Dangerous Flames (Mafia Hearts) (4 page)

Fifteen
people, not counting himself, sat around the table. The only other
female present was Maura who would excuse herself at any moment, so
the men could go into more detail while talking shop.

While
he drank another glass of wine, Mikolas looked around at the Family.
Bo and Ray were some of the few who weren’t afraid to laugh
because they treated life as an enormous game. Mikolas enjoyed
hanging out with the two men on occasion but not any of the others,
including his father. The rest of them remained stone-faced to keep a
hard image. After completing one more big hit, he’d get the
specifics of the job as the Medini Family enforcer, connecting
Mikolas to these men until death. Which category would he fall into
after he’s officially made part of the Family in a few months?

One
thing was certain; these guys thrived on the danger, always looking
for an opportunity to rile up some trouble. Mikolas wasn’t
stupid. That had been Clayton’s entire intention when he
mentioned Stefano earlier. Mikolas should hold similar traits as the
Enrico’s men but couldn’t find those in himself at all no
matter how hard he’d tried. He described himself as good—hell,
he held a talent of killing people—but he hated it. The very
idea of becoming one of them made his anxiety roar to life. So why
did he stay when he still had a chance to get out of it all?

Suddenly
needing some fresh air and a new atmosphere, he excused himself from
the table. Thankfully everyone planned to have a nightcap in the den,
Mikolas would have the hot tub to himself for a while. Exactly what
he needed before Gabi joined him for a swim.

The
pool house sat a few feet from the hot tub and served as a dressing
room while storing a dresser full of swimwear available to guests.
The Medini’s didn’t skimp on anything, he decided as he
crossed the marble floor that matched the flooring of the main house.

He
slipped his Dockers off and then his shirt. Both were folded nicely
on the wicker couch with his Glock hidden underneath the pants. Being
neat and tidy had been part of his training given to him by his
father and Enrico that had started at age twelve, reinforced in the
police academy, and remained a trait he valued as an adult.

Too
bad the other members of the Family didn’t share a similar
cleanliness habit, he thought as Mikolas dug through the drawer for
his swim trunks. After locating his heather gray shorts, he slipped
them on, flipped the switch to turn on the outdoor heaters, and
headed out to the hot tub. He turned the dial to start the jets and
slipped slowly in the water. The heat took his breath away but
quickly eased the tension from his shoulders.

He
leaned back and closed his eyes. Events of the day bubbled through
his mind, making his muscles tense again. Tonight needed to be about
relaxation, not worrying, so he pushed the thoughts away as quick as
possible. Life would be sweet if he could just focus on Gabi instead
of stealing men’s lives. His heart swelled as he pictured her
face.

Should
I do it?
Since Gabi had returned to Nevada, Mikolas had allowed himself to
fantasize about revealing his feelings to her. The fantasy always
ended with the two of them taking off together, living their lives
together far from the Mafia. Mikolas wasn’t a fool. He could
walk away alone, but with Gabi by his side Enrico would hunt them
down unless the couple left the country. If Mikolas managed to keep
them hidden from her father, he could provide a good life for
Gabrielle. Their future as a couple certainly got his pulse racing.
Only a good fantasy, he reminded himself, one that would never see
the light of day.

He
opened his eyes and surveyed the gorgeous surroundings. Palm trees
bordered blooming gardenia trees. A fountain stood in the corner of
the marble deck along with some patio furniture and a bar. Beyond the
pool area laid a long well-manicured lawn. Several grand had to have
been dropped on the backyard alone. Gabrielle was used to this sort
of life. Would she be content with what he could provide for her? He
had money but providing this elegance was entirely out of the
question.

Gabi
had been his best friend through their childhood and later hung out
as young teenagers. He’d noticed the very moment Gabrielle had
started to blossom. It had been the same time that she’d
started paying more attention to him, offering him adorably shy
smiles, picking him flowers from her mother’s flower garden,
and even drew a heart on his hand with permanent marker one evening
while studying for school. A few days later, Enrico showed up at his
school and signed him out for the rest of the afternoon. Mikolas
already started his training so this hadn’t seemed anything out
of the ordinary. He’d been expecting a trip to a local fast
food joint for a bite to eat before hitting the shooting range as
they usually did. Mikolas had been wrong.

Not
only did it seem odd that they’d arrived at the zoo, but
Mikolas had been informed that they were there to only look at the
lions. Once at the cage, Enrico had turned to Mikolas. “Stay
away from Gabrielle. If you ever touch her, I’ll cut your dick
off,” Enrico pointed to the biggest beast in the cage, “and
feed it to those lions over there. And you’ll watch them eat
it.”

Mikolas
had panicked, and the threat turned into some powerful motivation to
stay far away from Enrico’s daughter. It hadn’t been much
time after the zoo trip when Enrico sent Gabi away.

Gabi’s
departure had flooded Mikolas with hope that he’d finally be
able to move on with his life. To forget the love for an untouchable
woman who’d taken ahold of his heart. He’d dated other
women with the intent of becoming interested in one of them to forget
Gabi. Years passed and he had tried more than anything to deny his
love for Gabrielle Felice Medini, but he hadn’t succeeded,
letting him know his feelings weren’t only a teenage crush, but
instead, something deeply rooted and refusing to go away.

Always
wanting to ask how Gabi had been doing but never having the guts to
bring up the subject during Friday night dinners, he waited with an
unquenchable desire for someone to bring up the topic of Gabi, so he
could find out how she had faired on her travels. Whenever someone
gave in to his secret wish, the news had always been glowing and he’d
missed her even more. And when she returned as an adult? Desire
rocked through him like a hurricane.

He
should man up and tell her how he felt. Not being an official member
gave him the option to move away. When the time came, he’d have
all of the plans to leave in order and then ask her to go with him.
Staying here wouldn’t be an option for him if she turned him
down. If she said no he’d leave alone. He took a look around
the beautiful home and yard. Would she want to give this all up for
him?

The
back door of the house opened and Gabrielle stepped out onto the
patio, sending him into panic mode. As she approached the hot tub, he
noticed the bright pink lines of her bikini showing right through the
white cotton fabric of her pants and top. Along the way, she dropped
a bag off on a chair before greeting him with a smile. He had to tell
her tonight. Or right now because he couldn’t take this
anymore.

“
Ready
for a swim?” she asked with a brilliant white smile. Her
dimpled cheeks added a softness she normally didn’t carry.

“
Of
course.” He had to get his erection to disappear again before
he could even think about getting up from the disguising bubbles of
the hot tub. She’d get the idea that all he wanted her for was
sex which happened to be the furthest from the truth. Any other
female? You bet. Gabrielle? Hell no. He’d even thought about
marrying her someday.

He
watched as she fumbled around in her bag, withdrew a hair band, and
pulled her long, straight hair into a ponytail. Why must she so
damned sexy?

Gabrielle
slid her white terry cloth pants down her thighs, revealing her thong
bikini that left barely anything to his imagination. She tossed the
pants onto the chair then turned toward him.

A
groan rumbled in his chest. Why him? Okay, he’d wanted to alone
with her for so but why here? This shouldn’t be happening in
her father’s hot tub. The mischievous smile she wore as she
stepped over to the hot tub told him that she didn’t seem to
mind.

“
I
invited you to swim, but the hot tub looks so tempting. Mind if we
hang out in here instead?”

“
It’s
fine with me. The water feels great.”

He
forced himself to swallow before offering her a smile as she slipped
under the warm bubbly water. He couldn’t find the strength to
tear his gaze away from her hard nipples pressing against her thin
top.

“
Thanks
for meeting me here,” she said softly. “I had hoped you’d
accept my offer but hadn’t really expected you to say yes.”

Finally
able to regain control of the desire pounding through him, he jerked
his attention to the white blooms trees that sent a sweet fragrance
in the air. He looked back at her, locking his gaze with hers.

“
Mik,
is something wrong?” she asked.

“
Everything
is, um… fine.” He glanced at the back door that remained
shut. “It's a beautiful night, huh?”

“
Sure
is.” Her dark, intriguing eyes stayed focused on him. He
couldn’t recall a single moment before now when he'd actually
looked straight in them.

“
How
is the dress boutique going?” He hated small talk, so why did
the easy topic flow so easily from his lips? Maybe because stupid
questions were safer than pulling her into his arms which he would’ve
enjoyed so much more.

She
leaned back and closed her eyes, giving him the opportunity to trace
the shape of her face with his gaze. He loved the way her chin held a
gentle curve, her prominent cheek bones, and her long eyelashes
against her tanned skin. He yearned to feel her softness under his
fingertips. To prevent himself from reaching out to her, he raked his
hand through his hair.

“
The
shop is fine.” She took a deep breath, making her ample
breasts rise and fall. “But I didn't invite you out here for
some idle chit-chat.”

A
lump formed in his throat. What reason could she have to invite him
out then? Did she have revelations of her own to make tonight? A sigh
floated out from between his lips. He was grasping at straws to keep
some hope of a future with her. “Okay?”

She
opened her eyes and lifted her head. “There are two things
really."

“
What
is it?” His heart pounded with anticipation in his chest. Say
the words, he silently pleaded.
Tell
me you want me as much as I want you.

She
looked back to the sliding glass door where all the men were tucked
inside, enjoying cocktails and cigars. She gave a half smile and
turned her attention back to him. “This might seem stupid
because we haven’t been friends for a while.”

A
phone rang inside of the pool house. “Just my cell phone,”
he mumbled, wishing the world would disappear for the night so he
could enjoy Gabi’s company without any further disruptions.
“Please continue.”

“
Do
you need to get that?” she asked.

He
shook his head. “Nope. I have voicemail.” No matter who
insisted on calling, he’d speak with the person later. A second
later the ringing stopped.

When
the ringing went silent, she continued, “I’d like your
honest opinion.” She took a deep breath. Out of nervousness? “I
know my father runs this Mafia family.”

“
What?”
This couldn’t be right. Gabrielle wasn't supposed to know. All
of the members of the Family took extra precautions to keep quiet in
her presence. “He told you?”

She
nodded. “Over coffee today. And I want a job.” Nibbling
on her lip, she glanced at the door. Yes, she was nervous but nowhere
near as much as him.

His
heart stopped for a second as he stared into the dark eyes of the
woman he loved. Hopes of a future with her and away from the life of
crime vanished. “A, uh, job? Like for your father?” he
asked. “Or with me?”

“
Either
is fine.” Hope filled her words and lit up her face.

His
muscles tensed despite the warm soothing water bubbling around him.
Didn’t she realize how ruthless the business could be?
Obviously she didn’t or she’d run in the opposite
direction to avoid any connection to the Mafia. He had to make her
understand. The lifestyle was slowly ruining his life. He would never
forgive himself if he let the Mafia do it to her too. And if she
messed with the wrong person? The answer to his unspoken question
wasn’t something he could let himself think about.