Deception (Mafia Ties #1) Read online

  While they ate and watched a movie, I returned to my office for a conference call.

  “Niccolo, you’re going to have to take over the reins soon, I’m getting too old for this shit,” said my uncle, Antonio.

  When my father died, Sophia was extremely sick and I was only twenty years old. I asked my father’s older brother to step in for him until I was ready to take his place. Antonio had never had any desire to lead the family business. He’d been happy running the front business, the perfectly spotless and legit shipping company. But, he had understood and agreed.

  Two years later, he was reminded why he never wanted to be in my father’s shoes and he’d been after me to take his place. I knew my time was running out. But now, more than ever, I needed a little more time. I couldn’t take over until Gianna was officially mine. I wanted a ring on her finger and a baby in her belly before she found out about my “real” job. I’d ease her into the life before opening her eyes to it all.

  “I met someone, Antonio,” I stated quietly. There was a beat of silence.

  “Serious?” he asked.

  “She’s mine. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.”

  Antonio chuckled. “There is so much DeLuca in you, Nic. All right, I know it won’t be long then. I’ll give you some more time.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you next Friday at the meeting with the O’Reilly's.” A snitch we had in our pocket had recently brought it to our attention that a local faction of the Irish mob had been trying to inch in on our territory. We were going to attempt a peaceful resolution first, but I knew this group, and I didn’t foresee it happening without force. If things didn’t go well, I’d have to hire security for Gianna and Sophia.

  ***

  The doorbell rang and Sophia perked up from where she was coloring at the kitchen table. I waved at her to stay put while I went to answer the summons.

  I didn’t realize how tense I’d been until I saw Gianna standing on the porch. She looked nervous but excited, and it was cute as hell. I swept my eyes down her succulent body, taking in the swell of her ample tits, pressing against the fabric of her white blouse. Her tiny waist, full hips, and long legs (despite her height which her bio had listed as five foot five) enhanced the flirty red skirt she was wearing. I glared a little at the hem, willing it to grow longer.

  When my eyes returned to hers, her cheeks were pink and my body tingled with the anxious need to drag her into me and kiss the fuck out of her.

  “Gianna,” I greeted calmly, masking the arousal and need humming in my body. Damn, she was gorgeous.

  Her eyebrows shot up at the use of her full name. “It’s Anna,” she corrected as she moved to enter. I turned to the side but stayed in the entrance, forcing her to brush by me. The touch was too much. I gripped her hand and dragged her around the nearest corner. I backed her up into the wall of my living room and grasped her waist firmly. Her eyes flitted around apprehensively, but eventually, the green pools locked onto my gaze.

  “Not to me,” I told her gruffly. “To me, and only me, you’re my Gianna.”

  Her eyes widened slightly, but I only saw it for a second since in the next one, my lips crashed down onto hers.

  Chapter 3

  Anna

  I’d been kissed before. Or at least I thought I had, right up until the moment Nic DeLuca’s mouth claimed mine. There was none of the usual awkwardness of a first kiss. No chance for me to wonder how I should hold my head, if I tasted like the strawberry lip balm I’d put on earlier, or if I should part my lips. As soon as his lush lips met mine, I gasped in surprise and he took control. Head slanted to the right, his tongue swept inside to tangle with mine. His fingers dug into my waist, tugging me flush against his body and proving exactly how much he was enjoying our kiss when I felt his hard length hot against my stomach. By the time he pulled away to nibble on my lips, I could barely see straight, let alone stand by myself without him keeping me upright. The pecks I’d received had been from boys, but Nic DeLuca was no boy—he was all man.

  Once I’d steadied myself, one of his hands slid from my waist, down to the hem of my skirt. I shivered when he slid it up my thigh, the heat from his palm searing my skin. “Given more time, I could come to appreciate your choice of skirt, but my daughter is waiting for us in the kitchen.”

  His daughter, who I’d come to meet and promptly forgotten about when he’d gotten his lips on me. “Crapballs.”

  His deep chuckle made me aware I’d said that aloud and not just in my head. I felt the heat of a blush climb up my neck to my face. He swiped his thumb across my cheekbone as he stared down at me. “Such innocence,” he sighed. “It’s almost a shame you found your way to my door.”

  He didn’t give me a chance to wonder what he meant by his statement, twining his fingers in mine and leading me out of the living room and down a hallway into the kitchen. It was outfitted with top of the line, stainless steel appliances and gleaming black countertops, but it still looked homey. Colorful drawings were stuck to the fridge, a few dishes were in the sink, and a large bowl of fruit sat in the middle of the counter. I barely took the time to appreciate the beauty of the room, my eyes quickly drawn to the little girl with long brown hair, practically vibrating in her chair at the table as she stared up at us with shining, brown eyes.

  “Is this her, Daddy?” she asked, her voice high with excitement.

  “Yes, my preziosa. This is Anna.” The smile he sent her way, his love for his daughter clear in his eyes, made him even more attractive. “Anna, this is my baby girl, Sophia.”

  “I’m not a baby anymore, Daddy,” Sophia said in exasperation. “I’m almost seven.”

  “Your birthday isn’t for another five months,” he reminded her.

  “I know,” she sighed. “That’s why I’m only almost seven.”

  She was too adorable. I giggled at her response and she quickly joined in.

  “Oh, I see what’s going to happen,” he grumbled exaggeratedly. “You two are going to team up on me, aren’t you?”

  Sophia and I smiled at each other, giggling even harder. Once our laughter died down, I shrugged my shoulders at Nic and offered him an apologetic smile. “What can I say? Us girls need to stick together.”

  “Yeah, Daddy,” Sophia chimed in. “It’s a girl thing, you wouldn’t understand.”

  Her response and Nic’s answering growl set off another round of giggles for me, which were interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.

  “I’m sorry,” Nic apologized after pulling his phone from his pants pocket and glancing down at the screen. “I’ve been expecting a call about an urgent matter and need to take this.”

  “Go ahead.” I waved him away, pulling the chair next to Sophia out and dropping down onto it. “Sophia and I will be fine. It looks like she has some beautiful pictures here she can show me.”

  There was a moment of awkward silence when Nic left the room, but I quickly filled it by asking Sophia about her pictures. “Is this one a kitten?”

  “Yeah,” she sighed. “I really, really want one, and Daddy said I might be able to get one soon. It depends on what the doctor says at my next appointment. I hope Dr. Declan says I’m all better and Daddy surprises me with a kitten.”

  “What kind of kitten would you want?”

  “A fluffy white one!” Her response was lightning fast, as though she’d given a lot of thought to it. “Or a grey one, but it has to be super fluffy.”

  “I’ll make sure to tell him to only look at super fluffy kittens if you can get one, okay?”

  “Thank you,” she said sweetly.

  “You’re welcome, but I love fluffy kittens, too.”

  “Maybe you can help with the kitten? Daddy said you’re moving in with us.” Sophia’s angelic voice held the slightest note of uncertainty.

  “Your daddy thought it would be easier for me to help take care of you if I did, but only if you’re okay with me living here,” I reassured her.

  “Oh, I am!” she blurted ou
t. “But I didn’t know if you had a little girl like me at home who would miss you.”

  I moved out of my chair and dropped to my knees in front of her, taking her hands into mine. “No little girls or boys for me yet. If I did, then I wouldn’t be able to move in with you. I graduated from high school a year ago, but I still live with my mom and dad. I’m sure they’ll miss me, but they know it’s about time for me to leave home anyway.”

  “My daddy had me when he was in high school when he lived at Nonno and Nonna’s old house.” Her admission confirmed my earlier assumption about Nic’s age. “But we moved out when I was two because Daddy wanted us to have a house all to ourselves. Then when Nonno died, he told Nonna he was willing to share me with her, and she moved in upstairs and we got an elevator.”

  That was a lot of information out of such a little mouth. I wasn’t sure what to tackle first, so I went with the safest subject. “An elevator, huh? I’d love for you to show it to me. My mom and dad’s house doesn’t have one of those.”

  She cocked her head at me. “I don’t have a mom, just a Daddy and Nonna.”

  “I’m working on it, my preziosa.”

  I jumped to my feet and whirled around, startled by the sound of Nic’s voice. For a big guy, he sure was light on his feet. I hadn’t heard him return, but surely he hadn’t said what I thought. The rich, hot, single dad falling head over heels for the nanny, at first sight, was something that only happened in romance novels, not real life. Even if it did, it certainly wouldn’t happen to me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and stepped away from Sophia, who was staring at both of us, her gaze swiveling back and forth while she had a big grin on her face as she took in the determined look on his.

  “I’m sorry to say I need to cut our meeting short. I have business matters which need my attention, and my mother is waiting for Sophia to join her upstairs before I leave.”

  Sophia scrambled from her chair and flung herself at Nic’s legs, giving him a quick hug. “Bye, Daddy.”

  He bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Bye, my preziosa. I won’t be too long.”

  “Okay,” she answered happily. She pulled away from him and before I knew it, she was hurtling towards me. Her skinny arms wrapped around my waist as she pressed her cheek against me in a quick hug. “Bye, Anna. It was nice meeting you.”

  “It was nice to meet you, too, sweetie.”

  She was gone in a flash, racing away, presumably to the elevator she’d told me about earlier.

  “That went well,” Nic murmured, twining my hand in his once again.

  “It did,” I agreed as he led me down the hallway and to the door. My gaze landed on the wall where he’d kissed me and I almost missed what he was saying as I remembered the feel of his lips on mine.

  “I’ve reviewed your background check and references from the agency, as you instructed me to do,” he said wryly. “Judging from the hug she just gave you, you have Sophia’s stamp of approval, too. There’s nothing stopping you from moving in this weekend. Will Saturday morning work for you?”

  “What about our kiss?” It certainly seemed like something which might stop me from moving in. Didn’t it?

  He glanced at the black and silver Rolex watch strapped to his wrist. “Any conversation about the kiss will have to wait because I can’t be late to this meeting. I can send a car and men to help you with your possessions. Saturday morning at nine o’clock?”

  “A car?”

  “Yes, Gianna. A car,” he repeated. “In fact, use mine now to go home so my driver will know where to pick you up, and I’ll have an associate of mine fetch me on his way to our meeting.”

  Before I knew what was happening, I’d been bundled into the back seat of a gleaming, black town car. When the driver pulled up in front of my parent’s house, I realized I hadn’t even given him the address. He already knew how to find the house. Which meant there really hadn’t been any need for him to drive me home, and Nic had darn well known it. Sneaky man.

  Chapter 4

  Nic

  “Brandon. Wait a second.” My best friend since childhood turned from where he’d been headed toward the door and walked back over to me. He was also the man who would step in as my number two when I eventually took over. He stopped by the table and ran his hands over his buzzed, black hair, the short sleeves on his t-shirt displaying his many tattoos. He definitely looked the part of the enforcer, and we used it to our advantage often.

  “What’s up, Nic?”

  I waved for him to take a seat and waited until it was only he and my uncle left in the room with me.

  “There’s been movement in the O’Reilly organization. Word is, someone is trying to move up in the ranks by taking on the DeLucas.”

  Brandon ran frustrated hands over his head and blew out a breath. “You getting this from Silas?”

  “Among other sources,” Antonio confirmed. “I wouldn’t put too much stock in it if it were only that booze hound. But, his information is usually correct and when I heard the same from an informant, I knew we needed to take it seriously.”

  “An informant?” Brandon repeated incredulously.

  There wasn’t much Brandon didn’t know about family business, but the fact that we’d been approached by someone in the O’Reilly family six months before was one of them. My uncle and I were contacted by someone wanting out and in exchange for our help, she agreed to spend some time acting as our informant. We would never have asked it of her, but she was anxious to boot her father out of his place as the head of the organization so she would be completely free of his tyrannical reign when she finally left.

  As much as I trusted Brandon, I wasn’t willing to risk anyone knowing about Carly. Her position was too precarious and the information she provided too vital. But, with the way things were moving, I knew it was time to bring him in.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you before now, brother, but I wanted to keep the circle as small as possible. It’s Grady’s daughter Carly, and the situation is so fucked up, we need your help.”

  He nodded, aware that being the number two meant he didn’t have to deal with one hundred percent of the bullshit, but always willing to help lighten mine and Antonio’s load.

  “I’m moving someone in with me on Saturday. I’m going to have my hands full with her”—I was aware of the double meaning in that statement, and Antonio’s smirk said he was too—“as well as protection for Sophia and my mother.”

  Brandon’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “You decided Sophia needs a live-in nanny? Are you crazy? You’ll have a full-time job just keeping her away from the family business.”

  “It’s going to be her family soon too”—Brandon’s face went slack with surprise—“but you’re right, for the moment, I’d like to keep her clear of it all. That’s why I need your help. I can’t help feeling as though the shit is about to hit the fan. I need you to become Carly’s shadow. If you get even the tiniest whiff that she’s blown, pull her out and get her into hiding. She’s more than earned our protection.”

  He nodded, still looking a little shell-shocked. “Whatever you need, man. You know I’ll get it done.” We both stood to shake hands, our free ones rapping each other on the back a couple of times.

  “Let me get Gianna settled, then I want you to come and meet her. If I bring you over too soon, you’ll scare the fuck out of her,” I jibed. Brandon flipped me the bird and loped out of the room, laughing.

  “So,” Antonio drawled, drawing my attention, “moving her in so soon?” His grin betrayed his lack of surprise.

  “Mamma isn’t happy about the sleeping arrangements, but she’ll have to live with it until I get Gianna to marry me.”

  This time, he did register a little shock. “You’re moving her into your room?”

  “Not on Saturday,” I explained. “But, I fully intend to get her pregnant as soon as possible, so those arrangements won’t last long.”

  Antonio burst out laughing. “Such a DeLu
ca,” he muttered through his guffawing.

  I shrugged with a grin. “So they tell me.”

  ***

  I stopped abruptly and stared at the most perfect ass in the world. Gianna was bent over, putting a few things in a bottom drawer of the oak dresser in her new room. All day, I’d been forced to endure the sight of her long legs in skin-tight yoga pants and a t-shirt that kept slipping off of her shoulder to reveal a lemon yellow bra strap. I’d forced down the need to punch everyone else who got a glimpse of her creamy skin.

  We had just finished unloading the last of her boxes, and I’d come up to make sure she was settling in all right. My eyes strayed to the queen size bed on the far wall, it was a far cry from the oversized king in my bedroom, but it was still tempting as hell. Especially since Sophia was spending the night with her Nonna.

  “Gianna.”

  She yelped, jumping to her feet and spinning around. Her hand flew to her chest, drawing my attention to her incredible tits as they lifted and fell with her rapid breathing.

  “Jiminy Crickets, Nic! You scared the heck out of me!”

  I chuckled and shook my head as I prowled toward her. She was too fucking adorable and I never wanted her to change. Well, with the exception of bringing out the inner tigress I knew would be there in the bedroom.

  Her eyes widened to saucers as I closed in on her, but she didn’t back away or break eye contact. Her pink little tongue darted out to wet her lips, and I was fucking gone. Slipping my hands around her waist I pulled her flush against my body.

  “You tempt me beyond all reason, mia dolce.” I lowered my head to place my lips gently on her neck and my hands traveled farther down until I cupped her round ass in my palms. “I didn’t like everyone seeing what is for my eyes only, Gianna,” I murmured, nipping at her skin. She shuddered with a gasp, and I smiled as I ran my nose up to her ear.

  “Y-yours?” she questioned.

  I clenched my hands tight and shoved my pelvis into her, showing her just how much I wanted her. “Yes, Gianna. Mine,” I growled. “I think these...pants”—I said the word with derision—“need to be disposed of.”