Mafia Temptation Book 2

LUCA

Luca tried to protest but found himself following his siren to the dance floor.

It was easy for him to find a rhythm with Hayley, and he secretly thanked Siobhan for the ballroom lessons she’d forced him and Marco to take as children.

“You’re not bad for a mobster.” Hayley chuckled as she wiggled her hips, and he dipped her low and brought her up to him so she was breathless against his chest.

“I’ve told you before, I’m a man of many talents,” he said as he moved to the rhythm, following a choreographed sequence as it came back to him.

“Oh, I know all about your talents,” Mr. Marcello,” she said as he turned her out, and at the pause she raised a naughty eyebrow. He laughed and turned her back into his arms.

“If you’re a good girl, maybe I’ll remind you of some of them,” he said gruffly into her ear. He could feel her shiver.

They continued to dance, laugh, and move to the rhythm of the mambo beat. She swiveled her hips with every step, and he put his hands all over her gorgeous body.

When the music finally ended, he kissed her lightly. It all felt so natural. Hayley was asked to dance by Sal, and after that, by various others.

As she danced, Luca kept a watchful eye on her as he played card games with anyone who cared to join him.

He was talking with some of the older Altera men when his phone vibrated with a text from an unknown number.

Luca sighed. That was the day after tomorrow—an ending was in sight.

He deleted the message and excused himself from the table, passing Hayley, who was bopping to the music with little Sam on her hip.

HAYLEY

Hayley didn’t notice Luca was gone until the song ended and she let Sam down to run to his uncle Frankie.

Elena told her she’d seen him go into the side room, so Hayley walked down the hallway toward the room.

“Genovese?” she heard Luca say when she was about to go in.

She stopped, her heart racing. Matteo Genovese was here?

“It’s Marcello.”

Hayley gave a silent sigh of relief; he must be on the phone.

A part of her knew she shouldn’t be listening, and she tried to tell herself to walk away—she can’t know what she can’t hear—but something made her stay put.

“The meeting with Borroni is all set. Hernandez is meeting him at 11:50 p.m. on the first. He’ll text me a location tomorrow. At 11:55 p.m., we attack.”

Hayley gasped a little and immediately covered her mouth. She didn’t want to know any more, so she crept quietly back to the main room.

Luca was planning an attack on Borroni—but wasn’t that foolish? Wouldn’t Detective Blake use that to strike?

LUCA

“Boss?” Frankie entered the room right after Luca got off the phone with Matteo, and Nic followed after, closing the door behind him. “Was that the instruction?”

“Yep. Borroni is going to be at the meeting location at 11:50 p.m. on the thirtieth, armed and ready.” Luca slipped his phone into his pocket. “Let all our men know about the attack so our rats tell Marino. Let him come to us.”

Frankie and Nic nodded at his plan. The stage was set; now it was just a waiting game.

He headed back out to look for Hayley and found her talking with Frankie’s sisters. “Baby? Ready to go?” he asked her, and she nodded before saying goodbye to everyone at the table.

Luca kept her tucked into his side as they said goodbye to Sal and Maria and thanked them, then walked to the car. A young driver took them home so Nic and Frankie could stay at the restaurant longer.

They were practically alone when they got home.

“Now,” Luca said in a low growl as he picked her up. “Let me demonstrate my many talents.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and giggled. “I can’t wait.”

He grinned as he carried her up the stairs and kissed her as he kicked open the bedroom door.

He was going to give Hayley a first Thanksgiving she would never forget.

***

Luca wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped in the warmth of his bed and Hayley. But, like every morning, he had places to be, people to see, and plans to make.

Hayley slept deeply, so he could easily get up, shower, and dress without disturbing her.

His home was all abuzz, as his men were preparing for the battle tomorrow night. Nic and Frankie were in the camera room.

“Where are we at with the planning?” Luca asked as he sat in the seat Frankie just vacated.

“Everything’s going to plan. Toby Sanchez says Detective Blake knows about the meet,” Nic replied.

“Already?” He was surprised Marino had found out so fast.

“Yeah, Toby is going to keep his ear to the ground, find out the detective’s numbers.”

Luca nodded as he looked at the monitor that had his room on display. Hayley still looked fast asleep.

“And the second part of your plan?” Frankie asked darkly from behind him, and Luca sighed.

It was all for her, the second part.

“I can’t let the attack on the club and the murder of two innocents go.” Luca didn’t usually bother avenging innocents—they were collateral damage—but Hayley cared about those guys, so for once, he did too.

“You’re prepared for the fallout?” Nic asked.

Luca nodded. He was prepared for it.

“I’m behind you, Boss. Borroni has this coming,” Frankie hissed.

“We take out Marino, then alliance or no alliance, we take our revenge.” He’d promised her vengeance, and vengeance she would get.

“C’mon, Frankie, we have places to be. Nic, stay here and keep an eye on things.”

And by things, he meant Hayley.

HAYLEY

Hayley woke up stiff and sore, but smiling. Luca had certainly made sure she wouldn’t forget last night in a hurry.

As she washed and dressed for work, she deliberately ignored the burner phone. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Detective Blake. She had to protect Luca. But how?

Nic kindly drove her to the Dublin, and she immediately started cleaning—her way of dealing with stress. But it also helped her think things through.

She needed Luca safe. Could she convince him not to attack Borroni? Could she get him to stay away?

“You ignoring the detective?”

She dropped the glass she was cleaning and wheeled around to face Max.

“What the hell? Keep your voice down!” she hissed, but he just chuckled.

“Calm down. We’re alone, the cameras are off, and the door is locked.” He walked closer to her, and she stepped back, bumping into the bar.

“Get out.”

“You’re not in a position to make demands, little girl.”

She clenched her hands into fists.

“What’s going down tomorrow?” he asked, getting right in her face. “How many men does Luca have going? Who is Borroni meeting?”

Hayley said nothing, and his nostrils flared.

“Listen, you stupid bitch! He needs you to cooperate fully, do you understand?”

As much as she wanted to bite back, she remained silent.

Max struck her sharply across the face, hitting her with such force she fell to the floor, knocking the glasses off the bar top as she did.

Not giving her a chance to react, he grabbed her hair and pulled her up. She cried out in pain.

He threw her against the bar again and grabbed her throat, managing to grab her knife from her pocket at the same time and tossing it to the ground.

Panic flooded her—she couldn’t breathe!

His face was blurry and his words were muffled, like she was underwater. He was ranting and raving about something, but she couldn’t hear him. She could feel herself getting hotter, lightheaded…

No! She refused to die like this. She used a hand to feel around for something, anything.

Her eyelids were slipping as he squeezed harder—his anger was taking over and she was losing the battle. But she wasn’t prepared to die, not today. It was then she felt something.

A champagne bottle!

She grabbed it and, with all the force she could muster, smashed it against Max’s head, champagne and shards of glass going everywhere.

His grip on her neck disappeared and she fell to her knees, coughing and spluttering and wheezing.

Her arms had cuts from the glass, and she put her hand to her neck as she sucked in deep, heavy breaths.

She made herself look down at Max. He was totally out. She should feel guilty, but she didn’t—she was relieved. She was glad he was unconscious.

She glanced between him and the knife he’d taken from her pocket, and a dark part of her yearned to pick up the knife and cut his throat.

Then he wouldn’t be able to talk, couldn’t tell his tales about Luca.

He’d attacked her first. And he was the one who’d conned her into thinking he was dead, forcing her into this agreement with Detective Blake.

But as much as she wanted to, as much as killing Max would end some of Luca’s troubles, she couldn’t do it. She simply wasn’t a murderer. Yes, she’d hit him, but it was either him or her.

Shakily, she grabbed a stool and pulled herself up from the wet, glass-covered floor.