Heart’s Temptation (Mafia Brides #3)
Prologue
PROLOGUE
Giovani
I weaved through the wine cellar, not because I was drunk, although I soon would be, but because my heart was broken. The shattered pieces lay at the feet of the only girl I’d ever loved.
Looking at the rows of bottles, I searched for the right vintage, one that spoke to the empty shell I identified with. Perhaps something heavy to drown my sorrows in. I stopped in front of a bottle of Amoré and while the word meant love, the label had wine droplets on it that reminded me of blood. That would do just fine.
Grabbing two bottles, I sat down at the tasting table and removed the corks. Even the hollowness of my heart couldn’t hold back my appreciation for the ruby-red liquid as I poured it into the tapered wine glass.
I was mesmerized by the dark swirls that melted down the glass into thick legs. In my deadened state, those wide rivulets left by the wine were reminiscent of my bleeding heart.
I played back the events leading up to me drowning my sorrows in the Vitale cellar, asking myself how I’d missed the signs that led to this moment.
I was late for the state championships. Marko was on the field, the star quarterback. I watched as he pulled back his arm and threw the ball. Even as it hovered, fans watching just knew it was going to be a winning toss. The crowd—myself included—held its breath while the ball made its way down, down, down the field to land safely in the arms of the wide receiver. He bolted the few remaining feet into the end zone with the winning touchdown.
My attention transferred to Nicolette who was at the sidelines cheering for our team. Her short skirt rose with every bounce. Her slim muscular legs were on full display for anyone to see, and see they did. I stalked down the aisles offering threatening looks left and right until I was behind her on the sidelines. Reaching for her ponytail, I tugged her back.
Her look of surprise quickly shifted into a huge grin.
“We won!” she crowed.
I covered her mouth with mine, delving my tongue inside and nipping her lip before pulling back. “Yes, we did, and it’s time to celebrate.”
A flash of indecision passed through her beautiful green eyes.
“Of course,” she answered dutifully.
“Come on, Niki.” A cheerleader grabbed her arm, expecting her to join the rest of the group, who were storming the field, to celebrate with the players and coaches.
I gave her a look, and she quickly released Nicolette’s arm.
Gripping Nicolette’s ponytail once again, I dipped her head and snaked my tongue in her mouth, claiming her as mine before I released her.
“Go join your team.” I turned her around and smacked her ass. Her pupils were dilated when she glanced over her shoulder at me.
Mine!
My cock thickened at the sight of her tight ass bouncing as she ran out onto the field and threw herself into Marko’s arms. He tossed her into the air effortlessly and placed her on his shoulders.
I chuckled at Marko’s caveman antics. A teammate passed him the trophy, and he held it aloft. Niki added her hands to the trophy. Camera bulbs flashed as he slowly turned for the photo ops. That image of the last time I saw her would be forever etched in my memory…
We were the state champions and it appeared as if fate was on our side. Not the teams, but mine, Marko’s, and Nicolette’s, or so I’d thought. I chugged back the wine and poured another glass.
My father stepped out of the shadows, his eyes glittering in the dim light.
“I see you’re stealing my wine again.” His words held none of the threat they had when he first caught me, four years earlier, breaking into the Vitale wine vault and helping myself.
“Sorry, Papa.” My sentiment held none of the conviction it had the first time, either.
Sitting down opposite me, he regarded me with a thoughtful expression. “You’re having girl troubles.”
My eyes lifted and gazed into his older, much wiser ones, with an awe that only he inspired in me. He always knew what was going on and many times, my brothers and I had wondered if the man had some type of telepathy power.
“She’s gone, Papa. What should I do?”
He placed his hand on top of mine. At once I felt the heat and strength that pumped through him flow into me, even though his hand merely rested on top of mine. I vaguely wondered how many times that hand had pulled a trigger and killed someone. His father, our grandfather, had expanded our legacy and my father had protected it with his life, preparing us boys to take over and build on the back of what they had created and sustained.
My proclivities for wine and booze combined with my ability to sweep women off their feet, had me as Papa’s first choice to take over the clubs and wine empire, placing my quiet, introspective younger brother by one year, Fausto, in charge of the shipping operations.
“She is only gone for now, son. She’ll be back.”
My heart was shredded, and he talked about the future like it was a given that she would return. Was it really only two hours ago that my life had taken such a drastic turn?
Marko had been my best friend since grade school and when Niki came into our lives, it just seemed natural to share her like we shared everything else. While I was all Dom, Marko had a more nurturing nature that worked with our dynamic. She got all the coddling she needed from him and everything else she needed from me. Unfortunately, Niki didn’t come from the best environment. Her mother had died of cancer when she was young, and her father had been a low-level soldier for a rival family, leaving his daughter to raise herself. Eventually, he wound up working for us, and his prospects for a better life picked up considerably.
Niki came to our school, and Marko and I took over the duty of keeping our girl happy, healthy, and protected. And then she’d just disappeared. It felt so hopeless, so final, but my father seemed to be convinced otherwise.
“How do you know, Papa?” I asked, desperate for some gleam of hope that she’d someday come back to me, to us.
He moved his hand from mine and leaned back in his chair, grabbing one of the bottles in front of me, and pouring himself a glass.
“Salute,” he said, clinking his glass against mine.
We each took a long pull of the dark ruby liquid before he answered my question.
“Because Giovani, you offered her the world and once she’s done running and sees how dark a place it is without you to protect her, she’ll be back, because she needs you. That little girl isn’t meant for the cruelties of this life and trust me, when she gets in over her head, she’ll come running home and then it’s up to you to take her in, or cast her away but remember, my son, it’s not you she is running from, or Marko, but her demons. Or perhaps she is chasing and not running. Regardless, the outcome will be the same.”
I felt like he knew something he wasn’t telling me, but I refrained from asking. Papa only shared what he wished and didn’t appreciate being questioned.
“When she returns,” he continued, “try not to be too harsh with her. Listen with an open mind before you demonize her, but also make clear that it will never happen again. Vitale women don’t run. Capiche ?”
He stood and placed a kiss on the top of my head. “You have a good head on your shoulders, Gio, and with Marko at your back and your family at your side, you’ll go far beyond what I ever could. Don’t close your heart, my son. Just guard until it’s time to let her back in.”
“ Si , Papa.”
It turned out that was to be our last private conversation.
The shoulder beneath my fingers shifted. My date leaned forward, reaching for her drink.
“Stay still. You move when I give you permission.”
She’d pulled me from the memory of my last day with Niki and the last intimate conversation between me and my father. The woman at my side flicked my hand off her shoulder.
“Seriously Gio, I’m done with this.” She rose to her feet, crossing her arms, and pouted down at me like I gave a shit.
Fire raged through my blood at her audacity, but quickly cooled. Did I even know her name? Did I care? “Of course you are. You may leave.”
The server I kept on hand for my personal service hovered nearby; her name tag read Kimberly . Neither of these women could replace Nicolette. Hell, neither of them would incite a wet dream, but to show the woman on the couch that she didn’t matter to me in any way, I snapped my fingers at Kimberly, who moved to stand beside my date.
“Yes Sir, Mr. Vitale?”
“That is the attitude I require,” I said sharply, looking pointedly at my companion, whose name was still eluding me. “Sit here, Kimberly, and be still.”
Once she filled the recently vacated spot and snuggled into my side, I draped my arm around her shoulders and ran my fingers lightly along her skin before gazing back up at what’s-her-name.
“I believe I told you to leave. Now go!”
Grabbing her purse off the table, and, with one last look over her shoulder, she fled down the stairs.
Now where was I…?