Chapter One
Jimmy DePalmeretti
New York City, August 1979
She’s standing with a group of other teenage girls. She’s the only one eating a bright red popsicle. By eating, I mean seductively sucking on the tip of it like it’s my motherfucking cock. Like I’m the only one watching her little show. After a quick glance around, I am reasonably sure I am the only one. Make no mistake, she’ll only ever suck my cock. I can tell she’s a virgin from here. She looks innocent in her little white sundress and sandals. Her long brown hair sparkles in the sun. My cock hardens in my trousers and my obsession with her begins at this moment.
This tiny neighborhood in the Bronx is a world away from my modern high-rise building in Manhattan, but Joey “No Thumbs” Ricci owes me money. Well, owed me money. He’ll now be known as Joey “No Fingers” Ricci since he still couldn’t pay up. I took great pleasure in removing his fingers. After that, I cleared his debt. He’ll never work again and won’t be able to pay me anyhow. My limousine looks out of place here. Probably pretty intimidating, but I don’t give a fuck. I like the image it portrays.
“Rocco, stop the car,” I tell my driver and he immediately does so. I get out of the car and watch as the girls scatter. Correction, all but my girl scatters. She just continues eating her popsicle without a care in the world, all the while staring at me.
“Hey, mister, you’re blocking the sun,” she says. Her silky voice goes all through me.
“How old are you?” I demand. No woman has ever turned me on so much. I haven’t so much as looked at a woman in ten plus years, but for this one, I’d break all the goddamn rules for a just a chance to breathe the same air as her. Too busy building my empire. But I’d let it tumble to the ground for one taste of this girl.
“What’s it to ya?” she asks with so much attitude I want to spank her hard before fucking her even harder. She just stares at me, sucking on her popsicle.
“I need to know if I’m going to jail tonight, baby.” Her eyes widen.
“I’m eighteen. Who are you?”
“Jimmy DePalmeretti.” I can tell she’s heard of me because she drops her popsicle on the ground.
“My reputation precedes me, I see.”
“I gotta go,” she says, turning away from me.
“What’s the rush, baby?” I ask, grabbing her upper arm, making her face me. Fuck, her skin is so soft, so alluring.
“I don’t want to end up in the Hudson. Fuck. No offense.” She jumps a little when I laugh out loud. Dropping her arm, I step closer to her. Crowding her.
“Don’t you know that I’d never put my wife in the Hudson?”
“Well, aren’t you smooth?”
“Not really, baby.”
“I’m Giada Manero.” Well, fuck. This is definitely going to get me killed, but I have to risk it.
“Come to dinner with me. I know a little trattoria nearby.”
“Yeah? Okay, Jimmy.” She smiles up at me and my heart squeezes in my chest. Fuck, if that’s ever happened before. I hold out my hand to her and she takes it. I feel her little shiver though it’s damn near one hundred degrees out. I lead her to the car where she gracefully gets in. After getting in, I growl when I notice Rocco’s eyes in the rearview mirror are focused on my girl’s long, tanned legs. I snap my fingers at him.
“Rocco. Eyes front. Don’t ever let me catch you doing that again. Take us to Giuseppe’s.”
“Right away, boss.”
He pulls back out into traffic.
We sit side-by-side in silence for a few moments before she speaks up.
“Do you know that you have blood on your pants?” I look down at my thighs and see a couple of barely-there flecks of blood.
“On the job hazard, baby. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” I say stroking the backs of my fingers over her soft cheek. “Besides, no one is going to examine me like you just did. At least not that closely.”
“How about you don’t treat me like a stupid little girl, and we’ll get along great.”
“Oh, Giada. I know you aren’t a little girl, but you are a goddess to worship. Tell me I’m wrong? Tell me that you don’t want me to worship you and I’ll let you out of the car and send you back to your piece of shit daddy right now.” She nods. “Words, Giada. I want to hear you seal your fate.”
“Don’t let me out,” She breathes. She shakes her head and upturns her lips toward me. I descend on them with force. She moans and I deepen the kiss. Fuck dinner. She’s about to be my dessert. When I finally pull away from her sweet mouth, I have to catch my breath before speaking.