Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
NICCO
Amoving truck was parked in the driveway of the once happy home that Lord and Labria shared.
The door at the back of the truck was raised, and the ramp was down.
Two of my men were carrying boxes from the house.
But what caught my attention was a woman standing on the steps by the front door.
She was Black, but she wasn’t Labria. The woman looked familiar.
“Wait here,” I told Punchy and Lefty. “This shouldn’t take long.”
When I was ready, I nodded to Lefty, who stepped out and came around to open my door.
The morning sun hit me as I emerged from the air-conditioned interior, but I didn’t flinch.
I removed my suit jacket, handing it over to Lefty.
It was too hot for the suit jacket. I adjusted the cuffs of my gray collared shirt and started up the driveway toward what promised to be an interesting encounter with my brother’s ex-girlfriend.
The moving truck was half-filled with boxes and bins, efficiently packed by my men.
I wasn’t here to help, but I still wanted to make sure everything went well.
Lord was in New York, so I didn’t have to worry about there being any violence or drama.
Honestly, I was impressed by how he was able to ignore Labria when I saw how devastated he was when she left him before.
I had no idea Maurizio had set his sights on Labria.
I underestimated my cousin’s charisma. Apparently, he’s been waiting around for his opportunity to steal Labria from Lord.
I couldn’t be mad at him for shooting his shot and actually hitting his target.
“Don Bregoli.” One of the movers said as he did a slight bow of his head. The other man did the same as I walked past the moving truck.
“Good morning.” I said, acknowledging them.
Labria was walking out the open front door when she spotted me approaching.
She froze for a split second. It was subtle, but I noticed.
I had that effect on people. I always noticed these small tells.
My eyes darted over to the other woman. I was closer, and I recognized her as Labria’s sexy sister Khia.
Labria wore jeans and a short-sleeved plain black T-shirt with the words ‘educated and melanated’ across the chest. Her dark hair was pulled back in a high, no-nonsense ponytail.
I had never really seen her looking so casual.
Her sister, Khia, was dressed similarly, though her hair was styled in small braids with wavy ends that fell over her breasts and down her back.
I licked my lips as a gazed at her silky brown legs in shorts.
How I wanted to bend Khia over and fuck her from behind.
A married woman was such a sweet treat for a powerful man like me.
“Nicco,” Labria said as I approached. Her tone was formal, although our relationship was quite intimate. We shared a murder together. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
I nodded to the movers, who immediately looked away and picked up their pace, disappearing into the house for more boxes. They knew better than to appear interested in my conversations.
“I wanted to ensure everything was going smoothly,” I replied.
“Yes, thank you.” Labria crossed her arms, unconsciously creating a barrier. “Everything’s fine.”
“Khia, Labria didn’t tell me you were in town.”
“I just got here.” Khia added.
I took all the necessary steps to close the gap between me and Khia.
I pulled her into an embrace. I wanted to force a hug, wrap my arms around her to cop a feel, smell her, and let her smell me.
Her hair smelled of cocoa butter. I let her go.
Then I took her hand and held it a beat longer than necessary, smiling in the way that usually disarmed women.
“Nicco. What a surprise.” Khia raised an eyebrow, glancing at her sister. “Labria didn’t mention that you were stopping by.”
I laughed, genuinely amused by her frankness. “I tend to come up in conversation only when absolutely necessary.”
“Khia,” Labria warned, shooting her sister a look.
“What?” Khia shrugged innocently. “I’m just making conversation.” She turned back to me, her eyes sharp and assessing. “So, you’re overseeing this move?”
“Yes,” I confirmed, intrigued by her directness. Most people tiptoed around me, measuring every word. Not Khia.
“Hmm.” Khia looked me up and down without apology.
Labria cleared her throat. “Nicco, why are you really here? I’m sure you have more important things to do than supervise a move.”
“Maybe I wanted to see if you were okay,” I said, meeting her skeptical gaze.
Labria’s expression softened, though suspicion still lingered in her eyes. “I appreciate the moving truck and the help. We should be done by this afternoon. I don’t have much, and I’m not taking anything that doesn’t belong to me.”
“I’m not here to interfere. I can keep your sister entertained while you direct the movers.”
Labria gave me a warning glare. “She doesn’t need to be entertained.”
Khia tilted her head at Labria. “Girl, go on. He’s not going to kidnap me.”
Labria rolled her eyes, made a huffing sound and followed one of the movers inside the house.
“Finally, I get to talk to you? Without my sister hovering?”
“Of course. It’s hot out here. Let’s go inside.” I said, extending my hand toward the open door. Khia walked inside the house, and I followed, intrigued and horny. Khia’s ass was fat in her yoga pants. I needed to focus.
Once we were in the kitchen, Khia turned to face me. Her posture was both defensive and sexy. “What exactly happened between my sister and your brother? She told me he cheated. But I know I’m not sure I’m getting the whole story from her.”
I studied her face, considering how much to reveal. Family loyalty dictated discretion, but there was something about Khia’s directness that deserved brutal honesty.
“How long are you in town?” I asked.
“Don’t change the subject.” She blurted, and my eyes went from her tits to her face.
“Labria believes Lord was unfaithful with a woman named Lolita,” I said carefully. “Your sister claims to have some evidence of this. Pictures, text messages. She even says she saw them together.”
“And she told you this?”
“Yeah, despite her obvious dislike for me. When she moved here with Lord, she became family. We are reluctantly close in like, a brother sister way.”
“Huh, I swear this girl don’t tell me shit.” Khia hissed. “Did he? Cheat?” Khia pressed.
“I don’t know. I don’t believe so,” I admitted. “It’s not Lord’s style, and he’s never mentioned Lolita to me in that context. But something convinced sister he was unfaithful.”
“So, do you think my sister is making it up?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I think Labria believes what she saw. But I also think there might be more to the story. Probably some innocent flirting and miscommunication. They are both being stubborn, and they aren’t talking to each other.”
Khia considered this. “And now she’s staying with...” She trailed off, waiting for me to fill in the blank.
“Maurizio,” I supplied. “Lord’s cousin. Yes, she’s living with him.”
“Is he really Lord’s blood cousin?” Khia asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Yes. He’s my cousin and which makes him Lord’s cousin.” I watched her reaction carefully.
“Is she just leaving there?”
“Ah.” There was no need for me to sugarcoat it. “She’s living in his house, in his bed.”
“What the fuck? I knew something else was going on.”
“Your intuition was right.”
“Well, that’s not going to end well,” Khia said with a sigh.
“I agree. A love triangle between cousins with Labria in the middle? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. I don’t know any man who would be okay with his ex being with his blood cousin.”
“I agree,” I said, appreciating her pragmatism. “I don’t see this little arrangement going well for anyone involved.”
“She was not like this in Chicago. I never met Lord. I don’t know what kind of man he is. I don’t want anything bad to happen to my sister,” Khia said, her voice dropping to a more serious tone. “She’s been through enough already.”
“I understand completely,” I assured her.
“Labria won’t tell me much about the Bregolis’. I just know you have some kind of family business, and you own a lot of stuff. I know y’all Italian and no offense, but y’all look and act like—”
“Like the mafia?” I finished her thought. We both stood there looking at each other. I could see Khia thinking nervously as fear started to wrinkle her features.
“Khia.” I smiled widely in an afford to put her mind at ease. “Family is everything to me. Labria is family.”
“Is that why you’re here? To protect her?”
“Uh, in a way. I can’t control how Lord feels about your sister leaving, but I can make sure things don’t escalate unnecessarily.”
Khia studied me with those perceptive eyes. “Escalate— to what?”
“Lord and Maurizio, follow my orders.”
“They do.”
“Yes, because I’m their boss.” I didn’t elaborate. I didn’t need to.
“Are you sure?” She firmly asked. “Because I can’t make her come back to Chicago with me. She loves her job. She’s not going to come. I don’t want anything tragic happening to my sister. I’ve already lost too much.”
“Nothing will happen to your sister,” I promised.
Khia nodded, seemingly satisfied with my assurance. “You know, based on how Bria mentioned you? She made you seem scary.” She smiled slightly. “You’re not scary.”
I laughed at that, genuinely amused. “Many people would disagree with that assessment.”
Her eyes took on a knowing look. “Is that right?”
I stepped closer, lowering my voice slightly. “Yes, but I don’t think those people are around to give you a review of my character.”
Khia didn’t back away. She matched my gaze steadily. She paused. “The kind my sister got mixed up in when she met your brother.”
“You are perceptive,” I acknowledged. “But don’t be afraid? Labria is under my protection, and you can be too.”
“I’m not in danger.” She challenged.
I smiled, genuinely charmed by her boldness. “No, you’re not.”
Labria appeared around the corner. She was notably suspicious as she took in our close proximity. “Everything okay here?”
“Just getting to know your sister better.” I said smoothly while taking a step back.
“That can’t be good,” Labria muttered, shooting Khia a look.
I checked my watch, an excuse to end the conversation on my terms. “I should be going. I have meetings this afternoon.”
“Of course,” Labria said, relief evident in her voice. “Thank you again for the truck and the movers.”
“Call if you need anything else,” I told her, then turned to Khia. “It’s always a pleasure seeing you, Khia. I hope you enjoy your stay in Vegas.”
“Nicco, please don’t flirt with my sister.” Labria announced. “She’s married with two kids.”
“Right to Larry.” I chuckled. “He’s so very lucky.”
“He is.” Khia added, just like a loyal wife should.
“I have to get back to work.” I pulled Khia into a tender hug, making sure my semi-hard-on brushed against her.
“See ya next time, sexy.” I whispered in her ear.
During this embrace, my hand slipped down into the crack of Khia’s ass.
Labria couldn’t see my out of line behavior, but like a good girl, Khia didn’t give anything away.
When I stepped back, Khia's face was neutral. She was a good actress, but I knew her heart was beating a little bit faster.
“Bye Khia, and Labria. I will talk to you later.”
I nodded to both women and walked out of the kitchen. Behind me, I heard Labria’s urgent whisper to her sister, no doubt demanding to know what we’d discussed. I smiled to myself as I exited the house.