Taboo Flames (The Sicilian Sins #2)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Giovanni

T oday, I am seated with my new business partner. A man whom they call “The Priest.” He is a literal priest who is also a mafia lord, and he annihilates his enemies under the guise of it being God’s will—a true savage.

“Know what I think?” The Priest says. “The Albanians lack the fear of God, and they need to be vanquished.”

I don’t dig into The Priest’s whole religious schtick. I stopped believing in God a long time ago after he joined the rest of the world to turn his back on me, but The Priest is an avid businessman and extremely reliable.

He also doesn’t mess around, and we share common enemies.

“We can’t move that amount of drugs through Castillo’s territory without one of the damn Albanians popping out and trying to claim taxes,” I say angrily.

“The hand of God will wipe them out with fire and brimstone like Sodom and Gomorrah.”

I snort. “I’m this close to raining bullets and grenades down on them.”

The Priest shrugs. “That works too.”

“How many men can we get to guard the trucks?” I ask.

He runs his hand through his thick, white beard thoughtfully. “Most of my men are tied up in security detail for some visitors I’ll be expecting, but I can spare about five.”

“Not even close to enough,” I say, verbalizing what we are both thinking.

The attacks on our product shipment are at an all-time high, and despite our best efforts, the Albanians continuously find a way to discover our routes. We’ve even gone as far as using a decoy vehicle, but somehow, they still found out the whole plot.

I’ve done a complete sweep of my ranks to dig out the mole, but all to no avail.

Fuck knows how they are getting their information. The only thing I know at the moment is that their attacks are getting really expensive and damn annoying.

I can’t continue losing my products and sending my men on suicide missions.

“Sorry, I’m late,” another man says as he walks in. He has the same dark brown hair and sharp grey eyes as The Priest.

I immediately concluded he was the brother I spoke to on the phone several times. My physical interactions so far have been solely with The Priest, but I know their operation isn’t run entirely by him.

While The Priest is more of the…well, simply put, the religious fanatic psycho killer of the Guerras, his brother, Estefan, is more of the numbers guy.

Estefan clasps his brother on the shoulder for a long moment before taking a seat. Then he nods at me in greeting, and I nod back.

“Are you discussing the Albanians?” he asks. “I’m damn tired of those interfering bastards. We’ve lost over three million worth of products in the last month alone, and it’s fucking with our numbers.”

“And I’ve lost three men and a whole lot of trust in my capabilities as a leader,” I say.

The Priest winces in sympathy. Everyone in the game knows, most times, the fastest way to go down is by losing credibility.

“It’s the same way with gods. Their power comes from their followers,” The Priest says.

“I have a plan,” I say slowly. I wait for them to lean forward with interest before divulging my plan to them.

After the more important discussions of the meeting conclude, our men are let into the warehouse, and they start whining about needing some stress relief.

As soon as Estefan gives the go-ahead for them to let loose, they start making preparations to get alcohol.

I stay in my seat, deep in thoughts about our transportation problems. The worst part, maybe, is that we can’t do much about our issues to avoid stepping on any of the Vitale’s toes. As the highest power in the city, the Vitales have to permit any all-out war on the Albanians.

Naturally, my mind slips to Aurora, my gorgeous little spitfire.

“That jewelry is awfully familiar,” Estefan suddenly says, dropping down into the seat beside mine.

I follow his gaze to the chaplet wrapped around my wrist. I protectively clutch it tighter.

“Hmm,” I respond dismissively.

“Yours?” he asks.

I tense at his marked curiosity. “Yes. Problem?” I’m aware I’m being hostile for no reason, but the memories attached to the chaplet aren’t good ones for me.

I don't know why I still keep the damn thing. I should have chucked it into the fire a long time ago and destroyed my last link to a mother who hadn’t given two shits about me.

The fact that I still have it makes me feel weak and pathetic. Like the same little boy who’d waited for days for his mama to return to him.

“No problem at all,” he says. “I bought a strikingly similar one decades ago. It was for a woman, the only woman I’ve ever loved. Those were the days.” He smiles fondly. “Hours spent dancing at an outdoor club in Chicago, sitting at the beach. She never took it off. Not even once.”

I note the sadness in his voice. “Where’s she now? Looks like you didn’t end up with her after all.”

He chuckles dryly. “Life got in the way, and just when I thought I’d get a second chance, her life was cut short.”

I swallow, then say coldly, “How tragic.”

He must notice that I’m trying to shut down the conversation because he finally gives me a stiff smile and moves away.

Soon, the men return with crates of beer and bottles of wine, being loud and raucous as they lay everything out, including different types of sex toys.

From my position, I can see dildos, nipple clamps, whips, and a variety of bondage cuffs. Shortly after, there’s a loud screech of tires outside, and scantily clad women walk into the warehouse, the men’s whoops accompanying their arrival.

Drinks begin to flow while the women start dancing, their bodies swaying and swinging. None of it interests me, though. My cock stays flaccid in my pants while the half-naked women gyrate.

Usually, I’ll be the first to join in on the activities. The time when bound up and helpless submissive women did it for me seems like eons ago.

One of the women approaches me, a redhead with lush curves and tiny leopard print lingerie. She has a coy smile on her lips, and the look in her eyes tells me she wants me, and there’s not much she isn’t willing to do.

“Hey, handsome,” she purrs, “you look like you’re able to take me for a hot ride tonight.”

“Not interested. Move on,” I say coldly.

She gives me a pout much like the one Aurora is fond of, but while it’s cute and endearing on the Vitale princess, on her, it’s just damn annoying.

“I’ll let you do anything you want to me,” she whispers, pressing her breasts against my arm.

“Get the fuck away from me,” I tell her, my eyes narrowed.

Fear flashes in her eyes, and she backs away nervously.

“Woah, boss,” one of my men says with a laugh, “I’ve never seen you reject some free ass like that.”

I don’t look at him, allowing the comment to slide with the excuse that he’s intoxicated.

“He’s hung up on Vitale pussy,” another one of my men says.

“The Vitale chick?” someone else voices in surprise. “Nah, she’s not my type of girl. She’s way too innocent looking for my tastes.”

The first man snorts. “I bet she likes to take it up the ass though.”

The words are barely out of his mouth when I remove my gun from its holster, aim at his big mouth, and shoot.

There’s a loud, horrified shriek from one of the women as the bullet tears through the back of his head, brain and blood splattering everywhere.

I turn to the other one and fire two times, shooting out both his kneecaps. He howls as blood pours out.

The rest of the room goes silent with fear as I slip my Glock back into its holster, button my suit jacket, and nod at The Priest.

“Good evening,” I tell him.

“May the peace of the Lord abide with you,” he replies.

I walk out to the background sound of pained screams, my second favorite sound in the world. The first is Aurora’s moans of pleasure.

I know someone else is in the house as soon as I walk in. It’s an intuition I’ve honed over the years, and it’s gotten me out of many deadly situations.

My steps become light and measured as I climb up the stairs and navigate the hallway leading to my bedroom. I feel the familiar tingle in my spine and immediately know who I’ll find in my bedroom.

“Princess,” I say when I see her lounging in my bed. “How did you get in here?”

“Give a girl some credit,” she says, smirking at me and kicking her legs behind her like a kid. “I’m a professional hacker. How do you think I got into your house the first time, the one with your whole shower event?”

I just give her a blank look. She’s in another one of my shirts, and it’s bunched up on her hips, revealing pink cotton panties.

“If you didn’t want me in here, you shouldn’t have made your password so easy,” she tells me. “I can’t believe you use the prime numbers in order as your password. Anybody can guess that.”

“And that person would have found themselves dead right now,” I say as I walk toward her.

“Are you going to choke me to death now, Daddy?” She bats her lashes at me. “You should punish me for breaking and entering and talking to you with such impudence.”

I chuckle. “Something tells me you want to be punished.”

She climbs to her knees and blinks up at me, running her hands across my chest. “You should really try other colors, or are you allergic to dressing in another color?”

I grab her by the jaw and pull her mouth close to mine. “If I were, I’d be dead by now. You’re a walking confetti, baby.”

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

She’s the one who bridges the distance and presses her lips to mine. I take over the kiss, digging my fingers into her hair and slanting my lips hard over hers.

I break the kiss long enough to grab the hem of the shirt and whip it off her head.

Then, we fall back onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, our clothes flying every which way.

Suddenly, she stills and questions, “What’s that smell?”

I try to kiss her, but she turns her head so my mouth lands on her cheek instead. “What?”

“Why do you smell like a woman?” she asks stiffly, pulling away.

I give her a hard look. “I’m not your boyfriend, princess. We aren’t in a relationship.”

“I see. So that must mean I can fuck anybody I want to too? Well, that’s nice because I have a few—argh…” She cries out as I flip her onto her stomach, drag her hips up, and plunge into her in one swift move.

“I own you,” I tell her harshly. “You’re mine, baby. And I don’t share.”

“Well, I don’t share either!” she snaps.

I push into her again, making her arch her back at the sensation.

“There was a woman, but I didn’t let her touch me,” I tell her. I’ve never had to explain myself to a woman my whole life, and I don’t know why I’m doing it now. “Now, what were you saying about fucking some other hypothetical but very dead asshole?”

I thrust into her savagely, then wrap my fingers around her neck and raise her gaze to meet her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror on the opposite wall.

“Look at yourself, baby. Watch yourself while I fuck your greedy hole.”

“Nnngh,” she moans.

“Touch your tits for me, princess. Play with those perfect nipples,” I growl.

She does as I say, kneading one in one hand, her fingers rolling and pinching the nipple. She gasps loudly at the sensation.

“Now wet your fingers and get your nipples wet for me,” I instruct her.

She obeys and lets out loud moans, shaking with pleasure.

“Good girl,” I say into her ears.

“Gio. Gio,” she chants, “I’m so close.”

“Don’t cum yet.”

“Please, Gio. I can’t,” she mutters pleadingly.

“Yes, you can,” I tell her fiercely.

She screams when I adjust my angle and thrust into her again. “Oh my God, what was that?”

“That was your sweet spot, baby,” I reply smugly.

I hit it again and again, and she cries out and squirts and cums right on its heel, liquid gushing out of her pussy, her body taut.

So the Vitale Princess is a squirter. Perfect.

I pull out of her, tug my dick once, twice, and then paint her back with my hot cum, watching in satisfaction as it covers her skin.

She looks under her and gasps. “Did I—” she trails off.

“Hmm,” I hum, grabbing her and rolling her into my arms on the dry side of the bed. “I want to live and die in your pussy.”

She makes a face at that. “I need to get cleaned up.”

“Give me a minute. I want to fuck you again,” I say to her.

“Insatiable man.”

“Only for you,” I tell her softly. Then I hear her gentle, even breaths and realize she fell asleep right in the middle of talking. I feel a sense of relief that she didn’t hear my over-sentimental words.

I slip out of bed, pull off the soiled covers carefully so as not to wake her up, and get a warm washcloth to wipe in between her legs.

I’m tempted to eat her pussy into another orgasm, but ultimately decide to let her sleep.

She looks angelic in her sleep, the naughty smirk and calculating looks wiped from her face as she slumbers.

I rejoin her in bed and pull her into my arms. She smells like flowers and sex, and it’s the most enticing scent I’ve ever smelled. I fall into a deep sleep with her in my arms.

A choking blackness finds me in my sleep, dark and choking. I can’t breathe, the thick, dark substance filling my nose and lungs. Everywhere I look, there is darkness, and I can hear Mama’s voice screaming for me.

“Mama,” I call out into the darkness.

“You ruined my life,” she shrieks, rising up before me, hard eyes on mine. “You are the devil! You should die. Die!”

When she reaches out for me, her hands turning into sharp claws, I stumble backward, and then I’m falling, and falling, and ? —

“Gio, Gio!” a soft, lilting voice snaps into my mind. “Wake up. It’s just a dream. It’s just?—”

The only thought in my head is that there’s someone in my room, and I have to defend myself. I reach out, grab the person’s neck, and flip the person down onto the bed, my teeth bared savagely.

I’m going to crush the intruder’s neck under my hands. I’m going to kill them before they kill me. Just like I always have.

But instantly, my gaze clears, and I see that it’s Aurora trashing beneath me, her face turning a vivid blue from the oxygen shortage.

With a shocked gasp, I leap away from her to the other side of the room, horrified by my actions.

“Princess—” She coughs loudly as she struggles to her feet, only to stumble. I reach for her.

“D—don’t touch me,” she croaks, holding her throat. She coughs again and backs away from me slowly.

“Aurora, wait, it was—” I take a step closer.

“Don’t come near me!” she screeches hoarsely and looks at me in terror. I’ve seen hundreds of people look at me like that, and in the past, it brought me satisfaction, but at that moment, I realized I never wanted Aurora to look at me like this again.

“Stay away from me.” There are tears clinging to her eyes, and it cuts deep into my chest. She spins around and runs out of my room.

I pursue after her, but she’s too damn fast. She barges into one of the guest bedrooms and slams the door shut. I hear the bolt turn on the door, and it feels like a gunshot straight to my chest.

I press my forehead to the door, feeling completely wrecked, and that’s when I hear it. The sound of the woman I’m supposed to be protecting weeping because of my own actions.