Monster Inside Me: Volume III (A Dark Mafia Romance Book 3) Read online

All my frustration with my brother seeps out and gives way to sadness. “You’re right,” I say, brushing a frazzled curl behind her ear. “Anna. She’s my aunt, and she’s … not doing very well.”

  “She’s asking for you, Dante,” Joseph interjects quietly, his eyes casting a glance toward Piper. “Both of you.”

  My brows rise, but I don’t know why I’m surprised. “Both of us?”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Dante. Do you think she’s an idiot?” Pop asks, apparently frustrated with me—as usual. “She was the best this organization has ever seen when it comes to information. Did you think a small thing like cancer would stop her from finding out exactly what she wants to know?” He waves his hand in the air, which holds a chewed-up cigar. “Besides, it’s been written all over you for weeks. She probably smelled the pussy on you at your last visit.”

  My chest swells with rage, but a firm hand grips my jaw and dark eyes keep me from engaging. “It’s not worth it, Dante. You need to shower, change, and go see your aunt.”

  “Yes, Dante,” Pop mimics in a girly voice. “Do as you’re told and keep your smartass mouth shut.” He finishes with a deranged cackle.

  My eyes snap to him, and my body follows, brushing off Piper’s attempt to stop me. “Is there a fucking problem here?” I stop before him and stand to my full height.

  His eyes narrow, but when I don’t back down, he deflates. “Not a problem, son. I had such high hopes for you.”

  “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I snap, frustrated with his hot and cold attitude.

  “Pussy makes a man soft,” he says matter-of-factly. “I never thought I’d see the day my eldest would fall like the rest of us mere mortals.” He waves toward Piper, who’s standing a few feet behind us. “But there she stands—the woman with the power to take down the Outfit.”

  As I stare into his cold, lost eyes, I feel pity. “That’s where you’re wrong, Pop.” I turn and motion for Piper to come stand under my arm. “With Piper beside me, the Outfit’s power will become limitless. She’ll give me reason, Boss. A reason to live a long and prosperous life.”

  His eyes scan slowly from me to her, and after a long pause, he nods. “If we make it through the war, that is.”

  I pull Piper even tighter into my side and take that first step toward the inevitable cliff that most mob bosses face. “We’ll make it. Will you?”

  TWO

  MY BAD

  The Boss’ eyes spark to life with a ferocity I haven’t seen in a while, and he looks past me, pinning Joseph with an amused grin. “Did ya hear that? There might be hope for the future of this organization after all.” He chuckles as he goes over to grasp his long-time friend’s shoulder.

  I turn, keeping Piper under my arm as I follow his movements. Pop is fucking unpredictable on his best day, and today isn’t one of them, so I’m keeping my eyes plastered on his every fucking move.

  “Look at the two of them,” he says, shaking his head. “Henry will be so disappointed, but I gotta say, this may’ve been the missing link. Dante’s been on the cusp of being ready for far too long, and now, all of a sudden, here he is, taking the bull by the horns and making threats I never thought he was ready to follow through on … until now.”

  “Not a threat, exactly,” I respond, lifting a brow. “At this point, it was just a question, but a valid one, considering your nasty attitude today.”

  Pop nods absently and waves a hand toward us. “I’ll give ya that, but I wanna see this same fire applied to every aspect of your life. Not just when you feel the need to defend the lovely Piper.”

  “I think you might be right, Boss,” Joseph says before I can reply. But then, he blows out a tired breath. “But right now, I can’t muster the strength to be excited about it. Anna is waiting.”

  The spark in the Boss’ eyes dims, and he hangs his head. “You’re right. She deserves more from us all.” When he looks back up, he’s the same agonized man who walked in the door earlier. “Get cleaned up, son. We’ll finish this conversation later.” He tosses his nasty cigar onto my fucking coffee table and starts for the elevator with Joseph trailing behind.

  When the latter man goes to pass, he pauses and says, “You’re the reason she’s still fighting. I suspect after your visit, she won’t be long for this world. So pay close attention, Dante.” He stares at me for a beat longer before joining Pop in the elevator.

  I stay on edge, unsure if Pop really is giving in so easily, until the doors close and the floors start counting down. Alone. Fucking finally. Ivan and Madeline snuck out shortly after the tension started to rise between the Boss and me. He’s seen it before, a thousand fucking times, but even I can admit this altercation felt different. I’ve come into my own. The Boss will either accept my authority and respect it, or I’ll take his.

  And I’m not the slightest bit unsettled by the thought.

  Piper turns in my embrace, her dark eyes offering sympathy. “You go shower and visit your aunt; then come by when you’re done.”

  My brows furrow. “Come by where?”

  “My apartment,” she responds, and I start shaking my head. “I realize my presence was requested, but I find that rather odd considering Anna doesn’t even know me. Besides, I need to take a shower of my own.”

  “Have you lost your fucking mind?” I ask, and it comes out sharper than I intend, but Jesus fuck. What is she thinking? “First of all, you’re definitely coming with me. While what Pop said was crude as fuck, he was right to an extent. Anna knew there was a woman on my last visit, and she asked me then to bring her next time. And secondly, if you think I’m letting you out of my sight after what went down in Miami, you’ve obviously not been paying attention.”

  “Look at me, Dante,” she says, motioning to her disheveled self. “I’m a mess. At the very least, I need my own shower. I’ll go to my apartment and get cleaned up, and you can pick me up when you’re done.”

  My eyes fall closed, and I breathe deeply several times before reopening them and trying again. “No.” It’s the only word I can get out in a seemingly normal way, but if the look on her face is any indication, I fucking failed miserably.

  “No?” she repeats incredulously before stepping back and crossing her arms. “I wasn’t asking for permission.”

  “Of course you weren’t,” I say as I pinch the bridge of my nose. This is new to me, reasoning with someone, and I need to be careful. All I’ll do is drive her away if I’m too forceful, but that’s the only way I know to be. With a sigh, I step closer, my hands finding her hips. “Look, Piper, I’m trying really hard here. I don’t want to fight. I just want you with me. With me and safe. So please, for all that’s fucking holy, just wait while I shower, and we’ll go to your place. Together.”

  She steps closer, our chests touching. “We could always just share your shower.”

  Two sensations war within me, but I respond with only one of my truths—for now. I crinkle my nose. “I think that kind of defeats the purpose of a shower when you put back on the same dirty clothes.” I add a shudder to show her just how fucking disgusting that thought is.

  A gorgeous giggle slips out, and she reaches up to place a quick peck on my lips. “Dante Simone, a mob Boss who’ll kill you for looking at him the wrong way, is a germaphobe. Why does this not surprise me?”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say the food incident in my bed probably clued you in.” I shrug, giving her an apologetic look.

  I can see the moment it all clicks inside her pretty little head. “I had forgotten about that,” she says, her eyes widening. Then she leans forward, whispering, “How close did I come to dying?”

  Genuine laughter rumbles to life, and I throw my head back to keep from spewing it in her face. When I’ve calmed, I lean down, pressing my forehead against hers. “Even then, you were never in harm’s way.”

  “Good,” she responds quietly, almost shyly. “Now go get a shower. I’m eager to see Dante again.”

  “I’m eager to be Dante
again.” I smile and hug her tightly for one blissful second before stepping away and motioning around me. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be quick. I promise.”

  Quick is a relative term because I stand under the spray for at least fifteen minutes. I can’t fucking help it. Not only am I covered in Antonio, but the grease and grime of burnt metal and the aroma of the dead hovers around me like a fog—at least in my head, it does.

  Getting dressed is quick, however, as picking what to wear is a no-brainer. I don a brand new custom Dior suit; then I slip a knife into my sock and a pair of brass knuckles into the inside pocket of my blazer. Retrieving a Colt Python revolver and tucking it into my waistband is the final step to becoming Dante Simone again, and it feels fucking good. I may even smirk to myself in the mirror as I think about the fact that I have a woman waiting for me in the other room.

  Someone who’s a part of my life now.

  It’s strange, accepting her into my life so fucking easily, but I’ve learned the hard way how much not having her around affects me. She’s seen a part of me I never planned to share, but for a man like me, it’s the only way to have a real relationship—something I never wanted before.

  I’ve always thought a man’s actions make him who he is, and I still believe that. My life isn’t pretty. The things I do, they make me a cruel motherfucker, but I can also be more than that. She can love me in spite of it, and I see that now.

  I turn and exit my room, already knowing that bringing Piper into the family fold is just the first step to truly introducing her to the man she may learn to trust again—and in effect—love.

  I smile as I catch her napping on the sofa, so fucking thankful I got the cum-stained one replaced. “Piper,” I say, caressing the bare skin of her arm. “You’ve got to wake, solare. We have places to be.”

  Her eyes snap open, and she sits quickly, glancing around as she gets her bearings. We’re both sleep-deprived and on edge after our ordeal. Once we’ve visited Anna, we’re coming back here and camping out in my oversized, overly comfortable bed.

  I move closer and smooth her sleep-ruffled hair, my hands remaining to cup her face. “That took longer than I thought. I’m sorry.”

  “Nothing to apologize for,” she says, gripping my wrists. “It’s so fucking good to see you again, Dante.” She lifts and offers a quick peck to my lips before she shrugs off my hold and stands. “Let’s go. I’m eager to wash away the grime.”

  “This way.” I grant her a smile as I offer my elbow—only slightly concerned that she hasn’t showered and is hanging on to my clean suit. Anyone else’s fingers would be snapped, so there is progress.

  As we enter the elevator, my mind switches gear pretty fucking quickly, and I start to work through ways to get Piper to pack her shit while we’re at her apartment. Better yet, she can trash it all and I can replace it with much nicer shit. I smirk to myself, pleased to have come up with such a fucking ingenious idea.

  My phone buzzes from my pocket, and I hold my finger up as I remove my arm from Piper’s. “Talk to me,” I bark to Ivan in lieu of a hello.

  “Still compiling,” he says, “but I see you’ve entered the elevator, so I h—”

  “Please tell me you’re fucking joking,” I growl, pinching the bridge of my nose.

  “I can’t. Not right now, anyway,” Ivan says with a sigh. “You’re in possible danger, and I’m going to personally monitor whatever I can.”

  “Fine,” I snap. “What the fuck do you want?”

  “When you make it to the garage, a team of men will be waiting for you to assign their positions. Each one has been heavily vetted, and I trust them with your life,” he says, his voice as serious as it ever gets. “My suggestions for your two personal guards are Cary, a security genius, and Sergio, a weapons expert.”

  “Two?” I ask because come the fuck on. One is bad enough. “I can take care of myself.”

  “What about Piper?” Ivan asks quietly, and he’s right, but him asking that question still hits a sore spot.

  “What the fuck about her? It’s not like you give a goddamn!” I regret the words immediately, but it still felt good to say them.

  Piper pinches my side and shakes her head, a disapproving frown marring her beautiful lips. “Stop it.”

  “I won’t keep apologizing, Dante,” Ivan says after a beat. “All I can do is make up for it.”

  I sigh into the line. “I know, Van. Fuck! Anything else I need to know about these men?” I ask as the elevator slows.

  “Nah,” he responds. “You got this. I did check on Riley and Lorenzo, though. Lorenzo will be released tomorrow, and Riley’s stable and on medications. They’ll try to wake him in the morning.”

  The elevator opens, and my gaze falls to the six armed men standing about ten feet away. I assess them first with my eyes, and they narrow as one man is staring at the wrong one of us.

  “I’ll be in touch, Van,” I say, my voice hard as I step in front of Piper, filling the stupid fuck’s vision. I tap my chest. “Eyes here, motherfucker, or I’ll be your worst goddamn nightmare.”

  His gaze jumps to my face, and I can smell the fear from over here. “Better yet, you’re fired. Get the hell out of here.” I motion toward the tunnel that leads to the street. When he doesn’t move, my eyes narrow as I reach for my waistband. “Do I need to show you the other exit?”

  He throws up his hands. “N-no, sir.” He starts taking steps backward, afraid to take his eyes from me. When he gets to the opening of the tunnel, he turns tail and runs from sight.

  I chuckle darkly as my glare passes over the rest of the motherfuckers standing there. I widen my arms. “Anyone else?”

  Piper fists the back of my jacket as she peeks around to see what the commotion is. I turn, facing her. “No worries,” I say as I wrap my hand around to rest on her lower back. “Some people just aren’t cut out to work for me.”

  “Maybe if you were nicer …” She trails off and gives me an impish grin.

  “Give ‘em an inch, they take a mile.” I smirk as I take her hand and turn to face the rest of the men. “Now that we’ve weeded out the weak, I’m ready to move forward. Piper and I have somewhere to be.” I motion to the woman at my side as I pass my hard gaze over the group, singling out two individuals. I point to each as I say their name. “Sergio, Cary, you will be my personal guards.”

  I’m easily able to identify each man from the pittance of information Ivan shared. Sergio, the weaponry expert, is armed to the teeth in comparison to the other men, though they’re all armed quite well. Cary, in contrast, has his holster filled with technical gadgets that will serve me as well as Sergio’s grenades.

  In unison, they give me a confident nod, and it’s what I fucking expect to see from someone charged with dying in my place if necessary. Straight up goddamn confidence that they won’t die.

  I skim over the remaining men and finally point to the one on the end. “Your name?”

  “Frederick, sir.”

  I tap my chest. “You address me as Boss and take orders from no one aside from me, got it?” After receiving his nod, I pass my eyes along the rest of the group so it’s clear I’m speaking to every fucking one of them before zeroing back in on Frederick. “You’ll be in charge of my babies.” I wave my hand toward my row of vehicles and then to Lorenzo’s post. “That’s where you’ll do your job.”

  “Yes, Boss,” he replies and immediately moves toward his position.

  It impresses me.

  Slightly.

  “As for the rest of you, I’ll leave it to you to decide who’s positioned where, but I want Simone Place and Grizzly HQ protected,” I say, already tugging Piper with me as I make my way toward the Hummer. Surprisingly, Cary rushes ahead and has the door held open just as we arrive. I smirk as I help Piper inside. “Eager to please, are we?”

  “Passionate about my job, Boss,” he says without an ounce of emotion. “Your life is now in my hands, and I don’t take that lightly.”

 
I pause before climbing inside and lean closer to him. “While I do value my life, if ever it comes down to her or me, choose her. Got me?” I draw back and stare into his eyes while he considers the command.

  Only a few beats later, his reply comes with a firm nod. “Yes, Boss.”

  And I believe him.

  The ride to Piper’s apartment is quick and quiet with only Cary accompanying us inside. At her door, he pauses and pulls a little box from his holster. After about a minute, he looks to us. “All clear, Boss.”

  Huh.

  “What exactly did you check for?” I ask, curious.

  “Heat signatures, Boss.”

  Piper moves to unlock her door, but I pause before entering. “I do expect you to call me Boss, but not every single time we interact.”

  By the time I’m inside, Piper is already moving down the hallway, but I pause at the entrance and take in the utter chaos of her home—aside from the subpar structure itself. Clothes are strewn over the back of the sofa, and magazines litter the coffee table. The counters are cracked, and some of her cabinets are missing their trim, but at least the fucking dishes are washed.

  I fight to keep the grimace internalized and blow out a determined breath as I trail down the hall where Piper disappeared. This room is even fucking worse, but as I catch sight of the woman inside it, it all fades the hell away.

  I only see her.

  Her beautiful, flustered self as she tosses more clothes from the closet to the bed. I smile as I move behind her, my hands landing on her hips, my lips at her ear. “Go shower. I’ll pack you a suitcase and pick you something to wear.”

  She freezes and turns in my arms. “Pack my suitcase?”

  As nonchalantly as possible, I say, “I was hoping you’d spend at least a few days at the penthouse.” My face stays neutral while inside, I’m silently begging for her to be agreeable. A confrontation is not what I need right now. Not over this. She’ll only lose.

  Her dark eyes study me, wanting me to fuck up, but I don’t. I remain cool and casual. Finally, she smiles. “Sure. We still have a few things to discuss anyway.”