Page 399 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

“Because you never want to alienate someone who can get you something you need. Petey is a thief, but he’s got a lot of friends. And everyone needs friends in the casino business. Can never have too many.”

“I thought you were in real estate investments.”

“My family is in the gaming business. I help them whenever I can.”

“So they’d appreciate the help of an ex-con?”

“Jesus, I’ve been probed before, but this is way more invasive. I won’t lie. I kinda like it. Although I’d like it more if it included whips and chains. Really make the interrogation interesting.” He chuckles. “By the way, I’m adding judgmental to your list.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Is it wrong to call him an ex-con if that’s what he is?”

“No, not wrong. But you prickle every time I add something, and I like getting a rise out of you.” The elevator dings and we get off, standing face to face in the hallway.

“So where are we going?” he asks. “I’m in your hands.”

I snort, twisting away from him and stalking down the hallway. “You’ll never be in my hands.”

“Never say never. Those shoes of yours have a mind of their own. They crave what you’re too stubborn to admit you want.”

The tingles that follow those words assault my body, igniting every cell.

It’s not that I’m too stubborn.

It’s that I feel completely disloyal for even thinking these crazy things about him, for letting myself feel anything for a man who may have had a hand in my brother’s death.

He’s got darkness in him. Sure, he uses humor and innuendo and that whole fun uncle façade to cover it up, but a person who suffers the same affliction can see right through the mask.

A person like me.

Because for a good portion of my life, I’ve been consumed by the murk with no hope for even a sliver of light to shine through.

So, no, it’s not me being stubborn.

It’s me resisting what I secretly want because it’s forbidden.

And wrong.

And deadly on so many levels.

For both of us.

CHAPTER12

DANTE

Ican’t forget that kiss, dammit. No matter how hard I try to erase it from my memory, something about her keeps dragging me back in.

There are plenty of other things I could be doing right now.

Instead, I’m hanging all over her and my niece, and why?

Because I can’t accept the fact that she’s denying her feelings about the Bellagio kiss.

Okay, fine, I can’t accept that she’s denyingme.

It shouldn’t matter. I don’t get tied up in relationship strings. I like living day to day and on the edge, not answering to anyone, chasing down targets, free as a fucking bird to come and go as I please.

And yet, here I still am.

---