Luciano’s voice cuts through the room. “Charlie, what are you doing?” I walk toward the desk, his tailored Armani suit clinging to his muscular frame. I’ve come to notice he wears Armani a lot—must be his favorite brand.
“What does it look like? I told you, I want in on every meeting.” He rubs his temple, muttering, “Non ho tempo per queste stronzate.”I don’t have time for this bullshit.
I shoot back, sweet as venom, “Did you say something, Luciano?” I push his buttons with a smile. When in company, he should be addressed as the Don.
“Just sit down,” he grumbles from his seat behind the desk.
I stand tall, pushing him harder. “I can’t.”
“Why the fuck not?” his voice snaps. Finally, victory is mine!
“Well, you’re in my seat.” My fingers trace along the mahogany desk, making my point crystal clear as I stand beside him. “That seat,” I say, pretending to pat down the collar of his Armani suit, “is for Carlisi blood. You may be running things for me, for now, but since I’m here, I should be sitting right there.” I run my hands down the front of his suit until I land on his crotch. His blue eyes lock with mine, my face inches away from his.
“Charlie, sit down or get the fuck out,” he says, grabbing my hands and pulling them off him.
From behind us, I hear Mattia pipe up, “I don’t know, Don. This is a pretty good show.” Luciano shoots him a glare that could cut through glass.
Not ready to back down, I plant my ass right on Luciano’s lap, wiggling just enough to drive the point home. I swear he flinches underneath me, just a smidge.
“Now, where were we?” I say, folding my hands in my lap.
Luciano clears his throat, shifting me to the side while trying to show that he’s in charge in front of our men. “Stefano, status on the latest firearm shipment?”
“On track. Mateo’s team are ready to pick it up from the port tomorrow morning,” Stefano confirms. One of the tall men in the corner nods his head, so I take it he’s Mateo.
“Good. Gabriele, what about Dominix’s bank accounts?”
“I hacked into every account, transferred the funds offshore where they can’t trace them. Banks will be foreclosing shortly. The takeover should be easy.” Gabriele’s voice is flat; no emotion, just facts.
I roll my eyes. “I want to check Dominix myself to make sure it’s a good fit for our business.” Stefano scoffs across at me, but I push on. “Who’s coming? I need an escort to leave the house.”
Mattia sighs, dripping sarcasm as he raises his hand in the air. “Alright, don’t need to twist my arm.”
“No,” Luciano barks. “You’re not going to Dominix.”
“Why the fuck not?” I snap.
His hand slides beneath the slit of my skirt hemline, his fingers matting over my skin before he grabs my thigh with his rough hand. “Because I’m the Don, and I said no.” His eyes darken; the demon is close to being unleashed.
“Out!” I shout at everyone, not breaking eye contact with Luciano. They all hesitate, unsure if they should listen to me, until Luciano nods, giving them the order to leave. The Capos leave the room first, followed by the brothers.
“Behave, you two,” Mattia says as he closes the door behind him.
14
Luciano
The moment the door slams shut, my patience snaps like a brittle thread. My hands clamp down on her, my iron grip locking her in place so she can’t escape, no mercy in me. I lean in close, the heat of her skin searing through the cold air, her scent of vanilla and roses addictively twisting inside me.
“Principessa.” My fingers trace the sharp line of her jaw, a softness in me that is reserved only for the rarest moments.
Her smirk curls wickedly, challenging me. She grinds her ass into my lap, daring me, mocking me. My hand slides under the edge of her skirt, inching up her smooth thigh until my fingers brush the delicate lace of her panties. “I AM still the Don,” I hiss. “You’ll learn to obey me in front of others.”
Her breath hitches, defiance blazing in her eyes. “No.”
I grab hold of her panties, twisting them around in my fingers, and with one brutal tug, I rip them off her. She gasps. “Wrong answer,” I snarl.
“Bite me,” she says, her lips curling into a smirk. I don’t hold back and sink my teeth into her shoulder, sharp and punishing. “Ow!”
