Page 22 of Charity's Torment

“I’m just as deadly without my gun as I am with it.”

“I know it. But let’s not make it too easy for you.” He grinned, then straddled my waist.

“Are you wanting a fight, or do you just like to play with your food before you devour it?”

Luca pinned my wrists to the bed and bit my neck hard. I grit my teeth as the pain traveled down my nerves and caused my fingers to tingle. “The thought of devouring you makes my cock hard.” He licked the bite, then kissed it better. It was going to leave a mark, and my mother would go ape-shit if it was still there by Sunday dinner.

I twisted my hand free from his grasp and dug my fingers into his cheek and chin. His stubble stabbed at my fingertips, and I pulled him in close. “Keep imagining, Luca. I like it rough, and you can’t handle me.” I pulled his lips to mine and bit his lip, letting it slide between my teeth. He didn’t pull away from the pain as most would. He embraced it and came in closer, crashing our mouths together. His tongue teased my lip, coaxing me to open, and I bit harder. He wrapped his free hand through my hair and tugged hard, causing me to loosen my bite enough to let him slip-free.

He won that round.

Luca kept a tight hold on my hair, keeping my head locked down in place. My teeth made a perfect impression on his bottom lip, and I laughed. He marked me, and I did the same. Maybe we could play this game after all. I wrapped my hand around his wrist that held my hair and dug my nails in, hoping he’d come away with the shapes of crescent moons embedded in his skin.

“You shouldn’t provoke me. I’m not a patient man, Charity.” His tongue swept out and licked the wound on his lip, then he flicked it against mine.

I let him in as his grasp on my hair became tighter, and he forced me to comply. I didn’t need the extra pain for coercion. I would have gladly conceded earlier if that meant I got to taste his delicious lips. “Patience is boring. Besides, I love to see what new goodies come from pushing those buttons of yours.” He was like a vending machine of reactions.

The thought of pushing him excited me, but then became a sobering reminder that it was what Max had said before he dropped me off. Then, I remembered why I was here.

I released my grip on his wrist and shoved at his chest. “Luca, stop.”

He released his grip from my wrist and hair at the change of my tone, then climbed off the bed. “What’s with the hot and cold, Charity?”

I chewed on my lip and squeezed my legs, wanting to get the hell out of here and take a cold fucking shower. If I didn’t, I would strip Luca, and I bare just to see who could take the most pain before coming.

I sat on the edge of the bed when Luca stepped forward and pulled my lip from my teeth with his thumb. “Did you know that Tom Macaney was ICF?”

“Of course I knew. How did you find out?”

“You sent me to kill a made-man and didn’t tell me? Were you trying to set me up?” I beat on his chest.

Luca stepped away from my barrage of whacks and straightened his clothes before taking his posture of power. “You know I wouldn’t do that. He was just another lowly mark that stole from me. I didn’t think it was necessary for the mission.”

“It was, Luca. I could have gone about it a whole different way and covered my tracks more thoroughly.”Tap.Tap.Tap. My finger went crazy against my leg. “They have a video of me leaving. It’s no longer an overdose. It’s a murder investigation. My father said they don’t have the face, but the girl looks just like me—and gee, I can’t imagine why.”

Luca kneeled down in front of me and put his hand on mine, stopping me from tapping. It was agonizing not to be able to move. He cupped my face, and a softness I hadn’t seen in a long while came into his eyes as he spoke. “I won’t let anything happen to you. None of us will. We protect what’s ours.”

I nuzzled my face into his hand and nodded. I changed the conversation hoping to take advantage of his new kindness. “Let me have Jose. I’ll get answers you want without having to waste your guy’s time.” I didn’t believe Jose hadn’t seen my brother. If I had some time with him alone in a dark basement, I could get all the answers we both wanted.

Luca exhaled and rose to a standing position. “I can’t.”

“You can. You are choosing not to let me do my job. The question is… why?” I strode over to my gun and put the clip in. I pulled the slide back, loading a bullet in the chamber, then released the clip from the gun. I always kept a plus-one in my gun. A fully loaded ten-round clip plus one in the chamber, for the grand total of… eleven. Eleven separate times I get to shoot you, and I rarely miss.

“He’s working for a rival. I don’t want them catching wind that I know. I need to be sure, and if one of their dealers suddenly turns up missing… they are going to know. It’s why I’m the boss, and you are the enforcer.”

I scoffed and tried not to take offense but failed. “So, you’re saying I’m just the mindless soldier?”

Luca grunted with irritation and walked out the door without another word.

Dick.

Chapter 7

“Did you have fun?” Nico asked as I plunked right next to him. I tilted my head and knitted my brows together. He poked at my neck. “You have a nice hickey.” He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and stole his drink. “It’s not a hickey. He bit me.” This time, I knew his drink was booze. Nico’s mouth gaped as I downed the liquid in two gulps and placed the glass back into his hand. “It could have been better,” I said, loud enough for Luca to hear. It was a lie. The chemistry between Luca and me was steamy and undeniable. I would have spread my legs and let him feast on me had it been at another time. Then he had to insult me, and the fire sizzled out. I wanted to rebel more than ever. Screw him and his no-touch order. I could break a few of Jose’s fingers and make him piss himself before the night was through.

I raised my hand to the server and ordered a beer with a shot of whatever she brought me. I wasn’t paying for it. I had it charged to Luca’s tab. “Slow down, Charity. I don’t want to have to bail you out for a DUI charge,” Nico said.

---