Ruined Secrets (Perfectly Imperfect #4)

Luca’s nostrils flare as he stares into my eyes. I inhale to prepare for the pain, I expect him to thrust himself into me to the hilt. Instead, his hand slides between our bodies and he starts to circle my clit with his finger while his cock remains at my entrance.

The pressure begins to build inside of me, my breathing coming faster as his finger continues to tease me. Soon, I’m so crazy with the need to feel him inside me that I forget my anxiety and fear. His cock slides into me—impossibly slow—and there’s a slight pinch of pain, but it lasts only a few seconds. Then, I’m engulfed by the sensation of his rhythm as he rocks into me, stretches me, fills me. It’s slightly uncomfortable at first, but it quickly transforms into pleasure that consumes my whole being.

It’s not just having him inside me, making me tremble. It’s his body pressed against mine and his hands caressing my cheeks. It’s Luca’s eyes, piercing and dangerous, holding my gaze the whole time, and the tips of his hair tickling my shoulders and face. The way he grits his teeth because he’s holding back for fear of hurting me. I never expected that from him. Even though he’s mad for not telling him it’s my first time, he’s still trying not to hurt me. And that fact makes my heart swell with happiness.

With his breath fanning my face, Luca keeps rocking his body. In. Out. In again. My walls are stretching, taking more of him inside with every thrust. His hand moves up my body, grabs the back of my neck and squeezes.

“Is this what you wanted, Isabella?” he asks, then bites my shoulder.

“Yes,” I choke out, “But now I want more.”

Luca slides his cock out, then slams into me, hard, and I gasp as spasms begin in my core. A strange satisfaction overcomes me, and the next moment, my brain explodes into beautiful nothingness just as he comes inside me.

I’m bathing in the feeling of having Luca’s body lying over mine when he pulls out and gets up. He disappears into the bathroom on the other side of the room for a moment, returning with a towel in his hand. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he cleans me up. Once he’s done, he leans his elbows on his knees, and remains nearly motionless, gaze focused on the towel smeared with my blood. After a while, and without saying a word, he grabs the blanket off the floor and covers my naked body. His touch is gentle, but I can feel him pulling away as he starts putting on his sweats and T-shirt.

“Don’t you dare try manipulating me again, Isabella,” he says in cold voice. Not giving me another glance, he walks to the door and leaves the room.

For a few moments, I just stare at that damn door—yet another barrier he slammed in his wake—then bury my face in the pillow and cry.

Chapter 11

“So, we all agree with the decision that Luca Rossi is going to take over the Family?” Francesco asks.

Under Giuseppe’s rule, Isabella’s father was a consigliere to the don. I plan on keeping him as my adviser.

The men sitting around the table turn toward me. Donato nods first. Franco Conti follows, then Angelo Scardoni. Orlando Lombardi and Santino D’Angelo are next. It appears Isabella was right. Francesco turns to Lorenzo Barbini. Lorenzo looks up at me, seeming outwardly relaxed, but I notice the way he’s clenching his jaw. Prior to Giuseppe's death, I was reporting to him and to the don. From this point forward, he will be my subordinate. It doesn’t happen often that a capo takes over the Family. By appointing me as his successor, Giuseppe basically declared that he didn’t find his underboss fit for the role. It must be a hard pill to swallow, but with five other capos in agreement, Lorenzo has no other choice. He nods.

Francesco comes to stand before me, and bends to place a kiss on the back of my hand. As a consigliere, he is the first one to swear his loyalty.

“Don.” He nods and returns to his seat.

As an underboss, Lorenzo is next. He approaches with his spine rigid and his face set in hard lines, but he bends and kisses my hand. The capos follow one by one. When everyone is once again seated, I lean back in my chair and regard them.

“I heard there were some discussions regarding branching out into the drug business,” I say and fix my gaze on Lorenzo. “It won’t be happening. We’re keeping the same setup we had under Giuseppe. Donato and I will keep handling the gun deals and laundering the money through real estate. Lorenzo, Orlando and Santino are staying in the gambling business, with Franco laundering their income. Everyone will be reporting to Lorenzo, no changes there, either.”

I turn toward the young Scardoni. He's barely twenty-five and only recently became a capo following the death of his father. “Angelo, you will work with Franco and set up more businesses we can use to launder the money. We’re running close to the limit with what Franco and Damian can process.”

He nods.

“If I ever hear that you've set foot in Mexico again,” I continue, “or that you've met with Mendoza’s men, you’re dead.”

“Yes, Boss.”

I turn my gaze to the other men around the table. “I don’t want any more problems with the Russians. Next week, I’m meeting Roman Petrov to assure him we will keep the truce the Bratva agreed to with Giuseppe. Petrov let the fuckup that Bruno created slide because he knew Scardoni’s deal was outside the official channels. But he won’t do it again.” I look at Francesco. “How much money did we lose during the three-month war with the Russians earlier this year?”

“If we include the infrastructure damaged or lost, a little over seven million,” he says.

I curse. “No more quarrels with the Russians. Unless you want to see one of your daughters or sisters married off to the Bratva.”

After everybody nods, I rise from the table. “That’s all.”

I open the notes app on my phone and look up at Damian. “Do you want me to hire private security for the banquet, or will you have your own men in place?”

“We’ll have our men at the gate and inside the house. Hire ten people to patrol the grounds, just in case.”

I make a note in my planner. “I’m meeting the catering people today to pick the cake and decide on the menu. Do you have wine preferences?”

“Nope. Take whatever they think will work best with the menu,” he says and looks up from his laptop. “Luca upgraded your security detail. You’ll have two bodyguards from now on. Marco and Sandro.”