Carly

Sweet kisses, the best home-cooked meal I’d ever eaten, and a night spent cuddling—Bran certainly was the king of the unexpected. He was so different from what I’d assumed based on what I’d heard about him and how he’d behaved when he was watching over me for Nic.

The steely enforcer with a killer reputation had a soft side he didn’t seem afraid to show me. Then again, he wasn’t scared to reveal his hard edges either. Surprisingly enough, the combination seemed to be my kryptonite. When he grabbed my face the way he had, I should have been pissed way the hell off. Instead, it had sent a spark of desire straight to my core. If he hadn’t walked away, I’m not sure if I would have been able to resist ripping his clothes off and jumping him. I wasn’t convinced it was for the best that I hadn’t, since the chemistry between us was sizzling hot and impossible to ignore. Even the knowledge that I was walking into a meeting with Nic DeLuca to talk about the situation with my da wasn’t dimming it in the least bit.

I couldn’t help but think that it would have taken the edge off a little if we’d gone with the heat of the moment and seen what happened next. Then again, I wasn’t sure walking into this meeting sore from losing my virginity to the DeLuca enforcer would have been the smart thing to do.

Fun as hell? Sure.

Wise? Not in the least.

Coming back to town when my da was out to kill me wasn’t exactly the smartest thing I’d ever done either. Brandon had a way of convincing me to do stuff I never would have agreed to without his influence. Case in point, meeting with Nic DeLuca at one of his warehouses when I’d been in town for less than half a day, and it was sure to be one of the places my da had on his radar for possible clues as to my whereabouts. I should have known Brandon had it covered, though.

“Climb in the back and lay flat on the floor between the seats,” he instructed when we were about a mile out from the building.

“Seriously?” I grumbled as I unclicked my seatbelt.

“Don’t give me any lip. When it comes to your safety, my word is law.”

I didn’t respond until I was settled on the floor of the car, staring up at the ceiling. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. This isn’t a democracy. But, what about all the other times you think your word is law?”

“I didn’t say your safety was the only situation where it applies.” His voice was a low rumble that sent shivers up my spine. “It just happened to be why I mentioned it at this particular point in time, when you need to follow my orders without question.”

“Caveman.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet, kitten. Because I’m most definitely going to be the boss when I fuck you too.”

“We’ll just see about that,” I muttered.

“If you keep up with all the sass, you will see, and sooner than I’d planned,” he threatened, taking a sharp turn that jolted me slightly.

“Holy shit.”

“And be warned, I’m not sure you’ll be able to walk straight once I’m done with you.” His response was gruff and almost drowned out by the sound of a garage door going up, but I still didn’t miss the sensual promise in his tone.

I couldn’t deny I was in over my head when his threat sounded like a good time. But hey, walking was overrated, right? Except for when he helped me out of the car and led me down a hallway to Nic’s office. Not being able to walk in this particular instance would have been embarrassing as hell.

“Carly,” Nic greeted me, standing when we walked into his office.

I stepped forward to shake his hand and was surprised when he lifted it to his mouth to place a kiss on the top of my hand. Only when I noticed the humor in his eyes at Brandon’s reaction—a low growl and yanking me back into his body—did I understand what he was up to. But considering the bombshell I’d unknowingly dropped on his now-wife when I hadn’t realized she was unaware of Nic being a mafia boss, I couldn’t really blame him for messing with us. Especially, since the first thing he had to handle after he returned home from his honeymoon was a meeting with me to discuss what to do about my da.

“I’m glad to see things worked out so well with your queen,” I said, lifting my chin towards the huge framed photo of him and his new wife on their wedding day hanging on the center of the wall to the left.

“No thanks to your father,” he answered grimly.

“Yet another reason why he needs to die. And fast, before he causes any more trouble.”

“I can’t really argue with your logic, but the death of your father will cause a major void in the O’Reilly family and that wouldn’t be good for my city.”

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do considering who Nic DeLuca was, but I snorted at the obviousness of his statement. “I hope that doesn’t mean you aren’t willing to do it because he”—I aimed my thumb towards Brandon—“promised to protect me and break me free of my da. The only way to do that is to put him six feet under.”

“Blood thirsty little thing, aren’t you?” Nic chuckled, glancing over at Brandon. “Are you sure you want to keep her?”

My back straightened in outrage, more at the implication that Brandon shouldn’t want to keep me than the idea that he could just decide he was going to. Brandon slid his hand up my back and wrapped it around my neck, practically shackling me in place. It was a macho move, but I found comfort in his show of possession and relaxed into his hold.

“Quit messing around,” Brandon growled. “You knew she was mine before I was willing to admit it.”

“That I did,” Nic murmured with a smug grin before turning his attention my way again. “When you first came to me, I offered to eliminate your father and you refused to believe it was the best way to proceed. What’s changed since then?”

My breath caught in my throat as I tried to fight against the tears that welled in my eyes. I’d learned long ago that my da didn’t really love me, but it didn’t stop the pain of knowing how very little I meant to him. “Killing my da would only halt things in his organization temporarily. I wanted to blow it the fuck up. But, now he knows about my betrayal. Chances are, I’ll end up in his next shipment of girls.”

Brandon’s fingers dug into the skin of my neck, hard enough I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up with bruises. “No fucking way,” he hissed, turning my head until I was staring into his eyes. “I knew he was after you, but I can’t believe he would sell his own daughter into slave trade.”

“He likes to play his cards close to the vest as much as he can,” I explained. “I wouldn’t even know about it, except Tommy overheard my da on the phone with one of his guys when I disappeared. Apparently, he was royally pissed that his ditzy little girl was able to outsmart him. Da told the guy I’d be worth the trade and ‘kept in line’ with a firm hand, or find myself saying Hail Marys on my way to hell.”

“Motherfucker,” Nic growled.

I laughed without any humor. “Oh, and let’s not forget how valuable I am, being a virgin and all.” In any other situation, I might have felt uncomfortable discussing my sexual experience, or lack thereof, with Nic Deluca, but I didn’t have the luxury of being squeamish.

“There’s no fucking way that’s gonna happen.” Brandon’s voice was deceptively soft. “No one will lay a fucking hand on you."

“What’s with us and falling for virgins?” Nic murmured, shaking his head, as though disappointed. The possessive look in his eyes and half-smile on his face said otherwise. His attention returned to us. “If she isn’t a virgin any longer, that may negate his plans to sell her to the highest bidder,” he said, displaying the level of cunning and ruthlessness that had gained him a fearsome reputation as the head of the DeLuca family. “I’m sure I can depend on you to take care of that little problem, right Bran?”

“Shut the fuck up before I shut you up myself.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Nic chuckled. “Unfortunately, I’m sure Pat will decide his only other choice is to kill her.” Brandon practically snarled at Nic, who held up his hand to indicate that he wasn’t done. “Which is all the more reason to agree with Carly. Pat O’Reilly needs to be taken out.”

“After he’s spent a few hours in my company,” Brandon muttered with grim determination. There was an air of deadly intent in his words. He clearly wanted my da to suffer, and I was surprised when I didn’t feel a single ounce of compassion for the man who’d fathered me. Truth was, I wanted him to suffer, to pay for his sins in this life and the next.

Nic nodded. “How you handle it is up to you.” He looked at Brandon meaningfully. “I’d also suggest you marry her sooner rather than later. It would solidify your place in her life, and you’ll be thankful for it later when she takes over.”

Marry me? Take over? What the fuck? I didn’t know which to respond to first. I decided the whole—I mentally cringed—marriage thing could wait and be dealt with when I was alone with Brandon.

“Takes over?” I repeated. He couldn’t possibly mean… “What am I taking over?”

“You’re going to be the new head of the O’Reillys, Carly.”

I reached out blindly to grab Brandon’s free hand and squeeze it. “What? No! That’s impossible!” Being with Brandon meant being a part of this life, and I accepted that. I didn’t want anything to do with my family’s organization though. “No one would follow me, they are all loyal to my da.”

“Anything’s possible with the DeLucas behind you,” he informed me with unwavering confidence. “We’ll make sure your father eats a bullet, and soon. In return, you’re going to step into his shoes and fill the void he’ll leave behind, keeping my town safe from the assholes who might otherwise think it’s the perfect opportunity to grab power.”