Chapter 15
MIA
Iblink rapidly, trying to figure out if Leo is really there. It’s hard to deny when his strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me in. My heart flutters inside my chest—an alarming mix of fear and excitement.
“I—uh—I,” I stutter, trying, but failing to pretend that his presence hasn’t sent me into a torrential spiral. “What are you doing here?”
“I decided to try out the role of dashing hero tonight,” he says, his eyes piercing through the dim lighting of the club. “I figured you’d come here, but I didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to venture into the lion’s den.”
My mind spins, searching for a reason to push him away, but that’s when my other stalker enters the conversation. “There you are, sweetheart. I was worried I’d have to come in after you.”
Disgust rolls off me, and I hate that I retreat into Leo’s arms, letting one danger chase me into the arms of another.
Leo’s eyes connect with mine briefly before he turns toward the stranger with a deadly look that makes me want to run and hide. But for some reason, I beat him to the punch and blurt out, “I found my boyfriend. I forgot he told me to meet him here. What a funny coincidence, huh?”
The man glares at me before noticing I’m attached to another human for the first time. And when his eyes land on Leo, I swear all the color drains from his face.
“Oh shit, Mr. DeLuca. I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I—”
Leo raises his hand, silencing the goon. His attention turns back to me, and his stone-cold expression slips the tiniest bit before he asks, “Did this man touch you?”
“Oh no, sir. I would never—”
“Shut the fuck up. I didn’t ask you,” Leo snaps, not bothering to glance in the man’s direction. “Emilia, did this man touch you?”
Part of me wants to say yes just to see what he’ll do. The palpable rage radiating off him should scare me, but instead, goosebumps dance across my skin at the idea of him hurting a man just for touching me. My mouth waters thinking about it.
Fuck. What is wrong with me?
“No,” I say, picking the easier route.
“I don’t like your hesitation,” he purrs, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. There’s a sparkle of sincerity in his eyes.
He holds my focus for a little longer before turning back to the man sweating bullets in front of him.
“You’re lucky we’ve got places to be,” Leo rumbles, wrapping his hand around mine in one swift movement. “If I catch you even looking at my girl again, it’ll be the last thing you do. Got it?”
The man’s eyes widen. “Y-yes, sir,” he answers before spinning around and almost crashing into a cocktail waitress.
I stifle a laugh, and when I look up, I instantly regret the small deviance because Leo’s eyes are shining with delight.
It’s unsettling.
“Was that amusing, Emilia?”
I swipe my tongue across my bottom lip, suddenly feeling parched and speechless all at the same time. The shot from earlier is still coursing through my veins, which is the only logical reason why I can’t seem to get my body temperature under control.
“Maybe,” I shrug, my gaze dipping to where Leo’s hand has slyly moved back to his earlier position around my waist. I wiggle, trying to escape his grasp, but it only makes his hold tighten. “You can let me go now.”
He raises his eyebrows and leans in before stopping just above the shell of my outer ear. “No, I can’t,” he whispers. “You just made the terrible mistake of telling that man you’re mine and in precisely ten minutes or less, most of Caruso’s outfit will know you belong to me.”
“I’m not an object,” I bite back, trying to pull away, but finding my efforts futile.
“I prefer pet over girlfriend, Cara,” he says, letting his lips feather over my cheek. I pretend to recoil, but inside I’m desperately fighting back a much darker reaction. “That term is a little juvenile. Wouldn’t you agree?”
I don’t answer. All I do is lean my head back until I can see his face and flatten my lips into an unamused scowl.
Leo sighs and tilts his head in response. “It’s a good thing you don’t have a choice,” he smirks, grabbing my side and sandwiching me close to him. The silky material of his suit glides against my own clothes, making me wonder what it would feel like if there was actual friction between us.
I erase the thought from my head and begrudgingly let Leo guide me out of the club. I may hate the man’s guts, but pretending to be his pet or whatever is the only way to get out of here safely and under the radar.
When I spot what looks like an exit with a burly bouncer seated next to it, I feel an ounce of tension unwind from my chest. It’s the first time I’ve felt that feeling all night. Or maybe since I’ve met Leo. Which is odd because he seems to be on both ends of the spectrum.
Right before we can cross through the threshold, another stocky Italian man pops out of nowhere and plants himself right in our path.
“You’re going to leave without seeing the boss? He won’t like that,” the man says, crossing his arms that are covered in a coarse layer of hair. The cocky smile on his lips deepens as Leo’s fists clench at his sides.
“Five minutes,” Leo grunts, stretching his neck.
“Your girl can wait at the bar,” he sneers, his stare glossing over me. My own hands flinch at my sides, begging to leave a nice indent in his face.
“No,” Leo says, surprising me. “She stays with me.”
The man stares back at Leo, his shoulder half turned in the direction he expects us to follow. His forehead wrinkles as he considers if the fight is worth it. It doesn’t take long for him to shrug and say, “Whatever. Just follow me.”
“I know where to go,” Leo huffs, surprising me again as he slides his fingers between mine and pulls us toward a dark hallway.
I watch in awe as he mindlessly guides me down a path he’s taken multiple times. I assumed he was involved with the Caruso’s somehow, but now I’m wondering at what level.
I take stock of his body language as we walk. His playful smile is gone, and his shoulders are hunched up to his neck. He looks on edge, which is odd for a man who always seems to be floating on air. It should make me happy to see him like this, but it doesn’t.
It makes me nervous.
Right as we walk up to a door guarded by two more large men, Leo stops and pushes my back up against a nearby wall. “What the he—” Before I can say anything else, his lips crash onto mine.
Memories of that night at the gala come back to life, and I get a taste of the lips I’ve been dreaming about and cursing for days.
His soft lips mold perfectly against mine like he can hear my thoughts. He knows what it’s like to want something just as bad as you hate it.
He pries open my mouth with his tongue—assertive and demanding. I don’t fight him. I welcome him in and let his mouth thrash against mine in wild ecstasy.
A bright, hot tingling sensation teases at my lower abdomen, and I want nothing more than to press myself against him.
But then I remember where we are and who he is and I press my palms against his chest, begging him to back up.
Of course he doesn’t.
Instead, his lips trail up and down my neck until he lands at the tender spot right below my ear. I bite my bottom lip hard enough to taste blood.
“I need you to be good when we get in there. Even if you don’t want to be my pet, you need to play the part,” Leo pants. “If Enzo finds out who you are, it’s over. Got it?”
I nod slowly, a cold realization sweeping over me. While my mind races, he places a chaste kiss against my lips and pulls away. I guess we both are good at using kissing as a diversion.
Two big red doors stare back at us as Leo wraps his arm around me tightly. With all the excitement of tonight, I didn’t think about coming face to face with the man who might be responsible for my brother’s death.
The music from the clubs dulls behind the thick wall of a small room filled with poker tables. No one pays us any attention as we navigate through a cloud of cigar smoke and expensive cologne.
“Remember,” he murmurs, pulling me close. His voice is no longer teasing. It’s stoic and wrapped in a million layers of discomfort. “Don’t speak unless spoken to. Don’t make eye contact. And don’t react.”
“I’m not a child. I can handle myself,” I whisper, squeezing his hand with conviction.
“No,” he sighs. “You’re a liability.”
I gulp nervously.
It feels like there’s more to that statement.
Like something I need to dig deeper for.
But I can’t because he doesn’t give me time before he’s whisking me toward a raised stage with a booth full of men wearing black and dripping in gold accessories.
It almost feels like home except most of the men here are responsible for ruining my family.
Anger surges inside me.
Leo must sense it because his hand sinks to my lower back, rubbing gentle, reassuring circles. It makes me instantly on edge.
I don’t like this version of him.
It’s unpredictable and jarring.
He keeps rubbing circles as we get closer. And then he grazes the top of my gun and goes still.
But he doesn’t get upset. He doesn’t even look scared. All he does is offer a short-lived quirk of his lips and rolls his eyes slightly enough for me to see.
Another unpredictable and annoyingly endearing reaction.
Ugh. What an asshole.
Leo’s posture shifts into his usual loose and bored demeanor as we step into Enzo’s line of sight. I can still feel the vibrations of music pulsing around us, but other than that everyone’s conversations are low and whispered. It’s almost serene.
When I spot Enzo, my palms get slick with nerves.
He sits in the center of the worn leather booth like a king on a throne, but instead of a crown he’s wearing a thick golden chain that glints against his open collar.
His middle strains the thin fabric of his button-up, but that’s the only thing soft about him.
He’s both sharp and assessing. The smile stretched across his face reminds me of a snake sizing up its prey.
“Leo,” he greets with an excited tone. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten about little old me.”