Page 12 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

But fuck, I didn’t want to let her go.

The curves of her body are branded into the palms of my hands. And the way she reacted to me, how tentative she was at first and how demanding she became once she let herself go…it’s the whole reason why I created this event. People could never let go of their inhibitions like that if they knew they were being watched and judged.

But this is a safe space, free from all of that bullshit.

It’s where two…or more…people can experience each other without feeling the need to hold back. It’s hot as fuck and the reason why my pop up parties are always wall-to-wall with people. Everyone wants a taste of the fantasy and here it’s guaranteed.

A jarring thought hits me and snakes through my gut.

I want more than just a taste of that girl. If I’d had all night with her, it wouldn’t have been enough. She was innocent but sensual at the same time. And she responded to me like she’d never been properly fucked by another man.

I never lose control. I never break my own rules.

But she could have been my undoing.

If I’d let her.

Tonight, that’s not an option.

I leave through a different door, one that leads toward a private exit. I don’t look at my phone.

I don’t have to. I just jump into my truck and drive.

My brothers will handle Salvo’s guys. They won’t find me tonight…or any other night, unless I want them to.

Thirty minutes later, I stand in my father’s office at our house overlooking the Gulf of Palermo. I made sure nobody followed me here and took a few detours just to be on the safe side.

Papa paces in front of his desk. “I told you not to go there tonight.” He turns to me, eyes fiery. “How am I supposed to trust you to take over the family when you don’t listen and you do things that put the family at risk?”

I grit my teeth. “I went after him for Joey.”

“Matteo.” Papa runs a hand over his balding head and lets out a defeated sigh. “What happened to Joey that night was beyond your control. You couldn’t have stopped it.”

My gut knots.

Yes, I fucking could have stopped it. If I’d have been there, it never would have happened. If I’d have answered my fucking phone, if I’d have gone to pick him up, he’d still be alive. But I was too focused on my poker game to be bothered with what he needed. Papa told me to watch him and I didn’t. And Salvo got to him when I didn’t.

It’s a dirty secret that festers down deep like an infection so strong, no drug can kill it.

Revenge is all I have left. It’s the only way I can redeem myself to my dead cousin.

“This is business. Salvo has a large crew and now that you took out one of their operatives, they want revenge.” Papa steps toward me, his green eyes pained. “You need to get out of Sicily. I made some arrangements.”

Alarm bells sound in the back of my mind. “You can’t send me away. I’ve worked too hard to take over this family.”

Papa’s lips pull into a tight line. “It’s already been decided. I need to protect you and the only way that can happen is if you leave here. Tonight.”

“Where do you want me to go? And for how long?”

He’s silent for a minute. “Manhattan. That will be your territory. Your penance.” His voice is steely. “You will figure out how to take control of that city, give the Villani name a presence in the States. Make them all fear you, Matteo.”

“We don’t have anyone in Manhattan. How am I supposed to take over without a crew?”

“I didn’t say it would be easy. And you won’t be alone forever. But you put everything in jeopardy by going after Salvo tonight. I need your brothers to help me do damage control while you build up an army in New York.”

He steps forward and places his hands on my shoulders. “There is an Italian family down in Greenwich Village. The boss is a scumbag who needs to be taken out. Go after him first. Prove yourself to the city and show them what you’re capable of. People will gravitate to your power. Then when the time is right, you’ll find an Irish family who runs a big part of Midtown. Two underbosses, a guy and a girl. Figure out how to take them down, too. Claim their territory and businesses. That’s how you will become their ruler.”

My mind races. I shrug off my father’s hands and walk toward the window. I slump against it, staring at the moonlight catching the surface of the Gulf.

I deserve this. I let Joey die. But I can’t make it right.

I have no choice.

And then, when I have my own army, I’ll be back for Salvo, that motherfucker.

“Tell me about this Irish family.”

Papa smiles. “One of the underbosses, Heaven, is a fierce one from what I hear. The other, Conor, is a liability for them. He’s made them lots of enemies over the years, enemies who want a piece of what they own. When the time is right, you will find Heaven. And then you’ll make her father an offer he can’t refuse.”

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