AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There was no way Jules would let the mountain of a man get his hands on her body. She wanted to make whatever was about to happen as easy on her nephew as possible. He had already been through enough and watching some giant man force her anywhere might not be the best idea.
“Fine,” she spat. “Where are you taking us?” she boldly asked.
He laughed at her again, “Out of here,” he said. “I thought we already covered all of this.” He was right, they had, and Jules also had to agree with him that she had no other options. Truthfully, she’d go with just about anyone to get the hell out of the cramped little room they had her and Michael in. She reached for Michael’s hand, and he shyly took it. He seemed less eager to go with the big guy.
“You have a name?” she asked. Jules didn’t care what it was, but she thought that knowing the man’s name might make Michael more comfortable.
“It’s Bruno Gallo but everyone calls me Lucky,” he said, giving her an exaggerated wink.
“Hey, Gallo is Mila’s last name too,” Michael piped up about his dad’s new girlfriend. Lucky looked back to the two guards standing out in the hallway and back to them, covering his mouth with his finger, as if telling them both to keep that bit of information to themselves.
“How about we talk about all of that once we get out of here?” he whispered. Jules wasn’t sure why Lucky suddenly seemed anxious to get a move on, but she was beginning to believe her initial hope at seeing him wasn’t so far-fetched. Maybe he was there to help them but that could just be her silly wistfulness, hoping that someone would save her and Michael.
Lucky helped Michael up into his pick-up and then gave her a boost into the passenger seat. “Thanks,” she shyly said.
“No problem,” he said. Jules couldn’t seem to take her eyes off Lucky as he rounded his truck and got into the driver’s seat.
He barely shut his door before she got her question out. “So, who sent you?” she asked.
Lucky didn’t hide his surprise at her question. “Mila’s brother called in a favor,” he admitted.
“Well, whatever happened and whoever sent you doesn’t matter. I appreciate you helping Michael and me,” Jules said.
“Don’t thank me just yet, honey. We have to get the hell out of here and find a safe place to lay low. Your brother has his work cut out for himself and I’m supposed to keep you and the kid under wraps until Isabella’s trial is over. He said to tell you that he’s sorry but it’s the only way he can keep you both safe. Looks like you’re stuck with me for the time being,” Lucky said.
He started his truck and pulled away from the seemingly innocent-looking little house that was their prison and Jules didn’t chance a look back. Trusting her brother to keep her safe was one thing but trusting a stranger, no matter how sexy he was, was quite another.
Jules
One Year Later
Jules Leone dashed from the street corner to the crosswalk determined to make it across before the offensive red hand appeared on the pedestrian screen. She was once again running late and hated the impression she was making on her new boss. Now more than ever, she needed to prove that she was good at what she did for a living. Being the personal assistant to Chicago’s Police Commissioner was not only a big responsibility but an honor and she had to admit—the perks were pretty nice too. She was lucky that her new boss decided to keep her around after he took the position from her brother and Jules was determined to show him that he had made the right call.
As the former Comish’s sister, people liked to assume she got the job working for her older brother, Gabe, due to some form of nepotism. The truth of the matter was she was damn good at what she did, and she hated the fact that people were still questioning her skills. Once she proved she could handle the job under her new boss, she was sure people would leave her alone. At least, that was what she hoped.
She got to the other side of the street just in time for the cars to start impatiently honking at her and she turned around to flip the last driver off, even giving him her best “eat shit, asshole,” grin.
“Nice,” a deep voice said from behind her, causing her to quickly turn on her heel. She’d know that voice anywhere. It was the same one that she imagined saying dirty things into her ear every night while she dreamed. It belonged to a man who wanted everything from her. She couldn’t give him what he needed but God, she wanted to.
“Lucky,” she whispered his name. “What are you doing here?” she asked. Bruno “Lucky” Gallo wasn’t a man she had ever planned on seeing again, yet there he stood in all his glory. He was so tall at around six-five, that she had to crane her neck to look up at him. Jules took a step back needing to give herself some space, but she was pretty sure that just a few feet that Lucky allowed wouldn’t be enough.
“It’s good to see you too, honey,” he said.
“I’m not your honey,” Jules taunted. “I thought I made that clear when you helped my family out.”
“Yep, crystal clear,” he agreed. She instantly regretted her words when she caught the flash of hurt that crossed his features. She had no cause to treat him so harshly. Lucky had been there for her family when they needed him, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to repay him for everything he did for them. Without Lucky’s help, her nephew and she might not be alive. Jules owed him so much more than her quick temper and sharp tongue. She owed him her life, but she couldn’t let that cloud her judgment. He was a Gallo and worked for one of the largest mafia families in Chicago. Forgetting that would land her in more trouble than she was ready for, but that didn’t stop her from wanting him.
After Lucky saved her and Michael from the Gallos just about a year ago, he took them to a safe house and made sure that no one could get to them. They spent two weeks cooped up together with nothing more than a deck of cards and their life stories. She told Lucky more about herself than she had ever told any other person—even her brother. By the time they got the all-clear to head back home, she knew she had fallen for Bruno Gallo, but that wasn’t something she could admit. When he asked to see her again, she told him no. Jules spelled it out, in no uncertain terms, that she could never be involved with a man like him. She remembered that day so vividly; the pain she caused him still haunted her. He was so expressive and when she flat-out turned him down and explained why she couldn’t be with him, all the hurt and pain was evident in his dark brown eyes. There would be no taking back her hurtful words then or now.
“So why are you here, Lucky?” she questioned.
“I need to talk to you, and I can’t do it here. It has to do with the family business and if I’m seen talking to you, they will kill us both,” he admitted.
“Fuck,” Jules swore.
“You still have the foulest mouth I’ve ever heard on a woman,” he chided. Honestly, it sounded more like praise than criticism coming from him.
“Yeah well, when you say shit like that what do you expect?” she asked. Jules nervously looked around, worried that they were being watched at that very moment. Her job at the Commissioner’s office was always a dangerous one. There were a lot of people who wouldn’t stop trying to use her to get to her boss and that thought kept her on her toes. Being aware of everyone around her was what kept her alive this past year. She learned the hard way that trusting the wrong people could land her in trouble or worse—dead.
