Page 15 of Hot Blooded

“Then you and Tony need to walk away and let me talk to Elio.”

Tony looked at me. I could tell he didn’t like the idea. “I’m the one you need to be talking to.”

“I need some perspective.”

He frowned. “What you need is for me to remind you why you’re mine and why you’re staying here.”

That was the last thing I needed. Tony touching me would cloud my mind to the point of insanity. Fuck, it already had. That’s how I ended up here in the first place. “I need to do this. I chose to come here with you, but I need to understand what I’m getting into before I can reveal any of my family’s secrets to people I was taught to hate, taught to see as my worst enemies.”

Tony captured my chin in his hand. “I’m not your enemy. I’m going to be your savior.”

“I may want you. I may be willing to take terrible risks to be with you. But you’re not God. You want to save me, but I want to save myself.”

Vinnie chuckled. “Damn, Tony, you’ve really gotten yourself in trouble, haven’t you?”

Tony snarled at me. “As soon as you’re done here, it’s my turn to talk.”

He was fuming, but he’d get over it. If I let him think he could direct every move I made, I really wouldn’t be any better off here than I had been with my family.

7

TONY

“Wait in my office,” Vinnie ordered me.

I didn’t want to obey. I didn’t want to leave Elio’s side. What if he ran? What if Tom let him go? Would he challenge Vinnie like that? Surely not. He wasn’t afraid of Vinnie, but there had to be a line he wouldn’t cross. I was going to have to trust in that.

I gave Elio one last glance. He smiled at me, the bastard. I was going to do whatever it took to make sure he understood he was mine and that he was going to stay right here. There weren’t going to be any more games. Elio was out of options other than staying with me.

I walked away, every step slow and methodical. I tried to hear what Vinnie was saying to them, but I couldn’t make out the words, so I stepped into Vinnie’s office and closed the door behind me, sinking into a chair and dropping my head into my hands.

What the fuck was I doing? Anger and fear warred inside me. Had I made a huge mistake bringing Elio here? Had there truly been another option? When I saw Elio in Billy’s kitchen, I knew I was never letting him go. He’d cast a spell on me, and there was no way I could deny my need for him. But what if I’d made the wrong move? What if we should’ve run? Would Vinnie have really chased us down? Would Giacomo or, God forbid, Lucien?

I was playing with fire here, and I was putting Elio right in the middle. I had to get myself together. I had to stop letting my anger and my fear dictate what I did. I had been on thin ice with Vinnie before this happened. Too soon, I heard his footsteps approaching the door. I sat up straight, making sure my full height was on display. When he opened the door, he didn’t say a word. He sat down in the leather chair behind his desk and glared at me.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t eliminate you.”

“Micky would be sad.”

Vinnie didn’t smile like I’d hoped. “That asshole would get over it. He needs to be punished for saddling me with you. Convince me not to turn you over to the Barruchis.”

I took a deep breath. I’d refused to follow orders. I’d stood up to Vinnie and pushed back. I’d killed Billy, insuring we’d never get our payout from him, and yet, this was the hardest thing I’d ever said to my boss. “I’m in love with Elio.”

For a minute I thought Vinnie was going to remain cold and impassive, that despite the way being with Tom had softened him personally—though not as a businessman—he might not give a damn what I felt. Then he smiled. Well, it was more like a smirk, but the anger had left his eyes. “You’re telling me you showed up at Billy’s house, saw this guy, and just decided you loved him.”

I shook my head. “Earlier in the year, we…spent time together. Regularly. Then he disappeared in early June. I’ve been looking for him ever since.”

“And you had no idea he was Giacomo’s son?”

“Not a clue. But now I know why he stopped meeting me and how he was able to hide so well.”

“No shit.” Vinnie looked out the window for a moment, and I didn’t even dare to breathe. “I saw the way he looks at you.”

“Like he’s angry? Like he wants to get away?”

Vinnie laughed. “Like he wants to climb you like a tree and devour you. If I left the two of you alone, there wouldn’t be any talking.”

“That was my plan. Easiest way to get him to agree.”

---