Tempted by the Sinner

Colleen stood across from me, arms crossed. We stood in silence for a second and I wondered if she was just going to leave the bar unmanned downstairs. But then again, if this really was a place owned by the mafia, nobody was stupid enough to try to steal from them.

“Can I ask you something?” she said after a few tense seconds.

“Sure,” I said. “What’s up?”

“I don’t know how to say this without sounding crazy, but, uh, are you in trouble?”

I blinked then shook my head. “No, uh, I don’t think so,” I said.

She leaned a little closer. “You can tell me if you are,” she said.

“No, Vince’s actually been really nice to me,” I said. “I mean, he’s a dick, and he’s a mafia guy, but whatever. I’m with him because I want to be.”

She let out a breath and seemed relieved.

“Got it,” she said. “You just look too… nice to be dating a guy like him.”

“Oh, wait, no, you got it wrong,” I said, holding up my hands. “We’re not dating.”

“You’re not?”

“No, God, no, I’m a journalist. He’s just… my subject.”

She looked surprised. “You’re a journalist? Really?”

“Really,” I said. “Freelance mostly, but I get a lot of gigs from the Inquirer. I’m hoping this little profile on Vince will land me a real job.”

I didn’t know why I was telling her that, but she had the kind of open and honest face that made me want to spill my guts. I’d give anything for a face like that in my line of work.

“Huh,” she said. “I’m honestly surprised Vincent would drag a journalist around with him.”

“We have an arrangement,” I said.

The smile slipped back onto her lips. “What kind of arrangement?”

“Not what you’re thinking,” I said, clenching my jaw. “Just a professional one.”

“Well, whatever you say.” She laughed and stretched. “I remember when I first met Steven, I hated his guts. He shot me, did you know that?”

I barked a laugh then stopped when I realized she wasn’t kidding. “He shot you?”

“Well, one of his guys did, I think,” she said. “Still got the scar on my shoulder. He brought me back to his place, nursed me to health, and sort of… kept me.”

“So he kidnapped you.”

She grimaced. “Not exactly. My uncle was the head of the Celtic Club at the time.”

“Oh,” I said. “Dante mentioned them.”

“You met Dante?”

“Oh, yeah, at the bakery.”

She tilted her head. “Vince’s really showing you around, huh.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Lucky you.” She sighed a little. “Anyway, he sort of kidnapped me at first, but then it turned into a lot more than that after a while.”

I looked over at the door, toward the room where Vince was speaking with her husband.

“That’s not happening here,” I said.

“I’m sure,” she said and smiled. “But if you really don’t want that, be careful. Vince’s not such a bad guy, at least based on all the stories I’ve heard.”

“He’s not terrible,” I said. “But he’s not my type. I tend to go for guys that aren’t hardened criminals.”

“That’s what I thought too, but then Steven came along and changed my mind.” She laughed and shook her head. “Anyway, sorry, I know I’m just some random stranger trying to give you advice. You don’t have to listen to me.”

I shrugged a little. “I mean, while we’re talking, what do you know about Vince?”

“Just that he’s loyal,” she said. “Always loyal to his friends. Steven knew him back in the day, and he always says Vince was the best of them, loyal to a fault. So if you’re going to fall in love, he’s not a bad one to choose.”

“I’m not falling in love,” I said.

She laughed again just as the door opened. Vince stood in the doorway and gestured at me.

“Come up if you want,” he said. “Steven said it’s okay.”

“Well, guess that’s my cue,” Colleen said. “I was just warning Mona here to be careful around you.”

Vince smirked at her. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because she’s clearly starting to have a thing for you and you mafia guys are all a bunch of dangerous assholes.” She grinned at me then headed downstairs.

I stared after her then felt my cheeks turning red. I looked up at Vince and he grinned like mad at me.

“Don’t,” I said.

“You got a thing for me?”

“Not even a little bit.” I shook my head. “She’s just remembering her own story.”

“Yeah, I bet,” he said then took a step down toward me. “Come on, little Mona. You can admit that you want me, it won’t be so bad. I’ll take good care of you.”

I shook my head and pushed him away. “Keep this up and I’ll make you a short, fat bald man in my story.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” he said then grabbed my hand and pulled me up toward him. I stumbled but he caught me, his other hand on my lower back. I felt his hard body against mine and took a deep breath, my breasts pressing against his abs. He was warm and big, and I really did feel small in his arms.