πππππ JAMESI hunched over and placed my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. "Enzo. He took her." Daniel leaped forward and grabbed me by the collar, his eyes shooting fiery daggers right at my forehead. "Where the fuck is she?" "I told you. Enzo took her. That's why I'm here." "What do you mean, he took her?" I jerked his hands away from my collar. "Just what I said. We were in front of my apartment, and he appeared out of fucking nowhere, shoved her into the back of a car, and left." Daniel stepped back. "What was she doing with you in front of your apartment?" I kept my eyes on him, knowing all too well I was about to fucking throw myself to the wolves. Yeah, I went there. "She was with me." His dark eyebrows drew together. "Doing what?" Silence. The heaviest goddamn silence surrounded us, and the second Daniel realized my not replying was his answer, he dropped the longest string of f-bombs I'd heard in a while. "Goddammit!" He crouched with his
πππππππ VANESSAMy hand was on my burning cheek as I righted myself, biting back my tears. Enzo might hit me, but he would never break me. "Did you show me any respect the night you defiled my body?" He raised his eyebrows. "Defiled? Oh, my dear Vanessa, if I remember correctly, you loved everything I did to your body that night. Would you like me to show you the little homemade video again? How your face lit up when I gave you your very first orgasm with my cock buried inside that sweet little pussy of yours?" The wry, wolfish grin on his face made my stomach turn, and I realized it didn't matter what I said or did. I was stuck here, and there was no way Enzo was going to let me go. For years, the war between us and the Morellos had been raging, and I was now the ultimate weapon Enzo intended to use in destroying my familyβ¦my father. He knew I would never allow him to show that tape to anyone. It would kill my father to see images of his only daughter willingly being fuck
πππππJAMES"So, there is a thing between you and our little sister." Antonio wasn't asking. Under normal circumstances, I'd probably try to deny it, knowing I risked getting my balls cut off. But these weren't normal circumstances, and I cared more about Vanessa than keeping my balls attached to my body. Yeah, pussy-whipped did not even begin to cover it. "Listen, man," I started, not backing down an inch, "I know you have your rules and whatnot, but yeah, there is something between me and Vanessa, and I don't care if you approve or not. It's happening. And nothing, and I mean nothing, will stop me from finding her. Not you or your goddamn rules." Both brothers stared at me, not saying a word. For the first time in my career, my detective instincts failed me, because I had no fucking clue what to expect from them next. I glanced at Antonio. "And as your brother said earlier, let's find Vanessa first, then we can kill each other, okay?" No answer. "Good. Now that we u
πππππππVANESSAI gasped as my entire world crashed down around me. An hour? A fucking hour? He wiped a tear from my face with his thumb and placed his finger in his mouth, sucking off the moisture like he was relishing the taste of my pain. And then his eyes turned black, every contour of his face painted with lust and desire. "I'm starting to think I don't want to wait until we've said our vows before I claim you again." He grabbed my hand and forced it against his crotch, making me feel how hard he was. "Feel that? That's all you, little lamb. That's what you do to me, so maybe I should give it to you right now." I yanked my hand out of his. "Stay the fuck away from me." Enzo jerked forward and wrapped his hand around my throat, pushing me harder against the wall. "What did I say about you talking to me with respect?" I grabbed at his hand squeezing it around my neck. "Enzoβ" "Do you want to beg? Do you want to beg me not to touch you?" He leaned forward, his col
πππππ JAMESDaniel drove, speeding like a maniac. Antonio had been typing on his phone, glancing at it every five seconds. I'd been going out of my goddamn mind sitting in the back seat of Daniel's car, unable to do anything but wait for us to get wherever the hell we were going. After Daniel stormed out of the house and jumped into his car, he kept on talking about a beach house, and that since Enzo was one twisted motherfucker, it only made sense he would take her back to where it all began. The second he pulled into an unfamiliar driveway, I was out the door and running up the stairs. "James, wait!" Daniel called after me. "You can't just rush in there unprotected." I grabbed my gun and pulled it from the holster. "You thought I'd come here without a gun? I plan on killing this motherfuckerβ¦tonight." Antonio and Daniel raced up the stairs behind me, and I pushed down the door handle. Locked. Fuck. I scanned the house and spotted a window to the right. Without thinki
πππππ JAMESI always knew demons haunted Roman Anderson; I just never knew how strong those demons were. But now, I did. "You see, Gunner. No one is perfect, but some bad guys are worth freer than behind bars." He turned toward Enzo's lifeless body, and the priest crouched and shook it. He didn't have to do that. I was sure that fucker was dead. "I'll take care of this," he said and I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. Vanessa ran toward her dad and jumped into his arms. "Daddy, I know I don't always say this, and I know I don't always show you how much, but you must know that I love you, Daddy." Dante gave his daughter a heartwarming hug, his eyes filled with raw emotions as he replied, "And I love you too, Bambina. I know I don't always show it and tell it too, and I am sorry it made you feel my honor was worth more than your happiness. So I want you to get this into your thick skull. I. Love. You. You are my only Bambina and no one will ever love you more t
πππππππVANESSAI lifted myself on my toes, my taste buds tingling with the need to taste his mouth. My body was already primed to take him, to let him remind me. With his arms around me, he pulled me against his chest, causing me to clench my thighs for some relief from the ache he so expertly ignited. God, this man knew how to test the limits of my self-control. He knew it was probably the most difficult thing for me to do, not always act on my desire and need for him. To start humping each other in the store or on your way to see a damn movie could get you arrested. But right here, right now, I was willing to risk it since my body was screaming at me to give it the release and the ecstasy only James could provide. "Ahem." I froze and glanced over James' shoulder. "Antonio." James dropped his hold around my waist, and I took a step back. "Did I interrupt anything?" "Noβ" "Yes," James sneered. "Antonio, how many times do I have to tell you, you have to work on your
πππππ My decision to become a part of the Bologna family didn't mean I was blinded to all the questionable businesses they ran, but it meant my eyes had opened to all the good they had brought to the people of Boston over the years. The Bologna took care of the people who needed it the most and brought justice to those who deserved it. Everything they did, they did for the greater good, and I was willing to live with thatβto be a part of it. I rubbed the finger Dante had pricked earlier. Watching my blood drip on a card bearing the image of St. Francis while Dante said, "This drop of blood symbolizes your birth into our family. We are one until death," then witnessing him setting that card on fire was powerful shit. I'd heard about the mafia initiation, and I always found the notion of it absurd and creepy. But while I stood there watching the card with my blood burn into nothing but ash, solidifying my place in their family, it gave me a strong sense of belonging. By doing