Page 93 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

Sofia

I t went on and on like that throughout the night.

Mind-blowing sex for an hour, followed by cuddling and a nap…

Then one of us would stir and wake the other up, which would lead to a kiss…

And touching…

And then more mind-blowing sex.

By the time the sun came up, my body was physically exhausted from dozens of orgasms…

But I was also happier than I had ever been in my life.

As good as Macau had been, our night together in Taormina was even better.

There was a growing trust there…

A tenderness that let me open up to him in a way I never had with anyone else.

Everything was wonderful.

And then he had to go and fucking ruin it.

In the morning, we showered together. We kissed and caressed each other more than we got clean, and got so turned on we had sex in the shower.

After that, we ordered room service. While we waited, I slipped into one of the room’s terrycloth robes, and he put on his pants and white linen shirt.

Once breakfast came, we sat out on the balcony of my hotel room, sipping cappuccinos and eating pastries. All of Taormina spread out below us, with the sparkling bay off to our left and Mt. Etna far in the distance.

“Have you given any more thought about my offer?” Niccolo asked.

I sighed. “Can we not talk business today?”

I’d enjoyed our time together so much that I was dreading going back to Fausto.

With Niccolo, it was all about sex and pleasure and living life to the fullest – seizing the day and living in the moment.

With Fausto, it was about grinding away in an increasingly unpleasant job, working for a man I hated, just so I could be financially independent and never have to rely on anyone ever again.

Part of me just wanted to run away with Niccolo, like Peter Pan and Wendy, and never have to deal with real life again.

That wasn’t what Niccolo wanted, though.

“It’s not so much ‘business’ as it is ‘life and death,’ you know,” he said. There was a reproving tone in his voice unlike his usual impish humor.

“I really don’t want to talk about it right now,” I said, trying to steer us away from the unpleasantness of being on opposite sides of a mafia war. “I just want to forget the outside world for a while.”

That irritated him even more.

“My brother Massimo doesn’t have that luxury,” Niccolo snapped. “He’s being hounded by Aurelio as we speak.”

And tracked by a man named ‘the Hunter,’ I thought.

I felt a pang of guilt over the information I’d kept hidden from him…

Information that could potentially save his brother Massimo…

And that guilt made me feel resentful.

“Even if I walked away now, there’s nothing I could do about that,” I said crossly.

“You could tell me where Aurelio’s men are searching and help me bring my brother home safely.”

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully.

“Then you could find out.”

“If I do that, then I have to jump ship,” I snapped. “Fausto would kill me if he knew I was leaking that sort of information. Besides, you haven’t exactly been forthcoming with me, either.”

“About what?”

“Why are you in Sicily?” I asked.

“So you want to trade information?”

“No, I WANT to not talk about it.”

“That’s not an option anymore.”

I laughed in disbelief. “Oh – it’s an option, all right. Watch me.”

I turned away from him and sipped my coffee.

“I came here to Sicily to find something out,” Niccolo said coldly. “Do you want to know what it is?”

I said nothing – just watched the early morning sun highlight the plume of smoke drifting off Mt. Etna’s cone.

“I needed to know whether you’re a fucking monster or not.”

The venom in his voice shocked me, and I turned and looked at him in surprise.

Then I got mad. “I’m no more of a monster than you are.”

“I don’t plot to kill people for money.”

“Your family’s entire business is plotting to kill people for money!”

Niccolo darted a look around in paranoia.

“Keep your fucking voice down,” he hissed. “And no, it’s not – you know that.”

“Oh, right, it’s political corruption and paying off dirty cops. Such noble pursuits,” I sneered.

“At least I don’t kill civilians,” he snarled.

“Neither do I,” I snapped.

“I don’t think the bankers who stole our money would agree. Or their families.”

I stared at him in dread, knowing he was about to tell me something horrible. “What are you talking about?”

“Within twelve hours of the wire transfer, every single bank manager involved supposedly committed suicide. Jumping off tall buildings, stepping in front of busses… suicide by pills was one of the less gruesome methods.”

Nausea filled the pit of my stomach.

What the fuck had Fausto done?

“I… I had nothing to do with that,” I stammered.

“But you knew,” Niccolo said with cold self-righteousness.

“I didn’t know anything!”

“You went into business with a mobster who killed his own brother. Did you really think he wouldn’t murder a bunch of innocent people to cover his tracks?”

I felt like my breakfast was about to come up.

Then I realized something –

And all my nausea went away, replaced by ice water in my veins.

“You knew this last night, didn’t you?” I asked accusingly.

“So what if I did?” he retorted.

“You held back asking me this the entire time… not only so you could use that information for maximum leverage, but so you could fuck me first. In case I reacted badly – right?”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat but didn’t say anything.

“You wanted to get your dick wet before you manipulated me,” I said with all the disgust and contempt I could summon. “So tell me, Machiavelli – who’s really the fucking monster here?”

“I had hoped you would come around – ”

“What, by making me come?” I sneered. “Get me off, then bend me to your will? It’s ALL just a fucking game to you, isn’t it? People aren’t people – they’re just things to be manipulated and discarded.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” he snapped. “You should try selling that line of bullshit to Lazaro.”

“Who?” I asked, legitimately confused.

“Fausto’s mole. The man who told you I was coming to Taormina.”

My stomach plunged.

…so THAT was his name.

Niccolo saw my reaction and twisted the knife even more. “You tried to guilt me for fucking you – but you had to know there was a good chance we’d eventually find out who the traitor was. That didn’t bother you last night, though, did it?”

I felt sick again –

And my shame quickly turned to rage.

“I didn’t know who the mole was, and I told Fausto this was a trap,” I hissed. “But you’re leaving out one tiny detail.”

“And what’s that?” Niccolo said contemptuously.

“If he dies, you motherfuckers are the ones who’ll murder him.”

Niccolo looked like I’d slapped him.

Then he bounced back. “He’s a traitor!”

“And traitors deserve to die?”

“Goddamn right!”

“Then why are you trying to get me to become a traitor?”

He realized he’d walked right into a buzzsaw. “No – ”

“YES,” I snapped. “You don’t give a fuck about me so long as you get what you want.”

“That’s not true – ”

“I’ll tell you what is true: you talk and you talk, but you never take responsibility for the things you do, because you don’t give a shit about anything or anybody except yourself, you narcissistic son of a bitch – ”

Niccolo suddenly leapt to his feet, his face a mask of rage.

For a second, I was afraid I had gone too far – that maybe I might get thrown off the fourth-story balcony –

But then Niccolo’s rage dissipated and was replaced with a mixture of regret and sadness.

“I didn’t say anything last night because… you’re right, I wanted to have sex with you. But not because I was using you. Because I can’t stop thinking about you. I want you. I… I’m falling for you,” he said quietly.

My heart skipped a beat.

“And I couldn’t stand the thought that you were like my uncle,” Niccolo continued.

“I couldn’t bear to have feelings – real feelings, deep feelings – for someone who could do the things he’s capable of.

I wanted to live in the fantasy for one more night before I had to find out for sure.

But you’re not like him – I know that now.

“And yes, I was trying to manipulate you. I was trying to guilt you, in the hope that you would switch sides. Not just to benefit my family… but because I want you. I want to be with you. Not just stolen moments here and there… I want to be with you every day, every night, all the time.”

I felt a sharp pang in my heart.

It might have changed everything if he’d only said that 15 minutes earlier…

But he hadn’t.

“I wish I could believe that,” I said coldly. “But with you, I never know if it’s just another move in your fucking game.”

“It’s not,” he said fervently. “Please, Sofia – come with me. Leave Fausto.”

“No.”

He shook his head. “You’re making a terrible mistake.”

“At least with Fausto, he doesn’t pretend he’s in love with me so I’ll do what he wants.”

“Oh, that’s right – I forgot,” Niccolo said, his voice darkening. “You want your money.”

OW.

THAT hurt.

“At least that’s all he ever offered,” I snarled. “Which makes him a hell of a lot more honest than you.”

“Right up until the point he kills you.”

“Unfortunately, Niccolo, after your little charade here this morning, I can’t say for sure that it would be any different with you.”

“Here’s how you’ll know I’m different,” he hissed. “I could kill you now, and it would be in my family’s best interest to do so.”

A shiver of fear ran down my spine.

“But I swore an oath I wouldn’t,” he continued. “And unlike your employer, I’m going to keep my promise.”

“Good,” I snapped. “Now get the fuck out.”

Niccolo looked at me coldly…

Then went back into the room, grabbed his shoes and belongings, and walked out.

Once the door closed, I ran inside and locked it –

Sank down on the floor…

And burst into tears.

It shocked me.

I was still angry at him, yes –

But mostly, I felt overwhelming grief.

Like I’d lost something precious…

Something I couldn’t admit that I really, truly wanted with all my heart…

Until it was gone.