Page 6 of Bound By Her Mafia Bosses

“Stop looking at him that way,” Lucky grumbled.

“Um, what way am I looking at Zan?” she asked, turning to face Lucky. He was right, she was ogling the man, and that wasn’t going to play out well for her if she planned on keeping her distance from both of them. It didn’t matter that she found both of them to be hot as sin or that Zan worked for the Commissioner’s office. She needed to keep a level head and figure a way out of this mess. Otherwise, she might never find her way home to her life.

“You know the way that you were looking at him,” Lucky challenged.

“I don’t know how she was looking at me—want to fill me in?” Zan asked. She noted the smirk on his handsome face that told Jules he knew exactly what Lucky was talking about.

“Never mind,” Lucky mumbled under his breath. “You can take the back seat and get some rest, Zan, and you,” he said, pointing at Jules, “can ride shotgun and sleep in the front seat.”

“Bossy,” Jules grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as though she was unhappy with his plan.

“Aw, you remembered,” Lucky drawled. Jules had forgotten how Lucky had a comeback for everything that she said. He always had to have the last word, and although that used to drive her crazy, she had to admit, she missed it. Hell, she had missed him, and now, she was going to be cooped up with him and Zan for the foreseeable future. What she was going to do to keep her walls up was a mystery, but she was going to have to try. Falling for Bruno was one thing, but falling for Zan too, well, that was just plain crazy. Even if that lifestyle worked for her brother, it wasn’t going to work for her since she was pretty sure that both men were straight and didn’t seem to like to share. No, she was going to keep her mind out of the gutter and get through the next few weeks with her legs crossed and her heart intact—at least, that was the plan.

Lucky

Lucky couldn’t help but feel protective of Jules. Hell, he was in love with her, not that he’d ever admit that to her or anyone else. The last thing he needed was to be turned down yet again by the woman he wanted. She filled his dreams every night and waking up to an empty bed each morning was a letdown. He wanted her sleeping by his side much like she had done on the first leg of their trip to Colorado. Holding her against his side while she softly snored felt right to him. It felt as though they were together like they were when he pledged to keep her and her nephew safe all those months ago. He was going to make that same pledge now to her, even if she didn’t trust him.

He was an idiot for thinking that he’d be able to turn her over to his family in exchange for his brother. Seeing Jules again made him realize that. He was just going to have to come up with another way to get his brother out of trouble and keep Jules safe. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if anything happened to either of them.

What he wasn’t sure about was if he could trust Zan. Finding out that the guy was on the Commish’s payroll was a punch in the gut. He really didn’t trust anyone in his line of work. How could he when every one of the guys that he worked with would kill him or sell him out without blinking an eye? At least he knew where he stood with Zan. If the guy got his chance, he’d turn Lucky into the Commissioner and then, he’d really be fucked. He wouldn’t be able to help keep Jules safe if he was behind bars. Hell, his life would be over if he was put into prison—Isabella would see to that personally.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Jules said.

He looked over to find her watching him. “I thought that you were sleeping,” he admitted. She had fallen asleep soon after their stop for food and gas a few towns back.

“How long was I asleep?” she asked.

He checked the clock on the dashboard and sighed, “Only two hours. This trip feels like it’s taking fucking forever,” he grumbled.

Her giggle filled the cabin of the SUV and Lucky couldn’t help his smile. “I’ve missed that sound,” he admitted.

“What sound?” she asked, playing nonchalant.

“Your laughter,” he whispered. “Remember when we’d sit out under the stars and tell stories to pass the time while Michael slept?” he asked. He remembered it as though it happened yesterday.

“I do,” she admitted. “You would do or say just about anything to make me laugh,” she said.

“Yep,” he agreed, “I still would. How have you been, Jules?” he asked. “You know, I tried to call you a few times and even stopped by your place. I guess you’ve been busy though.”

“Honestly,” she breathed, “I haven’t been. I was just avoiding you, Bruno. I know that makes me sound like a bitch, but I just couldn’t face you again so soon. I didn’t want to see the disappointment in your eyes if you were planning on asking me out again.” Hearing that made him sad, but he had his mask firmly in place. It had to be with Jules, or she was right, she’d break his heart again.

“You’re right,” he said, “it does make you sound like a bitch.” Her gasp told him that he had hit his target, and honestly, Lucky didn’t care. He wanted to hurt Jules as much as she had hurt him. Yeah, that might make him an ass, but he just didn’t care.

Growing up in a mafia family, he learned to give as good as he got. If someone knocked him down, he’d get back up and do the same to his opponent. Jules might not be his opponent, but she wasn’t fighting fair. He hated that she shut him out of her life the way that she did. All he wanted was a chance with her and Jules refused to give him one just because his last name was Gallo.

“You’re an ass,” she spat.

“You might be right, but you hurt me, Jules. All I’ve ever wanted was a chance with you and you refused me at every turn.”

“You know why I can’t be with you, Lucky,” she whispered. Jules looked over her shoulder to check that Zan was still sleeping, as if not wanting to admit in front of someone else that she had turned him down flat because of his last name.

“He’s sleeping,” Lucky said. “And why should it matter? You won’t go out with me because my last name is Gallo. I’m not sure why that is though. I mean, Mila’s last name is Gallo, or it was until your brother married her. It didn’t seem to matter to him, and he was the fucking Commissioner at the time that they hooked up.”

“Right, and he also had to quit his job,” Jules reminded.

“Because he wanted to keep his family safe,” Lucky challenged. “You know that he didn’t quit his job because he was involved with a Gallo. You are so fucking stubborn.”

“I am not,” she insisted. “Gabe quit his job to keep his family safe, but he couldn’t stay in his position as Commissioner and be tied to the Gallo family name. I’d be fired if I did the same thing my brother did, and I’ve worked too damn hard to get where I am in my career, Bruno.” Every time she called him by his real name, he wanted to pull her onto his lap and kiss her like she used to let him when they were at the safehouse all those months ago.

---