Resurrection (The Vendetta Series Book 1) Read online

  Angelo

  Women are like fine wine, you want them smooth to the taste but not potent enough to make you lose your wits and reason. I’ve grown bored with the same familiar taste. I needed someone with enough complexity to fascinate me. Brie Morgan was all of that.

  She has starred in my dirty fantasies since I first locked eyes on her outside Birra Tavern in Boston. I had been watching her for months, I learned her routines, where she lived, the classes she took. The only thing I didn’t know about her was how she tasted. In my mind, I had tangled her unbound curls around my fingertips and devoured the soft curves of her lips, many times.

  If you drop enough dime in these clubs, you can get anything you want. Tonight, that was her, wrapped up for me in that skin tight dress like a present. It only took slipping the VIP Greeter a hundred-dollar bill to get her fast tracked through the line and right into my arms. Her perfume was more intoxicating than the vodka and the way her body fit with mine sent my libido into overdrive. She may be the challenge I’ve been seeking. The taste of her on my lips was better than wine, it was like a drug and I was chasing my next high.

  The campfire scent of a Toscano cigar invaded my nose alerting me to his presence before I could see him. I scanned the area and spotted him among the shadows in the alley. I’ve been ignoring his calls all night; if he’s here, something big must be about to go down. Sending her away was a dagger to the heart, but she’s not ready for my world yet.

  The heat drained from my body the instant the car sped off with her inside. I slipped into the shadows to face him as Franco and Xander stood guard. I studied the old man's steeled expression. A glow of flames illuminated the age lines on his face as he pulled on the cigar teetering between his pursed lips. He stood silent, his hardened eyes just watching. My heart thumped so loud that I was certain he could hear it. I dared to ignore Carmine. I knew better than to question his authority, no matter the reason.

  “Che palle! Tell me a puttana isn’t why you are ignoring me?” He said peppered with bits of Italian.

  “Of course not, what use do I have for her?” The words stung my tongue like I swallowed acid. In my world, it was important to know who would follow you into the fire and who to cut loose when they no longer served a purpose. I couldn’t be sure which one she would be.

  His eyes questioned my words as he studied my face looking for signs of a tell. “Figlio, you have eyes on you.” His words were like a sucker punch to my gut. This could not be happening right now. “You must leave subito until this blows over.”

  “Now? Carmine, I will not run and hide. I have a meet tomorrow that could lead to a significant score.”

  Silence lingered in the air smothering the white puffs of cigar smoke that hovered over our heads. “Set things in motion and be on that plane il prima possibile. Lorenzo will funnel up your earnings until it’s safe for you to return.”

  Carmine didn’t make it to his age as head of the family by allowing his captains to question a direct order. I had two choices, obey or be eliminated. I chose the first and nodded my acceptance. That didn’t mean I had to cower to the old man. I stood firm, watching him return to the tinted Lincoln Continental, and its tail lights fade in the distance.

  Lorenzo, a high ranking soldier in the Philadelphia crew was a loose cannon. The Philly crew turned a sharp profit dealing in illicit club drugs but Lorenzo’s glassy eyes and unsteady mood swings was all the evidence needed to know he used as much as he sold. It was sometimes necessary for our crews to join forces especially in a city like Miami where we could both turn a hefty profit. He was not my responsibility but if he was stepping into my territory then he became my problem. When this is over, I will have to decide on a strategy to neutralize his reign. Until then I had to trust my men to keep up appearances and keep him at arm's length.

  I emerged from the alley, rounding the wall Franco my first in command and Xander a loyal soldier, had made with their massive bodies to shield us from view. Their oaths kept them from asking the question I knew was on their minds. I expected unwavering loyalty from my crew and that meant not leaving my top guys in the dark.

  “Fucking Feds.”

  “Shit Boss. We need to scrap the meet tomorrow,” Franco said keeping pace as we walked toward our hotel. Xander fell in line behind us without a word.

  “No. If we change the location to somewhere public, we can use the girls as a distraction.”

  Franco’s eyebrow rose in confusion, “The girls from tonight? After that send off?”

  “Don’t underestimate my skills of seduction. I have her right where I want her.”

  “With all due respect Boss, is this a date or a cover?”

  “Both. We can slip away long enough to make the meet and be back before they even notice.”

  It was a win, win for me. Her beauty beguiled me. I was not leaving before I found out how sweet the rest of her tasted. The thought of my tongue between her moist thighs had my dick tightening in a painful hard-on. Every muscle in my body corded with pent up tension.

  We made our way across the now desolate street as the club lights faded to black up and down the strip when I spotted the new bane of my existence, Lorenzo, walking towards us. As I watched him getting closer the image of his dick pressed against Brie’s ass flashed in front of my eyes. Carmine’s orders to place him in charge of my rackets fueled the rage. My clenched fist stung from a lack of blood supply. The fire burning within me erupted like a volcano with my knuckles cracking against the bones in his face.

  “What the fuck was that for?” Blood oozed from his nose splattering down the front of his white shirt.

  “For starters, hitting me in the fucking face earlier, dick!”

  “Damn man, I was just trying to make it look good so she wouldn’t see right through that stunt.”

  “Fuck you Lorenzo. Stay clear, I don’t want her to see us together. Am I understood?”

  He may be temporarily overseeing my rackets but our circles were worlds apart. I enjoyed life in the fast lane and my earnings rolled in as quick as chrome rims on luxury vehicles could move. Not only did I outrank him, my earnings yielded me more power and I would not relinquish that control.

  Chapter 3

  Brie

  I let out a low grumble as the afternoon sun shined through the open curtains bathing me in its warm embrace. I snuggled deeper into the comforter and buried my head under the pillow, refusing to wake up if it meant realizing last night was just a dream.

  It was the first time I ever experienced such raw passion before. I’m certainly not innocent but logic usually controlled my brain. My mind was my own worst enemy, always in my way. That certainly wasn’t the case last night. His Emerald green eyes entranced me with just one look. Hypnotized. My brain ceased to function as soon as we touched. I could still smell him on my skin, taste him on my lips, feel him inside of me. Just thinking of his pulsing muscles pressed against me, one muscle in particular, made me squirm.

  I squeezed my eyelids tighter to block out the throbbing in my head. Oh god did my head hurt. It wasn’t a dream, it was real. Real, hot, alcohol induced lust.

  “Good morning slut! Welcome back to the land of the living,” Bethany teased, bouncing on the bed, “Are we ashamed or hungover?”

  “Both,” I replied.

  Leave it to Bethany to be so damn chipper. I swear she is a marvel. She drank as much as I did but you would never know it by looking at her.

  “So you screwed a total stranger and got sent packing. Who cares? If he fucks as good as he looks, then more power to ya!”

  That’s why I loved this girl. She had a way of putting things in perspective.

  “It’s our last day of vacation and we are not spending it in this room. Now get up and put on your swimsuit. Beach or Pool?”

  I let out a long sigh and emerged from my cocoon, “Pool.”

  As the day wore on, the sun climbed higher, the rising temperature baked my skin. I dabbed away tiny beads of sweat forming aro
und my hairline as chlorine vapors embed in my nose. Even behind the dark tinted sunglasses the brightness burned my already bloodshot eyes begging me to keep them closed. It was all I could do to pry them open when I heard Bethany scream followed by a loud splash and waves lapping at the tiled edges of the infinity pool.

  The sight of her floundering around in a fit of fury and hysterics, as Franco reached down to help her out, was enough to make me laugh. In a huff, I squeezed my eyes shut to shield them from the brightness, angry with myself for hoping Angelo was there too. When a shadow eclipsed the sun's rays over me, my heart skipped a beat. I could sense Angelo standing over me, his eyes burning my skin. I thought about the way he dismissed me and my body heated even more with anger. How dare he show up here like it didn’t matter.

  Leaning forward into his shadow I tipped the sunglasses downward in a true Primadonna move that was more Bethany’s style than my own. Even in the natural light of day he took my breath away. The sun sparkled in his green eyes. The corners of his mouth tugged upward in a smug grin.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked leaning back against the recliner, watching the smirk fade from his face.

  “I can't get you out of my head. I had to see you.”

  “Well you’ve seen me. If you don’t mind your blocking the sun.” I had every right to be mad. I wanted to play the game not get played by the player. Everything about him screamed he was a master at this game but maybe I could reverse the role. The Vadge held more power than I ever realized.

  “I’m sorry Bella, something came up that required my attention. I’ll make it up to you.”

  “What could possibly be so important at 4 o'clock in the morning?”

  “Does it matter?” His voice raised an octave and his sultry tone hardened. I may have pushed too far, but I would not give in so easily.

  “I guess it does. You may be used to having girls fall all over you but let me tell you…” my argument was stifled by his tongue taking control of my mouth and the spark I fought to ignite raged into full flames. Heat, anger and desire exploded through my body all at once.

  Chapter 4

  Brie

  I shot back a whiskey on the rocks and drummed my fingertips against the hotel bar. The minutes ticked away. Everything was riding on this meet and with the Feds eyeing me, I couldn’t afford any mistakes. Normally, Xander would scope out the venue but I sent him on a decoy job to keep Lorenzo out of sight. It was risky to bring the girls with us, but I had less than twenty-four hours to put my plan into action before getting on that plane for wherever Carmine was sending me and I had to see my Mia Bella.

  I tried to ignore the bartender wiping down the bar in front of me for the fifth time since I sat down. Her eyes looked me up and down. I’m sure she thought the erection in my pants was for her. She was a fine piece of ass and before last night that would have been enough for me to take her into the backroom and bend her over a beer keg. Now, everything had changed. I could only imagine one woman’s mouth wrapped around my cock. What the fuck was taking them so long?

  “Boss, checking your watch every five minutes will not get them here any sooner. You know how girls are. I’m texting Bethany to hurry the fuck up,” Franco said already tapping away at the keyboard on his cellphone.

  My frustration had reached its boiling point when his phone chimed with a new text. He nodded toward the door as the girls made their way over to us. Damn. Looking at her in painted on shorts and that piece of black lace disguised as a shirt had me ready to explode. In one fluid motion I pulled her close and spun her around so her ass was perched on top of the bar. My chest pressed against her barely covered tits and my cock throbbed against her warm center as I bit her lower lip. She had her hair twisted up in the back and gold hoops dangling from her ears. There was so much luscious skin to taste. This woman would be my undoing. When she was around my surroundings faded away and time stood still. In my line of work that kind of distraction could have deadly repercussions. I had to fight the urge to take her right there and focus on the task at hand; my meet with Officer Salamar of the Miami P.D.

  ♥♥♥

  I may have made a big mistake. The possibility the FEDs were watching me warranted my plan to use a public place, however I didn’t anticipate the club being this busy on a Saturday afternoon. There were far too many people for Franco and I to have eyes on everyone. It was hard to tell if any of the suits were undercover agents.

  The girls seemed to enjoy themselves but my focus was not where it should have been. Never mix business and pleasure. How many times did one need to hear that before it sunk in? For me, I guess one more time wouldn’t have hurt. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Damn I needed to get myself together. I couldn’t play hardball with a raging hard-on.

  Franco and I split up to survey the club, while the girls enjoyed the DJs Latin mix on the dance floor. He surveilled the outside pool area while I made the rounds inside. That way I could also keep my eyes on Brie, my Mia Bella. Tension built in my neck with every whistle and catcall from the drunken assholes watching the girls do the Salsa. I couldn’t blame them, the way she moved was mesmerizing, but I wanted to punch them in the face. They could fantasize all they wanted, she wouldn’t be leaving with anyone but me. If I had my way, no other man would ever touch her again.

  Franco and I met at a table in the back where Salamar sat in plain clothes, sipping a beer and enjoying the show my woman was performing for everyone to see.

  This guy was a real piece of shit. Protect and Serve my ass. It wasn’t hard to get the dirt on him. My men linked him to an armored truck robbery. The word on the street was it was an inside job. His cousin was the driver. It didn’t take much to put the pieces together, he caused a distraction that got an innocent bystander killed, while the thieves escaped with the money. Casualties are sometimes necessary when you live a life of crime. IA cleared him of any wrongdoing but if that was true he wouldn’t have been sitting here now.

  The difference between Officer Salamar and myself was the guilt that had him drowning his sorrows in the bottle. You couldn’t rise through the ranks without taking a few lives. There was no room for guilt, you did what needed to be done when the situation called for it. My job was to see how deep his guilt ran and whether he would prove useful.

  “Salamar. Thanks for meeting with me.”

  “Did I have a choice?” He asked toying with the beer bottle, shifting it back and forth from one hand to another.

  I flipped the chair around and straddled my legs over the sides, leaning into the backrest with my arms folded on top. “There’s always a choice. Some choices however land men like you in precarious situations.”

  “Whatever. What do you want from me?”

  “There’s an organization looking to expand its operations in the area. They may need someone on the inside who can shift the focus if the time came. I hear your good at misdirection.”

  The glare in his eyes told me I hit a nerve. He continued to shift the bottle back and forth picking up speed. “What kind of operation are we talking about?”

  I hardened my expression to hide the hint of annoyance his prying was having on me. I tilted forward, the back legs of the chair teetering off the floor. “That’s not relevant right now but the person on the inside would know when the time comes.”

  “What’s in it for me?” His nervousness grew; the soles of cheap leather tapped the floor under the table.

  “What’s in it for you? I’m sure you know what happens to cops in prison. This organization has enough evidence on your role in that robbery to put you away for a long time and what they didn’t have, they could fabricate. It would be a shame if that evidence led the investigation to your cousin or your wife. How does your family like that new house of yours?”

  “You wouldn’t be threatening an officer of the law now would you, Mr. Deluca?” His eyes darted around the room, drawing my attention to a pair of suits walking through the door. I scrambled to my feet in time to stop Fran
co from lunging over the table. I needed to maintain my composure, I said nothing that could incriminate me.

  “Friends of yours?” I asked motioning to the suits, suddenly suffocating with claustrophobia. This fucking guy had the balls to set me up. “I don’t make threats but let me say this, it would be a shame for an unfriendly face to be the last thing you see.”

  Fuck, this was a bad idea. The tension in my neck tore through my head with unrelenting screams. The suits continued to shift closer and the blare of sirens silenced the music. Mad panic broke out in the crowd. We needed to go. Now. I had to find Brie. Franco and I dodged the chaos, weaving in and out of the crowd that darted hysterically in every direction, trampling over each other in their wake. When I reached the dance floor, I realized Brie was not where I expected her to be.

  “Franco, get her out of here.” I ordered when we spotted Bethany near the bar. “Where is Brie?” I demanded as panic engulfed me.

  “Giving that skank from the club last night a piece of her mind,” Bethany said motioning toward the bathroom, “I’m not leaving without her!”

  “I’ll get her. Go with Franco. Meet me around back.” Time was ticking to make our escape. “Go!” I yelled.

  Franco grabbed Bethany by the arm and dragged her toward the door. I had to push and shove my way through the uncontrollable herd blocking my path to the bathrooms.

  “What’s going on?” Brie’s eyes darkened with fear. “Where’s Bethany?”

  “She’s with Franco.” I motioned in their direction.

  My instincts were screaming at me to hurry but something new stirred within me. “We need to go. Now. To the back door.”

  I held her close nuzzling my face into her neck as much to calm her as to hide my face from view. Using my side to thrust the back door open we emerged into the darkness of a silent alley. My mind was drifting on the cloud of peach blossom perfume that filled my nose. By the time we had made it to the end of the narrow alley a car with no headlights had screeched to a stop blocking us in. The rear door pushed open from the inside. Thank god, it was mine.