Page 21 of His Vicious Vow
I jump when he knocks on my window. I want to ignore it, but I don’t dare. Pressing the button, the window comes down.
Leaning inside, he grasps me by the back of the neck and before I can blink, he captures my mouth in the briefest of kisses ending with him sucking hard on my bottom lip before biting hard enough to ache.
“Why did you do that?” Comes out of me in Italian. As it was my first language it often is what I speak in when thought is too hard.
A thumb runs over my bottom lip in a caress. “Because I want you to dream of me tonight. If I’m going to bed hard and aching for you, it’s only fair.” He responds in Italian. With a wink, he straightens. “Sweet, dirty dreams my dear wife.”
The smug bastard slaps the hood of the car a few times before walking away.
My attention is caught by the cabbie keying my address into the navigation app on the dash with a shaking hand.
Letting out a sigh, I grab my phone. I do another search for where the hell to run to. I need to get away from him now, like right freaking now. Because as much as I might try to believe I’m glad he isn’t taking me home so I don’t have to fight him off. I’m not glad. I want more of his hands on me, his mouth...
Once I’m home, I head straight for a cup of tea. Pride fills me at my collection of tea, some loose leaf, others in bags, all get sipped on often. I put the kettle on to boil and open the cupboard for my cups. Pleasure is what I feel every time I see them. Some are as big as bowls, others are delicate and barely hold a few ounces—all of them have meaning, especially the ones Celia bought me. Deciding to mix my favorites for a long sleep I wrap the strings around the handle, so they won’t go into the water once it’s poured.
I check the time for steeping then go into my bedroom to get changed for bed into panties and an oversized shirt. Removing my makeup as I sip my tea, I refuse to think of Sandro instead I’m planning my escape.
In bed instead of dreams of France I fall asleep to blue eyes glowing down at me with hunger and need.
* * *
Sandro
I wait until I close the door to my suite before I hit the jammer for recording of audio and visual. Hitting send, Gaetano answers before I hear it ring.
“Who was the rat?” I demand.
“The last dealer we hired for the property in old Vegas. She’s a CI here in Vegas. I found something to fire her on. We can’t touch her for a minute but we have ears on her.”
It pisses me off how right he is. I want her destroyed, painfully and immediately. But if she disappeared within the next few months, it will bring badges to our door. “You’re checking people in the property on the strip.” It’s not a question.
Gaetano knows this. “I’m doing it right now. I’m halfway through them.”
“Good. Keep me informed.” I toss my phone on the desk to keep from throwing it across the room.
I tear off my jacket and tie and toss them both on the sofa. Grabbing the bottle of scotch off the sideboard I grab a glass and take it to the sofa. For an almost thousand dollar a night two room suite this sofa is uncomfortable as fuck. I consider taking my glass of scotch with me to lay down on the bed.
The knock on the door, has me going still. I’m up and across the room. Using the peephole, I see Tony and Dominic. I open the door.
Dominic nods at me. “We need to talk. I hear there are issues in Vegas. And someone put a hit out on you.”
CHAPTER 8
Sandro
Opening the door to let them in I’m surprised by the guy trailing them inside. He’s tall and wide and jacked up like a bull.
Tony nods at him. “Eddie, he’s going to be your shadow from now until you get back on the plane to Vegas. Been on my crew since he was twelve from his father, my number two.”
I shrug. “Who wants me dead?”
Dominic and Tony sit on the sofa. Eddie sits in the other uncomfortable as fuck chair that matches the one I sit down in.
“Scotch?” I motion to the bottle on the table.
Everyone shakes their head.
Dominic sighs. “We have no idea. All Valdez caught was the confirmation of payment. The hitter is one Valdez has his eyes on for another hit he’s expecting on someone else here in Chicago.”