Dancing with the Mob: A Dark Mafia Romance Two-Book Collection Read online

  I slowed my rhythm and she turned to face me without me having to pull out of her. Her body turning over my cock sent new ripples of excitement through me, and the pressure forming from my next load was already there.

  Mia’s eyes were dreamy, but fully focused on my own. She brought her ankles up over my shoulders, hooking them around my neck, squeezing me so tight inside her grip. I fought to maintain my control. I wanted to see her come one more time before I let her have another dose from me.

  Lifting myself up a little higher, she shrunk down some, moving her back and rear closer to me. With gusto, I slid all the way back in, reaching deeper than before. Mia’s hands perfectly gripped outward from the ends of her splayed arms, tearing at the long pile of the huge rug on her office floor. She had closed her eyes, almost biting through her lower lip as a devilish smile danced across her sweat-sheened face.

  I held myself over her, letting my right arm support me as I cupped her whole head in my left hand, slowly, as we both ground our hips together in time. A slow dance of passion that had been a long time in the making. My pressure was building still, which she sensed with another smile. Her eyes opened and we held each other’s hands, wringing them with trembling fingers and spanning muscles, our mutual straining sounds too. It was the work of lovers, finally bursting a translucent bubble of sheer release and joy as I filled her again and again with thick pulses of white heat. Mia contorted and shook, raking my forearms with her nails, struggling for even breaths as we both finally collapsed in a heap of spent satisfaction.

  I wish I could say I didn’t know how long we lay there afterward, almost shivering in each other’s arms, until the crazed energy of our lust had been spent. But, it was only a few minutes, just long enough to get our breath back. Mia’s office phone was pulsing, and my own was buzzing somewhere too. I had to find it; it was in my jacket across the room.

  I had Brown in one ear, and the sound of Mia in the other, on her own phone to her staff, asking if she was alright in her office. They’d heard ‘sounds’ and wanted to know that she was alright. She played them off with a panting laugh, explaining she had been watching the news with the sound up too loudly. I had Brown wanting to know when he could get another break. It dawned on me that Brown wasn’t the long haul type. Small, consistent efforts, he was okay with. But one job for more than a day and he was practically useless.

  Once we’d both hung up, we stood there, naked, staring at one another. Not checking each other out, just looking into each other and seeing what was still burning there. Checking we each hadn’t imagined the intensity of what had just happened.

  “I need to shower and change,” Mia said, abruptly, but I knew we both had things to do.

  I like it. No hugs and sighing, just back to work. Atta girl!

  I knew I needed a proper shower too. But where?

  Reading my mind, Mia was more than able to help out. Her private bathroom was the size of most apartments; it had a twin shower, which we both utilized. We washed and chatted about her escape, her befriending Giles, about Giles and his spooky, spook friends. It was like the old days, in the service, when a shower was shared but it was still a place where orders could be given and information exchanged. I didn’t mind having a chance to see her nakedness for a while longer, and relished watching her own hands move over herself as she cleaned every part, more than thoroughly.

  I was able to have the first decent shower in days, and a proper shave. Mia confided in me that, living the way they did in her family, the luxury appointments were equipped to deal with a large variety and number of people and guests at any time. We were able to share a few laughs as she discovered parts of her own bathroom she had never even bothered to, or had time to explore.

  I was relieved that we could spend some time being so casual, as well as taking care of the necessary task of getting cleaned up. Mia’s own wardrobe was full, but I had to make do with a new suit which was a little too snug across the shoulders. Mia assured me it was a season ahead of its time, stating that she might actually change it so all the shoulders were so tight.

  “I’ll need to see my father,” Mia informed me. The casualness slipping from her voice, the professional Mia taking over her visage as she deftly applied some makeup in one of the huge mirrors.

  I caught a look of my own expression in the same mirror, then instantly changed. “Sure. I need to go up anyway. Would you like to go up together, or separately?”

  “I’ll go up a minute or two after you,” she said, tracing a micro thin line around her lower lip, then puckering slowly in my direction, ending with a smile which looked more like an apology.

  I knew she had to wear the pants, so to speak, on one level. But once those pants came off, I think we both knew who was in charge there.

  I checked myself in the mirror and turned to go. I felt Mia’s slender hand resting gently on my arm. “Thank you, Jack. Thanks for…”

  “I know,” I said, and I made my way out. I heard Mia sigh before the door closed.

  Brown was eager to stretch his legs. Don Leone seemed agitated about something. I found myself explaining to him, reminding him that he couldn’t go out, couldn’t go anywhere. And at least not until we had some clarity on what was happening. I, for one, wanted to find out who the fuck it was who bailed me up in the men’s at the cathedral, but I decided to leave those details out from any conversation with Don Leone.

  He didn’t want to go out; he said he’d had a bad feeling about Mia, and that he wanted me to check on her. “I feel like… like someone is-a strangling her… she’s-a rolling around, screaming! I can-a feel it!”

  I had to fight extremely hard not to laugh out loud. The Leone’s, though distant and their own people, certainly shared some sort of psychic bond. In this instance, I knew Don Leone was a little off.

  “I saw her just now, Don Leone. She’ll be up in a minute.”

  If she isn’t, I’ll be checking on her myself.

  It wasn’t long before I could see Mia’s form in one of the CCTV screens. She cut a fine figure anywhere, even in a stairwell waiting in front of a six inch thick, reinforced steel door.

  I heard Don Leone cry out in relief and joy. “Ah, Mia! She’s-a here! Quick, Jack. Get her in here; don’t leave her out there too long.”

  I knew I’d let my guard down, I knew I’d fallen for her. I had wanted to be the rugged, quiet type, taking satisfaction in knowing she couldn’t get enough of me. But, when I saw her come into the room, once I’d caught a whiff of her perfume and remembered my rough hands traveling up those smooth, milky thighs, I knew I’d been beaten. I would just have to work a little bit harder at keeping that to myself.

  Don Leone was quite happily besotted with his favorite child. He gushed about how much she looked like her mother as he held her, planting kiss after kiss on her forehead. She blushed, but I could see that she was grateful to see that her father was well. He was better than well, and he was becoming a handful. In fact, Brown had told me his trouble from keeping the Don from calling people on the phone, to arrange meetings and organize reprisals on the Bernardi’s. Once Mia had gone, I would have to re-coach him on how things had to be for a while, now that he was officially... dead.

  Thirty-Two

  Mia

  It was eerie seeing my penthouse again, having to wait at a different door to get into my own house, then to see how it was my father’s home for now. He looked so much better though, it was an instant relief to see some light in his eyes and to see him up and about without effort.

  He’s alright! He’s going to be fine, you’ll see.

  I felt like I had to keep my guard up, I couldn’t let Jack see me too emotional about Papa, especially after what had just happened between us. I noticed him looking at me strangely a few times, then back at my father too, but I sensed he had his own problems in that department. Jack left Papa and me alone in the living room for a time, and while he utilized my office space to make some calls and do whatever it was he actually d
id. I still had no idea what he did on any given day, and there was a huge part of me that didn’t want to know. I prayed I would never find out.

  I wanted to speak to Papa about who was behind all this mess, who was going to be made to pay for taking me, and what about Mikey? My god, I hadn’t forgotten about him for a minute. I had a subtle, yet constant knot in my stomach which flexed every time I even thought his name or saw his face in my mind. My penthouse was full of photos, of Mikey, Papa and my mama. It was impossible to forget any of them, even if I had wanted to.

  I knew Papa was saturated with memories of Mama as well. He’d had nothing but time to sit and ponder all the photos, and the portraits I had of her in the house. And most of which he would never have even seen before. My heart went out to him, but I needed some answers, so I could help Jack and Giles put together an action plan. Papa wanted only to remember times before there was any trouble, when life was easier and I was his little girl. Before I was sent away and before Mikey grew older. Before Mama had died.

  I resolved to leave Papa to the past for a while; it would be easier for him to cope with on some levels than to deal with what was happening in the here and now.

  I wish somebody could tell me exactly what is happening in the here and now!

  I suddenly heard Jack exclaiming on the phone from the other room. “What the fuck?! How many?! Jesus! Does Lucias know yet? I’m on my way… tell no one!”

  As much as I had on my plastic Mia Bella face, Jack now wore his. The soldier. The warrior. The killer. It gave me a chill to see it looking straight through me before he turned to speak to Papa. One of the other men had returned and Jack had buzzed them in. I suddenly felt like I had overstayed my own welcome and so I stood to go.

  Papa wanted me to stay, but Jack assured him I had better go, as he had some serious business to discuss. Papa’s professional face came over him, and we were all, once again, different people. Separated from the passion, the nostalgia and the joy we had all shared so recently in so many different ways. Going our own ways once again, convincing ourselves we were winning, or that we were doing what was ‘right.’

  I passed Brown; I think that was his name, on the way out. His eyes had grown wide and he failed to keep them front and center. It would’ve normally amused me, but it made me feel suddenly ill. It added to the sickness I felt in my stomach that something was terribly wrong with Mikey.

  I made my way back down to my office, unlocking the huge doors from the inside and mingling with the staff for a short while, assuring them that I was okay, and that it most certainly was business as usual. A few creased brows directed at the right people who had slacked off over the last few days was enough to get the Mia Bella machine cranking again.

  I disappeared back into my office, and it all seemed so hollow all of a sudden. Yes, fake, plastic, like the bottle tops of the millions of pieces of makeup and nail polish we sold each and every day, all around the world.

  What’s the point? Is there always going to be something haunting this family, haunting and hunting me?

  I felt myself about to cry, the tears welling up inside my chest. The tightness, like a cramp was just about to break, when it turned to shock as I jumped in fright, almost out of my skin. Giles was sitting in a chair behind me, next to the closed doors I had just locked again.

  “Don’t be sad, darling; it’ll all be over soon.” He was trying to sound sincere, but there was the same, cold, gray look in his eyes I’d just seen in Jack’s. I doubted at that moment that I had the strength to face what was coming, to face this kind of life, which until now, had appeared impenetrable from the outside.

  “Oh, Giles! What’s going on? For fuck’s sake, just tell me! I need to know, I can’t stand walking around on eggshells in my own life!” His face softened, he seemed to know exactly how I felt. I didn’t even get the impression that he was play acting this one. It was the real Giles.

  He sighed loudly, resting his palms flat on his thighs. “Okay, girlfriend. I guess I owe you more than what you’ve been paying for.” His mouth grimaced to a frown, his eyes looking past mine, searching for the right words. “Bernardi is broke. I’m not sure if he knows it yet, but he’s completely skint, save for whatever cash he has lying around. There was a transfer from all his overseas trust and holding accounts to another account we can’t trace, but we know it isn’t his. It isn’t anyone we have on our radar… at least, we don’t think so.” He paused, measuring the effect of his words.

  “Okay, so Bernardi got hacked, suits me! I wish that fat bastard was dea--” I suddenly remembered the ring.

  Shit. That thing was worth millions, hundreds of millions, maybe.

  “A clever fake, darling. One of ours,” Giles reassured me, his eyes focusing on mine again. “We’ll! Not a complete fake, but a very good synthetic, just not worth a great deal, not as much as the insured value anyways. The technology inside it we were using to track you is worth more to us. Now we have him with it.”

  “Wh-- where is he?” I asked, feeling the pit of my stomach beginning to churn. I had to know what was happening, but a greater part of me would’ve been happier to get on a private jet and spend the next six months in Europe.

  “Oh, he’s here and there,” Giles said, vaguely. “We have the diamond. What’s more interesting is the spate of attacks that have happened against over thirty of Bernardi’s main enterprises within the past few hours. Mia, I know this is a hard time for you, with the death of your father. But, you are still in serious danger. Your whole family is.”

  His voice had dropped some of its usual lightness. He had stood up, appearing taller and darker. He looked sinister. Like an angel of death. I shuddered and turned away, walking over to the window for some light, for the memory of Jack and myself on the rug a few hours before. It already seemed like a lifetime ago.

  “Mia, I’m afraid I have to be deadly serious with you now. I need you to tell me, honestly, if you have authorized any reprisals against the Bernardi’s within the past few hours?” His tone was gentle, but commanding. I turned to face him, a tear welling up in my eye, but I heard myself laughing out loud instead.

  A deep, powerful sound was leaving me. I felt myself grow a little taller, looking down at Giles, and the likes of him. I realized then, that he had absolutely no idea that my father was alive and well, just a few floors above him, but I also knew that he had no idea who, or what it was that had hunted me. And that same thing had now, most likely killed Bernardi. I could fill in the blanks in my own mind; I didn’t need Giles’ details to finish the picture for me. I had a fair idea of how a mob boss would meet his end. But I also knew one thing... that it had nothing to do with me, or my family. At least, I didn’t think so at the time.

  “Giles! I’ve been under your… protection for the past few days, every movement, every breath of mine has been accounted for. I have been prevented from accessing my own property, my own employees, my own father’s funeral for Christ’s sake! Now, you want to stand in front of me and ask me if I ordered a hit on Bernardi? Can you hear yourself Giles? You sound like a man who has no clue, and I know exactly how you feel!” I felt the tears overtake me, and I broke down.

  Giles sat back down, wiping imaginary creases from the tops of his legs with his hands, waiting for me to regain some composure. I would have given anything at that moment to have been held, held by someone who had no connection to the horrors that were unfolding. I could tell Giles was actually interrogating me, in his own special little way. I wouldn’t, and didn’t expect any sympathy from him right then, despite all of his recent kindness.

  “Are you questioning me in an official capacity? Am I free to go?” I asked, wanting the conversation to be over.

  Giles’ frown deepened. “Mia. Don’t be silly. You know as well as I do, that I can’t go anywhere until I get to the bottom of what’s happened. You can go where you please, providing it’s either here, in your office, or the beach house on the key that we have under surveillance.”

>   I slumped into my chair a little further, feeling trapped all over again. The echo of Bernardi’s smug sarcasm being played back to me through Giles.

  “Now, let’s start with exactly what you did after we dropped you off back here a few hours ago. Who did you call? What did you talk about?” His eyes had gone cold again, like a snake, waiting for me to say the wrong thing, or look the wrong way, so he could strike.

  Strike at what? I have no idea what you’re talking abou--

  Mikey. Oh my god, Mikey? What have you done?

  Giles’ face registered the change in mine. “Just tell me what happened Mia, we know that Bernardi and your brother Mikey were present, albeit briefly, at your father’s funeral today.” I looked at him with clear eyes, nodding slowly. I was waiting with baited breath.

  A look of annoyance developed on Giles’ face. His voice dropped lower, softer. It was as if he was reading something uninteresting from a cereal packet, or the back of a milk carton.

  “We found Bernardi hacked to pieces in a dockside warehouse owned by your family about an hour ago. His face had been peeled off, each of his limbs and torso stabbed and bloody. It was beyond recognition.”

  I stared at Giles blankly.

  “Your brother Mikey, was located in the corner of the same warehouse, wearing Bernardi’s face over his own, attempting to smoke the diamond we were using to track him in a crack pipe.” Giles cocked an eyebrow, waiting for my reaction.

  It never came. I had fainted.

  Thirty-Three

  Jack

  We all knew there would be trouble from the Bernardi’s after I’d taken out one of their own. Taking Mia was the last thing anyone had expected, but then we doubted it was them after all, even though Bernardi himself had been there. But so had Mikey. It was messed up. I’d only managed to get the basics over the telephone from men at the Leone estate. It seemed we had figured it all wrong. All our troops were either guarding Leone’s family or his house, the rest doubling the watch on the family’s major financial interests; properties and other tangible assets we expected to be targeted.