Seduced by the Mafia Boss (Forbidden Confessions 8)

“All three of us?” Sammie sounds shocked. “Is that what you meant by two-on-one?”

Ridge turns to me. “Is she sheltered or something?”

I elbow him in the ribs—then start moving the covers. “She’s young. Focus. What then?”

Sammie joins in.

He hesitates. “If it weren’t a fucking Saturday night, the crowd would already be thinned out and Donzelli would be kicking back. But on a night like this, he might pause for some fun, but he doesn’t usually get far from the pulse of the action.”

“Won’t Sal and Rudy wake up?”

“Not soon enough to be a problem.”

“And Paulie?”

“Sulking at home like a bitch.”

“How do you know everyone’s names?” Sammie asks me, still agitating the covers with her feet while I do the same.

“I wish I didn’t.” I glance at Ridge. “Anyone else who could make this difficult?”

“Nah, Donzelli has lots of guys here, but I outrank them. They don’t dare question me.”

“How did you get mixed up in all this?”

“Fuck. I wondered when you’d ask.” He sighs. “Shortly after this sex ring started, a mobster named Luca Antonelli, who was Donzelli’s right hand, decided the organization had gone too far. He agreed to talk in exchange for immunity. But he already knew the local feds were lining their pockets with Donzelli’s money, so he went further up the food chain. The boys in DC knew they had to bypass the suits here in Vegas…so enter Ransom and me. We do the jobs too dirty for Uncle Sam.”

“You’re helping law enforcement?”

“In this shit hole, we’re replacing them. I’m deep undercover. First, Luca introduced me as his nephew who had recently earned a Harvard MBA and wanted to go where the real money was. He talked me up to Donzelli, Sal, and the rest, until they finally let me in. Then, when I seemed to be on decent footing with everyone, we staged Luca’s death. The feds supposedly shot him, then the building he was holed inside ‘accidentally’ caught on fire. The ME faked the match to Luca’s dental records. The mobster had a new identity and was in another state a few hours later, and Donzelli made me one of the family…but my investigation still wasn’t moving fast enough. So Ransom came on the scene recently, posing as a competitor while we worked together to gather information on their clients and evidence about their methods.”

Ridge could have been discovered and killed at any time.

“Oh, my god.” I really had no idea the lengths he’s gone to in order to bring this criminal organization down. “You’ve risked your life over and over.”

“Yeah, and I’d do it again. These guys are animals, and they deserve everything that’s coming to them. But I never meant to risk you.” Ridge turns to me, then wraps his arm around me, murmuring in my ear. “I’m sorry about New Year’s. I lied like a motherfucker to get free of Donzelli so I could attend Rush and Sophie’s wedding. I saw you and I knew I should walk away, but I couldn’t. I definitely never expected to fall for you that night. When you started calling, I didn’t want to give you any other reason to get attached until I was free to be with you, but I’ve been trying to clean up this shit since the moment your hotel room door closed behind me. Sammie, close your ears.”

“But it’s just getting good,” she protests.

“Young lady…” I do my best impression of her mom because I’m dying to hear what Ridge has to say.

She huffs. “Fine.”

When her hands are pressed over her ears, Ridge pulls me closer. “I only ever meant to make you feel good. I told myself I would spend one night with you—no more—then I’d let you go. But by morning…I couldn’t. I didn’t intend to get you pregnant, Little Red. It’s shitty timing, but I don’t regret a thing. I know it’s asking a lot, but please don’t regret it, either.”

“You mean, if we get out of this alive and in one piece? We have a lot to work on, Ridge. I don’t live in Vegas. I don’t have a job here. And no matter how good the sex is, I can’t live with someone who might disappear one day to go undercover for a few years, especially once we have kids.”

“I know. I’m working on all that. I promise, we’ll figure it out. But…you’ve got to admit, the sex is amazing.”

“Ugh, I don’t want to hear this,” Sammie grumbles.

Ridge and I both laugh. This is the most terrifying, odd, surreal, what-the-hell situation I’ve ever been in. But I’m with Ridge. Weirdly, I feel as if I’m where I belong.

I cuddle against him. “It is. Get us out of here, then ask me to marry you.”

“And you’ll say yes?” He grins beside me in the dark. “Deal.”

Ridge

I don’t know what time it is when the buzzing of the phone on the battered desk across the room jars me awake.