Page 31 of Brutal Queen

Stefano and Leandro make a beeline for the door, but I raisemy hand to get my consigliere’s attention. He pats Leo on the shoulder and sends him on his way.

I pull him into the hallway and lower my voice. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that nurse Doc Em was having issues with?”

His entire demeanour shifts. For a second I think he’s facing off with me, but then I recognise it’s because he can’t contain how fucking angry he is.

“That little prick is pushing the limits of my patience. Katerina won’t let me deal with him how I’d like to,” he forces out through gritted teeth.

“Katerina… Katerina won’t let you deal with him?” I ask incredulously.

“Don’t say a fucking word, Nico. That woman will be the death of me.”

I can’t help but laugh because I can well believe it. I wouldn’t want to piss her off. “So what’s the latest?”

“That little prick has escalated. She wouldn’t go to HR, so I made her swap shifts. Now she's getting creepy calls from burners. He never speaks, but you can hear him breathing. Flowers and gifts showing up at work and home.”

“Daniel Costello is a fucking problem. One she shouldn’t be having to worry about. Why is he still breathing?” I question, beginning to lose my patience with the idea that Doc Em is having to put up with a minute more of this shit than she has to.

“Because that creepy little fuck is well connected. His daddy’s one of the hospital’s major donors. She’s worried about her career and I can’t make her understand how fucking dangerous he is.”

“I’ll have a word with her,” I reassure him.

He nods and pulls me into him, gripping my forearm. “Anything you can do to help me realise how serious this is would help.”

He releases his hold on my arm and heads to the front door.

“What was that about?” says Aurora, appearing next to me as Stefano walks away. I turn, pull out her hair tie, and run my fingers through her long locks. She moans, nearly making me forget her question. “Well?”

“Doc Em has a co-worker who’s not taking no for an answer. She isn’t taking it seriously, so I asked Stefano to deal with it,” I clarify.

Her eyes are closed but they snap open and all of a sudden she’s glaring at me.

“Does her father know about this?”

“No one knows about it. She won’t have it. Hell, she still hasn’t forgiven me for setting Stefano on it.”

She’s stalking out the front door in an instant, shouting Stefano’s name. I jog after her and stop in the doorway as she opens the passenger side of his dark sedan, gets in, and slams the door. I watch in fascination as they talk. All I can make out are vague hand gestures and the occasional nodding head through the darkened glass.

A few minutes later, she steps out again, only to turn back and lean one hand on the roof of the car. “Talk to Dante. Or I will,” she orders. It doesn’t sound like a threat, but it’s also not a suggestion. She shuts the car door and walks back to the house. As she gets to the top step of the porch, a slender finger is jabbed repeatedly into my chest.

“I know a lot of shit has been going on lately, but I need to know everything that’s happening. Especially when it relates to the daughter of one of my capo’s. She’s our responsibility and Dante has a right to know if we’re investigating someonethat poses a threat to her. I won’t keep secrets from one of my capos.”

I can’t deny, ‘Don Aurora’ is sexy as fuck. That woman can control a room like no other. “Yes, boss,” I say, dropping the pitch of my voice into a low bass.

“Don’t try and flirt your way out of this.”

“No, boss.”

“You’re fucking infuriating,” she huffs.

“I am, boss.”

“Oh fuck off, Nico,” she says as she shoves my shoulder playfully.

“Never, boss,” I reply, unable to hide my smile. I swoop down, picking her up and forcing her to wrap her legs around my waist. She squeals for me to put her down, but I swat her ass and ignore her. I leave one hand palming her asscheek, dragging the other along her spine until I fist the hair at the base of her scalp and tilt her head back so I can expose her throat. I bite the nape of her neck before sucking just below her pulse point and drawing a long lustful moan out of her.

My dick stands to attention, savouring every noise she makes and I whisper into her ear, “I would do nearly anything you ask of me, but leaving your side isn’t one of them, phoenix.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

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