Mo
C
HASE TOOK
T
EX
out of the room, most likely to shield us from the cursing that would take place once he pulled the bullet out of Tex’s shoulder. I shuddered. My fault. Everything was my fault.
One stupid choice.
One moment of weakness.
“What’s wrong dolce ragazza?” He took my hand in his and kissed my open palm. “Your face isn’t normally so sad.”
I shrugged. “Oh you know, the life of a Mafia princess, lots of drama and broken crowns.”
His face fell, I’d always thought of him as some tragic hero. The way his features were framed made him look like a soldier or hero from King Arthur’s Court or something. He always acted that way too. Like he was a hero. Too bad I knew all his secrets. I looked up into his eyes again. Definitely too bad, because he was gorgeous.
“Sit,” he ordered. “Drink.”
“Drinking won’t help,” I said dryly. “Believe me.”
“Wine.” He scooted the bottle closer. “It always helps, no?”
“Yes.”
“No?” He teased and winked. “Seriously Monroe, you need to take better care of yourself.”
“Right, I’ll just schedule that pedicure when I get home. Happy?” I pushed a wine glass towards him. Everyone else was in bed, but I was awake. Awake, and oh so blatantly aware that Tex had brought home another girl.
I heard her moans.
I heard her screams.
And then they turned into mine when I finally couldn’t take it anymore and got the hell out of the house.
The only place I knew I could go that was actually safe belonged to my family. It was one of our many investments. A fancy bar and grill a few miles away from the house in one of the nicer subdivisions. I knew some of our men would be there blowing off steam. They’d recognize me, and if anyone tried anything, they would shoot them first and ask questions later.
I hadn’t expected
him
to be there, however. He rarely went out in public.
And that was when it hit me.
“Nixon sent you, didn’t he?” I licked my lips and stared at the red liquid as he filled my glass.
He didn’t answer right away, instead his strong hand reached for the stem of the glass, his fingers wrapping around it, caressing the smooth surface for a minute. “And if he did?”
I shrugged.
He leaned closer until I could smell the warm swirling scent of honey and whiskey on his breath. “And if he didn’t?”
“Then…” My voice shook. “That means you’ve been following me? Like a stalker?”
“Stalker.” He laughed and leaned back. “I like the sound of that. Stalker of the Abandonato family gem.”
I rolled my eyes.
“What?” he whispered, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Don’t tell me… you think I’m full of shit.” His lips grazed the same ear. “When really, I’ve been watching you your whole life. Always close. Always ready to attack. Always ready, ready for the time…”
“The time?” I sucked in a breath. “For what time?”
He pulled back, his eyes snapping to my mouth. “For the time when you finally say my name—when you finally need me.”
“And that time is now?”
“That time was six months ago.” His voice dropped lower. “But I’m a patient man.”
And that was it. He released his hold on me, his sensual gaze took in the people around us, and then he pointed to my glass. “Drink, Monroe. We have much to discuss.”
“Mo? Everyone’s in the living room waiting. I figured…” Trace’s voice trailed off. “Well, I figured you’d want to make sure Nixon doesn’t kill him.”
“Right.” I nodded. “Be right there.”
With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and sent one simple text.
Me: It’s done.
He replied back immediately.
G: Good. I knew I could count on you do get the job done. You’re an Abandonato after all. For what it’s worth… thank you.
Me: Don’t mention it.
CHAPTER FIVE
Getting shot hurts. The end.
Tex
I
LICKED MY LIPS
, and winced as I tried to stand to my full height. This was going to hurt. That much was true. Just shooting me wasn’t going to appease Nixon. Had the positions been switched—I would have done the same, possibly worse, because I was a possessive son of a bitch, and I loved Mo with my whole heart. Well, at least the heart that wasn’t in Hell for all the crimes I’d committed.
“The truth.” Nixon paced in front of me. “All of it, I need to hear it.”
Mo swayed into the room, her face pale. I offered a wink of encouragement. I had this, I had
her
. I wouldn’t let her down.
“I love her.” I nodded. “I made a mistake. Mistakes happen. Condoms don’t protect one hundred percent and—”
“Please—” Nixon lifted his hand in the air “—spare me a sex-ed lesson. Pretty sure you’re the last person who should be giving advice on safe sex.”
The room fell into a tense silence. My voice cracked. “Well, that’s basically everything. Don’t tell me you weren’t aware of our… extracurricular activities.”
Nixon’s eyebrows shot up, swear they almost went through his forehead. “That’s what you think I’m upset about?”
Next to me, Chase groaned and took a step out of the line of fire.
Nixon let out a laugh that was anything but amused. “You son of a bitch. I should just end your life right now. Tell me not to do it, Chase.”
Chase didn’t say anything. Bastard.
I glared to my right. Chase kept his face impassive. Great. I officially had no fans. Even Mil and Trace were silent.
Thanks Mo, really, so awesome to be hated by the only family I’ve ever known because I’m protecting you and some prick’s unborn child.
Felt good. It was all good. Totally what I deserved. After all, I was a Campisi; we freaking breed mayhem.
“You,” Nixon spat, “were in bed with two girls, not one, two.” His nostrils flared. “Not less than three weeks ago. So yeah, sorry if I’m a bit pissed that you were screwing my sister while you were screwing every whore within a fifty mile radius!” His fist went flying, hitting me square in the stomach. I hunched over and puked as he hit me again and again.
Unable to hold myself up anymore, I collapsed onto the floor, holding my stomach so that I wouldn’t puke again.
“Enough,” Mo said quietly. “Nixon. Enough.”
“It will never,” he said in a hoarse yell, “be enough. Never. Do you hear me?” He lunged for me again but was stopped by Chase, because apparently he wasn’t as heartless as I’d first assumed.
“Walk away, Nixon.” Chase grabbed Nixon by the shoulders and directed him towards the door. But Nixon, wasn’t having any of that, he fought against Chase so hard you’d think I’d actually killed Mo rather than getting her pregnant. There were worse things in the world, weren’t there? I mean, didn’t we face death every day?
“Nixon.” Mo cleared her throat; her voice seemed shaky. Damn it, she was afraid of her own brother. “Tex didn’t do anything wrong. He simply gave me what I asked for.”
Say what?
Wow good to know the story changed from something totally believable to mass insanity—I was as sure as dead.
“What do you mean?” The anger had faded slightly from Nixon’s voice.
Mo shrugged. “I missed him. We slept together. Once, for old time’s sake. That’s all it took. It’s not Tex’s fault I seduced him.”
Yeah I would have loved to be a part of that seduction. Freaking loved it. Too bad it didn’t happen, because Mo was a dirty little liar.
“I basically attacked him.” She looked down at her feet. Was she blushing? Seriously? “He didn’t really have a choice but to appease me—and we all know Tex, he doesn’t choose himself. He always chooses me, every single time, to a fault. I’m his weakness.” Something about the way she said it didn’t settle with me. Because if she knew that, others knew, which meant I was a giant-ass chicken walking down the middle of a road directly into oncoming semis.
Damn her. I hated that of all the weaknesses in the world—hers was the one I couldn’t shake. The one I couldn’t overcome. I would never conquer my love for her. Ever. I could die tomorrow, and her name would be the last thing to cross my lips.
“That true?” Nixon directed the question towards me. Mo’s gaze was intense, as if she was praying I wouldn’t take the higher road and say
no man, it’s my fault, I messed up
. Instead, feeling like a jackass, I nodded my head.
Nixon put the gun down and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’ll do the right thing, still. Right, Tex?”
The right thing? My head snapped to attention. Even Chase looked confused, his eyes pinched together causing a line to form on his forehead.
I looked at Mo for help. Realization must have dawned, because her face went white as a sheet before she launched herself into Nixon’s arms. “No! Nixon, no you can’t make us!”
“Chase,” Nixon barked, “make the arrangements.”
“Uh?” I raised my hand. “For my funeral? Is that what we’re discussing? Kind of in the dark, man.”
“Maybe to you.” Swear Nixon’s eyes were dripping black as they pierced through mine. “But some may call it a celebration.”
“What?” I repeated. “The hell. Is going on?”
“Do the right thing.” Nixon popped his knuckles. “Unplanned pregnancy out of wed-lock.”
My mind did the calculations.
And apparently two plus two really does equal four.
And I was screwed.
I wondered how bad it would be… to marry someone who you loved with so much of your soul that it hurt to breathe. Only to know that you’re her second choice. Or maybe not even a choice in the first place. Just a happy replacement until something better came along.
I wasn’t so sure I could live with that.
And suddenly I felt like Chase did all those months ago. When he was in love with Trace, when I couldn’t understand why the hell he was acting like such a hormonal woman over his feelings when we had bigger things to worry about.
But that’s love.
It makes you feel.
“Don’t,” I whispered. “Please Nixon, anything but this.”
He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he examined my face. “Thought you loved her?”
“I do.” My answer was quick. Confident. “But she doesn’t feel the same way about me.”
“Then she should have thought about that before she jumped into your bed, don’t you think?” He sidestepped me and started barking instructions to Chase about the marriage. Words like, tonight, make it fast, and hurry were not ones I ever wanted associated with what should have been the most important day of my life.
The most special day of hers.
I looked down at her flat stomach again. My eyes wishing they could peer at the tiny soul that had been created. I was protecting the innocent.
Even if that made me the guilty.
I was doing the right thing.
Even though I was pretty sure I was traveling down a road I would never be free from, to a destination that would feel a hell of a lot like constant torture.
Would I lay down everything I was? Everything I had to offer, to protect someone who didn’t give two shits about me?
I stared at her face.
The one I dreamt of every night.
Yeah. I would offer her everything. And in return take nothing. Story of my life.
I give.
They take.
I give some more.
They take it all.
CHAPTER SIX
Hearts weren’t meant to be broken.
Mo
“
A
RE YOU MAD?”
My voice cracked. I might as well have yelled, the room had been so silent. Tex wasn’t speaking to me. He wasn’t speaking to anyone. The light had officially died from his eyes ever since earlier that afternoon, and it was all my fault. It wasn’t intentional. I’d do anything to protect my family. Anything.
Even if it meant damning both of us in the process.
“Am I mad?” Tex repeated, his muscles rippling across his arms as he flexed his hands and then made a fist with his right, punching the bed lightly. “No, not mad. Mad would mean I was crazy, nuts. Madness assumes the person is one step away from insanity. I think what you’re asking is, am I angry, and more importantly is said anger directed at you?”
“That was a really long explanation.” I tucked my feet under myself and leaned against his muscled shoulder. Everything about him was larger than life. From his body to the way he spoke. Tex didn’t do small. He did big. He moved his hands when he talked as if he was preaching at a Baptist church. He laughed like it might be the last time he did so. He made love… well he made love like he believed in it, like there was nothing in the world he’d rather be doing than spending time pleasuring me, exploring me; he made me feel special. And in the end, that had been my downfall with him.
I was owned by him.
No longer me.
I’d gotten kind of lost in his bigness, so I’d backed off. It helped that I’d had a good excuse; he’d cheated. Though, later on, one of the men told me the truth. He’d done it to get information about Mil’s family. Would have been nice to know it at the time, but I was too damn upset to say anything. Upset with him, upset with me.
And scared.
Yeah. I was really, really scared.
Terrified.
And I couldn’t even tell him why.
“For what it’s worth…” I shuddered. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you love me?” he asked.
My entire body seized.
Did he just ask what I think he did?
“Mo? Do you love me? It’s a simple question. And no I don’t mean love me like the way you love Chase or Nixon. Do you love me? Do I own your soul? Your heart? Do you love me? Forget all the shit that went down with other girls, forget getting pregnant. It’s just you and me. Do you love me?”
Breath got caught in my throat. It was like my lungs weren’t working. I tried to answer him, really. My mouth was open and everything. I couldn’t lie. I couldn’t lie! Please God, don’t make me lie. In that moment I wished for death. Anything would be better than doing what I had to do.