Page 24 of Bound By Her Mafia Bosses

“So, you are staying someplace different than where we agreed to meet, smart girl.” Nick seemed impressed by her, but really, she wasn’t out to impress him or anyone else. She was trying to save her mother and hopefully, her brother. Impressing Nicholas James wasn’t a part of her plan.

“I meant no offense, but I watch my back. I don’t know you, so I thought it best to be safe than sorry,” Val admitted.

“Well, I can’t fault you for erring on the side of caution, Valentine.” She shivered at the way Nick drew out her name, every time he said it. Almost as if he was savoring it, like a fine wine.

“So, you have news about Anton?” Val was starting to feel a little skeptical. If Nick had news, he wasn’t being very forthcoming in sharing it. In fact, she was starting to feel like he was avoiding the topic altogether.

“Wow, you don’t pull any punches, do you honey? You are a get right down to business, kind of girl.” Val had diverted her attention to the buildings as they passed by her window. She loved this city, loved its people. They were fast talking and fast walking, compared to her new life in California, but she felt right at home in the Big Apple.

“Nope, you lured me into your car, promising me details about my brother, so spill them.” She knew that she was being pushy, but she felt as if she was at the end of her rope. Val was ready to find out whatever information Nick had, get back to her room, strip, and sink into a nice hot bubble bath.

“All right,” Nick held up his hands, feigning defeat. “I know where your brother is, but they will be moving him soon. If you want to get to him, we will have to move fast.” Val did a double-take, at his words. What the hell did he mean by “we will have to move fast”? There was no way that she was involving a stranger in her problems. They were big enough as it was.

“I think you misunderstand, Nick. I didn’t contact you to help me get to my brother. Your services begin and end with telling me where he is. I can handle the rest on my own.” Valentine looked out of the limo window watching the Manhattan skyline go by and she knew that her time in the Big Apple was just about up. She was going to have to find her brother and get back to Chicago. Her mother’s life depended on it and she was afraid that hers did too.

Nicholas

Nick knew that meeting with Valentine Rossi was a mistake, but once he heard who had Anton, he had no choice. Val’s father saved Nick’s dad’s life on more than one occasion, and he owed her family the courtesy of sharing the information he had on Anton. Hell, he owed Valentine more than that, but at least finding her brother was a start.

He was thrilled when she agreed to meet with him, after two weeks of sending private texts back and forth. He was all set to leave work early, to ensure that he made it to their meeting with time to spare, but his boss cornered him and asked for a quick update on the case. What was he supposed to tell his captain, to fuck off because the hottest woman that he ever saw was waiting for him in a hotel lobby downtown? He knew that would be a big mistake because he wasn’t supposed to be in contact with the Rossi family. His boss expressly told him to steer clear of them, but he couldn’t. Nick had grown up hearing stories about how Mr. Rossi had saved his pop’s life, while he was on the force.

Val’s dad was a hero in his book, but she would never know that she couldn’t ever find out her dad turned on the families that he was working for and provided Nick’s dad with evidence to put the heads of most of Chicago’s major crime families behind bars. It’s what ended up getting Mr. Rossi killed and that gnawed at his own father’s conscious for years.

Nick never understood why his dad didn’t just tell the Rossi family about their patriarch turning state’s evidence. After he grew up and followed in his pop’s footsteps to become a detective, he began to see that telling them would put them all in greater danger. In this case, ignorance was bliss and he tried to leave well enough alone until Anton found himself in more trouble than he could handle.

Anton was just a dumb kid, getting mixed up in things that he should have steered clear of. Nick knew the score—the kid wanted to be like his dad, but he was going about it in the wrong way. Keeping his mouth shut was taking a toll on the Rossi family and he wanted to set the record straight and let the chips fall where they may.

Blowing his cover wasn’t an option. As far as anyone could tell, he was a wealthy business tycoon who dabbled in dealings on the wrong side of the law. His job was to get noticed by some local families in New York and hopefully, word would spread to the major crime families in Chicago. So far, everything was going according to plan, but telling Val who had Anton might throw a monkey wrench into his undercover operation. Still, he could hopefully share his news with Val, feign ignorance about how he came across this information, and then disappear from her life. And wouldn’t that be a shame?

Valentine was just the type of woman that he usually fell for. Her long dark hair spilled over her bare shoulder and her body—damn her body was perfect. She wore a tight-fitting dress for their meeting that showed off all her sexy curves. He almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her standing on the corner, hailing a cab. Nick had nearly missed their meeting and it took all his charm to persuade Valentine to get into his limo. Sure, she made up some silly lie about having to meet with someone else, and not having time for him. But he could tell by the way that she leaned into his body when he saved her from almost taking a tumble onto the sidewalk, that she wanted him. The way that Val looked at him made him hard and he wanted to do things with her—to her that he hadn’t done in a fucking long time. If just talking to Val was against his captain’s rules, he was pretty damn sure that fucking her was completely off the table. But having her sit so close to him was driving him crazy and he was dying to taste her, if just once, before he had to walk away from her.

“Be reasonable, Val. You can’t just walk in and take your brother back. You have no fucking idea who you are up against. I know this family, personally, and I can assure you that they won’t take kindly to you butting into their business,” Nick said. He was hoping that at some point she would listen to reason, but he was pretty sure that he was asking for too much. The determination in her eyes told him that he was going to have to tell her more, maybe even scare her off some, in order to keep her safe.

“Okay, why don’t you start with who has my brother, and then I can decide if I’ll need to call in some backup.” Nick barked out his laugh. No amount of backup would keep her safe from the Gallo family. He wasn’t sure he had enough backup to keep anyone safe from them. The Gallo family was the head of the crime families in Chicago. No one went against them, and Anton found himself in that predicament. That’s why they were holding him. Anton had done a few minor jobs for the Gallos and Nick knew that sooner or later, he was going to get in over his head. Anton must have had a change of heart because he refused to do a job for the family. That was something that crime families found unforgivable. He had kept an eye on the Rossi family, and he knew that Anton was doing things that he should not have, but he had no way of stopping him until it was too late. That was a guilt that he would carry around for the rest of his life, especially if something happened and he couldn’t get Anton out. Telling Valentine that the Gallo family had Anton might have been the biggest mistake that he ever made, but he had come this far. It was too late to turn back now.

Nick sighed, “The Gallo family has Anton.” Val’s sharp gasp told him that she knew exactly who he was talking about.

“No,” Val said, shaking her head. She could refute the truth all she wanted, but that wouldn’t make it any less true.

“I’m so sorry, Valentine,” he whispered. She buried her face in her hands and Nick couldn’t stand to hear her sobs. He pulled her onto his lap, crushing her against his body. “Don’t cry, baby. I know that this seems bad, but I have a plan. Please let me help you get your brother back.” Nick couldn’t help himself; he pressed a kiss to her forehead and Valentine sat back on his lap, studying his face.

“If you know who the Gallos are, why are you so willing to help me, Nick? They are the most dangerous family in Chicago. You can’t get involved in my business. I won’t allow you to put yourself in harm’s way for a total stranger. I appreciate you telling me where I can find Anton, but you owe me nothing else.” Valentine wiped her eyes and Nick thought he had never seen such a beautiful sight. Her brown eyes glistened in the limo’s dimly lit interior and her lips looked so soft from her crying. He couldn’t help himself; he pulled her back against his body and sealed his mouth over hers and kissed her like she was his last meal. She hesitated and stubbornly sealed her lips, not letting his tongue gain entrance. He reached around her body to cup and squeeze her ass, making her gasp and moan into his mouth. Nick used her surprise to slip his tongue into her mouth, brushing it over her own.

Valentine wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to deepen the kiss. He loved the way she responded to him, needy and hot like she couldn’t get enough. They were a tangled mess of arms, legs, and lips and Nick wasn’t sure where he ended and she began, and he didn’t care. She felt right in his arms and that thought scared the shit out of him. He broke the kiss, leaving them both breathless, and braced himself for her wrath. But it never came. Val’s chest rose and fell as if she had just run a marathon and he knew that she was just as turned on by the whole scene as he was.

“Fuck,” he growled. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He wanted just one taste of Valentine Rossi, but he knew that it would never be enough. He didn’t know if he’d ever get enough of her and having her wasn’t an option.

Ace

Ace watched Valentine with Nick and a part of him wanted to punch the guy for touching her the way that he was. Ace kind of admired Nick for moving so fast. He’d never imagined that he and Val had become involved in the few short days since they met. Ace had followed Valentine from Chicago, just as he was ordered to do, but that was where he failed the mafia family that he had worked for since he was eighteen years old.

It felt natural to follow in both his father and grandfather’s footsteps and become a part of the family. He was groomed for it from a young age, and he didn’t know that another life could even exist for him. But God, he was hoping that wasn’t the case, because he wanted out. Ace had wanted to find a way out since his mother passed, but he never had the nerve to try to leave the Gallo family. He was able to glide under the radar, as far as the family was concerned, performing menial jobs and not getting his hands too dirty. His grandfather and dad had proven their loyalty and his was just assumed. He didn’t have to work his way up through the ranks to prove himself. His bulk had earned him the respect of the other men and also a slot as the family’s muscle. Usually, that just meant having to knock a few heads together, but sometimes things got a little hairy. He’d find a way to navigate his way through without having to shed too much blood. He was amazed that he had never had to kill anyone, but he also knew that his good luck would only last so long. Now, at thirty he was ready to find a way out and hopefully live to enjoy whatever new life waited for him.

Valentine sat on the sofa in their rental and Nick protectively pulled her into his side. Ace felt a pang of jealousy, but there was no reason for that. He had no claim on Valentine past a few minutes of heaven that they spent together when they were both teenagers.

“Can one of you please explain to me what the fuck is going on here?” Valentine growled. He didn’t try to hide his smile at her tone or use of curse words. Val Rossi was always a spitfire and he had to admit he liked his woman a little feisty. He knew for a fact that Val fit the bill.

Nick shot him a look and Ace knew him well enough to know that he was telling him to shut the fuck up and sit down. Ace was fine with letting Nick take the lead with Valentine, but he wouldn’t be painted as the bad guy in all of this. They both wanted the same thing here—Val’s safety. Well, that and apparently the woman herself, but that was another matter altogether. Ace sat down on the other side of Val, hating that he couldn’t touch her as she was allowing Nick to.

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