Page 4 of Bound By Her Mafia Bosses

“Don’t say it like that, man,” Zan said. “As if you’re any better. You’ve betrayed the Gallo family twice now—once when you helped free Jules and her nephew and now. Do you really think that Isabella will just let that slide again? She’ll make an example out of you and still find a way to take Jules out. But I can use my influence with the new Commissioner to help find us a safe place to lay low while we come up with a plan.”

“Come up with a plan?” Jules asked.

“You mean, you don’t have one?” Lucky chimed in.

“I’m not a superhero,” Zan chided. “I told you; I have a plan—to get us all someplace safe. After that, we’ll have to figure something out because Isabella Gallo isn’t going to just let us go. She’ll have her sons hunt us down to make an example out of us. We need to lay low and regroup. The three of us can come up with a plan to not only keep ourselves safe but also, find a way to get Cola out of there.”

“Let’s say we believe you,” Jules said.

“Wait, don’t group me into that ‘We,’” Lucky insisted. “I don’t believe a fucking word that comes out of his mouth. He’s been lying to me for months now.”

“I had no choice,” Zan insisted. “I couldn’t trust you not to blow my cover.”

“Okay, and what’s changed now?” Lucky asked.

“Well, for one, you’re holding a gun in my back,” Zan reminded. He knew that his first hurdle would be to get Lucky to trust him. That was going to be easier said than done with Lucky Gallo.

Jules

Jules wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but she was sure of one thing—Lucky had her playing the fool once again, and that was completely on her. How could she fall for his sexy charms and get into that van with him and some guy she had never met before? She knew better, but for some odd reason, every time she was around Lucky Gallo, she seemed to lose her mind a little bit more.

She wasn’t sure if she trusted Zan either, but he was her only chance of getting out of this mess alive. If he worked for the Commissioner, he’d be able to find them a safehouse to lay low. Lucky’s safe houses were all tied to the Gallo family, but Zan would have new connections that the Gallos wouldn’t see coming.

“Okay, I’ll take away the gun,” Lucky said, putting his Glock back into its holster. “Why would you want to help Jules? She means nothing to you.”

“You’re right. This is the first time we’ve met, even though we both work for the Commissioner. I want to help Jules because it’s my job to keep her safe. It’s why the department hired me. After what happened with her and her brother, they wanted extra security deep within the Gallo organization.” That made a lot of sense to Jules. She knew that they had increased security around the office, she just never imagined that they had put men on the inside of the Gallo organization to help keep an eye on things.

“So, it’s settled then,” Jules said. “You’ll let me go and we can forget this whole mess.” She was holding her breath waiting for them to agree with her, but Jules knew that it was a long shot.

“No,” Zan said, “Lucky is right. If we let you go, they’ll keep on coming for you. We need a place to lay low and I have one in mind.”

“Why should we trust that you won’t double-cross us?” Lucky asked. Jules knew that he didn’t trust anyone in the Gallo family. It didn’t matter that he had the same last name or that he had pledged his loyalty to the family. Jules knew Bruno Gallo well enough to know that he had trust issues and Zan wasn’t going to get his trust unless Lucky wanted to give it to him.

“You don’t know that I won’t double-cross you and you shouldn’t trust me or anyone else, Lucky,” Zan said. “But I want to help. If that’s the only thing you believe that has come out of my mouth this morning, then so be it. I’ll help you keep Jules safe and then we can work on getting Cola out of the family. You deserve a hand, Lucky. Let me be the one to help you out of this mess.”

Lucky looked between Zan and back at Jules. He looked just as confused as she gelt, but she also knew that Zan might be her ticket out of this newly found trouble she was in, and she wasn’t about to tell him no. “I say that we let him help,” Jules whispered.

“You don’t get a vote in this, honey,” Lucky drawled.

“Why the fuck not?” she spat. “I’m the one who was kidnapped this morning. I was minding my own business, on my way to work, when you dragged me into this mess.”

Lucky leaned into her body and God; the man still smelled like sin. She couldn’t help herself as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting his scent fill her head.

“As I remember it, Jules,” he breathed, “I didn’t have to drag you anywhere. You came with me on your own accord.” She opened her eyes to find Lucky’s lips almost touching hers and Zan’s eyes on both of them in the rearview mirror. Jules cleared her throat and sat back, putting some much-needed space between herself and Lucky.

“Are you sure that you two never hooked up?” Zan asked.

“That’s none of your fucking business,” Lucky spat.

“No, we have not,” Jules countered. “Lucky saved Michael and me from his family and kept us at a safe house until Isabella was in prison, but we never hooked up, as you like to say. And Lucky is right, it’s not really any of your business.”

“Got it,” Zan said. He smiled back at her, and all Jules could do was roll her eyes at the guy. He was just as much of a flirt as Lucky was—and he was hot. A combination that she seemed to have trouble saying no to.

“Where do you have in mind—you know, for us to lay low until we can figure this all out?” Lucky asked.

“You’re actually considering his offer?” Jules asked.

“I am,” Lucky admitted. “I thought that you were on board too.”

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