Gian (Trassato Crime Family #1)(8)

I twisted my fingers in her strawberry blonde hair, angling her head so I could see her entire face. Her wide brown eyes peeked at me from beneath her lashes, her gaze roving all over me, my skin blazing with heat. She swallowed back her uncertainty, her long, elegant throat flexing. A smattering of freckles dusted the bridge of her nose like stardust. I’d give my left arm to make her smile.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” I growled against her lips. A moan tumbled from her mouth. It had to be one of the sexiest sounds I’d ever heard. My tongue slipped between her lips, and within seconds, the kiss spiraled into something primal and untamed. Her teeth grazed my lower lip, and my hands were everywhere and nowhere all at once.

I slipped my fingers under the hem of her skirt, and her skin was every bit as soft as I had imagined. She intoxicated me with her smell—jasmine mixed with soap. Her hands skated down my chest, and she palmed the front of my pants. Sparks ignited under my skin, and I wanted to throw her down on the floor, sofa, anywhere. I needed my pants down and her clothes gone.

A sharp thud echoed against the wood door. “Go away. I’m busy,” I barked, slipping my hand inside her damp panties. I wanted to f*ck her so hard she’d forget her pansy-ass ex and any other guy who came before me.

Something slammed against the door. “Open the door, Gian. You’re supposed to interview Evie tonight.”

Evangeline’s muscles tensed under my fingertips, and I groaned. “Sorry,” I whispered next to her ear. “It’s my sister. Give me five minutes to get rid of her.”

She dug her fingers into my biceps, and her face drained of color. “Oh crap. You’re Carmela’s brother.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You know my sister?”

“Gianluca, open this door right now!” my sister yelled. Evangeline shoved me away from her, and I stumbled back a few steps, reeling from the revelation that she knew Carmela.

“I’m Evie,” she hissed. “The person you’re supposed to interview right now.”

I raked my hands through my hair. “Oh f*ck.”

“My thoughts exactly.” She smoothed the front of her skirt and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Carmela, it’s Evie. We’re nearly done.” She sat down on the sofa and crossed her long legs then snapped her fingers. “Stop ogling me and open the door.”

I buttoned my suit jacket and rubbed the back of my neck in frustrated resignation. After a deep breath, I opened the door. “Hey, sis.”

“What’s going on?” Carmela asked. Her gaze ping-ponged between Evangeline and me.

I shrugged. “Nothing. I ran into your friend at the bar, and we decided to start without you.”

She rocked back on her heels and pinned her friend with her stare. “Are you already done?”

“Actually,” Evangeline said, coming to her feet, “we decided it wasn’t a good fit for either of us.”

“What?” Carmela yelled, her eyes shooting daggers at me. “Did you do something to her?”

I held up my hands. “What the hell, Carmela?”

My sister aimed her finger at me. “You said you’d help.”

“It’s fine, Carmela. He said he’d make some calls for other jobs.” A wobbly smile pulled at the corners her mouth. “I’m going to take off. I’ve had a headache all day.”

Carmela squeezed her friend’s hand. “What happened?”

Evangeline rolled her eyes. “I ran into Kevin, and I think he’s still here, which means I want to be anywhere other than here.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at home in an hour.”

“Nice meeting you, Evie,” I said as she stepped into the hall.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Likewise.”

“I’ll be in touch to finish our…conversation.” My gaze dropped to the back of her long, toned legs. I had no intention of letting her walk out of my life like the last twenty minutes hadn’t happened. In fact, I wouldn’t be satisfied until I had her naked beneath me more than once.

She paused, and her back stiffened. “Yeah, let Carmela know if you hear of another job.”

After she left, her scent lingered in the air of my office. Fortunately, my sister didn’t say anything until the hall door slammed. It gave me some time to clear her from my thoughts.

“So what really happened?” she asked, her hands on her hips.

“Nothing. We had a drink. We talked. You knocked on the door.” I crossed the room and sat down behind my desk. “I think she changed her mind about working here when she saw her ex.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Do you think you can help her find something else?”

“I’ll make some calls tomorrow,” I said, scrolling through my missed texts. Dominick prohibited us from using cell phones for business unless we used coded text messages.

“That doesn’t sound promising.”

I read the message from Tony Red one more time. Tony Red had been nicknamed for his penchant for fast red cars and violence. Once, he drove a pickaxe through a man’s stomach with so much force, he ripped up the floorboard when he pulled it out.



Tony Red: Meet you at the bar in thirty minutes. Have a Tom Collins ready for me.



To most people, it sounded like he needed a drink. I knew better. Tony Red and I had created our own language when I started working with my dad five years ago. The text referenced one of my soldiers, Tommy Calvo. Everyone knew he had a drug problem. To date, Dominick hadn’t done anything about it. That was about to change. I received a tip that he’d been skimming money from deadbeats when we sent him to collect. He’d gone missing seven days ago. Apparently, Tony Red had found him, and they were headed here.