Page 26 of Little Deer
I love a good mafia romance, but I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to live it in reality. A billionaire who will buy me a bookstore and shower me with expensive houses and gifts? Sure. Bonus points if he’s sexy as hell with a big dick and a kinky streak. The criminal element, I can definitely do without.
My eyes slide over to Massimo, holding a quiet but curious Soren in the crook of his arm as he talks to Zeno on his other side. He’d be my ideal fantasy. Well, minus the whole mafia thing. His clothes are expensive which means he has money. The big dick and kinky part though…
No, Lucy. What the fuck is wrong with you?
I yank my eyes away from Massimo and look at the others instead. Though, it’s not much better. Is this entire grouprequired to be hot to join? Seriously, where do they get their genes from? Zeus? No, wait, who was the Roman equivalent?
Get a grip, Lucy? Who the fuck cares?
I look at Pietro, and now that I’m looking at him, I can tell this man is powerful in his own right. Even the way he sits commands attention and respect. Not that he’s been an asshole or anything, but you just know how to recognize that kind of power. It’s the same air that Nico exudes.
Speaking of Nico, he seems to have relaxed somewhat as he talks with Pietro and Aurelio. He’s still tense, but Gia seems to be soothing him as she relaxes against him. His air is one of absolute authority and power, but no one seems afraid or wary of him. Maybe they think Pietro would step in if he went too far?
The others at the table are all involved in different discussions, but the couples all seem to be clearly in love and leaning into each other. Sienna nuzzles at Alessio’s jaw, and Amara seems to have forgiven Lazaro because she’s murmuring something in his ear with a blush on her face. Sofia and Dante aren’t looking at each other, but I can see that she’s shifted even closer to him now, and if I’m not mistaken, her hand is holding his under the table.
Massimo and the rest of them are definitely idiots if they can’t see what’s in front of them, as far as Sofia is concerned.
When I turn my head to look at Rori, she’s glaring daggers at Alonzo, who is doing the same back. Neither of them has to say a word for me to know that whatever the hell is going on with them, it’s not something that’s going to be resolved easily. I wonder what’s going on there? Whatever it is, it’s enough that they don’t even seem to clock that I’m watching them, so engrossed in their staring contest.
Looking back at the others, I try to tell myself that while they all seem nice enough—minus Nico—I can’t trust them. They’restill the reason I’m here in the first place. The reason my son and sister have been dragged into this mess.
A phone starts to ring, and I turn my head to see Rori pull it out, a frown on her face as she stares at the screen. Without a word, she gets to her feet, making the room go silent. “Father,” she says as she heads for the door. The tension in the room rises, and when I glance around, every man in the room is looking at her with a mixture of cold calculation, curiosity, and in the case of Nico, blatant mistrust. “I’m on a case,” Rori says as she reaches the door. She looks back and stops, seeing everyone watching her. Her expression hardens, her eyes going ice cold. “No, I can’t tell you about it,” she snaps into the phone. “You know that.” Hades moves to her side, nudging her hand in comfort. “You don’t give a damn about my life normally, so what does it matter now?” Her eyes go to Nico’s and hold. “Well, that’s too fucking bad. I’m a grown woman, you can deal with it. No, I’m not going to come home. I told you, I have a job. Fuck off and go back to kicking the shit out of your sons for disappointing you all the fucking time. You lost your punching bag the minute I got out of there so your threats are worthless. Fuck you, old man. If you’re calling to threaten me for not coming to heel when you demand it, then we have nothing else to say to each other. I don’t give a flying fuck what Belov says or what he wants. I told you my answer the last time, and it’s the same now. Fuck you.” She hangs up, pulls out the SIM card, and stomps on it twice. “Someone told the Belovs I’m here,” she tells Nico icily. “You better come up with a backstory very fast or we’re going to have another problem coming our way.” Then she turns and storms out of the room, door slamming behind her.
My eyes are as wide as saucers as I gape at the door. What the fuck just happened?
Sienna is on her feet and running out behind her, face a mask of worry.
“If someone told the Belovs, that’s from the Russians,” Alessio says grimly.
“Giovanni had to be the one to tell them,” Aurelio agrees. The mood around the table turns tense. “We don’t need this shit on top of everything else.”
“Nico, do you have any connections with any of the Russians?” Pietro asks him.
He shakes his head, his lips pulling into a grim line. “At one point I’d have spoken to Ivan, but that’s not an option now if he’s in bed with Giovanni.”
Alonzo suddenly gets to his feet, the chair scraping hard against the wood floor. He storms out, his face murderous.
“Shit,” Massimo hisses. “Dolcezza, I’m afraid I need to make sure my friend doesn’t do anything stupid,” he says as he gently hands Soren back to me. Soren lets out a small sound at the jarring movement, but then he quiets once he settles into me. “Urso, Zeno.” Their names have them nodding, clearly understanding whatever he’s ordered. Massimo gets to his feet, his hand brushing gently over my shoulders as he hurries out.
What the hell is going on? I look at the other women, who don’t seem confused, more concerned. Will they fill me in?
Without another word, the other men at the table get up, stepping away from their women and heading for the door.
When they’re gone, I look at them and ask, “Okay, I know I’m new, but I need someone to fill me in.” Concern brims in my belly. “Do I need to get Soren out of here?”
“No,” Sofia assures me, getting to her feet slowly, her lips pulled into a thin line. “Everything is in hand. I need to see to a few things in the kitchen. Gia, Amara, I’ll leave this one to you. Urso, Zeno will be with you all from the appearance of things.” Then she stalks out, her shoulders stiff.
What the fuck is going on?
15
MASSIMO
Alonzo storms down the hall,and I know he’s intent on getting to Rori, but that is definitely not a good idea. I saw the way he reacted when he heard Rori all but confirm that her father abused her and has some kind of deal with the Russians he’s doing dirty shit for. It’s another mess we don’t need, and while I know Alonzo wants to find out what’s going on, he might just push her completely away.
I grab him by the arm, and with all the force I can—fucking giant—I spin him around and shove him against the wall. “Don’t do anything stupid,” I grunt, staring up into his furious face. “She is not going to welcome you going in there and trying to demand shit from her. We have more shit to figure out, and you need to do that.”
“Get the fuck out of my way,” Alonzo rages, pushing me back.
