Rocco Read online

  “Luca told me,” she said. “Congratulations.”

  He nodded. Danny hadn’t been happy when Rocco paid him a visit to tell him about the new ownership, but Rocco was confident the relationship would work out well simply because Danny was never going to forget what would happen if he tried to screw them over again.

  He got her a chair and took up a position against a pillar where he could watch both the girls and the hallway where Grace would come out. Gabrielle would have lots of time to rest because it was Mia’s turn and she was so damn good she could clear a table without losing a shot.

  Grace joined them a few moments later for a quick visit before the gig. Fuck she was sexy. With that beautiful chestnut hair spilling over her shoulders, the tight jeans that hugged her curves, the flowery feminine top and the kick-ass boots she was something straight out of his deepest fantasies. He’d liked the dress she was going to wear, but he liked her in jeans better.

  A wave of possessiveness slammed over him. No one knew Grace like he did. He’d had her for eight years, watched her change from a girl to a young woman, shared her hopes and dreams, held her when she cried, listened when she sang and encouraged her to follow her gift. He’d been the first man to touch her, the first man to kiss her, the first man to introduce her to the world of sexual pleasure. He wanted to share more firsts with her in a future free of threats or obligations. He wanted her to belong to him in every damn sense of the word and to know in his heart that no one could tear them apart.

  “Nice jacket.” She stopped only a foot away and he breathed in the floral scent of her perfume.

  “Very restricting.” He shrugged his shoulders, trying to find a comfortable place for the jacket to sit.

  Her lips quivered with a smile. “The band is all ready. We’re on in half an hour.”

  “They’d better provide an adequate accompaniment to your beautiful voice.”

  She laughed out loud, and Christ he loved that sound.

  He cupped the side of her neck with his hand and drew her close. “You don’t need them, cara mia. Everyone will be listening to you.”

  “I’m nervous.” She pressed her body up against him. “But it will make all the difference to see you there, especially in this jacket. Where did you get it?”

  “Borrowed it from Ethan.”

  Her breath was warm in his ear as she leaned in to whisper. “If you give it back to him in one piece, I’ll make it worth your while.”

  Leaning down, he took her lips in a possessive kiss, one hand around her neck, the other holding her tight against him where he liked her best. He didn’t fucking care if Gabrielle and Mia told every damn person in the family that they were together, or if everyone in the bar was watching. His girl was in his arms and there was nowhere else he would rather be.

  “Do you have time to help me take on Mia in a new game?” Gabrielle asked Grace, interrupting. “She just cleared the table again so we’re starting over.”

  “Your game is over, honey,” the taller of the two cowboys said. “It’s our turn.”

  “We paid for three games.” Mia pointed to the tokens hanging on the wall.

  “Your chubby friend scratched halfway through. That’s one game. You playing fancy tricks and clearing the table is games two and three. Now move the fuck out of the way, and let a real man show you how to play.”

  “Seriously?” Gabrielle pushed herself to stand and grabbed the rack. “Chubby?”

  “I’ll handle this.” Rocco gently unwound himself from Grace’s warm arms.

  The tall cowboy grabbed the rack from Gabrielle’s hands, pulling her off balance, and only Mia’s quick reflexes saved her from falling.

  The tension that had been simmering beneath Rocco’s skin ever since his conversation with Tony erupted in a bark. “What the fuck? She’s pregnant. You don’t shove pregnant women around. And the girls have another game to play so I suggest you get the fuck out of here before I rearrange your face.”

  Clearly too stupid to heed the warning, the cowboy spat on Rocco’s new jacket. “What the hell? She yours? I thought you were with the ugly one.”

  He didn’t need to look at Grace to feel her pain, and he didn’t feel the need to explain to the cowboy that Mia and Gabrielle were under his protection. They were family and although he’d never felt like part of the family before, he did tonight.

  He drew back his fist, only to feel Grace’s hand on his arm, her voice an urgent whisper in his ear. “You start something in here, the police will show up.”

  Rocco felt no small amount of satisfaction that she hadn’t asked him not to pulverize the stupid fucker who had dared insult her, because there was no way the dude was going home tonight with all his limbs attached.

  “She’s right,” the stupid-as-fuck cowboy said. “Let’s take it outside.”

  “Outside.” He yanked the dude away from the wall and shoved him toward the back entrance.

  The cowboy looked back at his friend and smirked. “This’ll be quick.”

  “Stay here.” Rocco fixed each of the girls with a look that said he meant business and motioned for the guards to stay put and watch the girls. Then he followed the cowboy and his friend down the hallway and into the alley. He felt no fear. Instead he felt a curious sense of calm. This was his fight. He had picked it. It wasn’t a contract. No one had sent him on this job. He could do what he wanted with them, the way he wanted to do it, and the cowboys deserved what they were about to get.

  Something niggled at the back of Rocco’s mind as they stepped out into the alley. Who threw around loaded insults at women for no reason? Gabrielle was clearly pregnant, and Grace was beautiful despite the scar. The dudes hadn’t been in the bar long so it wasn’t as if they’d been waiting all night for the table, and the girls had three tags on the wall showing they’d paid for three games. Even if the cowboys were drunk, it was all too convenient. Too predictable. But with adrenaline pumping through his veins and an unprecedented sense of righteousness in his heart, Rocco ignored the warning.

  EIGHTEEN

  “How was that?” Tiffany straddled Mike’s lap, settling her moist heat over his spent cock.

  “Christ, Tiff. You’re wearing me out. I thought you were just wanting to suck me off that once.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck pressing her warm breasts against his chest. “I didn’t know you could recover so fast. I didn’t want that big, delicious cock to go to waste.”

  “You’re fucking amazing.” He pulled her into a hug and buried his face in the soft down of her hair. She had the most glorious hair of any woman he’d met, a cascade of thick golden waves scented with summer sunshine that blocked out his vision of everything but her. “I wanna get you off now.”

  “How about we go to my place where we can be more comfortable?”

  There was nothing at that particular moment that Mike wanted to do more than go to Tiffy’s place and give her back the pleasure she’d given him, but he’d already taken a risk by not keeping an eye on the alley and Frankie wasn’t a forgiving kinda guy.

  “I gotta check in with the boss first,” he said giving her a gentle kiss. “Once he leaves, maybe then we can go to your place.”

  “Maybe you could get me off here then.” She clasped his hand and drew it under her skirt. Her panties were soaked, and he could feel his cock stirring to life all over again.

  “You’re a naughty girl.” He shoved her panties aside and fingered her pussy. “You like sucking my cock?”

  “Yeah.” She pushed back her hair and he got a glimpse of the alley he was supposed to be watching, and Frankie beating down two guys in cowboy boots.

  “Holy shit.” He tried to get Tiffany off his lap but she was wedged in tight. “Tiff. Get off. My friend is in trouble.”

  “Don’t leave me, Mikey.” She ground against his groin, but fear had taken care of his growing erection. He glanced up again and saw four more guys in the alley heading toward the fight. Christ. Frankie was being ambushe
d. He was good, but six against one was no fair fight.

  “Fuck. Tiff. Off.” He shoved her to the side and opened the door, remembering his pants were undone only seconds before he stepped out of the vehicle. Zipping up, he reached under the seat and grabbed his gun. “Stay here.”

  “Why do you need a gun, Mikey?” Her eyes went wide and he got a sick feeling in his stomach that maybe this would scare her away.

  “Just like to be safe, baby. Promise you’ll stay in the car.”

  “Tell me what’s going on.”

  He looked up again and the situation had gotten worse. Grace, Mia, and Gabrielle had come outside and had pulled two guys aside. Mia was holding onto some skinny dude, while a pregnant Gabrielle kicked the shit out him. Grace was putting some martial arts moves on another guy. Frankie was still fighting the other four, now with the help of two of the guards, and his assailants were looking a little worse for wear.

  And Mike was about to fucking die because he’d been busy getting sucked off in his car instead of doing his job. “Nothing, baby. Looks like my friend might have had too much to drink. I’m just gonna sort him out and we’ll head to your place and I can make you feel as good as you make me feel.”

  “I’m scared. Don’t leave.” Her big, blue eyes went wide, and he felt like total shit for letting her come with him. It was a Mafia job for chrissakes. Of course, there was going to be violence. Frankie wouldn’t have called for so many guards if he hadn’t expected some kind of trouble. And where the fuck were the rest of them? Three Toscani women were fighting in an alley and only two guards bothered to follow them? Nico and Luca were going to go crazy. Heads were going to roll, and his would be the first.

  “You’ll be fine if you stay in the car, baby. And when we go to your place, I have a present to give you.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. Fuck. Every second he spent consoling her was another second one of the Toscani women could get hurt and if that happened his fucking life wouldn’t be worth living.

  She sighed and sat back in the seat. “Okay, Mikey. I’ll wait here.”

  “Good girl.”

  He ran down the alley, adjusting himself as he went. Who did he help first? Frankie was outnumbered. Grace was one-on-one with her attacker. And Gabrielle was pregnant. Mike didn’t know much about pregnant women, but he was pretty sure kicking and beating on dudes wasn’t good for the baby, even if Mia did have the bastard in a chokehold. And even if it was, he knew for certain Luca would go fucking crazy if he found out.

  In the end, the decision came down to who seemed to be in the most danger, and that was Grace.

  He barreled over to Grace and grabbed her attacker’s shirt. “Grace. Get inside.”

  “No. Go help Gabrielle. This bastard is mine.” She used another fancy martial arts move and drove her foot into the dude’s stomach.

  “Look after Grace,” Frankie shouted, slamming one of the cowboys into the ground. His jacket was shredded, one pocket hanging off, buttons on the ground, a slash from what looked to be a knife right down the back.

  Mike put an arm around his dude’s neck, cutting off his air. As Grace’s assailant struggled and thrashed, Grace kicked him between the legs.

  “It doesn’t matter how you look. It’s what’s inside that counts,” she shouted at him.

  Mike didn’t know what the fuck that meant, but when the guy went limp, Mike lowered him to the ground and held out a hand to Grace.

  “C’mon. I’ll take you inside.”

  “I’m going to help Gabrielle and Mia,” she called out as she jogged down the alley. “You help Rocco.”

  Fuck. How the fuck was he supposed to help when no one did as they were told? He raced after Grace only to discover that Gabrielle and Mia had knocked their guy unconscious and were tying his hands behind him with his own belt.

  Okay then. No help needed there. Toscani crime family women were clearly not like the typical Mafia princesses he had known in his years with the mob.

  What about Frankie? He ran over to help and the enforcer waved him away. “Jesus Christ. Can’t you follow a simple order? Get Grace and the girls inside.”

  “Don’t kill them,” Grace yelled as Frankie banged two dude’s heads together with a sickening crack. “The one on the left is Dino Forzani. He was supposed to be protecting me.”

  Frankie looked up at the sound of her voice. Mike could tell from his eyes the enforcer was in the zone. Mike had been in the zone once or twice. It was pure instinct. Kill or be killed. The two dudes groaning at his feet weren’t going to make it out of the alley alive.

  “Rocco. I’m okay. Please.” Grace walked right up to him as if she didn’t understand that the guy in front of her was a killing machine, likely to hurt her if she didn’t get out of his way.

  One of the other two assailants took advantage of Frankie’s distraction and smashed a board over Frankie’s head. Grace screamed and Frankie went down on one knee. The one guard left standing rushed the dude with the board and grabbed it out of his hands.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. Mike didn’t know what to do. “Go get the other guards.” He pushed Mia and Gabrielle toward the door, praying they would go inside. Thankfully, this time they went and he turned back to help Frankie who was already up and pounding on the dude who had dared hit him with the board.

  “Grace. Come on. Inside.” Mike opened the door and stepped inside, waving for Grace to join him.

  He heard the sound of footsteps. The wail of a police siren. Red lights flashed, momentarily blinding him. He breathed in the scent of summer sunshine mixed with the dank smell of blood and stale piss from the alley. And then he heard Tiffany’s soft voice.

  “It’s okay. I called the police.”

  NINETEEN

  “How can you be so calm?”

  Grace looked over at Rocco, leaning back on the bench beside her, legs spread, cuffed hands resting behind his head like he was lounging on a bench in the park and not in the hallway of a cold, dreary police station waiting to be processed and printed. “Well?”

  When she didn’t get an answer, she sat back in her seat and tried to stop her body from shaking. She’d been okay when the police arrived, simply because she couldn’t believe she was being arrested. After all, they were defending themselves so they hadn’t done anything wrong. But when one of the police officers read her Miranda rights off a card and snapped a pair of handcuffs around her wrists, she realized that no one believed her. That’s when the shaking started, and even Rocco’s presence in the seat beside her hadn’t been able to calm her down.

  It would have helped if he’d talked to her. Told her what was going to happen. After all, he’d been arrested before. Jail time was a right of passage for made men, and Rocco had once told her about the two months he’d spent in jail after getting into a fight at a bar.

  Grace, on the other hand, had never been on the wrong side of the law, and she was pretty sure that a criminal record would destroy any chance she had of getting a job as a psychologist. She couldn’t even think about actually going to jail. And as for calling Papa in the hospital …

  Bile rose in her throat, and she let out a soft moan.

  “Calm down, cara mia.” Rocco reached over and clasped her hands, his handcuffs rattling as he moved.

  “Oh, you can talk.” She glared at him. “Thanks for not saying anything in the police car when I almost threw up from being so scared.”

  “I’m pissed. The kind of talking I want to do right now is not the kind of talking you want to hear.”

  Heedless of the anger in his voice, she continued, desperate to distract herself from the fact that tomorrow she might wake up in a cold prison cell. “Are you mad at Mike for bringing a civilian with him? I couldn’t believe it when she told the police that he was only trying to stop the fight, and that you and I were the instigators. What kind of bullshit story was that?”

  “Dunno.”

  “Dunno? That’s it? We might go to jail because of her lies.”

  Rocco’s ja
w tightened, and he stared at the ceiling. “Wouldn’t have been a problem if you’d done what I fucking told you to do and stayed inside with Gabrielle and Mia.”

  “What?” She stared at him in shock. “Is that your way of saying thanks? If we hadn’t followed you, it would have been six to one, and then six to three when the guards arrive. You might be dead. They set you up. Those guys were waiting outside. I know you’re good—”

  “Coulda handled it without breaking a sweat.”

  “But—”

  “Next time I tell you to stay inside,” he gritted out. “You stay infuckingside. The man protects you. That’s how it works.”

  “Oh really.” She moved to fold her arms and then realized she couldn’t, so she thudded her cuffed hands on her lap for effect. “If I think you’re in danger, I will come to help you. I’m a healing kind of person. That’s how it works.”

  Rocco snorted a laugh. “Didn’t see much healing going on when you kicked that dude in the balls.”

  Grateful to now have a focus for her anger, she huffed a breath. “We’re not talking about that. We need a lawyer, Rocco. I know the … family … has lawyers, but obviously I don’t want to call my dad for names.”

  “It’s taken care of.”

  “Taken care of?” Her voice rose in pitch. “How can it be taken care of when we haven’t even had a chance to make a call?”

  “Trust me.”

  She scrubbed her face in her handcuffed hands. “I do trust you. I just wish you could have told me in the police car.”

  “Not about to discuss our business with the cops listening up front.”

  Grace sighed and leaned back on the bench. “Why did you pick that fight anyway? It was just words, and Gabrielle was okay.”

  “He called you—”

  “Ugly.” She sighed. “It’s not like I haven’t heard it before.”

  “You’re not ugly,” he said vehemently. “You’re beautiful. Inside and out.”

  “Maybe you only see what you want to see.”

  His jaw tightened. “I see the truth.”

  “Well, you could have handled it differently. Violence isn’t the only way to solve problems.”