Page 49 of His Ruthless Obsession

"Nerio," I moan, my fingers digging into his shoulders. The water streams between us, slicking our skin. Every sensation is heightened—the cool tile at my back, the scalding heat of him inside me, the steam enveloping us.

He captures my mouth again, swallowing my gasps. His hips piston against mine, driving deeper with every thrust. "You're mine, Jazz. Every fucking part of you."

His words send a jolt of pleasure through me. I cling to him, my body matching his rhythm. The sound of our flesh meeting echoes through the shower, each slap underscoring the primal nature of our need.

"Nerio," I cry out, my voice catching as pleasure builds. My nails rake down his back, leaving red trails that mingle with the water.

He growls, his teeth grazing my neck. The sting of it sends a shockwave through me, pushing me closer to the edge. "Say it again. Say my name."

"Nerio," I whisper, my voice barely a breath. "Nerio."

He thrusts harder, deeper, his pace relentless. "Louder, little dove."

"Nerio!" I scream, my body convulsing as I shatter around him. Waves of pleasure crash over me, my vision blurring.

He groans, his body tensing as he finds his own release. His teeth clamp down on my shoulder, the pain mingling with the pleasure as we ride out the storm together.

Our breaths mingle, hot and ragged, as we cling to each other. The water runs cooler, the steam dissipating around us. He presses his forehead to mine, his eyes storm-gray and intense.

"You missed me," he whispers, his voice raw.

And even though my heart is begging me not to, I nod. "I did."

A smirk pulls at his lips. "Good." He brushes them over mine so briefly it's almost like it didn't happen. "Because I'm never letting you go."

20

NERIO

The dim lights of my office cast long shadows across the polished mahogany desk. I tap my finger against the glass of whiskey, ice cubes clinking as I study the surveillance photos spread before me.

"They're getting bolder." Marco leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Even with Angelo and Frankie's bodies, I found two more trying to case another one of our properties last night."

"And?"

"They're at the bottom of the river." He shrugs. "But it's not like the Mantiones to be this aggressive. They've always been hotheads, but this is more…organized."

I take a slow sip, letting the burn settle in my throat. “Any of the other families involved?”

He shakes his head. “Not other than the Cappalletti’s kidnapping stint. Which Don Mantione has all but covered up now, like he doesn’t want anyone to know.”

I nod, looking at the photos that show three different Mantione soldiers we caught last week - all dead now. But something doesn't add up. These weren't their usual guys, weren't even made men. Just expendable pawns.

"They're testing our defenses." I push back from the desk. "Seeing where we're watching, how fast we react."

"For what?"

"That's what I need to figure out." My gut churns with the certainty of impending violence. I've been in this game long enough to recognize the calm before the storm. "Get eyes on their usual spots. I want to know every time Luca Mantione takes a fucking breath."

"Already on it." Marco pulls out his phone. "Do you think they're pissed we took their moles away? They're just being little pests to try and get back at us?

"No." I shake my head. "This is bigger. Those moles were expendable too. Sal doesn't waste resources on revenge - not unless there's profit involved."

The silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken possibilities. Every instinct I've honed over years in this business screams that we're missing something crucial. The Mantiones are planning their next move like a chess game, and we've only seen their pawns.

They might have drawn first blood with their pathetic attempts at infiltration, but I didn't become a capo by underestimating my enemies. Whatever storm is coming, I'll be damned if I let the Mantiones catch us unprepared.

I slide the photos into a manila envelope and tuck it into my desk drawer. "Call the others. Meeting in twenty."

---