Page 18 of Sinful Daughter (Dark Mafia Sins 2)

“Too bad spoiled mafia princesses aren’t your thing.” She turns and leaves me with a raging hard-on.

My mouth hangs open as I question what the hell just happened. I need to see her again.

When I’m finally able to get my dick to realize we will not be getting any, I leave our secluded spot in the forest.

As I step closer to the basketball court, the play stops. It has the boys looking awkward, but it catches Aria’s attention. Her attention on me is almost impossible to ignore.

“Mind if I play?” I ask. I want to glance over at her, but I keep my head straight at the group. It’s harder than I thought it would be.

The boys look around before I get the nod. Taking off my shirt, I toss it as they bounce the basketball over to me. Grant walks the perimeter, looking for our deal going down. Chances are, he has some sort of stake in it. But I hope I’m wrong.

Taking a quick peek over at the study session, Aria’s full attention is on me. I can’t help but grin like a kid in a candy shop. I flex a little, pretending I don’t notice her, wanting her to come to me. The two kids who are studying get up with the pause of the game. Two others go toward her, tagging each other as they pass.

Getting into place, I pass the ball to my shirtless counterparts as we run down the court. The entire time, I’m half focused. Aria stays in my peripheral view at all times. I should keep my eyes on the surroundings.

Just as I take my three steps for my layup, the ball is hit out of my hands as I get an elbow to the jaw. It stings like hell, and I’m left a little stunned before I realize the ball is going to the opposite end of the court. Busting my ass, I hustle to get it back, but the younger competition gets the rebound from their hoop by the time I get there.

I work out every day, but this stop-and-go play is different from running on a treadmill. I’m sweating, out of breath. Welcoming a water break, I notice a few older kids hanging around as if waiting for our game to end. Aria is back to studying with her someday soldiers.

Grant tosses me a water bottle, and I down half of it before I splash the rest over my head. “That’s them,” he tells me, eyeing the guys watching from the side.

Now that I’m off, it’s obvious they’re waiting for the kids who were first studying with Aria. The boy keeps looking at me, then toward the group in the corner, missing the man he’s guarding.

Whistling, I call the kid over, “Know those guys?”

The kid shrugs, unwilling to talk.

“I’ll make you a deal. You stay away from them, and I’ll have a job for you to do each week.”

The boy scoffs like I’m some ignorant asshole.

“Nothing will beat the money you can make selling whatever they’re dealing. But what I’m offering is a steady, honest job that will put food on your family’s table,” I say.

“You want me to snitch?”

“No, man. I have jobs. Wash my car, clean out my gutters at my house. That type of work.”

The kid eyes me, and I see Aria is back to watching me. I extend my hand, waiting to see if he will take it.

“Sure, man. But I can’t shake your hand out in the open.”Poor kid. They already have him in their grasp.

He goes back to the court, and Aria comes toward me. “That was nice of you,” she says, climbing up the metal benches behind me.

I grunt, not responding, but aware she’s about three steps up from me.

“I want to run something by you.”

“All right, you have my attention.” Out the corner of my eye, I can see her watching me a little more carefully. She gathers her long skirt to above her knees before she leans back onto her elbows on the step above. Her face tilts to the sky, welcoming the last of the warmer rays.

“Not here.” I keep my head straight, watching the game in front of us.

“Why?” Electricity in the air causes the hair on my arms to rise. I want nothing more than to pull her long dark hair and stare her in the eyes, making demands.

“Because that’s what I said. Now, if you want Marco out of custody anytime, I suggest you make time to listen to me.” What I really want to know is if she’s still with him. I look behind me, my addiction running wild with needing to know her facial expression.

Her tongue dips out, wetting her lips, and a smirk comes, then hides from her beautiful face. “Where?” she concedes. I take pleasure in her having to listen to me.

Turning, I place my shirt back on and toss her a smile. “I’ll let you know.”

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