“Tried to be once upon a time.”
Kitty studied her for a second. “In my time, I was known as Diamond Legs. They were worth millions. Betty Grable had nothing on me.”
“I know who you are.”
Kitty brightened at that. She said not enough people recognized her. She looked at me. “Have a baby with this one and somewhere down the line, one of the girls will get the Diamond Leg gene.”
Leonora looked totally disgusted at the idea of procreating with me, but it didn’t last long. Her face morphed into wariness when Gio went to hand her the blanket.
“I don’t have fleas.” He scratched his head, being a smart ass.
She reached out slowly and took it from him, like he might bite. Gio was a buggy son of a bitch, but he only messed with women when he wanted to seduce them. Other than that, they were pretty things that happened to talk and walk.
The real bite she had to fear was mine—on her ass.
“I’m going to take granny and go.” Gio winked at me. “Seeing as you’re about to hand down some justice.” He placed two feet on the back of the scooter and pointed onwards, like he was the captain, and I heard the door shut behind them.
Leonora set the blanket on the chair. She smoothed out her dress. “This is not how I expected this night to go.” She blew out a heavy breath and rubbed her arms.
It was about to take another turn. I left her in the room and told Umberto to get the guard who’d put his hands on her. Another one of my men walked him back to the holding area.
I took off my suit jacket, handed it to Umberto, rolled up my sleeves to the elbow, and gave him a punch to his face that sent him stumbling into the wall. Before he could slide down it, I grabbed him by the arms and squeezed until he started to whimper.
“You don’t ever touch what’s mine without permission, understand?”
“Yes, Mr. Bigatti,” he barely got out.
I flung him against the wall, pulled out my gun, and shot him in the head.
“Of all the places.” Umberto sighed.
“At least it’s not carpet.”
He shook his head at me.
I walked back into the room with Leonora. She jumped from her seat again, her eyes taking on that same trapped angel look—the same one she had for Gio.
“You’re covered in blood,” she whispered, taking a step back when I took a step toward her.
“The blood of your enemy.”
“My…who?”
He was done.Finito.It was time to get back to the beginning of this conversation. Why we were here in the first place.
“Why did you steal from me, Ms. Kallistos?”
Her back hit the wall, and I towered over her. She was so fucking soft, and she smelled like fresh, ripe things under the Mediterranean sun.
She glanced at my lips before she shook her head and met my eyes. She lifted her chin some but didn’t say anything. Her chest heaved with the insane pounding of her heart.
She felt it too. The fucking chaos between our bodies that kept inching us closer to the relief of it.
I set my hand against the wall, leaning in slow, and pressed my lips against hers. It felt like that lightning bolt started with her and went straight through me. After this was done, she was going to be imprinted on my body.
Her hands came to my shoulders, digging in, and her tongue danced with mine. She moaned into my mouth, and the vibration of it went straight to my cock.
I rocked against her, and she almost convulsed. She was fucking breathing me in. Until she bit my lip so hard, she drew blood. She pushed against my chest, and after I gave her some space, she crossed her arms. She had a blood spot on her face, but I wasn’t sure if it was mine or from the guy who was going to be buried in an orchard somewhere.
