Sinful Kisses by Emily Bowie

CHAPTER 20

Her eyes are wide and red-rimmed. I wait for her to move away from my touch, knowing she now remembers. Her memory is back, and I’m not her chosen one. I have no doubt she’ll be like everyone else in my life who’s let me down. It’s why I have to do what I’m about to do.

Any moment, she will demand that I take her to that fucking pussy, Alfonso. I won’t. If she needs to hate me, so be it. “Your memory is back.” I wait for her rejection, feeling my lips curl with annoyance.

She sucks in a breath, not denying my statement. My eyes fall to her bruising skin. Rage begins to boil through my veins that someone would hurt her.

“What’s it going to be, Gia?”

She sits silently, the tension stretching between us. Her eyes are glaring back at me.

“What have I done?” she says, her hands going to cover her mouth. I weigh my options as I look her over. For me to rise in the ranks, I have to step up my game. The problem is, I’m not sure what that game is any longer and how she fits into it.

“You’re not going back,” I say coldly.

She flinches. And her feet move her farther away from me. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. Looks like Gia will soon be introduced to the real me. She’ll learn the rumors about me are true. I’m ruthless with zero heart.

I could as easily kill her before she can backstab me. The thought of having Nicoli begging at my feet is appealing. But the idea of hurting her causes my stomach to twist unnaturally. I give her a small nod. No matter what later holds, we need each other right now.

I press my gun to her head, and she inhales sharply. “You are now mine, my pet.” The statement easily slides off my tongue, and it’s the truth. “Up.”

She rises with a tremble, but her pride has her keeping her head up. I expect her to beg to be let go. To cry about not wanting to die. I don’t expect her to attempt to be strong.

Max rounds the corner outside and sees the dead body. He looks at me, then at Gia with a chuckle before winking at her and slapping me on the shoulder.

“You have a horrible sense of humor,” she murmurs.

I’m not sure if she’s talking to me or my brother. It annoys me she’s trying to talk to him like they are friends.

I push my gun harder into her, and she walks into the building, following Max. “Let’s get this straight. Max is not your friend. Don’t talk to him.”

My men sit around a table, playing poker. They look up, and their game pauses. I give each of them a look, daring them to say anything.

“We got a problem?” I ask, and Gia stiffens beside me.

“That depends.”

I eye Vincent. “Oh yeah?”

“Do I get a turn after?”

I pull her into me by her waist. “She’s with me. Once I’m done, there will be nothing left of her.” My fingers itch to punch him in the face, to wipe that fucking look off his face. I’ve never claimed a woman before. My heart is beating hard with thunderous momentum, making this feel too much like I am doing just that. This is anything but.

“That’s all I need to know,” Vincent responds.

“Where did Enso go?” another of my men asks.

No point in me hiding that I shot my cousin. “He touched what’s mine.” The room hushes. I tilt my chin up, daring anyone to make a big deal out of it.

I’ve had enough of everyone staring at me and tug Gia down the hall to toss her into a room before locking her in it.

When I return, everyone is back to their poker game. I take out my knife, brushing my thumb over the blade. It’s light enough it pulls at my skin without cutting it.

There’s a commotion outside before we watch Gia’s brother Luca walk through the doors. He has a little blood on his lip. Our guy on the lookout is nowhere to be seen. I guess that puts the body count to two today.

“Romeo.” He nods, and his best friend Vinny stands behind him now.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“We need a sit-down.”

“Now why is that?” Luca and I have never gotten along.

“I know you have Gia. Not only that, but I think you’re playing at two sides.”

“Now what two sides are those?”

“Why do the Campisis think we placed your father’s head on their doorstep?”

“You were the one to kill him, weren’t you?”

Luca refuses to admit anything. Killing a made man is bad business. If someone like him were to ignore rules, others might follow as well.

“What do you want?” Luca asks.

He’s not desperate enough to have this conversation yet.

“I thought you and Coy have a special bond, considering you both shared the same woman.”

Luca steps forward, ready to rip my head off, when Vinny holds him back. “Soon as I have her back alive, you’re a dead man.”

“Tell Nicoli I say hello. I’ll be in touch with him soon.” I glide my thumb over my blade. “Luca. If you come to me unannounced again, you won’t have a sister anymore.”

Luca pulls his gun out. He could shoot me in the forehead before any of these assholes fire their guns. The rest of the room is on their feet as I stay sitting. Luca has six guns on him, I have two on me. Either way, if he shoots, he’s not getting out of here alive either.

I smile at him, enjoying that Gia is only a few feet from him and he has no idea. My skin prickles with an awareness that she’s close.

“Get the fuck out.” My molars grind against each other as my jaw strains with resentment.

“I’m going to enjoy killing you, Romeo.” He stares me in the eyes, his call of death. It doesn’t scare me. Nothing does anymore. When you strip a man of everything, what else does he have to live for?

“Something to look forward to then.”

He has a fire in his eyes that wants to be let loose. He would love nothing more than to kill me right now. The only thing keeping me alive is that he still has no idea where Gia is.

I tilt my head and smile at the hidden camera. I have no doubt Gia is watching our exchange right now. I wonder what she’s thinking.

Luca taps on the doorframe and pauses. He’s becoming tiring. Just leave already. “Let Gia know Katrina lived.”

I grunt. “You had a funeral.”

“Did we?” He tilts his head, watching me.

I thought they did.But did anyone actually see the funeral? Her thinking she died is probably the only reason why she didn’t fight me.

“If I see her, I’ll let her know.”

“You do that.” His tone says he doesn’t believe me. He and his buddy leave.

My eyes dart to the camera, blowing her a kiss. She can’t hear any of our exchanges.

I should havefought harder to leave. Once my memories came back, I should have left, ran away. Instead, I stayed. I wanted to stay. I wasn’t ready to leave that smelly farm or Romeo.

Seeing my brother on the small screen before me has my anxiety spiking. It should relieve me that he’s here. My fists should be red and swollen from pounding at the door.

I’m torn between the two men on display. I watch them pull their guns on each other. My fingers pinch under my thigh, not wanting either of them hurt. I wait for my brother to hand something over to Romeo in my exchange. Neither of them moves. Romeo is sitting relaxed, looking unbothered by my brother. He’s glaring at him in the same way he glared at me.

A deep breath rushes through my lips. La famiglia protegge la famiglia. Family protects family. I need to go home. I need to face the firestorm I’ve created.

My feet still don’t move toward the door. I just need to yell, and everyone will hear me. I don’t open my mouth.

The other room is in a standoff with nothing happening. Luca walks away, confusing me. When his back turns, Romeo blows me a kiss. He knew I would be watching. This exchange was for him to prove to me he has the power. My hands run through my hair as I realize I allowed my one chance to escape to slip by.

I should have no loyalty to Romeo. I’m a pawn in his game. Frantically, I look for something to stun Romeo with. I can catch up to my brother. There’s still time.