Page 39 of Nico (Belles & Mobsters 2)

I’d be the sheep that the wolf ate.

Stop it. I just have to keep my girls safe. And get some nooky while I’m at it.

I silently scolded myself. I was getting out of control here. Maybe it was time I got myself some sex toys and relieved myself of this sexual tension. I had to dosomething!

“Do you know you have a nickname?” I blurted out, trying to think about anything but his warm, hard body or his hands on me. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. “The Wolf.” When he remained silent, I became nervous. “Or something like that,” I muttered. “I didn’t come up with it, just read it somewhere.” I swallowed hard, cursing my stupidity. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

Tense silence followed.

“Yes, I know about the nickname,” he answered. “Initially I got it because I could sniff out information on anyone. I like the hunt.” Wait, what? Oh, no! I was fucking doomed. “Then it stuck around because supposedly I have the personality traits of a wolf.”

My brows furrowed. That could be taken so many different ways.

“Like what?”

“I always go for the neck.”

“Oh.” Well, that was awkward. I wasn’t quite sure if his answer meant that’s how he killed or something else, and I had no intention of asking him to clarify it.

“Is this where you work?” I asked him instead as we approached the building.

“Something like that. I own it,” he replied.

“Oh.”

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The Morrellis owned the bulk of prime real estate in Maryland and Washington D.C. I couldn’t even imagine the price tag on prime real estate in downtown D.C. With all the events that happened, I felt like I didn’t do the proper homework on Nico Morrelli, but now I wished that I had. The only thing I knew for certain was that he was ruthless and a criminal.

“So, what else do you do besides being a criminal?” I noted his slightly surprised look.

“You are brave, Cara Mia.”Or stupid, I thought to myself. He probably didn’t think I had it in me.

I didn’t know what possessed me to be snarky to him. I couldn't stand the silence and my nerves were pretty much fried and my lust-infested brain made me cranky. Along with the knowledge I’d have to somehow explain to my kids and in-laws about this ridiculous wedding had me all riled up.

“I own a few construction companies, but I spend most of my time buying large parcels of real estate and turning them into business properties,” he told me as he nudged me into his building. “They are all under the company started under my great-grandfather from my mother’s side, Nico Cassidy. I also own Cassidy Tech.”

“That’s right,” I murmured, frowning. “I should have known the construction business would belong to someone like you. Worldwide Cassidy, right?”

“Yes.”

His company pretty much demolished John’s construction company.

John was a close family friend - to both William and I. He was even the best man at our wedding. Local John Construction was in his family for three generations and Nico’s real estate company was pretty much squashing them. Over the last fifteen months, Worldwide Cassidy bought out most of their contracts. I never made a connection between Morrelli and Cassidy. I wasn’t sure if it was even public knowledge.

And Cassidy Tech! They were one of the largest IT companies in the world. The word was they could hide anyone’s footprint on the web, wipe out someone’s entire identity online, and give them a fresh start without ever having to change their appearances. One day you were Bianca Carter and the next someone completely different. Of course, there was no concrete evidence to support those rumors.

So fucking unfair! I could use those services.

Suddenly stopping, I turned to him. “I don’t think I like your company.”

His only reaction was a raised eyebrow. I couldn’t drill him on Cassidy Tech because he couldn’t know that I’d need a new identity one day. But Worldwide Cassidy construction company… for that, I could.

“Your company is huge and you have so much,” I continued, “but instead of allowing for small, local businesses to flourish in healthy competition, you squash them.”

“And where did you get that information?”

“John Martin, owner of Local John Construction, is a family friend. Your company has been after him and hurting his business for over a year. John’s a great guy.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but before I could zero in on it, his jaw tightened, his expression darkened and turned unreadable as ever.

---