I rubbed my finger across my lips as I stared out the side window. Something hadn’t felt right from the moment I’d heard the news, but there was no scathing information that would lead me to believe the fucker wasn’t rotting away six feet under the ground.
Except my instinct continued to tell me otherwise.
Whether or not he was a corpse, the fact remained that someone had to pay the price. I’d chosen the next best thing.
One beautiful unsuspecting woman.
“Yes. It will be good to get back to my life,” I said absently. With time, everything was required to change, which was first on my list of things to do.
Take back what was mine.
Secure my place as king of the city.
Scrutinize everyone considered loyal, exterminating anyone I considered questionable.
Then…
“You know the drill, Alessandro. You need to lay low for a while.”
I shifted my gaze toward Edwardo and almost instantly he cringed from the weight of unsaid words.
“Do I need to remind you that you work for me, Edwardo?”
“Christ. You act as if nothing has changed during your time in prison. That’s bullshit. Somewhere inside you know it. The screws were tightened, your freaking empire almost falling apart. I did what I could to put a thumb in the dike, but Cruz wasn’t ready to accept the helm. I mean that with no disrespect.”
Uh-huh. I glared at him, taking several deep breaths. It wouldn’t bode well to rip him into shreds, even though my irritation was reaching that level of anger.
No, my brother was far too inexperienced. He was also a greedy son of a bitch, using our various contacts to grease his palm and pad his bank account instead of growing our respective businesses.
I noticed my Capo staring at me in the rearview mirror, anger in his dark eyes. He’d handled certain issues in my absence, his techniques almost as brutal as my own. He barely tolerated Edwardo and his almost righteous attitude while looking the other way when we’d handled business. His sneer almost made me chuckle.
“Everything changes, Edwardo,” I said absently as I allowed my thoughts to drift to Sierra. I’d toyed with her, tormenting the woman who likely held the key to providing the revenge I needed. If my instincts were right, using her would provide me with required relief.
In several ways.
I hadn’t intended on engaging in several carnal conversations, but the moment I’d heard the soft, sensual lilt of her voice, I’d hungered for more than just punishing her for guilt by association. Then I’d become addicted to our conversations, demanding Edwardo visit the prison more often than usual. With power came influence, and Edwardo had been able to challenge the prison’s rules and allow me to utilize his phone in order to continue the game.
His assistance was one of few reasons the man remained alive. His meddling and constant challenges were reaching a pinnacle that he really didn’t want to cross.
“What are your plans?” Edwardo asked after I refused to provide an additional answer to his useless questions.
“Are you seriously questioning me?” I slowly turned my head in his direction again. He knew I was crazy enough to bloody the seats of my father’s preferred SUV.
He did nothing but shake his head.
His silence allowed me to think more clearly. I had to play the game carefully or I’d lose my prize before I had a chance to taste it. I envisioned Sierra’s face, imagined requiring her to be on her knees with her mouth wide open. I hungered to drive my cock deep inside, savoring the sounds as she gagged at first before allowing her throat to relax. And I envisioned spewing my load down her throat, her tongue licking me clean.
I was a sick man, but the game was far too enjoyable to ignore. I eased the file I’d required Edwardo to bring into my lap, opening the flap and glancing down at Sierra’s picture. Her light blue eyes stared back at me from a photo that should have been used for a liquor or perfume commercial. They glittered silver as if they were coins reflecting the light of the sun in a wishing well.
I could imagine what her wish would be once she found out my plans.
Even her flaxen blonde hair had a warm glow, which made my fingers itch to fist her long strands at the scalp, yanking her into a deep arch as I fucked her from behind. She had legs that seemed to go on forever, an hourglass figure that would make any man ignore his responsibilities, his actions fueled by eternal lust.
Her beauty was a mere complement to her inner transcendent quality. At least that’s what I’d gathered after gleaning as much information about her as Edwardo had been able to find. She was quiet, reserved in her actions, spending her life pleasing others. Every time I looked into her eyes, I was mesmerized by her inner beauty. If this had been anyone else or any other time, I’d considered myself losing my grip on reality, but with her everything was different. My mother used to say love had the ability to transcend time. Now I wondered if it was possible to find a strong connection by looking at a single photograph.
What I knew was that the electricity had arced even through the phone.
I’d memorized every inch of her face and gorgeous body since the first minute I’d been handed the picture while still inside prison. That had escalated my plans, creating the need to contact her, which Edwardo had balked against. He learned quickly that going against my wishes wasn’t in his best interest. He hadn’t denied me again since then.