Page 23 of Desire and Revenge

“On it, boss.”

The line goes dead, but just before I can put my phone away, the screen lights up with an incoming call from Tony Guerra. He’s one of the allies I’ve managed to rope into my revenge plot. Even though Tony is loyal to me, he’s still as money-driven as every other mafia man, and the real money won’t start flowing until I’ve taken Sebastian’s throne of deceit.

“Castello,” he sounds annoyed. “I was talking with some of the other men today, and a bunch of them are still on the side of waiting around for you to reach out to us.”

I toss the lighted stick out of the window, and my hands tighten around the

phone.

“I’m beginning to wonder if you’ve changed your mind,” he hums. “Maybe you’ve remembered your family ties to Lucchese and you’re looking for an easy way to let the rest of us down?”

My jaw clenches and I try to keep my tone light. “I haven’t changed my mind.”

“It’s been a week, more than enough time for you to get the layout of the land and make a move,” he bites out. “So, what the hell are you waiting for?”

I can lie to myself and say that things have been taking longer than I planned, or that security has been too tight, but the truth is far simpler and far more damning.

Avoiding her has only succeeded in making me think of her more often. She’s a distraction I didn’t plan for. I’m supposed to tear down this bloody Kingdom without a second thought, but every time I think about Sofia being left in the ruins of this lifeshe has been forced into, small and fragile, and that lost look in her eyes, I hesitate.

“Give me some time.”

“There’s no more time. The men are losing faith.” Tony’s word is a warning. “For your sake and ours, I hope you get your head out of your ass and make a move.”

“Foryoursake, Tony,” I tell him, “I hope you won’t be stupid enough to ever speak to me like this again. I’ll give you a free pass because I can, but the next time, I’ll slice your tongue out of your mouth and force it down your own throat.”

He splutters.

“Tell the men that I’m taking my time because I don’t want to make a mistake.”Lies. “Everything is going according to plan.”More lies.

“Of course,” he agrees easily, and I hang up. And not a second too late because the door flies open, and Sebastian walks in, eyes flying around the room.

“Who were you talking to?” he asks.

I shrug and then grab boxing gloves, sliding them on and taping them up. “I forgot the best part about the city. The girls are insatiable.”

He lets out a booming laugh and then heads to the thread mill. “Tell me about it. I’ll have to live vicariously through the rest of you.”

I stare at him in surprise. “Don’t tell me that you are faithful to your little bride, now. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

Sebastian snorts. “Of course not. Faithful to Sofia? My dick would have fallen off because of the chronic blue balls I would have gotten.”

I raise a brow at him and take a boxing stance. “She’s not so difficult to look at.”

That’s an underestimation. She’s the sexiest thing on the planet. With all of that smooth, pale skin and mass of luscioushair. The prim and proper clothes only make me curious about what she’s hiding under. The memory of her pert breasts outlined by the thin nightdress fills my head, and there’s a faint stirring southward.

“She’s okay, I guess,” he says, making a face then looking over at me, a sly light shining in his eyes. “Don’t tell me she’s caught your eye.”

I chuckle. “She’s not my type. Not really into mafia princesses.”

“You’ll like Vittoria then,” he laughs. “Wildest, most invigorating woman you’ll ever meet. She’s a beast in bed. Have you ever been with a woman who likes to take charge? It’s life changing.”

I think about it and immediately divest the thought. It doesn’t sound appealing in the least. I’m more into women who are so secure in their power to let me take control. There’s just something about a woman giving me all that trust.

I imagine Sofia staring up at me from her knees, waiting for me to take care of her, in much the same way she had stared at me earlier and trusted me to get her home.

She hadn’t looked back once to confirm if I was still there.

The things that woman does to me. And the best, or maybe the worst, part is that she has no idea about the power she yields.

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