Page 29 of Caruso (Vegas Mafia #3)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Taylor

I loved my time with Matteo. I still do but it’s a different energy entirely with Giorgio. Matteo is safe, sexy and secure. He treats me like his queen and gives me something I’ve never had before – security, protection, emotion.

Giorgio gives me thrills, danger and excitement. Unpredictability and surprise. He is dangerous, edgy and irresistible and I truly believe I am the luckiest girl in the world right now.

We eat overlooking the strip and Giorgio wasn’t kidding. This is the best view of the city of dreams. I believed it meant nightmares for me but I’m fast learning that nightmares are really dreams that went wrong somewhere along the way.

Will this experience be another one of them?

I’ve yet to find the catch in all of this and as we eat steak and fries, washed down with an expensive bottle of red wine, I finally start to relax.

For some reason this feels more like home to me after one week than mine ever did in all the years I was living there.

They feel like home. The Caruso brothers.

Even Tommaso, the surly, slightly scary brother who appears to be losing the will to live.

Something is hurting him inside and it doesn’t appear that anyone will enlighten me anytime soon.

They are guarding a dark secret and I must tread carefully because if I finally unlock the door to it, it may slam shut with me firmly inside with no way to get out.

“Tell me about your childhood?”

I’m sure this must be a normal question to ask and Giorgio shrugs.

“We grew up in New York, the Bronx. My father was the descendent of an Italian crime family who moved from Sicily to the US several generations ago. They soon found the streets of New York were littered with opportunities and rose to become one of the most feared mafia families in the state.”

“What happened to change that?”

“Nothing.” He shrugs. “My cousins happily run the family business. When our parents were unfortunately blown up while vacationing on their motorboat, we decided to cash in our chips, and invest in The Artemis instead.”

“I’m sorry.” I gaze at him with horror, everything making perfect sense now and I don’t miss the flex of his jaw or his tightening grip on the wine as he downs it in one.

“It was a contract killing. We have many enemies who were intent on settling old scores at our expense. We decided to move away, more for our sanity than anything. Shit wasn’t worth it anymore so we went legitimate.”

I almost spit out my wine. “Legitimate! Are you kidding me?”

He grins. “Old habits die hard and as the enforcer of the family, I kind of missed my craft. Now I put it to good use in punishing the scum who earn my particular brand of justice. It helps keep me sane.”

I grin as he winks before reaching for my hand and dragging me across the table to meet his lips.

“I kind of think you are of the same mind, angel. You have your own demons who remain to be slain.”

I nod, my expression changing from merriment to despair and he strokes my cheek with his thumb and whispers, “I like it when you smile, baby. Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll tear the world apart to deal with what’s troubling you.”

“It’s, um, well…”

I falter, not sure I should come as clean as I like.

“Tell me.” His voice takes on a harder tone causing me to sigh.

“It’s Jason.”

“The guy from your childhood?”

“Yes.”

Impulsively, I kiss him on the lips and then murmur.

“He was my only friend. To disappear like that, with no word wasn’t like him.

He would have found a way to tell me, to say goodbye and I never believed the story he was killed by Carl in a fight.

Nothing adds up and I don’t suppose I will ever rest until I discover exactly what happened to him. ”

“Do you love him?”

It obviously pains him to say the words and yet a soft smile lights my face.

“Of course I love him. He is the closest thing to family I will ever get. I don’t mean in a sexual kind of love.

More in a sibling way than anything. He was older than me so I’m guessing I saw him more like an older brother. ”

“We’re older than you.” He points out the fact they have close to fifteen years over me, give or take and I shrug. “It’s different.”

He obviously doesn’t like the subject of our conversation and says gruffly, “If you found him, what would happen then?”

“I don’t know.”

I am lost in the past as I remember back on how good life was with Jason in it.

“I just want to know if he’s okay. I worry about him. More than anything, I hope he escaped and has met a girl and made her his wife. That they have a couple of kids, two dogs, cats and a house in the suburbs. I just want to know he’s okay.”

My lower lip trembles and I wish I could make it go away.

“Taylor! Is that you?”

A guy’s voice jerks my attention and I swing my gaze to the sound as Giorgio pulls away.

“Mr. Gregory.” The blood drains from my face as my unwelcome past – one of them anyway – comes back to bite with a vengeance.

“Giorgio.” He nods respectfully and I note the barbie doll hanging off his arm, pouting in Giorgio’s direction as she adjusts her tits, thrusting them out even further.

“I thought that was you, Taylor”

He turns to the simpering plastic doll beside him and says loudly, “Taylor worked in one of my bars but didn’t quite make the grade. It’s a shame really, she could have gone far but it appears she made good in the end.”

I shrink in my seat, hating what will happen next when Giorgio discovers exactly why I wasn’t able to hold down a steady job there.

Damian Gregory runs a series of bars in town where the girls drop their morals as many times as they drop a check.

Their catchphrase is ‘will there be anything more, sir’ which usually involves the loan of a room out the back where they blow the guy off, or fuck him several times over.

“Perhaps I should have given her more of a chance. Carried out her induction myself because it appears she has moved on and is attracting a different league of punter.”

My heart lurches as Giorgio reacts, fast and as deadly as a snake.

He punches Damian square in the face, busting his nose, before grabbing him and smashing him hard against the wall.

There’s an eerie silence as everyone stops to stare as Giorgio smashes his fist repeatedly in Damian’s face, blood spurting from every orifice as his companion looks on with calm interest.

It’s as if we are watching a movie playing out in plain sight and even the staff merely stop to watch the spectacle.

There are no sirens, no attempts to break up this fight and as Damian falls to the floor unconscious, Giorgio stamps him hard in the groin before turning, slapping several one hundred bills on the table, before grasping my hand and pulling me swiftly from the room.