Page 127 of Sins of the Orchid

I swished a lungful of air. “It’s just a symbol.” I looked at the artist who was a good sport. “Right?”

I fumbled getting off my chair and tripped over the footstool. My knees hit the floor and before my face could hit the tiled floor, DeAngelo caught me.

“Where are you going?” Adriano asked, jolting up as his artist cursed under his breath. I swore he said something about hating drunks.

“Fuck, I almost messed it up. You can’t move,” he reprimanded him, shoving his body back down with a loud thump.

“Another design,” I told him.

“No besties?” Adriano opened his eyes, blinking his long eyelashes like a sad puppy. I couldn’t resist chuckling.

“Always besties,” I promised. “I think maybe a tramp stamp is sexier for me.”

Adriano shrugged. “I’m not getting a tramp stamp.”

A dorky grin spread on my lips. “You should. Both you and my brother should get a tramp stamp.”

A laugh bubbled out of me and once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop. I laughed so hard, tears pricked my eyes. Nobody joined in, guess they didn’t find it funny.

Still chuckling and ignoring everyone, I headed towards the wall and scanned through more designs. The interest in tramp stamps was lost quickly, so I looked through other options. I debated between a globe, heart, bird, cross, bullet. I was all over the place. Then I decided on an orchid. Everything always came back to the orchid.

“Okay, this on my butt,” I told the artist.

“No,” my brother hissed. “No fucking way.”

“Yes, on my butt.” I sat myself on the chair, turned to my side and pulled my panties aside to show him where to do it.

“Don’t you fucking touch her ass,” Lorezno growled. “Amore, pull your dress down.”

I ignored him. “Just think of my panties as a bikini. That’s all.” Then I addressed the tattoo artist. “Carry on, please.”

The latter shook his head. “Right away, your majesty.”

My eyes darted to my brother and DeAngelo grinning. “See, he knows how to treat a lady.” I smiled widely. “Maybe I just need to broaden my horizons—”

The moment the tattoo gun hit my skin, I yelped and jumped off the chair.

“What the fuck?” I cried out.

There was a second of confusion on everyone’s face and then a loud laugh broke through the tattoo shop. Lorezno and DeAngelo laughed so hard, actual tears came out of their fucking eyes. At that very moment, I couldn’t stand either one of them. We got kicked out of the tattoo parlor, with Adriano getting only half of his‘besties forever’tattoo. It only said besties.

Who was laughing now?

CHAPTER45

Santino

Isaw Amore Bennetti more now than I did when she lived in the city and hung out with Adriano every day. Her pictures were plastered everywhere - billboards, Times Square, television, papers, internet. The images of her at worldwide premieres and events were a weekly occurrence, sometimes even a daily occurrence. There were even pictures of her in men's bathrooms, and it pissed me off to think some of my staff jerked off to her images.

I couldn’t get away from her face. Her secretive smile on her full lips, her striking green eyes, that body of hers. The worst were pictures of her in a bikini. The whole world gawking at my woman.

No, not yours, I reminded myself.At least not yet.

I hated how much I wanted her. I didn’t do the sweet and tender kind of fucking, but with Amore it felt like it. She craved my darkness as much as I craved her light. She accepted me for who I was.

My perfect match.

Fuck!This was a lose-lose situation. If I killed the male members of the entire Bennetti family and my brother, I’d lose her. By letting them live, I’ve lost her. But at least she wouldn’t lose everyone else.