DeLuca (Mafia Romance)

“That’s fine. We need to stretch you out before we call it quits though, otherwise you won’t be able to get out of bed in the morning. I worked you harder today than I have before and I don’t want you to pull something.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I put down my water and started doing the stretches Angelo had taught me. I was never much for sports aside from the occasional yoga class with Gina and her mom so this was new territory for me. I reached my arms above my head one at a time and stretched out my sides, then moved to my back, spreading my legs into a wide stance and bending over to touch my hands to the grass in front of me. I bounced a few times enjoying the pull in my muscles. Angelo cleared his throat from somewhere behind me and I popped back up looking at him curiously from over my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said immediately, “Lay down on your back and I’ll work on your hamstrings.”

I did as I was told and laid on my back in the grass, offering him my right leg first, he got down on one knee in front of me and pushed my leg gently toward my head. Angelo was an inch or two shorter than Carlo and his body was leaner. He had taken his shirt off during our practice and I was finally getting to enjoy the view without the interruption of being attacked.

Angelo was gorgeous. His abs were picture perfect with a little happy trail leading from his belly button down below his low slung workout pants. I noticed a scar along his left flank, about three inches long, and the skin was raised and jagged there as if it had been patched up by someone who wasn’t a skilled physician. The closer I looked at him the more scars I noticed on his torso and arms, further proof he was the enforcer I knew him to be.

When he switched to my left leg I became distinctly aware of the fact that I had this extraordinarily dangerous and undeniably sexy man between my legs. My heart started to race. I hadn’t been oblivious to the fact that Angelo was good looking. With his almost black hair, longer on the top and shorter on the sides and those dark brown eyes coupled with his tan complexion, yum. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome.

While I had noticed he was attractive, I hadn’t noticed how sexy he was. He had my left leg almost all the way to my head now and he was looming over me. Using his right shoulder to support my leg so he was leaning directly over me and between my legs. I looked up at his face and my heart stuttered at the intense way he was looking at me. From this close, the tension was palpable. I was almost certain he could feel the heat coming from my core. I was so turned on I couldn’t think straight. Our faces were just a few inches apart, with a slight shift of my body I could have his hips cradled between my legs and his mouth on mine.

My desire must have shown on my face because in an instant Angelo let go of my leg and stood up, “I think that’s enough for today,” he said, reaching down to help me up. My head spun with exhaustion and lust when I was back on my feet. I had to give my head a little shake before bending to pick up my things and heading back into the house.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I went straight for the shower when I got to my room. I was acting like a dog in heat, panting at any hot guy in front of me, first Carlo and now Angelo. But Carlo had never been a viable option, he was eleven years older than me and he was supposed to be my new brother. That was all sorts of fucked up. Angelo on the other hand was only twenty-four, much closer to my eighteen, and from the bulge I had noticed when he dropped my leg he wasn’t completely unaffected by me.

What am I doing?

I couldn’t believe I was trying to rationalize having a fling with my personal bodyguard. This is not a movie and I am not Whitney Houston. I changed into my swimsuit and grabbed my worn out copy of Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. Maybe some quality time with Mr. Maddox would get my mind off of the sexy men in my life.

Carlo

My office door opened and Angelo appeared. “Boss, I need to speak with you.”

I looked up from my computer, “You have information for me?”

“I think so,” he said, his voice filled with dread.

“What is it?”

Angelo held up his hand, pulled a sensor from his pocket and proceeded to sweep the room for bugs. His actions concerned me, we swept the house for bugs every morning and evening. I was the only one with a key to my office and the fact that he felt the need to sweep my office again so early in the day had me worried. Once he was satisfied he put the sensor away and produced another small black box with two small switches, he flicked one on and turned to me.

“It’s a scrambler, just in case I missed something.”

“What’s this all about Angelo?” I didn’t need to tell him I was disconcerted with this added security, he could tell by my tone.

“I’m just taking some extra precautions. I’ve come across some new information that points to two of the men that we brought here.”

“Start from the beginning, I want to know everything you know.”

Angelo nodded and began, “Last night I was doing a perimeter check and just before I circled around to the south side of the house I heard voices. I stopped around the corner before they saw me and listened. It was Lonzo and Frank. Frank was telling Lonzo that he was supposed to hear from the boss this evening with instructions on what their next move was. Now, I know you don’t tell me everything but I think I would have known if you had orders for either of them, am I right?”

“Of course. I’m disappointed, Lonzo is one of our best new recruits. What else?” If that was all the information Angelo had he would have come to me sooner.

“I stayed hidden for a while but they didn’t say anything else. I’ve had eyes on both of them since this morning so when Frank was suddenly MIA after lunch I went looking for him. I found him a little ways away from his post on the west perimeter, behind the pool house.” Angelo sighed heavily, “Sir, he was checking a cell phone for messages.”

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. All cell phones had been confiscated when the men were brought here, they all communicated by radio while at the estate. “Bring them both in. I want Enzo, Sal, Antonio, and Al on alert and nearby.”

“Yes, Sir.” He turned to leave but stopped and faced me again. “What about Mia? If this gets ugly…” he trailed off.

I knew exactly what he was getting at. If things turned sideways I didn’t want Mia anywhere near the action, but I didn’t have complete trust in any of my men except him to take her out of here and I needed him.

But I need Mia safe more.

“We’ll bring the men into the city. Tell them we have a lead on Kashnikov.”

“And Mia?” he asked.

“You will stay here with her. I don’t like it but I’ll have to make this work without you. My circle of trustworthy people is shrinking and you’re the only one I trust with her right now.”

“Okay, do you want me to tell Mia?”

“No, I’ll handle Mia, just get the men ready to go.”