Omerta (The DeLuca Family #1) (17 page)

Chapter 40

Mia

After our shower, Carlo wrapped me in a towel and carried me upstairs to his room. I had never been inside his room before. Carlo had always come to me. Now that I was here, it seemed odd that we never spent any time in his space. His room was set up much like mine but instead of a bed with a gauzy canopy and light accents this room was dark. The giant four-post bed was made of cherry wood and even the bedding was a dark navy. We lay naked under the covers, my body curled into his, our legs intertwined and my head on his chest.

“Tell me,” he demanded, but his tone was soft.

“It’s easier if I just show you,” I said, uncurling myself from around him and reaching for my purse on the nightstand. I pulled out the phone I had used tonight, well last night technically since it was morning now. Pulling up the camera roll, I clicked on the video and turned the screen to Carlo. I could hear my voice coming through the speaker as I taunted Boris, his screams filled the room and I was momentarily brought back to the memory of sitting astride him and watching the life leave his eyes. Carlo snapped me out of my daydreaming.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” his tone immediately put me on the defensive.

“I was thinking that this fucker was the one responsible for murdering MY BEST FUCKING FRIEND!” I screamed the last part at him, climbing off the bed and turning to face him. I felt better on my feet despite the fact that I was bare-assed naked.

“No shit Mia! He’s fucking dangerous!”

“Was,” I said steadily. My heartrate started to pick up and I could feel the fury spreading from my chest and flushing my face. “He
was
dangerous, now he’s dead.”

“Jesus Christ, Mia. You have no idea, none. God, you could have been killed!”

“I was careful. I planned it out and executed, just like you would have done.”

“Bullshit, you went off half-cocked without backup into one of the most dangerous situations you could have possibly put yourself in. I wouldn’t have done that.”

“No you’re right. You wouldn’t have done anything, just like you haven’t fucking done anything in the last two months since Gina died!” I was out of my mind pissed, I didn’t even mean what I was saying. I knew Carlo had been looking for a way to get back at the Kashnikov’s but he also had a fucking empire to run. Carlo looked at me as if he’d been punched in the gut, hurt and guilt rolling off of him like waves. I hated that I had put that expression on his face, but I was still too angry to stop the word vomit spewing from my lips.

“Don’t be pissed at me for doing what you couldn’t,” I seethed. That seemed to snap him out of it.

“What I couldn’t? You have got to be fucking kidding me! I’ve been doing this a hell of a lot longer than you have. I knew where they were before your little tech friend ran the first fucking search!”

I was stunned, he
what?
He knew and he did nothing? He didn’t even tell me.

“Yes. I knew. And yes, I kept it from you for this exact reason, Mia, because I know you. I knew that if you had the information you would go off and pull some stupid vigilante bullshit like you JUST FUCKING DID!”

“I am not stupid,” I spoke the words slowly as to not be misunderstood, my voice quiet but laced with unbridled anger. My father had called me stupid, it was practically a pet name growing up. No one had called me that in a very long time. I knew it was an insignificant word to get riled up about but it was like he knew every one of my buttons and he was pushing them all at the same time.

“Shit!” Carlo started to pace the length of the bed on his side, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, something he only did when he was exasperated. “I didn’t say
you
were stupid Mia, I said what you
did
was stupid, because it was.”

Well, that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside,
not.
When I didn’t do anything but glare at him he continued.

“Look, I am not going to argue with you about this. Going after Boris by yourself was reckless and foolish. You should have come to me.”

I scoffed, “So you could what? Keep me in the dark some more? I. Wanted. My. Revenge!” I jabbed my finger into my chest, punctuating my point.

“That’s the problem! You weren’t thinking, you were feeling. All you could see was your need for revenge instead of the big picture!”

“What big picture?”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about not starting a full blown FUCKING WAR!” he roared.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, completely confused.

Carlo’s nostrils flared as he took several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. If I didn’t know the man as well as I did I would be pissing myself. He looked massive standing there completely naked towering over half the bed as he leaned forward staring at me unblinking.

“What I’m talking about is a war between us and the fucking Russians. You just killed Vitaly Kashnikov’s son, the brother of the most twisted and uncaring sociopath I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. What do you think they’re going to do when they find his body? When they find the word Omertá carved into his fucking chest? Ivan is no longer contained by his father, he’s been let loose and he has the money and resources to go fucking nuclear. They will know exactly who is responsible and they will come after us.”

“They already came after us, we can be ready for them this time.” Even as I spoke the words I knew how pathetically naïve they sounded.

“You can’t prepare for a madman! This is why I was waiting, biding my time. Gina wasn’t an attack, it was a warning. It was Ivan telling me that he could reach me, that he had my number and he knew exactly how to hurt me. Mia, Gina wasn’t an accident of mistaken identity, they knew who they had, and they wanted us to feel how close they could get.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, the sting of fresh tears pricking my eyes.

Carlo let out a long sigh, “They sent me a video the day after we found her.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I was hurt that he had kept yet another thing from me. I had thought we were a team. I had thought we were partners, now I could see how wrong I was. He didn’t want me by his side, he wanted to keep me tucked away as his dirty little secret so he could keep up his front as the heartless crime boss.

“What good would it have done for you to know?” he asked, his tone much more gentle than before. He was being careful with me. He had never done that before, that was one of the things l loved most about him. He didn’t act like I was this fragile doll. Sure he tried to protect me but he never made me feel like I was helpless.

“I deserved the truth, Carlo.”

“Look—”

“Cut the shit. I don’t need your empty fucking apologies. We’re done dancing around this. You have a decision to make, either I’m in or I’m fucking out. No more of this limbo shit. Either you tell me what your plan was before and we come up with a new plan
together
or I’m gone.”

Carlo blinked at me, not saying a word. His fists clenched and released over and over again. I could see that his jaw was tight and that vein in his forehead was on full display. I suddenly realized that Carlo had probably not been challenged like this since he took control after his father’s death. I had just given him an ultimatum, me or his lonely throne of one.

“Fine,” he hissed.

Inside I was celebrating, but on the outside I remained unmoving, staring him down just as hard as he stared me down. I wasn’t going to give in. I had to show him I was serious about this. “Good,” I said climbing back into bed. It took Carlo a minute to regain his composure and join me. When he did his body was stiff and I could feel his anger and resistance emanating from him.

“So,” I started, knowing full well he wasn’t going to open up without some prodding. “What was your plan before I went and fucked it all up?” A little self-deprecating humor always helped to lighten the mood, right? Carlo cut his eyes to me without moving, propped against the headboard with his head tilted back and his legs straight out in front of him. I nudged him in the side with my elbow, nothing.

His eyes stared back at the ceiling, his breaths slow and deep. He was fucking
brooding.
I realized as I stared at him awestruck, his precious male ego had been wounded by my challenge.

Men are such fucking babies.

I moved quickly and without warning, straddling his lap and linking my hands behind his neck. His arms automatically went to my waist as if he had no choice but to hold me when I was this close. I hid my smile in his neck and whispered in his ear. “Come on, baby. Tell me what you had planned.”

“What good will it do now?” he grumbled.

You have got to be kidding me with this shit.

“Now who’s not seeing the big picture?” I teased and he sighed.

“Fine.”

“You said that already.”

“Are you going to shut up for five fucking seconds so I can tell you what you want to know or are you going to keep interrupting me?” he huffed.

I narrowed my eyes at him, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

Chapter 41

Carlo

She was on top of me, both literally and figuratively. Mia had taken control and hadn’t given it back yet, if she ever planned to. Her threat to leave had completely pulled the rug out from under me. She had to know by now that I wouldn’t let her go for anything, let alone push her away to spare my pride. I had known it was coming. I knew she wouldn’t stand by and let me run the show while I kept her protected in the dark but I didn’t think it would come to a head this soon.

“You first. Tell me what happened tonight. Everything.” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

She rolled her eyes, “Well…”

My body went rock hard with tension as she told me how she had stalked Boris and got him to pick her up in the club.

Her shoulders sagged with a sigh and she rolled her eyes again, “Relax, I didn’t let him touch anything important and I didn’t let him kiss me. Just enough flirting to get him to take me back to his hotel,” she said the words like they meant nothing, like just hearing that he had laid a fucking finger on her didn’t make me want to raise him from the dead so I could kill him all over again.

I squeezed my eyes shut trying to block out the images my imagination was creating of her flirting with the bastard, touching him, making him
want
her.
Fuck!
I shook my head to clear it and pinned her with my gaze, “Keep going.”

“I made him a drink when we got back to his hotel and slipped him something—“

“What did you give him?” I asked.

“GHB,” she said simply.

“How in the hell did you get the date rape drug? You know what, I don’t even want to fucking know.”

She continued for nearly an hour, detailing everything she had done to him with what could only be explained as glee in her eyes. She told me how she cleaned the room and the arrangement she had with her friend Mouse to erase the footage from the security cameras at the hotel. Although I would never admit it, I was impressed by her thoroughness and turned on by her ruthlessness. It was completely fucked up but I couldn’t help it. The thought of her torturing a man made me want to take her hard and fast.

“Your turn,” she said breaking me out of my lust filled fantasy.

“Well,” I cleared my throat, “As I said before, I was biding my time. Waiting for them to get into a position where I could take out all three simultaneously in order to minimize the blowback.” I said glaring at her, to which she rolled her eyes and motioned for me to continue. “They were being smart about it, all three of them never being in the same place at the same time. I couldn’t have eyes on them all the time, it would have been too obvious. They knew I was watching but I couldn’t let on to how much I knew. They have a meeting with the head of one of the larger street gangs on the west coast next week to discuss a long-term gun deal. Vitaly wouldn’t be there but both Ivan and Boris would, I was going to try to plan two separate attacks at the same time, one to get Vitaly in whatever hole he was hiding himself in, and the other to take out Ivan and Boris together.”

“How did you know about the meet?”

I smirked, “I know people.” She just glared at me. “Enzo’s cousin Eddie is high up in the gang. He’s been keeping us up to date.”

She looked confused, “Why would he do that?”

“Because he wanted to take over. Apparently the current leader of the gang is quite the bastard. In return for his cooperation we were going to take him out as well, making it look like a casualty from our attack on the Russians. Eddie would then take control and ensure no retaliation from the gang.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“It is. Everybody wants something and you just have to find out what it is, figure out a way to use it to your advantage.”

“And what do you want, Carlo?”

“Right now?”

She nodded, her eyes hooded and a sexy smile dancing across her face.

“Right now, all I want is you.”

I leaned forward bringing my hands to rest on either side of her face, guiding her towards me and slowly brushing my lips back and forth over hers. “I have a feeling all I’ll ever want is you.” I whispered before I took her mouth. It was slow and sensual, a complete contrast to every other time we were together.

Instead of fireworks and explosions this was a slow burn, my heart rate steadily increasing as our kiss deepened. My tongue sliding over hers, for once not fighting for dominance. She melted into me, her hands glided across my shoulders and up to the back of my head. I traced every inch of her back with my hands, memorizing the feel of her, savoring her submission. She was giving me back control. I didn’t know how long it would last so I was going to take my time enjoying it. I rolled us until she was spread out beneath me. Settling between her thighs I lifted both of her hands above her head, pinning them there while I devoured her mouth.

Breaking away I gave her a stern look, “Don’t fucking move your hands, understood?” She nodded, although from the dazed look in her eyes I doubt my words registered. Kissing a path down her throat I slowly made my way down her body, stopping to lick and suck at each of her breasts. When I grazed my teeth over one of her nipples, her back bowed off the bed and her hands went to the back of my head, holding me there. I released her tip with a pop and circled her wrists with my hands, firmly placing them over her head again.

“Don’t make me tie you down,” I said in warning. At that, her eyes flared and I chuckled. “Not this time, baby.” She smiled at the term of endearment and relaxed back into the mattress.

Continuing my path down her body I circled my tongue around her bellybutton causing her stomach muscles to tighten and her body to squirm. I smiled against her skin and lifted both of her legs over my shoulder as I sank further down the bed. I gently licked where her thigh met her body making her shiver. I could tell she was getting impatient by the way her hips were rolling, willing me to where she wanted me. I repeated the move on her other thigh and she let out a pained whimper. Settling myself I gripped her hips and brought her to my mouth, starting out slow, teasing her by alternating between soft flicks with the tip of my tongue over her clit and long laps over her lips.

After a minute of my ministrations I had to forcibly hold her hips down while I licked and sucked my fill. Her breaths were coming out in shallow pants punctuated by long moans that I could feel all through her body. Letting go of one of her hips, I circled her entrance with two fingers, not giving her any more. This elicited a frustrated growl from her as she doubled her efforts pushing her hips forward roughly in an attempt to take my fingers deeper. I played with her for a few more minutes, changing up my movements whenever she started to get close to the edge. Without warning I plunged both fingers into her body and latched my mouth around her clit, she let out a startled scream that faded into a loud guttural moan.

Curving my fingers inside her body to hit just the right spot, I increased the suction I had on her clit and flicked my tongue back and forth. It only took a few seconds for her entire body to start shaking so hard I nearly lost my grip on her hip. One more thrust of my fingers and swirl of my tongue sent her over the edge. Her muscles contracted sucking my fingers further into her body as I watched her come apart for me, her face looking pained and her mouth open in a soundless cry. It was magnificent, she was perfection. I continued to lap at her pussy while she came back down to earth. Climbing back up her body, I placed the two fingers I had in her body to her lips.

“Suck,” I demanded and she immediately obeyed, sucking and licking them clean as I nuzzled her neck. “You taste yourself on my fingers? See how good you taste when I make you come?” She moaned as I replaced my fingers with my tongue, kissing her mouth the same way I had her pussy.

Shifting back into the cradle of her hips I groaned as I pushed slowly into her, her body still spasming with the aftershocks of her orgasm. I took her slow and hard never breaking the connection of our mouths and running my hands over every inch of her body I could reach. Her breath caught as I increased my speed and the power behind my thrusts until we succumbed to our pleasure together, our mouths swallowing each other’s moans.