"Then ask."
Darian visibly swallows. "Would you please kiss me, Raffi?"
I surge forward and crush my mouth to his. Darian opens beautifully beneath me, letting me overpower him with a soft sigh. His hands come up to clutch at my bare shoulders, grab my neck and hold on.
We're both panting when we break apart. I rest my forehead against Darian's, struggling to catch my breath.
"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel bad," I blurt out.
"What?" He looks amused. Then confused. "Raffi, last night…you made me feelincredible."
"I mean before." My stupid words won't come together. "I was just teasing, I never meant to upset you. I justwantyou. I've wanted you for months and months, D, since the moment I saw you when you first got to this damn place, and I don't think I'm ever gonna stop wanting you."
Darian shudders, grip tightening on my shoulders. "Then…take me," he whispers.
Fuck. What I wouldn't give to strip off his clothes and have him right here over the washing machine. But it's the middle of theday and there are a dozen mobsters wandering around the house and grounds, and one of them killed Tony Clemenza.
I blow out a long breath and try to get my head together. "Tonight," I murmur. "Okay?"
He nods eagerly. "Tonight."
I step away and pull on one of the fluffy guest robes they keep down here in the laundry. Darian looks disappointed as I tie it shut, and I give a little grin. "Don't worry. You'll get your fill of me tonight." But my grin drops as reality settles in. "Right now, though, I need to get dressed, make sure Russo's locked up tight, and report to the Boss before he hears it from someone else."
Things can always get worse. That's what I'm starting to realize.
CHAPTER 24
RAFFI
"What is it?"Sandro's voice snaps when I knock on his study door.
I go inside. Sandro, Leo, and Jack are hunched around Sandro's desk, their faces grave. Sandro glares at the interruption, while Leo and Jack turn to face me, looking tired.
"We have a situation, Boss."
Sandro waves me closer with a flicker of impatience. "Well?"
"Russo's been let out of his room by AJ. He made his way down to the pool, where he was harassing Ms. Rochford. Chops Lollo rolled up, saw it, and half-drowned him before I could stop him. Your friend Andretti?—"
"Nero?" Sandro says sharply.
"Yeah. He helped me break them up, but…" I shake my head. "If we don't call off this lockdown, there's going to be more bloodshed. We need to release the factions before?—"
"Absolutely not," Leo snarls, slamming a fist on the desk. "Keeping everyone contained is the only way to ensure the killer is caught."
I grit my teeth against the urge to argue. "With all due respect, Mr. Bernardi, the tensions are too high. If we don't defuse the situation soon, the factions will tear each other apart, killer or no killer."
Jack speaks up. "He's not wrong, Sandro. Tempers are fraying."
Sandro's frown deepens. I press on, keeping my voice hard and steady. "We're sitting on a powder keg here, and it's about to blow."
Sandro taps his fingers on the surface of the desk. "What do you want me to do, DeLuca?" he asks, leaning back in his chair.
"Like I said, we need to lift the lockdown. We can't afford another murder on the grounds. As head of security, that's my assessment of the situation."
There's a silence after my words, but then Jack speaks up. "DeLuca's right. We're asking for more trouble if we keep them cooped up like this."
Sandro considers our words, fingers still drumming an uneasy rhythm on the desk. He turns to Leo. "What do you think?"
