Page 3 of Renegade (The Santini Assassins #2)

GREYSTONE’S MISSION

April, Present Day

GREYSTONE

G reystone sat behind the massive desk while eyeing the woman perched on the edge of the guest chair.

She was wearing a scoop top, the swell of her breasts looming large.

He tried to keep his gaze on hers, but he had the memory of an emu.

He’d glance down, get an eyeful, look back into her eyes.

Seconds later, those large titties beckoned, and he was right back to a quick peek.

It wasn’t like he wanted to stare, but he could not stop. It had been a long, long time since he’d had sex. And he was damn tired of his hand. Either one.

He’d just finished making the rounds at the family restaurant. Santini Ristorante was located in a highly trafficked section of Old Town Alexandria, right outside DC.

He was working as the eatery’s GM, but his time had become more and more limited. Pretty soon, he’d have to tell his brother, Teddy, that he needed to cut back on hours. Greystone was clocking about four hours sleep a night. Six would work, but four?—

“So, how about a blowjob, handsome?” the woman asked. “I’d love to suck you off.” She arched her back, shoving her breasts toward him. “Admit it, you like me.”

He choked back a laugh. This was not the first time a patron had propositioned him, but he wasn’t gonna do it. Not there, not with her.

Knock-knock.

The door opened and his brother, Luciano, walked in. His gaze hardened, then slid to the woman.

Dressed in a Santini Original designer suit, Lulu kept his dark hair short, his muscular physique in top form, and his smile non-existent.

“What’s going on?” Luciano asked.

“Yo, Lulu.” Greystone pushed out of the chair, pulled the door wide, and said to the woman, “Thanks for stoppin’ by.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. “Seriously? You’re not interested?”

He let his silence fill the space.

“Can I show you back to your seat?” Luciano asked.

“I’m gone.” The woman charged out.

Luciano shut the door. Expecting another ration of shit from his older brother, Greystone leaned his ass against the back of the large desk.

“Did I interrupt?” Luciano asked.

“Nope.”

“How’re things going here?”

Greystone shrugged. “All good. Here to do payroll?”

“You can do it. I wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Me or the restaurant?”

“You, Grey. Why do you have to make this so difficult?”

Greystone missed Luciano. He’d missed him for sixteen long years, but he also wanted to keep his brothers at a distance. The less they knew, the better. Ignorance was bliss, especially when it came to their fucked-up family.

Not wanting to get into it with his brother again , Greystone asked, “How’s the wedding plans comin’?”

“Good. I wanted to ask you if you’d be a groomsman.”

Unexpected .

“Sure.”

Silence.

“What?” Greystone asked raking his hands through his long hair.

“Don’t you want to know when it is?”

“I figured you’d tell me, along with tellin’ me where to go for a tux fitting.”

Luciano stared at his brother. “You can’t have sex with the customers.”

“Wasn’t gonna fuck her. She wanted to give me a hummer.” Greystone cracked a smile.

Luciano chuckled.

“He laughs,” Greystone mumbled under his breath. “I know you’re pissed, but you gotta let it go, Lulu.”

“Do you want me to do payroll?”

Asshole.

“I got it.”

“The wedding is in June.”

Greystone acknowledged him with a nod before sitting back down at the desk. “Payroll,” he said before turning his attention to the computer.

“You want to have a drink sometime?”

Greystone slid his gaze to Luciano. “Sure.”

“I don’t remember you being so tight-lipped.”

Their baby brother, Teddy, bounded into the office. “Heyo, bros, it’s crazy out there.” He grinned, then did a thumbs-up. “Gotta love it, yeah? I’m gonna check in with the dinner guests.”

“Did it fifteen minutes ago,” Greystone said .

“Before the blowjob invitation,” Luciano said, and all three brothers laughed.

“Was she hot?” Teddy asked.

“Not my type,” Luciano replied.

“She was large breasted,” Greystone replied, “if that’s your type.”

“I’m more of a face guy,” Teddy replied. “Cute?”

Greystone and Luciano exchanged glances. “Cute enough,” they both replied in unison.

“Did you?” Teddy asked.

“I walked in,” Luciano replied

“Wasn’t gonna,” Greystone said. “She looked like trouble, and not the good kind.”

Luciano furrowed his brow. “How could you tell?”

“Here’s how it woulda gone down. She’d have blown me, then gotten pissed when I didn’t give her my number. She woulda stalked me here, then followed me home one night. A fuckin’ nightmare.”

Luciano and Teddy stared at him.

“Damn, you’ve got a vivid imagination,” Teddy said. “You’ve been watching too many late-night crime shows.”

Greystone shrugged. “Instead of that sweet dopamine hit, I’m talkin’ to you two idiots.”

Luciano smiled. “Simone and friends of ours are waiting at a table. I’ll talk to you.”

“Don’t you want to introduce your renegade brother?” Greystone asked.

“Come on over.” Luciano strolled out.

“I can do payroll, if you wanna take off,” Teddy said.

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. You’ve been putting in the hours.”

“Thanks, brother. I’ll close tomorrow.”

Teddy extended his hand. Greystone clasped it and Teddy pulled him in for a bro-hug. “I’m damn glad you’re back. ”

Greystone slapped his brother on the back. “Don’t get all mushy on me.”

Breaking away, Teddy grinned. “For the record, I would have taken the blowjob and the consequences that came with it.”

On a chuckle, Greystone left the office, stopping at the entrance to the private salon. A party of twenty were toasting, their champagne flutes clinking together.

Greystone had been a lone wolf for so long, he didn’t know what it was like to run with a pack. He continued through the busy Italian restaurant, spotting Luciano in a booth with his fiancée. He’d met Simone, and he liked her. She was good for his brother.

Simone glanced up, then stood to hug him. “Good to see you, Greystone. Can you join us?”

“Bossman gave me the night off, so I’m gonna?—”

“Go after the woman from earlier?” Luciano asked.

“Not happenin’.” Greystone slid his gaze to the couple across the table, then did his damn best to conceal his reaction.

“This is my renegade brother, Greystone Santini,” Luciano said. “Grey, this is Dakota and Providence Luck.”

Dakota stood.

Greystone wanted to blurt out, “Small fuckin’ world,” but said nothing as the two men shook hands.

“Good to meet you,” Dakota said.

“Same.”

Greystone nodded at Providence. “Ma’am.”

“Do you have a military background?” Providence asked. “Or am I just old?”

The group laughed.

“I was in the Navy.”

Luciano’s eyebrows crowded his forehead. “What the hell?”

“Pleasure meetin’ you both,” Greystone said.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” Simone asked .

“I gotta bolt.”

In the parking lot, he glanced around—more out of habit than reason—and strode toward his vehicle, the April evening temps cooling his heated skin.

He thought it would be easy to acclimate back into society.

Easy to chat, easy to chill. But it was hard as hell.

He’d spent the majority of his life looking over his shoulder.

He’d learned to say very little because every damn word could be used against him.

He was so used to being alone, being with others felt foreign.

But… he'd been brought back for something to do with Dakota Luck. After digging around for anything on Luck—and coming up with a real estate company—he knew it had to be big. He had no idea how he was going to adapt to his new assignment, but like everything else in life… he’d figure it out.

Greystone knew one thing about himself. He’d get the job done.

No matter what.

CAROLINE

Caroline rode her kink partner hard and fast, but her thoughts were laser-focused on someone who wasn’t even in the room. Just thinking about Grey’s piercing ocean-blue eyes, his long sun-kissed blond hair, and his ripped body sent her over the edge, the orgasm pounding through her.

But when she opened her eyes, a completely different man lay beneath her, and her perfect fantasy vanished… just like the man himself.

Her boy toy hadn’t climaxed. While she should care, she kinda didn’t.

Stan had the opposite problem of her former lovers.

Most of them came too fast, but this one took forever.

She wouldn’t have minded if he’d been her boyfriend, but he was some rando she’d hooked up with one other time at Lost Souls, the private cosplay club owned by her friend Addison Skye Hawk and husband Nicholas Hawk.

Tonight, Caroline and her boy toy had dressed as a prince and princess, but even the role playing hadn’t been enough. The sexy red-lit room hadn’t worked for her either. Neither had the shot of bourbon Stan had tossed back before they’d gone upstairs to a private room.

To be fair, they hadn’t done much kissing, she hadn’t gotten naked either. This wasn’t lovemaking. This was kinky sex for the release. He’d been on board, but like the first time, he’d failed to launch.

“Prince,” she said as she continued riding him, “give it to me, baby.”

“You’re so hot,” he said, his beady eyes locked on hers, “but I’m not gonna come.”

She pulled off him, making sure his condom stayed on. Even though she was on the Pill and he’d gloved up, she was being super careful.

After getting off the futon, she lowered her princess costume, made sure her crown was still clipped in place, and sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’m so close,” he said. “Can I get a hand job?”

Not wanting to leave him hanging, she lubed up and took care of him. Then, she retreated into the bathroom, washed up, and returned to find him wailing on his flaccid shaft.

What the ? —

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I want to come again. I was thinking we could go for round two.”

In disbelief, she stared down at him. “Stan, this isn’t working out.”