7
Anger ripped through me as my mind quickly registered who was standing before me. Without hesitating, I stepped over the lifeless body between us, keeping the gun in my hand trained straight between the arsehole’s eyes.“You,” I growled, “who the fuck are you?”He didn’t speak, didn’t move, didn’t flinch at my tone, nothing. He stood anchored on the spot, a cruel smirk curling his lip as I drew closer.“Well!” I shouted, coming to a stop a couple of steps in front of him, my hand with the gun parallel to his. Mine streaked with fresh blood, while his was covered in dark ink. Both of us refusing to drop our weapons.He cocked his head to one side and ran his tongue over his bottom lip, the motion distracting and irritating me in equal measure. Up close he was intimidatingly pretty, if you were into the dark, brooding type with perfectly styled short black hair and a strong jaw. He looked like the type of guy who destroyed every girl he touched. I stood firmly by my previous assessment that he was a complete arsehole.A low chuckle rumbled from his chest to his throat, and his villainous smile widened. “You’re so easy to piss off, Mallory.” His voice was deeper than I had expected and held a subtle Italian accent. I hated that there was a tiny part of me that enjoyed the sound.Hang on. Mallory? I was right. When I had been up on that roof the other night he had known exactly who I was. But why was he here now, on the same job as me, again? The most logical answer would be that he was working for Shay. The Wolves were the only gang around here who were in the same league as us. Our only real rivals. But the kid had stolen from The Brotherhood, not them, and Shay had taken no interest in him when he had come crawling to him, so why send some unknown fresh piece of shit here? Why did he want the kid dead?“It’s Miss Fields to you, arsehole,” I said sweetly, flicking my hair over my shoulder while internally pulling my shit together. I could go into my thoughts about our encounter later. I could talk through it all with Lorenzo, he might be able to make some sense out of it all. Right now, I needed to remember that the man in front of me also had a gun pulled on me. Thinking too much about the reason for his presence wouldn’t be smart.Just as I was about to demand his name, my phone buzzed. Typical. I pulled it from my pocket with my free hand and jabbed the answer button without breaking eye contact with the arsehole.Lorenzo’s voice met my ear, the disappointment in his tone causing me to swallow hard and let my shooting arm drop a fraction.Fuck, I hoped the arsehole didn’t notice. I hoped he wasn’t as observant as me.Nope, I wasn’t going to get lucky there. The smug change of the arsehole’s expression made it crystal clear that he had noticed.
A fire had been slowly burning away inside of me, and as my boss hung up the phone, it rose back up to the surface. It filled me with anger. Anger towards this guy for fucking existing, Towards Lorenzo for speaking to me the way he had. And towards myself, for allowing these two men even inflict the emotion in the first place. I wasn’t sure who I was angrier with.
Probably myself.“You better run home, Miss Fields, Daddy’s calling.”I take it back. This guy wins. This guy is the fucking worst.He lowered his gun, the first of us to let themself be defenceless, again. Except nothing about him in that moment made him seem as though he was really vulnerable at all. Before me was a man who was no doubt always so sure of himself. Even with the obvious rage spilling out of me, he was certain that he wouldn’t die tonight. I hated him even more for it.Fuck him.Lorenzo had better let me loose on him someday. And it better be someday soon. The arsehole was already playing with my ego, I wouldn’t be letting him destroy my reputation too.I lowered my weapon, and turned my back on him, despite the burning desire to prove that I was far more capable and skilled than he could imagine.I decided to walk away with a confident sway to my hips instead. If Lorenzo wouldn’t allow me to do anything about this arsehole yet, then I could at least walk away with my dignity intact.“Until next time, princess,” he called after me.My footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Without thinking, I twisted around to face him again, lifted the kid’s gun, and fired a perfectly aimed shot just a couple of inches to the left of his beautiful, arrogant face.
Lorenzo never said that I couldn’t send a warning, and no one calls me princess. Never again.He raised his brows at me, not even the tiniest flicker of fear crossing his face. “Tease,” he mouthed, then backed himself deep into the shadows.
I arrived back at The Crown as instructed by Lorenzo. Storming through the bar and seating myself back in the same booth that we had met in earlier that evening. I was the first to arrive. No surprise there. I grabbed a napkin from the table, wiping away some of the blood staining my skin as the barman came over and placed another soda in front of me. He completely ignored how I looked. The staff and patrons here always did. If you were bothered by a little blood then The Crown wasn’t the place for you.“I’m going to be needing something stronger, add some vodka to that.” I slid the glass towards him before he could head back to the bar. “Please,” I added as an after-thought.It wasn’t the barman’s fault that I was in a horrible mood, so why should I be rude to him? He did as I requested, and when he arrived back at the table a few minutes later, he was holding a tray that was weighed down with two more drinks.
My boss and his second strode up beside him a moment later.Lorenzo spead his body wide on the seat opposite me, while Grey chose to sit to my left, caging me into the booth. Lorenzo didn’t look directly at me. Instead, he lifted his glass from the table and slowly began to drink, not putting it back down until it was empty. When he was done, he stared past me, his gaze locked on the wall behind my head.Fucking hell.I glanced at Grey, hoping for some kind of clue as to whether I should speak or wait to be spoken to. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t give anything away. He just smiled with obvious satisfaction at my situation, throwing fuel onto the blazing fire inside me. Silly me for thinking he might have decided to be helpful. I couldn’t be higher on Grey’s shit list if I tried.I sipped at my drink, giving myself something to do other than run my fingers through my hair in frustration. The vodka worked wonders to banish any nerves I had, each sip slowly drowning them, and in no time at all I found myself halfway through the drink. Anger was rearing its beautiful head, ready to take lead of my emotions.It looked like my boss was about to find out how big my balls really were.“Twice in less than a week. That arsehole has shown up on my jobs twice. In. Less. Than. A. Fucking. Week,” I snapped, my voice raised, close to shouting, but not quite there.Hi, I’m Mallory Fields, and I have a death wish.I leaned into the table, getting as close to Lorenzo as I could with the solid wood between us. “Why the fuck am I keeping him alive?”I made no attempt to control my rage. Lorenzo’s eyes snapped to mine, and the hardness of his expression should have scared me, but for the first time ever I was too far into my own emotions to even try to feel fear in his presence.“What the hell is going on? Don’t keep me in the dark. This is going to fuck with my reputation too. Not just The Brotherhoods.”His jaw tightened as he stared me down, and then he let out a long, slow breath. “Watch your tone,” he whispered.“Answer me, for once.”
A tiny trickle of regret snuck its way in as I realised what I had said.Shit. Here lies Mallory. She pushed too far. Silence hung over the three of us for a long moment. Grey was even holding his breath. The satisfied look had left his face and had been replaced with an uncomfortable grimace as the tension built.
And then it cracked.“Everybody out,” Lorenzo bellowed, rising to his feet and glaring around the bar. “Now.” He raised his voice louder, and every person in the bar abandoned their drinks and hurried to the door.The staff exchanged questioning glances with each other. “Yes. You too,” he continued, and they all made their way to the door, heading out behind the last of the patrons.Grey looked up from his position next to me, meeting our boss’s stern glare and opening his mouth to speak.“Don’t say a single word, Grey,” Lorenzo snarled at him, “Leave.”Grey opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, shock slapping him hard in the face at the dismissal he had just received. He wasn’t going to get to stay for the show. He wasn’t going to witness whatever fate Lorenzo had for me tonight.Lorenzo raised a brow at his second. A fire was burning within his eyes, flames licking at the dark orbs. Grey pulled himself together and quickly moved from the booth and towards the door. He paused as he opened it, looking back at us with worried lines etched all over his face. I couldn’t understand why he might be worried. It wasn’t like he gave a shit about what happened to me.The door closed behind Grey, and Lorenzo walked across the empty room to lock it. I threw back the remains of my drink, and walked towards the bar, ignoring the furious man approaching me. The tension filling the air around us grew thicker as I pushed up onto the sticky surface of the bar and swung myself over to the other side, grabbing the nearest bottle from the wall and pouring myself a large measure.
I raised my gaze to meet my boss’s face, and slowly lifted the glass to my lips as I watched him slide his jacket off and neatly fold it over the back of a barstool.I really should have been scared, and honestly, if he had looked at me that way a few days ago I might have been. But our moods were perfectly matched right now, adrenaline was coursing through my body, and I was certain that I could handle whatever he threw at me.
The slight glint in his eye made me wonder if what he might hit me with would even be enjoyable. I had been getting away with pushing far more of his buttons recently.This might be a little too far though.I sipped the liquid in my glass and tried not to scrunch my face up in disgust. Tequila, what kind of dumbass doesn’t check the bottle first?Lorenzo pushed his tongue into his cheek in mild amusement, as though he could read my thoughts and knew that I had poured myself something that I didn’t like. He reached over and grabbed the glass from my hand, swallowing the remains of my drink in one mouthful. As he placed the glass onto the bar top, he let out an exaggerated hum of enjoyment that sent a warm tingle straight between my thighs as I recalled how he would make that exact noise as he feasted on me.I leaned back against the wall of bottles in an attempt to keep some space between us until I was able to compose myself at least just a little. Cling to my anger. If he wanted to shout at me, punish me, push me down to the bottom rank of The Brotherhood for my outburst, I needed to take it without a puddle forming in my knickers.“You’re making a habit of pushing me, amore mio,” he finally said. His voice was low and even, but the fire was still blazing in his eyes.“I wouldn’t need to if you told me what was going on, boss,” I growled back. A little too brave, but successfully pushing away my filthy thoughts. “Quite frankly I find it insulting how little you trust me,” I continued, folding my arms over my chest as I dug my grave a little deeper.“Insulting?” He raised his voice slightly. “What’s insulting is how little respect you seem to have for me.”“I do respect you,” I protested, “but I need to protect myself. He is a threat. We always eliminate threats. So what’s different this time? Give me a reason to not go back out there and hunt him down.” I stared deep into his eyes, willing answers to come from his lips.“I will always protect you,” he whispered. “Just leave it be.”I should have known he would dodge my question. Lorenzo D’Angelo never gave an answer that he didn’t want to give.“I don’t need you to protect me, I need you to let me in.” I threw my head back in exasperation, then stepped closer to the bar. I pulled myself back on top of the bar, my legs dropping over to his side, falling next to where he was standing. I still wasn’t sure if he was going to hurt me, an inferno continued to blaze in his eyes, but he had made no threats, no moves to indicate that he intended to cause me pain.He blew out a slow breath, rested his warm hand on my leg, and began to gently stroke his thumb back and forth. “No,” he said simply.“Please,” I breathed, calming my temper to match the change in his. Wondering if a gentle approach would work instead. Anything was worth a shot.“No,” he said again, more firmly this time, and stepped back a fraction, tightening his grip on me, sliding my body in front of his. He pushed my legs apart and positioned himself between them. Resting both hands on my thighs and looking at me with a warning stamped clearly on his face.I pushed my fingers through his dark hair and then tangled them around his neck. Leaning in so that our lips were close enough to taste each other’s breath, I whispered, “Please, boss.”A look of annoyance briefly crossed his face, and I came to a sudden realisation. Behind these closed doors, he hated that, the same way I hated him calling me Mal. I had seen that look flash on his face so many times, but I had never considered that his feelings may have been the same as mine.
I hoped that I was reading him correctly as I tried again.“Lorenzo, Please.” I kept our eyes locked together, praying that I had made the right move and that he wasn’t going to entirely lose his shit and shoot me in the head on top of this bar.A heartbeat later his lips crashed into mine, and he slid his hands to my waist, drawing my ass to the very edge of the marble surface. He groaned against my lips and ground his arousal into me. The sound, combined with the firm lines of his body, sent a hot rush of desperate desire through me, watering down my rage enough to entirely lose myself in the moment.He pulled away, leaving me panting, and brought his hand up to my face. Stroking my cheek with his knuckle, he smiled. Fuck, he really was beautiful. “Il mio tesoro, say it again,” he murmured.I almost did, I found myself so entranced by this man that I almost forgot why I was alone with him in his empty bar.“Play fair, give me something first,” I purred, using the shift in the atmosphere to my advantage.“I don’t play fair, you know that,” he said, then slowly swept his gaze over me. “You look so deadly, all painted in blood. I think this might be my favourite look on you.” He changed the subject and slipped his fingers from my face and into my hair, twisting red curls around them and staring at me like I was the most enchanting woman to grace this earth.“Clearly, but flattery won’t make me drop this though.” I removed my arms from around his neck and positioned them flat behind me to hold myself up as I reclined away from him.“No?” he raised a brow at me and unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt. I let out an appreciative groan as he rolled them up in perfect folds before he grasped my thighs again. “What will?” His voice was pure temptation and his hands slid higher.I allowed a seductive smile to play on my lips as I stayed silent, tightening my thighs around his waist. I supposed if he wasn’t going to give me any answers tonight, then he could fuck away my shitty mood. It was the least he could do.“Well?” he pushed.I glanced down at the place where his erection was pressed up against me and gave him a meaningful look.A chuckle rumbled deep from within his chest, and he shifted further forward so that his mouth brushed mine, our breath entwining with each shallow exhale.“Say it,” he growled against my lips.I pulled in a sharp breath before telling him what he needed to hear. “Fine, I’ll drop it, for now, if you fuck me. Fuck me, Lorenzo. Make me scream your name.”His mouth pressed to mine, and he groaned against my lips. He ran his tongue over my lower lip, and I didn’t hesitate, parting them for him and deepening our kiss. The taste of tequila was mingled with the addictively sweet flavour of this man, and this time I enjoyed how it tasted.He pulled away and began to plant a painfully slow trail of kisses down my neck and over my collarbone. His hands gripped the hem of my t-shirt, and he tugged it up over my breasts. I didn’t move though, stubbornly keeping my hands pressed firmly against the bar.A sound of frustration filled the air, and he lifted his head to glare at me, “Ask me nicely, and I’ll cooperate,” I said. Just because I wanted him didn’t mean I’d give everything up to him so easily. If he could be stubborn, so could I.“Not a chance in hell.” He pulled the fabric of my t-shirt back into place. My brow creased, not expecting him to give up this quickly, or at all. A spark of anger rose back up through my body, my mouth opened as a torrent of insults made their way to the tip of my tongue.Before I could utter a single word, he pulled a pocketknife similar to the one I had launched at Deb the other evening from his trousers, and in one effortless motion, he sliced straight down the middle of my t-shirt.
The fabric fell open.
His eyes locked on mine.
He smirked as he twirled the blade between his fingers.
I couldn’t speak, the shock of what he had done had banished the words waiting on my tongue. His gaze flicked to my chest, then back to my face as I felt the cold press of the blade slide under the centre of my bra. My breath caught in my throat, and a rush of excitement shot through me, soaking my panties. Lorenzo flicked his wrist, freeing my breasts from the satin and lace, then speared the knife into the wooden bar top and licked his lips appreciatively as he drank in his handiwork.“Speechless,” he whispered as he cupped my breast. “That’s a first for you,” he continued, rolling my nipple between his thumb and finger, tugging gently so that my breathy moans filled the space between us. “You’ve been awfully vocal this evening. Annoyingly so. Yet now you’re at a loss for words, amore. I expected more from that smart mouth.” He tugged hard, pulling a cry of pleasure from me.“Fuck you.” My words came out on a shaky breath. “I’ll show you exactly what this mouth can do.”A breath of a laugh escaped him. “Too easy. Far too easy.”Half a second later my brain caught up, and I realised what he had done. The bastard had goaded me into that, and he was right, it had been far too easy. Damn me and my constant need to prove people wrong. I pursed my lips and glared at him.“Unfortunately, I skipped dinner to be here, and I’m starving. So your mouth will have to patiently wait its turn.”My jaw dropped and he smirked as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of my leggings and gave them a demanding tug. Still stunned, I willingly lifted my ass. It only took a couple of seconds for Lorenzo to strip me down entirely, tossing my heels across the room and leaving a pile of black fabric at his feet.He didn’t pause, not for a single second. He spread my legs wide. His tongue met my aching core, and he lapped up the evidence of his effect on me. Groaning against me as he alternated between licking, nibbling, and sucking until I was writhing and grinding desperately against his face. He devoured me like I was his last ever meal. He pressed the pad of his tongue hard against my clit and I threw my head back with a lust-filled moan, my knuckles turning white as my grip on the bar tightened. He pulled back a little, the tip of his tongue flicking in a rapid rhythm against me. Intense heat built inside me as his fingers joined the party and plunged into me, working a torturous symphony below my waist. I began to tighten around his fingers, the edge of the cliff in sight, and cried out his name as I went soaring over it.My legs shook at the intensity of my release. Lorenzo removed his fingers and sent an electrifying jolt through my body as he ran his tongue over me once more. Then he stood back up and pressed his wet lips to mine before pulling over a barstool and taking a seat.I watched hungrily as his fingers made fast work of his shirt buttons, letting it hang open to expose the smooth, olive skin of his perfectly toned torso.
I reached over to undo his belt buckle and unzip his trousers, my fingers brushing over the hard line of the erection swelling beneath his underwear. I slipped down from the bar to stand before him, discarding the torn scraps of clothing that hung from my shoulders. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I kissed him gently. He caught my chin in his hand as I pulled away.“Face down on the bar,” he commanded.I did as I was told, shivering slightly as my breasts pushed against the cold marble bar, and I rested my cheek down at the far edge.“You are the most infuriating woman I have ever met, amore mio.”I breathed a laugh and braced myself as I felt him close behind me. He freed his cock and teased the tip over my entrance. Dragging himself up and down as I impatiently squirmed against him.Lorenzo groaned with pleasure as he finally drove deep into me, filling me in one slow movement.“Fuck,” we echoed together, and a wide smile spread over my face, rapidly followed by a loud gasp as he pulled out and slammed into me. Faster this time, quickly falling into a frantic, careless pace.
Each punishing thrust made it clear that he needed this as much as I did.His hand twisted into my hair, gripping, and pulling hard, making my back arch as he pushed even deeper. He reached around and pinched my nipple, making me tighten around his solid shaft.“You’re killing me,” he murmured.His anger filled me as he fucked me hard and fast. I had pushed him tonight, pushed him to this. And I was damn glad that I had. I needed an outlet, and so did he. He dragged my own rage from me as he stole another blissfully drawn-out orgasm from my body.“Amore, end this for me,” he demanded in a hoarse voice. I felt a tsunami of pleasure build inside me, the desperation in his tone pulling one final, earth-shattering orgasm from me.“Lorenzo, fuck!” I screamed, giving him everything that I knew he desired, screaming out the name that he was so desperate to hear. His name.
I pulsated around him as he violently shuddered through his release and pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my body. Holding me tight, as though the idea of letting me go was too much for him to handle.I didn’t resist his unusual show of affection and instead sank back into his body as he pulled us onto the nearest barstool. He planted gentle kisses along my shoulder while I slowly came back down to earth. We stayed cuddled in a euphoric bubble for a short while until I let out a deeply satisfied sigh and removed myself from his lap, our combined release trickling down my thigh.“Where are you going?” he questioned as I hunted around the room for my heels.“Home, boss,” I replied, leaning against a pool table on the far side of the bar and scowling at him. “Where the fuck are my shoes?”He stalked over to me with a dangerous glint in his eyes. When he reached me, caging me against the table, his fingers brushed a slow line from my navel to my throat. He eyed the pool table and chuckled darkly, wrapping his hand around my throat and squeezing just enough to drag a soft moan from my lips.“Fuck your shoes, I’m not done with you yet.”