Twisted Bonds (The Camorra Chronicles 4)

My vision sparked with stars, my muscles clenched, and I cried out, really cried out for the first time, losing control, and it was glorious.

“That’s number one,” Nino said in a low voice, kissing the inside of my thigh. “One of many.”

He stayed true to his promise. Before breakfast, Nino gave me several more orgasms with his tongue, fingers and cock, until I was completely sated and starving.

“That’s a great way to wake up,” I said with an embarrassed laugh as Nino led me into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for me. Despite his brief protest, I helped him. Because really, cooking wasn’t a chore for me.

“I have made plans for tonight. I arranged for the Chengdu to open exclusively for us so we can enjoy our food and the concert of your favorite piano player, without interruption.”

I almost dropped the whisk I’d used to beat the eggs for the French toast. “You got him to come to Vegas and play for us?”

Nino nodded as he cut mangos into accurate stripes.

I couldn’t move. Putting down the whisk, I wrapped my arms around Nino tightly then kissed his mouth. “That’s the best present I could imagine.”

“That’s what I thought,” Nino said with a knowing smile.

“You’re spoiling me.”

We’d had dinner at the Szechuan restaurant a few times since we’d been married and it had been spectacular every single time, and now that our food would be accompanied by beautiful music it could only be perfect.

Nino’s expression hardened briefly. “I give you what should have been yours all along—whatever you want.”

I shook my head, letting out a shuddering breath. With shaking hands, I returned to my task of scrambling the eggs. “You really need to stop making me so emotional.”

“No. I enjoy seeing happiness on your face. It’s as if I’m feeling it myself.”

There was really nothing I could say in return and so I only smiled.

CHAPTER 8

NINO

Remo had finally decided to send Serafina back after two months. If he’d acted according to our original plan, he’d long given her back, but with my brother plans always got ignored. Yet, this time, with Serafina, he should have listened to my advice for once. Things between them were progressing in a dangerous direction. He knew that as well as I did.

Sitting on the sofa, I took out my phone and dialed Luca’s number. Kiara was playing a new song, an erratic, moody melody. I wondered if it reflected her feelings about Remo’s decision to send Serafina back, but she should be relieved. After all, she’d been strongly averse to the kidnapping from the beginning.

“Nino, what do you want?”

Luca never bothered with pleasantries. He was lucky I’d convinced Remo that war with the Famiglia was the last thing we needed at the current time. “We have a present for you.”

Silence. “A present?” Suspicion rang in Luca’s voice.

“We’ll have Scuderi soon. Dante agreed to exchange him for his niece tomorrow.”

“Fuck. I can’t believe your insane plan actually worked. You and your brother are as cunning as you are crazy.”

My lips tightened. “I didn’t call to have my personality analyzed by you. I want to invite you and your brother, and for all I care even the Scuderi sisters, to join Fabiano in the dismemberment of Rocco Scuderi.”

“That’s a generous offer,” Luca said carefully. “What do you expect in return?”

I smiled, leaning back. “Nothing. At least, not at this point. But if we ever approach you and ask for a favor, we’d appreciate it if you remembered that we did this.”

“Right. I bet your kind of favors won’t be for the faint-hearted.”

“You aren’t faint-hearted.”

Luca huffed out a deep laugh. “I’ll have to talk to my brother. I’ll call you back in a couple of minutes.”

“Don’t take too long. You’ll need to fly over.”

“Don’t worry.” Luca hung up.

I put my phone down on my lap and watched Kiara as she played the same sequence for the third time, unhappy with her creation. The low haunted hums of the piano reverberated in my chest and when her fingers moved faster and the notes rang higher, sounding almost angry, my pulse spiked.

Every song Kiara created overflowed with emotions. Her eyes were closed, those dark lashes fluttering against her smooth skin. Like her music, Kiara was a piece of art, and always tore emotions from the darkest recesses of my soul.

Less than five minutes later, Luca called again, but I waited for the last note of Kiara’s song to fade before I bothered picking up. “Matteo and Romero are preparing everything for their flight. They’ll take part in Scuderi’s last hurrah.”

Surprise washed over me. “You won’t?”

“I hate the man and would certainly enjoy cutting off a few pieces of him, but my brother and Romero have a stronger incentive.”

“What about the Scuderi sisters?”

“Aria and Lily are too kind-hearted for that kind of thing, and Gianna can’t stand the sight of blood.”