Page 12

Arosso

I’m sitting in the back of a Lincoln Town Car, double-parked two blocks away from Quinn’s house. It’s a rental through the movie business. I’m in a different car every week. Call me paranoid, but that’s old news.

I’m lost in a trance from our kiss the other day. Her scent haunts me. The way she looks at me, her smile, her fire . Then the calculating infiltrator in me takes over.

The last thing I need is some fumbling rookie cop staring into one of my stage houses. Doesn’t matter how careful I am, eyes on me always end up bad. They knock on one door, they might start knocking on another. And if that happens, Captain Dall might be right under their noses.

This stupid, unhinged, beautiful girl I’m tangled with is the cause. She’s like a lit firecracker in the library I’ve built.

No. No , Arosso.

This is your doing. You’re the elder. You’re the one making drastic moves because of your pull to her. She’s just a kid. A predictable, emotional kid in disarray. And now we’re going to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.

I pick up my burner and dial John Scar, my old friend, just to get a pulse on the family’s dealings before I reach out to the don.

“ Yo. ” Sal Dicey picks up again. That fucking clown.

“Put John on, Sal. For fuck’s sake, did you guys switch phones?”

“ Oh shit. Casper the friendly ghost. Hey, Johnny, I got someone famous on the line for you. ”

I hang up on him and dial the Stallion. I’m in no mood for pussyfooting.

“ Mm, ” Donny grunts into the phone.

“It’s me,” I say.

“ Oh, I know it’s you. Some fucking waves you made down at the warehouse, Ghost. Had I known you were going to set the whole bratva on fire, I would’ve paid you triple. ”

“So they don’t suspect our family?”

“ Last on the list. We have a strong working relationship with the Russians now thanks to Castor strong-arming Yuri into his precious metals business. May have squeezed him in the beginning, but we’re all making out just fine now.

On the Italian side, they think it’s the Barones.

But fuck knows they don’t have a clue where to look. You’re a damn ghost. ”

“That’s good. Very good. But listen, I don’t know how this is going to shake out in the end. Tell Castor to start planning to take over the entire metals business, without Yuri.”

The line goes silent.

“It’s just a contingency,” I say.

Still silence.

“Don?”

“ That’s a big move. What did he do to you? ”

Now I go silent.

“ You know, we have a whole entire fucking family for taking care of shit like this. You did your time. Let us protect— ”

“I’m not the one who’s going to be taking out anyone. I’m simply pointing the chess pieces.”

“ Wait… the captain? You’re going to use him? ” Donny’s voice deepens.

“Don’t know what I’m doing yet, but just know the family comes first, and there’re zero traces back to us,” I lie.

Quinn. It’s the first time I’m putting wholehearted trust into someone, if I’m being honest. And it’s a fucking wild card of a woman, no less.

“And either way, you’ll benefit. Cutting out a middle man if Yuri goes. Might be some growing pains for Castor’s business, but the brute can handle it, I’m sure,” I go on.

“ I don’t know what you got yourself into, Ghost, but it better not be a mess for me, or we’re going to have problems. ”

“You called me, jerkoff. And I delivered. Here’s an updated report—As you know, the Russians aren’t planning any retaliatory end game against the family.

It’s simply an old grudge between the cops and the bratva.

Captain Dall put away Yuri’s brother, Viktor, and Yuri feels bold enough to barge right into his house.

If that fat balding Russian suddenly was to disappear, I think I’d be doing your business a favor. He’s out of control.”

“ Says the one who hijacked the captain for himself. ”

I growl at that.

“ We’re in deep fucking uncharted territory here. No fucking loose ends, Ghost. I mean it. ”

He hangs up on me, and I know I’m in the wrong. I’ve overstepped, and I do have a loose end, two blocks away, whom I’m about to go see.

She’s like a drug I haven’t tasted in ages. A relapse.

I’ve never felt such a pull toward someone in my life.

She’s almost half your age, you fucking fool.

It will fizzle.

I grunt and pull away from the hydrant, making a right down the snow-plowed streets and to the stop sign leading to the next block—Quinn’s. Why is my heart fucking fluttering? What am I, some kind of pansy teenager about to pick up a girl for prom?

Fucking ridiculous.

As I slowly pass her house, I spot the empty cop car parked across the street, which means cop number one—the house dweller—is on duty. Well, I gave Quinn specific instructions before she left the shed, so let’s see how attentive she is.

I pull past her corner house and make a right on the next side street, where my stage house is, and park in front. The window to her second-floor room is in my line of sight. Giving her a window of time should be everything to keep her on her toes. Let’s see.

“ Now or never, ” I text her from a burner, and already see the blinds rustling from her room. A grin crawls up my face at that.

When I say jump, you say how high.

Her eyes are wide and she’s already almost bundled up when her face scans out the window.

I picture her perfect lips parting in my shed. Feeling her lust for me ignited a primal urge I thought had been snuffed forever. It’s a good thing I fucking restrained myself… or God knows what would’ve happened...

Trying new things with her… dirty things… she strikes me as someone who might play.

That fantasy might be over soon, though. Let’s see how she handles herself in what’s to come.

I stretch my hand over the steering wheel, pushing out the nerves of wading into, as Donny says, uncharted territory. My little cousin is right… I’m moving dangerously.

I pull down the street now that she’s spotted me, and make her walk another block to make sure the cop won’t be able to pin me without leaving the house.

My eyes narrow as I scan her in the rearview mirror. Love the way she walks—a bit pigeon-toed, yet confident.

She opens the back door, and I can suddenly taste her saliva again. Every part of me wants to prowl into the back seat and rip off her coat.

Crcht.

The door shuts, and I pull away.

“Where’s the plyers I gave you?” I growl.

“ Oh, crap .”

“Fucking child.” I clench my jaw.

“What the hell, Silver? It’s not like I’m going anywhere. I’ll give it to you next time.”

It’s not even a sexual innuendo, yet a fresh vial of blood just unloaded into my cock. Should’ve jerked off before I came to pick her up.

“It’s not about that. I need to be able to rely on you,” I say.

She leans forward, grabbing the front seats to come inches away from my face. “I prioritized. Made sure Officer Jacob didn’t suspect a thing, made sure I was on time when you texted. Had to turn my spam filter off just to receive the text. I was careful. So you… shut it .”

She glares at me with that fire, refusing to pull her face away.

I glance at her lips. Perfectly plump. Pink.

She exhales like she’s in heat, so I grab her by the back of the neck and force our lips together. The moan coming from her mouth instantly makes me want to take her, but I pull back.

“What now?” She smirks angrily at me, trying to catch her breath with reddened lips.

I turn forward in my seat, grunting. “Shut up, kid.”

She’s hovering over my shoulder as I reach for her blindfold. “Wait. Are you serious? ”

“Dead serious. You want to see your dad, don’t you? Put it on .”

“Letting your tongue down my throat didn’t earn me vision rights?”

“Get up here in the passenger’s seat. Can’t trust you for shit.” I reach for her hand and help her climb up.

She smells like honey again. The fuck does she bathe in?

I glance over at her angry face as she begrudgingly puts the blindfold on, and we drive for the next five minutes in comical silence. Her folded arms and pouty face are ridiculous. She couldn’t hide her glee if she tried.

“So, big bad Silver , what’s the deal with you, huh? What were you like when you were my age? Mama’s boy?”

I roll my eyes.

“I felt that.” She holds up a finger, and I’m actually taken aback for a second. “Well?”

“No,” I say.

“No? That’s it? Real connoisseur of conversation, huh?”

“That’s not a saying.”

“I made it up. Don’t change the subject.”

I sigh. Can’t believe I’m giving into this, but if it’ll get her to stop fidgeting… “My mother was loud, welcoming, and cooked a mean lasagna.”

“Oh, so nothing like you.” She arcs her eyebrow over the blindfold.

“Nothing. She lived for the kitchen. My best memories of her include those oven mitts she’d always be wearing. She’d be sweating from the hot stove, and wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

She squeals, which makes my face turn a shade red. I’m glad she can’t see me right now.

“That’s so cute .” She balls her fists. “So you are a human.”

“Shut up, kid.”

“Too late for that. Ahem,” she clears her throat. “My mom is opposite yours. Anti-traditional. Always out looking to schmooze the next fashionista and go out on the town. And my sister is like a mini-her. Both selfish and, um, far away now.”

“Where?”

“Cali. Where they belong, honestly. Dad, on the other hand… he’s different.”

“Yeah, he seems nothing like what you just described of your mom and sister,” I agree.

“Yeah. Reminds me of what you said about your mom. My best memories are of him in uniform. He’d always take me out to some banquet he’d be hosting, or some event for the police societies.

There’s an Irish one. A German one. A Dutch one.

He’d love to show me off at all of them, then make some of the guys blush when he’d call them out for talking to me. ”

I smirk. “You’d think a cop’s daughter would be more worried about being blindfolded and taken.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t get many points for running into my captor’s car willingly, either.”

I sniff at that.

“Then again, maybe I’m recording the whole thing.” She smiles.

“You brought a fucking phone?” I growl, reaching one hand to pat her.

“Ooh, go down a little more.” She spreads her legs.

And although she’s joking, I’m tempted. She’s in leggings this time. Never understood how they keep a woman warm in the winter, but goddamn, do I want to rip through them and suck on her pussy.

“I was just kidding, Silver. I left my phone under my pillow, like a good girl. Hopefully, the Tooth Fairy leaves me something nice.”

I growl at her.

“God, lighten up.”

“In a few minutes, you’ll have nothing to worry about, while I have a whole fucking underworld resting on a flighty girl’s ability to keep her mouth shut .”

She looks in my direction, dumbfounded. “Wait… does that mean… you’re going to release him?”

“I haven’t decided shit, yet.” I pull up to the gate of my second stage house, and code the door open. This one has been vacant for almost a year now, and each room is soundproofed to act like a separate studio. That’s why Captain Dall is sitting in this basement.

If Quinn slips and opens her mouth, the jig’s up. Patrick will either think the Russian’s kidnapped his daughter, or… I don’t know what.

I pull up to the back entrance, which is surrounded by trees and a high fence. Awnings and gazebos are installed everywhere ever since I read about drones snapping pictures of mobsters from above. I hate this day and age. Hate it .

“You’re coming out my side.” I grab her hand. “Listen to me, Quinn. Listen good . One peep. If he so much as takes in your scent, he won’t get released. He can’t know the Italians are involved, or that you’re involved.”

“How many times you going to say it?”

“Plenty. Each time gives me a slightly better chance to penetrate that TikTok brain.”

“Should’ve penetrated me when we were in the shed,” she mumbles under her breath while blindly climbing out the car.

Did she really just say that?

Another river of blood flows to my cock.

If she only knew how hard it was not to. Since that day, all I wanted is to cuff her to the bed and drop every load deep into her pussy, but I’m a fool for thinking that way. No way that ends well.

I unlock the reinforced back door of the house and step inside, leading her from behind me. “Shoes.” I guide her to the mat as I walk onto the wood floor with my loafers. Dall will be expecting me, but this kid needs to be as silent as a lamb.

She pulls off her boots—ridiculous lion socks half off her foot—causing me to cackle and grumble as I get on one knee to fix them for her.

“ Such a gentleman, ” she whispers, picking up her other foot for me to fix.

“Tease me with those leggings of yours, then ruin it all with these fucking lion socks… you really know how to drain the blood.”

“ Hater, ” she whispers. “ Can I take this off yet? ” She points to her blindfold.

“In a minute. Talking stops here. Understand?”

She nods once as I guide her toward the basement door. The chestnut wood floor is pristine as we make our way through the house. As she nearly knocks into the couch, her grip tightens around my hand. Her touch is so soft… so young. I feel like a fucking vampire being involved with her.

I unlock three latches and open the door, and when I do, I whip the blindfold off of her. She blinks a few times as her eyes adjust to see me with a finger over my lips.

Stay fucking quiet, Quinn, I swear to God.

Don’t ruin this for yourself.

Crhnk!

The heavy door closes behind us, and my loafers clunk after every step.

“ It’s too early for another meal. What’s going on? ” Patrick’s voice comes in muffled from the bottom floor, and Quinn freezes on the steps.

I look up to see both her hands covering her mouth. Tears welling up in her eyes.

The sight makes me angry… because I fucking care.

Dammit.

I continue down the stairs. “What are you, counting the seconds?” I say in a Russian accent while waiting for Quinn to quietly descend the last steps.

Her brow furrows at me, judgingly.

I only roll my eyes and present her father.

“You’ve given me nothing else to do down here. I asked for a fucking newspaper or something. Jesus ,” Patrick says.

Quinn falls to her knees and muffles her sobs immediately, which makes my whole body tense.

I have to walk around loudly and bang some things to stifle any suspicions.

“It has to be this way for a little while longer, pig man,” I say, both to him and to her.

“Until what? ” He jerks in his shackles. “At least undo these for a while. My arm’s been tingling.”

I walk over to him and slap his face lightly, then undo the cuffs when I’m in the right position.

He groans with relief. “My daughter? You never gave me your word. You have to keep her out of this .”

Unfortunately, it’s too late for that.