Wanted: A Dark Italian Mafia Romance (Men Of Mayhem Book 1) Page 2

  That’d be a sight.

  Pun intended.

  A smattering of applause turns into a roomful of people cheering and leaping to their feet to give Serena a standing ovation.

  I can think of a different type of “o” I’d be very happy to deliver.

  She steps away from the podium, her cheeks flushed pink. Her eyes sparkle as they roam over her very enthusiastic audience. I’m sure her foundation is gonna clean up tonight.

  Ironic, since it is such a money maker and this room is primarily filled with mafia families from across the globe. Serena’s plans are local now, but they’ll expand quickly. Especially if she’s got the money and the reach.

  And nobody in his right mind would ever cross Franco Vitale or his daughter. If they want their families to survive, they’ll find new ways to make money. Otherwise, he’ll crush them like he did that guy’s neck.

  Poof!

  And they’re dead.

  “Okay, guys,” my oldest brother Vince says, checking out the guests loitering around the bar. “I need to take care of some business. Don’t fucking embarrass me, all right?”

  Antonio snickers. “Time to finally have some fun now that Vince isn’t gonna be hanging around and cockblocking us!”

  Vince shoots him a death glare. “Ant, I swear to Christ. Don’t screw around. If you do, I’ll set fire to your brand-new fucking Maserati.”

  Like that empty threat is gonna shut Ant down.

  Vince is a smart guy, but Ant’s the ball buster of the family. And he loves to remind Vince of it every chance he gets.

  “I think I’m gonna introduce myself to the principessa,” Ant says with a devious twinkle in his hazel eyes. “Vince, it could be great for you. Someone would actually take you seriously as the boss of our family if I start hooking up with a Vitale. The other families would bend over for you in a hot fucking second. That’d be a good thing, yeah?”

  Vince’s face is practically purple as he puffs out his chest and backs Ant into a marble column. “Don’t you even look at her, Ant. You stay the fuck away. Far away. Do you understand?”

  “Aw, come on,” Ant teases, taking a long gulp of his beer. “You think you’ve got a better shot?”

  “I’m not looking for a shot,” Vince hisses, running a hand through his hair and looking around at the other bosses and their crews. “I’m looking to keep you alive, you asshole!”

  “Look at her, though. Someone’s gonna tap that ass. May as well be one of us.”

  My other brother Tommy nods, staring at Serena. “That body. So many fucking possibilities.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” I grunt. “She wouldn’t look twice at any of you morons.”

  Ant’s eyes widen and he lets out a chuckle. “Looks like we have another contender here. Diego is throwing his hat in the fucking ring!” He moves closer toward me. “You think you’ve got a shot with her?”

  “Diego has an edge,” Vince smirks at Ant. “He can actually carry on a conversation. You guys, on the other hand, only know about twenty words between you.”

  “Yeah, but they’re the good ones.” Ant nudges Vince in the shoulder. “Why don’t you get out of here and pull the pole out of your ass long enough to make some new friends? We’re gonna need all the help we can get, especially with you in charge.”

  Vince flips Ant off before moving toward a group of older men across the bar.

  Tommy leans on the bar next to me, tracking my gaze. “She’s out of your league, Diego. Her father would never let her anywhere near you. Or any of us. She’s his only daughter and a fucking superstar to boot.”

  Ant throws an arm over my shoulders. “Come on, there are plenty of other women here who’d be very excited to see you pump your dick while you drool over one of their pictures.”

  I narrow my eyes at my brother. “Jackass.”

  “Like it’s a secret?” Ant rolls his eyes and lets out a snort. “I mean, you take the fucking magazines into the bathroom. And then you leave them there!”

  “Lay off, Ant,” Tommy says. “Make yourself useful and find Diego a rebound fuck. He needs someone to take his mind off that bitch Via Fortunato. How long ago did she kick you to the curb? Isn’t it time to get back on the horse and ride, ride, ride? May as well start tonight.”

  I really hate my brothers sometimes.

  And they have no idea what really happened between me and Via, no fucking clue what I almost let happen because of my need for revenge.

  Ant shakes his head. “I don’t think he wants a rebound. I think he wants to sink his teeth into something he knows he shouldn’t. I saw you watching her when she was up on that stage. I know what you were thinking. It’s what every other man in this room was thinking.” He leans closer, dropping his voice when my eyes refuse to look at him or anything other than Serena. “But it ain’t worth it, man. You’ll make yourself a target for Franco. And that never goes well. Remember the guy who—?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I grumble. “I remember.”

  “You don’t want to be that guy.” Tommy claps a hand on my shoulder. “No pussy is worth that kind of torture.”

  Under normal circumstances, I’d agree. But there’s something about Serena Vitale that goes against my better judgment.

  Actually, there are a lot of things…

  I shake off Tommy’s hand and he chuckles. “You need to adjust your standards, bro. This ain’t Monaco. Shit back here is very fucking real. It’s not all glitz and glam where bored, rich bitches are stripping down for you because they’ve had one too many glasses of Veuve Cliquot at some gala for some bullshit charity that’ll never even see the money.” He leans closer and puts a hand on my shoulder. “And you don’t have the best track record.”

  I narrow my eyes, the hairs on the back of my neck prickling. I can feel my fingers flex and clench.

  But I get it.

  Much as I hate hearing it.

  I know what I fucking did.

  I was young, stupid, and focused more on getting off than getting shit done.

  And Dad was the one who suffered the most.

  Things haven’t been easy for my family since we lost him a few years ago, and Vince has struggled to keep our businesses thriving. Luckily, we have some strong allies, but in our line of work, the more friends you have, the better. We can’t afford another oversight, and we can’t survive another hit like that.

  “Thanks for the reminder,” I grunt. “But just remember, if it hadn’t been for me being in Monaco, we’d have never found Dad’s killers. It was a little more than just me fucking rich bitches. Cristian and I handled them, not you guys.” I look over Tommy’s shoulders and point at Ant. “And just to refresh your memory, none of us read the fucking signs that could have stopped the hit on Dad. I know what I did, and I regret it every fucking day. But nobody saw it coming, including you guys.” I back away, my chest tight. “We all missed it,” I hiss. “Just remember that.”

  I stalk away without looking back, my back stiff. If they’d been anyone else and we weren’t stuffed into penguin suits at this gala, I’d have pummeled them both without a second thought.

  I wander away from the bar and find the exit to the veranda. Air is what I need. And then some Jack Daniel’s. If I drink enough of it, maybe I’ll forget.

  I take a deep breath, the salty sea air filling my lungs. I lean over the railing, resting my head in my hand. My brothers won’t ever let me forget the damage I caused this family. It doesn’t matter that they were just as much at fault for missing the signs. In their eyes, I’m the one who pulled the trigger.

  And no matter what I do, they’ll only ever see me as the one who killed Dad.

  I know that’s who I see every time I look in the mirror.

  I find a secluded spot away from the rest of the drunk guests mingling around outside. My head is down, just in case someone recognizes me. I’m not in the mood to talk business right now. Hell, I’m not in the mood to talk about anything. I just want to be alone with my toxic though
ts. Anyone who gets too close runs the risk of getting poisoned.

  I collapse against the wrought-iron railing and I slam my fist down on the metal. Hard. A sharp pain snaking up my arm. I grit my teeth. It fucking hurts, but a little pain is good for the soul. And my tortured soul needs all the help it can get.

  “Hey, what’d the railing do to you?”

  I straighten up, startled by the intruding voice. I guess my fuck off signal wasn’t as strong and wide-reaching as I’d hoped. My shoulders slouch, and I expel a breath before turning around. That’s when it hits me, a sweet floral scent that wafts under my nose and relaxes the knot at the base of my skull.

  Shit, is that all it takes to get some goddamn peace? Perfume?

  A flash of red is the first thing I see when I twist in the direction of the voice. My eyes work their way upward, breath hitching. Bronze skin glimmers in the moonlight, full, shiny lips curled upward in a seductive smirk, bright eyes that glow with a warmth that makes my heart beat faster than it was only seconds earlier.

  I really wish my asshole brothers could see this sight right now.

  “Wow, you really are the defender of all, huh?” I grin, hoping like hell I’m not talking to some apparition and that Serena Vitale really is standing in front of me. She’s even more stunning up close than she is fifty feet away.

  She shrugs, her smile widening. “It’s who I am.”

  “It’s a good way to be.” I twist around and pat the railing. “I’m sorry. It was unfair of me to beat you like that. I hope you can forgive me.”

  Serena giggles. “That was very nice. I’m sure the railing appreciates it.”

  Shit, I’d have kissed the germy fucking metal to hear the sound that just escaped Serena’s lips.

  “You gave a really great speech tonight,” I jump right in, not knowing how long I have to talk to her. If my brothers’ predictions are right, her father isn’t far away. If he is, I’m sure he’s got plenty of other eyes on his only daughter. And that’s bad for me. I make sure to keep my eyes glued to hers, even though they ache to take a good long look at the perky tits popping out of the top of her dress.

  Just in case the henchmen are close.

  And I’m sure they are.

  I would be, especially if I had to answer to Franco Vitale.

  I’d like to keep both of my eyes and neck intact, thank you very much.

  “Thanks,” she says in a soft voice. “I’m really excited about the turnout.”

  “You should be. There are people from all over western Europe here to support your foundation. You’ve done a lot of amazing work.”

  She toys with a strand of hair, and I can’t help but wonder why the hell she came over here. To me. I don’t usually have to do much to get the attention of a beautiful woman. But this is Serena Vitale we’re talking about, a woman who can have her pick of the most eligible bachelors in the world.

  Don’t get me wrong. I do well for myself. Really well, as a matter of fact. My new event production company took off like a shot six months ago, and I’m making a shit ton of cash on my ‘services’. My client list grows more and more by the day, which I’m sure pisses off Ant and Tommy since they haven’t bothered to venture out beyond our family businesses. But at the end of the day, I’m an enforcer for my family. I’m not the boss like Vince. So I don’t really know how I ended up on her radar.

  I can’t believe all it took was the black Prada tux.

  She joins me next to the railing and stares out at the rippling waves of the Mediterranean below. Seconds pass before she speaks again, and since I’m still damn curious about why she made her way over here, I keep my mouth shut, hoping to get an answer. “Do you ever wonder if everything you do, every success you have, is because of who you are, not because of how important it is?”

  I snicker. “Well, you’re assuming I’ve had a lot of successes to speak of and that my name carries the same weight yours does. In both cases, I think I come up a little short.”

  “I don’t know about that, Diego.” Serena turns toward me, a smile playing at her lips. “Eventi-X has made a pretty big name for itself in a short amount of time. Maybe you’re the one selling yourself short.”

  Uhhh…

  She knows who I am.

  She knows who I am?

  “Your brother Vince is definitely impressed with everything you’ve done in such a short amount of time.”

  “My brother?”

  Serena nods. “When he told me all about your work before, I knew I had to meet you. I’m always impressed when someone my age can make a name for themselves all on their own.”

  “Wait, you met my brother?”

  “Maybe you’ve had a few too many of those?” Serena says, raising an eyebrow at my empty glass. “Having a hard time keeping up?”

  I resist the urge to give my head a serious shake. Vince, singing my praises? To Franco Vitale’s daughter? What the hell kind of alternate universe is this?

  “It’s just that Vince doesn’t usually run around shouting about other peoples’ success.” I furrow my brow. “Did you slip him something to loosen the pole stuck up his ass?”

  “I had a nice talk with him a little while ago. He’s definitely a big fan of yours.” Serena giggles again. “I think he’s just got a lot on his plate right now. I bet he notices a lot more than you give him credit for. It must be nice to have the support of family.”

  “Yeah.” Support. Sure, we can call it that even though it’s complete bullshit. Vince doesn’t feel like his day is complete unless he reads me the riot act for something.

  My dad was my biggest supporter.

  And then I killed him.

  I take a quick look behind me just to make sure nobody is lurking with a tire iron in hand, ready to strike. Because this whole thing just strikes me as fucking weird, and I suddenly feel a lot of eyes boring into me right now.

  “I wish I had that. Brothers and sisters. It would be nice,” she muses.

  I laugh. “It’s loud, too.”

  “I’ll bet.” She lets out a sigh. “At least you know you have people around you who always have your back, no matter what. Sometimes I feel like I’m really on my own.”

  “You?” I sputter. “You’re a star. Everyone is in your corner.”

  “That’s sweet, but let’s be real. If it wasn’t for my father, how far do you really think I’d have gotten with this foundation?” She winds a strand of hair around her finger. “And I can’t help feeling a little…” Her voice trails off a bit as she gazes back into the ballroom. “I don’t know. I guess I’m not convinced that the foundation will get the kind of support it needs. This isn’t about money. It’s about preventing a huge injustice. The money is a big help, but if people just hand a few thousand over to keep themselves in my father’s good graces, it doesn’t really do much for my cause. I need people to stand behind me, to really embrace our efforts to help these girls. I need their commitment, you know?”

  Even though I’ve heard every single word she’s said, I stare at her like she hasn’t made a sound because I’m so transfixed by her…everything about her.

  Especially her heart. It really is fucking gold.

  It’s a shocker to hear such wholehearted idealism from a girl whose father is known as the Grim Reaper. I guess she takes after her mother.

  “You think that’s silly, don’t you?” She sighs, joining me against the railing.

  “I never said that.”

  “Yeah, but I can tell. I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle with this sometimes. For as many girls as we save, we lose even more because people are greedy fuckers who will look for any possible way to make money. I mean, I don’t live under a rock. I know how things work. I just figured I might be able to change them.” She rests her head in her hand. “Do some good. I may have been born into this life, but I don’t want my dad’s choices to define me.”

  “For what it’s worth, you convinced me. I’m ready to sign over my life’s savings to your foundat
ion.”

  She cocks an eyebrow at me. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So you’re here to put your money where your mouth is? Not because you’re afraid of my father’s wrath and what it’ll mean for your livelihood?”

  I snicker. “If I told you I wasn’t afraid of your father, I’d be lying. Everyone in this room is petrified of him.”

  She flashes a knowing smile. “You’re smart to be scared.”

  “But you did your job up there. You made me care even more than I did before I walked in here tonight and not just because of who you are or who your father is. You convinced me to help. So, yeah, I want in.”

  Any and every which way. But I decide to reserve that comment. Vince will be relieved, even though it’d be fun to see his head spin off his neck if he overheard me say it.

  “You just made my night, you know that?” She clasps her hands together. “I was really bummed when I walked over here, and talking to you changed my mind. I’m not going to let my doubts get me down. I’m not going to let them stop me from doing this work!”

  And then she throws her arms around me.

  My knees damn near give out when she rushes against me, her perfumed aura all-consuming. Should I hug her back? Will I take a bullet to the head if my fingertips graze her bare skin? Will her father beat me to a pulp if I pull her close and breathe in her intoxicating scent? Am I willing to take the risk?

  It only takes a second for me to decide.

  I raise my arms and wrap them around her luscious curves, strictly G-rated shit. My hands long to touch, to graze, to squeeze…

  Fuck, did my cock really just twitch right now?

  Serena pulls away, a seductive smirk teasing her lips. “Sorry for jumping on you like that.”

  “Never apologize for that.” I flash a half-grin. Christ, she definitely felt it. There’s no way she didn’t. And even though it’s damn impressive even half-hard, I feel like I have zero game right now, and it’s throwing me for a loop. I’ve never met anyone like Serena before, Hell, I’ve never been so captivated by a woman in my life. Serena is beauty, brains, and compassion wrapped up in a body that would put the most famous porn stars to shame. White fucking hot in every way.