Murder.
He was confessing to murder, telling me exactly how deep he was in with the Benettis and what he was capable of. Thinking it and hearing it confirmed were two completely different things, that’s for sure.
I swallowed. “And now?”
“Two years ago, I was assigned to you fulltime because college wasn’t as structured as grade school and high school,” he replied. “Luca and Ciro wanted you safe. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve always been a priority to those two men.”
My stomach dipped at his words. It never occurred to me that I meant something beyond just taking care of one of their own. Hearing that I might be special to someone other than my brother almost brought tears to my eyes. “So, you were assigned to watch me for the next four years?”
“Yes and no,” he hedged. “I was originally assigned to you for your years at Sterling, but last year that changed.”
After talking with Michael, I knew what he was talking about, but I wanted to hear him say it. I wanted no confusion. “Why?”
Nico placed his arms on the table and leaned forward, his grey eyes bright. “After watching you grow into yourself your freshman year, protecting you turned into something else,” he replied, his voice rough and dark.
“What did it turn into?”
His eyes dipped, and he licked his lips as he stared at mine. His eyes back on mine, he confessed, “I realized I wanted you for myself.” My heart beat a brilliant tattoo inside my chest. “I watched you go on dates, and every single guy you were with was nothing but a casual mistake. Justin was the only guy who seemed capable of posing a threat.”
I winced. “You know he’s going to pepper me with endless questions about you.”
Nico cocked his head. “I’ll be happy to answer any questions he has.”
I didn’t doubt it.
“Do I get a say?” At this point, my say was a ‘hell fucking yes!’. Just yesterday I was wishing for butterflies and the Love Fairy dropped this sexy piece of man meat right in front of me. But I still wanted absolute clarification of what this was.
“No,” he replied, and his tone was full of that absolute clarification I was asking for.
“No?”
“The second I realized I wanted you, I did what any real man would do,” he told me. “I went to your brother, declared my intentions, and was given permission to pursue you as soon as you graduated with your degree.”
“And you were willing to wait another two years?”
If I hadn’t been sitting down, his next words surely would have floored me. “If I had to, I was willing to wait for you for the next twenty years, Mia.”
“And…and now?”
Nico leaned back in his chair. “After I had no choice but to present myself, I talked with your brother when I took him the wallets and phones. I told him that I wasn’t going to hold off anymore. Now that you knew I existed, hanging back in the shadows wasn’t going to work anymore.”
“What did he say?”
Nico huffed. “He said I better not ever hurt you.”
“And if I don’t want to date you?” I challenged, knowing I was lying through my teeth.
Nico stood up and walked around the table. When he was standing in front of me, he reached down, grabbed my arm, and yanked me to my feet. I had to tilt my head back to look at him, and when I did, he said, “Give me one night, Mia.” Chills ran down my spine at the heat in his voice. “Give me one night to prove to you that you will want to date me.”
Chapter 7
Nico~
Mia was mine.
I saw it in the way her eyes flared, and her breath quickened. I saw it in the way she leaned into me without even realizing it. I saw it in the way she wasn’t telling me to go to hell for declaring instead of asking.
Mia started biting her bottom lip and my dick jumped right the fuck up. I wanted her to do that while I was balls deep in her tight, little cunt. Mia was petite and I wasn’t, so there was no doubt pain was going to be a part of our pleasure.
“What’s wrong?”
I watched her take a deep breath, but she bravely looked me in the eye as she confessed, “I’m a virgin, Nico. I…I won’t know what to do.”
I’ve killed more men that God will forgive me for. I’ve tortured, and I’ve been heartless when I should have been compassionate. The only decent things I’ve done in my life were where Mia and my parents were concerned. The minute I started making serious money, I had bought my parents a new house and have dumped money into their bank accounts ever since. They were happy and well taken care of.
As for Mia, making sure nothing had ever happened to her was the only other thing my soul could boast of. Outside those two things, I was a coldblooded bastard.
But, never once, as I waded through all the evil I’ve done, have I ever met a man who could bring me to my knees. Fear and cowardice left me years ago.
But this girl…
This sweet, smart, beautiful girl confessing that she might not know how to please me almost did me in. I knew she was a virgin, but it never occurred to me that she might view that as a handicap.
“Baby, why do you think you have to do anything?” I asked softly. “This is my audition. Not yours.”
She choked out an embarrassed laugh. “Audition?”
I reached down, grabbed her by the hips, and lifted her tiny body until she had no choice but to wrap her legs around my waist and wound her arms around my neck. She didn’t weigh a damn thing and I liked that. I liked how I could
