Filthy: A Mafia Romance

I’d spent my life trying to do things by the book and, with the exception of Cody, my happy little accident, I led a pretty normal, law-abiding life. And how had that helped me? It hadn’t. Instead, it had drawn the attention of dangerous and handsome Ethan, which in turn led me down the road to trading sex for protection and getting involved in a drug racket.

And the worst part of the whole thing was that storing drugs and sleeping with Ethan had done more for me than being a good little girl ever had.

I sighed and shook my head as I walked into the kitchen. Grabbing the kettle from the stove, I filled it up and then put it on the stove again, lighting the burner. While the water boiled, I grabbed a chamomile tea bag and dropped it into a mug. Then I waited.

Leaning against the counter, I watched the kettle with my chin rested in the palm of my hand. My mind wandered as I zoned out. How long could Cody really stay with Jessie? A weekend was one thing, but come Monday he’d come home. And what if I hadn’t figured out a solution yet? That man could come back and he could find me. Worse, he could find Cody. Then what? Would Ethan save Cody?

I laughed bitterly at that thought.

Ethan was a cocky bastard who took what he wanted and left the rest. I couldn’t imagine that he would give a damn about my son. He sure as hell didn’t seem to give a damn about me.

The kettle began to whistle and I moved from the counter to go to it, taking it off the heat. I turned off the burner, then began to pour the boiling water into my mug. I was reaching for the honey when I heard the loud banging on my door.

I jumped, the sudden noise in my otherwise quiet little place causing my heart to skip and my nerves to fray further. I let go of my mug and it crashed to the floor. Hot water and shards of glass spread out over the tiles.

I cursed. “Damnit!”

Carefully stepping over the shards, trying to keep glass out of my bare feet, I grabbed a towel and threw it over the mess. The knocking came again.

I thought about calling out that I’d be there in just a minute, but stopped before the words could leave my mouth. I didn’t know who it was. It could be some maniac with a gun for all I knew. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but there really were dangerous people out there and some of them were pretty okay with hurting me to get what they wanted.

So I cautiously stepped over the towel-covered mess and headed to the door. Moving as quietly as I could, I came to the door and looked through the peephole. I was floored when I saw who was standing on the other side.

Ethan.

I stared at him through the little hole for a while until he knocked again, making me jump in surprise once more. I debated telling him to just leave. It was the smart thing to do, yet I found myself reaching for the doorknob instead. I opened the door to reveal him in all his glory.

Tall, dark, handsome. Hair thick and dark, almost black in the dark outside. His jaw strong, his muscles cut from granite and displayed beneath the plain t-shirt he was wearing today. His pants were dark denim and hung just so off his trim hips. His eyes were dark as they looked at me, drawing me in even when I knew it was stupid.

Clearing my throat to bring myself back to the here and now—and to remind myself that he was a creep who wanted to use me as bait—I folded my arms across my chest. Instantly, I remembered that I was only wearing my large gray nightshirt, no bra, with panties underneath. “What do you want?” I managed to get out, keeping my tone cool and calm.

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut with a click of his teeth. He stood there silently, for once at a loss for words. I might have enjoyed the moment if I weren’t so angry with him still. And so hurt.

“Well?” I prompted.

“Can I come in?” he finally asked.

I raised my eyebrows at the question. He never asked for permission and it weirded me out a little that he was doing so now. Who the hell is this guy and what has he done with Ethan? I blamed my shock for leaving the door open for him to come in.

“What do you want, Ethan?” I asked him again, closing the door automatically once he was inside. I should have left it open, I thought, glancing at it. But I thought it would look too fearful if I opened it back up now, so I left it as it was.