Indebted to the Mafia King

Dante

A few days later, I stride through the quiet main floor of Piacere a few hours before opening with Tony at my side.

"So, this is it, then," he says. "You've finally lost it."

I chuckle. "I haven't lost it. You're just not seeing the whole picture."

"Oh, okay." He holds his hands up sarcastically. "No, you're right, please tell me what I'm not seeing in plain sight, Dante. Turn a Greek Schoolgirl into a Staten Island Saint? Is she ex-FBI, or a ninja, or?"

I slug him in the arm. "You're a douche. She's something Luca Lombardi wants, something he doesn't know we still have."

Talking about Eleni like this feels wrong, but Tony's been on my ass since I told him in the car on the way back from the restaurant, and I'm tired of having this argument. At least, if he understands her as a chess piece, he'll fucking understand. "And you want to lure him out." Tony runs his hands over his face, and I see the frustration of the meeting we just left wash over him.

I've had all my top guys on Luca since we dropped Frank, but no one has seen hide nor hair of him in days. Everybody's getting touchy. "You're playing with fire," he says. "You know that, right?"

"What?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "Two minutes ago, she was a Greek schoolgirl."

"She is, don't get me wrong." Tony holds the door open for me. "But she's also hell bent on revenge. I just worry about that flaming out."

The word flame pulls me inexorably back to that moment in my room, when she lifted her chin at me and asked what kind of punishment she could expect. She'd never recognize it in a million years, but right behind her at that moment was a body-safe candle. My brain has been teasing me with images of wax patterns drawn over her delicate skin, over her impertinent mouth.

"Worry about Luca Lombardi," I say as I step out. "And Thano Coppola. He's a wild card, and I don't want him to think we need him as much as we do." I glance at the sunset sky. "So I want you to take this meeting by yourself." Tony rolls his eyes and is clearly about to object, but I climb into my car and start heading home before he can. Thano isn't dangerous unless we let him get cocky, and making him think a personal meeting only ranks my caporegime should help with that.

None of which has anything to do with why I'm driving home. So, I spend the whole ride mastering myself once again.

When I walk inside and find Eleni with her mother, I say, "Come with me."

They both rise.

"Just Eleni," I bark sharper than I mean to.

She exchanges a look I pretend not to see with her mother and follows me. She's wearing yet another loose outfit, and I consider asking her to change, but I don't want to say anything about her clothes. That opens a door I need to keep closed. Three days ago, she was weeping in the apartment where her father died and telling me she'd lost everything. Despite what my brain-and my cock-keep suggesting, I need to keep our relationship strictly business. We climb into the car together, but I avoid her questions until we arrive at the nearest gun range, which agreed to stay open late for me. She stares warily at the building.

"Have you ever shot a gun before?" I ask.

She shakes her head.

"Without that skillset, you're dead." I exit the car and stride inside. She follows, keeping her chin tilted high in a show of bravery, but her eyes are still weary.

What am I doing? Why can't I treat her like I treat any of my men, like a friend or acquaintance or, hell, even a coworker at this point? The ice in my tone toward her feels wrong, all wrong.

The attendant gets her settled with a smaller pistol that fits in her palm and ear protection. I pick up a larger pistol, just in case I need to show her anything, and we enter the empty range. Eleni looks at me, wide-eyed. "Have you ever even held a gun before?" I ask.

She bites her lip, then shakes her head.

"Okay." I suck in a breath. "Let's start with the basics."

I walk her through keeping the muzzle pointed down, never putting her finger on the trigger unless she's ready to shoot, and other simple gun safety.

"All right, fire one," I say.

"What?" She looks around, lost and panicky and nothing like the burning, confident version of her I've seen before.

Whatever is making me the worst version of myself relents. I nod at one of the lanes. "I'll show you. Just come here."

She does so, holding the gun away from her like it's a snake. I smile.

"First, your grip," I say. "You want to hold it tight. It's gonna kick no matter what, and you're less likely to lose your gun that way."

She raises her right hand and squeezes the butt of the gun. I swallow another smile.

"Both hands, El."

She glances at me and grabs the butt with both hands. If I don't get in there, she's fucked. I set my gun down and step closer, then reposition her hands myself. "Like this," I murmur. "Thumb on the hammer, index finger right below the trigger."

She's so close I can feel her warmth. Her stance is a wreck. She'll topple over if I let her go. She'll pull her arms back and pistol whip herself the second she fires the gun if I'm not guiding her movements. I can touch her like this, just this once. It means nothing. This is just business. "You'll want to stand to the side." I try not to notice how my breath ghosts over her cheek. "Like this."

I wrap my other hand around her waist and pull until she repositions her hips to match my own. Her whole body lines up with mine, and I smother a groan. I should've taken advantage of the auction when I had a chance. Now, she's a line I can't cross. Even though she sleeps a few rooms away every night, in that fucking nightgown that I swear I can almost see through when the light hits just right.

"Is that good?" she asks breathily.

I glance down at her and realize her eyes have fluttered closed, that she's leaning her weight back against me. My cock reacts. It would be so easy to claim that mouth of hers.

"Perfect." I flatten my hand against her stomach, pulling her even closer.

Her breath catches.

"When you fire," I say. "You need to mean it. Finger on the trigger, roll it back, and know you're taking a life. Know you want to take that life."

She moves her finger to the trigger.novelbin

"Fire," I murmur into the shell of her ear.

The sound cracks through the space, startling us both out of whatever spell just fell over us. I pull back and hit the button to bring the target forward.

Eleni is an innocent, someone who would never be in this position if I hadn't intervened. She's been robbed of the life she deserves. And no matter what she thinks, her position in this life is temporary. I'm going to get her out. The target slides forward to reveal a single, perfect shot to the heart. Eleni squeals and throws her arms around me.

I'll get her out...eventually.