Chapter 11
Vincenzo
Lying with Anna in my arms, watching her sleep peacefully far into the night, I curse myself for taking her before she knows the truth.
She should have known the entire story before I let her give herself to me.
I know what she’s been through but that didn’t stop me from taking her tonight.
No matter how we fought it, or that she wanted to hate me, our attraction has always been undeniable.
That is clearly not our problem. Trust is our problem.
She’s been hurt beyond what most people can even comprehend.
She trusted that bastard Barcelo and he broke her heart, spirit, and even her bones too.
That is not something she’s going to forget anytime soon and hearing me on the phone that night, talking about the package I had for someone to come pick up—I run a hand through my hair.
What the fuck else was she supposed to think with a billion-dollar ransom on her head?
I can’t fault her for believing I’d hand her over for a buck.
In our world, it happens every day. Just not to people under my watch and protection.
It never has and never fucking will. I protect what’s mine, and I’ve already decided that Anna Cassone is mine, whether she fucking likes it or not right now.
Deep down, she can’t deny the chemistry, that irresistible draw to be together.
I just have to make her trust me but that’s not so easy while keeping her captive and not even allowing her to talk to her best friend, sister, or Massimo, who for whatever reason she does seem to trust. Which is a whole nother problem all on its fucking own.
Lying to Massimo Roselli about the whereabouts of his sister-in-law, kidnapping her no matter the reason, it will be something I’ll have to pay for, there is no doubt in that.
I draw Anna protectively closer into my arms, kissing her vanilla scented hair and covering her with the duvet that has slipped off her shoulders exposing the swell of her breasts.
My princessa has been through more than most and will never see the wrath of a Gallini again, no matter how fucking long I need to keep her under lock and key.
She may not like it, but she is under my protection now.
Anna shifts gently, shrugs out of the covers, and turns into my chest skin to skin, her manicured hand running along my chest while finding just the right way to lay her head. I smile, stroking her hair and her toned bared back. “Sleep, princessa. You will need all your energy when you wake.”
I come out of the shower feeling refreshed and more invigorated than I’ve been in all my life, while Anna is still soundly drug under by sleep. The little wildcat needs her rest after last night.
My cock shifts just watching her. I adjust my towel and go to her side, bend and kiss her gently on the top of the head before leaving her to rest and recover her energy, locking her in and walking to my bedroom to get dressed for a shit ton of meetings today that are not going to be civil ones at all.
A quick text to Nicolo assures that our most trusted employee will deliver Anna’s breakfast this morning.
I may not want anyone in the penthouse, but it’s clear with these schedules that once in a while I’m going to need to rely on employees who have been with us for years, especially with the Sarones and Gallinis joining forces.
Nicolo is in his penthouse office when I find him. He looks up from his desk with the sun of a bright Atlantic City day displayed in the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him. He gestures to the seat across from him. “Take a seat. How’s the captive?”
My feelings for Anna are too fresh, a special secret feeling that I’m not ready to share much about just yet even with Nicolo. “What did you find out through our mole?”
“Massimo has all the Roselli soldiers on high alert. They’re turning every rock over in Jersey City, burning enemy hideouts and warehouses down every night. Word on the street is he will do anything and everything for his wife and she wants her sister back.”
I should feel bad, but his enemies, they’re all trying to gather together, trying to get enough power to take over his territory and mine here in Atlantic City. Fuck ‘em, if he burns them down, he’s just getting to them before they get to him or us.
Nicolo clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him.
“He’s had Anna’s sister moved to the ocean house out on the Jersey shore.
Don’t blame him a bit. They can keep her protected with drones and have lots of cover for automatic fire out there.
And access to boats, which is always an advantage like we have here. ”
I nod, leaning back in my chair, tilting it on the back two legs while I think. “What about the Dunlaps?”
“Massimo tripled security for them. I swear, that attorney, Addie, she’s connected, Vincenzo, and she’s fucking good.
I don’t know what she’s like in the courtroom except the short clips that go public, but Denato, he should be looking at life, and I fucking think he’s going to walk.
After this case, she’s going to be able to write her own paycheck with any of the families, Italians, Irish, Bratva, just like her old man. ”
I nod. “Yeah, she’s got great outcomes, that’s for damn sure.
We keep her in our back pocket and if we need something we pull her in too.
She knows the ropes and how to keep her mouth shut.
Even when her best friend is involved, she didn’t cave, handled it well.
Too fucking well because we couldn’t get a damn thing out of her.
Not that our soldiers were going to do too much standing in the middle of the casino room floor. ”
“Yeah, but our soldiers are intimidating as hell.”
I nod. “Our men said she wiped her phone, so no matter what happened to her, she wasn’t going to let the information about her client that could have been on there get out. I respect the hell out of that too. It tells me exactly what kind of person Addie Dunlap is. Someone we can trust.”
He nods. “I don’t disagree. Dunlaps have been working for the families for a long time. They’re pretty tight with the Rosellis too. Speaking of the Rosellis, if they find out what you did, you’re going to be on their shit list and they’ve been burning shit to the ground, Vincenzo.”
Nicolo’s not wrong, but Anna’s safety comes first, before Massimo Roselli’s temper or any material possessions that I own. I’ll deal with that bullshit later. First things first. “I want a meet up with Roselli. Set it up.”
His eyebrow arches. “What reason am I giving for this spur of the moment meetup? Nothing about Anna or your sudden obsession to kidnap the fucking rival’s sister-in-law and join in this revenge of sins game, I assume.”
Fucking smart-ass. “Tell him we have more information about the Gallinis. Ask him to meet us at the strip club but surround the block with soldiers before the meet. Ask him to send you some men to help keep the meet clear of any Gallinis or Sarones who want to crash the party. And let Gianni in on it so he doesn’t get his panties in a bunch and can clear the club.
Shut it down for at least a few hours. We don’t need the fuckers getting their eyes on any of our girls. ”
That should be it, the way we’ve always done business. Get things done, short and sweet but the way he’s looking at me tells me he’s still got something on his mind. “What Nicolo? Spill it.”
“Are you going to tell Massimo you have Anna at this meet?”
Not once has Nicolo ever questioned me or the decisions I make for the family, always right there to step in and shoulder the responsibility of those calls for the good of the family, all of the family. Now not only has he done it once, but twice.
My chest tightens with an unfamiliar emotion.
Pure raging anger at the thought of what could have happened to Anna.
Already drugged and in the back of the enemy’s car.
“You think I should have let the Gallini fuck take her back to his lair, rape her, gut her like a fish and send her body parts back to Massimo as a final fuck you? Think he’d be happy then? ”
Not much fazes Nicolo and neither does my ire. “Tell me something, Vincenzo. Does she mean something to you? Really mean something to you, besides a fuck?”
I shove the papers on the desk in front of me onto his lap.
“The fuck kinda question is that? You think I’d risk getting into a war with multiple families for a fuck I can get in the clubs any night of the week?
I can’t fucking believe you of all people would ask me that.
” I stand, pacing to the window wound tighter than I’ve been in a while.
“So she does means something to you.”
I stare out the window, still uncertain how to answer a question that my younger brother shouldn’t be pushing me to answer, yet, still, involving the family makes it his business too.
As boss making someone yours, official titles or not, once people know a woman’s your weakness she has a target on her fucking back.
But in this case, she already does. A billion-dollar target and lots of people will be eager to cash in on capturing her and taking her to Gallini.
The sadistic fuck isn’t getting his hands on Anna, that’s for fucking sure. Because I’ve already decided to put her under the family protection, already kidnapped her for that very fucking reason. I turn toward Nicolo. “Hell fucking yeah, she means something to me. She’s mine.”
His face splits into a grin as he stands and meets me halfway across his office.
He claps a hand on my shoulder. “I never thought I’d see the day, but if she means something to you, I’m in, all the way fucking in.
Count on it. Those Gallini fucks won’t get near her, Vincenzo.
We’ll put the weight of our entire army between her and them. ”
I clap him on the back, unfamiliar emotion bubbling deep in my chest, sitting heavy, knowing that it’s going to throw us into a war, cause Mamma and Lanah to deal with more security too. “You have the security increased at Ma’s?”
“First thing we did.”
“Move them both to one of the penthouses for now.”
His eyes go wide. “Lanah’s going to hit the roof. She’s got school, everything.”
“Don’t care. I’ll deal with her.”
He nods. “You’re not wrong. Better we deal with her attitude for a while and know they’re safe.
I’ll get them moved in the next hour. We’ll see the Gallini fucks coming from miles away from here.
We have the perimeter at the city edge, and two more layers between that and us.
We meet with Massimo like you said and get more of his men to help layer in too. We’re solid.”
“Yeah, now I just have to tell Massimo that the Sarones and Gallinis are joining forces to take him and his family out, and that I have no clue yet who took Anna, because I’m certainly not telling him that I have her yet.
She’s not going back under his protection after what happened to her last time. ”
Nicolo’s brow crinkles. “Why not tell Anna and Massimo the truth? She’s safer here for now. Have him agree to us keeping her. It seems simpler.”
He’s not wrong but it’s not as simple as that, especially when Anna doesn’t trust anyone but Massimo and her sister.
“The minute Anna knows the truth, she’s going to demand to talk to Massimo, the minute Massimo knows, his rats find out and there are far too many rats swimming in the waters who are far too eager to get a cut of a billion-dollar pie. ”
He shakes his head. “You’re seriously going to just keep her captive then.”
My eyes meet his. I have a feeling even when I walk out this door it’s not going to be the last of this conversation. “For as long as it fucking takes to keep her alive, Nicolo. For as long as it fucking takes.”