Page 8 of The Mobster’s Nurse

He hesitates again, swallowing audibly. His cheeks go pale.

"Speak openly," I tell him. "Nobody's going to hurt you for telling the truth."

"In my opinion, Mr. Moretti, there's no way that this could've happened without at least one or two of your staff members knowing about it."

I nod. Turn away. Take out my cellphone. I call Georgio, one of my men, and have him action the plan I drafted earlier. "Eyes on all the veterinary staff at all times. Background checks on all other staff members. Focus on travel to and from Boston and connections to the Irish."

"You got it, boss," Georgio says, hanging up.

Pull all the CCTV videos from the past month. Assign two men to view them. Twenty-four-seven shifts, non-stop. Covering all horse stalls and access corridors. Look for any suspicious activity around feed mangers and pans.

I leave the storage hut. The sun has finally started to set. A few horses are in the enclosure, running in lazy circles. My body stirs when I see that Ellie is leaning against the fence.

That fucking ass …

Does she have any idea what it does to me? It's round and thick and so fleshy. My mind is a battleground. I remember her sass from earlier today — the fire in her eyes.

Focus, Luca.

Could it hurt to start the interrogations?

I walk across the ranch, opening and closing my fist.

Be calm. You've got work to do.

She turns when she hears me. She's let down her bun. Messy brown, beautiful hair cascades to her shoulders. I fucking love those eyes too. Wide and sassy and ready.

I can imagine her standing up to her boss at her old job. Fiercely defending those dogs. Her maternal instincts emanate, easy to see and feel. Shimmer under her armor.

For the first time … well, ever, I wonder what it'd be like to plant my seed in a woman. Let it grow.

Focus.

"We need to talk. In private."

She bites her lip with a sound that goes directly to my balls. I want to tear that shirt off. See what those big tits are like with no clothes shielding them from me.

"Can I say no?"

I step forward. Closer. She presses her back against the fence and looks up at me with trembling lips. I can still taste those lips.

Yes, I think. You can say no. You could have said no an hour ago in that corridor, and I'd have walked away with my jaw clenched and nothing more. I know that. I just hope she does too.

"Let's go," I growl.

A shiver moves over her, making her thick body tremble. I stride toward the villa, not looking back. I know she's going to follow. Not because she has to. Because she wants to find out what comes next. Same as me.

In the villa, I take her to the office at the back. There are bookshelves and a desk, but that's all for show. This is an interrogation room, plain and simple.

I sit behind the desk and gesture at the seat opposite.

She strokes her hand down her shirt, her hands uneasy, cautious. She looks around at the bookcases, the walls, and hunches her shoulders with a short, sharp shiver. "No windows?" She sits. Looks up into the mirror that hangs above and behind me. Those sitting can see their own faces, read their own expressions, and watch their eyes either confirm or betray their fate.

The room intimidates. Intentionally. I can't feel guilty about this. It needs to be done.

Resting my elbows on the desk, I stare into her eyes. They're a pale green color, downright beautiful. "Tell me what you know about the sabotage of my father's horses."

Anger flares in her expression. Followed by sassiness so fierce that my balls ache even more and my cock stirs. "I don't know anything, Mr. Moretti."