Protect Me: A Mafia Romance (The Rossi Crime Family Book 1) Read online

  What if I can’t and he comes back to Hayley for sex?

  The thought sickens me beyond belief.

  Bile rises in my throat. This is the last thing I need right now—not when I have to spend an entire evening with people who want to kill me.

  “Oh, I’m sorry did I upset you, sweetie?”

  When I look up at her, I want to slap that stupid grin off her face. She’s close enough now that I could if I really wanted to.

  “Maybe I should just teach you how to suck him off or fuck him better so you can last a little bit longer…since clearly it upsets you to know he’s going to come crawling back to me.” She snickers like it’s the funniest thing ever—and it hurts…it hurts so bad.

  I can’t compose myself a second longer. The tears slip from my eyes. I know it’s weak and stupid to cry over something someone says to you, but I just...I can’t.

  A large body walks up behind her, and I nearly flinch. The look in Damon’s eyes is sinister. It promises death and destruction.

  “You’re fired,” Damon snarls.

  Hayley’s eyes go wide before she turns to face Damon. As soon as she sees his face, she takes three steps backward, nearly running into me.

  “Y-You don’t…mean that,” she stutters.

  “Take your shit and get the fuck out of here!” He looks around at the other strippers. “And you all better get the fuck ready for work or else you can leave too.”

  Hayley clutches her purse to her chest and starts crying, but even she’s not stupid enough to stand around and question him. She scurries away, pushing past Damon and through the exit door.

  At the softening of his whiskey-colored eyes, I calm down, making the tears stop.

  Never in my life did I think I would be happy about someone getting fired—let alone watching it happen right before my eyes. I hide my excitement of her release. I don’t hate many people, but after the things she said to me, I’m confident I hate her.

  I want to jump into Damon’s arms and kiss him, but I know better—he wouldn’t allow that, not in front of other people…especially the people who work for him. So, I just clench my fists in my lap and wait for him to say something to me.

  “Come on. We’ve got to go,” he orders, an edge to his voice. He doesn’t even give me a chance to respond. He turns around and heads out the door without looking at me. My legs move on his command.

  I make sure my dress is in all the right places, covering everything it should be. I catch Candy smiling at me out the corner of my eye as I follow Damon out of the dressing room. I want to thank Candy for all she’s done, but I know I don’t want to speak out of line. I return the smile, hoping when and if I come back, I’ll get a chance.

  I can barely keep up with Damon’s fast pace as he makes his way through the club. It doesn’t help my case of keeping up when he’s almost a foot taller than me and I’m wearing heels.

  I see some of the men looking at me, their eyes lingering far longer than a moment, and I drop my gaze. I want to hold up a sign that reads Don’t look at me if you value your job or life to warn them to stop before Damon sees.

  When we reach the back door, he finally stops, but by then, I’m out of breath. I suck in copious amounts of air, trying to figure out how the hell he isn’t struggling. When he turns around and looks past me, checking if we are alone, I don’t understand why—and then I feel his lips on mine.

  His kiss is consuming and steals the remaining oxygen from my lungs. I moan into his mouth at the touch of his hands roaming my body, skimming over the thin material of my dress.

  It feels like nothing separates his fingers from my skin.

  When he breaks the kiss, I’m even more out of breath than before.

  “You look so fucking beautiful. If we didn't have to see my asshole brother right this second, I would lock us in my office and fuck you until Sunday.”

  I don’t really know how to respond. All I know is I’m turned on and want him to fuck me. I want him to fuck me like he wants to—not like I’m a fragile doll he’s afraid he might break.

  I don’t care where or how; I just want him to fuck me.

  “I want you.” I paw at his chest, realizing he changed his clothes as well. He’s looks mouthwatering in his black-on-black suit. I can tell it’s hand tailored, and it fits him perfectly, making him seem bigger, meaner.

  “You know I want you too. Fuck, I want you so much, my balls ache.” He takes my hand from his chest and places it against his thick cock, barely restrained by his dress slacks. “But we can’t. Not right now. We’re already running late, and if there is one thing you will learn about my brother, it’s that being late isn’t tolerated.”

  I pout, looking up at him, wanting to kiss him, but knowing he’s right.

  “Okay...maybe later?” I lick my lips, anticipating his answer.

  “Definitely later. Right now, we really need to go.”

  Damon helps me step into the Cadillac, and I buckle up. I’m nervous, and I think it’s more from the unknown than anything else. The low hum of the engine fills the cab as Damon speeds down the road, heading out of town.

  Most of the ride is in silence. Damon’s tense, and his grip on the steering wheel has his knuckles white.

  The ride is longer than I expected, and the more we drive, the less houses I see. I’m slightly terrified we’ll be out in the middle of nowhere with no escape plan—or maybe that’s the purpose of this entire thing.

  “Where is it we’re going? I haven’t seen a house for, like, five miles.” My eyes scan the scenery. There really isn’t anything out here, nothing but road and trees.

  “I can’t disclose the exact location, but it’s as far away. Secluded deep in the woods. My father built this place, and Xander moved back when he took over the business. I haven't been here in a few years, so I’m not sure how much it’s changed.”

  Eventually, the car slows, and I see a huge metal gate in the distance. As we grow closer, and Damon slows down even more, the nervous knot in my belly starts to unravel. I feel like I might puke and faint at the same time.

  Damon doesn’t pay any attention to me as he pulls into the driveway and up to a little panel box. He types in a code, and the gate opens. The path is dark—so dark, I can barely see anything.

  We drive through the gate, and I hear it close, making a loud creaking sound as it does The noise adds to my nervousness. I feel like we’re driving into a prison compound and I’m not sure when my release date will be.

  Damon continues down the long driveway as if he’s driving into his own personal hell. I wonder what he’s thinking. What he’s feeling. But I don’t have the courage to ask. After a few minutes, I spot lights in the distance.

  The place is huge, and I do mean huge.

  “You lived here?” I gasp, realizing Damon wasn’t lying when he called the place a mansion.

  “Yes. And it was some of the worst years of my life.”

  I swallow around a knot of fear lodged in my throat. Damon pulls the SUV around a huge loop before putting it in park. I shiver, looking up the steps leading to the entrance.

  This place is more than intimidating.

  “I’m going to warn you now, Keira.” Damon’s voice is cold and almost lifeless. It scares me. “I don’t know what’s going to happen here. I don’t know if my brother is going to try to take you away from me, or if he’s going to try to kill both of us. But I want you to know I will do my damndest to protect you. I will bargain. I will steal. I will use whatever power I still have in this family to make sure we both walk out unscathed.”

  I force myself to breathe, knowing he means every single word.

  “But I must ask one thing of you.”

  I nod my head without thinking twice. “Whatever you want.”

  Damon smiles, and it makes me feel warm inside. “Listen to me. If I tell you to do something, just do it. Trust me and my word enough to know whatever I am asking you to do is for a reason. My brother sees women as garbage—as a h
ole and nothing more—so if I come off as harsh or mean, that’s why.”

  I nod again.

  Got it. Speak only when spoken too.

  That shouldn’t really be a problem—not with how scared of his brother I am.

  The bruises on my throat confirm how dangerous he is...and how stupid Damon and I are for walking right into the lion’s den.

  Chapter 16

  Damon

  I push down and swallow every single fucking emotion inside me. I cannot show weakness in front of my brother—or any other member of my family. I blink slowly, exhaling, feeling the invisible mask slip across my features.

  As I open my car door, I spot my brother at the top of the steps. He’s dressed similar to me, and I realize some things never change. It may have been years since we’ve last seen each other, but he is the same person he was when I left—and vice versa.

  I walk over to the passenger side and open Keira’s door. She eyes me with a hesitant glare before stepping out. Everything about Keira screams innocent—from the softness of her eyes, to the way she sees people as if they could do no wrong. She knows I’m a bad man, yet she thinks I can save her. Taking her hand into mine, I squeeze her fingers and close the door. I can feel my brother’s eyes on us, and I know I need to prove a point.

  Without warning, probably catching Keira completely off guard, I sink my fingers into her curls, wrenching her head back. Then I press my lips to hers. Her body shakes, and a cry of pain escapes her, filling my mouth.

  I kiss her hard, bruising her lips, making certain my brother sees the ownership I have over her. When I release Keira, she wobbles, and the need to pull her close overwhelms me—but I’m not dumb enough to make such a grave mistake.

  We ascend the steps together, and when we reach the top, I stand man to man with my brother.

  He has a satisfied grin on his face. His eyes are dark, the color of coffee mixed with a dash of darkness like mine—hell, looking at him is like staring at my reflection in the mirror. He’s only older by a few years, and his age doesn’t show. He looks the same…right down to the monster flickering deep in his eyes.

  I watch those monstrous eyes move from me to Keira.

  “I like the way you dressed up your doll today. She’s beautiful.”

  “She is—and she’s mine,” I sneer. “By the way, I enjoy placing bruises of my own on my property, so the next time you decide to touch something that isn’t yours, you’ll return it the way you found it.”

  Xander’s eyes ghost over Keira’s throat. “I’m sorry, little brother. I didn’t mean your pet any harm. She is a fragile little thing. Her skin bruises with barely any force I see.” He snickers. “However, we shall predict her future this evening and see who she truly belongs to. Until then, you can keep her at your side.”

  The smile on his face makes my stomach turn. Life and death are nothing but a game to him. He doesn’t care who lives or dies. He only cares about making an example of someone.

  Xander strolls into the house through the huge, wrought iron door. Like everything else here, this door holds nothing but bad memories. I should be thankful it holds the memories inside the house and not outside them. God forbid I let them control every single aspect of my life.

  As I walk up the steps, my heart sinks. A memory slams into me so hard, it steals the breath from my lungs.

  I can’t believe she’s dead. I stare down at my hands. She’s gone. That’s what Father said, but I don’t believe him. She was fine this morning—happy, smiling, and now, I’ll never see her again. The thought hurts. My father told me not to cry for her, and I’m doing my very best, but my eyes are burning with unshed tears.

  They are going to spill over soon, proving again how weak I am to my father.

  I clench my tiny hands into fists

  I better go outside so Father won’t see me. I run down the stairs. I think he’s in the study. I can’t pass him by accident.

  My hand is on the brass door knob when I hear heavy footsteps behind me.

  No, no, no! Treacherous tears run down my face, staining my cheeks. I try to wipe them away, but it’s already too late.

  “Where do you think you are going?” my father’s voice booms, igniting fear deep in my belly. I hate my father...I know this to be true.

  “Just outside,” I say, trying to keep my voice even. Maybe if I make myself seem less conspicuous, he will ignore me.

  I pull the door open and sprint outside…or try to. My father’s hand is already on my neck, jerking me backward before I can take a second step.

  He twists my body around so he can look down at me. His grip is harsh, and I try to stop from shaking.

  “Are you fucking crying?” His eyes are daggers glaring down at me, and his fingers dig into my arms with bruising force. “And now you are trying to run from me with the proof of your indescretion staining your cheeks?”

  I don’t get a chance to answer—not like there’s anything I could say to make this better. I’ve learned to take the beatings and lick your wounds when done. The less fear you show, the less he beats you. That’s what Xander tells me.

  My father’s fist hits my jaw, causing my head to snap to the side. I would have fallen to the floor if he didn’t have an iron grip on my arm. Three or four hits follow…I lose count. If he let me go right now, I’d stay down on the floor. I’d give in, letting him win.

  I’m halfway passed out, the pain overtaking me, when he shakes me awake.

  “Don’t you fucking pass out, you little shit. I’m not done teaching you a lesson. You take your fucking beating and learn something from it. Clearly, I need to teach you in other ways.” His heated breath fans my face, smelling of whiskey. Has he been drinking? He beats us so much when he drinks.

  He yanks me to the side and places my hand between the door frame and the heavy iron door. “You want a real reason to cry, then I’m going to give you one.” I shake my head and try to pull my hand away, but he is so much stronger than I am.

  He always is.

  He swings the door open, and I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for it to crush my hand. Then I hear heavy footfalls and open my eyes.

  “No!” Xander cries, and my father releases my hand. I watch with wide eyes as Xander tries to tackle him. Xander is only fourteen, but he’s big for his age, and my father can’t push him around like he used to. But Xander isn’t big enough to overtake father yet, so instead of proving a point to Father, he ends up below him, our father’s huge body crushing his.

  “Xander,” I yell, wanting to save him the way he saved me.

  I see him mouth the word “run,” and as badly as I want to stay and help, I know when my brother tells me to do something I should do it.

  “You’re no better than him, Xander. Two fucking weak, pitiful excuses for men.” My father’s voice carries, following me as I climb the stairs to my room, locking the door. Tears slip down my cheeks.

  I wish I was stronger. I wish I could protect us like Momma did.

  But Momma’s gone. It’s just Xander and I.

  Xander’s voice drags me back to reality, pulling me from the horrendous nightmare.

  “Our uncles will be pleased to know you actually showed up tonight.”

  I roll my eyes. “Oh, I’m sure they will be.”

  Out the corner of my eye, I watch Keira’s face absorb all she’s seeing. The paintings, the marble floor, the high ceilings, the chandelier, the glitz and glam—the part of my life she’s never seen.

  I keep a tight grip on her arm and pull her closer to my body. She nearly trips over her own feet, a gasp escaping her lips, but rights herself before doing so. Her heels clack against the flooring, echoing throughout the space. We walk through the foyer and straight into the open kitchen that leads to the garden.

  The place is lit up, just as it was when we were kids.

  I hear voices, two of which I know, and a few others I don’t.

  When we enter the room, the voices dwindle to nothing more than breat
h. All eyes move to Keira and watch as a soft blush creeps up her cheeks. She has no idea how beautiful she looks tonight. And she has no clue how much these evil fucking men are going to want her by the time the night is over.

  “Damon.” Uncle Dom, the man I’m partially named after, breaks the silence first. As he pushes from his chair to stand, the wood scrapes against the floor, causing Keira to jump. I ignore her tells and focus on the task at hand.

  Dom’s face is worn, a permanent expression of tired. When he smiles, it seems unnatural.

  “Uncle Dom.” I force a smile, letting him hug me.

  He pulls back and directs his attention to Keira. His eyes reflect hunger for something other than food as he drinks her in. The gun digging into my back reminds me I could easily shoot each and every one of these fucks in the head…just for looking at her.

  But I don’t…I won’t…at least not yet.

  “And you must be Keira.”

  She nods, nibbling on her bottom lip. She averts her eyes to the floor as if she’s submissive.

  “All this trouble over such a small little thing.” Dom shakes his head, as if he doesn’t understand.

  Well, he would, if he had a fucking heart.

  “Yes, Uncle. All this trouble over Damon refusing to let go of something he doesn’t actually own.”

  I clench my jaw. Dom must sense my hostility because a burst of laughter erupts from his throat as he slaps a hand on my back.

  “Now, now, boys. You can always share her. Hell, I remember a time when you shared everything. I’m sure she could survive at least one session with the two of you before you’d have to kill her.” I feel sick to my stomach, and I can practically see the horror appearing on Keira’s face. Now, she’s going to freak the fuck out and worry about me sharing her with my brother.

  She visibly shies away. Seeing her like this is worse than getting punched in the face. I look at her, hoping she remembers everything I’ve told her, willing her to trust the promises I made this morning instead of believing the words I speak now.