Boss Lady

Calliope

“I’m not so sure about this,” Vinnie said skeptically, the worry etched into his handsome features.

“I’m clear to train,” I argued, shoving the handwritten note into his chest. “Doctor’s orders.”

He took the crumpled piece of paper in hand and scanned it over reluctantly. “Yea, okay…but the Doc ain’t in charge around here. His brother is.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can handle Luca. Now, stop being a pussy and let’s do this.”

“Fine,” he conceded, grabbing a roll of athletic tape from one of the shelves against the wall. He tossed it at me, and I proceeded to wrap my knuckles, palms, and wrists. “But nothing fancy. We can do hand-to-hand or spar with staffs but no heavy weights or gunplay until Luca says it’s okay.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re no fun.”

He smirked. “And you’re just determined to get me killed, aren’t you?”

I bent at the knees and started to wrap my ankles and feet, opting to go barefoot since we wouldn’t be using any weapons for practice. “You need to stop living in fear of Luca,” I chastised, “he would never hurt you, Vin.”

I rose to my full height and brought my arms up just as Vincent slipped the thick boxing pads over his palms. I struck him hard, not giving him a chance to prepare for the onslaught. I was determined to get in shape and kick my training into gear.

My enemy was still out there, and I couldn’t waste a moment with less important matters. I needed to be ready for him. I had to be on my A-game if Luca was to deem me capable of making the kill.

I knew that deep down he wanted to be the one to end Santiago’s life, but I had earned the right. After everything my husband had put me through, I was looking forward to becoming a widow.

“You’re giving me too much credit,” Vinnie said, standing his ground to receive my blows. “Just because my cousin let’s you get away with everything doesn’t mean he’ll extend the same courtesy to me. You underestimate his ruthlessness.”

I ducked and weaved, practicing my defensive moves just as much as my offensive ones. I struck the pad again but followed with a hard kick to the side. He grimaced, not having expected to feel my foot dig into his ribs.

“You’re a brother to him,” I continued, delivering a few jabs to his right hand before elbowing the other pad and ducking to avoid the swing of his arm. “Family is everything to Luca. Trust me, he loves you too much to ever hurt you.”

Vince dropped the pads and put his arms up now, letting me know we were about to start sparring. I blocked him mid-swing but caught his knee in my groin.

“Oof,” I huffed, the air pushing out of my lungs for a brief moment. Vince brought his elbow down fast as I recovered, and I managed to bring both arms up in the form of a cross, effectively blocking the move. I pushed him off me and stood up straight again, taking a defensive stance.

“And he loves you enough to gather a small army and kill every man under Santiago’s employ. I’m pretty sure his feelings for you trump whatever family connection he feels toward me. If he thought I was risking you, he wouldn’t hesitate to put me in the ground.”

I froze at his words, nearly taking a hit to the face when he swung at me again. I stumbled back, missing the blow but tripping over my own feet.

“Whoa there,” he caught my elbow and steadied me before I hit the ground. “You seem surprised to hear it.”

Wiping the back of my arm across my brow, I tried to slow my breathing. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that…”

Vince walked to a nearby bench and grabbed a water bottle, twisting the cap off and taking a swig before tossing it to me. I followed suit, gulping the clear liquid down.

“I thought it was pretty obvious.”

I blinked, staring at him blankly. Was it obvious? I didn’t think so. Luca had been increasingly affectionate with me the last few times we were together, before I was back in Santi’s possession, but that didn’t mean he was in love with me. The only issue was that he hadn’t touched me intimately in nearly two months.

It didn’t matter because we had an agreement anyway. No strings attached. Luca Moretti wasn’t the kind of man to back out on a deal like that. He also wasn’t the kind of man that would fall for a woman, least of all me. If he did take a wife, she’d be of high social standing – not a nobody that came from nothing.

That didn’t change the way I felt, though.

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” I pretended I wasn’t dying inside from the thought that he didn’t reciprocate my feelings.

It hurt too much to think about.

I figured out how I felt about him the minute I was back under Santi’s thumb. The moment I realized I would never see his face again, my heart shattered.

Luca was…everything.

I never thought I could ever feel such an emotion after what I’d been through, but he was the man that captured my heart.

I was falling for him.

“Too late,” he chuckled, dropping on the bench.

I walked to the free weights and started stretching before the large mirror. I pretended I wasn’t desperate to know what they talked about.

“You talked to him about this?” I asked, my heart fluttering in my chest.

“I asked him if he loved you when we were on our way to Michigan.”

I could hardly regulate my breathing. “And?” I pushed.

Vin laughed at me quietly.

“Asshole,” I grumbled, bending to pick up the ten-pound weights.

“You’re dying to know,” he teased, the mirth gleaming in his eyes.

I scowled.

“He didn’t deny it,” he said, the suggestion clear in his tone.

I tried to ignore what that might mean, but inside I was elated. I shouldn’t have been, because there was still no evidence that Luca felt anything akin to love toward me.

But a girl could dream.

Turning the nozzle, I cut the water and stepped out of the steam. I grabbed a towel from the shelf and wrapped it around my body before wiping a streak in the mirror with my palm to clear the fog.

The scar on my forehead was finally starting to fade. It was about time – seven weeks had passed since I escaped Santi’s clutches.

The longest weeks of my life.

During that time, the family had resorted to celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas at the safehouse, with the exception of Mrs. Moretti and Carmen – both of whom were currently in Sicily and far from Santiago’s reach.

Relieved as I was to be with the man I was beginning to adore, it was a special kind of torture on its own. He hadn’t touched me more than casually since he got me back, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he thought of me as damaged goods.

We never actually discussed what happened back in Michigan, but something told me we didn’t have to. He knew what happened to me, and he avoided physical contact at all costs. We were as close as ever friendship-wise, but nothing more.

I missed feeling those kisses that used to burrow themselves deep into my heart. I missed the taste of his skin and the feel of his musculature beneath my small hands. I missed the way he looked at me like I was the center of his world, even though I knew it wasn’t possible.

We shared a room because he refused to let me out of his sight again, but he always arrived late in the night when I was fast asleep. He kept to his side of the bed, not once crossing the invisible barrier that separated us.

Tonight, that would change.

I was tired of waiting for him to come around – tired of waiting for him to make the first move.

I tip-toed back into the bedroom and dug through my drawers until I found the skimpy black lingerie I’d hidden there. Being that Luca had the family lying low in the safehouse, it was particularly difficult to get my hands on these. I had ordered them online and begged Vinnie to go pick them up from the little boutique in the city.

Thankfully, he hadn’t asked any questions or made any snide remarks about the item. If he had, I would have punched him in the face.

I had purposely stayed up late so I could catch Luca when he finally came in. He wouldn’t get away from me this time. I quickly changed into the lacy black thong and matching push up bra, twirling in front of the wall-mirror so I could see myself at all angles.

My thick hair was piled on top of my head in a bun, so I pulled the elastic out and let the dark waves tumble over my shoulders and down my back. I didn’t have much make up with me, but I managed to get my hands on some black eyeliner and eyeshadow. I did my eyes up, making them smoky and dark just the way he liked. My green irises popped in contrast to the charcoal powder on my lids, giving my eyes a catlike appearance.

I heard footsteps approach from the hall and rushed into the bathroom, panicking because I hadn’t expected him to arrive so soon. I thought I had at least another hour of time to rehearse what I would say, but it was too late.

I heard Luca open the door and listened to his heavy footfalls.

“Calliope?” he called, concerned the moment he didn’t see me asleep in bed.

“Just a minute,” I called, trying to make it unobvious that I was plotting to jump his bones.

I flushed the toilet and turned the sink on to make it more believable, at the same time trying to quickly devise a plan of action. What if he rejected me? What if the reason he hadn’t touched me in so long was because he was no longer interested?

I snatched a robe from the hook behind the door and wrapped myself in the soft fabric. At least this would buy me a few more seconds. If I walked out there in just my underwear, he might bolt.

Turning off the sink, I inhaled a deep breath and took another look in the mirror. Flicking off the bathroom light, I pulled the door open and stepped into the room. Through my curtain of hair, I could see Luca sitting on the edge of the bed as he removed his shoes. He looked up at me, the fatigue obvious in his sunken eyes.

“You okay?” he asked, raking his long fingers through his dark hair. I lifted my face and ran my fingers through my hair to clear my face, letting him see me for the first time. He stiffened. “What’s with the makeup?”

I inhaled a breath for courage and sauntered toward him. “I think I’ve waited long enough,” I said, flicking the long strands of my hair over my shoulder as I approached him. He sat with his large hands resting on his knees and his posture perfectly straight.

I brought one hand to his face and weaved the fingers of the other into his hair. His eyes closed at the contact and I wanted to kiss him right then and there. His nostrils flared as he inhaled a sharp breath, and suddenly his hands were wrapped around my wrists – pulling my hands away from him.

“What are you doing?” he demanded, the sharpness in his voice taking me by surprise.

I scowled at the tone he took with me and stepped back. “What does it look like?” I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest. “I can’t keep living like this, Luca.”

He arched a brow. “Like what? You know I can’t risk letting you leave the safehouse when –”

“Not that,” I interjected, “I mean without affection.”

He frowned. “I show you affection all the time, baby.”

I growled. Literally growled because I was so frustrated at how clueless this otherwise brilliant man could be. Untying the robe at my waist, I let the fabric fall until it pooled around my feet.

Luca’s eyes burst wide and he suddenly began to choke on nothing at all. “What are you doing, Cal?”

I climbed into his lap and straddled his hips. “Stop asking stupid questions and fuck me, Luca.” His hands automatically grabbed my waist and I moaned at the small contact.

That was how thirsty I was for sex. His fucking hands on my hips made my pussy soak through my thong in an instant, and my nipples were already hard against the padded bra. Just when I was certain he would press me against the mattress and fuck me senseless, he gently lifted me off his lap and stood up.

“I can’t do this right now,” he said simply, giving me the back of his head so all I could do was stare at his hair and broad shoulders.

Tears sprang into my eyes as his rejection settled over me. I actually felt my lips quiver as a wave of sadness pulled me under. “Why not?” I begged; my voice thick with impending tears.

He sighed audibly, conveying his annoyance. “Because I can’t. I’m gonna take a shower…you should go to bed.” He walked away, entering the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him.

The tears spilled over quickly, running down my cheeks until streaks of black makeup stained my face. So, that was it. I was nothing but damaged goods – no longer good enough for his affection, his touch.

Angry as hell, I pulled my drawers open and started shoving shit in a bag, not even paying attention to what I was grabbing. If he didn’t want me, then there was no reason we had to share a room. I was just as safe sharing a space with any one of his family.

Not bothering to replace the robe over my body, I snatched my phone off the nightstand and stormed out of the room without a backward glance. Luckily, no one wandered through the halls this late at night, so I didn’t have to worry about being seen in my underwear.

Stomping right up to Vinnie’s door, I pounded my fist against the heavy metal. A moment later, the metal squeaked as he pulled the door open. His eyes were heavy with sleep and his hair was tousled as though he’d just been rolling around in his bed. I didn’t bother to wait for him to speak, pushing past him until I was beside the bed.

“What the fuck?” he muttered, closing the door behind him. “This has to be a dream because I know you can’t be in my room dressed like that right now. If you were, Luca would be running me through with a knife already.”

I glowered at him, crossing my arms over my chest. “Fuck Luca Moretti. I’m staying with you from now on.”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Vinnie pleaded, his hands going up in surrender, “there’s no way my cousin will allow this.” Digging into one of his drawers he pulled a T-shirt out and tossed it my way. “Cover up, for God’s sake. Just because I support your relationship with Luca doesn’t mean I don’t want you as badly as I always have. Teasing me like that is just plain cruel.”

I rolled my eyes, throwing the T-shirt on.

“Tell me what happened,” he said, sitting beside me on the bed but keeping the minimum three feet between us.

The tears came quicker this time, tumbling out of my eyes and down my cheeks. “He doesn’t want me anymore.” I began to sob, which wasn’t like me at all, and Vince tentatively inched closer – his arm wrapping around my shoulders.

“That can’t be true,” he grated, “that man is head over heels for you.”

I shook my head in denial. “He rejected me, and I’m dressed like this,” I emphasized, pointing at my torso even though the sexy lingerie was covered beneath Vincent’s massive shirt. “I’m just a dirty old dishrag to him now.”

He was quiet for a moment, and then the laughter burst out of him. “I’m sorry,” he gasped, fighting for air, “did you just say, ‘dirty old dishrag?’”

I shot him a glare. “Fuck you.”

He shook his head, a wide grin on his face. “Cal, my cousin is in love with you. There’s no fucking way he has such a low opinion of you.”

More tears pooled in the cusps of my eyes before spilling over. “Then why doesn’t he want me? He hasn’t touched me for months!”

Vincent sighed, his hand dragging over his face. I could clearly see the exhaustion in his eyes, making me feel like a selfish bitch for waking him up at this hour just so I could complain about his cousin. A part of me knew it wasn’t fair of me to put this on Vinnie when he had feelings for me, but I didn’t trust anyone else the way I trusted him and Luca.

“He’s just stressed right now. The man has been searching high and low for your husband…cut the guy some slack.”

I nearly gagged at the unwanted reminder of my marital status. “Ex-husband.”

“Not according to the law.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” I snapped, “I filed for divorce a month ago and he’s still in hiding. They haven’t been able to serve him his papers and Marco said in another two months the case will default as desertion and I’ll be free.”

“You’re assuming Santiago won’t respond to the request. That’s a really big assumption to be making.”

“You really think he’ll come out of hiding just to prevent the judge from granting me this divorce? He’s evil but he isn’t stupid. He knows the Morettis and the other families are looking for him. He might have had a chance against just us but even he can’t have the resources to take on five of the most dangerous crime families in the country.” At that point, I wasn’t sure whether I was trying to convince Vincent or myself.

“That remains to be seen,” Vinnie retorted, “the Cartel is huge…their numbers far exceed our own. Even with the other families as allies, the Cartel could crush us. There are too many of them.”

I couldn’t argue that. “Yes, but do you really think they would buy into his personal vendetta to kill Luca and snatch me? I understand they’re powerful, but I’m not convinced they would waste valuable resources on such a meaningless campaign.”

Vince shrugged, having no argument against my logic. The Cartel made its money through drugs, counterfeiting, and money laundering just like the Italian mob. They were business oriented, and even though they executed revenge against those who crossed them, I doubted they would take an interest in Santi’s obsession to get me back in his clutches.

The door suddenly burst open and Luca filled the entrance with his broad shoulders and muscled frame. With a towel around his waist and droplets of water rolling down his powerful, bare chest, I felt my mouth pool with saliva even when I was furious and hurt by his earlier rejection.

Vincent jumped to his feet like the weak pussy he was. “Boss I can –”

“Shut up,” Luca barked, his eyes solely focused on me. “Get up,” he demanded.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “No.”

His eyes flared with rage and he gripped either side of the doorway until his knuckles blanched. “Get. The. Fuck. Up.”

I felt the color move into my cheeks as my adrenaline kicked into overdrive. I don’t know who the fuck he thought he was, but no way was I letting him talk to me like I was a dog on a leash.

“You don’t fucking own me,” I snapped, shooting to my feet and obeying his command without realizing it.

“Get your ass back to the room, Calliope. Now.”

I stomped my way over to him and slapped him hard across the face. He turned with the contact, his jaw clenching as he ground his teeth against the pain. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I shoved him hard in the middle of his chest. “You’re a fucking asshole!” I yelled, pushing his back against the wall on the other side of the hall.

Wordlessly, he walked past me and into Vincent’s room. For a moment I feared he might actually try to kill Vin for letting me in. I released a breath when he only picked up my bag, slung it over his shoulder, and walked back out – letting the door shut behind him.

He stopped short in front of me, a few strands of his hair hanging over his face – obscuring one of his eyes. “Back to the room.” I could see my red handprint slowly appear on his cheek.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I spat, leaning against the wall like the stubborn woman I was.

He stepped into my space, nearly pressing his chest into mine. “Now, Calliope.”

“Or you’ll do wh –”

His fingers tunneled into my hair and he pulled my face against his – kissing me hard on the mouth. In an instant, my anger evaporated from existence, replaced by a bone-deep need for him. His kiss scorched my lips and I opened for him, a moan slipping from the back of my throat as he pressed our bodies together to deepen the contact.

My palms pressed into his hard back, the fingertips digging into the firm muscles. Like an addict, I chased the high his touch would bring.

God, I missed this.

He growled against my mouth and bit my bottom lip before dragging his teeth along my jaw and running his tongue down the column of my throat.

“Or I’ll fuck you against this wall in front of Vincent’s door rather than in our bed.”

My nipples hardened at the word our. It sounded so right to share something as intimate as his bed with him. I wanted to share more… everything.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he dipped so he could wrap his long arms around my waist and lift me up. My legs curled around his hard frame and I felt my pussy pulse against the solid feel of his abs rubbing my clit.

“No argument?” he pressed, a hint of mirth in his eyes. “Not gonna stomp your feet or cross your arms and yell at me?”

I looked away, a light blush warming my cheeks.

He tilted his head to the side and forced me to look at him. “Watching you put on such a show because you want me so much is the biggest fucking turn on.” He pushed me against the wall and ground his hips, making my jaw drop wide.

My fingers dug into his shoulders and he pushed off the wall, carrying me back down the hall and into our room. Kicking the door shut with his feet, he brought me to the edge of the bed and laid me on it – covering me with his large frame. Running his nose along mine, he peppered kisses over my face gently.

He pulled back to look me in the eye. “You infuriate me, woman.”

“Because you’re such a peach,” I shot back, failing to hide my smile.

He kissed me on the mouth. “I’m sorry, Bella. I’ve had a lot on my mind… I didn’t mean to make you feel unwanted.”

I took a sharp breath, the threat of tears stinging the backs of my eyes. “I’m sorry, too. I know you’re working hard for me… to keep me safe.”

“I’m doing it for you, but I’m also doing it for me. I could use the peace of mind.” A frown creased his brow and I smoothed it away with my fingers.

“Luca…” I stopped myself. I had almost said it. Fuck. I knew he wasn’t ready to hear it yet. Furthermore, I wasn’t ready to say it. After everything we’d gone through and were still going through, it was too soon. “Thank you… for everything.”

He bit the tip of my nose playfully. “Don’t thank me.”

I stroked my fingers down his hard chest, letting my hands slip beneath the towel which barely clung to his hips. Every inch of him was perfection. Every honed muscle rippled beneath my touch, setting my skin on fire.

Yet, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling insecure. He’d only just rejected me within the last hour. What made him change his mind?

Suddenly, all the raw heat that had been burning between us seemed to dissipate.

My hands moved away from his waist and found my stomach. I rested my palms on the over-sized T-shirt and sighed.

“What is it?” he asked, nuzzling my nose again.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” I whispered, meeting his gaze briefly before looking away. For some reason, I couldn’t stand the intensity of his penetrating gaze.

He sighed, dropping his body next to mine on the bed. Circling an arm around my waist, he forced me to face him – bringing our faces close. “I should be the one saying that to you.”

I scoffed. “I never stopped wanting you, Luca… but I understand if you don’t want to mess around anymore. We were never exclusive… you don’t owe me anything.” My heart broke as the words left my lips. I wanted to be exclusive – wanted to be his woman and partner in life.

He scowled. “What does that mean? You want to see someone else?” He suddenly shot up into a sitting position. “Is it Vincent?” He jumped to his feet and I had to leap from the bed and wrap my arms around his waist to slow his momentum as he prowled toward the door.

“No!” He stopped, looking down at me over his shoulder as I clung to his waist – my arms wrapped tightly around him from behind. “That’s not what I’m saying at all.” He narrowed his eyes but turned around so I could explain. “I just mean I can tell you’re not interested…you haven’t touched me in nearly two months.”

Understanding flowed into his eyes and his face visibly softened. He cupped my cheek, rubbing my bottom lip with his thumb. He was so tall, my chin barely reached his breastbone, so he had to crane his neck to look at me. He suddenly did something… unexpected.

He slowly knelt in front of me – his fingers weaving into my thick fall of hair. He pressed our foreheads together and let his eyelids fall shut as he breathed, enjoying the quiet connection. I hugged his torso – my elbows resting against his ribs.

He opened his eyes and looked at me. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman on Earth. You’re resilient, strong, stubborn…” I blushed furiously. “…and sexy as sin. I’ve never wanted another woman the way I want you.”

I closed my eyes and let the tears fall. We had never talked about what happened when I was taken… Luca never asked, and I never offered the information. But something told me he already knew, which made me wonder whether that was his reason for staying far away.

Yet, we still had this explosive chemistry between us. One look from him and I was soaking through my panties. We argued like a married couple, but neither one of us could deny the magnetic pull that drew us together.

“I –” It was difficult for me to get the words out, but I knew deep down if we didn’t address the elephant in the room, there would be no moving forward. “I can’t help but think you don’t want me because Santi ra –”

“Don’t say it,” he rasped, the desperation heavy in his voice. His arms tightened around me and he rested his chin on my shoulder as he held me. “Please, don’t say it. I can’t bear to hear it. It’s all I think about… the reason I haven’t slowed down the search.” He pulled back to meet my gaze. “I can’t rest because that motherfucker is still walking free. I won’t stop until he’s in the ground, baby. I can’t – ”

His face crumpled with emotion and my heart clenched. So, that was it then. He wanted to avenge me. The thought of Santi forcing himself on me sent Luca into a rage, and it could only be sated by spilling blood.

Santiago’s blood.

But I still had to ask. “You don’t think I’m spoiled?”

He frowned a bit then a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his perfect mouth. “I do spoil you a bit,” he teased.

I chuckled and sucked in a breath. “I mean, you don’t think I’m damaged? Used up? Un –”

“Never,” he interjected, a bewildered look on his face. He gripped my upper arms firmly and forced me to look at him. “Calliope, I would never think that. You’re… fucking perfection, baby. I want you as much as I ever did. I didn’t want to push you too fast. Not after –” He stopped himself from saying the words.

I kissed him on the mouth, having heard enough to understand. I wasn’t worn out to him. He still wanted me. His opinion hadn’t changed.

A wave of relief swept over me and I exhaled all the tension that had been building up inside me. Resting my head against his chest, I closed my eyes and let all my doubts melt away.

“I’ve missed you.”

He rested his chin on the top of my head. “I’ve missed you, too, Bella.”

Suddenly, I felt at home again – because Luca was my home.