Page 48 of Cold

ChapterSixteen

ROMARE

Vito was all over me,exactly how I liked him. The feeling of his breath against my neck as the car drove through the city made me smile. He was acting like a teenager, but I didn’t want him to take his hands off me. It felt good to be needed and wanted and not just for sex. Or killing.

“Where are we going?” I asked for the fiftieth time.

“Somewhere fun,” he whispered against my neck before he straightened up and wrapped an arm around me. “I know you’ll like it.”

I smiled at his confidence. My Daddy could be a total sap sometimes and I loved it. But I equally adored it when he was his big, bad, confident self. But now I could see the man under the mafia mask. He was a real person and he made me feel like I was a real boy. Like fucking Pinnochio.

“What are you grinning at?” he asked.

“Nothing.” I nuzzled against his arm and watched the world roll by.

It had been hours since Vito dragged me to the car and stuffed me inside. At first, I’d been too sleepy to care where we were going, but now that the sun was up and I was more clear-headed, I couldn’t stop the curiosity that pumped through me.

“Are you sure this is safe?” I asked Vito. “With the whole… you know. Sergei thing,” I whispered the last part.

“It’ll be fine,” he said. “Tinted windows,” he said as he drummed his finger against the glass. “And where we’re going I’ve reserved a section of it only for us. And it’s the middle of the week so there shouldn’t be that many people around.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“I always do,” Vito purred.

I pressed my thighs together to avoid climbing onto his lap and rocking myself against him. Vito always pressed my buttons with the simplest things. I’d never been turned on when I was with Sergei. Sex was something you did because you were told to do it. And you tried to close your eyes and forget you were there until it was over.

But not with Vito.

I pushed my hand into his and he immediately squeezed. No matter where he’s taking me, it doesn’t matter. I’m just happy to be by his side.

“Can I play with your phone?”

“Of course.” Vito pulled it out of his pocket and passed it over.

I immersed myself in a restaurant game until the car came to a stop. When it didn’t move again, I finally shook my head and glanced around. Vito stepped out of the car and I scrambled after him, my mouth wide as I took in the beach.

“Where are we?”

“This is St. Simon’s Island.” He waved a hand around. “We’re going for a swim and a picnic.”

I bounced up and down on my toes as excitement spiked. “Can we go? Can we go? Can we go now?”

“Yes, hold on baby.” He laughed as a blonde woman bounced over and smiled at us. “You’re Samantha?”

“That’s me,” she said, her southern accent heavy. “You must be Vito.”

“Yes.” He waved a hand toward me. “And that’s Romare.”

She waved. “Hey there, hon! Okay, so I reserved this area of the beach for y’all for the day. No one will bother you. And I pulled you a few workers as you requested. They’ll get you food, drinks, whatever you need.” She smiled at Vito. “Do you need anything else, sir?”

“No, I think that’s it. Can you get what we arranged to be delivered?” Vito asked.

She nodded. “On my way now!”

The way she smiled at him made the edges of my vision go red. She was cute in a super annoying way. And Vito’s eyes lingered on her a bit too long. I took a step forward and he growled at me.

“Don’t even think about it. I am not cleaning up a body on beach day.”

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