Page 289 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

My brother. What a dick. He rode my ass incessantly about her back in Sicily because he was the only one who actually paid attention and saw what everyone else missed.

Of course he’d try to make a run at Marchella just to fuck with me.

Like he needs to. The guy can get any woman he wants, whenever he wants.

But he also loves a challenge.

And Marchella is just that.

I stagger to my feet. This manhunt is useless. I’m not gonna find?—

Something winds around my ankles and I jump, looking down at the ground. I really hope it’s not a sewer rat. They’re the size of cats here in the city, with thick tails about a mile long.

Scary as fuck, not that I’d ever admit that.

But whatever it is nuzzles the side of my leg without making a peep. I lower myself to the ground and the ears perk up, standing at attention. Big bug eyes stare up at me…or rather, the bag of Nudges in my hand.

“Bella,” I whisper, a smile tugging at my lips. I didn’t spend too much time studying the dog Marchella was with, but I remember small, black, and those big eyes. This has to be her.

I reach down to stroke the underside of her chin but she backs away, creeping back toward the small alleyway between the buildings.

“Shit,” I mutter, pulling a Nudge out of the bag and holding it out, whistling at her. Her eyes widen and she takes a few steps toward me. She moves gingerly and I don’t make any quick moves, just in case she gets spooked and takes off like a shot.

Speaking of shots, we need to get the hell out of here.

Immediately, if not sooner.

Bella inches toward me and turns her head up toward the steak-like looking thing in my hand. I fight the bile rising in the back of my throat.

It sure as hell doesn’t smell like a side of beef to me, but hey, it got her out here.

She must be fucking starving.

I look around, hearing faint yelling in the distance. I start to back away from the brick, urging Bella to follow me out far enough that I can scoop her up. I tiptoe backward, holding out the treat, whistling at her as she creeps closer.

“Come on, girl. Just a little more,” I murmur. My car is right around the corner, my gun tucked into the back of my jeans. She finally makes her way out into the open and I hold out the treat to her. She jumps for it, capturing it with her teeth so fast, I almost think I imagined it.

She must swallow it whole because it’s only a split second before she puts out her paw, looking for more. I take a quick look around and hurriedly hand over a second one. This time, I put it on the ground and gently put my arms around her as she scarfs down the treat. She wiggles like crazy, but I don’t really have time to comfort her. I’ve got an expensive car sitting out on a street known for gang violence and general obliteration of anything out of the ordinary.

She can eat the whole damn bag in my front seat, but we’ve gotta go now.

I hold her as tight as I can without squeezing her too hard and start hoofing it back to my parking spot. Just as I’m about to round the corner, a loud shattering sound pierces the otherwise still air. I jump back with a gasp, peering around the side of a building. A car alarm sounds and I turn away from the mess of shards glittering on the concrete around my Bentley.

Why in the ever-lovingfuckdid I take my own goddamn car?

I could have found a piece-of-shit Honda or something to drive up here but no.

Take the Bentley!

Make yourself a target!

I let out a frustrated breath. Can’t very well go to it now. They’ll fucking skewer me for whatever I have on me, which includes a lot of cash and my grandfather’s Rolex.

Sonofabitch!

I look down at Bella. “Don’t bark, whatever you do,” I hiss.

The derelicts who busted into my car aren’t the least bit scared off by the alarm. They keep ransacking the thing. My E-Z Pass is in there, but I never keep registration or insurance in the glove compartment. I always carry that on me.

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