Sergio
MO AND TEX had been in the back bedroom for hours. My hands were still stained from all the blood. I’d stopped trying to wash it off hours ago; it made a good reminder anyway. Blood on the hands.
Especially when my cell phone rang.
“Is it true?”
I sighed into the receiver and walked out to the back yard of Nixon’s house. “Is what true?”
“The Commission?”
How much to tell? I was caught between needing to protect the family but also protect my own ass—protect blood.
“It’s happening,” I whispered. “Not that it makes any difference to you. That wasn’t part of our agreement.”
“No,” he snapped. “But part of our agreement was that you’d give us any useful information.”
“Useful information,” I corrected. “The kind that will help keep the bad guys behind bars and the good ones out free. So excuse me for not exactly thinking of calling you.”
“We’ll be watching.”
“Big Brother always is,” I said curtly. “Good day.”
I shoved the phone back into my pocket and groaned. When had things gotten so complicated? Stepping out, choosing to help the family seemed like a good idea… but I hadn’t calculated what stepping out would do. There was a very serious reason I was a ghost. And it had nothing to do with not wanting to be a part of something big—but everything to do with being watched by the feds. I’d basically painted a target on my back the minute I stepped out of my alleged retirement.
And now, the ones I owed favors to? They were going to come knocking.
With a sigh, I walked back inside just in time to see Mo emerge from the bedroom. She looked… ravaged. Completely and utterly screwed.
I tilted my head. Her face was flushed; her ponytail was even crooked. Amazing, that after everything, Tex still thought he had a fighting chance with the very girl pointing the gun at his back.
In the end… he would choose Campisi.
In the end… she would choose Abandonato.
In the end… there would be bloodshed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Sex changes everything and nothing all at once.
Mo
“YOU LOOK RESTED,” Sergio said in a low voice.
I stumbled against the wall, stupid bum leg, and blinked in his direction. His dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail low on his neck, his blue eyes searching mine as if he could see every damn area Tex had placed his hands.
“I, um…” Scratching my head, I offered a tiny shrug. “I slept a bit. “
“Sure you did.” Sergio grinned. It wasn’t a happy grin. It was absolutely predatory and pissed. “Did you need help with anything?”
Crap. What I wanted was to spy on Nixon and Tex, but that wasn’t happening with Sergio breathing down my neck. “Water would be nice.”
Sergio looked me up and down for a few more minutes his eyes hooding as his gaze settled on my lips. “Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll help you get to the kitchen.”
“Oh that’s okay I just—”
“Stop arguing Mo, I won’t bite you… not with his scent all over your skin. Not very sporting of me.”
I closed my eyes as heat spread across my body.
Sergio wrapped a muscled arm around me and then lifted me off the floor. I had no choice but to lean against him—he always smelled the same, like clean minty spice. It used to comfort me. But now? It made me sick. It reminded me of what I’d done with him. I blamed him when really I should have blamed myself. It was my fault not his.
When we reached the kitchen he placed me on the counter like a little kid and stalked over to the cupboard. “You want ice?”
“Please,” I whispered gripping the counter top with my hands like it was my only lifeline.
Sergio gripped the cup in his hands and went over to the freezer, the ice plunked into the glass, making the room feel that much more tense.
“He’s going to destroy us all.” Sergio’s back was to me as he filled the glass with water, his voice was so matter-of-fact and cold I wanted to shiver. “I hope you know that. He’s a Campisi, one doesn’t just stop being a Campisi.”
Deflated, I tried to ignore the truth of Sergio’s words. “You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” He turned around and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “And what makes you the expert?”
“I just…” I chewed on my thumbnail. “I know his heart. He’s good, and what we’re doing…”
“What we’re doing…” Sergio threw his head back and laughed. “Had nothing to do with you seducing him then screwing with his head, Mo. Absolutely nothing. So what the hell are you doing? Because I’m pretty sure the others would like to know as well.”
“I’m making it real.” I swallowed the tightness in my throat and stretched my hand out for the water.
Sergio sighed and placed the cold glass against my fingertips, not removing his hand but keeping mine trapped against his. “Mo, regardless of how real you make it—you can’t save him.”
“But the plan was—”
“—marriage.” He shrugged simply. “And you still got shot.”
“But—”
“Mo.” Sergio released the glass and placed his hands on either side of my hips, pressing his body against mine so forcefully I gasped. “He will die.”