shattered in my hand, falling in slow motion to the floor as my blood dripped onto the carpet right along with it.
“Whoa!” Paul slapped me on the shoulder, “Maybe you should cut back a bit.”
“Yeah.” Teeth clenched I excused myself and started walking towards the bar. “Maybe I will.” Or maybe I’d just slice my brother’s throat where he stood.
Frank was a cocky son of a bitch that had a heart of absolute stone. Figures he’d kiss my girl, the one girl I wanted more than anything in the world. The one girl I’d kept myself from because of my age and inability to provide for her. She deserved the world, the stars, the universe and those weren’t things within my capacity to give her.
Joyce didn’t come from wealth.
And I wanted that for her—more than anything. I wanted to shower her with jewels because that was the type of woman she was—she was perfection personified. All the men thought so. From the easy sway of her lips to her seductive laughter, she was every man’s dream. Mine especially. But blood stained my hands, blood that would ruin the fur she loved to be draped in, blood that would eventually decide if I lived or died---if I could provide the life she needed.
Damn it, she was mine! My fists clenched tightly at my sides.
“Ah, Luca.” Frank winked as I approached. “How’s business?”
He knew damn well how business was.
“Can’t complain.” Teeth still clenched I barely managed to keep my fists at my sides while his grin grew.
“Well,” he looked between me and Joyce, “I think I’m needed elsewhere and Joyce,” He lifted her hand to his lips leaving a lingering kiss across her knuckles. “You know exactly where to find me, if you need anything… at all.”
He walked away before I could shoot him.
I watched him disappear through the crowds. They parted for him, men adored him, women cheered him, the man was a giant pain in my ass and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I would forever be under his thumb, forever compared, forever found lacking.
“Luca?” Joyce’s sweet voice brought me back to the present. Her black wrap around dress hugged every curve on her body. Pearls dipped into her cleavage and good God, I wanted to get lost in that cleavage more than I wanted air. “It’s not what you think, Frank was just—“
“—Frank was just marking what isn’t his to mark. Taking what isn’t his to take, and dangling you in front of me like a damn trinket.” I swore violently then pulled her into my arms. “Let’s get out of here.”
“But—“
“—I’m not a patient man Joyce, either you leave with me or you leave with him. Your choice, but I won’t be asking again. So be quick about it.”
Color bloomed across her cheeks. With a quick nod she grabbed her purse and tucked her arm under mine. “Where are we going?”
I smirked to myself and answered. “Love, we’re going to go everywhere and just when you think you can’t take it anymore.” I stopped and tugged her body against mine, my lips nipping her ear. “We’re going to do it again.”
Her gasp was all I needed.
It was my red flag.
The moment I knew that whatever she may have shared with him—was banished from her memory, and any remaining shreds of what his lips felt like against hers would be completely obliterated by the time I was finished with her. She was mine, she was going to be mine. Frank had the family, he had the money, damn him he was even going to be boss. So was it selfish for me to take something for myself?
No, not the way I saw it.
But things don’t always work out how we plan. And that night, the night I stole Joyce away from Frank, I became a pawn in a game I didn’t even know I was playing, one I would lose.
One I would regret for the rest of my life.
I felt his eyes on me as I opened the door to the casino. With one last look in his direction, I tilted my head.
Check. Mate.
CHAPTER THREE
You have to understand one thing about
“Whoa!” Paul slapped me on the shoulder, “Maybe you should cut back a bit.”
“Yeah.” Teeth clenched I excused myself and started walking towards the bar. “Maybe I will.” Or maybe I’d just slice my brother’s throat where he stood.
Frank was a cocky son of a bitch that had a heart of absolute stone. Figures he’d kiss my girl, the one girl I wanted more than anything in the world. The one girl I’d kept myself from because of my age and inability to provide for her. She deserved the world, the stars, the universe and those weren’t things within my capacity to give her.
Joyce didn’t come from wealth.
And I wanted that for her—more than anything. I wanted to shower her with jewels because that was the type of woman she was—she was perfection personified. All the men thought so. From the easy sway of her lips to her seductive laughter, she was every man’s dream. Mine especially. But blood stained my hands, blood that would ruin the fur she loved to be draped in, blood that would eventually decide if I lived or died---if I could provide the life she needed.
Damn it, she was mine! My fists clenched tightly at my sides.
“Ah, Luca.” Frank winked as I approached. “How’s business?”
He knew damn well how business was.
“Can’t complain.” Teeth still clenched I barely managed to keep my fists at my sides while his grin grew.
“Well,” he looked between me and Joyce, “I think I’m needed elsewhere and Joyce,” He lifted her hand to his lips leaving a lingering kiss across her knuckles. “You know exactly where to find me, if you need anything… at all.”
He walked away before I could shoot him.
I watched him disappear through the crowds. They parted for him, men adored him, women cheered him, the man was a giant pain in my ass and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I would forever be under his thumb, forever compared, forever found lacking.
“Luca?” Joyce’s sweet voice brought me back to the present. Her black wrap around dress hugged every curve on her body. Pearls dipped into her cleavage and good God, I wanted to get lost in that cleavage more than I wanted air. “It’s not what you think, Frank was just—“
“—Frank was just marking what isn’t his to mark. Taking what isn’t his to take, and dangling you in front of me like a damn trinket.” I swore violently then pulled her into my arms. “Let’s get out of here.”
“But—“
“—I’m not a patient man Joyce, either you leave with me or you leave with him. Your choice, but I won’t be asking again. So be quick about it.”
Color bloomed across her cheeks. With a quick nod she grabbed her purse and tucked her arm under mine. “Where are we going?”
I smirked to myself and answered. “Love, we’re going to go everywhere and just when you think you can’t take it anymore.” I stopped and tugged her body against mine, my lips nipping her ear. “We’re going to do it again.”
Her gasp was all I needed.
It was my red flag.
The moment I knew that whatever she may have shared with him—was banished from her memory, and any remaining shreds of what his lips felt like against hers would be completely obliterated by the time I was finished with her. She was mine, she was going to be mine. Frank had the family, he had the money, damn him he was even going to be boss. So was it selfish for me to take something for myself?
No, not the way I saw it.
But things don’t always work out how we plan. And that night, the night I stole Joyce away from Frank, I became a pawn in a game I didn’t even know I was playing, one I would lose.
One I would regret for the rest of my life.
I felt his eyes on me as I opened the door to the casino. With one last look in his direction, I tilted my head.
Check. Mate.
CHAPTER THREE
You have to understand one thing about
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