Page 30 of Sin City Obsession

Her nostrils flared and her shoulders rose with a sharp intake of breath. Her cheeks pinkened. “Well, congratulations. You just announced to Cristiano De Salvo’s eyes and ears that we’re sleeping together. Even with the layers of drama going on back home, it won’t take long for that news to spread.” Her words seemed to hit her as they tumbled from her lips, because Alessa barely got them out before letting her head drop backward with a haggard sigh. “I’m so fucked.”

Rocco reached out and slid a hand over her nearest thigh, spreading his fingers wide and squeezing gently. He could see the tension building in her body, but he didn’t fully understand it. So he made a conscious effort to soften his tone. “They were going to find out eventually.”

Alessa lifted her head again and narrowed her eyes at him. “If you found out one of your soldiers was sleeping with the soon-to-be boss of another family, and that person hadn’t even been hinting at moving, let alone put in for retirement or quit or anything, wouldn’t you feel betrayed? Wouldn’t you at least be worried about that biting you in the ass?”

Rocco tightened his grip of her leg. “We’ve always honored our allegiance to the De Salvos,” he said firmly. “More importantly, I do not give a fuck who or why, ifanyonecomes for your head, I will fucking end them.” Even if they didn’t want her head on a pike. Even if all they wanted was to rip her from his arms. He wouldn’t let it happen.

And he supposed that was why he’d answered Ryoma’s call.

Alessa stared at him for a moment, her lips slightly parted and her arms sliding down to her lap. At length, she asked, “Anyone? Even if his name ends in De Salvo?”

Rocco released her thigh and reached up, gripping her chin, determined to make her see the fire in his eyes. “Even. If.”

A soft gasp fell from her lips and her hands curled into lightly trembling fists. She didn’t seem angry. She didn’t look frightened. There was a new, responding heat blooming in her eyes that matched his own.

Finally, she drew a quiet breath and said, “I love my family, blood and not. I’d rather avoid that.”

He held steady, though he hated the words falling from his lips. “If they’re coming for your head, they’re not your family anymore.”

Her eyes widened.

Em cleared his throat from the front seat. “So, uh, are we … going in?”

Rocco released her and eased back, twisting to face forward again.

Alessa pulled in a deep, audible breath. “What?”

Em didn’t even try to hide the smirk on his face as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder, toward the windshield. “We’re here. Parked somewhere around ‘honoring our allegiance’, but Rocco was waxing more poetic than I ever knew he could. Didn’t wanna interrupt.”

Rocco grunted. “Fuck you.” He noticed, with a quick sideways glance, that Alessa’s face had flushed an adorable shade of red. The almost innocent sight hit him in the gut, along with the rising need to pull her close and devour her all over again. Which was not helpful at all in the current situation. He tossed his seatbelt off and reached for the door. “Yes, we’re going in. Grab your gun.”

“My woman.”

What the absolute hell had Rocco been thinking when he said that? To a man who was basically an adopted De Salvo, no less?

She’d wanted to strangle him. She kind of still wanted to strangle him.

Except that anger had been more than a little smothered by some of the things he’d said after, to her. She wasn’t used to being the one anyone got all macho-protective over. She’d seen it in glimpses, more recently than at any time in her youth, but she’d never been the recipient. She hadn’t been sure she wanted to be. Until she was.

Her heart still fluttered as Rocco’s resolute words, his heated stare and strong grip, replayed in her distracted mind.“Even. If.”

Alessa hadn’t been lying when she had said she loved her family. Her parents, of course. Her home, her neighborhood—most days—and so many of the local shops and street trucks, to say nothing for the family who kept them all safe. The De Salvos were no joke. When they offered protection, it was not a gift to be shunned. Despite having grown up in many ways alongside the youngest of them, they were still almost like distant immortals in her mind. Figures she would prefer to align herself with than to offend and risk the wrath of. She certainly didn’t want to cross them.

If she let herself get closer to Rocco—truly closer—would that be treachery? Would that be the same as crossing the family she’d effectively surrendered her life for?

She drew a deep, not-so-cleansing breath, and Rocco settled a hand at the small of her back. His warm, solid touch was grounding, stabilizing, and triggered a responding heat that flared to life inside her. But it wasn’t the same as the heat that had sent her into debatable madness the night before. It felt … calmer.

She watched as Emanuele stepped ahead of them, reaching for the door to GreenLight. He looked their way and his lips kicked up in a smirk that felt entirely mischievous. “Give me ten seconds.”

Alessa arched a brow.

Rocco huffed. “Fine.”

Emanuele opened the door, took one step past the threshold, raised his chin, and his voice boomed from somewhere inside his broad chest. “FBI! Employees, front and fucking center! Anyone who owes this shithole money, line up on the wall! Anyone who hasn’t made that mistake yet, you’re fucking welcome. Get out. We’re shutting this place down!”

Alessa clamped her teeth down on her lips and shuffled sideways with Rocco, whose chest was vibrating with restrained laughter.

Five people poured past Emanuele, all of them with eyes blown wide and panic paling their features, clutching purses, backpacks, and hands as if the world was ending. Alessa distinctly heard one man muttering, “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” as he half-stumbled away.

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