5. Vincenzo

5

VINCENZO

I can't believe Uncle Mario betrayed me like this. My father passed away when I was twelve—too young and inexperienced to lead a notorious mafia gang. For years, I've trusted him to take the helm of the family while I grew, trained, and educated myself on how to become a leader. On how to hold the delicate balance of this city in my hands.

But instead, he plotted against me and bided his time until the right moment came along. Dana being with me puts a target on her back, but it's too late. They know about her, and now he's after both of us. This whole situation put my fated mate in danger, and I have to keep her safe.

I can't lose her now that I've finally found her.

But how do I know who's loyal to me, aside from my inner circle? I've been thinking about it since we left the safe house, mulling over all the details and trying to come up with a way I can identify and weed out any traitors.

"Your home is beautiful, Vincenzo," she compliments me while shifting slightly on my lap.

Her ass rubbing against my groin is pure torture. Knowing my fated mate is so close, with only thin layers of clothing between us, yet so far away is so torture. I'd like nothing more than to hike the skirt of her dress up, unbuckle my pants, and take her here and now. Claim her as my own so the whole world knows she's mine.

But first I have to explain to her what's happening because I don't think she knows I'm her fated mate. Or maybe she does, and she hasn't said anything yet. Maybe she's waiting for me to broach the topic. I barely know this woman, but I know enough about her to be certain she's not the type to wait for me to lead.

I saw how she took charge in asking Benito questions. She's a strong woman, and I can use someone like her in my life. Some men want a doll—but I would rather have a partner. Someone I can lean on, who actually contributes something to this union. And with her brains, beauty, and personality, I have the feeling she'll keep giving in spades.

But none of that matters if I can't keep her safe. Once Uncle Mario is in a wooden box six feet underground, I'll tell her everything. We'll claim each other as mates, get married and start our new lives together without secrets or drama.

"Vincenzo?" She snaps me out of my thoughts as she rests her head on my chest.

"Thank you, beautiful. I hope you're ready for summers in the Hamptons." I use the remote on the table to open the retractable blinds on the glass sliding door, and even though it's dark out, the moon shimmering on the ocean illuminates the view enough for her. "Days barbequing on our own private beach, soaking up the sun."

I run my nose up the column of her neck, inhaling her floral perfume before kissing right below her jawline. She shivers against me, extending her neck to give me more access.

"That sounds nice," she shakily replies as I kiss back down her neck and lick over her exposed collarbone. My fangs tingle with the urge to bite her.

"After dinner, we can go skinny dipping at dusk if you want," I growl into her ear, moving my hand up her leg and wedging them in between her luscious, thick thighs. I want to feel them against my ears as I lick her pussy and eat her like a starving man.

I'm falling apart over this woman. My self control is almost nonexistent. I've never wanted someone as much as I want her.

She parts her thighs enough that my hand moves up, until I touch her hot, wet sex. She's not wearing any panties. I bite my bottom lip, trying to rein myself under control. I should reveal to her what we are to each other first. Have a meaningful conversation about what that means. But I want her so badly and I think she wants me to.

"So you're one hundred percent sure we're safe?" she asks me as her big, glowing eyes peer up at me.

"Yes, we may not have guards, but this place has a top notch security system. You have nothing to worry about, beautiful," I coo into her ear.

The sound of the window shattering makes her jump up from my lap, then tuck and roll onto the floor, to the desk next to the chair. Like someone who's familiar with combat techniques. She reaches into her bust and pulls out a small handgun, and my mouth drops. Has she been carrying that on her the whole time?

Wait, is she a cop? A fed? Someone from a rival mafia?

A large figure crashes through the door, sending glass everywhere, and she doesn't hesitate to open fire. She shoots him once in each knee cap. Then she springs up and kicks the gun out of his hand.

"Cover your ears," she tells me, and instead of subduing her and asking her a million questions, I listen to her. She unleashes a powerful wail that knocks me off my feet. It also knocks out our intruder. "What can I use to restrain him? The bullets weren't kill shots, and we won't have much time until that wears off…"

I go to my office next to the living room and pull out a pair of silver-lined handcuffs. They're for a worst-case scenario like this one, and I never thought I'd have to use them. She motions for me to hand them to her, but I gently nudge her out of the way and handcuff him myself. I don't want her to touch them, even for a second. Even accidentally brushing against them hurts, and I'd never stand by and let her feel pain.

She sheepishly peers up at me from under her light lashes, her mouth twisting into a frown.

"Dana…is there something you want to tell me?" I ask her in a calm, even tone. I should be furious with her for lying to me, but she saved my life and captured my attacker. How can I even be mad at my fated mate?

This woman is going to run circles around me, because I don't think it's possible for me to be anything but enamored by her.

"My name isn't Dana," she answers me. After a few moments of silence, I gesture for her to continue. "My name is Delilah Sangre."

Sangre? Why does that name sound familiar? I put a pin in the thought, deciding to figure out exactly who Delilah is.

"Why do I have the feeling you don't work for your parents' waste management company?" I take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles.

"I do work for my parents, but they don't own a waste management company, per se. We're assassins. We take out the trash—abusers, con artists, pedophiles, violent criminals."

That explains her agility and response to danger. My mate is an assassin. A Sangre assassin. They're some of the most exclusive, skilled killers in the game. That's why the last name sounds so familiar.

I wasn't aware they had a daughter, though.

"Since we're talking about lies, I wasn't matched with you at the dating service. I used my manipulation powers to match us because I needed a way into the Conti mafia. Your uncle Mario is my target."

"Target?" I ask.

"Long story short, my mother went missing a year ago because she joined the Femme Fatale Freak Show, a secret assassin's guild. She wasn't supposed to be gone this long. My father can feel her through their fated mate bond, so we know she's alive. I think they asked me to join so I can find her. They gave me a clue that Mario had something to do with her disappearance."

I burst out laughing. Not the normal kind you have after you hear a good joke—it's the unhinged, what the fuck kind of laughter. The kind that makes people stare, my mate included. Her brows knit together as she worries her bottom lip, probably unsure of what to make of my outburst.

It's just my luck that I finally find the woman of my dreams—the one who's fated for me, for fuck's sake—and she's a covert assassin charged with killing Uncle Mario.

If I really think about it, I have no reason to be mad at her. Yes, she lied and manipulated her way into my life. She has to kill my family. But fate works in mysterious ways, and all of those actions brought her to me. I lied too, because I still haven't told her we're fated mates. And my uncle is a dead man walking, so there's no better time for an assassin to drop into my lap than right now.

She's the woman of my dreams.

"Why are you so quiet?" she asks me. "Are you going to kill me for lying to you?"

"No," I say around a laugh. "I do think we need to have a conversation though."

"Okay…"

"I wasn't completely honest with you either. Have you felt this pull toward me? Like an unexplainable attraction?"

After a few moments, she nods. "I'm not sure why though. Even though we just met, it feels like I've known you all my life."

"I feel it too. From the moment I saw you, I knew we belonged together. We're fated mates," I admit.

"That explains a lot. It's how my dad feels about my mom. I can't believe it."

She sits down in the chair next to our captive, a shocked expression on her face.

"Talk to me. What's going through your head?" I need to know what she's thinking. If she's as sure of this as I am. If she's having doubts, I need to help her work through them.

"My parents are fated mates. They told me the story of how they met so many times, and my dad said he felt a pull toward my mom—he just knew from the jump. I held out from seriously dating anyone my whole life because I didn't want to settle for anything less than what they had. Now I found you at the worst possible time. I can't give up on searching for my mom, Vincenzo."

I sit next to her, pulling her into my side. Having her snuggled into me feels so natural. So right. We were made for each other. "Beautiful, this is the best time to find each other. I'll make sure you hit your target. We'll find your mother together. Then we'll have our happily ever after. I promise you that."

Dana—sorry, Delilah —gives me a small smile. A glimmer of mischief dances across her face as she pushes a strand of her vibrant red hair behind her ear. She looks downright evil with the way her eyes glow neon red. She kisses me on the cheek, and the simple gesture makes me feel…light. Like for a moment, my empire isn't in jeopardy and the weight of the world isn't on my shoulders.

"Fuck you, Vincenzo!" Benito slurs, broken on the floor. Delilah kicks him in the face with her heel, leaving a bright red mark on his forehead. The silver handcuffs block his powers, so he'll heal slowly, like a mortal. He's so weak right now, he probably can't even stand up. He's not a threat to us.

"Since you're awake, Benito, would you mind if I borrowed your phone?" Delilah picks through his pockets, ignoring his protests. She finds his phone and points it at his face to unlock it. "Are your men tracked through these?"

"Yeah, everyone but my uncle and me." I can see the wheels turning in her head.

She scrolls through his texts, her face lighting up. "Bingo, look at this."

Mario: Good to know he still trusts you. Let me know when the job is done.

Benito: Yes, sir.

That was an hour ago. I take the phone from her, and type out a message.

Benito: Vinny texted me that their location was compromised, so they moved somewhere else. He didn't say where. He asked me to get the mausoleum upstate ready for their secret wedding tomorrow at midnight.

The three little dots pop up, and it takes forever for my uncle to type his response.

Mario: You're a moron. Help him plan it, tell me the time and place. I'll end him myself.

Benito: Yes, sir.

The mate bond must make trusting me easier, because her automatic response is "What's the plan?"

"I'm going to arrange a ‘secret wedding' for us," he says with finger quotes. "He'll attack us, we'll kill him, then we'll find your mom and have our happily ever after."

"You make it sound so easy…" she trails off, sighing.

"That's because together, it will be. You'll see."

I scoop her into my arms, squeezing her tightly. She melts into me and for a few minutes, we sway together. Before I met Delilah, I was never into this touchy-feely shit. My schedule didn't allow for it, or so I thought. Now I realize, I just didn't care about those women enough to find out how they felt or comfort them about it.

"Since Mario thinks we moved on, I think it's still safe to stay here. I'm going to bring Benito downstairs and take care of him. Why don't you get ready for bed?"

She gives me a sly smile, then pulls a pair of ear plugs from her little purse on the table. "Can I come with you and show you how deadly my wail is?"

She's a beautiful, top-grade assassin and she loves torturing people? I hit the jackpot.

"That sounds like a fun end to our first date, come on beautiful."