Page 25 of Bound By Her Mafia Bosses

“Ace and I met about a year ago,” Nick began. Valentine looked skeptically between the two of them and Ace could tell that she wanted to ask questions, but refrained when Nick shot her a look. “I was undercover in one of the local New York families and we were running a job with the Gallos. I was hoping that I’d finally have my chance to bring down their whole organization, but things went sideways. Ace figured out who I was, and he was helping me gather evidence that would shut down the whole crime ring. But, when two other guys made me, I needed to get out of there fast. Ace helped me, but he remained behind since no one had linked us together,” Nick paused and looked at Ace over Val’s petite frame.

“I never thanked you for that, man.” Nick nodded to him, and he smiled.

“No thanks necessary. I did what any decent person would have,” Ace said. He knew that he was putting his life on the line helping Nick, but he couldn’t help it. He had nothing left to lose. His father and grandfather had both given their lives working for the family. He didn’t want to end up like them and he had no family to worry about the Gallos going after. It was just him in this world. So going up against a major crime family, who had taken everyone that he had ever loved from him, seemed like a no-brainer.

“Well, I wouldn’t have made it out of there alive without your help, so thank you.” Nick turned his attention back to Valentine and smiled. “Ace is one of my men on the inside that I told you about, honey,” he said. Valentine looked between the two of them again and Ace had to admit he liked how she fit between them, but that thought was crazy.

“You two are working together? But you were in my room.” She turned to Ace as if accusing him of something. “Why wouldn’t you just say who you were, and we could have avoided the whole mess that followed? I was questioned for hours,” she growled.

“I know and I’m so sorry about that, Valentine. Nick didn’t know that I would be there, hell I didn’t even know I’d be in your room that night.” Ace took her hand into his and Nick growled at him to back off, but he didn’t budge. A part of him needed to touch her and Nick James was just going to have to get used to a little competition.

“After Nick left, I stayed behind to get as much information as possible to bring down the Gallo's whole organization. I wanted out,” he said. “I have for a long time now. I know that there is only one way out of the family and there was no way that I wanted to end up like my dad or grandfather, Val.” She nodded her head, and he continued.

“I was sending information to Nick as it came in, but then I received a job that I worried might hit a little too close to home for him. You see, Nick told me about your old man saving him, and when I heard that you were my next job, I worried that he would panic.” Nick stood and growled, and Ace knew that he was fucking this whole thing up.

“What do you fucking mean—Val’s your next job?” Nick barked. Ace stood and almost towered over his friend.

“You know I would never hurt her, Nick. I got the order to keep an eye on Valentine and bring her to the family when the time was right. They were vetting a new boss and you know what they give to their new heads of household, right?” Nick nodded and sunk back down to the sofa, understanding exactly what Ace was saying. He hated the lost look on his friend’s face, but Nick needed to hear the whole ugly truth, as did Val.

“You knew that they wouldn’t just let the Rossi kids walk away, Nick. Their father was in, which meant they were in. You said that yourself.” Ace watched as Valentine processed everything that he was saying, and he could tell the exact moment that she caught up.

“The Gallos were going to marry me off to the new boss?” she questioned. Nick and Ace both nodded. “What would have happened if I said no?” she whispered. Ace hated that she asked that. He and Nick knew firsthand what the family did to women who didn’t want to comply with their new husband’s wishes. They were often passed from family member to family member and if that little test didn’t help cure them of their defiance, they had other measures. They would go after the woman’s family members, torturing and even killing them. If all other ways failed, she would be sold off into the human trafficking ring that they ran, never to be heard from again. Women in the Gallo family had one choice—submission. If they didn’t take that option, they would learn all too quickly what the consequences were.

“They wouldn’t let you say no, honey. Let’s just leave it at that, Val,” Nick whispered.

Valentine nodded and returned her attention to Ace. She was always beautiful, even as a scrawny teenager Valentine Rossi took his breath away and made him a nervous wreck. Now, was no exception, but her adult version was Ace’s walking wet dream. She was curvy in all the right places, and he was sure that her big, brown eyes could see straight into his soul. She bewitched him.

“When you headed east, I followed you,” Ace whispered, clearing his throat. “I was ordered to stay on your trail, so I did, but I didn’t expect them to send two guys behind me as if they were checking up on me. When I realized that I was being tailed, I needed to make sure that you were safe. I didn’t expect you two to have met or that Nick would barge into your room that night. I was going to tell you that you were in danger while trying to keep my cover, but I guess I just fucked it all up. I panicked when Nick came through the doors with his gun drawn. I didn’t want to answer any questions, and I bolted. I’m sorry that I scared you, Valentine,” he said. Ace took her hand into his and loved the way Val leaned into his body, from Nick’s. Although judging by Nick’s expression, his friend wasn’t all too happy about the way she responded to him.

“You still haven’t answered my question, Ace,” Nick spat. “Why the hell did you go radio silent on me? We had a meeting set up and you didn’t check in,” Nick was back to using the tone that told Ace that he wasn’t buying the whole story and honestly, he didn’t blame him. It looked like Nick had taken it upon himself to protect Valentine against any possible threat and that included him. If he was in Nick’s shoes, he’d feel the same way—protective as hell.

“When we were supposed to talk, I was being watched. I think that the Gallos started to suspect my involvement with you a few months after you left. They are smart enough to put two and two together and pin everything on me. I had to lay low. If I had been in contact with you, they would have found out and I’d be dead right now.” Ace didn’t miss Valentine’s shiver and Nick covered her with his body as soon as he noticed.

“I think that this is all a test—me being put on Val’s watch duty and being ordered to bring her in. If they have put the puzzle pieces together and can pin the two of us together, then they know who you are. The only reason they have left you alone, until this point, is because you are on the force. Sooner or later, they will catch up to you too, Nick.” Valentine’s gasp had him pause. He hated that she was so frightened by this, but it was his and Nick’s lives. And whether she liked it or not, it was her life too. She was a part of this whole mess, for better or worse. What she didn’t yet understand was that she apparently had not just one, but two alpha men who were dead set on keeping her safe.

“I’ve been told to bring Val in as of two days ago. That was why I was in your hotel room, honey. I wanted to warn you. Hell, I wanted to convince you to let me help you, to protect you, but it seems that you have that covered now.” Ace nodded at Nick and reluctantly released Val’s hand.

“I won’t do it,” she growled. “I won’t let you take me back to them, Ace.” Her sob nearly gutted him, and he hated that she thought him capable of doing something like that to her.

“Honey,” he growled, “I’d never do that to you,” he soothed. Ace couldn’t help himself. He didn’t give a fuck if Nick was going to try to beat his ass. He pulled Valentine onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her body. He was shocked that she allowed him to do that with her—to her. He was even more surprised that Nick made no move to stop him and no formal protest.

“That’s why I followed you two here.” He hoped to hell that they would both be just as accepting of his next part. “I want to help you—with everything. I know where Anton is, but it is going to take a little time to get a plan in place. He won’t be here for another week if the job stays on schedule. That gives us time to get something worked out to help your brother. But I won’t put you in danger, Val. Not now, not ever. You mean too much to me,” he admitted. Val snuggled into his hold, and he knew from the smirk on Nick’s face, that the two of them were going to have a talk.

“Will you let me help?” he asked. Val looked back at Nick as if allowing him to take the lead. Nick nodded and Val gifted Ace with her big smile.

“You’re in. Welcome to the club. We’ll teach you the secret handshake later,” she teased, causing them all to laugh. It had been so long since Ace found anything worthy of laughter and it felt damn good to be holding the woman that he dreamed about so many lonely nights in his arms. He just hoped like hell he’d get his chance with her, but there would be no way that he’d hurt Nick to do it. The detective had become his friend, someone that he trusted, and in his line of work, both of those qualities were hard to come by. Ace wasn’t sure what his next move was going to be, but he needed a plan. Otherwise, he stood to lose everything, including his own life and he hadn’t fought this long or this hard to lose now.

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