Owned by the mafia boss

VINN

Nico had put a gun to my goddamned head.

After everything I’d done for the Family.

The countless pep talks with his son, sending him to rehab, visiting Nico in jail…all of it had added up to a big, fat zero. I’d killed men I barely knew. I’d fiercely defended our interests because, without my uncle, I’d still be a jobless felon.

I had nothing but this.

I would’ve gladly died on a Costa hill.

For what?

He’d been ready to blow out my brains a few hours ago. Nothing mattered to him but that jackass, Anthony. He’d only spared me because Liana’s “pregnancy” made her a worthless bargaining chip. I would’ve jumped in front of a speeding train to save her life. He was in a hurry to dispose of her.

The betrayal sat like a rock in my throat.

Fuck up again, and your kid won’t have a father.

He’d said it right before I drove to Liana. I didn’t feel the impact until Liana was safe. Now, I burned with a corrosive hatred.

I charged into the kitchen. Drawers slammed as I searched for something to drown the rage. I tore through cupboards, finding a half-filled fifth that some chick had brought over. The tinted liquid poured like oil.

I pressed the cup to my mouth and drank. The floral syrup hit my tongue, pitting my stomach with nausea. Like death in a bottle. Specifically, like the purple flowers that had sprouted all over Iraq. Bitterness chased away my short-lived relief.

Tentative footsteps tapped the floor.

Shit. I wasn’t alone. Suddenly, resentment over all those times she’d shown up at the hospital and rehab washed into my gut with my next gulp. Liana was always there to witness my weakest moments.

“Vinn, you’re stronger than this.”

I closed my eyes. “Leave.”

“No.”

Of course she wouldn’t. “I’m not asking.”

Judging by her approach, she didn’t give a shit. “What do you really want, Vinn?”

To be numb.

It was no use. I couldn’t wall myself in ice. Liana had blown back into my life, and, ever since, I’d been a fucking mess. Distracted. Angry. Impulsive.

Jealous.

Killian’s face materialized in my head.

I hurled my drink.

A small gasp echoed behind me as glass shattered over tiles, the shards slipping into the gas range. My vision fogged over with the image of Killian all over Liana. It’d been so much worse than James, because the biker had the means to steal her from me.

Over my rotting corpse.

Liana bumped into my back. Her hands slid across my midsection and anchored over my arms.

My pulse skittered from the unexpected touch. I didn’t do well with being restrained, even if it was by a pint-sized girl I could toss a hundred yards. I tugged her wrists.

She cinched harder.

“Li, I don’t like being held.”

“That’s because you’re not used to it.” Liana stroked my abdomen, and discomfort swooped into my gut. “Get over it. If you’re this uncomfortable about a hug, we’re screwed. You’ll never convince anyone we’re a real couple.”

She had a point.

I clutched her forearm as my heartbeat galloped ahead. “I’m not in the mood for whatever this is.”

“You need a hug, Vinn.”

I need to kill everyone.

Annoyance stabbed at me as she inhaled deeply, tightening like a belt. The last thing I wanted to be was violent, especially to her, but a dangerous impulse stirred in my body. I ached to throw her on the bed and fuck away some of this frustration.

“I can’t be nice to you right now.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“Liana.” I gritted my teeth, fighting to keep my rage under control. “Leave me the hell alone.”

I seized the vodka, breaking from her hold.

“No.” She latched onto me like a barnacle. “Vinny, don’t do this to yourself.”

That soft tone beckoned too many bad memories.

A knot sank in my throat as she shoved herself between me and the counter. Something in her voice had stolen all desire for drinking, and I let her take the bottle. She tipped the booze, emptying it into the sink. As the purple liquid circled the drain, she leaned into me.

“It’ll be okay,” she murmured. “We don’t have to jump into anything.”

She was dead wrong.

If you’re not pregnant in a few weeks, he’ll know I lied.

I couldn’t pile that on top of everything else.

I tensed as she rubbed my back, the warmth a shock to my system. Pink stained her cheeks as she stepped away, transferring her grip as she led me from the kitchen.

Watery sunlight filtered through the clouds, filling my living room with washed-out tones. We sat on my couch, facing the Boston skyline. She untied the green apron and slipped it from her neck, shaking out her hair that’d glided through my hands like goose down. A black tank was all she wore underneath, and the seashell necklace dipped in her cleavage.

The sight of it encased my chest in ice.

I wished the man who gave it to her a slow, painful death.

“Let’s figure this out,” she said mildly, as though we faced a tricky problem on an exam. “What can we do to change Nico’s mind?”

“Nothing.”

“I can’t accept that, Vinn.”

I clenched my jaw so hard, pain shot into my teeth. “Well, too bad. It is what it is.”

“He can’t do this to us,” she burst. “There are rules.”

“They don’t apply to him.”

“Of course they do. Nico’s the boss of the Family.”

“He cares more about his son. Our baby is the only thing in the way of getting Anthony back.” I rubbed my forehead. “Nico will come after me.”

“Not if you kill him first.”

Apparently, we were on the same page.

Disturbing.

My back stiffened. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Why not?”

Her brows flickered as she met my gaze, her beautiful face shining with a naive optimism that clashed with her words. She was supposed to be all sweetness and light.

“I’d hate it if you lost the part of you I like the most.”

Liana rolled her eyes, but her blush spread to her chest. “Says the guy who threatened to fuck my mouth.”

Maybe she was right.

I was a goddamned hypocrite, and Liana had changed from the mousy girl who’d doted on me. She talked a lot more. Most of what she said, I resented, but she had a steel spine like her brother. She didn’t seem to give a damn about my approval.

I respected that.

But it was inconvenient as hell.

Giving up on placating her, I shook my head. “I’ll handle Nico, but it’ll take a while. I can’t just snap my fingers and-”

Kill him.

I couldn’t say it.

“How, then?”

“Don’t worry about it.” I breathed deeply, sinking into the cushions. “Real question is, how will we make it until then?”

Liana crossed her legs. “No idea.”

“We’ll have to fake ultrasounds, doctor appointments, blood tests, baby showers, everything. Nico will be hanging over my fucking shoulder, waiting for me to make a mistake to shoot me, so he can hand you over to Killian. You’ll be here all day.”

I hated this.

It wasn’t in my nature to bluff. When threatened, I hit back.

I hit hard.

However, I couldn’t murder Nico without the Family backing me, plus I’d risk pissing off every greaseball from here to Montreal. Nico had powerful friends who’d hunt me down. I could strike him down and die, or I could bide my time. And if I chose to wait, I needed to buy a ring. Book a venue for our party. Move her in the house. I had to tell Michael I really did knock up his sister.

Liana’s hopeful face filled me with dread. The words stuck in my throat. She would not be okay with this.

“Li, he needs to think I got you pregnant.”

A strained laugh burst from her clamped lips. “This is so insane.”

“I know.”

“A pregnancy can’t be faked. You fudge all the tests you want. My flat stomach gives it away.” Liana’s incredulity slashed through my calm. “What about my mom, my friends, the coworkers who’ve seen me drinking, and God, what about Michael?”

“You’ll have a miscarriage.”

“Then we’re right where we started, and I’m not fabricating a goddamned miscarriage.” She groaned, rubbing her eyes. “I’ll leave town.”

“Then he’ll figure out I lied and kill me. And he’ll force you into Killian’s arms, except you’ll probably be passed around because you defied your husband-to-be.”

“What if we-”

“We’re engaged, Li. We’ll make it look good. We’re not telling anyone this is fake. Not Michael. Not your mom. Nobody.”

“Why not?”

“The more people we let in on the secret, the more potential leaks.”

“Vinn, this will never work. You may have bought me a month-maybe two-and then it’ll be obvious I’m not pregnant.”

I couldn’t dwell on it. “One crisis at a time.”

“Tell him it was a false positive.”

“No,” I ground out. “The only reason Nico backed off was because he thinks you’re pregnant. No man wants a woman who’s carrying another guy’s kid.”

Her mouth twisted. “Well, that’s a lousy attitude.”

“Sorry. I live in the real world.”

“Faking a pregnancy is too much.” She slid off the couch, shaking her head. “It’s despicable. I can’t do it.”

I marveled at her ability to blaze past the actual problem.

“You think I want this? I have to tell my best friend I knocked up his sister.” Christ, just imagining it made me sick. “You’re the hapless victim. I’m the bastard who ruined you.”

She flinched. “We don’t have to do any of this!”

“Unfortunately, we do. He’s not letting this go.” I mimed a pistol and tapped my temple. “I had a fucking gun to my head. So did your brother. I saved us by the skin of my teeth.”

“Ohmigod. Are you okay?”

The tenderness in her gaze was ill-fitting for the heat stirring in my chest.

“I’m fine. Let’s discuss what we’re telling Michael.”

She shook her head, pained. “No, Vinn.”

“Trust me. I don’t like it, either.”

“He’ll never forgive us.”

“Yeah, but he’ll be alive. As long as he’s breathing, he can hate me all he wants. Mike sucks at hiding his feelings. One look at him, and Nico will know I lied…” I trailed off, my stomach hardening. “You don’t want me dead. Do you?”

She was stricken. “Of course not.”

“Good. There’s hope for us.”

“Vinn, there is no us.”

“You better adjust your attitude quick, because he’s coming over. He’ll expect us to act like a couple.” I strolled to the couch, and she joined me, fidgeting with the pillow. “Understand?”

Liana swallowed hard. “All right.”

“Okay.”

I steeled myself for the disaster. It’d be unpleasant. He’d despise me, but he wouldn’t kill me outright. I patted my lap.

“Climb on, Li.”

She touched her throat. “What?”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it. He should find us together.” I waited, but Liana stiffened as though I demanded a blowjob. “You shoved your tongue in my mouth not too long ago.”

“This is different,” she whispered. “It’s more intimate.”

“That makes no sense.”

Liana said nothing, her hands balled at her sides.

“Get on me.”

Finally, she obeyed. Liana acted like my clothes were soiled. Halfway between her awkward shuffle over my legs, I grabbed her waist and yanked. Her ass hit my thighs with a satisfying thump. She rolled on me, stiffening when I pulled her into an embrace.

Liana burrowed deeper, her curves rubbing my groin. She plastered her face to my neck, her breath misting me. When she wound her arms around me, I understood what she meant. This was disturbingly intimate. My one-night stands were hollow by comparison, because even with my dick inside them I’d never felt so close to someone.

Her bra strap slipped down. I pushed it over her shoulder, a mistake, because Liana’s softer-than-silk skin made me wonder about the rest of her body. I had a fantastic view of her cleavage, the hem of her tank blocking everything I ached to explore. I played with that loose strap as my cock begged me to rip it off.

Liana seemed to sense the change in temperature. She fiddled with my buttons, sliding them in and out of their holes, teasing my chest. The temptation to kiss her overwhelmed me. Ignoring it wrenched at me. It felt wrong, like smothering a kitten. I wanted it to grow, but Michael was due any second.

I couldn’t summon the energy to ask her to stop. She grazed my abdomen, her fingers like little fire wands. She trailed them over my pecs, stroking my head, her touch massaging.

My frown lines disappeared. I melted into her, lost in a tide of relief.

Her lips brushed my ear.

A fist hammered the door, yanking me from the moment.

Liana dug her nails into me as Michael’s greeting drifted inside.

Fuck off, Michael. “Let yourself in!”

He murmured something. A key scraped the lock, and the door opened and slammed. His shoes clipped the floor, the echo growing louder. The anticipation shot my veins with adrenaline.

I adopted a somber expression.

Michael strolled in, talking a mile a minute. “Sorry I’m late. I had to rush home and console my very upset wife. Took ages to leave, and then I hit traffic in the Pike. You know how it-goes.”

Michael gaped at us. His eyes bugged out at Liana, who still sat on my lap. “What are you doing?”

Liana’s arms slipped from my neck, but she kept them on me. Heat tingled my skin as her frosty blues swept over me and stabbed in Michael’s direction.

“Nothing.”

“That’s not an answer.” Michael pivoted at me, his voice rising. “Vinn. What the fuck?”

My mouth went dry.

Out with it. “So, we’ve been dating for a while.”

He rolled his eyes. “Jesus, relax. I know you were only doing it for Nico’s benefit.”

“No, Michael. It’s the truth.”

He wet his mouth. “Wait, so you’re actually dating?”

“Yeah.”

Michael’s chest swelled, but he didn’t explode. His hands clenched and released, as though practicing his death grip.

“It’s been a few months,” I clarified, as Michael turned the shade of a tomato. “I never asked because I knew you wouldn’t approve.”

“I’ll deal with you later.” Michael ripped his gaze from me, addressing Liana like an outraged father scolding a child. “Get off him. Now.”

“You don’t tell me what to do anymore.”

“Oh, really?” he snarled. “You can kiss your rent goodbye-”

“Fine. I’m not going back there, anyway.” Liana faced me, beaming with a smile that raced my pulse. “I’m moving in with Vinn.”

“You’re what?”

“We’re together.” A joy I’d never seen before shone in her eyes and bubbled in her rushed words. “And there’s nothing you can say to stop it.”

My heart hammered. The pit of my stomach churned.

Why did that sound real?

I wiped the shock from my face and squeezed Liana’s shoulder. “Your brother and I need a talk.”

Judging by the nails piercing my skin, she objected to leaving me alone.

I fixed her a glare. “Just do it, hon.”

Liana let out the smallest scoff and slid from my lap. Then she patted Michael’s arm. “Don’t hurt him.”

Michael seemed unable to speak. He was like a robot, his head jerking toward me. He didn’t utter a sound until she disappeared into my room.

“You motherfucker.” Darkness rippled from Michael as his fist unclenched, the key fob dropping to the floor. “Behind my fucking back.”

The hurt bled through his voice, trembling in the air like electricity in a lightning storm.

I stood. “I knew you wouldn’t approve.”

“You never asked!”

I crossed my arms. “I tried. Whenever we touch the subject, you always make your opinion of me very clear.”

“Now I get it.” He slammed his palm into my chest, shoving me backward. “Leo DiMaggio was in your way.”

Yes, he was. “She was mine, and you were throwing men at her.”

“Fuck you. You’re juggling six women at any given time.”

“Judge me if you want, but-”

“You’re supposed to be my best friend. Jesus Christ, you were the one guy I thought I could count on!” Spittle flew from Michael’s mouth as he let loose. “I’ll kill you.”

This was going well.

He’d never looked at me with that demented bloodlust. I retreated as he advanced, determined not to injure him. A lot of his rage was probably leftover fuel from Nico’s betrayal, which I factored into my response.

“Mike, I’m not done explaining.”

“You’ve been fucking my sister,” he bellowed like a wounded animal. “How dare you?”

Heat stung my cheeks.

I couldn’t deny that, could I? “I didn’t mean to disrespect you.”

“You’re a coward and a liar, and I’m kicking your ass.”

Michael vaulted over the sofa and lunged at me. His right hook crashed into my cheek, the unexpected force smashing my head against the wall. I ripped away from him, the agony radiating into my teeth.

Fuck. It hurt.

“Yes, I’ve been dating her. In secret,” I snarled, rubbing my jaw. “Because I knew your reaction would be over the top.”

“Don’t act like you’re a gentleman,” he shouted, making violent moves toward me. “You were with another chick last week.”

Damn it. “We weren’t exclusive.”

He took that even worse.

“Oh, so you’re only dipping in my sister while you bang your mistresses. You piece of shit,” he screamed, the veins standing out on his neck. “I’ll rip your nuts off.”

He swung.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

I hurled a table between us, jamming the edge under his ribs. “Michael, I asked her to marry me. At the gala.”

The lie stuck in my throat as Michael’s face drained of color.

“Is this a sick joke?”

“It’s past time for me to settle down.” I wished I had a handle of whiskey to drown in. “Get married. Have kids.”

“Oh, God. Don’t tell me you really knocked her up, too.”

My stomach throbbed. I drew a deep breath and raked my hair.

“Yeah, I did.”

Michael went rigid. He stared at me in openmouthed disgust. Devastation shattered his eyes. Then his expression grew hard. “You’ve ruined her life.”

“Michael, I’ll do right by her.”

“You better, you fuck-up.”

That gouged at me. “I asked her to marry me. She said yes.”

“Like she had a choice, with you as the father.” Michael’s cold tone somehow hit me harder than his red-faced fury. “I swear to God, Vinn. This better not be fake. If you’re not really marrying her-”

“I am.”

“Shut up.” He fisted my shirt, growling. “You saved our lives. That’s the only reason you’re not on the floor, bleeding. Put a ring on her. A real one, Vinn.”

“I will.”

He unclenched his grip and wiped his suit, as though I’d contaminated him. He stepped back, radiating contempt. “I don’t care who you are or what’s in my way. Marry her, or I’ll kill you.”