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I skid to halt and about-face in the opposite direction. My condo is right over the crest of the hill—so close, yet so far.Fuck me!
“Pina! Pina, wait!” The car door slams and feet hit the pavement racing after me.
I slow, realizing who it is. Only one person calls me Pina.
Gasping for air, I turn to see Lorenzo Bianchi running toward me in his expensive Italian suit. As soon as he’s close enough, I slam my hands against his chest, making him gasp in shock.
“What the hell is the matter with you? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
He rubs at the spot where I hit him but smiles radiantly. Lorenzo is the Italian mob boss of Denver and the surrounding areas. Back when I was still trying to break into the construction design business as a solo architectural designer, Lorenzo had come to me asking me to design the little underground casino of his Italian restaurant downtown.
Clearly, I made an impression because the guy hasn’t left me alone since. Had I been in a better position with my business and finances, I would have turned down the job, but I didn’t have the luxury to be picky.
Lorenzo is your classicmafioso. He’s in his late thirties, with a thick head of dark hair, dark-brown eyes, long, lean muscle, dressed to the nines, and overconfident. By all standards, he’s hot, but he doesn’t do it for me.
I have my Mister Perfect, and as far as I’m concern, there’s nothing that can compare to Maceo and his tenderness. He may have an unapproachable look to outsiders, but once you get to know him, you see how loyal and caring he is. The man would jump in front of a train to save the people he loves.
Yes, Maceo can be way too domineering at times, but it’s not done to control me. It’s my safety and the safety of our family which motivates him to act out as he does.
Maceo’s rugged good looks, giant size, and bulging muscles are only icing on the cake.
Looking at Lorenzo now, I notice a slight tweak in his nose. I had overheard Gauge saying Maceo had broken his nose when he wouldn’t stop sending me flowers and date requests. It nearly got Maceo taken out by the mob, but the police got involved. Lorenzo’s bruised ego was pushed to the backburner when Detective Quire pointed out his behavior toward me was harassment. I happen to think the blemish gives him a more attractive edge—I’m not a fan of polished men.
Everything about Lorenzo screams power. But it’s not the same kind of superpower Maceo exudes. Maceo’s authority is inherent, not the kind you can buy like the man before me. It makes Lorenzo look like a cheap substitute next to my man.
Unfortunately, circumstances forced Maceo to ask Lorenzo for help six weeks ago after Esteban, the Colombian drug lord, approached me, and all hell was breaking loose with my ex-boyfriend, Jacob. Lorenzo lent his guards to protect me, and protect me they did. Tiny Tony nearly lost his life when Jacob’s accomplice bashed him in the head with a baseball bat. Due to our shared experience, Tony and I have become friends and talk daily.
Maceo has since told Lorenzo we no longer need his help after Jacob was taken out by the local police, but apparently, Lorenzo isn’t getting the message as he’s standing in front of me now.
“Pina, forgive me. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I was driving by and saw you walking,no, trudging down the road. Why are you upset?” he says, smiling.
He seems smug, like he knows I had a confrontation with Maceo. But that’s impossible. He would have had to have been in the condo with us.
That same uneasiness I get when I feel I’m being watched settles deep in my bones with Lorenzo being so close. I absorb the shiver crawling over my skin. I cannot afford to show weakness in front of this guy. Lorenzo’s the type of man who feeds off others’ fears and attacks when you’re at your most vulnerable. I don’t need to give him any more ammunition to move in on me.
I will my body to breathe normally and not hyperventilate. I don’t want to be stricken with a panic attack while I’m alone with this man. I focus on my anger instead.
“Cut the bullshit, Lorenzo!” I wasn’t a fan of his sweet talk when I worked for him, and I’m definitely not a fan of it now as Maceo’s fiancée. I honestly believe Lorenzo took an interest in me because I was the only woman who turned him down repeatedly. My constant rejection has turned into a conquest for him.
Lorenzo sighs heavily. “You’re still hell bent on marrying Atlas, I see. But I don’t see a ring on your finger, at least not a proper ring. What are you wearing?”
His dark eyes scrutinize my hand, and his eyebrows shoot to his hairline. “Is that silicone? He bought you a silicone engagement ring!Oh, mio Dio!Bella ragazza, I would treat you like a queen and give you a proper ring, not this Cracker Jack prize. Give me a chance to prove my utter devotion to you.”
Ugh!This guy is over the top.
Folding my arms over my small chest, I glare at him. Lorenzo has some nerve. Who cares if my white silicone band is my engagement ring? It came from Maceo—therefore, I love it.
I don’t need diamonds or gold. It’s supposed to be symbolic—not flashy. All I need is Maceo’s love and I have it in spades. But the bitch in me doesn’t like how Lorenzo is bad-mouthing my man, calling him cheap when he sure as fuck is not.
I pull out the chain, tucked between my barely-there cleavage, and reveal my beautiful engagement ring from Maceo. It’s in the shape of a flower—clear and black diamonds symbolizing us and our love.
“No, thanks. I’m already Maceo’s queen. This is my ring and it’s beautiful.” I raise my left hand. “I wear silicone rings when I work because I’d like to keep my fingers, thank you very much. Maceo bought me these to avoid injuring myself when working. He gets me to a capital T.”
Lorenzo’s nostrils flare with annoyance. He collects himself and gives me a charming smile, which I notice is dull compared to Maceo’s pearly whites. “Oh, how I wish to tame your stubbornness in the bedroom,” he coos.
Jeez, this guy is bold!I roll my eyes. Lorenzo needs to move on. I swear he takes my refusals like challenges to try harder. It reminds me of Jacob and how he hounded me after we broke up, and that thought makes me edgy. Some men don’t know how to deal with rejection.
“Maceo does that too,” I say honestly, hoping it pisses him off enough to never bother with me again.
