Chapter 2 – Cristiano
“Fuck this white shit, I’m going to retire to Boca,” Vincenzo grumped, hunkering into his coat and holding his hands up to the heater blasting at the passenger seat.
I shot my brother an amused look. “You’d die of boredom on the beach.”
“At least I’d die warm.” He grinned. “There are plenty of nice folks down in Florida to keep life interesting.”
“I shudder to think of you drug running with gangs,” I said dryly.
Vincenzo only laughed.
I turned off the heat on my side of the car. The temptation to roll down the window, to let in the fresh, crisp air, was strong. But I needed to focus on the house down the street. The lights were still on, and there was a tree in the front window. Which could only mean one thing.
Loring was back.
When one of our guys keeping an eye on this area told us the news this afternoon, Vincenzo and I changed our plans to stake out the house. The attorney wasn’t due back until January, but like all the fancy business pricks, his itinerary was always shifting. And our visit was long overdue.
What if….
I slapped that thought away. I didn’t let myself think about who else might be in that house. Loring’s daughters were out conquering the world. Thinking about the past only brought back funny feelings that I didn’t want to have. It wasn’t like I could change anything.
She hadn’t been home in years, not that I noticed. It wasn’t like I purposely followed her travels, accomplishments, or cared about her life at all. It was easier not to, but whiskey and social media were a dangerous combination that I hated myself for falling into every now and then.
“Lights are out.” Vincenzo sat up straight, peering through the dripping windshield.
“You stay here.” I stabbed a finger at his chest, and when he opened his mouth to protest, I pressed harder. “I mean it, Vincenzo. That man catches wind of you within fifty yards, and you’re back in the big house.”
There was no way in hell I was ruining our dad’s Christmas by being part of my brother’s capture, when he’d only just come home.
My brother grumbled but relaxed in his seat. “Make him pay.”
“Always do.” I pushed the door open and stepped into the swirling vortex of white.
People called this freezing crap magical. They didn’t hear the haunted melody of the north wind’s howl. That keen cry of despair that promised death to any soul unfortunate enough to be left out on the streets. They didn’t know what it was like to shiver while the cold stabbed straight to the bone.
I cut across the street, slipping into the alley before pulling the balaclava over my face.
While every single manicured backyard was fenced, there was no telling who had camera security systems and what those video feeds could capture.
It was better to conceal my features if things turned ugly tonight.
Not that I had any intentions of that.
While Vincenzo had a wicked lust raging in his blood to make Loring pay, I understood that a cooler head would prevail.
The boss wanted the attorney blackmailed and on our side.
My father’s orders—as one of Don Morelli’s capos—were to make that happen.
It was my job to keep my brother in check while fulfilling the orders, even though Vincenzo had two years on me.
The slimy attorney wasn’t slipping out of town without knowing that the Morelli Famiglia was coming for him. Tonight, Loring was going to start playing our way.
We might be a smaller criminal organization compared to the other sharks patrolling the East Coast, but it allowed us to operate under the radar. Which was exactly how I liked it.
Vaulting over the fence, I marched through Loring’s backyard.
The lights in the second-story rooms were out, but the kitchen had a cheery glow.
Most people kept a light on at night, so I didn’t think much of it, other than to proceed with caution.
The snow was falling fast enough that it would cover my footprints by the time I left.
There would be no trace of me by midnight.
Pulling a high-end piece of technology from my pocket, I killed the alarm system. Except, it blinked green right away.
Had they not set it?
I frowned, pocketed the device, and proceeded to pick the lock. The door swung open.
A yelp, followed by the sharp crash of glass, greeted me.
My gaze fell on the curvy blonde in the center of the kitchen.
She was breathtaking, like no other woman I’d ever seen.
Usually, women were of little interest to me.
They came and went after serving their purpose.
Something about this one held my focus. I couldn’t tear my eyes off this goddess if I tried.
Her blue eyes were round, fixing on me with a healthy dose of fear. Creamy gold hair fell over her shoulders in liquid waves. That body was toned in all the right places and full where it mattered. The curves begged to be grabbed. Just one look had my dick twitching to life.
But it was the faint, silver scar on her forehead that had recognition snapping into place.
It’s her.
She was here.
My fucking pulse skipped with a painful thud.
The woman came to her senses a moment later and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Porca vacca! I slammed the door, crossed the distance, and captured her in a swift, unforgiving hold.
“None of that,” I snarled, yanking her body to mine.
Warmth spread through me at the contact, but I brushed it off.
Nostrils flared, she breathed hard against my gloved hand.
“Can’t have anyone hear you,” I murmured. “No one’s supposed to know I’m here.”
She gave me a pointed look, narrowing her eyes.
I read the unspoken jab. “Yeah, you weren’t supposed to see me, either.”
The woman responded with a huff and an…eyeroll.
She garbled something against the leather covering my palm.
Huh, same brave girl, reacting to this situation with spunk, when her point of view said she could be in danger.
She wasn’t. Not from me. But she didn’t know that.
I took a step back, gaze snapping from her to the hall beyond the kitchen.
Something crunched under my boot.
The broken glass. And she was standing next to the carnage on bare feet.
The sight of those pretty toes, painted a shade of deep crimson, sent a rush of something foreign through me. I hoisted her onto the counter without thinking.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” I promised. “Where is everyone else?”
She rolled her eyes again. More words hummed from her throat.
I lowered my hand. “What was that, beautiful?”
“I said, they’re not fucking here,” she snapped.
Such a dirty mouth. With such pretty, rosy lips.
A spark of heat shot straight from my palm, resting on her thigh, to my dick.
“Your father’s not home?” I tried to focus on the business at hand, but this little temptress was proving to be quite a distraction.
“In Washington,” she muttered, and then added, “DC, not the state.”
Cavolo!
We had it all wrong. This wasn’t the opportunity to bring down the fearsome attorney who’d been a thorn in our side. It was going to take weeks before another opportunity presented itself.
Meanwhile…what to do with her.
“No one else is here?” I demanded, squeezing her thigh.
Fuck if she didn’t feel so fucking good under my hand. It was a fight not to slide my hand up her thigh, cup her firm ass. When such a delicious present sat basically in my lap, it would take a saint not to steal a taste. And I was not a holy man.
“It’s just me,” she said, and her voice sounded defeated.
Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming urge of protectiveness.
She wasn’t just the stunning woman sitting on the counter in front of me.
She was also the chubby cherub who used to chase me around the park while our fathers held court.
The curls might be gone and that full face carved by the hard lines of life, but she was still the girl who’d smiled at me once upon a time.
Madonna santa, what I wouldn’t give for her to smile at me now.
Not that she knew who I was, with this black fabric concealing me. Even if I pulled the balaclava from my face, would she remember?
We’re not going to find out.
“Well, that’s unfortunate,” I rumbled. “No one here to protect you.”
“I don’t need anyone,” she said hotly. Her fist snaked out. To her credit, she threw a damn fine punch.
One I easily dodged.
I tsked. “Now, now, angel, let’s not resort to violence.”
“Says the psycho standing in my kitchen!” she retorted. Her vibrant blue eyes flashed.
Chuckling, I tapped her leg and took a step back. I didn’t miss the way her body shivered. Or that her nipples strained against the thin tank top she wore. I grabbed some paper towels, bent, and began to wipe the shattered glass and spilt wine.
“Can’t have you cutting those pretty toes,” I explained, feeling her confused gaze on me.
Maybe there was a way to convince her not to tell her dad about the break-in. While I racked my brains for a solution, I could buy time by proving I wasn’t a threat…to her.
I did a second sweep, this time with a damp towel. As I bent low to check for shards, the beauty leapt off the counter. She landed on my shoulder and back, shoving me hard to the ground.
A bellow ripped from my chest.
Pain radiated from my side.
Before I could reach for her, she was gone, sprinting to the other end of the counter. I realized what she was after, jumped to my feet, and tackled her a heartbeat later.
She let out an enraged shriek as I tugged her away from the knife block.
With a vicious jerk, she clipped my jaw with the back of her head.
If the stinging pain jarring through me was any indication, her head would have a lump.
I wrapped my arms around her and brought us to the floor, pinning her body with mine.
As she continued to struggle, I brought my nose to her throat…and inhaled. She smelled of pine and smoke. And something darker.
I let out a low, throaty moan of appreciation.
“Did you just smell me?” she panted.
I rubbed my nose along her pulse. “Has no one ever taken the time to appreciate you before they devoured you?”
She scoffed. “Hardly. That’s not something a sane person does.”
“And what about me screams sane?” I countered.
“Touche,” she huffed and jerked, trying to bat me away with her shoulder.
“Stop struggling. This isn’t a fight you can win, Nicky.”
She stilled. “How do you know my name?”
Regretting the slip, I brushed my hand over her body. The featherlight touch sent a wave of heat through me. Her ass was just as perfect as I imagined, and I moved my neck to take a peek.
Simply gorgeous.
I scooped her up and set her on the counter—keeping her a healthy distance from the knives. Her bare thighs were smooth, begging me to touch, but I planted my back on the island across from her. Distance was the smart choice right now.
She studied me. Her keen blue gaze lingered on the mask, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she had a thing for masked men, like so many of the naughty girls on the internet app the girls in the famiglia were obsessed with.
There was no missing the way her body shifted.
Her legs clenched tight together, and her nipples were definitely hard and straining.
They mirrored the stiff erection in my pants.
“See something you like?” I murmured.
Her breath hitched as she swept another look over me. “What were you doing here?”
Straight to business. I see how it is.
I told her a half-truth, letting her mind fill in the blanks. “Sneaking around. Thought the family was gone for the holidays. Imagine my surprise upon seeing…you. Now you’ve gone and ruined my plans for making extra money to get me through the cold, cold winter.”
“Stealing for a living,” she hummed. “Oh, well, that’s not very bad.”
The display of grey morals surprised me. I couldn’t help but grin behind the mask. “What do you mean?”
“My dad used to work with shady characters. I thought for a moment you were one of them.”
Ah, ha. Smart girl. Maybe there was hope for us yet. The night might not be entirely ruined.
“Why don’t you steal whatever it is you came for and get out?” she demanded.
I might not have come here to thieve, but I wanted something now. Something I could only ever dream about. “Maybe I’ve changed my mind, maybe I’m having more fun talking to you.”
“You’re crazy.”
You have no idea, baby girl.
I caught the flash of determination in her glittering blue eyes right before she threw the jar from the back of the counter at me.
I turned my shoulder to take the brunt of the impact.
White powder burst over me. Flour. She’d hurled the flour container while I was too wrapped up in staring at her.
Coughing in the cloud of powder, I jerked up and realized she’d taken the chance to sprint away.
“Oh, it’s on, angel.” I grinned and started walking out of the kitchen. “You’re on my naughty list now.”