AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Relax,” Sergio leans in and whispers in my ear. “You’re safe here,la mia piccola bellezza,” he promises me, and I want to believe him. I really do.
Out of the side of my mouth, I ask, “What does that mean?”
He only answers with a humming sound, and I want to scream at him that a sound is not an answer, but before I can, we enter a sitting room. In a normal house it would be a living room, but I don’t think anything about this house is normal. A man who looks like he rules the fucking world is sitting on a couch along with a gorgeous dark-haired woman. The woman is rubbing a hand over her pregnant belly as she looks up and gives us a bright smile.
The man with her is not smiling. He’s looking at me as if trying to dissect me. Darkness and power swirl around him. I thought Mr. Lang was intimidating, but now I realize that Lang being intimidating is like one of those art classes you sign up for by correspondence—nowhere near the real thing.
“Sergio, it’s good to see you,” the woman’s voice is bright and cheery. It’s clear they know each other. There’s a teasing lilt to her voice, “Now that you don’t have to watch me outside of the studio you’ve found yourself a woman?”
The dots connect in my head, and I realize this must be the woman Sergio was put in place to protect while she was teaching her dance classes. I swallow hard as my nerves skyrocket.
“Actually, I met my Marigold while you were teaching a class not long ago.” I watch the man narrow his eyes. “She came out into the alley to throw away a bag of garbage.”
“I work in my grandfather’s bookstore a few doors down from the dance studio.” Holy shit. Has my voice always been so high and thready? I never knew I could do an impersonation of one of the chipmunks from that cartoon. Yet here I am. “He’s owned it for years. He always says he’s going to pass it down to me.”
Stop fucking talking.
“I’ve seen the store, but I haven’t been in,” the woman remarks with warmth in her voice and her smile still intact. “Excuse the rudeness of our men,” I blink when she refers to Sergio as mine, “my name is Zinnia and this is my husband, Elio Agosti.”
My entire body freezes with her statement. Agosti. Elio Agosti. I am in the home of Elio Agosti.
Oh. Okay. This is fine. Right?
The Agosti family is only one of the most powerful families around and are known for their empire of crime, violence, and death.
I look at Sergio and have to stop myself from taking a step away from him. From this whole situation.
“Ah, it seems you’ve heard of me,” Elio’s voice is smooth with a hint of amusement.
Zinnia smacks him playfully and if I wasn’t looking to see the action, I wouldn’t believe it. Elio catches her hand and fear washes over me, but all he does is kiss the tips of her fingers. My eyeballs hurt with how hard they’re trying to bug out of my head.
“Uh,” is all I can manage as I’m trying not to freak the fuck out.
“My girl has a bit of a problem.” Elio sits up straighter, and Zinnia’s eyebrows come together as if she’s concerned for me. “I found two guys manhandling her and threatening her today in the alley.” Sergio’s dark eyes find mine, and I can see the displeasure that I was even back in the alley, but the trash has to go out and I’m not going to send my grandfather to do it. “They were telling her how her grandfather should have taken the offer to sell the bookstore and she should have agreed to go out with their boss. They were rough with her,” the fury in Sergio’s voice isn’t directed at me and I’m thankful for it.
It probably shouldn’t turn me on, but it does. I find myself rubbing the spot on my arm where I’m sure bruises are starting to form from where the guy was grabbing me. It doesn’t hurt, not really, but I swear I can still feel his rough touch.
Elio’s voice is ice cold, “Who’s their boss?”
“Lucius Lang,” my voice is soft as I force the words past my lips. Elio arches an eyebrow and shares a look with Sergio, one I can’t read. Zinnia’s face is still filled with compassion and that is what I lock onto before I start rambling. “My grandfather didn’t tell me about the offer. He also didn’t tell me about how some of our bills are past due. I have a feeling Mr. Lang is doing something to negatively affect the business because it’s been dropping lately. At first it wasn’t noticeable, but now it is.”
“Lang is scum who hides behind legal dealings, but it’s all a front. He thinks he’s big time, but he’s not,” Elio’s voice is cutting and I’m glad I’m not on the receiving end of his barely contained anger. He speaks to Sergio, “We’ll get to the bottom of this. If I need to, I’ll set a meeting with him to let him know your woman is family which makes the store fall under the Agosti umbrella.”
Sergio’s shoulders relax slightly and a breath of air wooshes out of me. I’m not entirely sure being under the Agosti umbrella is a good thing, but if it protects the store, my grandfather, and me then I’ll accept it. I won’t be laundering money for them though. I almost say the words out loud but press my lips together instead.
Now is not the time, Marigold. You’re surrounded by danger.
Sergio grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze before addressing his boss. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Elio smirks and shrugs casually, “We’re family.”
I barely get the chance to say goodbye before Sergio leads me back outside the showcase home and to his car. I get lost in thought, going over what just happened, until I realize we’ve stopped again, and Sergio has opened my door. When he sweepsme up in his arms, I let out a little squeal and wrap my arms around his neck to ensure I don’t fall.
He nuzzles against my hair and whispers, “I won’t drop you, little beauty. I promise.”
“That was a lot,” I blurt out and feel my cheeks heat.
“It was, but now you know that you have one of the most powerful men in the city at your back,” he reminds me calmly while looking at me as if he expects me to shatter at any moment.
