Page 12

CHAPTER 12

M assimo

What the hell am I doing?

What the fuck am I thinking?

I’ve made peace with what’s coming. The bullet with my name on it. I should be in my penthouse right now, finishing the things I need to finish before it’s all over for me. Not gallivanting around Isola Selvaggia with a gorgeous girl. Not all fucked up inside, wondering if I made the right decision. Not thinking about whether I should put a bullet in my brother’s head, just to have one more damn day with Lea.

“Not much further,” I mumble, motioning ahead and glancing back to make sure she’s still okay.

Okay? That’s a laugh. She’s far from okay. Her face is still a mixture of are-you-going-to-kiss-me and please-don’t . She’s as confused as I am, and I’m not making it any easier. The rational part of her brain is telling her why this would be a horrible mistake. And not just because my days are numbered. There are millions of reasons why she should stay far away from me. Death follows me like a trail of blood and ghosts. I just keep adding to the numbers. But soon… soon I’ll get to join them.

When I made my decision, I imagined my grandfather looking down on me with a smile. Satisfied that my sacrifice would keep the Morandi family from going up in flames. But in these ruins, where memories of our conversations seem to pour out of the walls, I’m questioning everything. My grandfather was a fighter to his last fucking breath. He survived over a dozen assassination attempts when he was sitting at the head of the table. He’d call my brother a traitor. He’d slap my father out of his chair if he hesitated to give me permission to pull the trigger. But my grandfather isn’t here anymore, and my father isn’t as ruthless as he was. I guess that skipped a generation, too.

“Ah!” Lea grimaces, holding up her hand as we exit the ruins and get blinded by the sun.

“Here.” I squint and turn, placing my sunglasses on her. “Can’t have the sun ruining those gorgeous green eyes.”

“Thank you,” she says, smiling when my fingers trace the side of her face as I pull away. “I should have grabbed mine, but I guess I’ve been a little preoccupied. Being taken prisoner by a man who spanked me.”

“If you keep bringing it up, you’re going to get another one,” I threaten, motioning for her to follow me. “And it wasn’t that bad. Just a little color.”

“Easy for you to say,” she mutters. “You weren’t the one who got spanked.”

I shouldn’t do this. Shouldn’t say this. But I can’t help myself. I stop in my tracks and turn, towering over the beautiful girl I can’t get out of my head.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” I say. “Tonight, I’ll give you another spanking. One that you’re sure to enjoy.”

“What kind of deal is that?” she asks, her eyes getting wide.

“That’s not the deal,” I growl. “If you don’t enjoy it, you’ll never get another spanking from me. No matter what you do. I’ll just punch a wall or something.”

“That was the alternative to spanking me?” she questions. “You’re so violent… Okay, so you spank me, and if I hate it, you’ll never spank me again? I mean, I wasn’t planning on doing anything that would put me over your knee again, but it would be nice to know it isn’t an option. But what if I—enjoy it?”

“You have to let me taste you,” I say, leaning closer. “Anywhere I choose.”

Lea gulps and her face turns red. A shudder puts goosebumps on her skin, and I see her pulse in her neck. Her green eyes flicker with curiosity, hesitation, and concern.

“That’s it? Nothing more than that?” she asks, like she needs reassurance, while secretly unsure what she really wants.

“That’s it, bambina ,” I assure her. “If we make this deal, I’ll honor it. You have my word. Nothing but a taste—unless you beg for more.”

She shudders again, but then she slowly nods, biting her bottom lip. “Okay. You’ve seen my bare ass once already, so I guess it doesn’t matter. But just so you know, if I don’t enjoy it, and I know you can’t spank me, I’m going to be a brat the rest of the time you’re holding me hostage.”

“So, nothing will change?” I growl, playfully swatting the back of her jeans.

“Hey! That doesn’t mean you can just start slapping my ass whenever you want to!” she protests, scurrying away from me.

“Then I’ll save them all for later,” I chuckle, following her toward the Jeep.

She’s damn sure going to enjoy it. I saw how wet she got last night. Even when it started to hurt, she still couldn’t stop grinding herself against me. I would have stopped her, if I wasn’t hard as a rock myself.

It would be so easy to claim her. So easy to make her mine in every way. But I’ll settle for a taste. I don’t deserve more than that. I certainly don’t deserve her innocence. The man who gets that pleasure should be able to give her the world, and I don’t mean money. They should love her the way a woman deserves to be loved and have a lot more to offer her than a few days.

“Oh, my god!” Lea says, peering into the back of the Jeep. “You really do have a shotgun, rope, and a bunch of knives back here!”

“Did you think I was lying?” I ask. “I always pack the essentials.”

“Your definition of essentials and mine are way different!” she says, walking around to the passenger door. “Seriously, why did you bring all of that?”

“There are wild boars on the island,” I explain. “And if we happen to run into one, you’ll be glad I have the shotgun.”

“And the rest of it?” she questions.

“Because I’m not going to leave good meat out here to spoil,” I laugh. “That would be a waste.”

“I didn’t realize this was a hunting trip.” She rolls her eyes as I open the door and help her into the Jeep.

“At least you’re not the prey.” I lean closer to her. “Yet.”

Her face turns red and I smile as I close the door. I walk around to the driver’s side and get in. She still looks a little flustered, but there’s a hint of a grin on her soft lips. They’re still begging for a kiss, but that isn’t what I plan to taste.

“The statues aren’t far from here. We’ll spend as much time as you want looking at them, have lunch, and head back to the resort,” I explain, glancing over at her. “Then you’re going to get a spanking.”

“Wonderful,” she says, her grin getting a little wider. “I didn’t even do anything wrong, and I’m still going to get a spanking.”

“If you start acting like a brat now, I might forget all about tasting you, and just blister your ass,” I warn. “Make up for all the spankings you’re not going to get after I’m done.”

“Hey!” she protests, squirming in her seat. “That’s not the deal we made.”

“Then you better be on your best behavior,” I chuckle, cranking the Jeep.

Lea has a silly grin on her face while I drive us to the statues. It’s almost as captivating as her smile. I can’t help stealing a few glances, just to make sure it’s still there. I’m glancing her way when the wonder dawns in her eyes as soon as the statues come into view.

“Wow! They’re way bigger than I expected!” she says excitedly.

“Too easy,” I mutter.

“What?” She perks a brow.

“Nothing,” I say. “We can’t park as close to them. The terrain isn’t safe for the Jeep. Up for some more walking?”

“Sure, I don’t know how many excursions I get, so I better get my steps in,” she laughs.

It’s a hike to the statues, but I enjoy every minute of it, because I’ve got Lea by my side. I might as well be playing with a sharp knife, tossing it carelessly in the air and waiting to see if it hits something vital on the way down. I’m getting wrapped up in her. Thinking dangerous things. Questioning decisions that seemed so clear. Lea’s breathing fresh air into my lungs. Opening wounds that let the poison slowly seep out. Making my heart beat with something that feels like life, instead of sorrow.

“So these are the legendary statues carved by the people from the Lost City of Pacifis,” Lea says, putting her hands on her hips once we reach the crest that overlooks the valley below.

“Local legends say they were carved by giants,” I say. “They’re the same age as the ruins though, and if the people from the Lost City of Pacifis were giants, they must have liked crawling through tunnels, instead of walking through them.”

“And if there were giants, wouldn’t there be bones and stuff?” Lea adds sarcastically. “I’m sure there were a lot of bones in that—pit.”

“Yeah, some things just get to be a mystery forever.” I nod in agreement. “These statues are even more impressive than the ones on Easter Island.”

“Have you ever seen those?” she questions, turning to me.

“Not in person,” I admit. “Guess I never will.”

“Why—oh, right,” she sighs. “There are probably several things on your bucket list you won’t get to do.”

“Never had one of those.” I shrug. “Would you like to go further, or is this close enough?”

“This is way closer than I would have gotten if I took the tour.” Lea looks around. “This seems like a nice place to have lunch.”

I nod, put the basket down, open it, and remove the blanket. I spread it out, then place the platter with the cheese and crackers in the center. Lea takes her seat, cross-legged, and I lower myself to the ground.

“Red wine or white wine?” I ask, removing both bottles from the basket.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Lea says.

“Hmm.” I look over the cheese selection and palm the white wine. “This one will pair better.”

I remove the wineglasses and corkscrew, opening the wine and filling both glasses. I give one to Lea and watch as she takes the first sip. Once a smile confirms she like it, I put the red wine back in the basket.

“This tastes better than what we had last night,” she remarks, glancing at the label. “And of course, it’s from Morandi Vineyards.”

I bring the glass to my nose and inhale the fruity scent, closing my eyes as I imagine myself in my grandfather’s vineyards. “The soil in the northern vineyard has a lot more clay. It’s better for red wine, but the white wine from that vineyard always has a heavier tart in the flavor profile. Can you taste it?” I sip the wine and let the flavor sit on my tongue before swallowing.

“Yeah,” she says, taking another sip. “I can. Do all Mafia guys know this much about wine?”

“No,” I chuckle. “But I grew up around it, so I picked up a few things.”

“I guess it’s good to know more about the poison you’re drinking,” she jokes, her eyes meeting mine for a moment.

I’ve had plenty of poison.

But I think I may have finally found the antidote.