Mafia Obsession

Elio

“What climbed up your ass and died?” Luca says from the passenger seat. “Did I fill out that spreadsheet wrong or something?” He laughs gruffly.

I drive through the city, teeth gritted.

“Elio?” Luca says, nudging me on the arm. “We don’t have to talk,” I tell him.

“Jesus, bro,” he replies. “Is it this dinner? You know what Mom’s like. She’s probably hired some entertainment. Maybe she’s invited one of her opera singer friends over.”

“She said Dad requested the dinner,” I say, which means she most likely lied. As twisted as it might be, I believe my woman, my singing angel, over my own mother. What does that say about me? “Anyway, it’s not about that.”

“What is it, then?” “I’m fine.”

“No,” Luca snaps. “You can get away with that shit with the men. Even with Mom and Dad, but not with me. Remember, I’ve been looking up to

your grumpy ass my whole life. I’m better at reading you than you give me credit for.”

I sigh darkly. “Maybe I’m losing my mind, that’s all.” “All the violence lately?”

“No, fuck no.” I grip the steering wheel hard. “Everything we’ve done has been justified. You saw the sick stuff those men had on their computers. I don’t feel bad about putting goddamn bullets into their worthless heads.”

“Just talk to me, then.”This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

“Is this a therapy session?”

“It’s about your lady,” Luca says. When I don’t reply, he continues, “I knew it. You’ve changed since you met her. It’s only been, what, a couple of days? But you’re like a different person. I know I’m right. Your lady’s making you lose your mind. That’s it, isn’t it?”

I groan as I come to a stop at a red light. “If I tell you, you have to promise not to repeat it.”

“Obviously,” he says. “Yeah… but promise.”

He puts his hand on his chest, half-joking, half-serious. “I promise. I’ll take it to the grave.”

“Something happened to me when I first saw Scarlet,” I tell him. “The second I saw her in that restaurant, I knew I wanted her.”

“There’s nothing strange about that. I’ve wanted plenty of women as soon as I saw them.”

“Not like this,” I tell him. “The moment I saw her, bro, I knew she would be my future wife. She was going to be the mother of my children. She belonged-belongs-to me. This happened in an instant. It was like a religious revelation.”

A car behind me honks the horn. I’m lingering at the light. When Luca turns and puffs himself up, I pull away quickly. The last thing I need is my little brother getting into a road rage scene.

“You knew all of that right away?” he says quietly, his voice full of awe.

“Instantly,” he says. “I haven’t doubted it once. When I think about the future, the life I had before seems shallow. Pathetic. I worked sixteen hours a day, doing tasks I could easily delegate to give myself an excuse not to live. Now, I want to live with my woman. My Scarlet.”

Luca lets out a long breath. I glance at him. He tilts his head, looking like a little boy again, trying to make sense of his older brother. “I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything like that,” he says, “but I know you. You’re serious about this.”

“I am,” I say passionately.

“Then you should tell her,” he says.

“Just like that? I thought you’d call me nuts.”

“Who cares if you’re nuts? Who cares if she’s half your age? Who cares if you’ve known each other for less than a week? Who cares, bro? If this life teaches us one thing, it’s that everything can end like that.” He snaps his fingers. “So you can spend your time umming and ahhing over it, or you can do something about it.”

“Very wise,” I tell him.

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“No, I mean it. You’re right, but what if I scare her away?” “If she knows what’s good for her, she won’t let you.”

“What does that mean?” I say, my voice edged with aggression.

“You’re Elio Marino. You’re richer than God. You’re going to be don one day. Any young woman with a head on her shoulders would leap at this chance.”

“That’s not what I want, though,” I growl. “I don’t want a woman with me only for my name. I want a woman who’d be with me even if I was dirt poor, even if we only had each other and were living in a tent because that’s how badly I want her. I don’t care about anything else. Just being together.”

“If you want a woman like that, you’ll be searching your entire life,” Luca replies. “There’s no such thing as a woman who’ll be with a man no matter what. They want security. It’s not a bad thing. They need somebody capable of taking care of them and their children.”

“True,” I admit, “but I don’t want her to choose me just for my name. I want her to feel how I do.”

Luca sighs. “So you want her to have known that you were her future husband the second she saw you? That she was going to be the mother to your children? You want all that?”

I grind my teeth, saying nothing. I get his point. It’s an unrealistic expectation. Luca must sense my mood because he doesn’t say anything else. We drive in steely silence.

“Boys,” Mom says, rising from her chair in the living room when we enter.

I was going to see my woman first, but clearly, Mom has other plans. She has a frantic expression on her face, flustered, as though she’s been waiting for us. Dad sits in his wheelchair, hunched slightly forward, eyes slowly pulling shut as though he’s barely keeping himself awake.

On the armchair facing away from us, a man sits, but I can’t tell who it is from here.

“Mom,” I say, taking her hand and kissing her cheek. “Hey, Mom,” Luca says, doing the same.

“Look, our new business partner is here,” Mom says with forced excitement.

Russel Greene stands, his hair slick with product, his grin wide and implying a lot. He’s alone, surrounded by our men, in the presence of the Marino brothers, yet he looks confident and happy to see us. “Fellas,” he says, walking forward and offering his hand.

“Russel,” Luca replies in an unreadable tone, shaking his hand.

I shake it too, reluctantly, to keep up appearances, but I hold on to his hand for a moment longer before letting go. He tilts his head at me, a real shit- eating grin on his face.

“Shall we go into the dining room?” he says as if he’s in charge.

“I’m going to get changed first,” I say, giving Mom a look, but she’s too busy fluffing a cushion that is clearly already fluffed enough. She’s just giving herself something to do so she doesn’t have to meet my eye. “And say hello to my girlfriend.”

Mom gasps. “Your girlfriend?”

“You didn’t know?” I say, talking to Mom but keeping my gaze on Russel. “Scarlet Smith is my girlfriend now.”

Russel flinches at Scarlet’s name. He couldn’t make it any more obvious if he tried. “Scarlet… Smith?”

“You know her?” Luca says. “I… no, no.”

“A bit weird of you to repeat her name ominously like that, then,” Luca comments.

“No, it’s not that,” Russel rushes to say. “I just expected a Marino to be with an Italian, that’s all.”

Hmm. It’s possible. Highly, highly unlikely, but that may be what he meant. “Excuse me,” I say, turning and walking down the hallway.

I knock on Scarlet’s door.

“Yes?” she calls. Even her speaking voice is more angelic than any other woman’s.

“It’s me,” I tell her.

“Two seconds.” She opens the door and walks into the hallway. She’s wearing a polka-dot dress that shows off her thick, gorgeous legs. Her hair is wavy down to her shoulders, and she’s applied light makeup. It’s like she’s highlighting her natural beauty instead of covering her face. “Mom’s sleeping again. Is it okay if she skips dinner?”

“That’s fine,” I tell my woman. “I’ll have Sebastian bring her something when she’s ready to eat.”

Looping my arms around Scarlet’s waist, I pull her into a hug. She makes one of her cute, captivating noises when I lean down and press my lips against hers. We kiss deeply, passionately. I can feel the hunger in her.

I don’t mean to get carried away, but before I know it, I’ve got her pushed against the wall. I tell myself I’m listening out just in case somebody walks by, but that’s crap. I’m completely lost to my woman. I slide my hand down her body, getting closer to her hip, knowing it would be damn perfect to indulge in her curviness. Squeeze her hips, her ass, her thick, beautiful legs.

She puts her hand on my chest and pushes softly. “Elio,” she whispers breathily.

I glance up and down the hallway, making sure we’re alone, keeping my hands on her hips. There’s something addictive about holding her like this. I’m obsessed with her. Hungry.

“Just so you know, I told Mom you’re my girlfriend,” I say.

She gasps again, her hand tightening on my chest, her fingernails pressing through my shirt. “Really? Why?”

“Because you are,” I growl, pushing my lips against hers again.

We’re lost to the world for a minute or so. She smooths her hands around my neck, clinging tightly, making the steamiest moaning noises. It’s almost enough to make me snap. I should think of her dad, of everything she’s been through. Or maybe what Luca said. Any woman would jump at the chance, but when I’m kissing her, it’s like nothing else exists.

“If I’m your girlfriend,” she says, breaking off the kiss, “I think… uh… you should know something.”

I brush the hair from her face, savoring the moment-the way she tilts her head, the smile that passes across her lips. “Nothing can change how I feel about you,” I say, getting dangerously close to telling her everything, unleashing it all.

“Just so you know, when we… you know, get intimate.”

“You mean when your young, curvy, perfect body turns me into a fucking savage, and it’d take an army to stop me from claiming you?”

“Yeah, that,” she murmurs, her cheeks flushing with lust. “I’ve never done that before, gone all the way, I mean, so you’re not surprised.” She shakes her head, laughing wildly. “I think there’s something wrong with me. After everything, I still can’t say the word.”

“Say it,” I snarl. “You can. You will. Say it, Scarlet.”

I’ve forgotten about everything. Her mom. Her dad. Even Russel. My woman doesn’t even know he’s here. All that matters is this moment. My heart is thudding. My head is swimming with heat and lust. I’m aching for her.

“I’m a virgin,” she whispers.

I take a step back. I have to. Otherwise, my instincts will take over. I’ll lift her over my shoulder and carry her into the nearest spare bedroom, throw her down, and tear off her clothes. Drive my dick deep into her inexperienced body and fuck her hard. Fuck her for the first time.

“Is that okay?” she asks.

I reach forward, holding her hand tightly so she can feel my passion. “Nothing could stop me from wanting you, Scarlet. Never doubt that.”

“I just thought I should tell you,” she murmurs, smoothing her thumb over my knuckles. “I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“You could never disappoint me,” I say, kissing her again, with somehow more passion this time.

There’s only so long I can leave this, though, without being a complete jackass. “I need to tell you something, too. I should’ve told you right away, but you’re so damn distracting.”

“I am?” she says, flushed and beautiful. “When I’m with you, Elio, it’s like poof.” She laughs adorably. “Everything else just vanishes from my head. It’s like a superpower.”

“Russel is here,” I tell her. Her smile drops immediately.

“That’s the special guest,” I go on. “Mom wants us to have dinner with him.”

“Maybe he’s not the shark,” she murmurs, a low note of hope in her voice.

“Maybe,” I say, “but when I mentioned your name, he seemed to know who you were. Something’s making this prick think he has power over us. The leader of the Shanks.”

“The Shanks?”

“It’s his little gang. They’re worse than two-bit. Something’s happening here, and I intend to find out during dinner, but I need your help, angel.”

She stands up straighter. Pride touches her features. Pride fills me, too. She’s got so much fierceness in her, so much to pass on to our children. “After everything you’ve done for me, anything.”

“You’re my brave, beautiful virgin,” I tell her, kissing her forehead as gently as I can. Otherwise, I’ll take her virginity right now. “It’s time to find out once and for all. Together.”

“Together,” she says.