Salvatore: a Dark Mafia Romance (19 page)

L
ucia sat silently beside me
.

“What is it?” I asked after a few minutes.

“Effie is Dominic’s daughter. Isabella confirmed it.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“They fell in love, Salvatore. They were young and just fell in love. You were right in what you thought. That’s why Papa sent her away, disowning her. He gave her an ultimatum: abort or leave. She left.”

I remained silent, understanding a little more of Isabella. I’d pegged her to be a hateful, power-hungry bitch. She might well be, but she was also stronger than I gave her credit for.

“Dominic was supposed to tell your father, but he never did.”

I glanced at Lucia. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“He let her go all alone.” Lucia looked off into the distance. “He sent her money, though.” She rolled her eyes.

“Lucia.” I don’t know why I felt the need to defend Dominic. I wasn’t, really; I just needed to explain how things were at our house. How my father was. “My father is a very domineering man. When we were kids, Sergio was the only one brave enough to stand up to him.” She opened her mouth to speak, her expression unbelieving. “Wait. I’m not defending Dominic or what he did. I’m just telling you there is more to his story, another layer, like there is with your sister.”

I’m not sure if she accepted that or not.

“Luke and Isabella, they’re in love,” she said, changing the subject.

“I heard he’s out of surgery, and that he’s going to make it.”

“I’m so relieved.”

“There are still too many questions, Lucia. This isn’t over.”

“Who shot Luke?”

I shook my head. “Unclear. Luke was working with the younger Pagani, Paul Jr. His father forbade any interaction once he found out what his son was up to.”

“I think Dominic is more involved than you know, Salvatore.”

“What do you mean?”

“He and Isabella, I think they have been working together. She said they had an agreement.”

Fuck.

“I think she’s wondering if Dominic ordered Luke’s shooting.”

“So my little brother is working with Isabella DeMarco and Paul Pagani to bring down his own family?”

Our gazes locked, but neither of us said more.

As we pulled up to the tall gates of the house, I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialed Roman.

“What are you doing?” Lucia asked.

Roman answered.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“At your father’s. The last of the family is just leaving.”

“Are Natalie and Jacob there?”

“Just got here. She’s pissed.”

“Well, don’t unpack her.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m calling a family meeting. It’s an emergency. I want you to bring Natalie and Jacob to my house. And I want my father and Dominic here.”

“What?” Lucia asked.

“What meeting?” Roman asked. “What’s going on?”

“Tomorrow morning, I want a second meeting with you, my father, Dominic, both Paul Pagani Sr. and Jr., and Isabella DeMarco. I want you to arrange it.”

“Izzy?” Lucia asked, her eyes wide as I pulled the car to a stop at the front door.

“I’ll give you an hour to get the family over here. Call the others for tomorrow morning. Seven o’clock. That should give them enough time to get here. This is going to end.”

“Let’s meet with the family first and discuss this, Salvatore. I think it would be wise for us to—”

“This is fucking ending, Uncle. Period.”

I disconnected the call and turned to Lucia.

“Salvatore, you can’t involve my sister.”

“She’s already involved, Lucia. She involved herself.”

“No, I won’t allow it!”

“You won’t
allow
it?” I asked, getting out of the car and going around to her side. She’d already swung the door open and had her crutches on the ground, trying to climb out. I took the crutches in one hand and lifted her out with the other.

“Put me down. I can do this.”

“I don’t have time for this, Lucia.”

“I said put me down!”

“Christ. You are the most pigheaded…” I set her down, and she leaned on me until she could get the crutches under her. “Let’s go inside.”

“You want my sister in with that room full of killers?”

“It will be a peaceful meeting.” We entered the house, and I closed the front door behind us. “This is my house. I make the rules.” I dialed another number on my phone. Once it started to ring, I covered the mouthpiece and turned back to Lucia. “Go upstairs to your room. You’ll wait for me there.”

“I am not a goddamned child!”

“Then stop acting like one.”

Marco answered the call. He was still at the hospital. “Yes?”

“I need you back at the house. Arrange for two men to stay at the hospital. I’m calling a meeting for tomorrow morning. I need more men here. We’ll have the Pagani father and son along with Isabella DeMarco. The Paganis will bring their own guard. I’m calling for no weapons, but I want the manpower here.”

“I’m on it.”

“Thank you.” I could trust Marco to take care of things every time.

“You already sound like you’re the boss of the family,” Lucia taunted, still standing there, not having moved an inch.

I checked the time and tucked my phone into my pocket before turning to her. I looked her over, her dress rumpled, her eyes looking a little tired, but she was still too damn pretty.

“You need some time?” I asked, closing the space between us. “With me?” Sliding a hand to her waist, I tugged her close.

“Salvatore, this isn’t—”

“Shh.” I kissed her mouth and took one of the crutches away while the other one slipped out from under her arm as she wrapped it around my neck. “Let’s go upstairs.”

She gasped when I lifted her, cradling her in my arms. I carried her up to my bedroom. I sat her on the bed and tugged her dress over her head before pushing her to lie on her back. After stripping off my shirt, jeans, and briefs—all while Lucia watched with rapidly darkening eyes—I slid her panties over her hips and off her legs. I brought them to my nose and inhaled deeply.

“Salvatore!” She tried to tug them away, but I held them just out of reach.

“I like your smell,” I said, leaning over her to kiss her, swallowing her moan in my mouth. She tasted so sweet, so innocent. I dragged my mouth from hers and trailed kisses down over her jaw and to her throat, across her collarbone and down to one breast, then the other, drawing out the nipples, making her cry out when I bit just a little harder than she liked.

I ran my tongue down the center of her chest and tickled her belly button before sliding it lower. I settling myself between her legs to take her clit into my mouth.

Lucia sighed heavily.

“You taste fucking amazing.”

She curled her fingers into my hair and tugged. “Wait.”

“Why?” I asked, looking up at her, her scent intoxicating.

“I want to taste you.” She pushed herself up on her elbows. “Please.”

I nodded and lifted her slightly, lying on my back and setting her on my hips so she straddled me. “Does it hurt?” I asked.

“Huh?” She seemed confused.

“Your ankle?”

She shook her head.

With my hands on her hips, I guided her folds over my cock.

“I want to taste you,” she said.

“Patience.” I smiled, liking her greedy, a little dirty. I’d corrupt her, and I’d make sure she loved every minute of it. “Turn around, and put your knees on either side of my face.”

She hesitated only for a moment before turning, presenting me with her beautiful ass, then, her gorgeous, dripping cunt just over my face. She lowered herself to her elbows, and I pulled her to me, pausing to bite my lip when she flicked her little wet tongue over the tip of my cock before sealing her lips around it.

“Fuck, baby.” I brought her to my face, tickling her with the little bit of stubble I needed to shave off. I dipped my thumb into her wet cunt before sliding it up to her asshole and pressing there, not penetrating, not yet, only holding it there as I tickled her clit with my tongue while she went to work on my cock.

I’d only ever been with experienced women. Having Lucia’s innocent mouth on my cock made me heady. What she lacked in experience, she made up for with lustful enthusiasm: sucking my cock, licking it, taking me to the point she gagged, all while I teased then sucked her clit and slid another finger into her cunt while my thumb kept its pressure on her ass. She arched her back, moaning, as she worked me with her hand, like she’d watched me do, and sucked. My cock swelled even thicker. When my release was moments away, I closed my mouth around her clit and sucked hard, penetrating her ass with my finger as I did. She cried out, the sound muffled by my thick, throbbing cock, and she stilled when I came, emptying into her mouth while she throbbed around my finger, pressing herself into my face, squeezing every ounce of pleasure from my tongue.

A moment later, Lucia lay beside me spent, her hair splayed out on the pillow, some of it falling on my face. She turned to me and slid one leg between mine.

“I liked that,” she said, kissing me.

“I’m glad, because I’ll want your little mouth around me often.” I checked my watch. They’d be here in twenty minutes. All I wanted to do was hold her, stay here with her, but I had to take care of business. “Go to sleep, Lucia.” I climbed out of bed and covered her with the blanket.

She shook her head and rose up on an elbow.

“My sister, Salvatore.”

“She’ll be fine. But if she orchestrated Jacob’s kidnapping, she’ll need to answer for that.”

“You’re not going to let anyone hurt her.”

It wasn’t a question, but I answered it anyway. “No. I’ll keep her safe. My intention is to keep everyone safe and end this.”

“I want to be there with her.”

“I want you to stay out of family business.”

“My sister is my family.”

I shook my head, my tone harder when I spoke. “Your sister is in over her head, and I want her out of it too. Can I trust you to stay here, or do I have to bind you?” I needed her to know this conversation was over.

She glanced at the restraints, perhaps remembering how easily I could do just what I said.

“You make me really mad,” she said.

“Mad I can handle. I just need you safe.”

She nodded.

“I need to have a shower. Stay.”

“Can I at least call Izzy?”

“That’s okay by me.” I tossed her my phone and walked into the bathroom to have a quick shower before everyone got there. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

I
wasn’t surprised
when Dominic didn’t show up.

I also wasn’t surprised to find Lucia making her way down the stairs, dressed, clumsily working her crutches.

My father and Roman stood in the foyer watching her, my father looking at her with tired eyes rather that the contempt he normally showed. I walked up to her with a look that said I’d deal with her later, but when I tried to take her crutches and carry her down, she refused.

“I’m not an invalid. I just need to get used to these. Besides, my ankle can take a little weight.” She flinched as she demonstrated putting a bit of weight on it.

“Pigheaded.”

I walked the steps with her to make sure she didn’t fall. By the time we got down, Natalie walked into the house with a sleeping Jacob in her arms.

“Father, Roman, why don’t you go ahead into the dining room.”

They both nodded and left. Everyone was tired.

Rainey went to Natalie and took the bag off her shoulder. I’d woken her to prepare a room.

“Natalie, I’m sorry to keep you and Jacob up so late, but I thought you’d be more comfortable here,” I said.

“I’d be most comfortable in my own house,” she said, glaring at my father’s receding back.

Lucia giggled, then had the presence of mind to cover it up with a cough.

“This is Lucia,” I said. “Lucia, Natalie. And my nephew Jacob.”

Jacob stirred, opening his eyes then closing them again. I watched how Lucia looked at Natalie and saw Natalie with renewed eyes. I’d known her for so long, and she’d been so much like a sister to me from day one that I sometimes forgot how attractive she was, even with her long dark hair wound into a bun, wearing no makeup, and dressed in an old pair of pajamas.

“Nice to meet you,” Lucia said. She then peeked at Jacob. “You probably want to get him to bed.”

“And me too. It’s nice to meet you. Salvatore’s told me about you.”

They both glanced at me.

“Should I be worried?” Lucia asked.

Natalie smiled and shook her head. “Not given the way he looks at you,” Natalie said with a wink.

“Why don’t you go up with Natalie and help her get herself and Jacob settled,” I said to Lucia. I then pulled her in close. “And this time, stay up there,” I whispered, squeezing her ass so she knew she’d pay if she came down again.

“Fine. I don’t want to be around your father anyway.”

I didn’t offer to help her upstairs this time. She’d refuse anyway. Instead, I went into the dining room and closed the doors.

“Where’s Dominic?” I asked.

“Don’t know,” my father answered.

“I thought he’d come home,” I said.