Page 4 of Bittersweet Endings (Agostino Crime Family #6)

CARMINE RAGETTI

T he noise of the club made the floor in my office rattle. Clients had started to fill in their seats, looking to meet my newest headliner. Persephone was no longer dancing after her stint in the looney bin. So I had to replace her with Kitty.

Typical, right?

What I can assure you was not typical was that giant cat tattoo on her leg—right next to her pussy. The men loved it and paid top dollar for private dances.

Octavia hung up the phone and I smirked. If she were here, she’d already be draped across my lap with my palm leaving a trail of heated marks all over her skin.

Matteo stood at my desk, his inquisitive stare trying to sift through my brain. The bastard was always looking to analyze me. And right now, his silence was scratching against my patience.

“You didn’t have to let her go. I see what it’s doing to you,” he said.

“My mood has nothing to do with her. It’s about Uncle Sal.”

Matteo sat down instead of arguing with me.

I’d relayed everything Mario had told me about our uncle. Every detail about how he’d died, how he’d been set up, and how Mario had covered it all these years.

“There’s no way JP would?—”

“Wouldn’t he?” Matteo questioned. “He’s a goddamn narcissist. Beat his own children for the fun of it. He’d absolutely kill his brother to become Capo.”

I went mute. Fucker was right. Maybe it was the love I’d had for our uncle that made me think there was no way JP could do that. No way he could have gone after his own blood.

Uncle Sal had wanted to make us financially untouchable. To still be who we were but make it more lucrative. JP just wanted the power to do whatever the fuck popped into his head and get away with it.

“Fuck. He caused it. I know he did,” I grunted, and Matteo nodded. “And what about that little fuck Peiro? Any word?”

Matteo sighed as he pushed to his feet. “Nothing concrete. Got some leads to follow up on.”

“JP thinks we’re back for him. Let’s lie low and make him think shit’s normal.”

“Got it. I’ll be in touch.” Matteo turned to leave, just as Diego was headed in this direction.

“Boss.” Diego dropped a folder on my desk and sat down. “Last images were of him crossing into Canada.”

I flipped to the first page and pulled out the pictures. My lip twitched as the scent of blood filled my nostrils. Image after image of Peiro.

“He used his legal name to cross into Canada. Then two hours later, crossed back with a different car and identity.”

I shook my head .

“We lost track of him after about 115 miles down I-87. But one would assume…” Diego cracked his knuckles.

“I-87? That far? That’s halfway to…”

He nodded.

“He’s coming back for her.”

“Should I contact AJ to?—”

My phone ringing interrupted him as the man in question called. “Boss, we got made.” AJ sounded winded on the other end of the line. “She let me go.”

Shaking my head, I sighed. “Diego got word the little fuck is probably headed to you. Stay close to her.” There was a long pause. “Is there a problem?”

“Uh, no. No, boss.”

“Just fuckin’ stay close, AJ.”

“Got it.” The line went dead, and I dropped my phone onto my desk.

“She’s got fuckin’ moves. And that body—” Diego paused, his focus locked on Kitty center stage.

“Since when do you mess with the dancers?”

He shook his head, almost lost in a trance before turning back to me. “I’m not. Just commenting.” He shrugged, turning to watch again as I stepped up next to him.

“Commenting.” I waited. “It’s been a minute since I’ve had a good fuck. Maybe I’ll?—”

He grabbed my arm. “I think we need to handle JP. We’re…” He paused as I laughed. “What?”

I backed away from the window with my hands raised in surrender. “I’m not going to fuck her. But nice to know she’s off-limits.”

“Fuck you.” Diego leaned over the desk and gathered up the folders.

“What you got on JP?” I asked, switching topics .

We couldn’t get close to him. The bastard hadn’t run from death this long without knowing when someone was coming for him.

I finally got the truth and JP knew it. He’d sent the coast into chaos, but that was just a show.

This had been the way my whole damn life.

Soon as I was old enough to stand on my own, he made it his mission to screw with me.

Watching me struggle and bleed had entertained him.

It was never parenting; it was a goddamn power trip.

My phone lit up with the name of someone in my pocket from the local PD. JP thought the guy was on his payroll, but he wasn’t. He’d fed JP lies and gave me the inside scoop.

“Your father’s gone off the deep end, Carmine,” he said, and I scoffed into the phone. “I’m serious.” Gunfire echoed in the background.

“Then you better figure out a way to hold ?em under.”

“You don’t get it. This shit he’s doing... It’s all over the goddamn news. Live TV. Carmine, you can’t expect me to just sweep it under the fuckin’ rug.”

“Well, until I get him handled, you better fuckin’ handle the rest of it.”

There was a long, silent pause. “I’m being reassigned,” he said. I waited for the punchline. “Your father is out of control and they’re not tolerating it anymore?—”

“Not. Tolerating,” I repeated, making him sweat. “Then I guess it’s only right to sever this financial relationship.” I hung up, ending his spluttering.

A second later, my phone pinged with a text.

Calm down. I’ll be in touch.

“I want him found. Now.”

Diego nodded, grabbing the rest of his papers and heading out.

“Now, Diego! ”

He shouted that he heard me as he left.

Sitting back in my chair, I watched Kitty perform the final song of her set. She had a natural seduction and my balls were in agony. I needed to fuck someone.

My dick spurned to life with an image of Octavia on her knees. Even the scar on my leg tingled with excitement. Every sound. Every image. Every fucking memory of that woman buried in the back of my brain.

My cell rang and I answered without bothering to look at the screen. “What?”

“Why?” she whispered. “Why did you really shoot me?”

“Hello, little doll.”

“S-stop. Stop that,” she slurred.

“Octavia?”

She hiccupped in response.

“A little liquid courage, huh?”

“Didn’t need liquid courage when I stabbed you.” She laughed but it was off. Forced.

“How’d you know I was just thinking about that moment? That even with that little stunt, I still dream of those luscious lips wrapped around my cock.”

“Next time, I’ll bite it off.”

I smirked. “Next time? You want to suck my dick again, baby?” I cooed, and she spluttered angrily as her drunken brain tried to play catch-up. “Why’re you calling me?”

“Answer my question. A real answer.”

I was silent for a moment as I deliberated over what to say. “Well, I suppose if I can’t have you, no one can.” I had to hide my amusement.

“Please. If you wanted me for yourself, I’d still be there,” she scoffed. “Carmine Ragetti is so powerful, so tough. And here I was, thinking no one could make him do anything?— ”

“Guess all that distance and booze gave you the guts to talk back, huh? Must’ve gone straight to your head. But don’t forget, baby... Every filthy fuckin’ inch of that sinful body still belongs to me.”

“Then tell me… why shoot this sinful body?” she mocked, and I couldn’t help but smile wider.

“Fine,” I snarled through clenched teeth.

“You want the truth? Here it is: I wanted every goddamn secret you’ve ever kept to yourself, every lie you’ve ever told.

And then, once I had it all, I wanted your daddy to feel what it meant to lose the person he cared about.

To know I’d taken his precious little girl, ruined her in every way, that she begged me to do it too, then sent her back dripping with blood and defiance. ”

“That’s not all…” I could hear the tremor in her voice.

“Listen to me, Octavia. You’ll give me what I want. Every. Last. Thing. I won’t stop until I’ve completely ruined your family from the inside out. I don’t care if my father?—”

She cut me off with a laugh. “Your father.” She sobered for a moment. “That’s why you shot me. Oh, Carmine. Now I get it. I know what happened to your uncle. You know what JP did.” She started laughing. “And JP wanted me next , didn’t he?”

“You’re drunken bullshit is boring me.”

“You mean the truth is pissing you off . JP knew you were in New York with me and he wanted me.” She hiccupped. “You shot me to protect me. A farce so your father thought you didn’t care.” She ended on a fit of muffled giggles.

The little bitch had me turning my hands into fists. I wanted to throttle someone, and she was too far away for it to be her.

A knock on the door echoed and I barked for them to enter. Kitty strutted in wearing heels and a thong. Crooking my finger, I pointed to the ground and she dropped to all fours, crawling towards me .

“Tell me, little doll. Do you think about me late at night?”

Octavia gasped, and I knew I had her.

“Remembering my tongue between your thighs, devouring your orgasm? Commanding you to come over and over until you can’t take it anymore?”

Kitty sat with her ass on her heels between my thighs. Her hands were behind her back as she waited for my instructions. Compliant. Zero fight. And yet my dick was soft, until the slightest moan entered my ear.

“That’s it, little doll. Come for me.”

Octavia moaned louder into the phone.

“Good girl,” I cooed at her.

“It felt so much better knowing I’m right.” She laughed. “I own you, Carmine. Just as much as you own me.”

“Octavia,” I groaned, as Kitty grabbed my dick through my pants.

“Yes, Carmine.” She sounded victorious and I was going to pull the rug out from under her.

“I got your secrets. Now I want your family’s. And you will give them to me.” I moaned louder. “Oh, Kitty.”

“Yes, sir?” the girl panted, and Octavia gasped.

“You, motherfucker,” she screamed into the phone. “You’re not getting anything from me! You’re a bastard and I hate you.”

“You will fuckin’ get me what I want.”

“I won’t. But I do promise to make you regret every time you’ve made me cry.” She hung up, and my dick got hard at all the images I was conjuring in my mind. How I was going to punish her. I just needed a little more time to get things handled. And then she’d see me again.

“Get the fuck out.” I shoved Kitty back. “I told you when I hired you… I don’t shit where I eat. Now get the fuck out.”

She scurried to her feet and slammed the door behind her .

This war had been brewing for well over two decades—quiet in moments but never truly still.

Just waiting for the right spark to set our whole goddamn world ablaze.

First, it was my uncle’s death, and now that I had the answers, JP was next.

He was gonna be dead—real fucking soon. The old bastard who’d spent my life pulling strings like I was just another one of his fucking puppets.

There was no backing out. No turning the other cheek. I had to win.

I needed my head in the game. Not fogged up by thoughts of that tight little ass and the sweet whimpers that still haunted my nights. She was a distraction I couldn’t afford. A softness. A luxury. I shouldn’t have craved her. But I did.

And it was making me weak.

When the quiet crept in, I thought about her. With smoke in my lungs and blood coating my hands, I wondered. Maybe Matteo was right. Maybe I’d fucked up. Letting her go was meant to protect her. Instead, it might’ve been the worst mistake I ever made. Because part of me wanted her on my side.

Fucking Matteo always had to be right.

It didn’t matter. It was done. Choices like that didn’t come with a rewind button. And I had a fire to set, a world to burn down, so I could come out on top.

Soon, little doll. It’ll all end soon.