Twisted Hearts(55)

I chuckled into the darkness. “Gem, you’ll give in soon enough. You know it as well as I do.”

Silence was the answer.




I gave her some space over the next couple of days, trying to give her a sense of safety before I’d try for another seduction attempt.

“There’s a big fight tonight. Why don’t we watch it together in the Arena?” I asked during our daily morning workout. Gemma gave me a look as if I’d given her a Christmas present. “Really?” She threw her arms around me and kissed me enthusiastically. I deepened the kiss at once. Too soon, she pulled away with a smile.

I chuckled. “If I’d known that this was the key to your panties, I would have suggested it sooner.”

She punched my shoulder. “You got a kiss, not more. Toni’s working tonight, so I get to see her too. I haven’t since the wedding because she had to help her dad in the Arena, thanks to Fabiano beating him up.”

“Next time, he’ll know better than to accidentally give us a smaller percentage than agreed,” I said coldly.

Gemma scanned my face. “Sometimes I forget that you’re a Falcone because you’re so easy going, but you can be really scary.”

I tried to keep my scary side from her. It had its time and place but usually not around my family.

“The Camorra is my life, Gem. My brothers and I won’t allow anyone to mess with it. Roger’s lucky he only got beaten up. I don’t believe it was a fucking accident that he messed up the bookkeeping. He wanted a bigger part of the pie for himself. That’s betrayal and would mean death under normal circumstances.”

“Then why is he alive?” she asked.

“Because Diego has a soft spot for Toni and because I have a soft spot for you, and you’re best friends with Toni. But I won’t turn a blind eye again, so Roger better get his act together.”

Fabiano wasn’t stupid. He knew the truth and so did Remo and Nino, but Roger wouldn’t survive another bookkeeping mistake.

Gemma licked her lips. “It would break Toni’s heart if something happened to her dad.”

“Then she should make sure her dad stays in line, Gem. That’s all I can say. Remember your loyalties.”

She stepped back. “I’m loyal to you and to Toni. I’ve known her all my life. She’s my best friend.”

“And I’m your husband.”

She swallowed. “Toni’s more responsible than her dad. She’ll make sure things go smoothly.”

I kissed her temple.




Around eight in the evening, I waited for Gemma in my living room. The moment she came down the stairs, my heart sped up. She was wearing a tight red skirt and a red crop top. Holy hell.

Slowly I pushed to my feet, not sure if I wanted to take her into public like that.

Gemma tried to act casual but this wasn’t her usual style. Until recently, she’d still worn those horrendous dresses. “I have a feeling I’m going to kill someone tonight.”

“You threw someone through a window for talking to me, don’t you think that was bad enough?”

“He survived, didn’t he?”

She huffed.

The moment we entered the Arena, every fucker with eyes in his head checked her out. Only a death glare from me stopped them. The Camorrista spending their evening here gave me polite nods. Like usual, they made up only about a quarter of the customers, the others were the people that really brought us money: gambling addicts.

Toni waved at us from behind the bar. We headed that way and she and Gemma hugged each other over the counter. The bar was crowded and apart from Toni, I could see only one other waitress.

The girls whispered among each other briefly, probably about our still non-existent sex life. Like all girls, Gemma had definitely kept her best friend updated on the progress of our bed activities.

I kept my hand on Gemma’s waist to dissuade a guy from looking at her. We took seats at the bar, not my usual spot, but I could tell that Gemma wanted to be close to her friend. Diego joined us shortly after, grimacing when he saw where we were sitting.

He and Toni were in the off part of their on-and-off affair once more. Gemma hugged her brother briefly. Toni gave him a look that suggested she hoped his balls would fall off.

“What’s with them?” she whispered.

“After the quickie at our wedding, things cooled off again,” I said.

Gemma sighed, giving Toni a worried look. I clapped Diego’s shoulder. The first fight was over within two minutes, a fucking bore, but the one after reached a level of bloodshed that would have made Remo proud.

I chanced glances at Gemma who looked shocked but unable to look away. I loved that I could take her to fights with me without having to worry that she’d pass out. Fuck, I could even discuss moves with her afterward.

She gave me a distracted smile when she noticed my gaze before she returned her focus to the cage, completely mesmerized. “Can I have a quick word with you?” Diego asked after the second fight.

I nodded and followed him into the back. “What’s the matter?”

“I’d like to deal with the Arena instead of Fabiano in the future.”

I shook my head. “Diego, that’s a fucking bad idea and you know it. Toni’s going to take over from her dad at some point. She already handles part of the business.”

“I can handle it. We’re only fuck buddies. Let me deal with it.”

“Remo’s not going to like it, neither do I. Do you really want to bring yourself into a position where you risk sitting between chairs?”

“I can handle it,” he said again.

“Not if you keep fucking her. That’s not going to work.”

When we returned to the bar, Gemma was serving drinks because Toni had to deal with a customer at a table. The looks the guys at the bar gave her made my blood boil.

I strode over to the bar and sat down, causing them to back off. Gemma gave me a hesitant smile. “Toni asked me to take over for just a moment.”

I nodded. The moment Toni returned, and Gemma came back to my side, I pulled her between my legs and kissed her hard. She squirmed. “Savio, everyone’s watching.”

That was exactly why I was kissing her like that. I ran my tongue along her mouth then sucked her lower lip gently. “That fucking mouth is mine.” I nibbled at the sensitive skin. “And I want every fucker in the room to know it.”

She leaned back, raising her hand with the engagement ring. “I think this thing is getting the message across.”

“Maybe, but better safe than sorry,” I said. “Don’t tell me you don’t like my ring? It’s a symbol of…”

“Your ownership?” she finished with an angry gleam in her eyes.

“Of my feelings,” I said with a wink.

“And what are they?”

I looked away from her hopeful eyes. What did she want me to say? “Right now, I feel sexually deprived.”

She pulled out of my hold and sat down on the stool beside me. “Well, that won’t change until you can find a better answer to that question.”





Savio and I enjoyed the same things, we laughed together. Everything could be good if he didn’t keep that invisible wall up. Whenever I tried to have a serious conversation, the smirk, or a joke was his reply. I could tell he was trying in his own idiotic way by making me feel at home, taking me to fights and working out together.

It wasn’t a bad foundation for an arranged marriage, but it wasn’t something I wanted to settle for.

I could tell that he was getting increasingly irate because of our lack of intimacy, and if I was being honest, it became more difficult to resist him every day. My body, unlike my mind, wasn’t in favor of making him pay. I was definitely punishing myself too, how Toni kept pointing out.

Her advice to take matters, and him, into my own hands to improve my position sounded like something that could work in general, only I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.

One night, almost two weeks after our wedding, I decided to try and rattle Savio. He’d showed more restraint than I’d expected from him, and I wanted to see if I could change that.

It was a bad plan, of course.

Savio had just finished brushing his teeth when I entered the bathroom in my robe, ignoring the nervous flutter in my belly. His eyes followed me as I headed toward the shower and shrugged out of the bathrobe.

It was the first time I was naked in front of him and my cheeks throbbed with embarrassment as I stepped into the shower and turned the water on.

The triumphant smile working its way onto my face at the look on Savio’s face lasted exactly until he reached for his boxers and shoved them down. Naked, every muscle rippling, and with that insufferable smirk, he came closer, opened the stall and stepped inside.

I stared. He was already growing hard, and I had to resist the urge to feel him, to find out if he was as silky as he looked.

“I’m a big boy, Kitty.” He braced himself to both sides of me and the tip of him almost touched my belly. “You think you can rattle me by showering in front of me?”

I swallowed thickly, torn between desire and nerves. I had definitely rattled him, only not in the way I’d anticipated.

Savio reached for me and I froze. His eyes rested on my face as he touched his palm to my waist. Despite the hot water, goose bumps flashed across my skin.

Savio tilted his head with an intense look as he very slowly slid his fingers higher, stroking my ribs lightly.