Page 33 of Of Desire And Deception

“This is my block.” I waved to the buildings. “I promise to go straight home like a good girl if you just stop following me like a fucking stalker. Please, Cosimo.”

He tilted his head, considering my words. Finally, he shifted into drive and inched forward, meeting my eyes. “Have it your way. For now. Goodnight, goldilocks.”

This time, when I walked, he sped up and drove away. I don’t know why I made such a big deal out of it, but there was something dangerous about allowing that man any closer than he already was. I had to keep some boundaries.

I power walked to my building and ran upstairs to my apartment, throwing a pot of coffee on as I unlocked my phone and shot off an answering text to pacify Madden. I pulled up the video files and settled on the couch with my coffee. It looked like I’d be pulling an all-nighter going through all the information I’d gathered.

I was running out of time, feeling desperate for a breakthrough. There had to be something that would incriminate my boss or his family. I just had to look hard enough to find the crumbs leading to the criminal cake.

Chapter Eleven

Deception’s atmosphere changed, thickening with tension, as Dante walked in. Everybody wanted a glimpse of the new Neretti Don, but nobody wanted to catch his attention. A wave of murmurs crossed the main floor as people took notice, but nobody dared rise from their seats.

I finished the last of whatever fruity shit Wynn had tried out on me and slid the glass forward, watching as she made another drink, her teeth pinning her lower lip. I wanted my teeth there instead, to hear her whimper as I sank into that soft flesh and tasted her blood. Fuck, I was going to have a hard-on during my meeting with my brothers. I spared Wynn a final glance before turning and striding over to where Dante had nestled himself into a corner booth, his men Stefano and Filippo taking up post nearby.

“Where’s Romeo?” I asked as I slid into one side of the booth.

“Fuck if I know.” He checked the watch on his wrist. “I swear, that kid has lost his mind since getting married.”

“It seems to be catching,” I said drolly.

Dante glared at me. “Are you saying I’m less than competent mentally?”

“I’m saying your mind is probably on what’s between your wife’s thighs more than family matters.”

“Mention any part of Olesya like that again, and I’ll string you up in your own dungeon, fucker.”

“You can try,” I taunted, pulling my knife out and toying with the blade.

My brother lifted a brow; then, before I could react, knocked the knife into the air and caught it, holding it to my neck. “Some of us hold as much violence inside as you dole out.”

“Touché.” I pulled another blade from my boot and pressed the tip against Dante’s ribs.

He drew in a quick breath and glanced down, shaking his head. “You still would’ve been dead first.”

“Only if you hadn’t hesitated,” I shot back, plucking my knife from Dante’s grasp. “And I could have killed you in at least ten different ways before you’d even taken my knife.”

“Well, doesn’t this look like brotherly bonding time?” Romeo dropped down on the opposite side of the booth, still wearing his Flex polo and black joggers.

“Fuck off,” Dante snipped. “Where have you been?”

Romeo gave him a shit-eating grin. “I was having some marital bonding time.”

“Stop there.” I held a hand up. “I don’t want to hear anything about that. Seeing you stripping live was enough to scar me for life.”

“You mean you don’t want me to hop up on the stage and give your patrons a special treat?” He gyrated in his seat suggestively.

“I already told you what would happen if you ever set foot on that stage again,” I growled.

“You won’t kill me,” he laughed.

“No,” I agreed, tapping the point of my blade on the table. “But I can make marital bliss a little more difficult with an unplanned vasectomy.”

Romeo blanched and reached a hand down to his lap protectively. “Hey now, no reason to make rash decisions.”

“You don’t even want kids,” Dante pointed out with a smirk, fanning the flames.

“Maybe not.” Romeo’s eyes tracked my knife like he was afraid I might lay him out on the table and perform the little operation in the middle of my club. “But I’d like to be in control of how that birth control plays out. And I’m partial to all my body parts.”

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