Betraying the Mob - KU Read online

  Max lets him go and straightens his jacket as the hostess rushes over. “Is everything okay? I just saw…is he…are you all…?”

  “Everything is fine,” I rasp, struggling to calm my breathing. “Just a little misunderstanding.” I look at the guys. “Right?” Oh Jesus, please say I’m right!

  They mumble a response, and the hostess rushes back to her spot behind the cash register where she is no doubt making sure her cell phone is ready to dial the cops at any second.

  My eyes fall to the card right before Max sweeps it away and into his pocket. It only had a number on it. That’s all. No name, no address, no graphic. Just a number.

  Gianni adjusts his sling and reaches out to take my hand. “Thanks again, Nurse Sloane. I guess we won’t be going on that dinner date after all. In that case, I’ll have to find another reason to come out here to Jersey again.” He flashes a nasty smile at Max. “I’m sure I can find at least one.”

  “Take care of yourself, Gianni,” I reply, my voice shaking like I’ve almost witnessed a fatal forking in a dingy diner in a crappy part of town.

  Oh wait.

  I did.

  He nods to me and then to Max who is still gripping that fork in his hand.

  “Max,” I hiss when the door chimes jangle, indicating that Gianni has escaped a rather bloody fate. “What the hell was that? You took a fork to his goddamn throat! In a diner!”

  The fork clatters on the Formica tabletop. “We have a history. I thought he might have had a weapon on him.”

  “Are you freaking kidding me? He had one working arm!”

  “Not kidding. I’ve seen him do plenty of things with fewer working limbs that would make your head spin.”

  “And what about you?”

  “No, they didn’t make my head spin.”

  I groan and clutch the sides of my head. “Who grabs a fork to stab someone like that? Why would you even feel the need to do that and put him in a chokehold? He’s already handicapped!”

  “He’s a dangerous guy, Sloane. And he’s unpredictable. I was protecting myself. And you.”

  “You don’t think you overreacted just a little bit?”

  “If he’d have pulled a gun and fired off a couple of shots, would it have been an overreaction?”

  “No, but he didn’t.”

  “He could have.”

  “So this is what you do every day, huh? Your actual job?”

  “Professional fork assassin? No. that’s not my official title. Although,” he taps his fingertips on the table. “It has a nice ring. Good for the resume.”

  “You’re making fun of me, and I’m just trying to find out why the hell I’m sitting across from a guy who is as evasive as they come and would think nothing of gouging someone with silverware.”

  “Well, fuck me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s because it excites you.”

  “You’re sick.”

  “And yet you’re still sitting here. What does that tell you?”

  I roll my eyes. “Is he a business associate?”

  “I would never do business with an asshole like that.”

  “So what’s the issue? Why is there so much bad blood?”

  Max’s chiseled features soften, and he’s back to being Mr. Hyde. “Um, do you not know me at all? I don’t exactly leave most people with a warm and fuzzy.”

  My head drops into my hands. “Oh my God. What the hell am I doing with you? I don’t know if I’m getting you or your alter-ego half the time.”

  “But that’s good, right? I mean, that tells me you know half the time who you are getting. I think that’s more than what other people can say about me. Besides, my alter-ego is a sexy fuck.”

  “Yeah, sexy like The Incredible Hulk.” I roll my eyes. “I mean, come on! What the hell were you going to do with that fork? Was what happened between you that bad that you had to resort to using cutlery as a scare tactic?”

  “Well, my baseball bat is back at the office, so…” He snickers and sips his water.

  “You have a response for everything, don’t you?”

  “Isn’t that what makes a conversation? Didn’t you yell at me for being a crappy conversationalist before? That if it’s one-sided it’s not really a conversation? I’m just trying to do what you told me. How can that be bad? I think most women would appreciate a man listening to them and taking their advice.”

  I shake my head as my tall stack of blueberry pancakes is set in front of me. “Let me consider my answer while I devour these babies. I’ll be in a better frame of mind once my stomach stops grumbling, and I can shower off the past twelve hours.”

  Max’s fingers creep over to mine and stroke the top of my hand. “I have a lot of things to contribute to this part of the conversation if you’re interested.”

  “And what part would that be?”

  “The part where I explain, in great detail, what I’m going to do to you during that shower and exactly what I’m going to devour once I get you home.”

  “The suspense is killing me.” I pop a heaping forkful of pancakes dripping with syrup onto my fork. “Ha. No pun intended.”

  Max

  That motherfucker had some nerve showing up like that at the diner. If he pulls that shit again, I will tear his fucking arm off his scumbag body and then he won’t have to worry about a sore shoulder anymore. A fierce pang assaults my gut, and the voices taunt me.

  That fucker also knows you’re with Sloane, which puts her in danger.

  You need to deal with that.

  With him.

  Fast, before he takes anything else from you…

  I grit my teeth, desperate to silence the voices, at least for a little while. I know they’ll be back to haunt me later.

  They always do.

  My cock twitches as Sloane’s scrubs fall to the floor. She doesn’t know that she’s putting on a show for me right now. I think that even after all of that coffee, she’s still not fully awake.

  I plan to change that. Like, right now.

  I get up from a chair in the corner of her bedroom and come up behind her. Her hair is still twisted and sitting on top of her head. I unclip the thing holding it all together and it falls gently to her bare shoulders.

  She winces in the mirror. “It smells. Please don’t stick your face into it.”

  I don’t listen. I don’t care what it smells like. I part the strands and taste the smooth skin of her neck, making her knees buckle when I take hold of her earlobe with my teeth. She falls back against me, her head thrown back, mouth letting out tiny mewls as I feast on her.

  And for the record, the only thing I smell is coconuts.

  “You’re gorgeous,” I murmur, my fingertips flicking open the back of her bra. She slides each arm out, and I let it flutter to the floor next to her scrubs. I knead her breasts, flicking the nipples one at a time as she backs up against me, her perfect ass in line with my hard cock. Good God, I want to drive into her right now.

  Her eyes flutter open, half-way, that seductive look making my balls ache with need. I love watching her like this, seeing her reflection in the mirror, aroused at how her body responds to mine. It’s hot as fuck, and this teasing is gonna make me erupt before I even have a chance to feel that soft pussy clench around my dick.

  Like I’m in fucking high school or some shit like that.

  I slide a hand down, skimming the top of her panties. My fingers loop into the elastic, and I push them to her ankles. She kicks them off and turns around with a mischievous smile on her face. “Should we take this somewhere else? Wasn’t that part of your plan?”

  “I have so many plans, it’s hard to keep them straight. I hope you don’t have much going on for the next four or five hours.”

  She lets out a soft giggle, laying her arms around my shoulders and pressing herself against me. “You’re wearing too many clothes right now. It won’t be any fun if we try to pull off those jeans in the shower. You’d better leave them here. I think the rest of it should come off, t
oo. It might get in the way.”

  Oh, hell yeah, it will. Our frenzied fingers work fast to get me naked, and I fist her hair, crushing my lips against hers. Mmm, blueberries.

  Good Christ, I’m so crazy about this girl.

  She welcomes my tongue, coiling it with her own, the heat of her mouth warming my entire body. I grip the globes of her ass, squeezing and making her squeal as I lift her into my arms and back her into the bathroom. I sit her on the sink, the head of my cock grazing her opening. A jolt zips through me, making my gut clench and I plunge into her depths, drowning in her juices. She locks her legs around my waist and I know this is bad, I know I’m not wearing a condom, but damn, she feels so fucking good wrapped tight around my dick. I promise myself it’ll only be for a second, but the long, deep strokes make my cock throb and thicken inside of her.

  She whimpers into my neck, pressing her fingertips into my hips, pushing me deeper inside. “Max,” she whisper-cries, clenching her muscles with each thrust of her hips. “Oh my God, that’s so incredible. Please, don’t stop. I need you deeper. Now!”

  I tilt her backward, lifting her ass upward so I can drive into her, plundering her body with my desire. Her whimpers turn into tiny screams that I know she wants to really let loose but paper-thin walls make her resist.

  Which is a good thing, considering the fact that her dad is only a few steps away and armed with some very sharp cutlery of his own. Since I’d like to be able to keep doing this with his daughter and not lose my balls in the process, I graze her lips with mine to occupy that devious mouth of hers. She fists my hair, tugging it as I thrust harder and faster. I grasp one of her breasts, my dick filling with cum. No, no, no! I’m not ready. It’s too fucking good, and I can’t pull out now!

  “Max,” she rasps. “Come with me. Now. Please. I want us to come together.”

  “I can’t,” I whisper. “I don’t have—”

  “It’s fine. Pill.” She grips me harder, digging her nails into my hips then sliding her hands over my ass. “Oh, God, don’t stop!” She squeezes her eyes shut, her face flushed a deep pink color, and she’s never looked more fucking beautiful to me. A little wail escapes her lips and I pull her close, thrusting once, twice, three times before the explosion rumbles through me like an avalanche gathering speed and power down a mountain side. I hold her tight against me, drowning in some mixture of lust and love, hoping she feels the same way. I shudder, filling her with everything I have. We collapse against each other, our bodies slick with sweat, chests heaving with sharp and ragged breaths.

  I’ve never had such amazing sex in a bathroom before.

  I’ve never had such amazing sex before, period.

  I stroke the slope of Sloane’s back, running a hand over her smooth, flushed skin and she shivers, a tiny giggle escaping her full lips. “That tickles.”

  I love you. I love you. I love you.

  If I open my mouth, those three words may just slip out.

  But I almost intentionally assaulted a guy with a fork right in front of her. I didn’t miss the expression of utter horror on her face. And the questions…she’s no idiot.

  Then again, despite what I did, here we are, so…maybe she’s the type to overlook certain things.

  I can’t tell her. Not yet. It’s too soon.

  Besides, I have the Bonnaros to deal with. They’re dangerous and unpredictable. And Gianni has seen me with her. He knows who she is…where she works…

  Fuck! Telling her I love her is dragging her in deeper when I should be responsible and just walk away. Every time I take a few steps forward, I slip and fall down the fucking stairs again, back into the dredges of my thug life.

  Because it’s just my nature. Like everyone says, it’s what I’m good at.

  Right now, I need to get good at something else or what I love will be put in jeopardy. I know how these fuckers work. Revenge cuts fucking deep into the lives of everyone you love, and if I really love Sloane, I have to figure out how to stop these guys before she gets hurt.

  Or worse.

  I couldn’t live with myself if my past mistakes come back to haunt her.

  If anyone lays a fucking finger on her…

  I grit my teeth, squeezing her tighter.

  “I can feel you tensing up,” she whispers, her breath hot against my neck. “Shouldn’t you be relaxed right now? I have a really nice fluttery feeling in my belly right now, and I kind of feel like Jell-O. But you feel so stiff…what’s up?”

  “Stiff is usually a good thing,” I murmur, rubbing my hand over her hair then down her arms.

  “Yes. But it’s usually a good thing when it’s limited to certain appendages and we both benefit from its stiffness.”

  “Well, if that’s what you’re after, I’m sure it can be arranged.”

  “I do need a shower.”

  “I like you dirty.”

  She drops her head back, her green eyes glittering. “Do you now?”

  “Yeah.” I nuzzle her neck. “But I’m open to hopping in there with you to make sure you don’t get too clean.” I lift her off the sink and watch as she saunters toward the shower and twists the nozzle on. Steam rises from the enclosure and she takes my hand, pulling me toward her.

  “I like it really hot,” she whispers. “I hope that’s not a problem.”

  I grasp her ass and squeeze. “I never knew you were such a bad girl, Sloane.”

  “What can I say? You just bring it out of me.”

  I fist her hair, pulling her face close, our lips crashing against each other. Her eager mouth opens, her teeth nipping at my lower lip. My cock twitches, ready to get into the action. It doesn’t take much for him to respond. At least, not when Sloane is the one grasping and stroking him hard with her soft hands.

  She opens the shower door, not breaking our kiss, and pulls me inside. Water rushes over us as we clutch each other, our hands everywhere, limbs entwined. I drink her in like I’ve been wandering around in the desert for days without water and she’s the only one who can quench my thirst. My heart hammers against my ribcage as she rubs the head of my dick against her pussy. It swells in her hand, ready to plunge into her heat again.

  I just want to fuck her, all day, every day.

  Is that bad?

  How can that be bad?

  I break our kiss to taste the slope of her neck, not forgetting the sensitive spot behind her ear, and it doesn’t disappoint. She falls to her knees, taking my cock deep into her mouth as she cups my balls in her free hand. I lean back against the tile, gritting my teeth, trying hard not to lose my shit just yet. I rake my hands through my hair, pulling it hard to make the pain combat the sparks igniting in my groin. After a few seconds of thinking of things that’ll kill my erection, I realize that nothing can battle my desire for this woman. Not a busted skull or an ice pick to the eye. If my cock is in Sloane’s mouth, nothing can stop me from blowing my load.

  Nothing except pulling my cock out of her mouth…so I can put it somewhere else.

  I lift Sloane up slowly so she doesn’t slip. “You’re fucking amazing,” I whisper. “Now let me make you feel the same way, okay?”

  She nods, her eyes dark with lust. I turn her around, making her face the tile. I bring a hand down the front of her torso, my fingers plunging into her wet pussy, flicking her clit. Her back arches, her ass pressing against my dick, and she lets out a little yelp. She thrusts against my hand, but I know she wants more when she reaches behind me and grasps my dick again, rubbing it between her ass cheeks.

  My breath hitches, and I spread her legs with mine, pressing my cock deep inside of her while my finger keeps rubbing her clit. Her pussy clenches tight around me, sucking me in deep. I thrust into her, one hand on her belly, pressed tight against me. My cock pulsates inside of her as we’re assaulted by the hot shower spray. Her legs tighten, her walls pulling me farther inside. She is squeezing me with everything she has, and white spots flash behind my eyes, blinding me with a passion I’ve never known.
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  I let out a loud groan as her hips thrust backward, faster and harder. My free hand grasps one of her breasts, kneading the soft flesh as my mouth attacks the back of her neck. I can’t get enough of this girl. She has me…all of me. I never thought I’d ever say that, never really thought I’d want to say it about anyone.

  But being with Sloane…she just makes everything better. She makes me want to be better.

  But more than that, she makes me look forward into a future where I can have everything I want but never knew I was missing.

  I want that future…with her.

  That realization doesn’t even blow my erection. It only makes me drive into her harder, to connect with her on the deepest level possible.

  I need to protect this, to keep her safe, to make sure I can give her everything she needs.

  A fire rages deep within me, singeing everything in its path. Sparks shoot out to every limb, the flames raging through my insides, igniting each and every cell. I squeeze my eyes shut as she writhes against me. Our slick bodies slap against each other, the walls of her pussy blanketing my cock in her juices.

  “Ahh!” I grit my teeth as the orgasm tears through me, holding her close to my chest. Tremors shoot through me, and my body quakes and quivers.

  “That’s some pretty impressive rebound time,” she rasps, still breathless.

  I nod since I still can’t really speak. I drop my head onto her shoulder, closing my eyes against the spray of water rushing over me.

  “Can you talk?” she teases, slowly twisting around. Her face is flushed a deep shade of pink, her eyes glimmering like jewels. I don’t usually notice shit like that, but then again, I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. I’ve never pretended to, either. Never said ‘I love you’ to any woman in my life who wasn’t family. I don’t bullshit people.

  I’m a straight shooter. I don’t massage my words because they might hurt someone’s feelings. But hey, at least I can say I’m being true to myself…even if it gets me killed, something I’ve never really been too worried about in the past. I was always too impulsive, always ready to beat the shit out of someone because, why not? What do I have to lose?