Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 16236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 81(@200wpm)___ 65(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Elio stepped back when I awkwardly tried to extract my phone from my left pocket using my right arm. He pushed my hand away, and my dick twitched when he slid his hand into my pocket and pulled out the phone for me. Jesus, what was it about his man?
His eyes widened, and he looked away. At least I wasn’t the only one affected.
He’s made for you.
I was in trouble from too many angles. The story of my fucking life.
Micky answered on the first ring. “I need a cleanup crew at my location.”
“This wasn’t supposed to be a hit.”
“I know, things went south. I’ll explain later. There was another party here. I’m bringing them with me.”
Micky sighed. “Vinnie’s going to go fucking ballistic.”
“I know.”
“Don’t fuck this up, Tony.”
“I’ll try. Just give me a chance to explain.”
Elio was shaking his head. “I can’t—”
I held up a hand, and he scowled at me while I finished talking.
When I ended the call, he said, “What do you mean I’m coming with you?”
“You just watched me kill Billy.” Like that was the real reason.
“Jesus, did you kill him just for me?”
I wished I could kill him a second time. “Fuck yes, I did. The bastard hurt you.”
“But I’m nothing to you.”
“You’re wrong about that.”
“Tony, I can’t leave with you.”
“I didn’t say you had a choice.”
Elio blew out a long breath. “You don’t understand.”
“I understand that you’re a witness to my criminal activities. I’ve got to bring you in and put you under my protection, or you could end up the next target.”
“If you take me in, you’re going to be a fucking target.”
“For taking you from this asshole? If he had had better friends, he wouldn’t be lying there dead.”
“No.” Elio laid a hand on my good arm. “From my family.”
“Your family?”
“You don’t know my name.”
I really didn’t like where this was going. “Are you telling me your name isn’t really Elio?”
“It is Elio. Elio Barruchi.”
A knot formed in my stomach. “Fuck.”
“Yeah. You can’t take me with you.”
“Who’s your father?”
“Giacomo.”
The head of the family. Damn, I really knew how to step in it. “You’re still coming with me.” I’d already fucked up. I might as well bring one of our enemies home.
“You’re crazy, Tony. I mean, maybe you’ll get lucky and my father will decide I’m not worth the trouble, but he likes to defend what’s his, even if you did capture his most worthless son.”
I growled and took hold of Elio’s chin, forcing him to look at me. “You are not worthless. Your father is a fucking fool if he thinks that.”
“I’m not like the rest of my family. I never wanted to be involved in all of this shit.”
“I didn’t either, but here we both are.”
“But you,”—he gestured toward the dead body on the lawn—“you’re good at this.”
“I’m a good shot, and I’m willing to do the work. Especially when the asshole has hurt someone I care about.”
“I think you’re confusing good sex with caring about somebody.”
“What if there could be both? I’ve been trying to find you ever since you didn’t show up that night.”
His eyes went huge, and he pulled away from me. “What? You actually thought about me again after….”
“I thought about you every fucking day. But you were like a ghost. I couldn’t find a trace of you.”
“I thought about you too.” He sucked in a breath and put his hand over his mouth like he hadn’t meant to say that.
“Good. Why did you stop showing up?”
“I figured out who you were, and I knew it was safer for you if I stayed away.”
“I don’t give a fuck about safe.”
He sighed. “You know this can’t work, right? You can’t take me with you, and we can’t be together.”
“Maybe you don’t have a choice. I’m taking you with me. I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you.”
Elio pushed his hair off his forehead. “You’re fucking crazy. Do you know what’s going to happen when my father finds out the Trevisanis have me?”
“I’ll figure things out.”
“You’re not invincible. Do you really understand what you’re fucking with?”
“Do you really understand how much I want you?”
“Enough to start a war? Enough to have your family and mine thinking everyone is better off if they eliminate us?”
I smiled at him. “Taking your ass is fucking heaven.”
“Oh my God. You did not just say that.”
I grinned. “It’s true. I must have made an impression on you too.”
“You did, but that is not going to help us against our families.”
I held out my hand. “Come with me, and let’s see what we can figure out.”
“This is insane.”
“And what just happened here—you sneaking back in, me killing the man I was supposed to get money from—isn’t?”
“Of course it is, but…” He glanced outside at Billy’s corpse. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I don’t defy my orders for just anyone.”