Chapter One

Damon

“Any last words?” With a quick click of the slide, a round was chambered, and the gun was ready to fire.

“Damon, I didn’t betray you. Please don’t do this,” Milo begged from his position on his knees. He was an associate, not exactly part of the family, but someone we’d trusted to work for us. He broke that trust. So, I had to fucking break him. There was no going back once trust was broken. “You know I’m loyal to the Marchetti family.”

Without further conversation, I put the gun against his forehead and pulled the trigger. Only cowards shoot a man in the back of the head. If a man deserved to die, he also deserved to be looked square in the eye so he had no doubt who pulled the trigger. In Milo’s case, this low-level associate tipped off the firm’s management about us dipping our fingers into the nurses’ union benefit plan fund. I suspected this particular snitch worked for the Sanfratello family, our most active rival, and double-crossed us for them. But there were still a few loose ends to tie off before I could put a lid on that problem.

“Damon, we have a situation.” Benny, my first level soldier and trusted driver, scraped a hand down his face while pocketing his phone with his other.

“What the fuck happened now?”

“Two of your guys were moving goods on the expressway and hit another car. The other driver insisted on calling the police. They’re in the dump truck.”

“What is it with this fucking day? Let’s go see what those two idiots have done.”

We left the dead snitch for the cleanup crew to dispose of his body while we maneuvered through traffic until we reached the crash site. Benny opened my door and I stepped out, quickly assessing the situation and sizing up the scene. Our dump truck sideswiped another car, leaving enough visible damage to negate any reasonable doubt.

Some petite brunette looker stepped into my line of sight, followed by an NYPD traffic cop. He looked up at me, and recognition lit in his eyes. With the traffic noises, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I saw him pull her aside, leaving his partner alone to deal with my associates. One look from me and both of my guys knew I’d deal with them later, and those cops couldn’t save them from what awaited them. After a couple of minutes, the brunette and the other cop joined us in mid-discussion about the damage.

The closer she got, the smaller she became. In four-inch heels, the top of the beauty’s head barely reached my shoulder. The waves of her long brown hair framed her face, highlighting her emerald green eyes that gave away her every thought and feeling. Though petite, her legs were toned with feminine muscles.

“She can still drive the car. It doesn’t even need a tow truck. It’s fine,” Luigi, my associate, argued.

“Look, I already told you. We got dispatched out here to work this wreck. The lady says she needs the police report, I gotta write the report. There’s no way around it,” Officer Ryan explained the procedure to my other associate, Paulie.

“I’m really sorry to do this,” she offered. Though she was surrounded by big, burly men, she didn’t shrink away. She stood her ground with a mixture of poise and respect. “I’m here for a few months on business, and this isn’t my car—it’s a company car. If I don’t turn in the police report, I’ll lose my job. I’d be more than willing to leave the insurance and police out of it if I could, but I can’t afford to lose my job. I hope you understand.”

Luigi spoke up. “Lady, all you had to say was you didn’t know what happened. Someone in the parking garage must’ve hit it.”

“There are security cameras in the parking garage. Besides, I’m not going to lie about it.”

“Shit, lady,” Luigi huffed.

“That’s enough.” I cut my eyes at him, and he immediately got the message. I took a step toward the beauty and purposely flashed her a reassuring smile. “I’m Damon Marchetti. And you are?

“I’m Jillian Hart.” She offered me her hand to shake, but I turned it and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles.

“Are you injured, Jillian? Anything hurt or sore?” I took a half step back and looked her up and down. For both my own pleasure and to inspect her for injuries.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”

“I’ll escort you to the emergency room and have you checked out to be sure. I insist.”

She chanced a look at the cop she’d been talking to privately, and he gave a slight nod of approval. “It’s really not necessary. I don’t want to be any trouble.”

“You’re no trouble at all. Think nothing of it. I’ll take care of everything. No need to worry.” My gaze drifted to the two cops, who shifted nervously under my watch.

“Thank you for understanding. I really appreciate it.” A warm, genuine smile I seldom saw in my line of work lit up her face. “Okay, then, should I just follow you to the hospital?”

“My mother would have my head if she found out I let you drive yourself to the hospital, in a damaged car no less. You can ride with me. Luigi will follow us in your car to ensure it’s safe for you to drive later—after the doctor has cleared you.”

“Such a gentleman,” she said when I opened the back door of my car for her. After I slid in beside her, she continued. “Your mother must have raised you right.”

“You’re definitely not from around here, are you?” I found myself smiling at her in return, something I rarely did outside of the company of my immediate family.

“How’d you guess?” She laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“That accent gives you away. Louisiana, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. New Orleans. Have you ever been?”

“No, unfortunately, New Orleans is one city that’s never been on my itinerary. Seems I’ll have to remedy that.”

She dropped her head, her long hair falling forward to partially cover her face. Modest. Beautiful, but she didn’t know it. Sexy, but she didn’t flaunt it. Confident and professional, but not pretentious. Sweet and sassy, without being bitchy. This little beauty seemed to be the perfect package.

“You should really come down for Mardi Gras. The biggest party of the year.”

“I’m not much of one for crowds or big parties,” I replied and her smile faded. “Unless you’ll be there.”

Her dazzling smile returned. “I go every year. Usually with several girlfriends, but if you make the trip to NOLA, I’ll give you the VIP tour.”

“It’s a date. You can count on it.”

In my mind, I’d already claimed her as mine. The second I’d stepped out of the car and saw her standing there, I decided she’d be mine. The trip to the hospital was standard protocol in the family—leaving no stone unturned and no way for an injury to come back and bite us in the ass later. But when she got into my car, that was an intentional move. She’d be seen with me, and everyone would know to leave her alone or they’d face my wrath for messing with what was mine.

On their knees in an abandoned building with a gun pressed to their forehead.

On sight, everyone associated in any way with me, good or bad, would know I’d staked a claim on her. She was protected by a powerful family that took shit off no one.

But she was naïve to the ways of my world. She had no idea how our businesses operated, what our men were instructed to do to succeed, or what it would mean for her future when she agreed to join me. She would be warned and given one chance to walk away forever. But she had to get to know me first. That was the extent of my grand scheme—find a way to spend time with her, make her fall for me, then spring my occupation on her, and convince her to stay.

Piece of cake.

We walked through the emergency doors, my hand splayed across the small of her back. Possession is nine-tenths of the law, and I was leaving no doubts to the prying eyes that always lurked about. The nurse at the triage desk didn’t even bother looking up at us when we approached.

“She’s been in a vehicle accident. I need to have her checked out.”

With a bored sigh and barely acknowledging us, the nurse picked up a clipboard and thrust it at me. “Fill these out, bring them back, have a seat, and we’ll call you when we’re ready for you.”

“I don’t think you understand me.”

Her angry eyes flew up to meet mine, ready to fight, until she realized who I was. “I’m so sorry. I’ll escort you to an exam room right now.”

Jillian watched the exchange with a confused expression, then her gaze drifted around the waiting room full of patients who’d been there longer. The nurse jumped up from her seat, rushed around the counter, and opened the secure door to the bustling emergency room. The nurse settled Jillian into an exam room, and I waited outside the door until the doctor finished examining her. After several minutes, he reemerged to update me on her care.

“She’s fine. No injuries, not even soft tissue. She seemed more nervous about explaining the damage to her company car than anything.”

“Thanks, Doc. I’ll take care of the car, and you know where to send the bill.”

“Have a good one, Damon.”

Jillian stepped into the hallway and glanced up at me shyly. “Dr. Falco said I’m fine and can go now. Is my car safe to drive?”

I could’ve made up any number of lies about her car and she’d have been none the wiser, but something in her trusting eyes wouldn’t let me. “It is, but I have a guy who can fix the damage, and no one will ever know it was there. You’ll have your police report if you ever need it, but I promise you won’t.”

She hesitated for a moment. “Does your friend own a car repair shop or something?”

“Yes, a body shop. He can make anything look brand-new again. Luigi can drop it off today, and it’ll be ready for you in a couple of days max.”

“All right, if you’re sure. A couple of days of taking a cab to work won’t hurt me.”

She wrapped her fingers around my extended arm and walked through the hospital corridor close to my side. “No one said anything about you taking a cab back and forth every day. My driver will be at your disposal when I’m working. If I’m available, I’ll be the one at your beck and call.”

The reasons behind my offer weren’t selfless. In my line of work, trust was a rare commodity. Since I didn’t know her or her family, I wasn’t about to put blind faith in her that she’d keep her mouth shut. Whether I took her to work or my driver did, we’d know who she worked for, her whereabouts, and her daily patterns. Every piece of information could help in the future. Better to have the information and not need it than get caught with my dick in my hand and my pants around my ankles.