Page 93 of The Viper

“For my woman, yes.”

Ruben chuckles as I tear off the bloody shirt and put his on. “She sounds like a handful.”

“My Rosa is exactly that and more.” I button the shirt before tying the tie. “A wise man recently told me that we don’t give them a choice. That our job is to keep them safe, provide for them, fuck them to within an inch of their lives, so, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Ruben laughs aloud as I finish fixing myself and look into his mirror to make sure there’s no blood visible anywhere. “Perhaps it’s in my best interest to look for a new underboss. Your Rose may end up smothering you in your sleep.”

Not before she chokes with my cock deep down her throat. “Women,” I say as I lift my shoulders. “It’s quite probable that’s precisely what she’ll do.”

Ruben barks out a relaxed laugh as we head out of his room. “I need you to keep me up to date about Eliza. Whatever she needs, let me know.” My uncle appears particularly fond of Eliza. “She deserves the best, not whatever Adrian did to her.” I nod my agreement. “And for God’s sake, put a ring on your woman’s finger.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “I’m getting there,” I say. “Rosa is demanding answers about everything.”

“Business is business. Give her what she needs to know about Adrian, and nothing more.” He claps a hand to my back as we head to his office.

“Adrian isn’t stupid enough to go after the girls, or us, for a while. I believe he’ll lay low.” I sit in the armchair, and Ruben leans against his desk.

“If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll disappear forever.” And just like that, Ruben’s transformed back to his straight, deadly self. “I’m sorry he’s your brother.” I avert my eyes for a moment as I consider his words. “He takes after your father.”

“I remember he was cruel.” In all honesty, I looked up to my uncle more than I ever had to my father.

“Very. He and I didn’t agree on a lot of things. Including how he treated your mother, and in what direction we should take this business. Our father was cruel, our grandfather was worse. We come from a long line of brutal, heartless men. And, that’s perfectly fine for business, but not when it comes to our women. They’re not like us.”

“Women can be cruel.”

“Absolutely, but not our women. They need to be cherished. Which is why I killed my father, because of how he treated my mother for decades. Every day she would lose a piece of herself until she killed herself to end his abuse.”

Everyone knows Ruben Sacco took a butcher’s knife and chopped off my grandfather’s hands before he slit his throat. Violence against women has never been tolerated by Ruben. Once there’s violence, he ends it. Quickly. It’s also why he killed my father. I don’t even hold it against him, my father was evil. “Well.” I stand and hold my hand out to Ruben to shake. “I have work to do.”

He shakes my hand. “Good luck with that firecracker of yours.” He smiles. “I’ll start the interview process,” he jokes.

Asshole.

“How is she?” I ask Rosa when she comes downstairs and finds me in my office.

“A complete and utter mess. She’s asleep now, though.”

I push back in my chair, and beckon her to come sit on my lap. Hesitantly, she sits and drapes her arm over my neck. I rub my hand up and down her back. “And how are you?”

Rosa’s eyes widen as she shakes her head and lifts her shoulders. “I don’t know.” I wait for her to add something to that. “Did you find him?”

“No, why would you ask?”

“Your tie is different. It’s a lighter shade of blue, which made me look at your shirt, and although it’s the same as the one you normally wear, it has RS embroidered on the pocket here.” She runs her fingertips over the white RS I haven’t even noticed. “It’s not yours. I’ll bet it’s Ruben’s.”

Ruben gave me permission to tell her what she needs to know. “The shirt is Ruben’s. And no, we haven’t found him.”

“If I was Adrian, I’d be staying well away until there’s a vulnerability, then I’d strike. But, there’s only one thing that would stop me from attacking.”

“Which is?”

“Manpower. If he doesn’t have a following or backing from another organization that could take on the Sacco family, then it would be suicide to try and take you guys down.”

My woman thinks like we do. “Perhaps he’ll stay away.”

She snorts with a sarcastic laugh. Rosa peeks her tongue out to wet her lips. Those lips. I could fuck them into next week and it still wouldn’t be enough. “I know you don’t believe that.”

I run my hand through her soft hair several times, before pushing my fingers through to the base of her head and gripping her hair. I bring her down to kiss her forehead. “You don’t have to worry about him.”

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