Pop by.
My god.
Kill me now.
Marcus grins. Well, at least he doesn’t think I’m a freak. That has to count for something, right?
“I’m glad you decided to”—he leans in—“pop by.”
Eek. I grin. I can’t help it. I like this man. He’s one of the good ones.
I think.
“Come in, Julietta. Are you alone?”
I nod.
“The baby?”
I flinch.
His eyes get softer. “I see. Well, other than the security guard on duty, it’s just you and I then. Come in.”
I walk inside his massive home and follow him into the kitchen where he opens the fridge and turns, looking at me. “Anything in particular you’d like to drink?”
“Vodka?” I joke.
His eyes dance with amusement. “I’m not entirely sure we should be drinking at”—he looks at his watch—“ten a.m.”
“Probably true. Just water is fine.”
He pulls out two waters and jerks his head down the hall. “My office is down here.”
Right.
I follow him down, nervously. We arrive at his office, which is pretty much the size of my entire apartment. Jesus. Rich much?
“You have a lovely home,” I say, sitting on the chair near his desk as he sits down on the other side in a big, leather chair.
“Thank you. Tell me, what brought you to my house today?”
I fumble around for a moment before saying, “I’d like to know how you can help me.”
“That depends on what’s happening to you.”
I bite my lip.
“You’re not willing to tell me?”
“At this stage, no. You need to understand my family is on the line. Do you have children, Marcus?”
He nods, his eyes sparkling with love.
“Then you understand my fear.”
“I can protect you, Julie,” he says. “I can swear that.”
I smile, but it’s weak. “Believe me, I want to put my faith in that but you have to understand that’s very hard for me right now. I don’t know who to trust and who not to.”
“Can you at least tell me what it is you’re being asked to do, so I can offer advice?”
I bite my lip again.
Telling him could mean he figures it out. If he figures it out, he might say something to Rafael.
“You’re hesitating because you’re still not sure you trust me, are you?”
I meet his eyes. “Every man I’ve ever trusted has hurt me, Marcus.”
Something flashes through his eyes. “I understand that very well. Listen, you don’t have to tell me, but I can assure you that if you do, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
“Including finally telling Rafael about my son?”
He shakes his head. “That is not my place. Rafael is a very loyal friend of mine, but I will not risk the life of a child.”
My heart thrums against my ribcage. “I can’t hide.” My voice is low, scared even.
“You can here,” he says. “I also have other places . . . people . . .”
“Like?”
“Like the Joker’s Wrath Motorcycle Club.”
I blink, then squeak, “A motorcycle club?”
He nods. “I have very good friends there. They owe me a few. They’d protect you and your son until we could sort this problem out.”
I’m already shaking my head. “No. No way.”
“Listen, Julietta, I know how it sounds, but I promise you they’re good people.”
As if. “Look, Marcus,” I say standing, “thank you, but I shouldn’t have come.”
“Julietta,” he says as I turn and rush out of his office.
I slam into a small frame—a woman, but a petite one. I reel backwards and stare at one of the prettiest ladies I’ve ever seen.
“Hi,” she says, her eyes darting to Marcus’s office then back to me, confused. “Do I know you?”
“Katia.” Marcus steps out of his office. “This is Julietta. She’s . . . with Rafael.”
Katia’s eyes flicker to me, and she gives me the biggest, prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. “Well, how lovely to meet you. Marcus told me Raf had a new lady. Wow, you’re gorgeous. I’m Katia, Marcus’s wife or better half, depending how you look at it. It’s lovely to meet you.”
I blink again. “Ah,” I murmur. “Hi. Julietta.”
She laughs. “I know.”
“Sorry,” I say nervously. “I was just leaving.”
“Are you okay?” she asks, genuine concern in her eyes.
She’s a good one, that’s for sure. She doesn’t know me, but she’s more than willing to ask me how I am.
“Sure, I’m fine. I just have to get home.”
She nods.
“Please, ah, don’t tell Raf I came here.” With that, I rush towards the front door.
“Julietta,” Marcus says, following me.
I have my hand on the knob and my tears are ready to burst forth when his hand rests on my shoulder. “I know you don’t know me. I know you probably don’t trust me. I understand all of that. But I promise you, I would not put you in danger. I can protect you and your son, but I will not force you. Rafael will never know you were here.”
I nod and he releases my shoulder.
I get the hell out of there.
~*~*~*~
“Dammit!” Riccardo shouts, storming into my apartment later that night after I’ve put Ajax down to sleep.
My heart pounds against my rib cage, because he seems angry. Does he know about Marcus?
I wasn’t careful enough. I didn’t—
“Someone else is trying to bring Rafael down.”
I stand up and take a shaky breath. I straighten my features to take on a stoic and indifferent demeanor.
“Can you keep it down?” I say forcing my usual annoyance out. I can’t let him get even more suspicious. “Ajax is sleeping.”
He stops a few feet in front of me. “Did you hear me?”
“I already knew that,” I say, “and so did you. His club got blown up. I didn’t figure that was you.”
He blinks at me. “You’re smarter than you look. No, it wasn’t me, but nothing else has happened since. Today something else happened.”
My heart hammers against my chest. Boom. Boom. Boom. “What?”
Is Rafael okay?
God.
I can’t handle any more.
“More shipments went missing. I was on top of that. It was me setting it all up. Then I backed off when you went away to have that baby. Now it’s started again, but this time I’m not the one responsible.”
Crap. “Someone knows you’re up to no good, then?”
His eyes flare. “Why would you say that?”
“If you were the one who was orchestrating it before, then it only makes sense that someone knows it was you, and is doing it to set you up.”
“Is this you?” he hisses, stepping forward.
I roll my eyes. “Get over yourself. I don’t have time for that kind of crap. How the hell would I organize something like that?”
He studies me, his eyes suspicious. “Then who?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know? I’m here to keep my son and family safe and nothing more.”
He huffs angrily. “Go to him right now. Get information. I need to know what’s happening.”
I bristle. “I can’t just go to him.”
“You can. You will.”
“No.”
He steps forward, big body threatening mine. “You will, Julietta.”
“Dammit. He’s not just going to give me information, and you know it.”
“He will; it’s different now.”
“How? I’m just a lover. He never even told Maria his business.”
Riccardo flinches. I don’t feel bad. “You will go in there and find out what you can. Do you fucking understand me?”
He’s angry. Great. I don’t ha
ve time to further instigate him right now. “Fine, I’ll go in. I just need to get someone to watch Ajax.”
“I’ll do it.”
My spine straightens. “Over my dead body.”
He smirks. “That can be arranged.”
“Go fuck yourself, Riccardo. I’ll go in, but you will let me find someone to look after my son.”
He waves a hand. “Have it your way. I expect a full report, Julietta. Tonight.”
With that, he disappears from my apartment.
I really need to get those locks changed.
CHAPTER 8
“Julietta,” Rafael says, his eyes on mine. “What’re you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you,” I say in a soft voice.
“Now isn’t a really good time.”
Dammit. He’s going to kick me out.
I take a step forward and reach up, cupping his jaw. I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss him.
I haven’t kissed him for nearly a year. Something explodes deep within me and fire is reignited in my soul. He groans. I moan. I press myself closer to him, bringing my body flush against his. I forgot how good he feels. I forgot how much I love kissing him. I just forgot how much I need him.
Our kiss deepens, our tongues dancing, our bodies crushing together. His hand tangles in my hair and he jerks my head back, kissing me so hard my lips burn.
A throat clears.
We pull apart and turn to see Vincent standing in the hall, his arms crossed. “Boss?”
“Julietta, you can come in but I’m dealing with something right now. You need to go into the living room and wait for me.”
He’s not kicking me out. “Okay,” I say, my voice still lusty.
His eyes flash to my lips. “I’ll be in my office. I won’t be long,” he growls.
“Good.”
He points to the main living area and I obediently go towards it. He and Vincent disappear down the hall.
When they’re gone, I stand and silently move towards his office, where I know they’ll be. I hate this. I could get busted at any second and then I’ll be in big, big trouble. With my heart in my throat, I stop outside the door. What if he’s got cameras and he sees me listening in? Shit.
I glance around. There doesn’t seem to be any. That doesn’t mean there isn’t.
Too late now.
I lean in again and listen.
“I don’t know who the bombers were,” Rafael mutters. “That I’m still looking into. But whoever it was isn’t the same person or operation that fucked with the shipments. We’re worrying about that right now.”
“So we’ve got two people trying to fuck us over?” Vincent says.
“Would seem so,” Benito grumbles.
“Okay, so we’re sure one of them is double-crossing us.”
My body tingles. Double-crossing? Do they know about Riccardo? Panic seizes my chest.
“I’m sure whoever messed with those shipments was on our side, yes. Now I’m messing back to throw them out off. The shipments going missing will send whoever is fucking with us into a frenzy, and they’ll screw up.”
Oh. My. God. Smart man.
“You sure this’ll work?” Vincent asks.
“I’m sure it’ll make whoever it is freak out, at the very least. Hopefully miss a step somewhere. Now, I’m going to spend time with the gorgeous woman sitting out there. We keep this between us, understand?”
“You want me to call Riccardo?” Benito asks. “Let him know?”
“No,” Rafael says. “Riccardo most likely won’t agree. This stays between us for now. I’ll inform him if need be. He’s busy trying to find out who the bombers were.”
“Fair call.”
I turn and rush down the hall and skid into the living area, plonking down onto the couch. My heart is racing. Rafael is setting it up because he’s suspicious. He already knows someone is double crossing him, but, as far as I can tell, he has no idea it’s Riccardo. Do I tell him? Or do I use this as the perfect opportunity to get Riccardo busted? Maybe then I can go free.
My heart is still thrumming against my chest by the time Rafael and the two men appear in the living room. I act as casually as I can, but a million questions are running through my head, like what exactly I’m going to do. Do I use this to my advantage? Do I tell the truth? Dammit. I don’t know, and my mind’s a freaking mess. I need to talk to Celia, someone.
Rafael’s eyes find mine, and my thoughts disappear. I stand, waving to the other two guys. “Hi.”
“I don’t think we ever officially met,” Benito says, stepping forward. “I’m Benito.”
I study him. I’ve seen him from afar, of course, but up close he’s quite . . . adorable. I don’t usually use that word for a man, especially a man in the mafia, but Benito is just that. Adorable. He’s got dark hair that’s soft and pushed to the side, falling over his forehead a little. His eyes are the same Italian brown as the other two men’s, but he has this gorgeous smile with two big dimples. He seems sweet.
“Julietta,” I say, taking his outstretched hand. “Lovely to meet you.”
He smiles again. Cute, indeed. “You, too. I’ll leave you to it.”
He releases me and nods at Rafael before disappearing out the door.
I look to Vincent, who is grinning at me. “Good to see you again, Julie. What game will you torture my brother with today?”
I can’t help the smile that stretches across my face. I like Vincent’s cheeky side. He seems like a good guy. “That’ll depend on how nice he is to me.”
He slaps Rafael’s back. “Hear that, brother? Better be nice to her.”
“I always am,” Raf says, his eyes lusty and holding mine.
“Well,” Vincent says, chuckling, “I’m getting out of here before I witness the ripping of clothes.”
I make a wheezing sound and Rafael grins. Men.
Vincent leaves, and I turn to Raf. “Sorry to just barge in tonight.”
He takes a step towards me.
Shit.
I take a step back. “I just wanted, to, ah, see you.”
Another step. He looks like a tiger about to pounce.
“So, ah, yeah.”
Another step.
I swallow. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting.”
Another step.
His arm snakes out and catches me around the waist, hauling me up against his body. Oh. Boy.
“Raf,” I breathe when his lips graze my jaw.
“I’ve fucking missed how you taste, cara.”
God.
“I . . . I ah,” Think Julie. Stop enjoying how good he feels. “I still . . . I’m still not ready to, ah . . .”
“Fuck?” he purrs, sliding his tongue over my bottom lip. Dammit. What is the reason I can’t fuck him again?
Right. I’ve recently had a baby.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice breathy.
“I can kiss you though.”
Not a question.
So I don’t answer.
He kisses me, long and deep. He tastes like whiskey and Rafael. Perfection. I melt into him, so desperate for attention, craving what it is he has to offer. Just a second. Just one more second. My fingers tangle in his thick hair and I kiss him deep, and long, and it feels fucking amazing.
After a moment, my brain kicks in and shoves my heart right back down into its place, and I pull back.
“I should go. I just wanted to see you.”
His eyes flash with disappointment, but he nods. Rafael Lencioni begs no one to stay.
“I’ll see you soon, cara,” he says, his voice low and raspy.
It takes all my strength to walk out, but I do.
~*~*~*~
“Well?” Riccardo demands two days later.
I’ve avoided his calls. I haven’t been home.
I don’t know how to answer him. I don’t know how to play this. If I don’t tell him, I could use Marcus and get the help I need, maybe use it against Riccardo, but there is a huge risk to my life. I
f I do tell him, he will twist it around and throw Rafael off, and that could end the man I’m trying so hard not to love. Either way, someone I care about gets hurt.
That scares me.
“Well what?” I snap, walking into the kitchen, bouncing Ajax in my arms. He’s so incredibly gorgeous. It feels like he is growing before my very own eyes each day. I could swear he smiled at me this morning. He looks even more like Rafael with every passing second. Perfection in the form of a tiny baby boy.
“What did you find out at Rafael’s house?”
I don’t know what to do yet. I’m not ready to answer. Do I lie? God.
“Julietta!” he booms.
Ajax stirs and I decide he doesn’t need to be exposed to this, so I walk over and place him in his rocker. I pop a pacifier in his little mouth, and he quickly drifts off to sleep. Then I walk back into the kitchen and glare at Riccardo. “Don’t yell at me in front of my son.”
“Tell me what you heard.”
“Nothing.”
His eyes flash with rage and he steps forward, effectively trapping me into the corner of my kitchen. “You’re lying to me.”
“I’m not.”
I’ll tell him later, maybe. I’ll say I heard it at a different time. He doesn’t need to know right now. Not until I’ve decided what I’m going to—
A slap rings out across my cheek, catching me completely off guard. Then his hand is tangled in my hair and he’s jerking me forward. Pain explodes in my cheek and on my scalp and I whimper, trying to pull backwards. What the hell?
His fist tightens in my hair. I think he’s tearing it out. I cry out and try to push him off, but it only makes his grip tighter. “Do not fucking lie to me.”
“I heard nothing,” I screech. “You fucking psycho. Vincent and Benito were there when I arrived. I interrupted whatever they were meeting about and they cut it short. I spoke to Rafael, asked him how everything is. He wouldn’t give me a damned word. You know him, so you know that’s true. I didn’t get the chance to overhear anything because they stopped as soon as I arrived.”
Riccardo jerks me closer. More pain. My eyes water. “Do not mess with me, Julietta. If you’re thinking of double crossing me, think again. If something happens to me, I have people to make sure you’re taken care of, and not in the good way. So if you’re thinking of trying to get me out of the picture, don’t. Only when I get what I want will I call off the hits on your, your son’s, and your father’s life.”