STORY EXCERPT

“I don’t know if that’s good enough,” Tudoro Garlitto stated and then glanced at Adalina. They were sitting around a table in Luna’s Italian Restaurant talking a business deal with Lou Carvetti and Sal Dorinno. Adalina shook her head.

“I don’t understand why you don’t like the deal and the location, Tudoro. You keep glancing at her. Why?” Lou asked with an attitude.

Tudoro leaned forward. “My good friend here has great instincts besides information. She doesn’t like the setup or the location and procedure, then I trust her judgment.”

“But how can she know this location and the procedure and make that assumption that it isn’t good?” Lou replied.

Tudoro glanced at Adalina and gave a nod. She hid her smirk.

“Well, Lou”—she addressed the guy by his first name and he squinted at her—“first of all, that location is too wide open. There aren’t enough barriers and too many nosey eyes. Also, every thirty minutes, give or take ten on either end, a private security detail does a sweep of that location. Since they don’t come at the exact same time, you’re asking to get busted. Third, no quick escape route from that point. There is one dead-end street on the right and two traffic lights on the opposite side that are always clogged up.”

“We have a plan we think will work because we don’t plan on being there for more than ten minutes on the exchange.”

“Not a good one.”

“Hey, I got good people working for me. I’m on top of all of them, and they have clean records. They’re the best.”

“Oh, then you know about the incident four days ago where three of your good men nearly got busted by beat cops who just happened to venture a little farther off their usual route. That would have been a mess,” she added, and his eyes widened.

He looked at Tudoro.

“Like I said, she knows her shit and has access to a lot of useful information.”

Thirty minutes later, after the men left, Adalina looked at Tudoro, and he smiled.

“I don’t know how you do it, but it’s a gift. You’re like my own little secret weapon,” he teased her, and she shook her head, smirking.

“I don’t know why you ask me to be in charge of these things. It’s annoying stuff and petty crap.”

“I’m trying to keep you out of trouble for one and on a low profile since you decided to risk your neck for a Costanza.”

“Hey, Bella is one of my best friends. That Miantelli guy was about to screw over the Fiorre family, which helped you, too.”

“We’ve never had any problems with the Fiorre family, and it was a plus helping out, but my concern is keeping you under the radar.”

“Sounds like you have plans for me.”

“Well…” He picked up the glass of wine and swirled it, looking at her. “There’s the project with Garlitto Industries that needs some of your expertise.”

She squinted at him.

He held her gaze. Adalina knew that Tudoro had a lot of power, and she respected him and understood the ladder of command in the family, but something told her that maybe her father had caught wind of her recent risk and decided she needed to be controlled. She exhaled.

“Explain please,” she said to him, and he nodded.

“You know when I get my orders they aren’t always such a pleasure to deliver. This, however, is good news. You’ll be heading the negotiations in Garlitto Industries. That means evaluating and assigning the right candidates for specific jobs, like importing, exporting, security, and so forth. It’s a lot of work, but we need someone who knows the streets, the people, and the best teams for operations. Now I know you’re heading out with friends tonight for a few hours, and it just so happens that one of the first people you need to consider for a job coming up works with Solencio Monteith.”

“I thought you just said you were trying to ensure I stay low? How can I do that if I’m seen with a man like Solencio?”

“Well, it won’t be him. It will be his heavies, Broadway and Crane, as well as Turk.”

She swallowed hard, and her eyes widened.

“Hey, I know the guy can’t keep his eyes off of you, but Turk is a good man, has a lot of power, and is a feared man. That means anyone who works for him won’t fuck up.”

“I don’t like him. I thought you weren’t sure you trusted him from months back when one of the shipments came up light.”

“That was proven to be someone else. Listen, I not only need you in a legitimate-looking position for the company, but also under guard, with people I know would protect you if anything popped up.”

Her anger boiled as she squinted at him.

“I don’t need a man like Turk protecting me.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“We’re doing shots? I’m in,” Alda said.

Vinny smiled and made a circle with his finger for the bartender to hit them up again. Before long, the others joined in and the conversation pulled away from centering on the three of them and, instead, on the party and on work and pleasure in the upcoming holiday season.

She was laughing at something Caprice said when she felt a little tipsy. She noticed three guys who worked for Mateus and Major kept taking turns standing by Caprice, whispering into her ear or caressing her. Caprice looked aroused and even blushed. She wondered what was going on there, but then Adalina felt the lips against her neck. She closed her eyes a moment and then realized what she was doing. She stood straight and put down her drink.

“I need to use the lady’s room. Be right back,” she told Sunny and Vinny then excused herself from the conversation.

As she made her way across the dance floor, avoiding some straying hands, and headed into the ladies room, she took a deep breath and exhaled. She should leave, but how could she? She was having so much fun. It was Alda’s night, and it was early still. But Vinny and Sunny were being so touchy and clingy, and she liked them. Hell, she wanted them, but she couldn’t have them.

She took care of business and looked into the mirror. She looked good, flushed, and damn, she knew why. Vinny and Sunny did it to her. They made her want things. She headed out of the bathroom, determined to avoid them, but as she walked down the hallway, there was Sunny leaning against the wall, looking sexy as sin. Dark, button-down shirt, serious expression on his face, that dark hair and those dark eyes. A look of determination had him pushing off the wall and heading to meet her. She couldn’t look away. Couldn’t hide her attraction to him and Vinny. So when he snagged her hand and opened a door and then closed the door and pressed her up against the wall, she didn’t resist. Instead, she tilted her head up toward him as his mouth covered hers.

* * * *

Sunny felt desperate. He craved this woman. Her scent, the feel of her in his arms, everything about her. As he devoured her moans and explored her mouth, he took the opportunity to touch her, to cup her full breasts, and even squeeze her ass. She was moaning into his mouth and touching him, too. Her hand stroked his cock over his pants, and he thrust against her. He pulled from her mouth.

“I want you. So does Vinny. We can get out of here. Go somewhere private,” he told her then suckled her neck. She tilted her head back and gripped his shoulders. His mouth lowered to her cleavage, and he licked between her breasts, tasting her perfume, her scent, and wanting more. He gripped her ass cheeks and squeezed. Hard.

“Oh God, Sunny, we can’t. There’s no such place.”

“There is,” his brother said, joining them.

Sunny pulled her away from the wall, and Vinny pressed closer, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her on the mouth. Sunny felt her palms trying to press away, and when she pulled from Vinny’s kiss, Sunny wanted to demand she stop denying this attraction.

“Please, this is not smart.”

“It’s meant to be. We can’t stop thinking about you. Wanting you,” Vinny told her and stroked her breast and nipple with his thumb. She gripped his forearm and then reached up and cupped Sunny’s cheek.

“I can’t get involved with you guys. I don’t date. I have a lot going on.”

“You mean with business?” Vinny asked her. She knew they’d seen who she was meeting.

“Sunny.”

“Those men want you in their beds.”

“And you do, too,” she countered and pulled away.

Sunny watched her slide her hands along her dress and then wipe under her lips, fixing her lip-gloss.

Sunny felt desperate, angry, jealous, and he wanted her to be with them. Tonight. “Come home with us.”

She shook her head.

“Why the fuck not?” Vinny scolded.

“It would never work out. You’re Bella’s brothers. I work for the Garlitto family. I have responsibilities, and right now, it wouldn’t be smart for me to get involved with anyone.”

Sunny pulled her against his chest. He palmed her ass and clenched his teeth.

“Sunny.”

“No. I don’t want to hear bullshit excuses. Why can’t we be together? Spend time together? Explore these feelings?” he asked and cupped her breast.

“Sunny.”

He tightened his hold.

“No. Tell me now. Tell me why.”

He stared down into her eyes then to her lips, and she didn’t say a word, so he kissed her hard on the mouth. He slid his hand up her dress, lifting the tight material to her waist and caressed her thigh. He lifted it up against his hip and turned her so Vinny could join in. She was kissing him back, and then she jerked, pulled her mouth from Sunny’s, and lowered her head to his shoulder.

“You’re so fucking wet and hot. I knew you would be. You want us,” Vinny said, and Sunny realized that his brother was thrusting fingers up into her cunt from behind.

“Look at me,” Sunny demanded.

She glanced up, looking aroused, dazed.

“We can take care of you, provide for you, give you so much.”

“Oh God Vinny, Sunny, please, you’re making this so difficult.”

“Good, because this is fucking real, and we want you. Want to be inside of you right fucking now.”

She gripped onto Sunny’s shoulders and rocked her hips. “Yes. Oh God,” she moaned.

Was she saying she wanted them to take her right here, right now? Holy fuck.