49

Corey
I dial my cousin Sondra on my way out but she doesn’t answer. She’s with Nico in Chicago after a blowout fight that we all thought had ended things forever. But Tacone has a hard time taking no for an answer. I have to say-Nico Tacone may be a scary motherfucker, but he is totally in deep with Sondra.
When she left him four days ago, he flipped out. He cornered me, tried to make me tell him where she’d gone, put a guy outside my house, presumably to watch for her. Sondra thought he’d been cheating on her. But I talked to everyone close to him after Sondra left, and they all had the same story. He had a family-arranged marriage contract that he was trying to get out of and Sondra is the only woman Nico’s ever been serious about.
So when I got her text yesterday with a picture of a diamond ring on her left hand, I knew they’d worked it out.
I really don’t know what to think about Sondra marrying a known mobster. She’s always had terrible taste in men-not that my last choice was any better.
But Nico Tacone is the real deal. He’s dangerous and powerful. He made my ex disappear. Not that I’m not crying over it. Dean tried to rape my cousin.
But still. Ordinary guys don’t have that kind of power.
I’m not judgy about the crime thing. As the daughter of a crooked fed, I have a very jaded sense of crime and law.
But that’s why I didn’t want to get involved in anything that puts me close to the seedy underbelly of the organization. And the high-stakes private games will definitely do that.
I haven’t seen my dad in over ten years. When he left my mom for some skanky chick in Detroit, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Does Stefano know my dad’s with the FBI? Somehow I doubt it, and if he finds out, things could get hairy fast.
I really don’t know how much illegal activity goes on around here, but I’m guessing it’s more peripheral. Why would they need to break laws when their casino rakes in millions a year? Still, I don’t want to see any of it. I don’t ever want to be in a position where they have to rely on or question my loyalty.
Dammit.
Should I have told Stefano?
And why in the hell am I thinking of him as Stefano and not Mr. Tacone? He reprimanded me for calling his brother by his first name.
Oh, maybe it’s all the eye-fucking he did. Or the way he kissed my fingers after catching my wrist. A shiver runs through me remembering how quickly he caught and held my wrist without any trace of exertion or anger. Rather, he seemed bemused. As if he enjoyed the opportunity to show me his superior strength and hold me captive.
It’s not because I want to be on a first name basis with him.
I definitely don’t.
Why would I even think that? Especially after all my concerns for Sondra?
But something about that man has me squeezing my knees together every time he winks. Which is far too often.
I drive home to my small apartment. For the first time since Sondra moved into the casino and Tacone made Dean disappear, it feels too small. Even lonely.
But I’m not looking for company. I don’t need to jump into another relationship.
Of course no one’s chasing me for one, either. Stefano appears to be the polar opposite of my cousin’s possessive and single-minded lover, Nico. He’s definitely a player.
Which means sex-just once to get him out of my system-might be on the table.
Stefano
I walk through the Bellissimo like I’m king of the castle, fucking proud of the place and what Nico’s built here.
I was with Nico when he talked our father into investing 1. 2 million dollars to open a casino in Vegas. It wasn’t enough. Hell, the gambling license alone cost over thirty grand. But Nico was smart. He knew better than to involve any investors who weren’t family. Only Tacones were allowed to kick in and hold shares of the Bellissimo. And they did. He scraped together enough to get it open and built it from there.
Nico had the architects design the massive structure so it could be added onto in sections and he went classy right from the start: Italian tile, marble statues, beautiful rooms.
The first version of the Bellissimo was small, a boutique casino. Nothing cheesy about it-ever. And so it attracted high-end customers right from the start. Especially when word got out about the private games.
Nico had a business plan and a vision, and he convinced our family to invest. Still, I don’t think anyone expected it would turn out like this. Now, it’s a behemoth of a building-five different wings, twenty-eight stories high. Eight restaurants serve all kinds of food and it’s still the classiest joint in Vegas. And the money? It fucking overflows.
Speaking of my stronzo brother, I’ve been in the Bellissimo for thirty-six hours and haven’t seen the bastard. First he was out of hand looking for his woman. Now he’s gone home to fix things. We’ve talked on the phone and already texted a dozen times, but he’s too irritable to give me any good direction.
I dial his phone and he answers with the same impatience. “What is it?”
“Nice to hear from you, too. Did you get things straightened out?”
“I’m working on it.”
Of course he’s not going to tell me anything. He’s not exactly a let’s talk about our feelings kind of guy.
“You talk to Dad?”
“On my way now. Sondra’s with me.”
Sondra. The woman I want to meet. “Ah yes. I had to find out her name from a lovely red haired croupier last night.”
“You met Corey.”
“Yes. I enticed her to cheat and she tried to slap my face.”
Nico snorts. “Sounds about right.”
“What about Corey?” I hear the pleasant timbre of a female voice.
“Are you in the car? Put me on speaker.”
“No-fuck off.”
“Sondra,” I raise my voice so she might hear me. “I met your cousin last night,” I tell her. “I’m in love.”
Her laugh is light and sweet. Nico must have put her on speaker because I hear her voice clearly. “I’m definitely hearing the Italian in you.”
“No, it’s true,” I insist, but she’s right-even before my six-month stint in Sicily with my great uncle, I’d adopted the over-the-top aggressive courting style of my parents’ country of origin.
“He already got himself slapped,” Nico fills in.
“Uh oh.”
“Almost slapped,” I correct. “She tried. I didn’t allow it. We came to an understanding.”
“She’s under my protection,” Nico grumbles, but he knows I don’t hurt women.
“Nothing to worry about. I told you-I’m already in love.” As in, I can’t wait to get those long legs wrapped around my waist so I can pound into her hard and dirty.
Would she like it that way?
Somehow I think she would. But she’s not the type to go down without a fight, and I don’t have the time or attention to spare. I’m already up to my ears in work. I can see why Nico needed help running things.
“Listen, Stefano.” Nico takes the phone off speaker. He’s got a serious tone to his voice.
“Yeah?”
“If things go sideways, I need you to take care of…”
I understand what he’s saying-all too well. I think chances are slim he’ll die, but you never know. Our father’s in prison and Junior, our oldest brother, is a dick.
“I will protect what you love,” I say quietly, making the vow of it ring in my voice. I know that’s what he’s asking; he wants to know Sondra will be safe.
“Thank you.” Nico’s voice is gruff.
“Good luck, Nico. Let me know how it goes.”
“Yeah.” He hangs up and I shake my head.
My brother’s had a stupid marriage contract hanging over his head since we were kids. It was a way for our father to bind our family to another. Total stupidity, but signed in blood. Nico’s just been pretending it will never happen all these years, but now he’s in love. And she left him when she found out he had a fiancée.
Poor bastard. But if anyone can figure shit out when he needs to, it’s Nico.
Look at what he did with this place.
It’s bizarre to think of my brother in a committed relationship. I sure as hell hope he finds happiness.
Me? I don’t do committed. Ever.
I’m a ladies man. I love sex, but the rest of it? A relationship?
No thanks.