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VINCENT

A hidden villa in Italy seemed like the perfect choice—a plan to keep Isla safe and for us to be happy together, while also staying close to my family roots and being able to continue conducting my business. I knew she would love the idea, as was evident by her dancing on the chateau rooftop in the late afternoon sun. I watch her like a worshiper, soaking in every moment that we share.

Back in Vegas, things are still running smoothly. The Moretti family empire is a well-oiled machine that I can still manage from afar, even if I have taken a slight step back from the hands-on action there. Luciano and Alonzo, along with a few newly appointed capos, have things handled. At some point, I’m guessing that Luc will grow sick of Alonzo’s abrasive attitude and call me with a request to replace him. I will return to help take down Angelo Barone for good once the rat surfaces again. He can’t hide forever. I won’t give up on avenging the trauma he put my love through. For now, I’m enjoying the performance of my graceful wife as I intricately plan a course of action against Angelo Barone that aims at minimizing bloodshed but maximizes his suffering through extreme torture.

“Watching you dance is a luxury like no other.” I smile as she glances over at me.

I hadn’t meant to interrupt her dancing, but when she stops to walk over toward me with a salacious look in her eyes, I quickly become glad that I did.

“Are you sure about that?” she asks as she kneels down in front of me.

“Sure, about what?”

“About watching me dance. Being such a pleasure.” Isla unbuttons the top of my pants, and I instantly harden in response to the near proximity of her mouth to my cock. “I can think of another luxurious experience that I can give you.”

I am so hard with an engorged anticipation when she lifts me out of my pants that the rim of my cock is pink with an effort to keep myself from exploding too quickly. I want to be pleasured slowly , and Isla knows it, which is why she slides her tongue in a circular tease with just enough pressure below the rim to trigger my most sensitive spot.

A primal groan escapes me as my mouth drops open and a quiver shoots through me. I sit back and grip the armrests of my chair, digging my nails into the sculpted wood and pushing myself toward her mouth, wanting more. When her soft lips close around my cock, it feels like heaven . She starts slowly at first—teasing and taunting me until I try to shove myself deeper into her mouth out of sheer desperation. It always impresses me how such a small and fragile thing can take so much of me at once. When she sucks, my eyes roll so far back that I have to close them before the glare from the morning sun drips into my retinas. The base of her hand grasps the base of my cock as she strokes me and engages every sensation at once. It won’t take long before I can’t keep it together and wind up bursting from the pleasure of it all.

But then, at the worst possible timing, my phone rings.

“Ignore it,” Isla whispers, her tongue still touching my tip as she goes to continue drawing me closer to climax.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for me to ignore it because my eyes have popped open at the invasive sound, and I can already tell by the ringtone who it is.

I sigh with displeasure at my aching and unsatisfied cock and the interruption that cut this delightful moment short. But I gently pull away and stroke the side of her cheek before reaching for the phone.

Isla frowns at me when I go to take the call.

“I’ll be right back, my love,” I say with a kiss on the top of her forehead. “It’s Gabriel.”

“From the bar?” She asks, still pouting because someone interrupted our peace this morning. “Yes, I’m sure it won’t take long. He probably just wants to give me a rundown on things at the casino. You keep dancing and I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“Alright,” she says as she twirls again. “Tell Gabriel I say hello.”

I step inside and answer the call, not expecting to hear much news of consequence because I know that if there was anything truly dire or important, Luc would have already let me know.

“Hello Gabriel, Isla sends her regards.”

“Tell her I say hello too,” he replies. “We’ve missed seeing her around the club.”

Behind his pleasantries, I can hear a tightness in his voice. Gabriel has always been great at collecting and keeping secrets, but he’s never been good at masking his mood when he’s hiding something.

“What’s on your mind, Gabriel?” I ask, wanting to get to the point of his call.

“I just thought I’d call to give you a heads-up, as a courtesy. There’s been talk around the city that your absence has left an opening .”

“What kind of opening?” I ask, suddenly reminded of the odd text message that I received back in Vegas before I brought Isla here.

I never followed up on that because there are always rumors and whispers among the underground, and most of them turn out to be nothing. I was much too focused on my plan to go with Isla to Italy, and in that moment, the cryptic text seemed meaningless. But now, as Gabriel pussyfoots around hinting at something without divulging it completely, I wonder if I overlooked something in my haste to leave Vegas.

“A new don,” he says bluntly. “ The Saint .”

That name now rings familiar to me.

“You’ve been away from the action, Vincent,” he continues. “And you know how things are—this city, and this empire you’ve built here, needs a man at the helm. One that is here on the ground, taking control over things.”

“Control?” I ask, with increased interest in who this new don might be that is looking to unseat me. “Are you suggesting that there is another man in the ranks who is after my empire?” I’m not sure what to make of this news, especially since I’ve heard nothing in terms of an uprising from Luciano. I would expect that if there was a man wanting to unseat me, that Luc, as my consigliere, would have informed me of such a thing by now— unless he has reason not to. “I can’t think of anyone who would want to go up against me, The Devil of Vegas.”

“I’m saying,” Gabriel clears his throat and then continues in a whisper. “That everyone worships the devil’s power. But they forget— it’s the Saint who holds his secrets .”

THE END

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