “I never regretted going legitimate until right now.”
“Same,” he says, studying me before a smile breaks over his face. “You were so going to fuck her.”
I dip my chin. “Yeah, I was. But in my shit defense, I was three fucking sheets, and … well, you saw her.”
“Did she tell you why she led you on?”
“Said ‘it felt good.’” I roll my eyes in aggravation as he laughs. “Thanks to her, as of this morning, I have a whole new building staff and am evicting every fucking tenant legally within the next month. She ruined my first investment property.”
“So,” Tobias draws out in delight, “she intrigues you.”
“Hand to God, she’s one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever laid my eyes on,” I admit. “But now that I know where she spawned from and what she’s capable of …” I shake my head. “I can’t believe I fucked this up so badly. I’m sorry, man.”
“Try not to beat yourself up too much about it. It’s been some time for you, brother, but let this be a lesson to use your dick more often, if only to keep it from clouding your judgment.”
“I’ll take that into consideration,” I mutter dryly.
“Just don’t go fucking and falling in love with your greatest adversary’s daughter, take it from me.”
“Hilarious, and he’s far from my greatest adversary. Nowhere near the scope, to be honest,” I scoff. “If we didn’t have one too many ties, this would be below our pay grade at this point in the game. But I still want this one, T. Badly.”
“Say no more.” He runs a hand through his hair, his only tell that he’s unsettled. “All right, I’m off to grab my family and go to Brazil, unless you mind dog-sitting?”
“Sorry, I have a feeling I’m going to have my hands full.”
“Let’s hope,” he jokes.
“Fuck off.”
“Have you assigned Zach?” he asks, pulling on his jacket.
“No,” I say sharply. “Matter of fact, I don’t want him anywhere near this shit. Promise me, T. If this is a vendetta, this could get really messy, and Ciro’s kind is the kind to exact revenge in a disgustingly personal way.”
Tobias nods in perfect understanding. “I’ll assign him grunt work and keep him guarded until this is over on my orders, so he doesn’t grudge you. You have my word.”
“Thank you. Let’s keep Sean at a distance from this, too, unless we have to drag him in.”
He pauses, pulling his shirt sleeve through his cuff. “They’re that ruthless?”
I nod. “And I’m going just as fucking ruthless. I’m tapping Julien in.”
“Understood,” he says thoughtfully before palming my shoulder. “We made this deal a very long time ago, and I’m all too happy to ensure you get your end of it, as deserved. But brother, if it becomes too much, say the word, and I’m by your side. No questions asked.”
“I will, thanks.” I walk him to the door.
“What will you do now?” he asks as I crack it open.
“I think I’ll take a little nap, teach her some manners for visiting at such a late hour.”
We share a grin.
“Poking a hornet’s nest,” he chuckles.
“I’m going to blow a fucking hole through it,” I vow.
“Good luck, and careful with this one. An enemy she may be, but I like her style.” His lips lift. “Or maybe I simply like that she outsmarted you.”
“It was the whiskey.”
“Sure it was.”
“She was wearing a fucking cornicello necklace, for God’s sake.”
His brows pinch. “And what’s that?”
“It’s a talisman, a bull’s horn some believe is meant to help ward evil away, which should’ve been a neon sign for me.” I shake my head. “She kept telling me she knew who I was and what I’m capable of, but she lied her way through half the conversation when I didn’t catch on.”
“Maybe that’s why?”
“Too many maybes,” I tell him, “and I’m about to eliminate them all.”
He hesitates, again adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. “If we don’t play this right—”
“Then we’re going to have two of the four strongest legs of the fucking mafia to deal with,” I finish for him.
Tobias grins. “Welcome to the big leagues, right?”
“Batter fucking up, I’m ready,” I tell him. “I’ve got this.”
Understatement. I’ve been preparing for this battle for over half my life.
“I believe you. Keep me updated.”
I nod as he exits, my mind racing as I start to devise a plan to get what we need out of her to finish what I started years ago.
One of her lies last night was that she wasn’t a danger to me—it’s the complete and utter opposite, and not just to me, to my entire fucking organization.
Another was that she can’t help me, when she may be the key to setting everything I’ve worked for up to this point into motion.
Now, not only do I have to go head-to-head with one of the most dangerous women I’ve ever encountered, but in doing so, I’ll be playing Russian roulette with the fate of everyone I love and care about.
The DiCiccos are infamous for their tempers and egos, and they’re even more volatile than most of those we’ve gone up against so far. They are most notorious for having black hearts.
An image of Zach in his civvies, freshly inked, flashes through my mind as I start to formulate a way out of this where his future isn’t compromised, nor that of any other in my club. As I stalk out the door, I start to harden my mindset.
Larissa DiCicco better damned well be ready to play the game she started—but first, I need a cold shower, as well as a good grip on my cock to help jerk any lingering attraction out before my nap.