Captured by the Mob (Bianchi Crime Family Book 2) Read online

  "Better? Anything is better than nothing,” he mocks. True, I haven’t had a single sale in the three days that I’ve been walking from house to house, but it’s not that easy to ask someone to get something they don’t need and to get all of their personal information.

  "The people are so mean. I didn't see the no-soliciting sign, and he yelled at me for being an idiot." It was terrible. I cried for about twenty minutes and then had to pull myself together, but I had no will to make it through the other houses.

  "What happened to the other houses? You're supposed to schmooze them. You're a fucking knockout. They should be falling at your feet." His eyes land on my breasts, ogling my tits that are on the larger side for my frame. I slowly take a step back and toss my ponytail in front of my chest, covering my breasts.

  "They all have no-soliciting signs on their doors. Even the other guys only got one home each,” I point out because they’ve been at this a lot longer than I have, and they’re struggling as well. The market is currently over saturated and underwhelming as a whole.

  "One is better than what you’re pulling in. Well….” He pauses, tapping his finger on his chin before raking his eyes up and down my body. “You need a less-expensive neighborhood. I'll give you one more chance, but you better come back with a sale or two or you're gonna find another way to work for your money."

  "What?"

  He snatches a piece of my hair between his fingers and rubs it before continuing with a smug grin. "You heard me, girl. Don't play innocent. Get your ass out there, or get lost and don't come back."

  I pull back and mutter a thank you. If I don’t come back with a sale, I’ll run away and maybe head to a shelter or something. From the look in his eyes and the bold threat, there’s no denying that he’s serious. I use my phone and look up any places for women. It’s a long shot, but there are several. I call the first one and find that they’re at capacity. Living in a major city, I should have known better than to fall behind on my bills. However, running out of money, I don’t have much choice. I get in my less-than-adequate vehicle and check the area he wants me to canvass. Fuck—there goes the last of my gas money.

  I stop at the local Walmart and scoop up some non-perishable snacks so I can survive living out of my car until I land a job to feed myself. I see a sign down the road hiring now for waitresses. I’ll stop by in the morning after I attempt to land just one sale. I need money today. Even if I got hired today, it would take at least a few days to start working.

  Once I load my shopping cart with twenty dollars’ worth of unhealthy snacks and a case of water, I head to the checkout counter. It takes every ounce of willpower to stay to my budget, but I make it work. I really need a sale today.

  Why is everything falling apart for me? First, my parents sell their house the day I turn eighteen and head out on a road trip in an RV, only to die falling off a cliff. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn they planned it, but since they lived their lives on the whim there’s no doubt that it was truly an accident.

  I’m alone, broke, and living in a run-down apartment on the city’s Southside that cost more than it’s worth.

  All the way to the south suburb neighborhood, I'm practicing my spiel. "’Hello, I'm with Sunshine Energy. May I have just a moment of your time?’ No. No. No. ‘Hello, I'm Mariana and I'm with Sunshine Energy. Do you have high energy bills? Would you like to save thousands a year while saving the environment?’"

  This is a mess. Okay. So I'm going to be living in my car.

  A couple hours later, I know that I'm screwed. Two houses that aren’t boarded up remain on the block, and it’s time to call it a night. This area is known for unsavory characters that come out after dark, so it’s now or never. I saw a vehicle pull into the garage not thirty minutes ago, so I know someone is going to be home and that’s my target. I might breakdown and beg for them to sign up. No, that’s not true because I don’t have a saleswoman bone in my body. I read books where women are tough, but I don’t have that mettle.

  Taking a deep breath, I walk up the cracked walkway which could use massive repairs. I ring the bell whose housing is broken and open wires are visible, waiting for someone to answer. Then, there's a scuffle and I hear glass crashing, and I jump back, stumbling and hitting the porch beam. It rattles, stunning me for a moment.

  What if someone got hurt trying to answer the door? I peek through the window and call out. That’s when a shout of help comes from inside, and I see a man with a gun pointed at the man on the ground. Shit. “Run,” I whisper to myself, but I’m frozen to the spot. The door opens and before I get a chance to run, a pair of hands drag me into the house.

  I’m gonna die.

  The man on his knees, bleeding from his head while the man with the gun glares at me. He grabs the guy by his ratty-looking shirt and snarls, “See what you did? This girl has to pay for your actions. If you’d have shut your mouth, she could have been safe to carry on.” He presses the gun to the man’s head and I turn my face as the gun goes off. It’s muffled, but there’s no doubt the man on the ground is dead and I’m next.

  He’s gonna kill me.

  The sexy bastard with a gun is gonna shoot me. Sexy? Have I lost my mind? I believe I have. Suddenly, the room spins as all the blood has left my brain and the room darkens. Strong arms wrap around me before I hit the ground. I barely make out that it’s the guy with the gun and gun-metal gray eyes as I pass out.

  I wake up, sitting in someone’s lap. “You’re finally awake.”

  I sigh and snuggle a little closer until reality hits me like a ton of bricks. “What happened? Did I just dream everything? Who are you? Where am I?”

  I look up into those sexy gray eyes and gasp. I’m in the arms of the guy with the gun. “Oh my Go—” I move to jump off him, but he tightens his hold. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

  “Your actions will determine mine,” he whispers as if I’m a skittish animal, brushing the hair off my face and tucking it behind my ear ever so tenderly. A shiver filled with a mixture of unexplainable and uncomfortable emotions rushes through my body.

  “What do I have to do?” What does he want with me?

  “What were you doing here?” he snarls, cupping my chin and holding my face firmly in his grip. He’s mad, but then again, I interrupted him. “Were you here to meet that piece of shit? Off up that delicious body?”

  “I’m a solar energy sales rep. I came to sell solar panels to the neighbors,” I confess, shaking as my response flows from my lips. His eyes are so pretty that I have a hard time concentrating on the fact that I’m in a monster’s embrace. Did he just compliment me?

  “And you just happened to knock on this door?” he growls, sliding his hand lower to my throat. He doesn’t squeeze; it’s as if he’s caressing me but I can feel his fingers on my pulse. Our eyes stay on each other, and my heart does a flip for some strange reason. Why? Maybe it’s the adrenaline flowing through me.

  I break the connection and answer, “It was my second to last house.”

  “Okay.” I can’t tell if he believes me or not, but I hope he does. “So what’s going to happen, Ms. Conlon—or do you prefer Mariana?” Fuck if I know. Is he giving me an option? Shit, he has my ID. I’m so in trouble.

  “I’ll be quiet. I promise I won’t say a thing. I don’t want to die,” I plead. His expression goes from soft to hard, grimacing as if he doesn’t trust me to keep quiet. I’ll never speak of it again if he lets me walk out of here.

  He cups my chin and gives me a deep, penetrating stare. “I’m going to give you a chance to go home. Don’t talk to anyone, or you’ll pay for it.”

  “I promise. I’ll be good and never mention it to anyone. I’m so sorry.” I move my body again, but he holds me still and reaches down by his feet. Fear dances up my spine, and I become rigid beneath his grip.

  Sitting firmly and straight in his arms, I feel the hard ridge of something pressed against my ass. I can’t be sitting on his gun. Am I
? I move my hand under and am completely shocked. That’s not his gun, although I’m sure he gets rounds off all the time. Holy fuck. He’s carrying a massive weapon.

  “Sorry,” I whisper as a groan comes from him. I was still feeling it up. What’s wrong with me?

  “Don’t set off my other gun. It doesn’t help that you have your sexy ass on me. I’m not going to violate you. Just relax, Mariana. Here—drink this.” Goodness, why does the way he says my name turn me on? This is the worst place to be and the wrong person to get aroused by.

  It’s clearly Gatorade, but he opened it; so what if it’s poisoned? “What is it?”

  “What does it look like?” he bites out, getting annoyed by my question.

  “Gatorade.”

  “Well, then? Drink it,” he barks out.

  “Okay,” I answer, bringing it to my lips, but not taking a sip yet because I can’t take my eyes off him.

  “Drink. You need to feel better.” I cock my brow up at this guy who’s threatened to kill me, and here he is worrying about my health. It’s bizarre, and so is the feeling coursing through me as his thumb rubs my arm in a slow, soothing motion. A shiver races up my spine.

  I take a drink, a small one, because I don’t actually like it. “More.”

  “I don’t like Gatorade,” I reply like I’m at a five-star resort and not at the mercy of a killer. He’s probably going to get very pissed. I meet his eyes and I don’t see annoyance or anger; he doesn’t look upset at all.

  “Maybe a different brand? Powerade?” Is he serious?

  “No. I don’t like salty drinks. I’m fine. I really just want to go home and sleep. I swear I don’t know who you are, or that man, either.” My eyes scan the room, but I don’t see him anywhere. He was dead on the floor before I collapsed.

  “Fine, but I will know if you tell anyone.”

  “I swear, I won’t say a word,” I plead, crossing my fingers over my heart in the shape of a cross.

  He grasps my chin harder than earlier, turning it so our noses nearly brush against each other. “Not a word, you hear me? Or else.”

  A part of me wants to reach up and kiss those tense, frowning lips, and the other half is telling me to run like the wind. “Of course, sir.”

  He clears his throat, which draws my attention to his thick neck and broad shoulders. He’s got me by at least hundred and fifty pounds and yet, he’s holding me so tenderly. This man is too damned good looking for my own good and messing with my damn flight or fight instincts. “Where is your vehicle?”

  “Around the corner,” I mutter.

  “Is there someone waiting for you at home?” I should say yes, because that means he might worry that someone would come looking for me and let me go.

  Slowly, I slide off his lap and take a deep breath before telling the truth. “No one.”

  “Drive carefully.” I arch my brow, wondering why he’s being kind to me when I’m clearly a liability. Is he lulling me into a false sense of security? I walk to the door with him. He holds it open and adds, “Oh, and sweetheart, keep your mouth shut.”

  “Yes, sir.” I hurry out of the house and down the street without looking back. My feet don’t seem to want to move, but I do anyhow. Why does this feel wrong, leaving him? I don’t know his name and he just killed a man in front of me, so the only thing to do is to be grateful and flee as fast as possible.

  I start my car and drive carefully so I don’t get pulled over. He might be watching me, and if the cops stop me, he could believe I told them. Shit, I wonder if someone’s following me. I dart my eyes to the rearview mirror and check for him or one of his buddies. I’m sure a man like him has men at his disposal, but I didn’t see a single person with him.

  On the drive all the way back to my apartment, I’m a shaking mess and forget all about not making another sale. What am I supposed to do now? I have to pack as much as I can into my car without stuffing it because I’ll need somewhere to sleep. What can I take in the drop of a hat?

  I condensed my life the day my parents booted me from the house the day I turned eighteen, so I don’t have a lot to take, but my old faithful isn’t a large sedan. It’s a compact car. I don’t have time to make something to eat, not that I feel like eating anyway. Still, it would have been nice to have one last hot meal.

  I stuff my trunk and half of the back seat before driving away from my apartment. I see a car behind me, following at a short distance, but then it turns off onto a side road. Goodness, I’m paranoid. The women’s shelter isn’t too far from here. All I have to do is make it inside and stay there while I search for a job.

  I park my car in their roughly twenty-car lot, snagging my purse and tossing it over my shoulder before locking the doors.

  A sigh falls from my lips as I grab the handle, knowing I’m about to ask for someone’s generosity while doing my best not to cry. At the counter is a pretty lady who smiles up at me without any judgement in her eyes. “How can I help you?”

  “Hello, I was wondering if you still have an available bed for me?”

  “Is it just you, miss?” she asks, looking behind me which makes me do the same. I’m grateful that there’s no one else behind me. The fear of being followed hasn’t left my head, although I’m not sure I’d be totally upset if it was that big brute who cradled me like I was precious. Something about his touch lives in my bones.

  “Yes.” My voice shakes, betraying my fear.

  “Is everything okay? You seem shaken up.”

  “It’s just been a crazy day,” I confess, and she nods, understanding that I can’t say more than that.

  “Well, let me give you a tour of the place. I’m Amy, by the way. It’s free here, but we do ask that you help with keeping your area clean or volunteering your time to the kitchen or with the children.” The price is right, and I’m grateful for the warm bed to sleep in.

  “That sounds great.” We walk around for an hour and end at where I’ll be sleeping. Honestly, I’m so appreciative that I don’t have to sleep in my car and I’m happy to have just a simple cot. “I need to head to my car to grab a small bag of clothes, but I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay. Things will get better,” Amy says, rubbing my arm.

  “Thank you. I just need to find a job. I’m tempted to look outside the state.”

  “We have people that come in once a week for job consultations.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “Now, go get your things, sweetie.” She pats my arm and then nods. I smile and give her a silent thank you before rushing outside to grab my things. I can’t help but look in both directions to see if I’ve been followed. Damn it, I can’t see anyone, but the sun’s glare is in my face as it starts to set. Shit. I hurry and dash back inside, getting a curious look from Amy.

  I smile and walk over to my bed and small table. Getting comfortable, I pull out my phone and start searching for work. A call comes in from my former boss, and I let it go to voicemail. There’s no way I’m answering. As far as I’m concerned, I no longer work for him and he can harass someone else. Two minutes later, a voice message pops up on my phone.

  I press play as I bring the phone to my ear. I knew you couldn’t do it. Your ass owes me. Get back here before I make you pay even more than just on your knees. You will be found, so you might as well make it easy on yourself. I press the stop button. There’s nothing else I want to hear.

  Although it’s filthy, I don’t delete it in case I need it for legal reasons, but I try to put it from my mind and tuck my phone in my pocket as I hunt down the staff to see if they could use a hand.

  Three hours later, my belly is semi-full, my hands are wrinkly from washing all the pots and pans, so now it’s time for bed. I lie down and close my eyes. His eyes immediately pop into my head. Goodness, why am I remembering the way the flecks of gold in his eyes shone like a diamond with so many facets? His gruff exterior should be sending fear through me, but my body doesn’t care.

  Heat flows through me, wo
ndering what it would be like to have him take that strong, firm mouth of his and plant kisses all over my skin. It’s insane, so I shake my head and open my phone to scroll Facebook. I don’t know why; I have a dozen or so friends, and there isn’t much from the past two days except an insane amount of ads for shit I can’t afford.

  A friend request pops up, but I ignore it because there’s no image. They shoot me a DM, and I check it. I will get to you one way or another. -P.G.

  Goodness, it’s my old boss.

  Fucking asshole doesn’t understand that I’ll never submit to selling my pussy for money. A sick feeling strikes me when it comes to mind. He’s probably done this before. A shiver of revulsion rushes through my body.

  The lights in the facility go off, which means it’s time for me to turn off my phone. I do so, setting it on the charging station in the corner of the room with a few other phones, and then I head back to my cot and cover up as fatigue fills my bones and my eyes grow heavy.

  Chapter Three

  Nero

  The second I let her go, I want to drag her back and not because she saw what she shouldn’t have. It was so fucking stupid to let her go, but I had work to do, so I sent Enrico to keep tabs on her while I dealt with my mess.

  I’d been so entranced with the color of her eyes that I forgot she’d just seen me kill the rat bastard at my feet. Instead, I scooped her up in my arms and held her tightly to me as I shot Enrico a message to pick up some Gatorade on his way to help. He brought the drink and then moved the asshole to the trunk of my car before cleaning up the mess. After using solvent and disappearing from sight, my sweet woman finally rouses.

  My little nosy girl had stumbled on to my business and into my soul. She woke up in my arms, bright gray eyes staring up at me, confused, until the fear filled her. We have nearly the same color although mine are darker.

  I snatched her work stuff that she had with her because I couldn’t just let her off that easily, even stealing her ID because I can’t have her running off. From the expression on her face, I could see that I wasn’t the only one affected. Her body felt me, knowing that I’m dark and dangerous, but tempting.