Page 4 of Violent Delights

“You will start tomorrow by leading a team in to find the men who are trying to take over the streets. I want you and your cousins to meet with informants in the city.” My father’s voice is stern. There’s no fighting this. Even though I wanted to stay out of the public eye, he is wanting the opposite, and that’s where we have always clashed.

Chapter 3

Lelia

The dim light of the moon filters through the blinds of the small, lavish bedroom. It’s home to me and has been all my life. But now, as I look out the window, I realize there’s more to it than I thought.

Life.

It’s filled with broken pieces of who we all are. What we believe molds us, but it doesn’t fully tell the story. Last night I learned the truth. Growing up in a place where you’re told what to think, who to love, who to hate, has focused my emotions, but it’s also forced me to put a guard up.

That is until him.

The glow of the silvery moon casts elongated shadows over the furniture. A cold breeze sweeps through the open window, rustling the expensive silk curtains Mother wanted for the room. The air is thick with tension, the kind that could snap at any moment.

I stand at the window, my back to the door. I know it’s locked because I twisted the key myself. Mother won’t walk in suddenly, and neither will my father. He’s in meetings, planning the death of some or the other mafia Boss.

I turn to the room and make my way into the walk-in closet. I don’t know what I should wear. I know he’ll be here soon and my heart seems to have picked up the cadence of my nerves. Thrumming wildly, my chest feels like a cage. My breaths are short, quick. It’s what he does to me.

Once I slip on the dark green shorts and a loose-fitting tank top, I head back into my room and to the balcony door. It’s ajar, enough for him to know it’s safe. If I shut my eyes and focus, I can hear the trellis beside my room squeak. It’s not loud enough to wake the guard dogs but also not enough to alarm the security detail my father insists I have.

I reach for the cool pane of glass and allow my fingers to trail along the see-through window. I want the coldness to steady my racing heart, but it doesn’t. Nothing can prepare me for him.

I can hear his movements now, slow but deliberate as he makes his way closer.

“Lia,” he whispers into the dark. “Lia, my forbidden. Where are you?”

I can’t help but smile.

Don’t make a sound, I tell myself.Don’t give in to the temptation of his charm. But my body betrays me, and it’s as if I’m drawn by an invisible force. I step out onto the balcony and look over the balustrade. There he is. The eyes that steal my breath, the face that causes my heart to thud against my ribs.

“I didn’t think you would be here so soon,” I tell him in a hushed whisper.

“Step back,” he orders and swiftly climbs up and over, onto the landing where I’m standing. He’s so close, I can smell his expensive, spicy cologne as it invades my nostrils.

Domenico stands there, watching me as if I’m the most interesting thing he’s ever seen. As if I’m on display and he can’t tear his eyes away.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I tell him earnestly, but I know I would run after him if he were to walk away right now. I can’t explain why, but my heart aches when I think of him being far from me.

“Did you want me to leave?” he challenges, his head tipped to the side, a smirk curling his full lips. Those dark eyes pinned on mine, not releasing their hold on me.

“No.” It’s honest, raw, and I feel so immature. There’s nothing I want him to know about me that makes me feel like I’m not good enough. But with Domenico, there’s something different. He doesn’t look at me like the rest of the boys do. He’sdifferent.And I don’t know how to handle that.

“Then I won’t leave, but I can’t get you out of my mind, Lia.” He takes a step toward me, and the moment he does, his body is flush with mine. His hand reaches for my face, and he cups it gently.

All my life I’ve been led to believe this man and his family were dangerous. I have no doubt they are, but my father ensured I knew I had to hate them. And for a long time, I did. Only because it was something I was taught. Which makes me wonder how many wars started because children were forced to believe the things their parents did.

“You can’t be here,” I tell him then, shaking the cloud of want and desire from my mind. I move inside, leaving him on the balcony. I know he’ll follow. I stop in the warmth of my bedroom and turn to face him.

Domenico stands there, framed in the doorway, his sharp eyes glinting with an unreadable expression. He is no longer just the enemy that my family hate, no longer just the man I should want dead. He is the man who makes my heart beat too fast, the one who stirs something within me that I can’t control.

He takes a step closer, his presence overwhelming my senses. Every inch of him is a reminder of what they couldn’t have. Weare meant to be enemies. The family feud is centuries old, and if my father did find him in my bedroom, all hell would break loose.

I take a long, deep breath and attempt to steady my voice when I speak. “What are you doing here? I thought you were only going to come tonight. It’s not dark out yet.”

He watches me for a long moment before he closes the distance between us. It’s a slow, deliberate step, but when he reaches her, he pauses.

He’s standing so close that I can feel the heat of his body radiating toward mine.

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