2. Elio

2

ELIO

" I …" Fuck why couldn't I just deny it. A normal person could, but I'd never been able to hide my feelings. That's why I was useless to my criminal family. Why wouldn't they just let me go?

I'd tried running, but my brothers had dragged me right back. I thought I'd found the perfect way out. Blackmail. Then Billy stole the zip drive full of family secrets from me. He'd just wanted to use me like most men, but I didn't care. He was hot, and I'd craved a man to hook up with. I thought I was using him, but he'd hurt me, then drugged me and slipped out with all my cash and the drive.

I been certain the drive would help me win my freedom, but even though I'd found it again, I was starting to doubt myself. Billy had taken it from me easily, and now I'd been caught by the one man who made me weakest, the man I'd almost confessed everything to and begged for help. But I'd found out he was a Trevisani, one of my father's sworn enemies. I'd panicked and run, but I'd thought of him every single day.

Now, I had to find the will to walk away from him again. I had the zip drive, but not my cash, which was going to make running a hell of a lot harder. How much of a risk was I willing to take?

Tony Trevisani might be pointing a gun at me now, but he was the one man who'd focused on me and my pleasure rather than his own when we were together. Would he help me?

No. Trusting people had never gotten me anywhere. He might have been different in bed, but I couldn't allow myself to believe he'd be any different when it came to helping me.

He spoke, interrupting my panicked thinking. "My name's Tony. Now you know that about me."

"I'd already figured out who you were. I'm Elio."

We stared at each other. I considered making a run for it. Would he really try to stop me?

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway had me frozen.

"Is that your fucking boyfriend?" Tony asked.

"I don't know, and he's not my boyfriend. He's an asshole. A mistake."

A bullet whizzed through the kitchen window. With the light on, we were on full display. I ducked behind the kitchen island, and Tony did the same.

"He'll have seen my bike," Tony said. "Call him off. Tell him it's you."

"He's not going to listen to me. I told you, I snuck in while he was out so I could get the shit he took from me. He'll be just as likely to shoot me as you."

"Then why the fuck did you come here? What was so important?"

"Nothing you need to know about." I wasn't about to tell him my most important secret.

Tony rose up to try and see Billy, and another shot rang out. He ducked back down, covering me with his body.

I might not trust him, but I wasn't going to reject the protection.

Something wet hit my neck. Fuck. Blood was running from a nasty gash on Tony's arm.

"Oh my God. He shot you."

"The bullet just grazed me. I'm fine."

"No. That's not fine." Before I could try to help him, he peeked over the counter again. This time I tried to look too.

"Jesus! Get down," he yelled.

Billy had moved close enough that I could see him and terror raced through me.

Tony fired but didn't hit him. "That's a warning shot," he yelled. "Next time I'll do damage. Vinnie wants his money."

"Fuck you, Trevisani. I don't owe him shit."

Billy stalked closer and fear shot through me. "Please. I…I don't want him near me." I hated how terrified I sounded, but I knew I couldn't defend myself. I had a gun in the messenger bag I'd slung over my shoulder, but I was shit at using it, and Billy would have me dead or worse long before I could even get to it.

Tony glanced at me. "Do you want me to kill him?"

Did I? Yes, but I'd sworn I wouldn't be a killer like everyone else in my family. "I…um…."

"Elio? What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?"

"He was rough, and he wouldn't stop. Then he drugged me, and I think he?—"

The words were barely out of my mouth before a bullet penetrated Billy's brain. He was thrown back from the force of the shot. His body twitched once, then it was still.

"He's dead, right?" I asked.

"Yes. Very dead."

I knew no one could survive a hit like that, but I needed the reassurance. I looked at Tony. His sleeve was soaked with blood.

"Your arm. We've got to fix it, and then…what are we going to do?"

I couldn't be found with a dead man. My family name was enough to land me in jail. And if I were found with a Trevisani, things would get even more complicated.

The cops would drag Tony away, and I'd be guilty by association. He'd saved me. I wasn't going to let him go down for that.

"How long do you think we have before the cops get here?"

Tony frowned. "There aren't any close neighbors. It's possible no one heard the shots."

"Okay. Hang on."

"Where the fuck are you going?"

I ran into the bedroom that had clearly been occupied by the now-very-dead Billy and grabbed one of his T-shirts to use as a bandage. I found a bottle of peroxide from the adjoining bathroom and raced back to Tony.

He frowned at me. "We need to get out of here now. I've got to call a cleanup crew."

"Sit down. This won't take long." I pulled out a chair from the tiny kitchen table and pointed to it.

With a groan, Tony lowered himself into it. He had to be in a lot of pain. "You're going to need stitches, but I'll clean it so you're okay for now."

Before he could respond, I poured peroxide on the ragged skin showing through the rip in his shirt. He gritted his teeth as the wound foamed. I kept pouring until the bottle was empty, then I tied the shirt around him, adding pressure to try and stop the bleeding. By then sweat was running down his pale face. "I'll get you some water."

"No, we need to get out of here, and I need to make a call."

"You need to not pass out. I can't shoot worth a damn. I'm counting on you to save me."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer, then caressed the side of my face.

A shiver ran through me as I felt the heat of his skin.

"I will save you."

My lips parted as he held my gaze. Fuck, this was not the time to start fantasizing about kissing him, about climbing onto his lap. We were in serious trouble—more than he even knew.