Chapter 4
four
Gabriel
Trouble. That is the only word I can use to describe the unhinged woman Nico is holding in his grip.
One with a strong right hook. My eyes quickly assess her; she doesn’t have a scratch on her.
I guess the guy took all the punches. I shake my head and ignore Salvatore’s comment about how he gets it now.
He doesn’t know shit. He doesn’t know how I felt alive for the first time after all those years that night in the club, when I didn’t know who she was.
I wish that boy had never shown up and told me, but it doesn’t matter. I’m sure there was a reason for the interruption that night; one of them is probably that I’m not dead.
We take a tour around the club with Big Mack by our side. We’re almost done when Nico catches up with us.
“I hope you’ve seen enough. We should get straight to business, don’t you agree?” He opens the double door under the exit sign.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Salvatore follows him, leaving me standing with Mack, who’s looking down at me like he knows my secret.
Maybe he does, but before I can dwell on that, I follow Salvatore and Nico outside into the narrow alley.
Nico pushes the garbage container out of the way and reveals a door that’s barely visible in the ground.
“Subtle.” I nudge Salvatore, who is watching with narrowed eyes.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Nico opens the door and goes down first, Salvatore following. I take a step toward the door and look at the dark hole.
“Don’t worry. It's just a hole.” Mack’s deep voice rumbles behind me. I clench my jaw and inhale deeply before turning toward him.
I narrow my eyes at him. “What is your problem with me?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, come on. You keep giving me strange looks, or are you always like this?”
He slices through me with a single glance. “I’m just keeping an eye on you, so your eyes don’t wander where they’re not supposed to.”
“My eyes?”
“And your hands and tongue.”
Shit.
I clench my fists. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, you do. The only reason you’re not bruised is this deal.” He motions with his head. “Now, go down.”
My lips pull into a vicious smirk as I step toward him.
I tilt my head and narrow my eyes, letting him feel every ounce of the warning behind them.
“My eyes, my hands, and my tongue are none of your damn concern,” I say, my voice low and lethal.
“They’ll wander where I want, with whom I want, if I want.
I won’t be asking you for permission.” I lean in just enough for the threat to sharpen.
“Unless you’re into watching, then be my guest. But let me warn you…
” My smile turns razor-edged. “That’ll be the last thing you ever see.
” I look at him one last time before I follow Salvatore and Nico.
I can hardly concentrate on what Nico is talking about with Salvatore because all I can think about is the girl I shouldn’t be thinking about. The girl in the club who made me feel alive, who made me feel something again. After I thought I never would. After I swore off feeling that again.
Do I wish I hadn’t come here today? I do. But my priority is being by Salvatore’s side and closing this deal. There is no time for my lack of judgment.
What catches my attention is that they’ve come to an agreement, one that will benefit both families.
“Now this is set, how about some entertainment and good food? We need to celebrate our deal.”
“Lead the way!”
“I had VIP organized especially for you, and I plan on making this night entertaining. But first, drinks.” Nico leads us toward the lounge.
I chuckle inaudibly. The universe is playing games with me; this is the same seat I ended up in the last time I was here.
Nico and Salvatore take their places on the other side of the scene of the crime from last time, leaving me to sit in the same spot as before.
Mack joins us minutes later, followed by a server who is bringing our drinks.
As soon as I get hold of my glass, I down the drink at once, having zero fucks to give how this may look.
Luckily for me, no one gives a shit. I’m about to down my second drink when a pair of legs covered with black boots and sheer tights appear in my line of view.
My eyes follow the length of her legs as she walks nearer.
I assess her, and my blood heats at the sight of her in leather shorts and her belly bare beneath her sheer top that’s covered with a leather jacket.
My eyes land on her smirk-covered face and eyes that are gleaming with mischief.
I lean back in my seat and raise an eyebrow, telling her that I know exactly where I’m sitting.
“Ah, you're here,” Nico exclaims as she stops in front of the lounge. “This is my sister, Valentina, who is also my consigliere.”
I tilt my head to the side, considering this new bit of information.
So, Nico De Angelo has taken his sister as consigliere.
This is unheard of. There are rarely any women who work for crime organizations unless they are outsiders, and definitely not in high positions.
I can only interpret this as a new age of Camorra.
Modern, and with all options wide open. The only thing messing with the structure is that if more women are in place, the rule that women are off-limits may be considered.
Salvatore stands and extends his hand to her. “Salvatore Catalano. Nice to meet you.” And then he does something that makes my blood boil. He smirks and winks at me before he raises her hand toward his lips and places a chaste kiss on it.
“The pleasure is mine.” She gives him a smile different from the one she gave me.
A few moments pass before all eyes turn to me, and she raises her eyebrow, hiding a smirk as she bites on her lower lip.
“That’s Gabriel, my consigliere,” Salvatore says, saving me from the awkward situation I’ve got myself into.
“Can he speak?” she mocks as she lowers herself onto the seat beside me. Her cherry scent hits my nostrils, reminding me of the night I met her. I grab the amber drink in front of me and take a long sip, trying to drown out the cherry aroma so I can get control over my body again.
“I only speak when I have a need to do so.”
“I hope you don’t have anything against Valentina being here.” Nico’s penetrating eyes shift from Salvatore toward me, and I swallow.
I don’t have anything against her being his consigliere; what I’m against is her being beside me, like she’s taunting me.
“I don’t mind women being part of our business, but I have a question.” He raises his eyebrows, and I continue. “Wasn’t your sister engaged to be married before your father got arrested? Is that something her fiancé agrees on?”
Salvatore hides a smirk behind his drink, but if Nico is surprised by my question, he doesn’t show it.
Just as he’s about to answer, Valentina’s voice fills my ears, and my eyes meet hers.
Green, fierce, and impossible to look away from.
“Firstly, whether I’m engaged or not, it’s none of your business.
It doesn’t make me less qualified to be my brother’s consigliere.
” She leans toward me as if she's going to tell me a secret. “Second, that piece of shit is never going to be my husband, and I’m going to make sure of that.”
I don’t say anything. It’s Salvatore who intervenes. “We’re not judging anyone here by who they are. I’m sure Gabriel didn’t mean anything other than wondering how you are going to handle the old-fashioned rules in your family.”
“We are ready for change...” I don’t listen as Nico and Salvatore discuss because I’m stuck in a staring contest with fiery green eyes.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I keep my voice low enough for Valentina to hear. “I wanted to…” I stop, not even sure if I should say what I’m thinking.
“You wanted what? To make sure you didn’t mess with a taken woman?” She shakes her head. “It shouldn’t even matter at this point.”
I look toward the other end of the booth where Salvatore and Nico are deep in conversation before giving my attention back to Valentina. “I don’t want what happened to cause any problems in the alliance between our families, that’s all. You need our support as much as we need yours.”
“I agree, and what happened will not cause any problems. At least, not for you.” She chuckles and leans back in her seat, looking at the ceiling. “Me? That is another story.”
“Care to share?”
She glances at me. “No. It isn’t something you need to be concerned with.”
I want to argue, but some barely dressed women, followed by two burly guys, Max and Mack, approach, interrupting us.
“I made arrangements to keep you entertained. Consider it a personal touch,” Nico says, and the six of them giggle as they stand in front of us.
Nico waves his hand at them, and they scatter toward us.
A blonde in a short red dress takes a seat on my right side, just as a petite brunette takes the seat between Valentina and me.
Valentina stops her, catching her upper arm. “What are you doing here, Lily? I told you not to come back.” The girl is on the brink of crying, and Valentina shakes her head before looking at Max, who is clenching his jaw so hard that my own jaw hurts from looking at him. “We had a deal.”
I ignore the blonde, who has her hand on my cock. I used to have a thing for blondes; my dick loved all that pale skin and fairness. I guess he doesn’t anymore.
“I need the money, I told you.” Lily’s voice shakes.
“The other girls need money too, but you want to know the difference between you and them?” Warm breath falls on my neck, followed by wet lips that I ignore. “You're seventeen, and they are not.”
“But I fully understand what I’m doing…”
“No, you don’t. I’m taking you home. Go downstairs, change, and wait for me.
” Valentina watches as the brunette walks away before turning toward me.
She looks from me to the blonde, who hadn’t done a thing to make my body come alive.
Valentina chuckles and leans toward me, whispering in my ear, “Have fun. I know I will.” She takes my earlobe between her teeth and sucks on it before she stands, and with a sway of her hips, leaves me confused and hard.
The blonde leans toward me. “She says she wants to take care of the girl, but the rumors are that she wants her for herself. I bet that’s why she’s taking her away.”
Have fun. I know I will. I lean back and laugh, not caring about the attention the blonde is giving me.