Chapter Seventeen
A light lavender scent cuts through the haze of a very vivid dream. An overwhelming warmth coats my skin, something heavy weighing me down. My eyes flutter open and I tense, my mind still in that fog between sleep and consciousness. Reaching for my Glock under my pillow, I pause when a wild mess of strawberry blonde hair comes into view. The woman the halo of reddish gold belongs to, sprawls across my chest.
Her soft breasts are pressed against the rippling muscles that I work so hard for. Her thin T-shirt is the only thing separating our bare skin. The hard peaks of her soft breasts press into me despite the flimsy excuse of her night clothes. My cock throbs as it strains against the black boxer briefs hidden under a pair of dark sweats I had the forethought to wear to sleep. Nina’s head and that riot of curls blocks my line of sight, but if I could see past her head, I’m sure the thick grey material would be stretched toward the ceiling, tented over my throbbing dick. She’s gonna fucking freak. And not just because the monster in my pants was roused, but because we’re pressed together without her knowledge or consent.
My heart pounds erratically in my chest while trying to calm the flow of blood to my groin so she’s at least not confronted with my raging hard-on. All progress is thrown out the window when she stirs and lets out the sweetest noise. Jesus fuck, that little moan is going to be the star of every wet dream I have going forward for the rest of my life.
Nina’s body goes rigid as her eyelids flutter open, her long lashes tickling my chest. She scrambles off of me and backs away to the other side of the bed, narrowly missing Pinhead who’s asleep on her pillow. I rush to cover myself with my own pillow to try to hide the evidence of not only my morning wood, but what she does to me.
“Giovanni?” The first word out of her mouth is my name and hell, does it sound good with that morning rasp. I wonder if she’d sound like that if I woke her up with my face buried between her thighs. I curl my lips inward as I suppress the grin that my dirty thoughts are causing.
“Morning, Short Stack.” I greet the gorgeous woman in my bed. “Are you ok? I’m not sure how we ended up in an aggressive cuddle, but I can sleep on the floor tonight if that would make you more comfortable.” I scold myself for making the offer. There is nothing more I want than to wake up with her on me like that again. Well, ok maybe one thing, but obviously that’s not happening any time soon.
Nina pulls the covers up over her chest to hide from me. She shakes her head and drags her hands over her face to scrub the sleep from her eyes. When she looks back up at me, she has a look of fear etched across her gorgeous features that makes my heart sink.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” She rushes out, her voice trembles as she speaks. “I don’t know what happened, I was over here when I fell asleep. Usually, I don’t move when I sleep, I’m so sorry.” She apologizes again.
I smirk up at her, unable to hide the amusement at her reason for worry.
“ Bella , if I could wake up with you sprawled across my chest like that for the rest of my life, I will die a happy man. You did nothing wrong.” I shake my head, trying to stifle the chuckle. “Answer me this. How did you sleep?”
Nina’s breath hitches as she takes a moment to let the question sink in. Her features soften and that sweet pretty pink color tinges her cheeks again. As her body begins to relax, she lets the blanket lower. The hardened peaks of her soft breasts are still obvious through the thin material, and it takes all my willpower not to keep my eyes locked on them.
“I slept,” her shoulders lift and drop as she lets out a heavy sigh. “Really well. I don’t know that I've ever slept through the night like that.” Her confession does nothing to help the aching need currently throbbing under the pillow I’ve still got over my cock.
I chuckle and throw my legs off the side of the bed and then toss the pillow at Nina which makes her squeal. When I stand, my hand immediately goes to adjust my dick. Even with the monster tucked between the waistband and my stomach, there is an undeniable bulge, which I’m not sure she’s ready for.
“Go get some breakfast, Short Stack.” My desire for her can’t overshadow what I need to do today. “I need to get a shower before I head out for the day.”
My bare feet pad across the smooth hardwood floor as I make my way into my bathroom. I go through the motions of turning on the shower. When I finally kick off the pants and boxer briefs, a groan escapes my lips. An instant relief when my cock springs free from the tight confinement.
God damn, I am fucked. Why do I only seem to get hard-ons for the ones that are off limits? As I step into the shower, the warm water pelts against my skin. I lean forward against the cool tile, my head rests against my forearm as my dominant hand wraps around the base of my still aching dick. My lips part in a deep groan as I squeeze, tightening my grip. I begin to slide my hand up and down my length, toying with the Jacob's ladder piercings while grazing my thumb over the top, swiping drops of pre-cum across the head of my dick.
My eyes close and I envision Nina spread out before me, burying my face between her thighs for as long as she can handle. As much as I want to take every first she’ll allow, I know she’s nowhere near ready to take me. I feel like a fucking monster having the feelings I do when she’s got no experience with anyone, really, let alone the opposite sex. I let out a tortured moan as I pump my length only a handful of times before the telltale sign of a climax begins with tingling at the base of my spine. The fact that I'm so quick to find my release only confirms how fucked I am in this scenario. My balls begin to tighten, and I thrust my hips into my hand and curse as I paint the walls with my seed. Fuck.
After I finish cleaning up myself and the wall in the shower, I step out into the warm bathroom. I wrap a large towel around my waist and walk to the bathroom door. As soon as I pull the door open to my bedroom, I see Nina walking in with a mug of coffee and cinnamon roll. She’s still dressed in the same flimsy sleep clothes she was in when I got into the shower. Her eyes go wide when she sees me. I cock a brow at her, my lips pulled into a tight grin, unable to hide my amusement.
“Hi, sorry. Um,” she murmurs as she takes a few cautious steps toward me. “Jade asked me to bring these to you since you are going to be in a rush. I didn’t realize – I didn’t mean to – I'm so sorry for intruding.” She stumbles over her words. That beautiful color stains her cheeks yet again.
I take a step toward her, closing the distance between us and grip her chin as I raise her gaze to mine. She’s worrying her bottom lip as her eyes dart in any direction that isn’t my eyes.
“Short Stack, look at me.” She fights the command for only a moment before she’s locked in on me. She swallows hard when I release her chin and caress the smooth skin that covers her cheeks before I continue. “ Amore , you have nothing to apologize for. This is your room now too.”
Her bright smile in response is the sweetest thing I've ever seen. When Nina steps out, she begins to close the door behind her, but I don’t miss the fact that she glances back for one last look before she pulls it shut. My shoulders shake with silent laughter. I send a message asking that Abel and Rand, Nina’s day protection, come to my room.
A quick loud knock sounds at the door a few moments later as I zip up my dark grey slacks.
“Come in.” My voice sounds calmer than I feel. I pull a black button up shirt on as the heavy wood door slowly opens. “Get in here, there are some things we need to discuss.” The two men step before me, dressed in matching suits, and stand with their hands clasped in front of them as they wait for my instruction. Abel’s back is straight. The kid has become fond of Nina over the past week. I trust that he won’t fuck up. After all, he nearly pissed himself when she got a sunburn. “The two of you have been briefed on what happened last night?” I don’t wait for them to respond before I continue. “The two of you will shadow Nina from here on out. If anything happens to her, even something as simple as a hair on her head being out of place because you weren’t doing your fucking job. I will make you wish for death as I peel the skin from your bodies while you watch, capisci ?”
Milo and Michael are waiting at the door of my study as I approach. I nod in greeting and open the door. The two of them follow me in and take a seat at the chairs in front of my desk. When I take my place at the large chair behind my desk, my eyes dart between the two. While I trust these men with my life, someone fucked up and I want to know who.
“Speak.” I bark out the command.
Michael sits up straighter in his seat and begins to speak, “We were able to identify the intruder as Bastian Caprioni. The security feed shows that Rich fell asleep next to her door. Caprioni moved Rich into her bathroom and jammed the lock so that he couldn’t get out. He was still asleep when we found him.”
I sit with my hands crossed in front of me at my desk. My foot taps quietly under the large piece of furniture as I wait for the information on how the hell Caprioni got in to begin with. Michael must sense my impatience because he clears his throat and finally delves into that portion of the story.
“From what we’re able to determine, the man was able to get in through a blind spot. We have men rotating around the house every hour, however, the cameras are on a constant sweep, so during a rotation he must have gotten in.” Michael’s words sink in and the anger I felt last night is nothing in comparison to right now.
"You're telling me, that my grandfather, the motherfucker into drugs and behind a whole host of murders in his time as Capo, let a fuck up of this magnitude occur. A blind spot in security of this magnitude was not a simple oversight." My words come out in a roar that would make Mufasa tremble.
Michaels mask of calm flickers briefly before he puts it back in place. "When we looked back on the recordings, it seems he changed the angles and guard shifts about a week after you were set to come home."
Knowing that Frederico’s involvement in the day to day wasn’t quite as extensive as it is now, gives me reason to pause.
“So, someone told him I was coming home, and he knew he wouldn’t be around for much longer.” I chuckle darkly. An audible pop sounds in the room as I roll my neck, the tension from the last twelve hours taking a toll on my body. “Keep Rich in the cell downstairs. I’ll deal with him later. Right now, I need you,” my eyes lock on Milo who sits up straighter now that he has my attention. “We’re going to make a scene and make sure Barone knows I'm not to be fucked with”.
Milo’s eyes gleam with mischief as my meaning clicks. His mouth twists into a wide grin as he jerks his head with a quick nod.
An hour later, once Milo’s task is completed, the three of us are in one of the large SUVs with tinted windows heading to a familiar location. I pay no attention to the scenery during the drive, instead I drag my phone out of my jacket pocket and send a quick message.
Johnny:
Short Stack, would you like to go out this evening?
I know she hasn’t received the phone yet, but that message being the first thing she sees when she opens the box makes my smile widen.
The rest of the drive goes by quickly. When we pull into the parking lot, Michael, Milo, and I step out. The two of them flank me as we approach the entrance. I place my hand on the door handle, the heavy metal groans as I pull it toward us. Oh good, announcing our arrival. I can’t help the amusement as my men follow me inside. Matt is the one who greets us this time.
“Mr. Ludovico? What are you –” His question is cut off when I raise my hand indicating I don’t want to talk here.
“How about we head into the office, Matt.” My suggestion is a command, and we all know it. Matt’s expression is filled with annoyance as he leads us down the same hallway he did the last time we were here. Before we step into the office, Milo speaks low in Michael’s ear and leaves us before the door is shut, leaving it two against one. I remain as neutral as possible while I wait for Matt to speak.
I pull the loaded Glock from my holster vest and take a seat at the large leather chair behind his desk. After laying my right leg over my left, I rest the gun on my thigh, stroking the metal like a pet. Matt’s body goes rigid, which only fuels my delight.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Ludovico?” His tone is clipped, which only makes his fear transparent.
“What do you know about Bastian Caprioni?” I cut straight to it. There’s no reason to hide why I'm here. Matt’s face turns into a mask of stark terror. I don’t miss the way he stumbles backward at the mention of that name. He tries to steady himself, but the damage is done. “You may want to just give me the information you have now, otherwise it will just make everything a hell of a lot more painful for you.” The faux friendship in my voice is quite comical, but it calms him enough to open up.
“All I know is that Mateo had plans for Nina that you ruined by claiming her the way you did. He’s been a maniac about losing his golden ticket.” There’s a tremble in Matt’s voice which makes his confession all the more fucked. “Bastian was expected to have the girl back at Mateo’s home at some point between last night and this morning.”
The office door opens and Milo steps in. He takes his place next to Michael and nods a quick confirmation.
“Well, Matt. This has been fun, but I’m going to need you to sit here for a few moments while I decide what to do with you.” Without another word, I stand and carefully place my Glock back where it belongs. Milo and Michael follow closely behind. There is no sound coming from Matt’s office, which is a bonus for us.
When we reach the exit, Milo rigs the door so it can’t be opened from either direction. The two of them fall into step behind me as we head for the car. This time, I slide into the passenger seat and pull my phone out of my jacket pocket again. After a few taps on the screen, I open the camera and start recording —the building and button in my hand are both in the frame.
“Boss,” I hear Milo’s voice as a small black device is held out in front of me. I grin as I place it in my palm.
I hold the device with the large button face up and gently glide my thumb over the temptation before finally pressing down. A chorus of explosions sound as the bombs Milo placed around the building blow. We begin to drive off in the opposite direction, and I press the button to end the recording.
I pull up a blank message in our encrypted messaging app.
Come after what’s mine again, I dare you. You will beg me to kill you after what I have planned. [Video Attached]
I step into the house and am hit with the intoxicating scent of Mrs. D’s spicy sausage Bolognese. Fuck me, it’s been years. As I meander toward the kitchen, I hear the voices of Mrs. D, my mother, and Nina; the latter of whom is laughing, and my heart warms at the sound. When I step through the threshold into the kitchen, I see Nina and Mrs. D cooking together. The sight of her coming out of her shell and doing something she’s never had the opportunity to do before instantly has my dick swelling in my pants. Down boy. Thankfully my mother takes that moment to pull me aside, which instantly ices the growing arousal.
“How did he get into the house? I heard something about the cameras, but Milo swore the men to secrecy, which I don’t fucking appreciate, by the way.” She rapidly spews out her frustration from last night – which, fair.
After I explain to her what I know she breathes a small sigh of relief, but her eyes lock in on me.
“Giovanni, mio vita . I know you had no intention of returning to this life or the life I had planned for you.” She shakes her head like she’s trying to forget the past decade and a half. “But now that you’re here and you’ve taken your position as Capo, you need to make sure everyone knows you’re not to be fucked with.”