Page 30 of Blood & Loyalties
“You let him come to the house, Rina.” The sucker punch to the gut slammed hard because she was right, and that sucked. I knew she’d see through all the layers. She knew me too well.
“I was stupid. Since he’s already been there, it’s fine. It won’t change a thing.” It would change a lot of things. Not only would I think of him when I was in my bed, I’d remember his care for me at the kitchen sink. The look in his eye like he was going to kill my brother for hurting me in any way. Having him in my space was a very stupid choice.
“I’m here for whatever ya need, babe.”
I grinned at my best friend. She could totally see through all my bullshit, and even though she saw it, she stood by me. More than likely, I would get grilled again, harder. It was why I loved her. I would do the exact same thing to her.
“Can you explain what has Val’s dick in a pinch?” Kiera asked.
“You heard Jag; he’s ranked the same as my brother and yours, but holds all the responsibility over in the west, and technically, he doesn’t have our last name.” Even with us in the corporate world, she would understand that. It was a shark eat shark world out there, and the family business was the same.
“Well, fuck.” Kiera huffed out a breath. Then, being the great best friend she was, she changed the subject. “Can we go shopping instead of getting our feet done?” She rolled her eyes.
I laughed. “I don’t give a shit what we do. I just had to get out of there before the damn house blew up.”
We both laughed at that.
“Where are we going?”
Jag had finished talking to Scraper outside the car door while my curiosity was choking me. Hulk had already gotten in the passenger side, and I swear to Christ that man was going to break the car. We needed a semi to cart him around.
“It’s a surprise,” was his response as he flashed me his megawatt smile, making my heart constrict.
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, drawing in his scent. It was just the lust. Now I was lying to myself, but I shook it off.
“When I said meet me at eight, didn’t you think I had other plans?”Like going in my room and fucking like rabbits then sleeping so I didn’t have to think of all these feelings you have swirling inside my head.
“I know exactly what you were thinking.” He winked. “Instead, we’re doing this first.”
He reached over and grabbed my hand, sending my body into a hyper-alert state from the simple touch. I closed my eyes, willing my heart to shut off—to lock down—but it didn’t help. It thumped loud in my throat and those little butterflies I haven’t felt in my stomach since I was younger started to fly rapidly.
He squeezed my hand, and I looked up into his beautiful, concerned eyes.
“Want to tell me what’s got those wheels turning so fast?”
I schooled my features and took a calming breath. Instead of lying, I asked him something I was curious about. “Were you going to tell me you were running everything in California?”
“It’s not a secret. I know your family shields you from it, but yes, I was going to tell you before I left.”
“What’s the big deal about me knowing? I don’t get it. What are you, Spiderman at night or something?” I joked.
Hulk chuckled from the front.
“Shut your fucking mouth,” Jag sneered then turned his attention back to me. “Do you know much about the business?”
“I know my business damn well, but Daddy’s, no. That’s the way I want it.” I knew it was illegal at times. Yeah, I did watch the news. I knew more about theSoprano’sandThe Godfather’sbusiness dealings than my father’s though.
“Right. They do that shit to protect you.” His beautiful eyes penetrated me, sucking me in with their magnetism. I could do nothing, but suck him in. “Now, not only are you the daughter to Salvador Lambardoni, you’re being seen out with one of his right hands—me. The target just got a bit bigger on your head.”
Shit. That I got. “So I have to ask—though I’m sure you won’t answer—how did you get this position and not one of my brothers or cousins?”
He was quiet for some time, contemplating what to say. All I wanted was the truth, something more to help me uncover the man underneath.
“My father was Geovini Maratelli.”
I gasped, and his grip became tighter around my hand, not letting me move an inch.
Ten years ago, my father was accused of killing Geovini, his best friend. They knew each other growing up, but the Maratelli family moved out to California. According to the papers, Geo was found dead in his office, and several links to my father were found. Daddy happened to be in California at the time. It was one of the worst years of my life. I was in my late teens then and idolized my dad, still did. His being accused of murder was a tough blow.
