Marco Read online

  4

  Marco

  “I’ll admit, I thought you were kidding about the McRib thing.” I shake my head as I stare at the tiny woman before me in amazement. Not only did she eat the supersized meal, but she also asked for extra barbecue sauce to dip her fries in as well as an apple pie for later. I’d been certain she couldn’t possibly eat half the amount of food she ordered, but she passed that milestone several moments ago and shows no sign of stopping. When she wipes her mouth on her arm, I’m not sure if I’m disgusted or in love. Never have I met someone with so many quirks before. Usually when I’m with a woman, they do their best to appear as if they never eat, nor have a single hair out of place. Nina is either extremely comfortable in her own skin, or she just doesn’t give a rat’s ass about impressing me. Then a horrible thought occurs to me. Fuck, have I fallen into the friend zone for the first time ever? No, hell no. It can’t be that. That’s the land of no return. My cock jumps to a painful and full alert when she begins licking the sauce from her fingers. Please God, I promise to be a better man—by maybe five percent if it’s not true. When the lick becomes a full-fledged sucking, sweat beads on my forehead. All right, name your price. Whatever it takes. I can’t be her brother or BFF. I want to fuck her too damn much for that.

  Swear to Christ, she lets out a small burp, and I’m tempted to cry. I cast a desperate look upward in silent appeal. “That was so good,” she moans blissfully. So not helping, Belle. “I have no idea why McDonald’s doesn’t offer the McRib year round. Everyone I know loves it.”

  I discreetly rearrange my cock, hoping she doesn’t notice that the damn thing has lost its mind. “That’s exactly why,” I say distractedly. “A limited edition sells more in a short time than something that’s readily available.” I wrinkle my nose as I add, “Plus, there would be a major pig shortage in the world—if that’s what it’s even made of.”

  She gathers her trash and crosses my kitchen to the trash can. “Better people than you have tried to ruin the moment for me, Moretti, and I’m still one of the first in line when they come back. Thank God for Google alerts. You’re probably one of those clean eaters. All organic and carbohydrate free.” I walk over to my refrigerator and throw open the freezer. Inside are half a dozen containers of Ben and Jerry’s in various flavors. She stares at me like I’m a superhero. All those months of trying to win her over with my charm, and all it takes to impress her is Ben & Jerry’s? Unbelievable. “That’s pretty hot,” she murmurs reverently. I’m seconds away from making my move when she turns her back and tosses out, “Walking Dead in fifteen minutes. How about turning it on while I use the bathroom?”

  Cold shower, anyone? I debate grabbing a pint of ice cream to hold against my crotch, but figure I’ll lose major points for that. So between gritted teeth, I ask her retreating form, “Do you need me to show you where the bathroom is?”

  “Nope, I took a tour while you were outside the door talking to your bodyguard.” Then she has the audacity to pivot around and wiggle her eyebrows at me. “Guess all your men work out, huh? And what are the odds that there isn’t an ugly one in the bunch? Is this Jake’s regular post?” She meets him for all of two seconds and remembers his name? It galls me that she normally only calls me Moretti. Probably because she can’t remember YOUR name. I instantly feel a wave of irritation toward my cousin. Is this what jealousy feels like? If so, it fucking sucks. No. I am not jealous. That would be stupid.

  “No, it’s not,” I snap. “My much older cousin will be doing the honors tomorrow. He was sick today. Speaking of, they’ve all been passing around a stomach bug, so I’d steer clear of Jake. Just yesterday, he couldn’t stop shitting long enough to drive to work.” Did I just resort to that? Even I’m ashamed of my deceit. But I don’t bother taking it back. All’s fair in love and war, right? Or in our case, lust and mayhem. It may have been petty, but I’m pleased to see the disgusted expression on her face as she cringes.

  “That’s too bad. I’m sure he won’t be contagious for long, though,” she tosses out as she walks away. Fuck. I should have said he was gay. What does it even matter? I’ve never been insecure where a woman is concerned—the complete opposite in fact. I’m so busy trying to make sense of what I’m feeling that Jake is running through the front door a split second before the sound of a gunshot registers. And it’s close by.

  Nina.

  “Bathroom,” I hiss as I pull a handgun from my ankle holster. Jake calls for backup on his two-way radio then automatically steps in front of me—falling into the role of my human shield. Tony has always hated the fact that Nic and I do the same with him. And truthfully, I don’t like it any more than he does. What gives us the right to determine that one human life is more valuable than another? It’s a bit too much like playing God to me, but it’s the way of the family and to object would offend those sworn to protect me. It’s considered an honor by some to risk their lives for their superiors.

  Within seconds, Jake has his shoulder against the door, sending it flying inward. I have no idea if it had even been locked, but the element of surprise is what’s most important. We stand in the opening blinking rapidly as we attempt to process the scene before us. A man wearing black is lying on his back on the floor while Nina stands over him with her foot on his throat and a gun aimed at his crotch. She seriously must hate that body part. “I was sitting on the toilet when this dickhead stepped out of the linen closet and nearly gave me a heart attack. If my pistol hadn’t still been in my bra, it would have been bad.”

  “I love you,” Jake whispers under his breath, and I am seriously tempted to do the same fucking thing to him that Nina is doing to the bastard on the floor.

  I shove past in disgust and squat down next to the intruder. I place my gun against his forehead and say with deadly calm, “Start talking, motherfucker.”

  His eyes are wide with terror as he whispers, “I think I made a huge mistake.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Jake snaps. “What you did, you stupid fucker, is sign your own death certificate.” Jake cancels the backup he called for, seeing it’s obviously nothing we can’t handle.

  I study the man on his back intently but don’t detect even a faint resemblance to anyone in the Gavino organization. At one time or another, I’ve seen them all, and I don’t know him, which is puzzling. But when he begins to sob, I’m downright confused. Even the biggest of pussies wouldn’t dare cry in front of the enemy. No fucking way. What in the hell? “My mother is going to be so mad at me,” he chokes out.

  “Seriously?” Nina mutters in disgust before lowering her weapon. “It’s rather pointless to threaten his manhood when he clearly doesn’t possess it.”

  “He’s not a Gavino,” Jake says, echoing my own thoughts.

  “I’m Langdon Foster,” he sobs. “My mom, Sophie, is your cleaning lady. She’s always talking about how rich you are and I—”

  “You were planning to rob me.” Then something occurs to me. “Who fired the shot?”

  Nina raises her hand as if she’s in school and has been called on by the teacher. “That would be me. He started for the door, and I didn’t want to risk him catching you by surprise. So I took a warning shot.” I follow her eyes as she looks upward at a gaping hole in my ceiling. “My bad,” she says sheepishly.

  “Fuck my life. Could you not have simply called out?”

  She flushes in embarrassment, which I can’t help but find rather endearing. “Er—I didn’t think of that. Sorry.”

  I don’t bother questioning the kid further about his identity. He’s the spitting image of Sophie. It might have occurred to me earlier if I’d had any reason to suspect her offspring was hiding in my apartment. “Just how the hell did you get in here?” This place has been crawling with guards since the explosion, and it’s fucking pathetic that this punk managed to sneak right past them. So much for being safe in my own home.

  “I snuck in when my mom was here last. She had no clue,” he adds quickly, obviously just
realizing that his mother could be in trouble for his stupid actions.

  “That was three days ago,” I say skeptically. For fuck’s sake, don’t say it.

  But in the next breath, he confirms my suspicions. “Yeah, I kind of hid in here, then waited for an opportunity to get out. But I hadn’t counted on so many guys showing up and not leaving. I’ve been trapped.” He gives me a thumbs-up that has me puzzled until he adds, “Dude, you’re my hero. That blonde chick you had here the other night was smoking, and man, what a set of pipes she had on her. I hope this place is well insulated. Otherwise, all your neighbors know your business.”

  I blame Jake’s laughter and Nina’s death stare for my next actions. The little dumb fuck may not know it, but he has them to thank for the mercy he’s about to receive. Mainly, I want to get rid of his ass before he cockblocks me forever. Holy fucking hell. The night I finally decide to relieve my months’ worth of blue balls from hell—Nina does not want us to be a thing—this fucker happens. Great timing, Moretti. I motion for a still-fuming Nina to step back, then I pull Langdon to his feet by the collar of his hoodie. He squeaks in surprise, and I’m afraid he might piss himself, but he keeps it together. “Jake, take this kid home and tell his mother what he’s been up to.” Langdon’s surprise is more like alarm now, which gives me a small glimmer of happiness. “If she’s not home, then wait. He doesn’t leave your sight until she’s been brought up to speed on her halfwit’s activities.”

  “Oh, come on, man. You know how my mom is. She’ll take a stick to me for this.” He squares his thin shoulders and looks me in the eyes. He might be a moron, but I give him credit for bravery, even if he has no clue who he’s dealing with. If he did, he’d realize his mama is by far the lesser of two evils here. “I ain’t got nothing of yours on me. I gave up on stealing when I realized I’d be lucky to get out of here myself, much less take anything with me.” He raises his hands in the air. “Go ahead and check me over.”

  I roll my eyes, then give him my best bored look. I even toss in a yawn for good measure. “Jake wouldn’t have let you in the car without patting you down, kid. This isn’t amateur hour.”

  “Don’t you need to check me for a weapon?” he asks in confusion. “I could be packing and waiting for an opportunity.”

  “You’re not that fucking brave or intelligent,” I scoff. “Plus, if you had any options, you wouldn’t have been lying on the floor like a pussy while Nina wiped her feet all over you. Now, man the fuck up and take your punishment. Then thank whoever it is you believe in for the fact that you’re leaving alive.”

  But the kid will not shut the fuck up. “I want to make this right, Mr. Moretti. I know you’re gonna tell my ma, and she’ll be really pissed at me. Probably throw me out again. But I owe you for taking it easy on me after I disrespected you and your property. I went through all your things, and I listened to you and that woman—”

  “Stop!” Is he suicidal or insane? Being friend-zoned by Nina is probably the best of outcomes at this point. I’ll be lucky if she doesn’t neuter me with her gun after this wealth of oversharing. “Trust me, kid, you’ll pay the marker you owe me and more.” I can’t believe the words out of my mouth, and by the shocked expressions Nina and Jake are wearing, they’re just as surprised. I go to my Zen place as I smirk at my cousin. He knows me well enough to be wary of my sudden change of mood. “You’ll be working for Jake until further notice. If he wants you to lick the vehicles clean, scrub the toilets, or untie and retie his fucking boots all day, you’ll do it. If he tells me even once that you’re doing anything other than what you’re supposed to be doing, you won’t like what happens.”

  He’s ashen by the end of my speech, but there’s also a sense of pride about him that hadn’t been there before. I know Sophie’s a single mother and there isn’t a man in the picture. I’m curious and make a mental note to get the full story. I’m sure there’s a file at the office containing everything I need. Outsiders aren’t allowed access to the family without being vetted. “You won’t be sorry, Mr. Moretti. You’ll see. I’m a good worker. I just made a mistake.” He puts his hands in his pockets and shuffles uneasily on his feet. “These guys said I owe them money, and if I don’t pay, then my sister’s gotta work it off.” His eyes are moist when he adds quickly, “I swear, I don’t owe them nothing. They’re pissed because I won’t join their crew. But I promised my mama I wouldn’t do the shit my cousin Travis did, ya know?”

  So much for the brief moment of happiness. Fuck. I’m beginning to feel like the patron saint of lost and endangered souls. I should fire Sophie and wash my hands of this whole fucking mess. Shoulda, coulda, and fucking didn’t. Jake’s eyes are narrowed, and I know he doesn’t like what he’s heard any more than I do. We might be mafia, but we don’t prey upon kids. “I’ll handle it,” he grunts. We don’t leave loose ends. Sloppiness will get you killed—or make you wish you were dead. Not to say there haven’t been some less than motivated Morettis at times, but that’s usually a mistake only made once. There is no employee file with written warnings and the three-strike method. We can’t afford to be lenient with those who hold the lives of many others in their hands, and that point is driven home to every new family member. They need to understand that if their carelessness causes the death of another, then the same will be visited upon them. Is it brutal? Sure, but the real world operates in much the same way. If you’re in the military and you fuck up your assignment, then you may as well put a gun to another soldier’s head and pull the trigger. No matter what field you’re in, the domino effect is always in play; the only things that differ are the stakes.

  The tips of Langdon’s ears are blood red when he nods sheepishly to Nina. “Sorry about scaring you. I swear I didn’t see nothing but… maybe your black panties. And that was only because they were around your ankles.”

  I need a drink—no a bottle. Just when I think this kid couldn’t possibly be any dumber, he opens his mouth, and more stupidity spills out. I wait in silence, figuring Nina will teach him a much-needed lesson. But to my shock, she begins laughing. After staring daggers at me for the past five minutes over my… extracurricular activities, she grins fondly at Langdon as if he’s an adorable puppy. If that’s not bad enough, she goes right up to the little asshole and throws her arms around him. The fuck is this? “It’s all good, dork. And I hope your throat’s all right.” She pulls back to examine the area in question, and I seriously consider pounding my head against the wall to see if this whole thing is a dream. “Now, you listen to what Jake says and don’t get into trouble. I’m proud of you for taking responsibility for your actions. It takes a man to admit they’ve made a mistake and to genuinely want to make restitution.” What the actual fuck? Nina in mother-bear mode? She waves a hand in our direction before adding, “And I know that took a lot of courage considering what you’ve probably heard about er… the Morettis. I don’t know Jake, but I can vouch for Marco.” For a split second, I have that elusive warm, fuzzy feeling before she tacks on, “But please don’t go idolizing him. Find yourself a nice girl who respects herself and you.”

  His head bobs up and down as he flashes her a look of puppy love. I’d find it rather sweet if the kid hadn’t fed me to the dogs with his loose lips. “I will, Miss Nina.” And once again, I’m almost rid of my interloper when he leans down to whisper loud enough for his mother across town to hear, “He doesn’t have a daughter, does he?” Well, that is plain baffling. We’re all mentally scratching our head at his farfetched question when he nicely decides to elaborate. “That blonde lady said she’d been a bad girl and needed a spanking.”

  Oh fuck.

  “Langdon,” I say in a voice that should have dropped him on the spot, but he’s like a goddamn wrecking ball, and I’m the building he’s intent on toppling. Jake is holding his sides and gasping for breath, while waves of disgust are rolling off Nina like waves crashing on the shore.