Black Hearted (The Margarelli Brothers 1)

Something was very, very wrong.

“Follow her,” I barked as we turned the corner just in time to see her being patted down by a burly man, his gun showing as he lifted his arms. Then she bundled herself into the back of a car. It wasn’t one I recognized. In fact, I had the distinct feeling that it wasn’t her car at all.

I knew in my bones that Francesca was in serious trouble. It was crystal clear. I cursed myself for not having seen it before.

I could see her through the open window as the car pulled away and turned the corner.

Oh, yes. She was definitely in trouble. The kind that she couldn’t get herself out of on her own.

“Goddammit. Make sure both teams flank her. We can’t lose them.”

“On it,” came the reply. I’d hired a private investigation and security team to watch her. It was owned by Cain, the head of the Untouchables MC. Like the Margarellis, they were trying to go clean. They might not deal in guns and drugs anymore, but having someone who both understood military tactics and was not afraid to bend the law came in extremely handy.

Plus, I trusted Cain and some of those bikers more than anyone outside my own immediate family.

With my guys and Cain’s team watching her, there was no way she would get away. Not this time. I cursed again, wishing I’d hired them to begin with. I’d just never imagined one small woman would be so hard to pin down.

The thought of actually pinning her down sent a jolt of lust through me, even as my gut tightened with worry.

“Heading to the edge of town,” Cain’s voice rumbled. I cursed under my breath. I had noticed the direction we were heading. But I kept hoping we would turn before the waterfront.

“Salerno territory, Boss.”

“Fuck, Tiny. What the hell has she gotten herself into?”

“Nothing good,” the big man replied.

Neither of us laughed.

Francesca had been married to the current head of the Salernos. It was an arranged marriage. The kind intended to create dynasties.

I knew the marriage had ended, but I didn’t know why. I also knew her ex was a crazy sonofabitch, the kind of maniac who would do something so far out of left field, there was no way to plan ahead in any interaction with him. He was just as likely to hand you a beer as he was to shoot your foot off.

We had to leave the cars on the outskirts of the industrial area. The port and docks were shared by the five families, but the abandoned warehouses further down the coast outside the city were owned by the Salernos. Other families used them from time to time, but only with permission.

It was an excellent place to bring in illegal shipments of guns, drugs, and God only knew what. It was also an excellent fucking place to commit mayhem and murder.

Or threaten someone. Or blackmail them. Or hurt them.

Not on my watch, goddammit. No one hurts Francesca. Not ever.

I did not want to believe it but I could not think of a single other reason for someone to bring her here. I wanted to scream in rage and fury as I ran through the quiet alleys between buildings. I turned a corner and felt a hand grab my shoulder. I turned, ready to fight.

But it was Cain. He held his hands up immediately.

“They’ll see you if you go in through the front.”

“I don’t fucking care,” I snarled. But then I exhaled, closed my eyes, and nodded. When I looked at him again, Cain had an odd look on his face.

“You love her.”

“She is mine. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

“We won’t let them hurt her.”

“How the fuck can we protect her from out here?”

“I have guys already in the building next door, and several are climbing the façade.”

“I should be there.”

“We can’t risk you, Boss,” Tiny said in a slightly plaintive whine. I gave him a hard look. He knew better than to gainsay me, so I knew he must be worried.

“How do I get in?” I demanded. “Show me.”

Cain nodded and bent low, indicating that I should follow him. We ran in a low crouch, several of his men bringing up the rear. We were there quickly, flat against the building they had taken Francesca into.

There was a cargo bay on the riverside. The doors were ajar. Cain’s team checked it out and then waved me in. I thanked God that I’d been running and hitting the gym regularly. Hell, since Francesca came back into my life, I was working out almost constantly. It didn’t do much to take the edge off my hunger for her, but it helped a little bit.

We were silent as we waited for his team to canvass the first floor. These guys were all ex-military and it showed. They didn’t dally, which was a good thing since I was ready to crawl out of my fucking skin. I followed their lead as Cain and I took a staircase to the second floor. We paused there, hearing voices. Then we split up, moving quietly and carefully in opposite directions.