Danger (Mafia Ties #2) (3 page)

“How” —Nic gulped—“is she?”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Nic,” Dr. McGowan breathed. “She’s in critical condition right now.”

Nic dropped back into the chair, Allegra and I following him down.

“The surgery was tougher on her than I expected, but it was successful,” Dr. McGowan continued.

“She’s a strong little girl,” the other doctor chimed in. “There’s a reason Dr. McGowan is our Head of Pediatrics. He’s the best in his field. We were lucky to lure him away from his previous position, a fact you seemed to be well aware of when you insisted he take your daughter’s case.”

The emphasis he placed on the word ‘insisted’ made me wonder what form of persuasion Nic used to ensure Sophia received the best care possible. I might not have come to terms with his role in the criminal world, but I couldn’t help silently cheering at the knowledge that he’d been able to leverage it to help her.

“My team will keep a close eye on her tonight in the ICU, and I’m hoping to be able to upgrade her status within the next twenty-four hours,” Dr. McGowan added, a slight blush darkening his cheeks.

Those hours passed in a blur, the minutes ticking by painfully slow. Sophia’s condition was finally upgraded to stable. She was moved to a private room on the pediatric floor, one which more accurately resembled a suite in a five-star hotel than a hospital room. Allegra came and went several times over the next few days, bringing many of Sophia’s things to decorate the room. Stuffed animals and toys were strewn about, and flowers and mylar balloons covered most of the available surfaces. Neither Nic nor I had left her side, though. A fact Allegra was quick to point out.

“Go home,” she ordered us bluntly. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my granddaughter, especially since I’ll have the help of the private duty nurse and aide you’ve hired for her.”

I stifled a giggle because it was a little over the top considering she hadn’t even been left alone for a second by Nic or me yet.

“I’m fine right where I am, Mamma,” Nic argued.

“No, you’re not,” she snapped, her gaze sweeping across the both of us. “And neither is Anna.”

Oooh, she was playing dirty now, bringing me into this. Nic’s head jerked my way, his eyes scanning my face for any sign his mom was correct.

“Look how tired the poor girl is,” she continued. “She hasn’t gotten a good night’s rest since we got here.”

I shook my head in denial, but she just carried on.

“Or a real shower.”

I barely resisted the urge to sniff myself to see if I stank.

“Or decent food.”

And that was the straw which broke the proverbial camel’s back. Nic had me bundled up and out the door while Sophia slept peacefully with Allegra in a chair at her side. When he had me settled in the back seat of the car and slid in next to me, it dawned on me—this was the first time we’d been alone since Sophia had woken up with a bloody nose and distracted us from the argument we’d been having. It was difficult to reconcile the Nic I knew with the one he seemed to show everyone else. I was falling in love with my Nic, but I wasn’t so sure about the other one.

G
ianna was sitting stiffly beside me in the car, which wasn’t acceptable to me. I needed her comfort as much as I needed to keep her from running away from me. I slid an arm around her waist and hauled her up next to me. Her spine stayed ramrod straight for about thirty seconds before she gave in and melted into my side.

I sighed and snuggled her in a little tighter. The feel of her body against mine was soothing some of my fear for my little girl. She was slowly improving, but I couldn’t help the terror at the idea of losing either of my girls.

The car pulled up to the house and parked, then the driver exited the vehicle and opened the door for us to get out. I released Gianna only to allow her to climb out. As I followed, I noticed the driver’s eyes were lingering on her ass, and I gave him a black look. Grabbing her hand, I brought her in close and tucked her into my side. He had the good sense to look apologetic and a little frightened, so I decided to fire him, rather than kill him.

The cleaning service was in the house when we arrived, and I dismissed them. It didn’t matter if they were finished or not. I needed to be alone with Gianna to assess where her head was after everything she’d learned.

“Are you hungry?” I wanted to take care of her before we delved into the serious discussion ahead of us. She shook her head as she hung up her light jacket in the coat closet.

“You need to eat, mia dolce. Let me feed you,” I said coaxingly, putting my hand at the small of her back and trying to lead her to the kitchen.

She shook her head again and stepped away, making me frown intensely. She barely noticed, when my look would have put the fear of God into anyone else but my mother.

“I will. But, right now, I need a hot shower and some clean clothes,” she said with a yawn as she started for the stairs. I put a hand on the back of her neck to halt her progress and moved in close, so I could rest my lips on her forehead. “All right, mia dolce,” I murmured, my lips brushing her skin with each word, “I have to make a call, but I’ll be up soon.”

Letting her go, I watched the swing of her curvaceous hips and sexy ass as she ascended the stairs. When she was out of sight, I remembered my purpose in staying downstairs. I swiftly walked to my office and sat behind my desk. I dialed my friend Brecken, a former military man turned security specialist. I had to recant my statement about who fears me. Brecken was one of the only other people who didn’t fall in line with my demands. He was more likely to tell me to go fuck myself and do whatever he wanted.

“Hey, it’s Nic,” I greeted.

“Nic? Damn, I haven’t heard from you since that thing, with the guy, in the place.”

It was a private joke between us, and I chuckled. The sound felt somewhat foreign, but it spread a little light in my current darkness.

“How’s the wife?” I’d heard he’d recently been married.

“Knocked up.” I could practically hear the smile on his face, and his words rung with pride. I couldn’t help feeling a little envious.

“Congratulations,” I said, genuinely happy for him despite my envy. “Listen, I need your help. Things in the family have progressed faster than I’d expected. I’m staring down the barrel of a fucking war and while I’m hoping to prevent it, I need to make sure my mother, Gianna, and Sophia are protected.”

“Gianna?”

“My fiancée,” I informed him. I loved referring to her that way, but I was eager to start calling her my wife.

“Seems the congratulations go to you, man,” he said, before pausing. “How is Sophia?”

“Back in the hospital. Another reason why I need guards ASAP. She’ll be coming home in a few days, and while I trust my men, I’d rather have expertly trained ones guarding my mother, woman, and sick little girl.”

Brecken was silent for a moment. Neither of us were the type to get emotional, and I knew he was quietly conveying his sympathy.

“I’ll have some guys there tomorrow. Do you want them at the house or hospital?”

“Both. Things are extremely volatile right now.”

“Done.”

I thanked him and hung up feeling marginally better knowing my family would be a hell of a lot safer. After making a quick call to check in on Sophia, I stood and headed for the stairs. The thought of Gianna wet and naked in the shower had my balls aching and my cock reminding me I hadn’t had her in days. I’d chosen to make my calls first so she would be relaxed and taken by surprise when I joined her. I had no intention of letting my sweet Gianna shower alone. Besides my physical need to fuck her, I knew we would find a sliver of peace in the comfort of each other’s arms.

I looked for her in the bathroom of her old room and found it empty. The bedroom was bare as well. Smiling smugly, I mentally patted myself on the back for using our time away to have all of her things moved to my room—which I’d turned into
our
room.

Entering the master suite, I heard the sound of running water and hurried to undress, desperate to hold my woman. When I twisted the door knob to the bathroom, it was locked. I rolled my eyes and searched out the key stored in the top, left drawer of the desk in the sitting area.

I unlocked it and opened the door, my breath catching at the vision before me as lust roared through my body. Through the glass, I saw Gianna standing under the spray of hot water. It cascaded over her every curve. Her hands were buried in her long hair as she washed it, and the position thrust her large tits out, as though offering them up for my mouth.

Within seconds, I was inside the steamy shower, grabbing her waist and dragging her to me, lifting her small frame up so my mouth could latch on to her nipple. Taken completely by surprise, Gianna had no time to think and she immediately moaned, grabbing on to my head and thrusting her breast up even farther.

I turned to the side and walked forward a couple of feet until her back was pressed up against the shower wall. Moving my attention to the other nipple, my hand glided over her slick skin, cupping her delicious ass for a minute before continuing down and grasping the underside of her thighs. I lifted them up and guided her legs around my hips. My cock was rock hard and the generous length had it standing up against my belly. Her new position pressed the underside of my thickness into the wet heat of her pussy, and we groaned simultaneously.

I let go of her nipple with one last lick and moved to her mouth, sucking her bottom lip into mine and giving it a little bite. Using my hips to pin her in place, I brought my hands to her tits and palmed them with a rough squeeze before using my fingers to toy with her hard little peaks, twisting and plucking. She dropped her head back against the stone and took a deep breath.

“Nic, I need to think. We can’t—”

“The fuck we can’t,” I growled before kissing her deeply and rocking my cock against her sex. She shivered violently, and I let my baser instincts take control. Returning my hands to her ass, I lifted her away just enough to plunge my cock into her, immediately taking up a punishing rhythm, pounding into her, reveling in her cries as she begged me to go harder and faster.

“You want to come, bellissima?” I asked through gritted teeth as I made every effort to hold back my own orgasm. “Is that what you need, what you crave?”

“Oh, gosh. Yes!” she panted.

I slid her up the wall a little farther, allowing me to get inside even deeper, groaning as my cock dragged along the walls of her pussy. I kept my eyes open and locked on her emerald gaze. “Beg me,” I commanded. “Tell me how much you want me.”

Behind the hazy lust, fear lurked in her gaze, most likely worried about giving in to her desire for me, her head and heart battling. I wasn’t above sexual coercion. Whatever it took to keep my sweet Gianna. I slowed my thrusts to a maddening pace but re-entered fast and hard after a few strokes before slowing again.

“How much do you want me, Gianna? Beg me to give you what you need. Your tight little pussy is all ready to suck me dry, trying so fucking hard to keep me buried deep inside you.”

She whimpered, but then she whispered, “Please, Nic. I need you to make me come.” I drove in fast and hard once again, but I kept her on the edge, deciding I needed one last thing before I let us both fall over the edge.

“Say you’ll marry me, Gianna. We both know your heart and body belong to me. I want the world to know it too.”

Her eyes widened but her mouth stayed firmly shut. I put a hand between us and lightly circled her clit, pushing her a little higher but still keeping her from coming.

“Now, Gianna, I’m losing my patience,” I growled. “Say you’ll marry me.” Thrusting harder, I pinched her little bud. “Fuck! You were made for me, mia dolce!” I ran out of control and started slamming into her and pinching her even harder. “Say it!” I shouted.

“Yes!” she yelled before she reached the peak and dove off the cliff, screaming my name. With one last thrust, seating me all the way in, my orgasm ripped through me and come exploded from my cock, filling her with my seed. It went on for so long, I was sure that if she wasn’t already pregnant, she would be after that.

As my heart rate decelerated, I kissed her softly then buried my face in her neck, nuzzling and licking away the droplets of water. “You’re all mine, bellissima. I’ll never let you go now.”

“I
need you to wake up, bellissima.” Nic’s words rasped in my ear, sending shivers up my spine. 

My eyes drifted open and I noted that the sun was barely shining through the window. I blinked a few times before focusing on him. He was standing by the side of the bed, dressed in dark jeans, a black button-down shirt, and bare feet. His dark hair was slightly damp from his shower, and it looked like he’d trimmed his beard.

“What time is it?” I asked blearily, lifting up on an elbow, my brain still foggy from sleep. By the time we’d finished in the shower and eaten a light meal, my lack of rest had caught up with me and I’d quickly fallen into an exhausted sleep. I’d been so out of it; I hadn’t even noticed when he’d left the bed.

“Not quite seven.”

I dropped back onto the mattress, groaning, and pulled the blanket over my head. “Too early.”

“I wish I could let you sleep longer, Gianna, but I can’t.”

Then it hit me.

“Sophia!” I yelped, tossing the covers off and jumping from the bed, stark naked.

“She’s fine,” he assured me, his eyes running hungrily up and down my body. “Mamma called about thirty minutes ago. Sophia slept well and her vitals are even better than they were last night.”

“Oh,” I sighed, feeling relieved as I pulled my robe off the post at the foot of the bed and wrapped it around my body. If I didn’t cover myself, I had a feeling I’d end back on the mattress with Nic’s hard body covering mine. Although the pleasure would be amazing, I wasn’t ready to fall back into bed with him when I was feeling flustered by the way he’d managed to convince me to accept his proposal last night. “Then what’s the rush?”