My shoulder jerks at her words. She’s right to a degree. But she’s also wrong. I can’t get what I want out there, because I want Pippa. I do understand her, but she doesn’t understand me. If she did, she wouldn’t say that we’re connected. I am here for what she can do for me and give me, nothing more.
She isn’t famiglia. She’ll never be with a Made Man. She is and will always be dispensable to the famiglia. She has protection for the sole purpose of the service she provides.
She’s paid for her duties, but there are a dozen girls that can and will take her place. She is owned by the Zanetti famiglia, as am I, but in much different ways.
Reaching out, I extend my index finger and slide it along the side of her face. “You’re special to me, and I’ll be back for more, but I need to leave.”
She nods once. I quickly dress, then without a backward glance, I leave her on the bed, wearing nothing but a short sexy robe.
Slipping out of the nondescript house, I reach for my phone and frown when I see that I have a missed call and a new voicemail from Arlo. Clicking on the voicemail, I touch the speaker and wait for his voice to begin speaking.
“Call me. I have something you need to hear.”
Chapter Two
MASSIMO
I don’t call Arlo back. Instead, I drive straight toward the casino where I know he’s working tonight. Pulling into a parking spot, I unfold from the driver’s seat and straighten before slamming the car door closed. Shoving my key fob into my pocket, I dip my chin and jog toward the brick building.
Lifting my hand, I ball it in a fist and knock on the door. Lifting my face slowly, I watch as it opens, knowing that whoever is standing guard will want to see me before they allow me inside. I don’t recognize the man at the door, but he knows who I am.
“Mr. Ferrucci,” he greets, tilting his chin as he shifts to the side, allowing me entrance.
Breezing past him, I make my way straight toward the front desk where Mia is stationed. She lifts her head from her computer and looks up at me. Her bright red lips part as she smiles. She’s sexy as shit and completely untouchable, not that she’s my type, but she’s still hot.
Extending my arm, I touch the tip of her nose with my index finger. “He called me, is he in?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
She wrinkles her nose, then jerks her head back slightly. Allowing my hand to fall, I chuckle at her movements. She lifts her hand and bats my finger away from her. I watch as she stands, giving me a view of her sweet curvy body.
“When are you going to run away with me, Mia?” I ask.
Mia lets out a sensual low laugh. “Never. You’re far too full of yourself for me. I have no desire to be with a Made Man anyway. Been there, done that,” she snorts.
“You don’t know what you’re missing, cara,” I purr.
She leans forward slightly, her lips so red, pouty, shiny, and only inches from my own. My cock twitches just at the closeness.
“I know exactly what I’m not missing, Massimo. Trust me when I say that I played in that wading pool and I have no desire to revisit.”
She takes a step back and I watch as she rounds her desk, then walks over to a door and touches a small keypad to the left of the knob. She turns the handle and opens it, tilting her head to the side.
“All the way to the back, last door on the left. He’s waiting for you,” she offers with a small smile.
Smirking, I walk toward her, stopping directly in front of her. “You got any idea what this is about?” I ask.
When the right-hand man to the Boss, Underboss, calls you, saying that he has something that you need to hear, it’s unnerving. I know Arlo, though I must admit that I don’t know him well, he is a good leader and man.
Making my way down the dark hall, my mind runs rampant with what-ifs. I know that I have to begin collecting more money for protection, and I’ve had a few places buck me, but I’m going to get it handled.
Lifting my hand, I rap my knuckles against the closed door. I look from side to side when I don’t hear anything immediately. I’m definitely at the last door on the left. Finally, I hear movement from the other side of the door. Then it flies open. Arlo stands on the other side, a smirk firmly planted in place.
“I’m glad you came over. It’ll be easier to talk about this in person. C’mon in,” he says, stepping to the side.
Walking past him, I make my way over to a chair across from his desk and sink down. He sits across from me in his chair, his eyes searching my face as he stays silent. Arching a brow, I wait for him to tell me why the fuck he called me so late at night, and so suspiciously.
“You’re a Street Boss now,” he begins. I don’t respond to his statement. I know what and who I am to this famiglia. “The time has come that you settle down, get a wife, start a family. Have you thought about that?”
Shifting in my seat, I clear my throat wondering where the fuck he’s going with this. Biting my tongue, I wait for a few moments before he decides to finish his thought.
“I have a proposition for you. She hasn’t completely agreed. She’s thinking about her options. But one of them was marriage.”
“Who?” I ask.
He arches a brow, his lips turning up into a coy smirk as he shakes his head a couple of times. “Doesn’t matter who she is. Are you up
