Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess (15 page)

Nathan left the market while Kyle waited for him on the phone. This was the call he’d been waiting to get for two months, and he’d better get some damn answers or there would be serious hell to pay. If they couldn’t find what Nathan wanted, he’d go to New York and get it himself, and they definitely didn’t want that. He was sick of waiting, and he could tell Carter was starting to get restless. The sooner he found the fuckers that had helped Mitchell nearly kill Carter and himself, the better.

Nathan sighed. Even though he’d been looking for Mitchell’s accomplices, and this could be the call he’d been waiting for, Nathan still wasn’t sure if he was ready for Carter to go back to New York. Yes, she was incredible at her jobs, and Nathan loved that he and Carter worked together, but Mitchell had been a close call. Plus Anastacia said that Carter wasn’t safe, and Nathan still needed to know why. He wasn’t willing to live his life without Carter in it. He’d lock her up in that house before he let anything happen to her again. Of course, he still had to remember who he was talking about here. Carterina Anastacia Stone.

She was every bit of the fighter and killer he was. She had come from the same lifestyle. Fathered by a notorious and highly-feared hit-man and mothered by the bad-ass Anastacia Stone. Not to mention, Carter could be just as crazy as her parents when she had to be. It was something she really couldn’t control.

And Nathan loved that about her. He really did. It was just hard as all shit to see her half-dead in his arms. It had been way too close, and Nathan didn’t know if he’d survive if he lost her.

As he exited the market, he spotted the men who had come to town with Carter and him. Nathan had made sure to have security here just in case he got this call and had to leave Carter’s side. From now on, she would have security with her at all times. He, his father, and Anastacia had made this decision together over the phone a few weeks ago.

“Reno!” Nathan signaled for his men to come over to him. Reno was one of the men who covered security at the apartment in New York and one of the few, select men who knew she was still alive.

Reno put out his cigarette and hurried over to Nathan. “She’s still shopping. Find her, but keep your distance,” Nathan ordered.

“Got it, boss,” Reno said and ran off to get the rest of the men to head into the market.

Nathan had wanted to correct him. He preferred when the men called him by his first name. Boss was what they called his father, and Nathan was not ready to be in his father’s position yet, no matter how much everyone thought he was. Nathan shrugged and continued walking to the car. Whatever. They could call him whatever they wanted as long as they did what he said when he said it.

Nathan made it to the car and sat in the driver’s seat. He put the phone to his ear.

“Kyle,” he said.

“Are you ready?” Kyle asked in Italian.

Deciding that speaking in Italian was best since there were people in the parking lot, Nathan replied, keeping up the language barrier. “I’ve been waiting for two months, Kyle. What the fuck do you think?” Nathan’s jaw clenched.
Of course, he was ready. What kind of question was that?

Kyle chuckled. “Looks like you are then, boss. Someone came forward. It was difficult for us to find
Mitchell’s minions
because not one of them ran after the bastard’s head was cut halfway off. According to the man who came forward, they all knew they’d be found if they skipped town, so they decided to stick around as if nothing had happened.”

“Why would this guy come forward? Did you make sure this was legit information and not just bullshit?”

“Come on, Nate. Who are you talking to here? You know I wouldn’t bring you anything unless I checked it out first.”

Nathan nodded. “Keep talking.”

“He brought evidence. Video. I’ll bring it to Carter’s birthday dinner tonight. He had secretly recorded videos of all their meetings with Mitchell for his own protection, just in case they turned on him.”

“They turned on him?”

“He said they’re all turning on each other. They’re starting to squirm, Nate. They said we were getting too close. You won’t believe how many of them there are and how much Mitch was paying them.”

Nathan took a deep, calming breath, knowing that it wouldn’t work, but also knowing that he couldn’t lose his temper in the middle of a public parking lot. “Tell me,” he growled.

“Ten damn guys, Nate. Mitch was paying them all a million each, and get this. I watched the video—Mitch told them their pay was coming from Carter’s fucking money. Apparently, he had taken a big chunk of Spook’s money when they killed him. He said it was like Carter was paying them to kill the two of you.”

There was long silence over the phone, and then Kyle spoke again. “Nate, are you still there? Did you hear me?” he asked.

Yea, Nathan had heard him. He’d heard every single word. He just couldn’t speak. His body was shaking with rage. It took everything he had not to throw his phone across the parking lot, head to the airport, and take the first flight to New York.

No, Nathan needed to be smart about this and calm down. He had control over himself. He wasn’t the type to make a public spectacle of himself anyway. Taking a deep breath, he spoke to Kyle. “Yes, Kyle, I heard you. Now tell me who.”

“Who what?”

“
Who
—” Nathan stopped talking and calmed himself. This wasn’t Kyle’s fault. There was no need to get unnecessarily loud. “I apologize for yelling,” Nathan said, lowering his volume. Kyle, Mickey, Dante, and Lucca were the only men that Nathan would ever apologize to for losing his temper. They never cared for the apologies because they knew him all too well—they knew he’d lose it again—so his apologies were basically for Nathan’s own peace of mind. The guys just ignored his temper and his apologies. “Who came forward, and what does he want?” Nathan asked. He knew the idiot wouldn’t give all this information without getting anything in return.

“He wants immunity,” Kyle said “He wants forgiveness for what he’s done. He says he didn’t know what he was thinking. He doesn’t have anything against you or Carter. He doesn’t want anyone to know he was involved, either. He said he had always trusted you and Angelo. That you two were honorable men.”

A dark, scathing laughter erupted from Nathan’s chest. Was this man crazy? “Is he out of his fucking mind? No one, not one fucking person I have ever come in contact with has ever accused me of being honorable! Tell me, Kyle. When he asked for this immunity, what did you say?”

“What do you think I said? I gave it to him. How else were we supposed to get the information? I had no choice, Nathan.”

“And were you serious, brother? You promised this to him, and you are my dearest friend. If you choose to honor the agreement you made with this man, I’ll support your decision,” Nathan said, already knowing what Kyle was going to say before he said it.

“Fuck him!” Kyle said “And fuck honor, too! That bitch ended his own life the day he accepted that fucking money from Mitchell to kill you and Carter. I’m fighting myself not to go in there and rip the fucker’s head off right now! And it’s hard as hell for all of us, Nathan. We need to meet about this quick because the fact that he is who he is makes it that much harder to be in the same room with him,” Kyle said in a serious tone.

Nathan frowned. “Who the hell is it?”

Kyle sighed. “Nate, I should probably tell you when we . . .”

“No! Tell me now. Right now. No fucking waiting, Kyle. Who is it?” Nathan asked, beginning to get irritated.
Was it too much to ask for some damn obedience?

“Nate, you don’t understand.”

Nathan’s jaw clenched. “Who. The. Fuck. Is it. Kyle?”

“It’s one of the reasons why he came forward, Nate. That’s why I need to wa—”

“
Who is it?
” Nathan shouted.

“Giovanni, man! It’s fucking Gio!”

“
Gio?
Giovanni tried to kill my wife? He killed his own goddamn brother?”

That did it. Nathan had lost it. Finding out Giovanni was the rat who had given up Mitch’s guys wasn’t what he had expected. Gianni—the man who had lost his life in the elevator that day—was his twin brother, for God’s sake. The guy had killed his own brother! Nathan paced back and forth angrily. He was glad the parking lot was empty at the moment, and no one had witnessed his outburst. Even if he was shouting in Italian, he was still shouting, and that was not something he liked to do in public.

After one good punch that left a large dent in the front of the car, Nathan was able to take a breath. He was still furious, but at least he could breathe now.

“He said that he didn’t know that Gianni would be with Carter when she went up. It’s another reason why he wants the others involved to suffer. They never cared about his brother.”

Nathan groaned and ran his hands through his hair. “Look, I have to go. I can’t do this right now. I’m about to take Carter to her damn birthday lunch, and she reads me like a book. She’ll know something’s wrong.”

“How is she?” Kyle asked.

“She’s fine. About to snap, but fine. I don’t know how much longer I can keep her away from her work in New York, Kyle.”

“Do you want to keep her away?”

“No. I just . . . I don’t know, man. You remember how it was when she almost . . .” Nathan sat in the car and ran his fingers through his hair again. He couldn’t even finish the statement.

“I know, Nathan. But we have to remember who we’re dealing with here. I’d love nothing more than for Carter to be locked up somewhere safe, but that’s not Carter. She doesn’t like to be hidden, and trying to change who she is made her miserable in the past. I thought we had agreed that one of the perks of you being with a woman like her is that she is who she is,” Kyle said.

Nathan groaned. “I know that, Kyle. I know what she’s capable of, and I know she’s good at her job back in New York. But every time I think about us going back, I remember how fragile and half fucking dead she was in my arms four months ago,” Nathan said. “You tell me, Kyle. What the hell would you have done if she didn’t make it?” Nathan already knew the answer. He knew Kyle loved Carter, and he knew that just like him, Kyle would have avoided New York for as long as possible . . . just until he got shit together.

Silence was all Nathan got from Kyle for full minute. “But she did make it,” Kyle said.

“But if she hadn’t, Kyle,” Nathan pushed.

“She did.”

“But if sh—”

“
But she lived!
Carterina dying is not something I really like to think about, Nate! I’d be devastated, okay? Fuck! Now you’re making me yell at you! Dammit, Nathan!”

“Now you see where I’m coming from, though. She tried to bring it up earlier.” Nathan ran his hand down his face in frustration.

“Well, what did you say?”

Nathan shrugged. “Nothing. I had to snap back into using my damn brain. She tried to catch me off guard and ask me about it during sex.”

Nathan knew Kyle’s brows shot up when he said that. He didn’t even have to see Kyle’s face. “How the fuck was she thinking during sex, Nathan? I know I taught you better than that.”

Nathan snorted. “Fuck you.” Kyle didn’t teach him shit. “I bought myself a little more time to get my shit together, though.”

Kyle chuckled. “How?”

By making her scream until she forgot New York existed
, Nathan thought as he leaned lazily back in his seat. He definitely wasn’t going to tell Kyle that. Kyle already thought about his wife more than Nathan liked. The memories of Carter’s moans, cries, and screams of pleasure were Nathan’s. Carter belonged to Nathan.

He couldn’t stop images of Carter coming beneath him from flashing through his mind on a daily basis. Nathan loved to watch her come. He loved how she tossed her head when an orgasm overtook her body. Her perfect breasts would rise and fall with each deep breath she took, and her tight body shuddered as her hands grasped at whatever she could find. She always screamed his name during an orgasm. Nathan loved that shit. He wanted to be acknowledged when he brought her pleasure. He wanted her to always remember exactly to whom she belonged.

The sound of Kyle’s laughter brought him back to the present. Damn . . . He needed to stop thinking about his wife or else he’d be out here with a lack of space in his pants.

“So I’m guessing from your silence that you’re not going to tell me. That just makes me want to know even more, Nathan. Now I know the story is inappropriate,” he said, and Nathan could almost hear the smile on his face.

Nathan smirked. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t give a shit about what you want to know.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes, it is.” Nathan’s tone slipped smoothly back into that of a boss. His father had taught him how to do it years ago, and it never failed to get the men back on track. “Is everything still in order in New York? No talk?” Nathan asked.

Kyle sighed. “Rumor says Carter’s dead, and you’ve gone off somewhere . . . to grieve.”

“Good. Continue this charade with Giovanni until I’m ready to deal with him. Find Mitchell’s office and bring me his books.”

“Got it.”

“Good. Do that and get here as soon as you can. Carter misses everyone. We want you all here for her birthday.”

“I miss her too. But what about you, though?” Kyle asked.

Nathan frowned in confusion. “What are talking about?”

“Do you miss me, too?”

Nathan laughed. “Do what I said, dumbass. I’ll talk to you later.”

He hung up the phone and slouched back in his seat. He had to figure out how to handle this before he told his father. He knew he couldn’t present what he’d found without a plan for how to fix it. Those were his father’s rules. Nathan wasn’t just going to handle this particular situation—he was going to make sure this whole betrayal shit never happened in the Salerno family again.

Carter was laughing uncontrollably. Katherine Young was the funniest woman she had ever met in her life. She was thirty-five years old, and like the cool, young aunt Carter had never known she wanted— until she met Kat. She was adorable, funny, and had the cutest little girl named Melanie. Carter was having a blast with them as they waited for the butcher to finish their orders. Melanie looked just like her mother and was just as funny. She was dressed head to toe in Hello Kitty— her jeans, her baby blue shirt, her shoes, and the bows in her hair were all decorated with it. She was so cute and bouncy. Carter adored the little munchkin.

“Carter! Carter!” Melanie bounced up and down, tugging on Carter’s pink sundress. Carter looked down at the three-year old caramel-skinned beauty, and she stared up at Carter with her big, bright green eyes.

Carter smiled. “Yes, Mel? Can I help you, sweetie?” Carter asked.

Melanie smiled brightly. “Will you come to my birthday party? Mommy said I can invite anybody I want! It’s a Barbie Princess party— and we get cupcakes!” she cheered.

Carter squatted down in front of her. “I love cupcakes. When is your party? And what do you want for your birthday, Princess Melanie?” Carter asked softly. Gosh, this kid was the cutest freaking kid in the world. Carter wouldn’t be able to say no to her even if she tried.

Melanie beamed and jumped into Carter’s arms, hugging her tight around her neck. “You’re coming! You’re coming!” She let go and turned to her mother. “Mommy, Carter’s coming to my Princess birthday! We have to get her a crown!” she screamed excitedly.

Both Carter and Katherine laughed. “Shhh … Mel. Stop screaming, ladybug. You haven’t even told her when your party is yet.”

“No, don’t tell her, Mommy. I want to give Carter a Princess invitation.” She turned to Carter. “They’re pretty. You have to come to my car to get one, okay?” She looked up at Carter with innocent green eyes, and Carter melted.

Carter nodded and smiled. “Okay, honey. I’ll come to your car to get one.” Carter pinched her cheek softly. She looked up at Katherine with a smile, and Kat whispered “Thank you,” with an apologetic smile.

She really didn’t have to apologize for her daughter. Carter thought she was adorable, and she would love to make an appearance at her party to bring her a gift.

Melanie ran down the candy aisle, and Katherine walked over and stood by Carter. “I’m so glad that you’re coming,” she said, sighing with relief. “I don’t want to have to sit around and attempt conversations with
Plastic Pageant Moms United
for two damn hours,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Carter laughed softly. “I’m sure they aren’t that bad.”

“Trust me, they are. Not to mention I have to deal with Homewrecker Hannah at the damn thing. I’m definitely going to have to go to my happy place. Good thing my husband will be there to watch the kids.”

Carter’s brows furrowed. “Does she have children? This … Hannah?” Carter asked. She was getting a little nervous at the thought of being the only woman with no children there, but since Melanie had asked her, and Katherine seemed to be relieved, Carter figured she’d be fine visiting her two new friends.

“No, she doesn’t.”

“Oh, so she’s just a friend of the family?” Carter asked. She wasn’t sure why she would be since Katherine obviously didn’t care for the woman.

Katherine sighed and hung her shoulders. “No— worse. She’s my sister,” she groaned. “But to be fair to me, she’s only my half-sister. I’m what this society calls the ‘bastard child that the Carrington family took pity on.’”

Carter raised her eyebrows at the woman’s confession. She admired how easy it was for her to be open— she wished it was that easy for her, too.

“Do you have the same father or mother? Because I have to say, I would have never guessed you two were related.”

“The same asshole father. I’m the only black person in the damn family. I guess I should be grateful he acknowledged me as his daughter and took me in after my mother died, but I’m not. I still hate the asswipe. He and his family made it their goal to make me feel like I didn’t belong here and told me constantly that I would be back out on the street where I came from by the time I was eighteen. But nope, that’s not what happened. Old Bob Carrington couldn’t believe it when Matthew Young and I fell in love and got married. Matt comes from a blue blood family. He and I fought hard to be together. In the end, we got what we wanted, but his family cut him off— disowned him and haven’t spoken to him to this day. Thank God for my brother, though, he gave Matthew a job in the financial department of a luxury hotel he owns in New York. I think he likes it, but he doesn’t really talk about it much, especially since business has taken a bad turn and things have been really hard lately. But we’ll make it, like we always do.” She looked over at her little girl running down the candy aisle and smiled. Then she placed her hand on her belly and looked at Carter, teary-eyed. “I’m really happy, though. Even without the Carrington or Young money, I’m happy. I’ve been without before. I’m just glad the house is paid for. The neighborhood is perfect for our family.”

“You’re pregnant?” Carter asked brightly.

Katherine smiled. “Shhh …” she chuckled. “Don’t let Melanie hear. I haven’t told anyone yet. I just found out this morning,” she gasped and covered her mouth. “I can’t believe it, but you’re the first person to know.” She smiled at Carter and shook her head. “What is it about you that’s making me tell you all of this about myself?”

Carter laughed. “I don’t know. But I wish I were more like you,” Carter said genuinely. It would have saved Nathan and her many arguments about Carter’s mysterious past.

Katherine shrugged. “I guess I just look into your eyes and see something familiar, you know? Something that reminds me of myself when I was younger.”

“What’s that?”

She smiled. “You look like you’ve been places, Carterina Salerno. Seen things, experienced real pain, you know? The kind that can break a person. But you have that survivor look in your eyes. Like you brought yourself back from all the shit people have thrown at you.” She laughed softly. “And you’re only twenty-three,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

She regarded Carter with admiration in her eyes. Although Carter didn’t feel she deserved such a compliment— she could have done a lot better than she had in her past— she was honored that Katherine thought so highly of her. If the woman had known what Carter had had to do to survive, she probably would have run away screaming. Carter hugged Katherine tightly. “That’s it, Kat. You’re my new best friend.” Carter didn’t understand how Kat had seen all of that in her, but the woman was very close to being spot-on. Carter found her fascinating.

Katherine laughed softly and hugged Carter back. “You are a sweetie-pie, Carter. It isn’t often that I find real people around here. All I see are trust fund babies, trophy wives, cougars, and cheating business men. It’s refreshing to recognize real life in a person, you know? Someone who’s also experienced the darker side of life.”

Carter just smiled and threw an arm around the woman’s shoulder as they stood and waited for their order to be filled. She had absolutely no idea just how dark Carter’s life could be.

They received their orders from the butcher— whom Carter liked a lot, he was nice, and he gave her extra at no extra cost. So sweet, Carter thought as they continued to walk through the store, talking. Turning the corner, Carter smiled.

Yep, she’d known she wasn’t being paranoid— she was being followed. She counted five of them, all men, and all familiar— Reno, John, Frankie, Samuel, and Brock. Nathan had left her with a shitload of security. For what reason? Carter didn’t know.

Her jaw clenched, but she fought to keep her temper at bay in front of her new friend. Nathan was keeping something from her, and that really pissed her off. Why the hell would she need so much security when Mitchell was dead?

She rolled her eyes as they all tried their best to keep their distance, ignorant to the fact that she had spotted them already. Carter shrugged. Well, since they’re here, she might as well put them to work.

She looked over at Katherine as they neared the checkout line. “Are you all done, Kat?” she asked.

Katherine nodded. “Yep, and tired as hell, too. The worst part about shopping is checking out and putting it in the car,” she sighed as she checked her basket, adding up her items and counting the cash in her hand.

Carter grinned. She was hoping Kat didn’t feel like waiting in line, and it looked like she was about to put some items back due to lack of money. Carter wasn’t having that. She raised her hand in the air, knowing they were all watching her, and silently told them to come to her.

Katherine eyed her curiously. “What’s with the mischievous looking smile?” she asked, and Carter chuckled.

She knew there was always a bit of mischief in her smile— she couldn’t help it. Katherine continued staring at Carter for a moment till movement behind her caught her attention.

She glanced behind Carter, and her eyes widened. “Uhhh … Carter? There are a bunch of big men walking this way. They don’t have shopping carts, so I don’t think they’re shoppers,” she whispered a bit frantically.

Carter laughed at the frightened look on her face. She could understand why Katherine would be afraid. The guys were big, and the majority of them were tatted up as well. They looked like thugs, but Carter assured her they were harmless— at least to her.

“Yeah, Carter,” she heard Reno say sheepishly.

Carter didn’t turn to them as she spoke. She kept her eyes on her new friend and helped her gather her purse from her shopping cart. “Sammi, you take Mrs. Young’s cart, and Johnny, you take mine. Wait in line, put all of the items on my account, and then we’ll walk Mrs. Young to her car and load her items for her. She needs to take it easy. She is with child,” Carter said, checking to be sure that Melanie wasn’t too close to overhear.

“Anything for you, Carter,” she heard Reno say sweetly. “Do what she said,” he directed the other men.

Carter turned to Reno and winked. He gave her a boyishly handsome smile in return.

She turned back around in time to see Katherine frowning and shaking her head.

“Carter, you don’t have to—”

“No, please, I insist. Come on,” she said, looping her arm through Katherine’s and steering her toward the exit of the market where Melanie was eyeing a table full of Girl Scout cookies. “Let’s go get Melanie some of those cookies and take her to the little rides at the park I saw outside. My early birthday present to her— with your approval, of course.”

Katherine smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, she would love that! You’re going to be her new favorite person if you keep it up. She’ll never leave you alone,” she said through soft but nervous laughter as she looked behind Carter again. “Uhhh … Carter? There are still three men following you,” she said, eyeing Reno. He smiled and nodded.

Carter chuckled. “Just pretend they aren’t there. They’re friends of mine,” she said as they approached Melanie.

Katherine nudged her a little. “I think green eyes back there likes you a little too much,” she said through a giggle.

Carter frowned. “Who? Reno?” she asked. Knowing the only one back there with noticeably green eyes was Reno. “He does not.” Carter nudged her back.

“Yes, he does Carter. As we speak, he’s probably staring at your ass— and didn’t you hear him back there? ‘Anything for you, Carter …” she mimicked Reno’s deep voice and New York accent.

Carter laughed.

“I’m just saying,” Katherine said with a shrug. “He’s cute, and he has a crush on you.”

Carter pursed her lips and shook her head.

Yeah, Reno was cute. He had alert green eyes, clean-cut brown hair, and handsome features. He wasn’t nearly as tall as Nathan, but he was taller than Carter. She guessed him to be around 5’11”, and he had a strong muscular body covered in tattoos. This guy was mafia soldier to the bone— and was really nice to Carter ever since she met him at the penthouse when she first moved to New York. But Carter didn’t think he had anything but friendly feelings for her, so she ignored Katherine’s comment.

Once they had let Melanie go wild at the Girl Scout cookie table, they went to the park and watched the little angel have the time of her life on the rides while they waited for Sammie and Johnny to get through the long line. Even after the guys had exited the store, bags in hand, Carter and Kat didn’t stop little Melanie from having fun. Carter just told Katherine to give the guys her keys, and they would load up her car. Katherine handed them over without a fuss, and the men did exactly as Carter asked before returning the keys.

Carter was a little surprised by the woman’s instant trust, but she was glad at the same time. She didn’t want Katherine to be afraid of her, even though Carter could see that the woman could tell that there was something different about her. Carter didn’t want her to think that she or her bodyguards would harm her or Melanie.

After Melanie had worn herself out at the park, Carter accompanied them to their car to get her invitation for Melanie’s birthday party. Melanie held tight to Carter’s hand as she pulled her to their car. After giving Carter her invitation and gushing over her party plans, Carter helped Melanie into the car while Katherine got into the driver’s seat. Once she strapped Melanie in, she closed the car door.

“I spotted your husband,” Katherine said. “Jesus, Carterina, he really is gorgeous. He looks like a model.”

“Or Ken!” Melanie’s little munchkin voice added.

Carter chuckled and followed Katherine’s eyes to her husband.

Nathan stepped out of their car, hanging up his cell phone and raking his fingers through his hair. Carter had to admit, Melanie did have a point. Nathan looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch version of a Ken doll. He was so sexy in his dark blue jeans, red button-down shirt, and crisp white sneakers. Carter was sure she was drooling …

“Oh, my God. I think me and Melanie could just sit here and stare at your husband all day.”

Carter laughed. “You should probably get home to
your
husband.”