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I shook my head. “If that were the case, he never would’ve let you keep me for so long. He wouldn’t have launched this attack while I was still here. I don’t think he has all the alliances he wants us to believe.” Vincent hadn’t done anything to piss the Commission off enough for an attack—not yet. I had to believe that my father had either lied to the Commission or to us. Neither option would surprise me.
Vincent sprung to his feet quickly, shaking his head. He turned and pushed his body over mine, easing me back on the bed until my back lay flush against his comforter. “I don’t want to talk about this right now,” he told me, shaking my head. “I want to follow through on what I promised you earlier.”
I looked down at myself, taking in the silver dress that had remained shockingly intact through all of the fighting. The charity event felt like it had taken place years ago, not a mere three hours before now. After all this dress had endured, I was particularly fond of keeping it, but the blood splatter that had taken over the bottom half made that wish nothing more than a fantasy. I smiled and bit my bottom lip. “I’m inclined to tell you that you can’t possibly tear through this fabric.”
He smiled and nipped at the lobe of my ear, drawing a gasp from me. He reached to my side and held a small pocketknife beside my face—the one he’d used to tear the gauze that he’d placed over my wound. He dragged the cool metal down my cheek, and I shuddered. I couldn’t believe the fucked-up reaction I had to him bringing a weapon so close to me, but my stomach turned molten as he dragged the flat edge down my chest and to the top of my gown.
“I know you like it rough, but your reaction to this knife surprises me,topo.”
I gasped as he turned it and put a small slit in the dress between my breasts. “Why do you still call me a mouse?” I asked as he tossed the knife to the side.
He gripped the dress with both hands and, using far less effort than expected, tore the material in half, revealing the hardened peaks of my breasts. “You’re small like a mouse,” he replied, “and you have the ability to do a lot of damage without notice. Mice can chew through the wires of a house and destroy someone’s life without being seen. You somehow snuck into my life and wrecked me before I even realized I’d let you in.”
I thought about that as his hands covered my tits, his thumbs and fingers rolling my nipples in a way that had my breath speeding up. “You did the same to me,” I told him, and he paused just long enough for me to reach behind him and grab a fistful of his hair. I lifted my hips and, in a maneuver he wasn’t expecting, flipped our positions, sitting atop him with a smile of satisfaction. He leaned back, placing his hands beneath the back of his head as he watched me. I pushed the remaining fabric of my dress to the floor and undid his belt loop, pushing his pants downward.
I made sure to give him a show as I slid atop him, grinding into his hardened cock as I moved. I bent so that our lips nearly brushed, and as he pursed his lips for a kiss he anticipated, I pulled away with a smirk. His jaw ticked. “If you tease me like that, you’re not going to like where this goes.”
“I thought we’d already established this, Vincent. You can’t take this to a single place I wouldn’tlove.”
I slid down his body, pulling his boxers with me, and took every inch of his cock into my throat, sucking hard. He moved a hand to the back of my head, gripping my hair in a way that should have been painful. He pushed himself so deep in my throat that I gagged around him, but his groan had me aching between my legs. I looked up through lowered lashes and smirked at him as he kept his hand wound in my hair and controlled every motion I made. I moaned against his length, moving my hand between my own thighs and giving myself a similar pleasure.
“Fuck, Mia,” he groaned, pounding me down on him as I massaged myself, moaning relentlessly against him. I felt the tension building within myself so quickly that I ground into his leg as I massaged myself. I didn’t break eye contact, and when his eyes rolled back, I grabbed the back of his hand and forced myself away from him. I climbed atop him fully, resting a hand on either side of his head and sinking on him. The sensation of him filling me brought an indescribable feeling as I rocked back and forth, taking him in as deeply as I could. I bounced and ground into him until that pressure had built to its apex.
“Vincent,” I cried out. He reached up and grabbed both of my breasts, squeezing them and sending me over the edge I’d been teetering on for long minutes. I screamed for him, rocking and grinding and crying. I continued rocking, even as he too groaned, spasming beneath me. It wasn’t until he grabbed my hips and flipped me beneath him that I stopped shouting my moans.
I lay back and panted as he stared deeply into my eyes. “I fucking love you, Mia,” he said. “God, I fucking love you.” The shock of the statement froze me to my spot, and I said nothing as I stared into the sincere expression in his eyes. “We can leave—give up the territory and run away from all this shit. None of it matters as long as I have you.”
I shook my head. “No, you have to get your revenge. You have to pay my father back for what he did to your family.”
“None of it matters anymore. If I lose you too, I’ll never forgive myself. Mia, if we can’t figure out how to end this, I’m not taking chances. I’ve built an empire here—one full of people who trust and respect me. I can always take it somewhere else and start over with you. I can be happy somewhere else as long as I have you.”
His words obliterated me. I knew the weight of them. Avenging his family had been his main goal for as long as I’d known him. He would’ve given his own life to do that, but whatever had changed had been so significant that it no longer mattered if he got that vengeance. Whatever had shifted felt so important and so realthat I could hardly breathe. And he didn’t even know the truth.
22
VINCENT COLOMBO
With the threat so high, I considered leaving the monthly debts alone for a few weeks, at least until we settled this entire situation. But all the people in the western part of my territory knew the day I came, and knew they were to have their debts ready. I’d held off before, and it had ended poorly for all parties involved. They no longer had the extra money later, yet I had to show that I enforced my debts even when collection was a few days late.
Instead of going alone, I brought both Mia and Alessio. Alessio would guard the door and Mia would come inside with me. We’d get in and out, and there would be no funny business. Luca and Caterina were in charge of the house and protecting it while we were away. “This guy drew his gun last time I went,” I told Alessio. “So let’s be aware of that.”
Alessio shook his head disappointedly, glancing at Mia. “These guys are ridiculous. Mia, are you going to put him in his place, or is that going to be my job?” He looked into the back seat at her. “Luca told me you’re damn good at kicking ass.”
She cringed, and her fingers moved to the scar on her forehead that had fortunately healed pretty well over the past week. “I’d really rather not have a replay of that situation any time soon.”
He chuckled. “But you can handle it if it arises, and that’s all that matters. You fit in well here, you know that.” I could see that the compliment meant something to Mia as she leaned back in her seat, gathering one of her knees to her chest.
I pulled into the apartment complex, and Mia immediately stepped from the car, eager to get inside and get this taken care of. I held Alessio back just long enough for her door to close. “Keep her safe,” I told him. We’d had a similar conversation a few days ago when I’d told both him and Caterina that Mia was one of us now, and she was to be treated like family. I’d expected some pushback, especially from my brother who wanted revenge as desperately as me. But he’d only said that we’d find another way. And Caterina…well, she’d been over the moon. She’d been waiting for Mia to make it official.
“I know she’s been itching to ask me to train her,” Caterina had said. “She’s going to make a damn good student with all she already knows.” It was almost as if everyone had been waiting for us to make it official. Everyone other than me knew it’d been coming.
Alessio reached forward and patted my shoulder with his hand. “With my life.” We all moved from the vehicle together, and when the exterior of the building appeared relatively clear, something in me calmed. We needed to get in and out. No tricky shit. No arguments. I recalled the anger I’d faced from these people the few times I’d brought Mia. My mind lingered on the apartment complex across the street where the man had pulled a knife on her. This complex was typically much tamer than that one.
We made our way inside, and I knocked on the first door. Mia and Alessio stood behind me as we waited for any response, but nobody spoke. I knocked again. “Francene!” I yelled. “I saw the Volvo outside! I know you’re here!” No response. “I’m going to break in the door! I know you’re here! I’m not playing games today!” I looked between Mia and Alessio as I waited for a few seconds. I wasn’t going to continue waiting.
I reared back, and just like I’d done to people in this complex a dozen times before, I kicked in the door with one swift blow. The hinges cracked, and I kicked one more time, sending it caving inward. I strode into the room, and the sight that greeted me seemed as if it came in slow motion. Alessio and Mia came inside, too, staring at the gory mess that was Francene’s couch. “God,” Mia whispered, walking closer. “Who would have done this?”
I shook my head as I approached, too. Rather than waiting at the door, the shock of the scene brought Alessio forward, and he hovered near the body. It didn’t make sense why she’d be killed, as she wasn’t one of my people, and my people would never have come for her. She could’ve had other enemies, but I didn’t believe in coincidences. I didn’t believe that I’d simply stumble on this scene.
