Antonio
The entire drive to Vertigo, my head felt like it wanted to explode. Thoughts of what could go wrong played out like a goddamn Stephen King novel inside my mind. Adrenaline was rushing to every corner of my body faster than you could say “why-the-fuck-did-I-agree-to-this?”
What if something happened to her?
What if Vadik suddenly appeared like a fucking ghost from out of nowhere this exact night we decided to introduce Doe to the world?
What if she got hurt?
What if she fucking slipped and fell, breaking a goddamn ankle? I would never forgive myself.
Yet, even though the possessive fuck in me wanted to haul her over my shoulder and get her ass back home within the next ten minutes, I knew. I fucking knew keeping her locked away at home like a prisoner was wrong. If I wanted her to fly, I had to give her the space she needed to spread her wings.
I made sure Doe and Karina were boxed in by muscle carrying a shitload of ammo. If I had my way, I would have been by Doe’s side, clutching her against me. But here at Vertigo, everyone knew who we were. The Valentis. They knew who I was. The boss. The fucking leader. I walked out front. I was first to be seen. And I was the first to take a bullet.
I buttoned my suit jacket before looking over my shoulder to make sure my woman was barely fucking visible. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment I saw the excitement in her dark irises. And while Karina clutched her elbow tightly, I took in the sight. The two women in my life. The only two women I would lay down my life for. My sister, and the girl who stole my heart.
Dante whistled from the back to catch my attention then nodded, urging me to move the fuck along. I did a quick sweep of all the faces around us. Since we tripled security, there were a whole lot of unfamiliar faces around us, which made me nervous. But we had no choice. It was a risk we had to take.
The door opened, and I straightened the lapels of my jacket, squaring my shoulders before walking into the club.
The beat of the music slammed against my chest. The heat and familiar scent of alcohol swirled around us. People were dancing, bodies melted into each other while colored laser lights cut through the dark. The frenzy, the hype, the mania of utter freedom, and the buzz of alcohol was electric.
Eyes everywhere looked our way. It was easy to see who admired us and who hated us. As with any war, there were people who sided with us and people who sided with the Mancusos. Naturally, those fuckers were currently stuck in no-man’s land since the Mancusos were no more. But that didn’t mean they hated us any less—especially since we won the fucking war.
I walked straight to the stairs which lead to the VIP part of the club. Lucio had secured it by making sure no one else was allowed in that area but us. As I browsed the area, catching lingering gazes, the only thought that went through my mind was how I would kill any son of a bitch who dared look at my woman. Doe was beautiful. But she was my beautiful. And God help any man who desired what was mine.
It was only when Lucio secured the chain at the top of the stairs that I let out a breath. The second I was sure it was just us, the bartender, and waitress, I turned and rushed toward Doe.
“Are you okay?”
The brightest smile crossed her face, her cheeks all pink and flushed. “This is amazing.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
She placed her hand against my chest and leaned into me, gazing up into my eyes. “I’m fine, Antonio. Really.”
I brushed a thumb over her cheek. “Make sure you stay close, okay? And whatever you do, you do not go down those stairs. Understood?”
She batted her long, dark eyelashes, smiling. “Yes, Master.”
And like a fucking switch, my cock went from flaccid to granite. I snaked my arm around her waist, pulling her against me, letting her feel what she just woke up inside me. “Are you trying to tempt me?”
Her lips parted. “Maybe.”
“Don’t.” My gaze shot from hers down to her lips and back to her eyes. “You’re not ready.”
“How do you know?”
I tightened my grip around her waist. “The last time I used a whip, I almost lost control.”
Doe lifted herself, wrapping her arm around my neck and bringing my face down to hers. Her lips brushed against my ear. “Then it’s you who aren’t ready yet…Master.”
Like a starved animal, I bit into the skin of her neck, my cock aching like a motherfucker. If I had any kind of exhibition tendencies, she would have been naked and all fours, taking every ounce of raw fuckery I would dish out on that sweet little body of hers. And the way she just challenged me earned her a good ten lashes, at least.
The sound of the whip slicing through the air.
The crack of the lash across her skin.
The red welts tainting her flesh.
Sweet mother of Mary, the need that suddenly swept through my entire body almost forced the breath right out of me. But she was right. Even though we’d fucked like rabbits for the last few weeks, I’d not once reached for my whip after the night I hung from my four-poster bed. At first, it was because I knew she wasn’t ready.
Now, it was because I wasn’t ready.
Lorik came up from behind, handing me a glass of bourbon. I shook my head, and Lorik’s eyes almost exploded.
“What in the name of ever-loving fuck, dude?”
“I’m not drinking tonight.”
“Please tell me there’s one giant motherfucking reason why you would deny your body the sweet escape of alcohol?”
Unamused, I stared at him, deadpan. “The only reason I’m here is that you guys have my balls in a fucking deadlock. I’m not here to have fun.”
Lorik held up a finger. “First of all, the only person who has your balls in a deadlock is the girl in the purple dress. Second of all, we all know you need alcohol to have a goddamn personality.” He shoved the drink into my hand. “So, drink up Miss Congeniality.”
For the love of Christ.
I took the glass and rolled my eyes, placing a hand at the curve of Doe’s back, and walked over to the leather couches. We sat down, and I pulled her closer. “I’m guessing this is your first time at a nightclub.”
She shook her head. “Master V—”
I shot her a warning glare.
“I mean Vadik—there were certain kinds of clubs he liked visiting.”
I lifted a brow. “What kind of clubs?”
“The kind where”—her gaze dropped to her hands on her lap—“the kind where young girls were the entertainment, and none of the masters had any problem sharing.”
“Jesus,” I cursed. “That motherfucker better show his face soon so I can carve his skin from his goddamn skull.”
“Excuse me?”
For a second, I let my anger get the better of me, saying something I wasn’t supposed to say, especially in front of her.
“It’s nothing. All I’m saying is I can’t wait for the day he burns in hell.”
“Why did you say yes?”
I frowned at her. “What do you mean?’
She ran her hand down the dark curls hanging over her shoulder. “Why did you say yes, to tonight? To letting me join you? We both know Vadik is out there. It’s risky having me so out in the open, and we both know you’re not the type to take risks.”
“Oh, believe me, you might think you’re out in the open, but there’s more muscle and ammo in this place right now than tits and beer.”
Her gaze scanned the upper floor, searching.
I smiled. “If you notice who and where they are, Doe, it’s not much of a security detail, is it?”
The skin of her cheek flushed an embarrassed pink. No matter how hard I tried to toughen her up, to turn her into a strong, independent woman, I still loved her innocence. The way her naivety showed her light.
“Have you…” She fiddled with her thumbs, and I placed my fingers on her chin, forcing her to look my way.
“What’s my number one rule, Doe?”
“Always look at you in the eye.”
I nodded. “What did you want to ask?”
“Has Ma…has Vadik made contact with you?”
Just as I tried to open my mouth to say something, Karina swept in and took Doe’s arm. “Come on. We did not go through all this trouble to get my brother to agree to taking you out just for you to sit like two little lovebirds in a corner.” She pulled Doe to her feet and frowned at me. “She can be yours again later. For now, you’ll have to share.”
I snorted. Karina could be glad she’s blood because sharing wasn’t something I liked doing. Especially when it came to the woman who belonged to me.
I watched as Doe followed Karina to the rail, pointing in different directions, showing Doe the view from up top. Doe sure looked like a fucking wet dream on heels in that purple number. It made me wonder what it would look like in tatters on my fucking bedroom floor.
“You’re drooling.” Dante sat down beside me.
“Don’t care.”
Lorik took a seat across from us. “Is that an Italian thing? ’Cause, Dante, bro, I remember drool coming out of your fucking mouth the night Layla walked in here with that cunt, Matteo.”
Dante leaned back in the couch. “Yeah, but at least my balls are still intact.”
“If you’re implying my balls aren’t where they’re supposed to be—”
“Oh, not implying, dear brother-in-law. I know you lost your balls the day you asked my little sister to marry you.”
Lorik held up his hand. “Yeah, and because of you two tit-heads, it seems like I lost my balls for nothing. Because if I wait for every shit storm you two assholes create before I get married, I’ll never get fucking married!”
Dante and I stared at him. If it wasn’t for the loud club music, I was pretty sure there would have been crickets sounding in the background to create the most awkward ambiance…ever. Lorik and Karina had been trying to get married for the last fucking year, but shit just sort of happened every goddamn time they tried to start with any kind of arrangements.
I took a large gulp of my drink, leaning back in the couch, when a waiter came up to us with shooter glasses on a tray. Before he even had the chance to offer me one, Lorik grabbed a shot from him and tossed it back.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” He pulled his face, then chased the shot of alcohol with his beer. “What the fuck was that?”
The waiter smirked. “It’s a Mexican Asshole.”
Dante snickered. “Or in your case, an Albanian Asshole.”
“Ha, ha, fucking ha,” Lorik mocked. “What the hell was in that drink? It feels like burning hellhound just took a dump in my mouth.”
The waiter straightened. “It’s tequila mixed with Tabasco sauce.”
Lorik frowned, looking dumbfounded. “Who, in the name of ever-loving Mary, would mix tequila with Tabasco?”
I laughed. “A Mexican Asshole, I guess.”
Lorik was unamused. Served him fucking right since he just grabbed a drink without even knowing what it was. That was what happened when you turned greedy and impatient. You fucked up and got burned.
Dante looked over his shoulder at the waiter. “They’ve been having a huge staff turnover ever since—”
“Yeah. I know.” I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. The night Vadik’s minions killed the waitress in front of me and Lucio was still very much fresh in my mind. Poor girl. The only thing she did was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now she was buried somewhere, her face permanently placed on a missing person’s ad. Her family would never know the truth. Never have closure regarding her “disappearance.”
Unease settled in the pit of my stomach, and I turned my attention to Karina and Doe who stood by the barrier overlooking the club.
Doe’s dark purple dress fit her body like a glove, and her legs seemed like they went on for miles with the shoes she wore. A mental note was made to make sure she kept those on once we got home. Dress off. Sharp, high heels on…at all times.
“So, what’s the plan, brother?”
I focused my attention back on Dante. “I assume you’re referring to Vadik?”
He nodded.
“I’m sure the fucker will make an entrance soon enough.”
“Are we ready for him once he does?”
I placed my glass down on the side table. “I’m working on it.”
“What does that mean?’
I shrugged. “It means I’m working on it.”
Lorik and Dante looked at each other, their confused expressions annoying the fuck out of me. I shifted in my seat. “We’ve been trying to get a lead on him, but the man’s like a goddamn ghost. Truth is, I don’t even know if he will come for Doe.” Liar. I knew. I knew all too fucking well. He was coming for her. For her and that goddamn chip lodged under her skin.
Dante’s eyebrows slanted inward, studying me. “You don’t have a plan, do you?”
“I said I’m working on it.”
“Okay, then.” My brother got up and walked to the bar.
Lorik swallowed the last of his drink. “Trust the Valenti brothers to always piss on the party.” He joined Dante at the bar, and I turned my attention back to Karina and Doe still talking by the barrier. Doe laughed at something my sister said, and she looked absolutely stunning. It felt so fucking good to see her laugh. To see her smile. To see her just be a normal human being.
“She looks good.” Lucio sat down across from me.
“If you weren’t my cousin, I would have cut out your tongue for saying that about my woman.”
Lucio snorted. “It still feels fucking weird seeing you act all possessive and shit.” Then his face turned serious. “Why don’t you tell them? You know, about the chip?”
I took a new glass from the waiter’s tray. “The less they know, the better.”
“But why? Dante and Lorik can help us figure all this out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out.”
“Of course, there is.” Lucio fisted his hands together while placing his elbows on his knees. “It’s been weeks, and Vadik’s been a no-show. Something ain’t right, cousin. She has a goddamn chip—”
“Keep your motherfucking voice down.” I shot him a warning glare, clenching my jaw. “If we tell them about the chip, we’ll have to tell them about Mancuso.”
“We don’t have to tell them shit about Mancuso,” he argued, and I snorted.
“Do you know Lorik? Do you know my brother? They are like fucking bloodhounds, and once they catch a scent, there’s no goddamn way they’ll lose it until they’ve figured everything out.” I exhaled, frustration and anger shoving my heart up throat little by little.
“I still don’t get why we can’t tell them.”
“Because that will mean I have to worry about two more fucking mouths spilling everything to Doe.” I shot back my entire drink, cringing.
Lucio shook his head. “Are you that fucking determined to keep her from finding out who her real father is?”
I moved forward, getting closer to him, my face stone and my glare deadly. “If you weren’t blood, Lucio, you’d be dead.” Without taking my glare off him, I leaned back, stretching my arm across the headrest of the couch. “Does that paint you a clear enough picture of just how fucking determined I am?”
In typical Lucio fashion, he didn’t take my warning as a threat or an insult. It wasn’t meant to be either. It was the truth. He knew it. I knew it. If he wasn’t blood, he would have been granted one breath after Mancuso before I would have ended his life as well.
Lucio straightened. “To the grave, cousin.”
I nodded. “To the grave.” It was our pact. Our vow. No matter what, we would take our secret to the fucking grave.
Karina and Doe walked over to Lorik and Dante, said a few words, then Doe turned to look at me. Her smile was shy, beautiful, innocent—like a girl who had just caught the eye of the boy she liked. With a single nod, she got my message. My demand. I was summoning her over, and she obeyed with every step she took.
The music, the lights, the alcohol, the way her dark eyes settled on mine, excitement sparkling in her chocolate irises—she seemed like a goddess. Right here, right now, there was no trace of Nessuno the slave. In fact, the way she swayed her hips, shoulders squared, head held high, she looked more and more like the woman she was meant to be. Alessia Mancuso, daughter of the now deceased Stefano Mancuso. The last of a bloodline. The heir. The queen.
My cock hardened. It was such an ironic turn of events. Two enemy bloodlines together. The universe sure had one sick fucking sense of humor.
I placed my drink on the table just as she reached me. With a tug, I pulled her down into my lap, her tiny frame fitting perfectly against mine.
“Have I ever told you what a possessive fuck I really am?” My finger gently stroked down her arm, and her breath hitched. “I see the way other men look at you—”
“Antonio—”
“I can’t blame them, you know. For wanting you.” I lifted my chin, brushing my lips against the skin of her neck, loving the way her body trembled. “I’ve already had you over, and over, and over again.” My hand touched her knee, greedy fingers moving up on the inside of her leg. “I’ve fucked you every goddamn night for the last few weeks. Some nights more than once, yet I just can’t seem to get my fill of you.”
Her chest rose and fell, her breathing labored as I slipped my hand under her dress, fingers prodding against the thin fabric of her panties.
“Now, imagine how all these other poor fuckers have to feel knowing they will never have you, never know how it feels to be inside you.” I moved her panties to the side and smothered a moan when I felt how wet she was. How ready her body was for me. My dick was concrete just thinking about how easily I would be able to slide inside her, deep. Oh, so fucking deep.
I pushed a finger inside her, earning a deep, low moan from her heart-shaped lips. “This pussy belongs to me now.” I spread the wetness of her cunt all around her inner lips then applied the slightest amount of pressure on her clit. Another moan escaped her mouth.
I glanced over her shoulder. Everyone was still standing by the bar, deep in conversation, laughing and drinking. No one was paying any attention to us, to me fingering Doe as if we were in the privacy of our own room.
My arm tightened around her waist, fingers digging into her hip, and I nuzzled down the side of her neck. “Spread your legs a little wider.”
She didn’t question me. She obeyed. She always fucking obeyed.
“Next time, you don’t wear panties. Understood?”
“Yes, Master.” Two words that sounded like an angel’s prayer on her lips. Yes, Master.
This time I drove two fingers inside her, her thighs starting to quiver while I kept steady pressure on her clit.
My teeth grazed along the soft skin of her shoulder, my cock aching, pressing hard against her ass sitting on my lap. I bucked my hips, moving my dick against her, needing a little friction to tame the need.
“I want to watch you come, right here, right now. With all these people around us. I want you to come simply because you have no fucking choice.”
Deeper and harder, my hand worked her wet little cunt.
“Master, please.” Like this. Always like this. I was her man in every goddamn way. But I dictated everything when it came to her body because I owned it. Man, and master.
I let my finger slip out, dragged it around her weeping hole before shoving it back in…hard. With my eyes fixed on her beautiful face, I watched as she came undone. I witnessed the ecstasy paint the prettiest shade of pink on her cheeks.
Cum gushed down her thighs, my hand soaked in her pleasure. It never failed. Each and every goddamn orgasm I gave her thrilled me to no end. Witnessing the pure bliss on her beautiful face was indescribable.
Dark eyes met mine, her warm breath skidding along my cheek. “Finally, my body has found a master it wanted to obey.”
A low growl echoed from the back of my throat, and I dug my fingers into her hip and thigh. “When we get home, I’m fucking you until dawn.”
My lips found hers, my kiss hard and desperate—just like my fucking cock. I explored her mouth with my tongue, tasting the sweet tang of cranberry juice.
I let go of her mouth just as Karina approached. “You two should really get a fucking room.”
“You should mind your own fucking business, little sister.”
Karina pouted, her hand on her hip. “Can you tear your goddamn hands off her for a few minutes?”
“Why?”
Karina reached out and pulled Doe off my lap. “I need the powder room, and girls like to go in pairs, remember?” She winked, turned on her heel, and I watched Doe disappear into the ladies’ alongside my sister.
With a smile on my face, a rock-hard penis the size of Japan in my pants, and an empty glass, I sauntered over to the bar.
Lorik looked at me with a smirk. “Having fun?”
“Fuck off.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Dante laughed then turned his attention to Lucio. “Not drinking tonight?”
“Nope. I prefer to be sober these days…just in case I get the opportunity to slaughter some Russian fuckers.”
Lorik’s eyebrows almost touched his hairline. “I’m pretty sure you’re a certifiable psychopath.”
Lucio shrugged. “That’s exactly what my psychiatrist wrote at the top of my file, dude.”
Lorik blinked, and we all burst out laughing.
I ordered another drink, patiently waiting for the women to return. It was just past midnight, and even though the party just started, I was ready to take Doe home.
The bartender placed my drink on the counter. I thanked him, picked up the glass…and my heart stopped. I couldn’t breathe as I read the black handwriting on a white napkin.
It’s time to take my pretty, broken girl back…
My blood froze solid. My gut filled with concrete. But there was no time. There was no fucking time. “Jesus.” I grabbed the napkin, but just as I turned to run, a bone-chilling cry came from the ladies’ room, the sound slamming against my chest. “Jesus Christ. Doe!”