Page 44 of Heart's Temptation
“Mmm, don’t stop.” Gio’s hands slid around me, eliciting goosebumps on my flesh as he thrummed my nipples. Marko was positioned between my legs, his tongue driving me toward an orgasm.
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
That wasn’t either of their voices. Reality slammed into me like a freight train. My instincts kicking into overdrive had my body backing up the bed as my eyes flew open. Liam sat with a smug expression.
“Sorry lass, but I had to have a taste.” It was then I realized I was completely naked and lying on crimson sheets in a strange room.
“You’re disgusting. Don’t touch me.”
Liam’s eyes hardened, reminding me that I shouldn’t underestimate him, or his depravity.
“May I remind you that you're my prisoner, and I can do whatever I want with you.”
“They will kill you,” I answered, praying I was right, and they’d get the chance.
“Doubtful, I mean look at you. Used goods, washed-up career, never made much money and you’re too scrawny to be arm candy. What good did your presence ever do for those two? I’ll tell you, nothing. All you ever were is a problem, Niki. You couldn’t even fend off your old man. You had no value then and you have even less now. Think about that while I’m killing your precious lovers.”
He stalked from the room, slamming the door, and I heard the lock slipping into place. I was alone and wouldn’t be at all surprised if there were cameras hiding so the creep could watch me strolling around naked.
Tugging on the sheet, I wrapped it around myself. There were two closed doors inside the room, and I prayed one was the bathroom. Finding it behind door number two, I scanned the small space for cameras but didn’t see any. I even investigated the vent in the ceiling. Still unsure if I was being watched, I kept the sheet tucked around me while I awkwardly went pee.
I stared at the shower wondering if I dare step in and attempt to unfreeze my limbs. Liam’s words pulled at me. Unworthy, too scrawny. Hadn’t my father always said so? I had no idea what the guys saw in me and maybe Liam and my father were right. Maybe I wasn’t good enough.
Without warning, my body became too heavy to hold up and I stumbled back to the bed and climbed beneath the blankets. Hiding in the dark, I drifted into oblivion.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Marko
I’d never gone to war with the Vitales before. When Gio helped get Vinnie back from the Calogeras, I’d been watching the club for him. When they went after the Russians, again I was left behind, as I knew more about the shipping and receiving in the ports, as well as the casinos, illegal gambling plus our own club interests better than anyone else, but they all knew there would be no leaving me behind this time.
I was Gio’s head capo, his second in more ways than one. If anything ever happened to him, I could hold the businesses together for the Vitales until they shuffled things.
We were on the precipice of something big. Something larger than Niki, Gio and myself. My gut told me what we’d seen and what was really at stake were miles apart. I didn’t trust what we had learned of the situation so far and felt there was more. My—for lack of a better word— Spidey senses were tingling.
My brain kept going as we got ready to go to war. It wasn’t just the Irish, but the Russians as well. Hetty vehemently denied any connection beyond her brother, Liam, wanting Niki for himself and swore that everything had been orchestrated to get her. But she turned bright red when Gio pointed out that Hetty was married to a known Russian mob leader. She’d been taken from the studio to the Vitale mansion for questioning with Dante who couldn't come fight with us due to his undercover status.
Romeo had a good plan. He had half a dozen sharpshooters, led by Vitto, already set up at the warehouses. Fausto had spies everywhere on the docks and knew we were up against an army of Russians lying in wait for us. We didn’t know why the Russians were in bed with the Irish, or what Liam had promised them, but we assumed it was our port and shipping lanes as it seemed to be what everyone wanted.
A boat under the guise of a floating petroleum refill station was already on its way into port with twenty of our men led by Paulo, one of Romeo's personal guards who was with him when he rescued Vittoria, and finally, there was the ground crew, consisting of us, and an additional twenty men.
I glanced at Gio as he suited up in a Kevlar vest at Romeo's insistence, and then pocketed guns into every space he could possibly place them. This wasn’t his first rodeo and with Niki’s life at stake, he would ensure we won. That is what he did, what he’d always done.
His eyes found mine. Something undefinable passed through his intense blue orbs before he nodded at me. “Suited up?”
“Ready for action, boss.”
A ghost of a smile passed his lips. “I’ll kick your ass if you get yourself killed.”
A low chuckle escaped me. “How do you propose to do that if I’m dead?”
“Don’t underestimate the devil, Marko Marino.”
He had a point. If any of the Vitale brothers were the devil hiding beneath expensive cologne and designer suits, it was Giovanni. I almost pitied Liam Kelly, almost. Then everything in me hardened and I was ready to do whatever it took to bring Niki home once and for all.
Fausto and Antonio were already at the docks orchestrating the attack. Antonio—nicknamed ‘The Beast”—was the killer in the group, while Fausto, dark and quiet, was the assassin. He’d seen more than he was willing to ever share and seemed to see poetic justice in everything. I knew for a fact that the two brothers and Dante rivaled each other in kills.
Tano was closest to Fausto, but as to who was darker and the more reserved of the two, it was hard to say. I think they enjoyed each other's company, although enjoyment may be a bit of a stretch. Out of all the possible pairings, they tolerated each other the best.