Omerta (The DeLuca Family #1) (13 page)

Chapter 29

Carlo

“Fuck!” I shouted, slumping into my chair.

We had been at this for hours, and we were getting nowhere. Someone, probably the Russians, had managed to fuck our transport out of southern California. There was no way we could use the trucks we usually did, all the cops along the west coast had been tipped off to what we were moving and which trucks we used to move it. That meant I had more than my fair share of dirty pigs looking for an extra bonus for their cooperation. I needed to find another way to move my shipment without costing myself a small fortune in payoffs above what I had already expected.

“Boss, we could always do smaller transports, in domestic vehicles,” Al suggested.

“Too risky, too many variables. I can’t split a shipment this big like that, it would be too difficult to track. Not to mention manage that many drivers without one of them getting pinched by the cops,” I said, my head tilted toward the ceiling, eyes squeezed shut in exhaustion.

“What about refrigerated transport?” Mia’s sweet voice floated above the grumblings of the men in the room.

My head snapped up. I hadn’t heard her come into my office, and from the startled looks of my men, they hadn’t either.

She sauntered into the room, well aware all eyes were on her, and took a seat on the edge of my desk. She crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands, causing her skirt to hike up a bit.

Jesus
, I thought. I missed those legs. I wanted to feel her, to be inside her again. I hadn’t been able to touch her the way I wanted in far too long.
I sat back in my chair and studied her. I knew she was extremely intelligent but I never thought she would want to be involved in my illegitimate dealings. Certainly not sitting around trying to come up with a way to move over 5 million worth of cocaine up the western seaboard. A glance around the room confirmed my men were confused about her involvement in the conversation but were just as curious as to find out what she had to say.

“Explain.”

A glint of fire lit in her eyes at my words and a sly smile stretched across her red coated lips before she spoke, “Refrigerated transport, the big tankers that transport liquid gas?”

“Like gasoline?” Sal asked.

“No,” She responded sharply, taking even me by surprise. She was taking charge. I had seen this side of her a few times before, it was sexy as
hell
. 

Hopping off my desk she stalked across the room before turning to address the group again. “Like liquid nitrogen. It’s transported in large refrigerated tankers and not checked the same way a normal tanker would be because you can’t just open the top and peek inside. You have to have special equipment to handle liquid gas, special equipment the state does not supply to weigh stations. Therefore, the tanks are weighed and rolled. No surprise inspections.”

“Yeah okay, but how are we going to get our hands on a refrigerated tanker?” Al snorted, obviously thinking he had just outsmarted her.

Mia just smiled sweetly and turned to me, “I happen to know of a privately owned refrigerated transport company based out of Eugene that is known to travel all the way up and down the I-5 corridor.”

“Yeah well, sweetie, it’s a lot more complicated than just finding a company on the google,” Al snorted again.

I was getting irritated at his blatant disrespect of Mia, but I wanted to see how she would handle the situation so I let it play out.

She calmly walked over to where Al was sitting, hiked one leg on the table in front of him keeping her right foot on the ground and leaned down into his personal space. “If you interrupt me one more time, I WILL CUT YOUR FUCKING TONGUE OUT OF YOUR FAT FUCKING FACE!” she screamed the last part with her nose an inch from his.

In a split second she pulled a triangular push dagger from her thigh holster, leaning back out of his face so she could swing her arm and drill his hand to the table with her knife. Her outburst caused all the men in the room to jump in surprise. No one had seen Mia like this. Ruthless, cold, calculating, exactly like she had been the first day we met, the same look on her face now that she had when she took the gun from my hand and killed her father.

A grin spread across my face and my dick twitched. I know it’s fucked up, but watching her stab a man that had disrespected her was the sexiest fucking thing I had ever seen. Al was groaning and swearing while trying to free his bloody mess of a hand. Mia simply popped up off the table and smoothed out her skirt as she turned to address the men again.

“As I was saying,” she cast a disapproving glance at Al and his blubbering before continuing. “I happen to know that the owners of this small transport company, a husband and wife, are currently struggling financially to keep their business a float while paying for their son to finish school at Northwestern.” She said the last part with a smirk in my direction. BINGO she had an in, and it was perfect.

…

I was glad to have Mia back and out of her vegetative state, even if she seemed a little harder than before. We were in a good place before Gina’s death and I wanted to get back there. Not just for the sex, although I did miss it, I just missed her more. We were in this sort of limbo. I just hoped we would find our way back to each other sooner rather than later.

Chapter 30

Mia

I hung back after Carlo dismissed the men and Enzo took Al to get his hand fixed up. I knew he would want to talk to me after the scene I had caused. I also knew by the smug look he had on his face while we were hashing out the details about the transport that he wasn’t mad at me. In fact, he actually looked impressed.

I hadn’t planned on making a statement quite that bold but Al’s condescension and chauvinistic attitude had grated on my nerves for years. I knew that if I was ever going to get any respect from Carlo and his men I needed to put a stop to that kind of behavior. I had been training with Angelo nearly every day for the past three years, I was just as strong as any of these men and smarter than most. My physical training along with my psychology degree gave me an edge on reading people and put me in a pretty good position to handle this life.

I hadn’t consciously planned to position myself in such a way, but I think some part way back in the recesses of my mind knew that I would end up here. I just never imagined it would be because my best friend was murdered. I had a plan. I was going to take down the men that hurt Gina and I was going to do it alone, but I needed to set it up. I needed resources and contacts, and the only way to get those was to get right in the middle of it with Carlo.

Carlo waited until Angelo left his office and closed the door before he spoke, “Well, you sure know how to make an impression don’t you?”

“He was pissing me off. He has been a dick since I first showed up here. I’m not a child anymore. He needed to learn his place,” I stated as I sat in the club chair across from where he sat behind his desk.

“I agree, he was disrespectful, and I would have handled it if you hadn’t. I’m glad I didn’t have to.”

I quirked an eyebrow at that comment. I was only half surprised that he was okay with me taking control like that. Carlo had never treated me as less than, he always acted as if I belonged there beside him. Still, walking into a meeting and situating myself smack dab in the middle was a bold move. Luckily for me, Carlo seemed to like it.

“I want him gone,” I said.

“Gone how?” he asked carefully.

“Not like that, just not here anymore. It’s for his own safety really. I swear to God if he says one more condescending, disrespectful thing to me, I’m liable to shoot him in the fucking face.”

Carlo nodded, considering it, “Done,” he said with finality, “So you want to tell me what that was all about? Not that I don’t appreciate the fresh ideas but you’ve never shown much interest in being involved in this side of the business so I have to wonder, why now?”

This was it. If I played this right, I would gain his trust and the opportunity to take down the men that killed Gina. But if I went too far, I could lose Carlo.

“I can’t have a normal life Carlo, we both know that. I love the work I do on the legitimate side. I’m good at it but after Gina, I want in on it all. No more surprises. I don’t want to be caught off guard like that ever again and the only way that happens is if I’m in the thick of it and know what is going on,” I paused looking down at my hands before meeting his eyes again and continuing. “Shit Carlo, after the things I have seen, the things I have
done.
This is where I need to be and what I need to be doing. Hell, I couldn’t even make it through college without killing somebody!”

It wasn’t until the words left my mouth that I realized the truth in them. I wasn’t playing Carlo like I’d thought, I was being honest. I really did want this life. I wanted it for me and I wanted it for us, for our future.

At that he chuckled a bit and sobered, “You did what you had to, Mia.” After a slight pause he asked, “Is this really what you want?”

“Yes, I can do this Carlo. I want to.”

“Fine, but I have conditions.”

“Of course you do,” I said, standing up and rounding the desk. Carlo had to scoot back in his chair to make room for me as I wedged myself between his splayed legs and the desk, hopping up to sit directly in front of him. “And you will undoubtedly get what you want, you always do.”

He quirked an eyebrow at my words, “Is that so? I wasn’t aware that I always get what I want when it comes to you.”

I let out a throaty laugh, hooking my foot under the seat of his chair and rolling it closer to me. “Bullshit, I may fight you at every step, but you always get your way eventually.”

“Then why fight it? If you know that you won’t win?”

“It’s just not in my nature to give it to you easily. You wouldn’t appreciate it if you didn’t have to work for it.”

“Have you made it your mission to keep me humble?” He seemed to sense that I needed this banter and was more than willing to play along.

“Something like that, so tell me what your conditions are,” I said softly, lifting my feet to rest on the seat of his chair on either side of his thighs. My black pencil skirt had ridden up with the movement and he now had a direct view of my pussy.

“First,” he said firmly, eyes never leaving mine. Here I was practically serving myself up for him after weeks of grief induced celibacy and he wasn’t giving an inch. I knew from the bulge in his pants that he wasn’t unaffected, just too damn stubborn to let me distract him. “You will listen.”

“Okay?” It came out as a question because I was confused with the direction he was taking this conversation.

“I mean it Mia, you will listen to me. As long as you promise not to go off half-cocked then I have no realistic reservations about bringing you into the fold. It actually makes my life a lot easier if you know what is going on all the time.”

“What do you mean, realistic reservations?”

“I mean just that, my reservations are because I want to shelter you from all of this, when in actuality you are more than capable of handling this part of my life. Doesn’t change the fact that I want to tuck you away and protect you from anything that could possibly bring you harm, but that’s not realistic.”

“I’m glad you see it that way,” I said trying to keep my hackles from rising at the mention of being protected. “Anything else?”

“You can help me plan, make decisions and learn about what I do but you will not be anywhere near the action.” I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off, “No, this is absolutely non-negotiable.”

“I’ve been training with Angelo for years! I’m just as good as any of your men, just as deadly.”

“That may be so but you are so much more valuable to me, it’s not going to happen. You have been trained for the absolute worst possible situation. However, that does not mean I’m going to be callous with your life and purposefully put you in danger.”

I glared at him. His argument was solid. I would sound like a petulant child if I protested now. “Fine,” I said, moving to get down from my perch on the desk.

Carlo grabbed my hips before I could get far and pulled me into his lap so I was straddling him, my skirt riding up even further, exposing a good portion of my thighs. An opportunity that Carlo didn’t waste as he skated his palms up and down my legs before bringing them back to my waist. “Not so fast, you think you can sit there throwing attitude with your bare cunt right in front of my face and just walk away?” he asked, grinding his hips into mine.

My heartrate picked up and my breath caught at his harsh words. Heat spread through my body. It had been weeks since he’d spoken to me in that tone, commanding and laced with lust. I couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped my lips as he rolled his hips again. I laced my fingers into his hair and sank further into him and captured his lips with mine. It was a hungry kiss. I tried to pour all of my lust, anger, and gratitude into this one kiss. My hormones were going crazy after so long without feeling him like this. I was pissed that he was still holding me back and trying to protect me, but mostly I was thankful that he cared enough to give me what I wanted and allow me to be a part of this.

He stood up, still holding me and placed me firmly on the desk. “Jesus, I’ve missed this,
you
,” he said breaking our contact. “I was worried…” he trailed off. Fumbling with his belt momentarily, his hands shaking with need. When he finally got it unclasped and his pants unbuttoned he roughly shoved them down, allowing his erection to spring free.

“You were worried?” I questioned, my brain finally catching up to his words.

“I didn’t know if you would,” he sighed, exasperated. “I just didn’t know, I don’t like not knowing what’s going to happen.” I had seen him excited before, I’d seen him angry, and horny but never like this. He was undone, he was,
upset.
Had he really been worried that I wouldn’t want him again?

I trailed my palms up his chest and around his neck, linking my hands and pulling him closer. “Baby,” I soothed, “I just needed some time to get my head straight. I wasn’t going anywhere, I’m
not
going anywhere.” This vulnerable side to him made my chest constrict. Seeing how even the thought of losing me affected him to the point where he was visibly shaken made me feel both guilty and pleased all at once. I didn’t want him to worry but I was positively glowing at the knowledge that his feelings for me were so profound.

“Don’t ever pull away from me like that again, I don’t think I could take it. I thought I was going to go crazy. I didn’t know what to do, I
hate
not knowing what to do. You confound me, I’ve never felt like this before,” he sighed heavily and took a minute to compose himself before looking into my eyes again. “It’s completely new territory for me and I don’t know how to navigate it. I feel like I’m always just one step away from fucking everything up.”

“You’re not the only one new to this. It’s you and me, just talk to me, we’ll figure it out. And if we fuck it up, we’ll fix it together, yeah?”

He nodded, “Of course.”

“I missed you too, you know,” I whispered against his neck between kisses as I made my way up to his ear, “the way you touch me, the way you make me moan and scream.” I could feel his pulse quicken against my lips and his hands snaked around me to firmly grab my ass.

“What else?” he asked harshly.

“I missed the way you tease me, the way you bite and pull at my skin.”

He groaned and trailed his hands down my legs and back up again bringing the hem of my skirt up. I lifted my hips allowing him to bunch the fabric around my waist. “Don’t stop,” he said, his voice like gravel now as he caressed my thighs.

“I missed the way you worship my body, the way you make my skin break out in goosebumps right before you make me come. But most of all, I missed the way you fuck me.” I whispered the last part directly in his ear before taking his earlobe into my mouth and sucking.

Carlo growled, yanking me forward so my ass was just barely on the desk forcing me to wrap my legs around him or risk falling. He pushed into me so quickly a startled cry tore from my lungs at the intrusion. It had only been a few weeks but he still stretched my tight walls. The pain quickly subsided to pleasure when he started to move. I tilted my hips, giving him better access in our current position. Every time he slammed home he ground himself against my clit for a moment before pulling back and doing it all over again. I could feel my whole body flush as my heartbeat kicked up a notch, and beads of sweat pebbled my skin.

“Yes,” I moaned, tossing my head back as I started to feel my orgasm build. I could faintly hear Carlo’s ragged breaths as all my other senses faded away while my whole world and all of my attention focused on that one spot between my legs.

Carlo reached between us and pressed down on that little bundle of nerves with his thumb as his thrusts became erratic. “Come for me, let me feel you squeeze my cock as you fall apart,” he growled into my ear.

I was panting now, so hard I thought I might pass out, but with another firm press of his thumb I burst apart, my mouth contorted in a silent scream.