 
# Mad Mafia Love

## BWWM Mafia Romance Novel

## Jamila Jasper
Copyright © 2019 by Jamila Jasper

ISBN: 978-1520846071

All rights reserved.

* * *

This book is a complete work of fiction. If any of these names, events or situations resemble real life situations it is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Visit deniadesign.com for more information about the cover design and cover design services.

* * *

Please contact for more information:

denia@littledipper.ca
Dedicated to my aunty, the woman as strong as a bear.

RIP.

# Text "BWWM" to 31996

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# Series

_Mad Mafia Love_

_The Family Secret_

_Out of Bondage_

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# Contents

Prologue

1. Tall, Dark, Handsome

2. Boss

3. Nico R

4. Trouble

5. Unwelcome Visitor

6. Domination

7. On The Move

8. The Fortune

9. New Beginnings

Epilogue

I. Book Two

Prologue

Text "BWWM" to 31996

Afterword

About Jamila Jasper

Patreon

Acknowledgments

# Prologue

_A pril 2016_

_Boston_

* * *

America smelled like coffee, cigarettes and car exhaust. The country differed from Italy in all the worst ways. The highways rushed along, the cars were all shiny and tacky, unlike sleek Italian made vehicles. But there was no going back to Italy now. The sweet smell of the aging architecture and the damp smells of Venice would no longer remain a part of Nico's daily fare.

* * *

If Nico so much as set foot in the old village, his father would know. He was in America for better or for worse. Nico didn't want his father keeping tabs on him anymore. He knew he'd attracted a lot of attention with his recent stunt and Giuseppe would be angry. He didn't take too kindly to betrayal. And from his perspective, Nico had betrayed him.

* * *

At least there were some positives in this country. Here, he would have some hope of becoming anonymous. Americans hit you with their rawness and their honesty too. Nico knew that finding loyal men in America would be far easier than it would have been in Italy. He couldn't hope to stand up to his father in the country where his father had spent most of his life forging alliances and stoking fears.

* * *

Nico's hands dipped into his pocket and he felt around for the tiny velvet satchel that held his freedom. That would keep his father from killing him. Nico was on his way to the safety deposit box — thirty miles out of the city in a random, quiet Massachusetts town — to deposit the satchel. He'd die before he told his father where he was hiding the tiny bag.

* * *

Nico thought about what had happened back in Italy, just days before he was supposed to touch down in the so-called land of the free with his twin brother. Nico had changed his flight at the last minute and managed to get a head start on Luca. The two were finally supposed to come to America and join Giuseppe, carrying out his dirty work in the land of consequences. Sensing Nico's reluctance to leave what he had in Italy behind, his father had commanded the unthinkable. Nico was left without a choice.

* * *

And too many people were left without justice.

* * *

Nico's twin brother could no longer harm him anymore. He'd carried out the unthinkable on the behalf of his father, and Nico had ensured that his twin brother would never hurt anyone again. Nico didn't give a damn about his father's wrath anymore. He'd spent his lifetime cowered n fear, always terrified to betray the family. But what did "family" mean after what his father had ordered and after what his twin brother had done?

* * *

Giuseppe had pushed too far and he'd made an enemy out of his son — the softer of the twin brothers. But he'd messed with the wrong one. Luca might have been more violent and more sadistic than his brother, but he lacked Nico's precision and sense of justice. He underestimated the fact that Nico would retaliate.

* * *

Now, they were all paying for it. It had been a few days since Nico had thought of his twin brother.

* * *

(Tall Luca. Handsome Luca. Luca who pulled the legs off of living flies. Luca who laughed as he drove the knife into her belly.)

* * *

Luca had always made people uneasy, Nico made men want to fight for him. He was strong, suave and he had inherited all of Giuseppe's good traits. (It seemed Luca had inherited all of Giuseppe's worst traits.) Nico wasn't going to let his father get away with what he'd done. And as it turned out, Giuseppe had made more than a few enemies since he first set foot in Boston in 1970. Nico was just biding his time.

* * *

He walked into the bank and greeted the sweet teller who had helped him the last time. Beth Curtis was a sweet New England blonde who was utterly charmed by the tall, handsome man with the heavy Italian accent. She thought Nico didn't notice, but he did, and he used his charm to distract her from what he was doing here. The less she knew the better. The less she knew, the less danger her life would be in. As far as she knew, Nico was just another foreign businessman. And his name wasn't Nico.

* * *

"Good afternoon Mister Ricardo," Beth started.

* * *

"Good afternoon madam," Nico said, taking Beth's hand and kissing it.

* * *

She blushed. And then she looked down bashfully.

* * *

"I suppose you'd like to head to the box today?"

* * *

"Yes, I'd finally like to make a deposit."

* * *

"And your drive down here was alright?"

* * *

"My drive?"

* * *

Beth was flirting, Nico could tell. But that didn't rid him of his paranoia. Giuseppe could have ears in all kinds of places. If this woman had any idea that he was from Boston proper, Nico would have cause to turn around and walk out of that bank, finding another city to make his deposit.

* * *

"There was an accident over on Main Street this morning," Beth continued.

* * *

Nico relaxed his posture a bit.

* * *

"Ah. Yes. It was no trouble for me getting down here."

* * *

"Didn't catch any of the gory details?"

* * *

"I'm afraid not."

* * *

"Alrighty. Well, let me get your key Mr. Ricardo."

* * *

She wandered to the back. To Beth, Nico Riccardi was Nicholas Ricardo, Americanized and utterly mundane, in no way connected to one of the biggest mafia families in Boston. She had bought his story, believing without a doubt that he was an investment banker who had retired early in a small town. His forged documents raised no red flags and Nico was in the clear to make this final deposit and ensure his safety. Thank you Bill for the good quality documents.

* * *

While Giuseppe had friends here, Nico had even more. And he had plenty of men on his side who were tired of the tyranny. Like Nico, they wanted to be free.

* * *

Beth returned from behind the counter holding the key to safety deposit box #3991. Nico followed her down the hallway to the box. He could tell Beth was trying to walk the walk and put on a show for him. She'd come too close to asking him out a number of times. Beth wasn't his type. She was Irish for one thing. Her hair was a strawberry blonde color that looked almost faded. Her skin was so pale it was almost see through and Beth was too skinny in all the wrong places.

* * *

Nico was a traditional Italian man. He loved his women with bronzed or dark skin. He craved a partner who had a little meat on her bones. Someone like her. The woman who wasn't Beth. The woman who he'd left behind in Italy. The woman who he would never see again thanks to his father.

* * *

Beth tiptoed upwards and unlocked the box. An old Bible (printed in 1890), a solid gold rosary and now, the tiny velvet bag, lay in the safety deposit box.

* * *

"That's it?"

* * *

"Yes, that's it."

* * *

"Going to tell me what's in the bag?"

* * *

She was flirting again. Nico was still uninterested. But he observed her with amusement. She wrapped her wiry strawberry blonde hair around her finger and smiled at him with her overly perfect teeth. He could smell the fact that she smoked cigarettes on her breath. He usually didn't mind (nearly every woman in Italy smoked) but today, he found evidence of the habit off-putting.

* * *

"No thank you ma'am," Nico responded to her with a smile.

* * *

He could see Beth's disappointment. She wanted in on the joke and she didn't take too kindly to Nico's rejection. He'd have to leave her with some hope. That would keep her well-behaved and quiet. Some hope that this handsome Italian man could really be interested in a girl like her would keep Beth Curtis right where he wanted her.

* * *

"I hope when I come into town again, I'll be able to see your beautiful face once again."

* * *

Beth smiled, failing to be casual about receiving a compliment like that.

* * *

"Wow... Well Mr. Ricardo, I hope to see you again soon."

* * *

She locked the safety deposit box and led Nico to the front of the bank. She looked at him expectantly, hoping that he'd ask her on a date or do something more forward.

* * *

"Goodbye Beth," Nico replied, taking Beth's hand and planting a kiss on her hand.

* * *

Her face turned scarlet and Nico flashed her a wink. That would have to be enough for now. He walked out of the bank and got in his car, turning it towards Boston. He'd have to ditch this car as soon as he got back into the city. His buddy Paul was going to buy this one off of him and he'd turn up with a nice, respectable black sedan sure to fly under the radar. And it would be Italian made too. Thank goodness, Nico was tired of this clunky death trap.

* * *

Nico knew he wouldn't be able to dodge his father for long. Giuseppe had many enemies, that was true, but he also had plenty of friends. Or whatever you called people who owed you favors. At least his father didn't have his attack dog Luca by his side any longer. If

* * *

The drive back to Boston was long and boring. Nico tried the country music station, the news but eventually settled on classical music. Classical music always reminded him of Italy. But it also reminded him of her. Nico grit his teeth and tried to fight back tears. What his father had done was unacceptable. He'd taken away the one thing that Nico loved most on the planet. The one woman he had truly loved was gone.

* * *

Nico knew that was it for him. He'd never love again. In America, how could there be another woman like her? Women in America were more like Beth. They were plain. They were regular. They didn't have the taste for adventure, the zest for life that a purebred Italian man like Nico was looking for. Nico's hopes and dreams for the future had died along with her.

* * *

Hence this suicide mission. That's why Nico found himself looking for problems with Giuseppe Riccardi of all the people on this godforsaken planet. His father was a dangerous man, but a man with nothing to lose is far more dangerous than Giuseppe realized. Without a care in the world except for his revenge, Nico was unstoppable.

* * *

When he got off the exit in Boston, he checked his rearview mirror. No one following. He hadn't been able to leave his paranoia in Italy unfortunately. There was traffic down towards the city and Nico found himself itching for a drink.

* * *

He'd have to ditch this car first, then drink. Traffic oozed along at an irritating pace. Nico's phone was ringing off the hook. Paul hated lateness. Nico hated being told what to do. Paul would just have to wait. He'd paid the guy well for his services, so he could stand to wait a few minutes.

* * *

Finally, he found himself pulling over to an old garage near Alewife station.

* * *

Nico parked his car and got out, scanning the place for Paul. His palms were sweaty. No sign of Paul meant that he could have been intercepted. How much more blood could Giuseppe get on his hands? Paul reached into his waistband, clutching the steel handle as he walked further into the garage.

* * *

"Hey hey hey buddy!" He heard Paul's deep booming voice coming from the inside of the garage.

* * *

Nico's hand darted away from the gun. Nothing to worry about. From the sound of it, Paul was his usual self.

* * *

"Buddy!" He said with a big, broad smile.

* * *

"You alright?" Paul shook his hand, a formal greeting compared to what Nico was accustomed to in Italy.

* * *

"Yes. I just need to get rid of this piece of shit."

* * *

"Piece of shit, huh?"

* * *

Paul started walking towards Nico's car, eyeing it up and down as he got close.

* * *

"This is some piece of shit," Paul chuckled.

* * *

He didn't understand quality cars the way Nico did. Loyal to American brands to a fault, Paul probably thought this car was just fine. At least that would make it easy to move. Nico needed to ditch every piece of evidence that could be traced back to his real identity now that he was here.

* * *

Paul reached into his pocket. Nico felt his heart jump again. Paul just pulled out a box of cigarettes.

* * *

"Want one?"

* * *

"No thank you."

* * *

Paul shoved the Marlboro into his mouth and lit up. The slimy scent of tobacco slithered into Nico's nostrils against his will. He pursed his lips and waited for Paul to give his assessment.

* * *

"Well it's in the condition you said it would be in."

* * *

"I'm a man of my word."

* * *

Paul chuckled and took in a long slow drag punctuated by a hacking cough.

* * *

"Well, perfect. All you need is twenty-thousand cash and the car will be yours."

* * *

"No problem."

* * *

Nico opened up the trunk and pulled out a black duffel bag.

* * *

"You've got to be shitting me."

* * *

"It was cash you wanted right?"

* * *

"Well, I figured you'd write me a fuckin' check."

* * *

Paul's Boston accent appeared to be getting thicker as he was confronted with more money than he knew what to deal with.

* * *

"No time for checks."

* * *

"What kind of bullshit are you up to buddy?"

* * *

"Bullshit that you shouldn't worry about," Nico said, flashing Paul a smile while his icy blue eyes bore into him, warning him against asking too many more questions.

* * *

"Great. The Audi's out back."

* * *

Paul knew better than to ask too many questions too. He didn't have any specifics about what Nico was up to, but he was also too smart to ask.

* * *

"Perfect."

* * *

Paul picked up the duffel bag and Nico dropped the keys to his old ride into Paul's leathered palm. Paul dropped the duffel on the ground in the center of the garage and continued to lead Nico to his prize. Nico grinned from ear to ear when he saw the car, exactly as he'd ordered it. A brand new 2017 Audi A4. Sleek, black, Italian and just cheap enough that it would fly under the radar.

* * *

"She's beautiful," Nico said.

* * *

"Isn't she? Nice fuckin' car. Drives real nice."

* * *

"Well, maybe you'll get a chance to hold onto this one."

* * *

"If you head back to old Italia?"

* * *

Nico smiled but didn't reply. He didn't think he'd be going back to Italy. He figured that he'd die here, right on American soil. It hurt to think about, but everything had hurt since she had died. There wasn't a single moment of Nico's life that wasn't pure agony.

* * *

"Keys?"

* * *

"Sure. Sure thing buddy."

* * *

Paul fumbled around in his deep pockets and pulled out the keys.

* * *

"Well, why don't I take her for a spin. I'll drop by tomorrow if I have any issues."

* * *

"Of course."

* * *

"I'll remember this favor Paul."

* * *

"T'was no problem buddy."

* * *

Nico got into the driver's seat. The smell of new leather intoxicated him instantly. He pushed the button to start the car. The engine was smooth, silent and sexy. Mmm. Maybe he'd sworn off women but he could love the hell out of a brand new car. Nico waved to Paul and eased the beauty out of the garage.

* * *

Nico's buddy Paul was his "car guy" but Nico also had a guy who was renowned for making people disappear. He needed to be invisible in Boston. He knew if he walked down the wrong streets, walked into the wrong shops, he'd be vulnerable in an instant. Giuseppe would slit his throat and dump him into the harbor if he got the chance. Nico approached the park where he was supposed to meet up with Nolan. Nolan Lamb was a real scummy kind of guy, the kind of guy who made the back of your hairs stand up. He smiled at the wrong times, he stood too close to you and he was all around bad news.

* * *

But he was also loyal. Nico waited patiently in his new car, scanning his surroundings while he waited to see Nolan marked by his signature blue Red Sox cap. Nico relaxed as he realized he hadn't been followed. Setting foot in the United States had driven him to perpetual agitation. Nolan was late. Of course. But it wasn't too long before Nico saw the tall, strapping man sit down on a park bench and adjust his Red Sox cap. He sat patiently, waiting for Nico to appear.

* * *

Nico got out of his car; he didn't allow Nolan to spot which car he'd come out of and he walked around the park out of sight until he approached Nolan from behind.

* * *

"Signor Lamb," Nico greeted him.

* * *

Nolan knew who he was from his greeting and he turned around slowly.

* * *

"Nee-Ko," He greeted him, stretching out the syllables in his thick Boston accent, rolling Nico's name around his mouth.

* * *

"I assume you found a suitable place for me?"

* * *

Nolan nodded, "Sure did. It's fuckin' nice too."

* * *

"Yeah?"

* * *

"Oh yeah. Townhouse near Cambridge. You'll be invisible among all these Harvard fucks."

* * *

"Cigarette?" Nolan continued.

* * *

"No thank you," Nico replied.

* * *

Nolan pulled out his box of Camels and lit up.

* * *

"Here's the address," He said, fishing for an index card in his pocket.

* * *

The smell of tobacco on his breath was pungent. Nolan had a wound on his right hand that looked like he'd grabbed onto a knife. Nico mused that whoever had tried to stab the guy probably had very good reason.

* * *

"Keys?"

* * *

"Yup," Nolan replied, taking a long drag and then searching his deep pocket for a single bronzed key.

* * *

"What's the security like on the place?"

* * *

Nolan grinned.

* * *

"Heh. We've done a good job of it. Trust me. Some motherfucker would need to really want to get at you."

* * *

"Excellent."

* * *

"Plus, I got my wife to decorate the place. I know you said you wanted it furnished."

* * *

"Thank you Nolan."

* * *

He wondered how the hell someone like Nolan had ended up married in the first place. Nico imagined his wife was some poor Massachusetts girl who had never left Boston and settled for anyone who would put food on the table and babies in her belly. Nico knew her well enough to know his guess was probably accurate.

* * *

"No problem pal. You know I owe you one."

* * *

Nico smiled. Nolan didn't. Nolan did owe him one. Nolan's inappropriate behavior had nearly landed him in a whole lot of trouble a few years ago. Without Nico, he'd be rotting in some state prison somewhere. Nico didn't do it because Nolan was a good guy, but because his wife was a decent woman and there was no way she'd be able to feed their kids on his own.

* * *

"I'll check out the place then."

* * *

"Sure thing," Nolan said standing up, "Call me if there's any trouble."

* * *

"I will."

* * *

Nico sat on the park bench and watched as Nolan walked away from him. Nolan was grinning as he walked to his old Chevy pick up and drove away. The money Nico had paid him to arrange all of this was probably going to make his wife a very happy woman. Once he was sure that Nolan had left and there would be no funny business, Nico returned to his car.

* * *

The fear of his father haunted him even when he knew he was safe.

* * *

The townhouse Nolan had arranged for him was in the middle of the apartments rented by college students. Nico wanted a nice place to live but he didn't want to be distinguishable from the crowd. That meant dressing to blend in. Once he moved in, he'd hang his leather jacket up in the closet and stick to bootcut denim and white t-shirts. Blending in was never something that Nico was too good at.

* * *

He had Giuseppe's striking face, the scar on his neck and of course, the shiny golden crucifix around his neck. He was markedly Italian and markedly Catholic in a city where that got you noticed. And he looked like a model too. That might have helped him remain anonymous in New York City, but in Boston, Nico looked almost too beautiful to be there — an obvious European transplant.

* * *

The car drove smoothly and he parked it behind the building. Nolan had paid careful attention to Nico's criteria. Nico opened the townhouse door. It smelled like bleach. Nolan (or his wife) had clearly done a bang up job getting this together. The furniture possessed that Martha Stewart charm with blues and whites pulling together the decor of each room. Nico carried his bags into the house and locked the door behind him. He walked over to the alarm and read the instructions that Nolan had scribbled onto the back of the index card.

* * *

Nico set the alarm on. Once he was in the house, he planned to keep it on at all times for security. He could feel his level of paranoia turning him into his father. Nico unpacked his bags, neatly hanging his white t-shirts in the closet and folding his jeans. He placed his three pairs of shoes neatly beneath the white t-shirts and then sat on the bed once he was done.

He didn't have much time before he was supposed to meet the boys — his loyal band of followers who had agreed Giuseppe should be unseated from his dictatorial throne over the local Italians. Nico had come all the way from Italy for his revenge on that motherfucker.

* * *

He unpacked his guns, stashing them around his house in the locations that Nolan had arranged. His townhouse had become a fortress in under an hour. Nico slipped a knife into the holster strapped around his calf and slipped a gun into his back waistband. In a sense, it felt good to be back in Boston.

* * *

In some ways, this city was just as much of his home as Italy was. Having to exist underground like this felt like an alternate reality. With her he had vowed to put all of this behind him. But Giuseppe had been persistent. If he couldn't control Nico, he needed to destroy him. And as for Luca... Luca had been born with the same cruel streak as his father, but he would no longer be a problem.

* * *

That made Nico's job much easier. He would have never been able to complete this mission if his twin brother were still alive.

* * *

Nico thought about their childhood and he wondered if somehow, he'd always known it would come to this. Luca and Nico had always been so incompatible. And the way their lives had turned out, it was as if there had been no other choice but for only one of them to survive. Based on how he'd grown up, Nico had always figured he would be the one to die first. Luca was cruel. He had always been cruel.

* * *

Nico wandered out of the house and set his alarm. The streets were filled with college students. Their oversized spectacles, flannel shirts and tight skinny jeans that both men and women alike wore created this androgynous crowd of intellectuals. Nico picked up on what he would need to fit in quickly. A leather messenger bag. Spectacles. No beard. A haircut. Blending into Cambridge wouldn't prove too difficult. Everyone here was so homogenous, that Nico found it too easy to pick out the trends. Dressing like these younger folks would be easy.

* * *

In a way, Nico felt like he'd been robbed of the youth they all had. College had been out of the question for him. The Riccardis didn't do college according to his father. All they needed to be educated on was how to serve the family and maintain the family wealth.

* * *

He walked to the bar. He fully intended for his new car to remain anonymous, even to the men that he trusted. If anyone went to report that Nico Riccardi was back in town, he wanted to leave them with nothing else but that simple useless fact. Before he went to the bar, Nico walked into Urban Outfitters and bought himself a large flannel shirt and a pair of fake spectacles. He ripped the tags off both and put them on the moment he left the store.

* * *

Nico had become Nicholas Ricardo to anyone else he met. His accent might be the only thing that gave him away. He hadn't been in America long enough to tone it down the way he used to. Italian had given his voice a heavy, deep sound. It worked on the ladies but it wouldn't do to maintain his anonymity.

* * *

The bar was a dive. The blue-collar clientele occupied all the seats, eyes glued to the Patriots game broadcasted on the television. Nico had never understood the fascination with American football. Nothing could get his heart rate up so easily after the life he'd lived — well, the life he'd been forced into. Nico nodded towards the bartender who pointed towards the back room.

* * *

Even in a dive like this, greasing palms could get you a VIP room. In this seedy side of Boston, Nico had dredged up men who had a bone to pick with his father. That hadn't proved too difficult. Nico was glad to see that the men who he'd chosen had done his bidding. He commanded the same fear as Giuseppe. Good. Nico didn't have the cruelty that his father had, but he knew how to command a room. He knew how to use fear and uncertainty to his advantage in order to get what he wanted. Valuable lessons from Papa Riccardi.

* * *

Nico entered the room and the men fell silent.

* * *

"Good evening gentlemen," Nico said quietly.

* * *

The men grunted in response.

* * *

"What are you waiting for? Someone bring me a beer."

* * *

Power. Nico resented it, but he knew how to wield it too.

* * *

Nico sat down at the head of the table while the men around it looked him up and down. Nico knew what this was. They were assessing his strength and calculating whether Nico was deserving of their respect. Nico hoped that no man would try to test him. While he didn't enjoy cruelty, he was capable of doling out punishment if someone crossed him. This mission was serious enough to draw out a bad temper.

* * *

A local American-born Italian man named Tommy brought Nico the beer. He sipped the frothy dark ale with a hint of resentment that it wasn't a full bodied dry wine.

* * *

"Thank you all for meeting with me today... I'd like to discuss a few business matters. Phones off and on the table," Nico started.

* * *

Each fella turned their phone off and placed it face down on the table. Tommy stood behind Nico, making sure that there were no snakes amongst them. Nico had inherited his father's paranoia, his father's ability to inspire loyalty and his father's charisma. What he hadn't inherited was his father's bloodlust.

* * *

If they were going to make money in Boston, he didn't want to do it the way his father had. They weren't here to incite violence, but to stop it. Nico needed to protect his community in a way his father hadn't. His father gave Italians a bad name.

* * *

Nico began to speak. His voice emanated from his chest and Nico could feel every man in the room hanging onto his every word. First he needed money. Then he needed men. Then he would get his revenge on Giuseppe. Nico had been patient and this would require even more patience.

* * *

As he spoke, he looked at all the men in the room and analyzed each one. Tommy was a good right-hand man. Leo and Paul were the brawn. Their arms were sinewy, naturally strong and they knew their way around guns. Two eighteen year olds who worked down at the docks would make good ears — listening around the city for valuable tidbits about Giuseppe's movements. There was only one person missing from the crowd.

* * *

After he had finished his first speech and the men started talking amongst themselves, Nico grabbed on Tommy's shirt.

* * *

"Tommy," He whispered, "Where is..."

* * *

Tommy interrupted before he could finish.

* * *

"The boy? He finished school fifteen minutes ago. He should be here by now."

* * *

Nico nodded. He hated the idea of getting someone so young involved in this. But when he was his cousin's age, he'd been involved in far worse. His father had given him a gun from the time he was old enough to know how to use it. Nico waited patiently for a few more moments, letting his men plan and discuss their next moves amongst themselves.

* * *

Trust. Trust meant they would do anything for him and he wouldn't have to micro-manage their every move.

* * *

But the boy...

* * *

That was the final piece of the puzzle that Nico would need to ensure his plan successful. Just when he was about to send Tommy on a manhunt, the boy walked through the door. He dropped his backpack on the ground when he saw his cousin. Nico stood up and wrapped the boy in his arms.

* * *

"Buona sera cugino," Nico whispered.

* * *

His cousin kissed his cheek and then pulled away, replying with a strong, "Buona sera."

* * *

Nico eyed the boy up and down. The boy reminded him of himself at that age. He was skinny as a rail. And even if it was clear he was trying to hide it, Nico could smell the faintest whiff of tobacco on the boy's clothing. Now that was more like Luca than Nico. The boy had blue eyes that possessed less intensity than Nico's, but were a bright blue all the same. Instead of black, his hair was a dark brown color and cropped right above his shoulders.

* * *

Nico would have switched to Italian if he knew that not all the men in the room spoke it very well.

* * *

"How is my father, Domenico?"

* * *

Domenico paused, trying to find the necessary words in English to answer his cousin.

* * *

"Eh... He is... very... troubled."

* * *

Nico smiled. That was the type of news he wanted to hear about his father, Giuseppe Riccardi. Giuseppe deserved all the trouble in the world and Nico was hell bent on bringing it to his doorstep.

* * *

"Does he know I'm back?"

* * *

Domenico shook his head, his long eyelashes fluttered as he spoke, "He suspects. But he does not know."

* * *

Nico figured the boy's English would get better with more time in school. He still stumbled over his words and marked himself as decidedly foreign. Nico remembered how lonely of an experience that had been. It had helped get the attention of girls in high school, but besides their fleeting interest, high school had been a lonely place. No child deserved to be bounced around like that. Childhood was supposed to be about stability.

* * *

Nico had known for a long time that bringing a child into the world would be foolish. Especially a child who was brought up in a life like this. There would be no hope of happiness. Nico could never be a father. But now, he had a chance to be a father figure to his significantly younger cousin.

* * *

"I don't want to put you in danger Domenico."

* * *

Nico reached into his pocket and he pulled out a gold watch. He wore its twin watch on his own wrist. Domenico stretched out his palm and Nico dropped the watch down. Domenico's eyes roved over the watch and eventually he found the inscription and whispered it out loud.

* * *

"Yes," Nico said, "Keep this safe. You might need this at some point."

* * *

Domenico nodded.

* * *

"My father is a dangerous man Domenico, as you already know."

* * *

Domenico nodded again.

* * *

Of course he knew. Domenico's real mother had died in childbirth. One of Nico's other aunts had adopted him as her son. That was the only mother Domenico had ever known.

* * *

So Domenico hadn't the faintest choice about the life he'd been born into. His father had been one of Giuseppe's accountants. After refusing to commit an egregious crime, he'd been murdered. All of this had happened while the boy was young. Giuseppe figured Domenico was too young to understand what had happened.

* * *

With Domenico's father out of the picture, and Domenico's (adopted) mother too terrified to react, Giuseppe could do anything he wanted. He plucked the boy from his mother's grasp, only allowing her to see the child when it suited him. Giuseppe had taken Domenico in, thinking that the boy would simply adjust to life without his father. Giuseppe had planted the seeds of betrayal in nearly every person he surrounded himself with. Nico planned to take advantage of that.

* * *

"Be careful."

* * *

Nico pulled out a handgun from his back pocket.

* * *

"You know how to use this?"

* * *

Domenico nodded.

* * *

"Now. I can't give a child my gun Domenico. But if you can find one... Take it. You might need it."

* * *

Domenico nodded again. Nico could feel the boy's fear. He was too young to be involved in this — far too young. And he seemed like a good kid too. Nico hadn't been so good when he was his age. He'd been a rebel. He'd fought anyone who'd crossed him and he caused trouble in school with his twin brother, Luca. Nico had done it to act out, as a cry for help. Luca had done it for the pleasure. Twins, but as different as night and day.

* * *

"Let's review. In English. What is it I need from you?"

* * *

Domenico took his time, but this time, his English was more confident. He'd need the practice. Nico knew how hard it was to fit in with the students at school when you were so different.

* * *

"Listen to Giuseppe. Report to you. Stay out of trouble. Figure out his movements."

* * *

"That's right. Now I'll need you to go home now so he doesn't suspect anything."

* * *

"Yes, cugino."

* * *

Nico kissed the boy on the cheek and wrapped him in a tight hug afterwards.

* * *

"I know you want a better life Domenico."

* * *

"Yes."

* * *

"I want us both to live in a city where we are not afraid. Capisce?"

* * *

Domenico nodded, his mop of brown hair briefly falling into his eyes. Of course he understood. He was more scared than anyone in this room had ever been. And Tommy had a few toes cut off by Giuseppe's men at one point. But Domenico was just a boy and he deserved to be kept safe.

* * *

The boy picked up his backpack and left the room. The men kept talking until Nico hushed them. He dismissed them for the day and then waited another thirty minutes for every single one of them to leave before he himself walked home. Trust was a tricky thing. And even if Nico trusted each one of the men in that room, he still needed his anonymity. Torture could make even the most loyal man turn into a squealing pig. Nico had seen that with his own two eyes.

* * *

He began to make his way home. As he walked home, Nico observed the students. He observed their mannerisms — all the things he would have to adopt so he wouldn't stand out. Once he arrived home he locked his doors and alarmed his house. It was quiet here. And lonely. Nico thought about the woman that Giuseppe had separated him from. And how her laugh would have filled the house. How she would have played Mozart on the piano and sang old Italian hymns.

* * *

Nico bent his head as he sat in his lonely quiet living room. His fingers rubbed the contours of the golden crucifix that hung around his neck, and he prayed.
1

# Tall, Dark, Handsome
2

# Boss

Eve woke up the next morning and she could have sworn that her world was untainted by what had happened the night before. There was nothing wrong with her morning. And it mirrored her other mundane mornings perfectly. Eve got up early, went for a quick jog, and then went to work.

* * *

It was quiet. Just as eerily quiet as all the other mornings since the increase in crime had taken over the neighborhood. Eve knew that she should have been afraid, but the morning was just too normal for her to walk around the neighborhood watching her back.

* * *

She would have thought she made it all up if it weren't for the gold watch that sat on the dresser in her bedroom. That gold watch grounded Eve to reality. For a night, her shop hadn't been her safe space and she'd possibly opened herself up to even more problems.

* * *

There were a few customers around lunch, mostly students and the elderly. After lunch, Daniella messaged to say that she wouldn't be able to come around in the afternoon. Eve was fine with that. She hadn't told Daniella about what had happened the night before but she wasn't eager to have the girl around and put her in danger.

* * *

As Eve swept up her shop and worked on keeping it clean after the lunch rush, her mind wandered to the beautiful but terrifying man who had entered her store the night before. She couldn't keep the details of his face in her mind. But she remembered his icy blue eyes that had the depth and strength of glaciers. Eve recalled his scent and then his gold crucifix that dangled around his scarred neck.

* * *

Eve couldn't imagine why she was thinking of him like this — like someone who had walked out of a romantic fantasy — instead of thinking of him as a threat. She had no clue if he would come back. She had no clue if she'd get to see him again or if she'd even want to. The magnetism that pulsated in her chest terrified her. Her skin responded to the thought of him and to the brief fantasy of what it would have been like to touch him. It made no sense to feel drawn to a stranger the way she felt drawn to him.

* * *

Eve wondered if her loneliness was getting to her; she wondered if her loneliness was making her sick and foolish.

* * *

The boy. The gold watch. The man. The gold crucifix. The car that had been watching.

* * *

All these things set in motion a whirlwind of ruminations. Eve didn't notice the same car from the night before had circled her block three times that day on three separate occasions.

* * *

The afternoon plodded along slowly until the after-school rush. Today, the boys filed into her shop neatly. The girls giggled and filled up bags of candy. Eve noticed that the children were reasonably hushed. It was as if something had happened on the outside world that had imbued them with "good behavior".

* * *

Fear. Eve knew that parents must have been getting more fearful. She hadn't turned on her television or listened to the radio, so she had no idea if there had been another shooting, another fire or some other disaster that had infected the behavior of both the adults and children of the neighborhood.

* * *

Today, there were no attempted thefts. Nobody gave Miss Morgan the chance to call their school and report their unruly behavior. Eve missed the frantic enjoyment the young children had once derived from life. She knew that something had changed, even if she didn't know what. She wondered if it had to do with the boy who had run into her shop. She'd have to wait until her day off to catch up on all the news or she'd have to ask Daniella.

* * *

After the rush, Eve had a relatively busy evening. The teenagers and the young adults were self-soothing. Their meek half-smiles indicated they were trying to share some rare happiness with Eve. Some solidarity. Some pretense that their city would be alright.

* * *

In the late evening, a woman walked into the shop whom Eve recognized as Daniella's mother.

* * *

"Good evening Eve," She said.

* * *

"Good evening! Anything I can help you with today?"

* * *

"I'll take three squares of that caramel fudge you've got there."

* * *

Eve put on her plastic gloves and used the shiny metal spatula to scoop the fudge into the small candy box.

* * *

"How's Daniella doing?" She asked, as she wrapped each square in wax paper and sealed it with her golden seal.

* * *

"Not too good. I assume you heard about what happened last night?"

* * *

Eve felt a lump in her throat.

* * *

"No... I worked late and I haven't had a chance to turn listen to my TV or the radio."

* * *

"Two boys from the high school were murdered and another one was missing."

* * *

"Really?"

* * *

Eve nodded.

* * *

"The missing one was an Italian exchange student."

* * *

Eve thought about the name "Luca" she'd seen inscribed on the gold watch. She wanted to ask Daniella's mother the boy's name but she also had no desire to reveal what was possibly her connection to the crime.

* * *

Daniella's mother continued unprompted, "Two of his friends were killed — the missing one's friends. They were local. Italian families of course, but Americans just like you and me. Gutted. Left for dead in the park."

* * *

"Jesus Christ."

* * *

"Indeed. This whole damn city needs Jesus."

* * *

"And Daniella's alright?"

* * *

"She'd torn up poor thing."

* * *

"She didn't tell me."

* * *

"I know," Daniella's mother sighed, "One of the boys was in her math class."

* * *

"Tell her I'm sorry."

* * *

Eve scooped two extra squares of fudge into the box.

* * *

"Thanks dear," Daniella's mother took the box from Eve and paid in cash.

* * *

"Stay safe out there," Eve called.

* * *

"You too dear," Daniella's mother replied before walking out the door.

* * *

Eve felt fear again. Real fear. Fear like she'd felt the night before. She thought about the gold watch on her dresser. That watch belonged to the missing boy, she knew it. But she had no idea what on earth to do with that information.

* * *

Sunset came and after sunset, there were no more customers. Eve still couldn't stop thinking about the man who had entered her store the night before. She couldn't stop wondering about the gold watch. Or the boy.

* * *

Eve decided to close up shop early. No one else was coming, she could sense it. And even if they were, she wasn't too keen on walking home so late at night again. It was better to just play it safe and head home early. Eve finished her accounting, cleaned the store and then locked up. When she walked outside, she was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the black SUV trailing her at a snail's pace.

* * *

Eve didn't get very far before she felt like she was being stalked. Like prey.

* * *

She turned around, but it was too late. Two men grabbed onto Eve's arms on either side. Before she could scream a large hand clamped down over her mouth. She struggled. Her feet came off the ground. Eve convulsed like a rabbit in a trap. They brought her to the big black SUV and shoved her inside. The door locked as soon as it closed.

* * *

The two men got into the front seats and Eve was left in the backseat with a terrifying man with icy blue eyes. But he wasn't a thing like the man she'd met in her store.

* * *

He stuck out his grubby hand. Each fat finger wore a thick gold ring.

* * *

"My name is Giuseppe," He said.

* * *

His belly stuck out like a globe, thick with beer and overindulgence in the finer things in life. Eve was too frightened to take his hand, but also too frightened not to. She reached out and let Giuseppe squeeze her fingers tightly.

* * *

"Eve Morgan," He said out loud, letting her know that not only did she not have to introduce herself, he knew exactly who she was.

* * *

Somehow Eve got the sense that this wasn't exactly a good thing.

* * *

"Drive round the block," Giuseppe said to his drivers/accomplices in a heavy Italian accent.

* * *

Eve could feel her heart thudding, trying to break out of the prison of her chest.

* * *

"Let's have a conversation Signora Morgan."

* * *

Still, Eve didn't reply.

* * *

"Relax, speak to me. I am probably not going to hurt you."

* * *

The word "probably" hung in the air like a threat.

* * *

"What do we have to talk about?" Eve asked, trying her best to hold her voice steady.

* * *

"She speaks!" Giuseppe replied with a devilish grin.

* * *

He continued, "Let's not beat around the bush. One thing you'll learn about me Eve is that I'm a very fair man. Don't listen to the liars out there. I'm a man of God."

* * *

Somehow, Eve doubted that statement but she kept her doubts to herself.

* * *

"What do you want."

* * *

The statement emerged from her mouth far more harshly than she'd intended.

* * *

"I'm looking for a boy. I want to know if you've seen him."

* * *

"A boy?" Eve tried to play stupid.

* * *

"Yes. He is my nephew. And foolish little boy that he is, he's gotten himself into trouble."

* * *

"I've seen lots of children... But I can't say if I've seen him."

* * *

A half-truth. Of course Eve knew exactly which boy Giuseppe had been talking about. There had only been one Italian boy on the run. There had only been one who had such blatant connections to one of the most dangerous men in Boston.

* * *

"I'm sure if you had seen this boy, you would remember him. And of course, I have my methods of jogging your memory if you feel that you require assistance."

* * *

Eve was sure that she wanted nothing to do with whatever assistance Giuseppe would offer. But again, just like when she was faced with the tall, handsome stranger, she felt the urge to protect the boy. With two men looking for him, he must have gotten himself mixed up in something serious.

* * *

"Perhaps you could describe him."

* * *

"Skinny. Italian. Blue Eyes. Very very sneaky."

* * *

"I... I'm not sure I remember seeing anyone like that."

* * *

"Hm."

* * *

Giuseppe continued, "Signora, do you know why I wish to find this boy?"

* * *

Eve shook her head. Her chest hadn't stopped its obsessive thudding. Each breath she caught had been difficult to find.

* * *

"He's my nephew. My brother, he married a woman — a very rich woman — and this boy is the product of that marriage. He's a Borgias, one of the wealthiest families in Italy, and heir to an immense fortune."

* * *

"Wow."

* * *

"Wow, indeed," Giuseppe replied, stretching out the word 'wow' with his voice as if it were an unfamiliar delicacy. Nothing impressed Giuseppe except results.

* * *

He continued, "So you understand that the boy is very important to me."

* * *

"Yes."

* * *

"And you maintain that you haven't seen him."

* * *

Eve shook her head, "I don't believe so."

* * *

"Hm..."

* * *

"Would it help if I told you that the boy always wore a gold watch?"

* * *

Yes, that did ring a bell. Eve had definite confirmation that Giuseppe was looking for the same terrified boy that had used her shop as a hideout. But was he hiding from Giuseppe? The handsome stranger? Or both of them...

* * *

"Maybe I can tell you if I run into him. The candy store is full of children."

* * *

She couldn't tell if Giuseppe knew she was playing him, lying to the face of a man who had the power to kill to get his way. Giuseppe raised his eyebrows. That hadn't been the response he'd been expecting. But Eve wasn't the typical kind of woman Giuseppe had come across. She knew how to survive. She knew how to get by with saving her own skin.

* * *

"I would appreciate your help. As you know, my people can be very generous to those who assist us."

* * *

He had no idea she was lying. Eve could have breathed a sigh of relief if it wouldn't have compromised her position.

* * *

"So can you let me go?"

* * *

Giuseppe chuckled. An odd, misplaced laugh.

* * *

"I must leave you with a warning first."

* * *

A warning. Like he hadn't threatened her enough. Eve felt disgusted the more time she spent with the greasy man and his great big beer belly. She allowed Giuseppe to continue. She learned a lot more when he was the one who did all the talking.

* * *

"I want you to be careful of a man who may come asking for the same things I am asking."

* * *

Eve nodded.

* * *

"He is my enemy. An enemy who I am looking for currently as well. You must not trust him. Just like I take care of my people... I punish my enemies. Do you understand?"

* * *

Eve nodded.

* * *

"Good. I'm very glad Signora. This man is dangerous. He is a murderer. A liar. And he has the benefit of being very easy on the eyes. But remember, do not trust him. Because if you choose to befriend him, you will have made an enemy out of me."

* * *

Eve half expected him to end with "capische". But real life didn't abide by these stereotypes. The car pulled over in exactly the spot where Eve had been picked up.

* * *

"Can I leave."

* * *

Giuseppe gestured towards his driver and henchman and they unlocked the doors. Eve pushed the door open but before she could leave, Giuseppe's grubby fat hand grabbed her arm tightly.

* * *

"Eve Morgan. Remember, I do not like liars. If I find out that you have lied to me... I know a man with a penchant for African women who will have you for a pretty price. Let's not ruin our friendship. Eh?"

* * *

"Alright," Eve huffed.

* * *

She pulled her arm away and leapt out onto the street. Giuseppe chuckled, and then the door closed. The SUV sped off and Eve stood there shaking in the cold. She walked towards a nearby light post and threw up into the streets. Her body was still shaking in terror. She felt like she'd narrowly escaped death, kidnapping or something far more unimaginable.

* * *

Giuseppe was slippery. Eve had a strong feeling that he'd killed before and he'd do it again. She couldn't believe she'd gotten away with lying to him. And for what? A teenager whom she'd barely met. Eve started to walk home because it was all she could do.

* * *

She turned Giuseppe's words over in her head as well as the promise to him that she'd never intended to keep. Eve knew what she really had to do was leave town. But who could she trust to help her? You never knew who was in the pocket of the Italian mafia. She also reviewed Giuseppe's words about the stranger who had walked into her shop.

* * *

A dangerous man. If a guy like Giuseppe thought that man was dangerous, what kind of man could that possibly be. And why couldn't Eve get that brief interaction with him out of her head?
3

# Nico R

Eve thought she could manage it, but she couldn't will herself to get out of bed and open up the shop the next day. She kept thinking about the SUV, the greasy Giuseppe, the feeling of being overpowered by the two men who had grabbed onto her. She just couldn't handle it, so she stayed in bed.

* * *

Eve had always thought of herself as the kind of woman who could handle anything. But this was more than what Eve had ever expected to handle in her life. She couldn't believe that she'd gotten out there alive. And at the time, while it had seemed like a good idea to make a promise to Giuseppe, regret ate her up.

* * *

Her name was on the map. She was a target. Eve didn't even know if she could try to leave Boston. She didn't think she was a big enough fish to track down, but she also wasn't sure that she wanted to take that chance. Eve hoped that the boy she'd been trying to protect was still safe. She'd given up her own safety for this child, even if she'd barely known him. Still, Eve couldn't shake that look of terror she'd seen in his eyes.

* * *

He'd begged her for help. And she'd given it.

* * *

Eve wandered over to her dresser where she saw the watch still sitting there. She considered hiding the watch out of sight. It was solid gold; Eve would have considered selling it if she weren't terrified of the ramifications.

* * *

She wrapped the gold watch in a pair of her underwear and shoved it in the back drawer of her dresser. Safe. No one would know she had it and the last piece of evidence that tied her to the teenager she claimed to have never seen was now in a safe place. Eve wasn't sure she knew what "safe" meant anymore. Was she really safe here?

* * *

Giuseppe, a mob boss who might have killed two teenagers, now knew exactly who she was. He could find out where she lived. He could find out information about her family. Eve felt grateful that her sister was far away from this mess. Safety was an illusion.

* * *

Eve's day progressed idly. She made a green smoothie and then retired to her room. Finally after she'd eaten a meager lunch (her stomach was still churning from her previous night's escapades), Eve persuaded herself to take a nice hot shower. She covered her hair with a nice big shower cap and allowed the water to run rivers down her dark skin. Eve cleansed her body, appreciating the beauty of her umber colored skin in her bathroom light.

* * *

I love my dark skin. She thought to herself.

* * *

Eve smiled as she stepped out of the shower. On a day like this, where she had nothing to do, she usually found herself ruminating on her absolute lack of a love life. Today, she was glad not to have that complication. Now, she had bigger problems than her lack of a boyfriend, fiancé or husband. Sometimes it took a big change to put things into perspective.

* * *

When Eve started willing herself to prepare a mushroom sauté for dinner. She heard her mailbox open. Funny. It was early for the mailman.

* * *

She hustled to the front door and opened it to check the mail. But there was no mailman. Just the tall, handsome stranger she'd seen in her store. Eve's eyes widened and she started to slam the door shut. The man stuck his hand out and held the door open.

* * *

"Let go of my door or I swear to God I'll scream."

* * *

"Don't scream. I'm not going to hurt you."

* * *

"1...2..."

* * *

"My name is Nico," He said, interrupting her countdown, "I believe you've met my cousin. He gave you a gold watch."

* * *

Eve wondered how he knew that. She paused. That was enough time for Nico to reach into his pocket and pull out a gold watch identical to the one she had lying on her dresser. Eve tried to push against the door but Nico was strong — far stronger than she was.

* * *

"Take the watch," Nico demanded.

* * *

Eve dropped the door. Nico pushed it open and handed her the watch. Eve's eyes darted around the street and she took the watch. She looked for the inscription where she'd found it on the other watch.

* * *

Nico R.

* * *

"This is yours?"

* * *

Nico nodded, "Yes this is mine. And the one you have belongs to my twin brother."

* * *

"But..."

* * *

"The boy who gave it to you isn't my brother. That's correct. He was holding onto the watch for me."

* * *

Eve paused for a moment, eyeing Nico up and down. He was handsome, but there was a certain darkness surrounding him, accentuated by the scar on his neck.

* * *

"Well if you want the watch, you can have it back."

* * *

Eve would have done anything to get him off her doorstep. The longer she stayed outside the longer she feared someone might be watching. She'd been warned by Giuseppe not to trust Nico. But seeing him here was different. She didn't get that greasy uneasy feeling around Nico that she got around Giuseppe. While he cast a dark aura, he didn't seem evil. Perhaps he was troubled, but not evil.

* * *

And then again, there was the inexplicable magnetism she felt towards him. Even if Nico was wrong for her, there was a part of her that was curious to hear more from him, curious to let him into her life.

* * *

"I don't want the watch back. I want to come inside before anyone sees me here."

* * *

The air hung taut between them. They both knew exactly who Nico wanted to avoid. Eve pursed her lips and then let him into her house. Nico looked around as he entered her house and Eve ushered him into the living room, pulling the shades shut. Just the thought of Giuseppe watching her sent her heart rate through the roof.

* * *

Once they were inside, Eve found herself restless for Nico to get to the point. He seemed more interested in staring at her as she sat across the living room. Her hair was in a high ponytail, she wore a simple pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt that had been ironed crisp. Nico found her beauty subtle yet alluring. Eve dressed simply, she wore her hair in a simple manner, yet he could detect complexity in her eyes.

* * *

He could detect a yearning for something more in life. It was a yearning that he himself had experienced. Although Nico suspected they were both trapped for different reasons.

* * *

"So... What is it you want?" Eve said, breaking the silence.

* * *

Nico's icy blue eyes boring into her were starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

* * *

"I want to make you an offer," Nico replied.

* * *

He had no idea how she would react to why he'd come here. He had no interest in the gold watch. He had no interest in anything except her. He'd followed both his instincts and his impulses and ended up in Eve's living room, about to make her an offer that would be unwise for her to refuse.

* * *

"What kind of offer?"

* * *

"Protection."

* * *

Eve scoffed, "Protection? And what on earth do I need protection from?"

* * *

Nico grinned. From the moment he'd met her and she'd lied right to his face, he'd known she was a spitfire. Now, he was getting a chance to see whether Eve was just spunky, or foolish too.

* * *

"You and I both know that you might have put yourself in a very uncomfortable position. I'm offering you protection."

* * *

"Giuseppe offered to protect you?" Nico grinned from ear to ear.

* * *

"What's so funny? He warned me against you too you know?"

* * *

Nico didn't stop grinning. It was the first time since she'd met him that Eve felt genuinely unnerved by him.

* * *

"You don't have to trust me Eve. I'll leave if you want me to. But I feel compelled to make you an offer. You know as well as I do that there are people in this town willing to do unspeakable things to get their way."

* * *

"Aren't you one of them?" Eve snapped.

* * *

"No," Nico replied. He looked away for a moment. Eve could have sworn she detected a hint of sadness in his eyes.

* * *

But then he snapped back to her and the sadness was gone.

* * *

Nico continued, "I'm simply trying to be a gentleman. I don't want you to get caught up in the middle of this, Eve."

* * *

She'd never heard him use her name before. When he said it, his lips struggled to imitate Eve's American accent. As her name spilled out of his mouth, Eve witnessed a rare moment of vulnerability in Nico that she'd never seen before.

* * *

"I'm already caught up in the middle of this."

* * *

"I don't want you to get hurt. From the moment I saw your face in the candy store, I knew that you meant something to the world. Just let me take care of you."

* * *

"And what is it exactly you want in exchange?"

* * *

"Nothing."

* * *

Nico continued, "My cousin, Giuseppe is looking for him. You know this. I can't say what he wants with the boy exactly but I can say it isn't good."

* * *

"Great. And I've gone and thrust myself right into the middle of it."

* * *

"An accident for which I'm grateful."

* * *

Nico stood up and took Eve's hand in his own. She looked into his icy blue eyes and saw lust for the first time. Nico kissed her hand and electricity surged from his lips into her skin. Goose flesh broke out the moment his lips pressed against hers. Eve looked up and Nico flashed her a half smile.

* * *

"Let me protect you."

* * *

"Why don't we wait and see if I need protecting."

* * *

"Fair enough," Nico replied.

* * *

He took a pen and a piece of paper out of his pocket and wrote down a phone number.

* * *

"If you are ever in trouble, call this number. No one else has it except you."

* * *

Eve stood up, thinking that it was about time she led Nico to the door. While she feared Giuseppe, she didn't exactly trust Nico either. He'd proven that he was allied with the teenage boy she'd saved, but that didn't mean she trusted him completely either.

* * *

Eve made her way towards the door, folding up the piece of paper and slipping it into the back pocket of her jeans.

* * *

"Thank you Nico."

* * *

She opened the door, hinting that Nico should leave. Eve had to admit to herself that a part of her wanted to beg him to stay, wanted to beg him to protect her. But she couldn't.

* * *

He walked out her door and stood on her steps for a moment, looking up at her lips. Nico noted how plump and perfect they were. He noted how his eyes were drawn to them even when she wasn't wearing a lick of makeup. Eve noticed him staring but knew that it would be inappropriate to kiss him.

* * *

Why am I even thinking about kissing him? She wondered.

* * *

"Bye."

* * *

Eve closed the door quickly before she could make a foolish decision. She took the number out of her back pocket and read his number, memorizing it quickly. She had a feeling that storing it in her phone wouldn't be the best option. Eve's evening wound down quickly.

* * *

She made her mushroom sauté and ate it. She cleaned her kitchen from top to bottom and she briefly considered checking out her shop, making sure that everything was okay. She imagined the local kids were probably disappointed that they couldn't get treats after school — if any of them were allowed to take detours anymore.

* * *

Darkness descended on Eve's home. She found herself checking the latches over and over again. She kept her windows closed and she paced around her house in between reading excerpts from the latest magazine she'd had delivered. Eve had never gotten around to actually retrieving her mail and she didn't plan on it.

* * *

Eve sat on her couch and her eyes fluttered shut. She was losing her ability to stay awake. Tonight was just one of those nights when ascending the stairs to her bedroom was out of the question. Perks to living alone. Eve's eyes fluttered between open and shut until she swore she heard a gentle tapping on her front door.

* * *

Eve's eyes snapped open.

* * *

The tapping turned into knocking. There was someone there. A lump rose in Eve's throat and she tiptoed towards the door slowly, taking her time to look out the peephole.

* * *

It was Nico on her doorstep once again.

* * *

Her hands trembled as she opened the door.

* * *

"What are you doing here? I'm trying to go to bed."

* * *

"Let me in."

* * *

Eve's heart raced.

* * *

"No."

* * *

"Please Eve, let me in. I'm serious. I saw someone outside."

* * *

Eve could feel her hand shaking still, but she could tell Nico meant no harm. His harsh tone was out of concern, not a desire to hurt her. Eve let him into the house and shut the door locking it behind her.

* * *

"You're alright?" He asked, pushing hair out of Eve's face.

* * *

She nodded, shocked at his sudden intimacy.

* * *

"Yes. I'm alright."

* * *

"I saw a black SUV across the street. Come to the window," Nico said.

* * *

They turned off all the lights in Eve's home and she walked with him to the window. As they looked the SUV came alive and zoomed down the street. It wasn't the exact SUV Eve had met Giuseppe in, but it was damned close.

* * *

Eve rested her head on Nico's shoulder.

* * *

"Shit..."

* * *

"Shit is right," Nico replied.

* * *

He pulled his gun out of its holster and showed it to Eve.

* * *

"I'm armed. No one's going to be able to get into this house or hurt you. Let me stay the night."

* * *

Eve turned towards him and looked into his eyes again. She wondered what made Nico want to protect her so badly. He could have just as easily let her become collateral damage. That's what the mafia did, wasn't it? Eve realized that Nico had to be someone different. She couldn't tell if he was a criminal or not, but she could tell that he wasn't like the men who had held her and dragged her into their car.

* * *

Eve felt her desire for him mounting. He was holding a gun, standing in her house, literally putting himself on the line to protect her. No sane woman could see a sexy, tall Italian man holding a gun and not feel something. And Nico had a special something to him too. It wasn't just his looks, or his weapons. It was the way he looked at her, the way he said the name "Eve", the way he called her beautiful.

* * *

"Kiss me," Eve whispered.

* * *

The gun clattered to the ground and Nico wrapped her instantly in his arms. Eve didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know what was compelling her to throw herself at Nico. Was it his thick black hair? Were his icy eyes drawing her in? Was it the way he wanted to take care of her and protect her just when she needed someone?

* * *

Nico's lips pressed against Eve's and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She thrust her petite waist closer to him.

* * *

Nico's soft plump lips pressed against Eve's. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took in his powerful citrus and cloves scent. Nico smelled clean and fresh with spicy masculine undertones. He kissed her in a far gentler manner than any man had. He took his time to allow his lips to touch hers and then he tenderly pushed his tongue between her lips.

* * *

Eve's tongue touched Nico's and that surge of electricity flowed through her body again. She could already feel herself headed in a particular direction with him. And while on one level Eve knew it was wrong, heading to bed with Nico felt very very right.

* * *

He pulled away from her for a moment and whispered, "Are you okay with this?"

* * *

Eve nodded. She didn't think she had a choice. Her heart was propelling her to accept Nico into her arms and into her bed. Her head had checked out — logic played no role in this. It was the perfect mixture of raw instincts and unfettered desire. It had been so long since she'd had contact with a man.

* * *

Eve touched Nico's face as he continued to kiss her. Her hand grazed across the stubble on his face. His jaw line bristled against her palm and sent a ticklish energy flowing through Eve. She pulled away from him and he kissed her on the forehead.

* * *

"You are very beautiful. It's very hard for me to stop myself right now," Nico whispered.

* * *

His hot breath tickled Eve's neck. It was just as hard for her to resist him as it was for him to resist her.

* * *

"Well," Eve pulled away, "Maybe we should just... not do this."

* * *

Nico's blue eyes bore into her. She could tell that it wouldn't be so easy for them to part ways. They were both heading in one direction at light speed.

* * *

"From the moment I saw you in your store... I knew I wanted you," He said.

* * *

"Nico, please..."

* * *

"You have the most perfect skin. The most perfect hair. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in America."

* * *

"Nico..."

* * *

He continued despite her pleas, "So maybe we shouldn't fight this. Maybe we should just allow this to happen..."

* * *

He pulled her close again and kissed her lips hard. Eve knew that she couldn't resist him — and that she didn't want to resist him either. Nico squeezed her ass cheeks and pulled her close. She wriggled in his arms for a second and then kissed him back, plunging her tongue into his mouth.

* * *

"Just let it happen Eve..." He whispered.

* * *

That was the final straw. Nico's strong Italian accent, his tall muscular frame and his perfect kisses pushed Eve over the edge. She no longer had the control that she thought she did. Eve reached down for Nico's pants and began to undo his belt. Nico kissed her neck, but didn't stop her from fumbling with his belt.

* * *

"Mmm," He moaned as he felt her hand grazing his cock through his boxers. Eve's hand had found her way into his pants and she could feel Nico's dick rock hard and straining to be released from its cloth prison. Eve pulled his pants to the ground and Nico stepped out of them. She reached behind him and felt his taut ass cheeks beneath her finger tips. She felt his dick twitching and throbbing with heat, desperate to come out and play.

* * *

"Don't tease me," He said.

* * *

Eve was happy to oblige. She reached into Nico's boxers and felt his cock for the first time with her bare hands. Eve gasped as she felt it. Nico smirked. It had been a long time since he'd experienced that response. He'd forgotten what it was like to be with a new woman. Most were surprised at how large his dick was; Eve was no different.

* * *

Nico's dick wasn't just long, it was thick to the point where wrapping her palm around it was difficult. Eve kept one hand on Nico's dick and she used another to wriggle him out of his boxers. His flesh prickled as it came into contact with the cool air. Eve dropped to her knees before him and then used her hand to pump Nico's cock for a few strokes.

* * *

Eve looked at Nico's hard throbbing cock and questioned how she would fit such a massive thing into her mouth. He could see that she was hesitant.

* * *

"Just take your time," Nico encouraged her.

* * *

His accent was so hot. And Eve didn't want to disappoint him. She wanted this to be perfect. Mind blowing. Forbidden, but worth the time.

* * *

She gingerly wrapped her lips around the head of Nico's dick. He groaned and slammed his palm into the wall as her warm mouth enclosed around the bulging head of his cock. He tried to take it slow with her. Eve sucked on just the head for a few moments, building up saliva in her mouth to make it a very wet blowjob.

* * *

Eve started to take Nico's cock into her mouth deeper one inch at a time. Her mouth stretched wide to accommodate his thickness and his length. Nico grunted as Eve finally fit his entire hardness deep in the back of her throat.

* * *

"Mmm," She moaned.

* * *

Nico's dick grew harder. Eve began to bob her head up and down, letting her tongue slide along the length of Nico's dick as she thrust his member in and out of her hot wet mouth.

* * *

Eve enjoyed the sensation of Nico's thick cock stretching her lips out. She could feel his dick stiffen in her mouth and she hoped that he'd have enough energy in him for a second round. Eve allowed Nico to grab onto her head and push her face further down his cock.

* * *

She groaned as she enjoyed his thick meaty flesh plunging into her mouth. She grabbed his ass cheeks and pulled Nico in deeper. He couldn't resist, he had to finish. Nico grunted and then released a thick load in Eve's mouth. The first quick spurt came as a surprise, but Eve swallowed the first gush and then swallowed every last drop.

* * *

She pulled her mouth off of Nico's cock slowly. He gasped sharply as she removed her face and then pulled her to her feet. Without missing a beat, Nico pressed his lips against Eve's. He plunged his tongue down her throat and she wrapped her arms around his body. His cock twitched against her leg as he held her close.

* * *

Eve had the feeling that Nico had a hell of a lot more energy in him.

* * *

"Why don't you come upstairs..."

* * *

"If I stay the night, no one will hurt you..."

* * *

They both had their excuses sorted out. Both Nico and Eve clutched at some justification for their magnetism towards each other. It couldn't just be lust or love at first sight. That simplistic explanation didn't hold up against what they knew to be true in the real world. Lust wasn't supposed to just happen like this. You weren't supposed to meet someone and instantly become aware of the fact that you were going to be together.

* * *

There was supposed to be the boring first date. The awkward confusion. Not this... this explosion of desire. This feeling that you knew someone from the first moment your eyes made contact. This explosion terrified both Nico and Eve. For their own reasons, they had been scared off love, scared off sudden bursts of emotion. But here they were, heaving with desire in Eve's living room, experiencing emotions that they thought they'd killed within themselves a long time ago.

* * *

Eve began to walk upstairs; she felt Nico's heavy steps following behind her. She felt safe in her home with him in it. Once they were in her bedroom, Nico set his gun on the bedside table.

* * *

"I promise you, I'll keep you safe."

* * *

"What if... what if he finds out?" Eve asked as she crawled into bed next to him.

* * *

"Do you trust me Eve?"

* * *

Now seemed like a bad time to say that she didn't. Plus, something in Eve had changed since they'd kissed. She felt open to him. She felt like she could see Nico's spirit. He was tough — clearly. He had been through a lot in life. But she could sense that beneath all that he was a good man. He was exactly the kind of man she'd been dreaming of, but had given up on finding.

* * *

"Yes... I trust you."

* * *

Nico pushed Eve onto her back and she spread her legs wide to allow him between her legs. He stripped off her clothes and looked at Eve's exposed flesh for the first time. She was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. Her dark skin was smooth to the touch, almost velvety in texture. Her deep brown eyes seemed to hold a world of wonder. She looked into Nico's eyes and seemed to be pleading with him to be gentle. To respect her. To still think of her as a valuable woman even if she'd allowed him to bed her the first night.

* * *

But Nico understood why she'd been like this. He could see that this wasn't Eve's usual fare, but she had felt the same propulsion that he had. This defied logic and social convention. Nico's hands wandered over Eve's body. He grazed her neck and then moved down to her breasts. Eve had perky, average sized breasts with blackberry colored dark nipples.

* * *

He bent his head to her chest and took one of her nipples into his mouth. Eve gasped as she felt Nico's warm tongue flick across her nipples. Eve's chest heaved in response to his roving tongue. Nico continued to pleasure her nipples and sucked on her breasts, taking as much of the flesh as he could manage into his mouth.

* * *

"Yes..." Eve moaned.

* * *

Her encouragement motivated him to move his lips to her second breast while his hands trailed down to her wetness. Eve was completely shaven down there. Nico slipped his finger between her plump pussy lips. Eve was already sopping wet and sticky with arousal. He began to massage her clit in slow, intentioned circle. Eve gasped the moment Nico's fingers first began to stimulate her. It was like he knew exactly which spots to touch the moment he'd laid his hands on her.

* * *

Her breasts and her pussy were both ablaze with desire for more. What Eve craved more than anything was Nico's big thick cock between her legs. Nico slipped his fingers between Eve's folds and she pushed her hips upwards eagerly. He began to thrust his fingers in and out of her wetness, driving Eve wild. She had never experienced anything quite like this before.

* * *

Nico kept pleasuring her breasts as he used his fingers to probe her wetness. He stroked Eve's G-spot until she felt herself racing towards inevitable orgasm.

* * *

"Yes! Yes!" She cried out as she reached climax.

* * *

Eve convulsed beneath Nico's hands and erupted with fluids as she climaxed. Nico smirked as he watched her whimper and moan beneath him. Who knew a woman like Eve could become so pliable in his hands.

* * *

"Cum for me baby..." He urged her to climax again.

* * *

Eve's pussy clenched around his fingers as she obeyed his command and reached sweet release all over Nico's fingers. Eve shuddered as she gasped for breath. Nico removed his fingers from their position between her legs.

* * *

"Condom?"

* * *

Eve nodded and directed Nico to her bedside table. He reached for an extra-large sized rubber and slipped it onto his hardness. Eve breathed slowly as she waited for him to enter her. Nico lined his dick up with her soft entrance and then began to plunge his way between her thighs slowly. It felt exactly as Eve had expected — near magical.

* * *

She gasped as Nico's thick cock began to stretch out her entrance. He grunted as he pushed himself the rest of the way in. Eve gasped and clutched his back tightly as he finally got his full length buried deep inside her. Nico looked into her eyes before kissing her and starting to make love to her.

* * *

For a man who seemed so aggressive and alpha, Nico started off gentle and sweet. He kissed Eve gently with each stroke, watching her relax into his large cock's thrusting between her legs.

* * *

"Easy baby... Easy..." He whispered.

* * *

Eve grasped Nico's back and began to moan softly as his thick cock stretched her out and delivered unthinkable pleasure to every inch of her body. She never wanted this to stop. As Nico began to work up a sweat, drilling his big hard cock between her wetness, his citrusy scent infected Eve's nostrils.

* * *

She could feel herself building up to a quick climax. She dug her nails into his back and cried out.

* * *

"Yes! Harder! Please!"

* * *

The words spilled out of her too easily. Nico was happy to oblige. He began to ram his hardness between Eve's legs at a far more rapid rate. Her breath grew shallower and her nails dug deeper into Nico's back.

* * *

"Take it... Take it..." He grunted.

* * *

He began to groan and grunt in Italian, pumping his dick deeper and deeper between Eve's legs. Hearing Nico's sensual Italian sent Eve over the edge. She gasped and then trembled beneath him as she became engulfed in a powerful climax. She closed her eyes, throwing her head back and exposing her neck to him.

* * *

Nico pressed his lips to her neck and then groaned as he felt his own climax rising in his groin. He groaned as he erupted, filling the condom with his seed. Eve kept her legs wrapped around him for a moment and they appreciated the closeness they'd just shared.

* * *

Nico looked into Eve's eyes and saw her desire for him. He kissed her and then pulled out of her. After he'd cleaned up, he climbed into bed next to Eve and held her close.

* * *

"How did this just happen?" She whispered.

* * *

Nico chuckled and wrapped his arms around her more tightly.

* * *

"I don't know how it happened. Fate? Luck?"

* * *

"Maybe..."

* * *

"Either way... You don't regret it?" He asked.

* * *

Eve smiled. No, she didn't regret it. It had been a long time since she'd gone to bed with a man, but she still knew that Nico was the best she'd had. He'd stared into her soul. He'd tapped into her pleasure centers and he'd made her cum easily. He didn't have to ask if she'd finished, because he knew his erotic power. Eve felt like all the stereotypes about Italian men and romance were 100% true. She didn't even think about the possibility that he might be mafia, that he might be dangerous. All of a sudden, she was living on the edge. And she liked the view.

* * *

"No. I don't regret it," Eve said, nuzzling deeper into his embrace.
4

# Trouble

The next morning, Eve woke with a start. There's a man in my bed. The thought raced through her mind and then she quieted herself, reminding herself about the night she'd shared with Nico. She felt safe again. With him, she was starting to feel safer than she'd ever felt before. There was something unusual about him. While he was technically on the wrong side of the law, Eve could sense that he had a good heart.

* * *

Was there really potential there? Or was she inventing all of this to justify her wild night of passion? Eve couldn't see herself genuinely leading the life Nico led. Even if she didn't know all the details, she had seen the hints of misery in his eyes that suggested his life had never been easy.

* * *

"Good morning," Nico whispered.

* * *

His stubble rubbed into the back of her neck. She wriggled deeper into his arms and inhaled his citrus scent.

* * *

"Mmm... Good morning," Eve mumbled.

* * *

They took their time sitting up. Each tiny moment they shared, they both appreciated. Not only because it had been so long, but because it felt so right. Eve wasn't sure they'd be able to do this again — to have this moment. While everything about this felt right, she knew logic might sing a different tune. Seeing him in the warmth of the morning sunlight, it came to Eve's mind that she really knew very little about Nico. He was strong. He was brave. He wanted to protect her.

* * *

"Are you thinking so early this morning?" He half asked and half accused.

* * *

Eve nodded, "Yes. I'm just praying that I didn't make a mistake."

* * *

Nico wrinkled his nose, trying to imagine what Eve was talking about.

* * *

"Oh you mean the sex?"

* * *

Eve looked down shyly. She didn't exactly want to actually say it out loud. Eve didn't want to remind herself of how quickly she'd fallen into the embrace of a handsome stranger. Morally, she knew what she'd done had been reckless and careless. And it had felt too damned good.

* * *

"Yes. I mean the sex."

* * *

Nico chuckled.

* * *

"I forget. American girls are far more conservative than Italian girls."

* * *

"I'm not conservative," Eve corrected him, "There's nothing wrong in wanting to know a man before you jump into bed with him."

* * *

"You're right, you're right," Nico resigned.

* * *

"I just... I just wish I'd at least gotten to know you better before. That's all."

* * *

Nico sat up in bed and pulled his knees in, wrapping his arms around them. He found Eve's petty anxieties over "knowing" him adorable. He didn't care how well he knew her. Getting to know each other could come later. Nico believed in acting on passion whenever he got the chance. When it came to beautiful women, you never knew how long they were going to stick around.

* * *

Not to mention Nico had hardly met a woman worth speaking to since he'd touched down in the country. Eve had a certain something other women didn't have. She had rhythm in her hips. Her smile was electric. Her dark skin seemed to both absorb the warmth of the sun and reflect its light.

* * *

Nico knew he had to have her at least one more time before he left. He kissed Eve and pushed her down onto her back. She didn't resist him, even the slightest bit. Eve knew she was taking a risk, jumping into bed with him again. She still didn't have her answers about Nico. Her feelings for him were strong and sudden but they still felt real. The way she was drawn to him was far unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

He slipped Eve out of the night dress she'd thrown on in the middle of the night. Her breasts still looked so plump and ripe for the taking. The light filtered into the bedroom with a bluish gray color and in the light, Eve's dark skin looked even more flawless than usual.

* * *

"You're beautiful," Nico whispered.

* * *

Eve pulled his face close to hers. Her fingertips grazed the stubble across his face and then she ran her hands through his silky, raven colored hair. Nico's look was so brazenly European. His haircut to the way he touched her was totally foreign.

* * *

"Kiss me," Eve whispered.

* * *

He obliged. She closed her eyes and felt his kiss travel down to her neck. His lips trailed kisses all the way to Eve's bosom. She lifted her chest upwards, allowing her nipples to graze Nico's lips. He took the hint and flicked his tongue around Eve's nipples in gentle circles. She gasped at the warmth his tongue delivered directly to her breasts. She moaned as he sucked harder on her breasts, taking as much of her tit flesh into his mouth as he could fit.

* * *

Eve wriggled her body, thrusting her hips upwards to meet Nico's crotch. His hardness was already straining through his boxers, desperate to come out and slide between Eve's thighs. She pawed at his taut buttocks. She allowed her nails to graze along Nico's ass cheeks. He could tell how urgently she wanted him.

* * *

He slipped the boxers off around his waist and pressed his body into Eve. She inhaled sharply, accepting Nico's heaviness pressing her into the bed. She could feel his hardness pressing into her thigh eagerly.

* * *

"Condom..."

* * *

"Are you sure?" He asked.

* * *

For a moment Eve was tempted to feel his hot skin pressed directly against hers. But she knew that would be irresponsible — the line she wouldn't cross.

* * *

"Yes, I'm sure."

* * *

He argued no further. Nico slipped a condom onto his dick. Eve waited eagerly as his thick cock pressed against her entrance. She wanted to grab onto it and slide it into her pussy herself. But Eve found a moment of patience. Nico guided his cock to her spread open entrance. He sucked on her neck hard as he slipped his entire cock between her thighs. Eve cried out in surprise as her pussy stretched to accommodate Nick's hardness.

* * *

His dick felt even bigger than it had the day before.

* * *

"Fuck me... Fuck me..." Eve moaned.

* * *

She had no idea where this dirty talk was coming from, but she almost couldn't help it. She needed Nico urgently and passion took over her sensibilities. Nico began to pound into Eve furiously. He gripped her hips tightly as he slammed his cock into her repeatedly.

* * *

Eve knew she'd cum quickly. She grabbed onto Nico's back and thrust her hips up to meet his pounding. Within a few minutes, a climax began to build in her core. Her enjoyment of everything Nico was delivering was about to drive her over the edge.

* * *

"Please..."

* * *

Eve moaned loudly as she finished. Nico kept pounding into her, despite her writhing beneath him. He couldn't wait to just release inside the beautiful woman who was lying beneath him. He inhaled Eve's scent from her neck and began to pound into her harder. Eve continued to groan and grunt beneath him. She pushed her hips upward to meet Nico's thrusting, tempting him closer and closer towards climax.

* * *

Nico pulled out of Eve and then flipped her onto all fours. Eve instinctively arched her back, exposing her pussy to Nico. He looked down and considered shoving his thick cock deep inside her. Eve's delicious looking exposed pussy was too great of a temptation for Nico to ignore.

* * *

He bent his face between Eve's legs and first stuck his tongue out between her pussy lips. Eve gasped and attempted to wriggle her legs away. Nico held her still and began to allow his tongue to lap against her pussy lips passionately.

* * *

Eve moaned and thrust her hips back to meet Nico's tongue. He drove his tongue far between her pussy lips and swirled it around until Eve was going mad with desire to cum. He suckled on her pussy lips until that climax finally took over her body.

* * *

"YES! YES!" Eve cried out.

* * *

As she trembled in pleasure, Nico stuck his cock between her thighs. Eve cried out as the size stretched her wetness out yet again. She arched her back to allow him deeper access to her pussy. Nico began to thrust into her pussy hard and fast. He gripped Eve's hips tightly as she moaned and pushed her hips back to meet him.

* * *

"Cum again for me baby..."

* * *

"Yes! Yes!" Eve moaned.

* * *

She obliged, and quickly reached a second climax. Nico couldn't hold back much longer. He squeezed Eve's thick fertile hips and then grunted as he released. Eve felt his massive cock twitching between her legs. Already, she was craving more of him. Eve started to worry she was getting addicted to that thing between Nico's legs.

* * *

He pulled out of her and then cleaned up. As he moved across her bedroom, Eve found herself ogling at Nico. Who was this guy really? On one level, she felt like it didn't matter. On another level, Eve worried that she was getting herself into a boat load of trouble that she wouldn't be able to handle.

* * *

Nico ran his hands through his facial hair a couple of times, enjoying the stubble beneath his finger tips. He looked at Eve who had now covered herself with her blanket. She looked at him so curiously, he almost wanted to just spill every detail of his life to her. But there were some aspects of his past that would take a hell of a lot more explaining than Nico was willing to do.

* * *

He joined Eve in bed. She lay her head on his shoulders. The small act of intimacy felt almost as bonding as their morning romp had.

* * *

"Well, what do you want to know about me?"

* * *

He asked the question despite knowing there were some questions he flat out couldn't answer.

* * *

"You're Italian?"

* * *

Nico laughed, "Yes. Of course. But you already knew that. I lived in America as a child and teenager. I spent most of my adult life in Italy. But recently, I've had to come back."

* * *

Eve could see that he didn't want her to ask "why", even if that was the most pressing question on her mind. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, regardless of whether it was a good idea or not. She kissed him again deeply, thrusting her tongue into his mouth and grazing it against his.

* * *

Nico pulled away and replied, "I'm thirty-seven years old. I've never been married. I work for myself. I like Italian wine and I abhor smoking."

* * *

"What else is there? You said you lived here?"

* * *

Nico nodded.

* * *

"Grew up in Boston. North End."

* * *

Eve smiled, "It figures."

* * *

"Yes, I'm your stereotypical Italian. Dark hair, light eyes, stunning good looks, Catholic to boot..."

* * *

"Mafia?" Eve offered, raising an eyebrow.

* * *

She knew it was a risky thing to say. She knew that Nico could just shut down the moment that he heard it. But he didn't shut down he just smiled.

* * *

"I don't consider myself mafia."

* * *

"I don't believe you," Eve said.

* * *

Nico sighed, "Fine. It's complicated. Is that good enough for you?"

* * *

Eve looked at him; Nico looked at her. They both chuckled. It wasn't good enough for her.

* * *

"Fine. I'll explain a little bit. I'm trying to break free. I'm trying to leave it behind."

* * *

"Bullshit."

* * *

"Bullshit?"

* * *

"Yeah," Eve said, "I call bullshit. If you really wanted to leave, you'd leave."

* * *

"I could say the same about you," Nico offered.

* * *

"Excuse me?"

* * *

"I saw all the travel magazines downstairs. You've been thinking about leaving, but you can't either."

* * *

"That's different."

* * *

"Oh?"

* * *

"I don't do anything dangerous," Eve said.

* * *

Nico replied, "Yes you do. You lied to Giuseppe."

* * *

And Eve snapped into her present fear once again. Nico had a point. She had gotten herself embroiled in something dangerous. There was a chance that she and Nico were just the same people at different points in their journey. Perhaps he'd just made a mistake like hers.

* * *

Nico's phone rang thrice.

* * *

He checked it.

* * *

"It's from D."

* * *

"Who?"

* * *

"My cousin..."

* * *

"Oh..."

* * *

"At least it seems to be. He says he's in trouble. Eve... I need to go."

* * *

Eve stood up and wrapped her arms around Nico. What she felt was crazy. Every cell in her body was urging her to beg him to stay, even if it was unnecessary and even if it made no sense. Nico kissed her lips gently and then pulled away.

* * *

"Come back?" Eve asked.

* * *

"I'll try."

* * *

He ran downstairs and then he was gone just as quickly as he'd come. Eve looked out her window worried as she watched him running down her block as fast as he could go. Eve knew she was in trouble and that she'd have a hell of a time getting out of it.

* * *

When he was gone, Eve tidied her house and then took a shower. She almost didn't want to scrub Nico's scent off her body. Once she was clean, Eve decided that she was going to just accept her attraction to Nico. He was strong, he had the commanding demeanor of a real masculine guy and he had been there for her when she needed him. There was no need to overthink it.

* * *

At this point too, Eve had no choice but to trust Nico. He was right when he'd pointed out that she'd done something very dangerous by lying to Giuseppe. She'd done something dangerous by sleeping with him too. She'd mixed herself up in problems she had no business in and getting out of Boston was only getting more complicated.

* * *

Eve hoped that she wasn't wrong for placing all this trust in Nico. He had proven that he could go out of his way to protect her, but if he wasn't as nefarious as Giuseppe, how could he ever hope to stand up to him? Eve just prayed that she'd fall off the radar soon. Maybe this young Italian boy would be found by the right people and everything would just die down.

* * *

Eve had a sneaking suspicion this was just wishful thinking on her part, but she needed that wishful thinking. She needed to believe that everything would be alright. She needed to believe that the fate of the two teenagers found gutted in the park would be a fate she could avoid. She needed to believe that whatever chemistry she had with Nico was pure lust — lust that would disappear.

* * *

Eve tried to make herself believe all the half-truths or lies that she needed to. It was the only way to keep sane in her ever changing world.
5

# Unwelcome Visitor

_M ay 2017_

* * *

Two weeks had passed. Eve had been closing up shop early. Everyone in the city understood that. She'd seen Nico a couple times, but each time was filled with hasty love making. Nico still gave very few details about his life. Sometimes, Eve noticed he'd have a bruise on his shoulder. She would notice puffiness around his eyes like he'd been fighting. But Nico refused to tell her anything. There were some parts of his life that he wanted to protect Eve from.

* * *

Eve could sense that her feelings for Nico were growing and that his feelings for her were growing two. They both wanted to do normal things, not just meet up under the cover of night. They wanted to go on a normal date. But neither of them asked because they knew that was just out of the question. Nico didn't lead a normal life — and that determined everything that they did.

* * *

Eve didn't know how to tell anyone in her life that she was seeing someone and she didn't know if she should tell anyone anyway. Once they asked "what does he do for a living", Eve would be stuck. She hated thinking about the truth, but the truth was that Nico was in the mafia. He was a criminal, even if he didn't feel like a criminal from the way he talked to her, from the way he stroked her hair.

* * *

But the truth was, he had a dark past. Eve could see it behind his blue eyes, in the way he winced when she asked certain questions. In the way he tossed and turned in bed with her, thinking she was too fast asleep to notice his mind's endless whirring. Eve knew that she loved him. She knew that she'd fallen in love with him from the moment he'd first pressed his lips to her skin. But that love was in limbo. She couldn't move forward, not when there was so much danger all around her. Not when she didn't know who Nico was when he wasn't in her bed.

* * *

The neighborhood was starting to change as the mafia's infectious tendrils slithered into the neighborhood's economy. Non-Italian family restaurants in prime locations became the victims of mysterious fires. There were whispers of murder threats and plots to take over local politics. Giuseppe had his hand in every pot and he was feasting on the fear his presence created. Even Eve wasn't above it. If it weren't for Nico's protection, she might have closed up shop entirely and lived on her savings. Eve had the sense she was being followed sometimes just walking during the day. Eve was sure it was Giuseppe, keeping an eye on her.

* * *

But she wouldn't see Domenico again, she was sure of it. Nico had found the boy. He must have. Eve tried not to ask him about those sorts of things. She hated reminders of the life he was involved in. She dreamed of persuading Nico to leave the city and leave the life he led behind. She didn't think he would.

* * *

Gangsters never change. Eve thought to herself, wondering how she could have allowed herself to fall for a man so different from her in every way.

* * *

When Eve had walked to work on a particularly sunny day, she noticed the charred remains of one of the burnt restaurants. Thick sheets of plywood had been clumsily hammered across the windows to prevent theft of whatever remained inside the former restaurant. This place wasn't too far from her candy store. One wrong move, and she could be one of the hapless business owners receiving pitying looks as they walked down the street.

* * *

The morning at Eve's store was busy. Her intermittent hours meant more people were desperate for fudge, candies, cake and now hot chocolate, tea and coffee. Eve had been so swept up in her bizarre infatuation that she'd forgotten the new machine she'd ordered that upgraded her candy store to a small café. Her expanded inventory played a part in her shop's new appeal.

* * *

In the afternoon, Eve spotted a man across the street. Giuseppe. Just seeing him sent chills down her spine. He dressed in all black with a long wool peacoat despite the fact that spring was warming up fast. Eve prayed he wouldn't come towards her shop, but she already had a sense that was the precise reason he'd come. She took a deep breath in. No matter what, Giuseppe was a citizen of the neighborhood just like everyone else. He was bold, but he wouldn't harm her in broad daylight. He had enough self-interest to restrain himself.

* * *

When he pushed the door open to her store, Eve smiled like she was any other customer.

* * *

"Good afternoon! Welcome, what I can I get for you."

* * *

Eve tried to hide her surprise as Giuseppe returned her customer-service-smile with a big smile of his own.

* * *

"Hot chocolate my dear and a piece of hazelnut fudge. It's my favorite kind."

* * *

Eve made the hot chocolate for Giuseppe.

* * *

"Whipped cream?"

* * *

"Yes, dear, grazie," Giuseppe replied.

* * *

Eve squirted the whipped cream into a delightful cone and handed it to Giuseppe. He smiled and took his fudge too, sitting down on one of the little tables Eve had set up in the middle of her store.

* * *

"Will you come join me Eve?"

* * *

Eve was scared to say no but equally scared to leave her register unmanned.

* * *

"Uh..."

* * *

"If you have customers, you can attend to them."

* * *

She took off her apron and joined Giuseppe.

* * *

"This hot chocolate is very good Eve," He said with a smile.

* * *

His friendliness made Eve even more uneasy than aggression would have. Perhaps Giuseppe really had nothing on her. Perhaps she had gotten away with lying to the boss of the mafia and he was genuinely here for a chat.

* * *

He threatened to sell you, don't let your guard down. Eve warned herself.

* * *

"Thank you. It's my mama's recipe."

* * *

"Right. Your mother does not live within Boston, no?"

* * *

"No. She doesn't."

* * *

"Does she miss you?"

* * *

Eve shrugged, "I think so."

* * *

"Parents always miss their children. Especially when their children are adults. We miss the time when they were so small... and cared for no one in the world but us."

* * *

"You have kids?" Eve asked before she knew why she was asking.

* * *

Giuseppe smiled and took a big sip of his hot chocolate.

* * *

"Yes. I have two sons. Twin boys, Nico and Luca."

* * *

Eve's heart was pounding.

* * *

Luca R.

* * *

Nico R.

* * *

They were brothers and Giuseppe was their father. It was a little detail that Nico had failed to mention. The man he had made an enemy of was his own father. Eve wondered if he'd lied about anything else or more likely, what else he had lied about.

* * *

"Twins? Are they grown up?"

* * *

Giuseppe grinned.

* * *

"Yes, they are grown up. But now, I will tell you about how they were long ago. Yes?"

* * *

He was asking permission, but Eve knew she didn't have the option to say no.

* * *

"My boys Nico and Luca, they were twins but they couldn't have been more different. Identical in every way except for their eyes. Nico always had his mother's soft down-turned eyes. And he was always stronger than his brother. They used to fight all the time when they were younger."

* * *

"Sibling fights. I remember those," Eve added.

* * *

Giuseppe smiled, "Nobody fought like Nico and Luca. But Nico was stronger, he would always overpower Luca. Luca... He had his strengths but he was always weak. Nico bullied him and he'd get others to join in. Poor little Luca..."

* * *

"Well I hope they're good friends now..."

* * *

Giuseppe didn't seem to be listening to see if Eve was responding to him. He was lost in a distant past, recalling memories of his sons that had nearly faded.

* * *

"They did not grow up with a mother. My wife died," Giuseppe said.

* * *

"Childbirth?"

* * *

"No. Fucking cancer," Giuseppe said.

* * *

When he said the word cancer, Eve realized that no matter what, they were not as different as she thought. Giuseppe was human. He'd still lost people in his life. Eve's faith in Nico was shaken. He had failed to mention material information about who his father was; he'd told her nothing about his past. Now that Eve was getting a chance to hear tidbits from Giuseppe, she was doubting her trust in Nico.

* * *

Giuseppe continued, "When they were in their late teens the boys were trouble. It was Nico but as I said, Luca was weak. Very weak. So he went along with it. The trouble only worsened in their twenties. Us Italians are very close. Family is everything to us, you understand?"

* * *

Eve nodded.

* * *

"In their twenties, a little birdie told me something. My sons had been selling their mother's diamonds. Piece by piece, they sold off bits of her collection."

* * *

"Wow..."

* * *

"Yes. Wow. Isabella had a large collection. She comes from a rich family and of course, I spoiled my wife."

* * *

Giuseppe continued after polishing off his hot chocolate, "I knew it was Nico behind all of it. Luca was the one who finally confessed the truth. He looked for buyers and Nico made the deals go down. He cared so little for his mother that he would sell the last thing I had left of her. This made me very very angry."

* * *

Eve could no longer respond. She was stunned into silence, wondering how the man she thought she knew could be the type of guy to do this. She would have thought Giuseppe a liar except the pain in his voice was palpable.

* * *

"I know you think I am a cruel man but I am not cruel Eve. I am just."

* * *

Eve remained hooked on his every word. How did the story end? She wanted answers about how Nico had become the man he was today. Why was he at odds with his father? And was he at fault?

* * *

"I had to punish my sons for what they'd done. If they were not family, the punishment would have been far more severe. But of course, I hold family in a special place. So I took great care and I punished them both."

* * *

Giuseppe left out what the punishment was. He remembered that day clearly. He remembered the hot pungency of clotting blood. Now, he pushed the smell from his mind and sank his teeth into the tender fudge.

After chewing a sugary piece of goodness, allowing the sweetness to sink into his gums, Giuseppe continued his story. He could see Eve staring at him, eyebrows furrowed as if squinting could draw the story out of him faster.

* * *

He continued, "My son Nico did not take kindly on punishment and he insisted upon revenge. It was a terrible scene... Our home in Italy was very large with huge courtyards and foyers. It was a nice old Italian home. All of us were standing there in the foyer, the whole family when Nico came in angry. We could feel his anger. He walked up to his brother and pulled out a knife. I screamed, I begged him to stop. He grabbed Luca and he slit his throat. He watched his brother bleed out on the floor with a smile on his face. He pulled out his gun, threatened to kill us all and then he fled. He left his twin brother dead on the ground, bleeding like a butchered pig."

* * *

Eve felt nauseous. Nico. Her Nico had done this. She'd let this man into her home and into her bedroom. She'd allowed Nico to kiss her and touch her in unthinkable ways. Eve knew she couldn't say a word; she knew that she couldn't reveal her connection to Nico without risking her own life. But she could feel the color draining from her face.

* * *

"That's terrible. Did the police ever catch him?"

* * *

"No. I believe he is in America. I believe my nephew Domenico is helping him escape justice."

* * *

"And you're a very just man," Eve replied.

* * *

"Yes. Yes I am."

* * *

Giuseppe paused for a moment and finished his fudge.

* * *

"When he left, my son Nico stole Isabella's African Diamond Carcanet, an heirloom dating back to the 1200s and worth millions."

* * *

"Wow."

* * *

"Yes... So I'm trying to find my son and make him return what he stole. I don't want anymore people to get hurt."

* * *

Giuseppe still made the hairs on the back of Eve's neck stand up. His greasy smile and the ways his eyes searched her for betrayal made her skin crawl. But she had to admit that his side of the story sounded believable. Maybe what Nico was hiding was just darkness — not a dark past, but a dark present. He really could be dangerous.

* * *

Giuseppe stood up.

* * *

"Be careful Eve..."

He set down a $100 bill — far more than his desserts were worth.

* * *

"And may I remind you... I punish disloyalty."

* * *

Eve's stomach churned again.

* * *

"Right."

* * *

"If you see my son... Call me. If you know anything..."

* * *

"I don't know anything," Eve interrupted.

* * *

"I see," Giuseppe said, his face betraying nothing, "Well in that case, we will see each other soon."

* * *

He left Eve's shop on that cryptic note. She watched him hobble out of the shop and then her gaze met the $100 bill on the table. Was it a bribe? Eve pondered upon whether Giuseppe already knew something about her and Nico. Perhaps this had been one elaborate game to him. He was trying to trip her up, or something.

* * *

But did that mean Giuseppe was lying?

* * *

Eve pocketed the $100 bill and cleaned up the table. She took what Giuseppe said in and tried to understand how it could be true. She knew that Nico's brother really wasn't around. She knew that Nico's young cousin was helping him. But she didn't know who was right here and who was wrong.

* * *

Eve tried not to dwell on what Giuseppe had said, but her slow afternoon meant she was forced to. Daniella stopped in for an hour and helped her tidy up a bit. That managed to take Eve's mind off of Nico, Giuseppe and all the drama she was embroiled in. Eve listened to Daniella tell her about school, boy troubles and the upcoming prom. Daniella lived in a sweet charmed world, right in the middle of mafia drama.

* * *

Eve wondered if Daniella understood just how dangerous their neighborhood was becoming. Perhaps her father's last name protected her. Perhaps her father was involved with the mafia itself. The city was teeming with secrets, little whispers of who did what and whom was involved with whom. These secrets made the people distrustful and the neighborhood shifted to accommodate that distrust.

* * *

Daniella was home early and the small shops closed early. Everyone was scared, scared that they'd be the ones caught in the middle of this crossfire.

* * *

Eve closed early, but her store accounts were all out of wack. At least that's the excuse she made to stay late. Really, Eve was worried about her journey home. She worried that she'd experience another evening terror. She worried that she was being targeted. So she did the only thing she knew how to do to calm herself down.

* * *

She didn't want to call Nico. Not now. Giuseppe's words played around in her head. He'd really accused Nico of murdering his twin brother in cold blood. A part of it had to be true. Nico had his twin brother's watch — the one that said Luca R. on the inscription. Nico was mysterious about his past and seemed to be intentionally obscuring all the details from Eve's view.

* * *

When she'd finished messing with the minutia of her accounting, Eve knew she had no choice but to leave. She'd been closed since before sunset, but now the sun was disappearing behind the trees, leading to an eerie twilight. Eve seemed to be especially dialed into every sensation. She could hear noises from the neighborhood that she'd previously been ignorant to. She could hear laughing children in the distance, and car horns that sounded as if they were miles away.

* * *

Eve wrapped herself up in her light coat and decided to brave the outdoors. She could feel her body recoil the moment she stepped out of her front door. The shop's alarm was on, the cameras were on, and there was nothing to worry about leaving it over night.

* * *

Except maybe fire. Or a more brazen theft than she could even imagine. Eve shuddered. That kind of negative rumination did nothing for her. She turned the keys in the lock and tried the door. Secure.

* * *

Eve started the walk home. She tried to comfort herself and numb her mind by counting off the blocks. Her house wasn't far. The only thing was, this time Eve didn't just fear Giuseppe finding her. She feared Nico. Something wasn't right and Eve had no idea who to trust. Should she trust a possibly murderous man, or his definitely murderous father. Eve hated feeling lost. She hated feeling stuck, the way she truly was.

* * *

Maybe there was no direction that was truly safe. If that were the case, Eve had truly made a mistake. She'd have to answer to someone, and she'd probably have to answer to them sooner than she wanted. Eve glanced behind her to make sure that no cars were waiting for her. She saw nothing.

* * *

Eve kept walking. Three more blocks. Five minutes per block. Fifteen minutes. She mumbled to herself until she couldn't.

* * *

Eve had the sense she was being followed. She froze in her tracks and looked behind her.

* * *

Wrong move. Eve tried to scream but a large hand clamped over her mouth, drowning out even the slightest possibility she could make any noise.

* * *

"MMMM!"

* * *

"MMMPFDHFHH!"

* * *

She screamed and started to kick her legs. Eve knew aimless struggling would be futile. She tried to drop her weight out of the man's arms. She fell to the ground. Pain shot through her body from her knees. Eve tried to stand up. Before she could take her first step and go shooting off in the opposite direction, the man's hand clamped around her arm.

* * *

"HELP! HELP!"

* * *

"MMPHH!"

* * *

His hand was back around her mouth. His thick oversized index finger was gloved, and almost plugging up Eve's nose. Each breath grew more difficult. She struggled and thrust her elbows back into his chest. The man grunted but didn't let go. Eve wriggled and tried to drop her weight to the ground again. He'd already adjusted to that trick. Eve considered going limp. Her body wanted to check out of the whole experience.

* * *

She heard a car pulling up. The window to the car rolled down.

* * *

"Toss her into the back..."

* * *

But before she could get tossed, Eve heard the sound of metal thwacking into her assailant. She dropped to the ground on top of him as he'd fallen. Eve rolled away from him, rolling onto her back. She looked and saw Nico standing above her assailant. He was holding a metal bat and beating into the screaming guy.

* * *

Eve caught her breath and tried to stand up.

* * *

Run. Once you stand up, you need to run.

* * *

Despite her mind's instructions, Eve couldn't help but stay and look on. The man driving the car (a regular looking forest green sedan) came out and tried to fight Nico off his friend. Nico swung the bat hard and it smashed right into the guy's face. Eve screamed. She screamed so loudly, she was surprised no one came running.

* * *

Nico hit the driver in the stomach and then kicked his unbalanced body onto the ground. With one more smack, the bat knocked the driver unconscious. Or dead.

* * *

Then Nico was standing over her. Eve realized she was shaking, trembling with a fear she'd never felt before. Nico reached out his hand but Eve recoiled. No. She couldn't touch him. He was a murderer. A killer. And she would be next.

* * *

Eve snapped out of her trembling when Nico yelled.

* * *

"EVE. TAKE MY HAND. WE NEED TO GO."

* * *

Right. Well murderer or not, she couldn't stay here at the scene of a violent assault. There would be no way to explain it. So out her hand went. Nico pulled her off the ground and allowed her to rest his weight on him. Eve walked as fast as she could go, following Eve down a turn to a cul-de-sac. His car was parked at the end of the cul-de-sac. By the time they got to his black Audi, Eve wasn't sure she wanted to get in.

* * *

Then she heard sirens.

* * *

"Eve, get into the car," Nico commanded. But it was a gentle command, not threatening in the least.

* * *

Plus now, Eve had no choice. Nico opened up the trunk and threw his bloodied bat into the back. He pulled off his gloves and flung them into the back too.

* * *

"Come on Eve."

* * *

Eve finally opened the door and slipped into the passenger seat. Nico followed soon. He smelled remarkably clean for a man who had just bludgeoned two people nearly half to death. And he seemed calm too. His serenity was just as disturbing as his cleanliness. As if maybe he'd practiced.

* * *

"Are you hurt?" Nico asked.

* * *

"No. Just a little sore where my legs hit the ground."

* * *

"Good."

* * *

He started the engine and sped down the cul-de-sac, past the bodies and towards Eve's house.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

* * *

"Just your place."

* * *

It had only been three blocks away; the journey had gone much quicker by car. A five minute drive due to traffic lights. Nico parked his car behind Eve's place and then helped her out towards the back door. She knew that she should have been wary, but Eve still felt that sense of safety when she was with Nico. She hoped that sense of comfort wasn't a false projection. She hoped that Nico wouldn't betray her trust.

Once inside, Nico asked, "Do you have a plastic bag?"

* * *

Eve sat down at her dining table and nodded, pointing to a shelf in her kitchen. Nico grabbed the heavy duty garbage bags and walked outside. Eve already knew what he was doing. Shoes. Gloves. Shirt. Bat. All of them would go into the bag. Eve imagined Nico bagging it twice and then sliding it into a compartment in his trunk.

* * *

All the evidence would be washed away by morning.

* * *

Eve knew he was mafia. There was no doubt in her mind, but her question was how deep Nico was involved. She could love him, but she could never marry a man who truly lived like that and had no desire for more. Eve mused bitterly about how badly she'd been craving "adventure" only a month or so before. This was hardly the kind of adventure she'd had in mind. But now, she was here with no choice but to live it.

* * *

Nico came back inside, shirtless. Again, something else that made it impossible to truly be angry with him. Eve resented his effect on her sometimes. Unconsciously, her teeth bit down on her lower lip. Nico noticed and smiled.

* * *

"I need a shower beautiful."

* * *

"Upstairs," Eve said quietly.

* * *

Nico bounded upstairs without waiting for her. Eve checked her windows and then locked her house. She was safe with Nico. No matter what his father had said, this sense of safety couldn't be faked. Eve noted that her heart was still racing.

* * *

By the time Nico walked out of the shower with her starched white towels wrapped around his waist, Eve had worked up the courage to speak to him about everything she'd experienced that day. He hugged her, he kissed her forehead and he asked her if she was all right.

* * *

"Yes, I'm okay. But we need to talk Nico."

* * *

He sat down, still in his towel. Eve tried to keep her mind focused on anything but what was underneath it.

* * *

Eve continued, "Your father stopped by the store today. Why did you never mention this to me about Giuseppe?"

* * *

Nico sighed and widened his stance. He rested his head in his hands momentarily and then spoke.

* * *

"Yes, he's my father. And I figure the less you know, the better."

* * *

"Why? Do you have something to hide?"

* * *

Eve had intended a softer tone.

* * *

"No. I have nothing to hide. It's to keep you safe."

* * *

"And you're sure that you have absolutely nothing to hide?" Eve stood up and got herself a glass of water.

* * *

She poured one out for Nico and set it on the table next to him. He drank the entire thing before replying.

* * *

"I have nothing to hide."

* * *

"So then I can ask you more questions?"

* * *

"Yes. Go ahead."

* * *

"Is your mother dead?"

* * *

Nico nodded, "Yes. She's been dead a long time."

* * *

"Is your brother dead?"

* * *

Nico nodded, "Yes, my brother is dead."

* * *

"Luca?"

* * *

"Yes."

* * *

"Did you kill him? Did you kill him because you wanted to steal from your family?"

* * *

Eve was trying not to cry, but just acknowledging that what she'd heard from Giuseppe might be true, sent her into terrified sobs.

* * *

"I killed my brother... But it's not what you think. It's not how Giuseppe told you."

* * *

"How can I be sure?" Eve whispered through her tears.

* * *

"Because I'll tell you the truth. And because I'll prove it to you."

* * *

Nico's facial expression hadn't changed. Maybe there was a little more sadness behind his eyes, but he didn't seem like a man who'd been caught in a lie. Eve sat back and drank some of her water. Whatever Nico's story was, she had a feeling it would be a good one. And if it were a lie, Eve needed to be awake enough to hear it. She gazed at Nico and waited for him to explain everything.

* * *

"My brother Luca is my twin. I have his watch, I gave it to my cousin. You know this, right?"

* * *

Eve nodded.

* * *

"It's true that I killed Luca, but he left me with no choice. After what my father ordered him to do. Before I came back to America, I had been in Italy for years. I had a girlfriend and she had a child. The child was not mine but I loved her and the boy all the same. We were going to be together. I was planning to exit the life my father had laid out for me. I was tired. Of the fighting. Of the drugs. Of the lying."

* * *

"A girlfriend?" Eve repeated. She knew that she was focusing on what was perhaps the least important part. But she'd never known about Nico's life before her. He'd never even hinted at it, choosing instead to dance around his past.

* * *

"Yes. She agreed to marry me if I quit working for my father and with my brother. She despised Luca. She said that Luca would kill me if he had the chance and I didn't believe her. I thought it was jealousy because we were twins or something else. I wish I had listened."

* * *

Nico sighed, deep and heavy in his chest.

* * *

"I was never stronger than Luca. Never. He was the athlete, I was the one who wanted desperately to remain in school. But my father said school wasn't important. All that was important was power and learning how to get it. Luca followed him, I didn't. And that made him very angry."

* * *

"Luca began to sell our mother's jewels. He got me involved but had me thinking he was selling something else — just from theft I supposed. So I didn't stop him. When my father confronted him, he said it was me. Then he said I was thinking about leaving the life with my girlfriend. That I wanted to betray them."

* * *

Eve gasped. She had a feeling that Giuseppe learning of his son's betrayal wasn't something that had gone over well.

* * *

"Giuseppe ordered my brother to bring me to him so he could dole out the punishment himself. Luca arrived at the manor drunk, high off cocaine, demanding to see me. My lover... she was trying to protect me. She had the boy in her arms. Luca grabbed the boy and stabbed him, flinging his body across the room before her very eyes. She tried to fight back. She went crazy. At this point I was running through the house, trying to find a weapon. I knew something terrible was happening. She tried to fight Luca but he won. He pushed her down and slit her throat. He began to beat her head into the side of our coffee table after she was dead. When I came into the living room, I saw their bodies. I had my gun..."

* * *

He paused. The pause was long and pregnant.

* * *

"But a gun wasn't enough. I shot Luca in the knee caps. He screamed and moaned. I went to make sure they were really dead. And they were. Luca had never failed to kill someone he'd set out to kill. But he didn't think I would fight back, just like all the times I didn't fight back when we were children."

* * *

Nico bent forward and then rested his face in his hands. When he lifted his head, tears covered his face.

* * *

"I'm not proud of what I did. I am ashamed. I took his knife, covered in the blood of the love of my life... And I killed him. I killed my twin brother because I had no choice. I searched his body, found my mother's heirlooms that he was planning to sell. I took 500€ out of his pocket and I ran. I ran and I ran until I could call someone who I knew would be loyal to me. I got a ride to my aunt's home."

* * *

"Your aunt?"

* * *

"Yes, Domenico's mother. She helped me break down the heirloom into individual diamonds. She helped me flee Italy. She helped me plan what I would do for revenge. She even sent her son to America, risked his life just to help me take revenge on Giuseppe."

* * *

Nico pulled out his wallet and took out a photograph. The warmth of the Italian country side shone through the grainy photograph. There was Nico, his cousin, and his aunt. His eyes were haunted despite his smile. His gold crucifix still dangled on his neck. Nico wept. Tears gushed out of him and he began to sob.

* * *

Eve believed him. She believed every word of what he said.
6

# Domination

After Eve had calmed down, Nico had showered and dressed and they'd had dinner, Nico told Eve that he didn't think they should stay the night.

* * *

"Why not?"

* * *

"I just don't think it's safe here Eve."

* * *

"This is my apartment!"

* * *

"And they know where you live."

* * *

"And what about you? Can't they follow you and find out where you live?"

* * *

Nico shrugged, "My place is fortified. And I think I'll be able to lose them if they follow me."

* * *

"I don't know..."

* * *

"Please, Eve, you need to trust me. Things are getting dangerous and I suspect my father knows that we are..."

* * *

Eve wanted to ask him to finish that sentence. Because what were they really? Sure, she was enmeshed with Nico, they'd made love countless wonderful times, but there was nothing there besides that. Nico certainly wasn't her boyfriend; they could never be seen together. And he had never even said that he loved her. For all she knew, they would only be "something" until Nico found away to escape his father and get rid of her.

* * *

"What are we?" Eve blurted out, knowing that it was exactly the wrong time. She squeezed her eyes shut waiting for Nico to embarrass her. But he skirted right past her question without even acknowledging it.

* * *

"We need to get out of here. By the time we get to sleep, he could have men in this house to kill me. We need to hurry before he gets a chance to figure out what happened."

* * *

"Fine. I'll come with you then."

* * *

"Perfect..."

* * *

Eve packed an overnight bag upstairs.

* * *

"I never meant for you to get hurt."

* * *

Eve shrugged, "Well it's too late now."

* * *

Her bag was packed and she started to change, finding that her legs could barely move out of her pants.

* * *

"What's wrong?"

* * *

"I think I have a bruise from earlier."

* * *

"Let me see."

* * *

Eve felt suddenly shy around Nico. He had already seen her naked but there was something about the painful throbbing bruise that felt more intimate. Nico helped Eve slide out of her pants and he helped her sit down on her bed. Nico held onto her leg while his eyes slid up and down determining whether she'd been bruised.

* * *

Nico saw a dark purple splotch on her thigh, probably where she'd hit the ground. He pressed two fingers to her flesh gently. Eve recoiled from his touch.

* * *

"Ouch..." She mumbled.

* * *

"I'm sorry... Eve... I'm so so sorry."

* * *

"It's fine," Eve replied, pulling her leg away.

* * *

"Do you have a dress? Something... flowing?"

* * *

He seemed to question his English for the first time. The lack of confidence contrasted with the Nico that Eve knew. She couldn't help but grin and her grin turned into a big full belly laugh. Nico watched Eve in confusion as she burst out laughing. She steadied herself on the bed and laughed until she cried.

* * *

"Something funny?" Nico asked when she was done.

* * *

Eve grinned, "You'll make me laugh all over again."

* * *

"Yeah?"

* * *

"Yes. Suffice it to say I never thought we'd be in a situation like this."

* * *

"I know."

* * *

"There's a blue dress hanging in my closet. I'll wear that."

* * *

Nico helped her slide into the blue maxi dress and then he checked all the windows in Eve's house. There were no cars on the street that shouldn't have been there. There was no chance that Giuseppe or any of his goons had seen them.

* * *

Nico led Eve out of the house. His leather jacket was wrapped around her shoulders. Eve loved the feeling of his arms hovering protectively over her until she got into the car. The evenings were starting to get warmer and Eve barely needed her jacket once she settled into the passenger seat.

* * *

Nico pulled the car out of the driveway slowly and started to head South, towards Cambridge. Eve guessed that he lived in Cambridge because it would the perfect place to become invisible from Giuseppe. It was a place that he would have never thought to look.

* * *

Traffic was heavy towards Cambridge. Eve found herself looking back behind the car far too many times. Nico caught her looking back and he rested a palm on her thighs.

* * *

"Relax. I will take care of you Eve."

* * *

Relax. That was easy for him to say. He was accustomed to living on the edge and living on the run. Eve wasn't. But she tried to relax, if for no other reason than to not make Nico's life any harder.

* * *

Just as Eve had predicted, Nico slowed the car down in Cambridge. He weaved from side street to side street until he came to a townhouse that looked bigger than any of the other townhouses usually rented out to college students. Eve knew it was the one before Nico pulled his car around to the secure location off the street.

* * *

Eve was starting to realize just how much Nico was paralyzed about safety. He might have been able to fake all manner of things, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was terrified. If he was terrified, it had to be because he feared what Giuseppe would do. Eve relaxed even more as she realized that Nico must have been telling the truth about his father and brother.

* * *

Because of them, he'd lost a lover and a child.

* * *

Eve realized that he was terrified of the same thing happening to her. This was Nico's chance to save someone's life when he couldn't do so in the past. Eve wondered if he would ever open up to her about this — or about anything. Nico held the door open and helped Eve out. She limped as she took her first step. Her stride grew accustomed to the jolts of pain shooting up through her leg.

* * *

She leaned on Nico until they got to the door. Nico did something that Eve couldn't quite make out in the dark. There was a soft, nearly inaudible beep. He turned his keys in the lock and then they limped into his home. For the first time, Nico had let Eve into his life. She could get a glimpse of what the man was really like.

* * *

Stepping into Nico's apartment, Eve was struck by how pristine everything was. There was the fresh scent of bleach everywhere and the mildest whiff of vinegar. Not a thing was out of place in Nico's cozy, Italian abode. Nico locked the door behind them and pressed a button that must have been on his keys or something. Every open window shade in the house closed and they were enveloped in darkness.

* * *

Nico flicked on a warm yellow light that gave the room a comfortable clean glow of a café. Nico led Eve to the couch and then motioned to her bag.

* * *

"I'll take this upstairs... I have a guest room."

* * *

Eve nodded, appreciating that Nico wasn't so presumptuous as to assume they'd be heading to bed together. She heard his feet climb the stairs slowly and then heard her bag thud to the ground overhead. Nico seemed to be checking each of the rooms upstairs before returning downstairs to where Eve sat.

* * *

"Should I take a look at that bruise again?" He asked.

* * *

Eve nodded. Nico hiked up her blue dress and observed the bruise on her leg under the light's warm glow. The purple seemed deeper and there was even some yellow forming around it.

* * *

"You bruise quick."

* * *

"Don't think I've ever seen a bruise on my skin before."

* * *

"Goodness..."

* * *

Nico's hands grazed the bruise and Eve shuddered again.

* * *

"Should I put anything on it?"

* * *

"Just try to take it easy. It will be fine. I could kill those bastards for what they did to you."

* * *

Eve stopped herself from saying, "Well, you might have killed 'em."

* * *

"Water?" Nico offered.

* * *

"Yes, please."

* * *

Nico got her water and then sat next to her.

* * *

"I'm sorry for not telling you about my father."

* * *

"It's fine. You don't owe me anything."

* * *

"But I do... You've given me... a new interest in life."

* * *

"What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

"You remind me that there's life outside of all of this."

* * *

"Outside of crime?"

* * *

"Outside of my family... The Riccardi's claim to be very loyal people but when it comes down to it, that loyalty is more like oppression."

* * *

"So what? If you could change things, you'd never pick up a gun? You'd never..."

* * *

Eve trailed off when she realized that she had no clue just how far Nico had gone. She believed everything he'd said about his brother, but what if there was still more. What if Nico had more beneath the surface — and what if it was more sinister?

* * *

Nico seemed to see the question written all over her face.

* * *

"Ask me what you'd like to ask me Eve."

* * *

"I... I feel like it's rude."

* * *

"I promise you, I will not be offended. I just want to know what you are thinking. I want to quiet any fears you may have about me..."

* * *

"I want the truth! I want to know how far you've gone for your father," Eve blurted out.

* * *

She expected Nico to change his mind and clam right up. Instead, he seemed willing to share with her. Nico opened up his stance and prefaced his honesty, "I want you to try to reserve judgment from me alright? Remember that I grew up in a life that you couldn't begin to understand..."

* * *

"Just tell me. I'll listen," Eve said softly.

* * *

"I started working for my father when I was ten. It was odd jobs. I'd collect money from people, I'd deliver packages, I'd do small things. He kept me in the dark about what I was doing. I figured out later that I was selling drugs for him or helping him move counterfeit bills — things like that."

* * *

Nico took a deep breath in.

* * *

"Luca did the same thing except I think he knew. He'd extort men for more money and pocket it," Nico grinned as he remembered his brother's misbehavior. Eve couldn't put her finger on why.

* * *

Nico continued, "When we were older, we led small groups of teenagers. We recruited, we threatened, we fought. And there was still drugs. A lot of drugs. I never touched any of 'em myself, but I sold to people who I shouldn't have sold to..."

* * *

Eve realized that her eyes had widened considerably. Her childhood had been pleasantly mundane compared to this. Before she'd gotten to know Nico, she would have judged him for this. But Eve could see the sorrow in his eyes. She could see that at one point, he'd really found this all normal, but he knew a better way now.

* * *

"I'm not proud of this," Nico interjected.

* * *

"I know."

* * *

He continued, "But it got worse. Fights. Violence. School became harder. I had to do crazy things just to finish. And my father always wanted more from us. I knew that he'd sent Luca to kill on his behalf, but he'd never sent me. I think a part of him knew my limits..."

* * *

"So the only time you've killed... was..."

* * *

Nico sensed her hesitation.

* * *

"No, he's not the only person I've killed Eve. I'm sorry but... my life has been fucked up. It's been beyond fucked up. You don't want to hear any of this."

* * *

"Wait!" Eve said, resting her hand on his arm, "I do want to hear it. If I'm going to believe that you want to become a better person, I'm going to make sure I can hear it in your voice."

* * *

"Of course I want to be better. You think I like living like this? Always running?"

* * *

"Then prove it to me. Tell me what else you've done Nico."

* * *

He hesitated, trying to postpone speaking for as long as possible. Eve could tell that he was still afraid of how she'd respond. He still worried that she'd leave him if she knew who he really was. But the truth was, Eve wasn't afraid. She knew that she was in the right place at the right time. This was where she was meant to be, listening to Nico tell his tale.

* * *

"I've killed two other men. One was a couple months before I left Italy. He threatened to betray my purpose to my father. It was rash... But I needed to protect him. And the other was... He was my ex-girlfriend's abuser."

* * *

Eve's eyes were still opened wide. Technically, Nico was a murderer. Hell, he even had a body count. But it was in the past. It had to be all in the past.

* * *

"No one since Luca?"

* * *

"No. I'm not some cold-blooded killer you know."

* * *

"I know."

* * *

"I want to get out of this life Eve. Before I met you, I couldn't see a way out."

* * *

"Can you see a way out now?"

* * *

"Run away with me."

* * *

"Very funny."

* * *

Nico just smiled.

* * *

"I'm sure I'll see a way out of it soon," He replied.

* * *

His hands clutched Eve's. She could feel the clamminess in his palms. She could sense that Nico really did hate being on the run and he hated the way his demons had followed him all the way across the Atlantic.

* * *

"I have more to show you Eve..." He whispered into her ears.

* * *

"Show me."

* * *

Nico kissed her neck and then lifted his head upwards.

* * *

"Not yet. Can you be patient with me?"

* * *

"Yes, I can be patient."

* * *

"Good."

* * *

Nico kissed her lips. Eve closed her eyes and for a brief instant she forgot the immense pain in her thigh. She forgot that they wouldn't have long before there was a manhunt against them. She forgot about her store and how vulnerable it was. She forgot about everything except Nico's lips — and were his lips ever so sweet.

* * *

Eve pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. Icy blue, containing a globe's worth of pain, suffering and a desire for freedom. In a way, they both wanted the same thing, a chance to escape.

* * *

Eve kissed Nico back, his words running through her head a second time. She considered that maybe he hadn't been joking. Run away with me. Run away with me. Did he really want that, or was that just the fear talking? Eve ran her hands over his crotch as she considered an escape with Nico, and what that would truly mean.

* * *

Nico pulled away from her and whispered, "We can leave... We can leave if you just say 'yes' Eve..."

* * *

She didn't reply and Eve had a feeling that Nico didn't expect her to. He knew that he was asking a lot of her, almost too much. He knew that leaving would mean uprooting her whole life on the chance that he would change. He understood that Eve didn't have much faith in men's power to change.

* * *

"Come upstairs, let me show you the rest of the house," Nico said.

* * *

Eve stood up; her legs still ached a bit but they were functional. Her fingers weaved through Nico's and they walked around his house. The townhouse had a humble size, yet somehow each room oozed wealth. Nico had expensive furnishings — all of them looked like they'd been selected by a designer. It was just too put together to be the workings of a young bachelor on the run.

* * *

Once they were upstairs, Nico led Eve to her room. The small guest room had white walls and all white bedsheets with navy throw pillows. The white distressed dresser in the corner of the room had a solid gold ashtray on it and a small exposed-bulb lamp with a bulbous round bulb protruding from it.

* * *

Eve noticed her bag resting on a small white chair with navy cushions that matched the ones on the bed. The old-fashioned metal heater hissed quietly.

* * *

"Like it?"

* * *

"Yes. Thanks."

* * *

"I think you should stay for a few nights if you need to. Come along, let me show you my room."

* * *

They walked past a guest bathroom and then into the second bedroom upstairs. The first bedroom had been crisp and clean, but lacked personality. Nico's bedroom was different. Eve entered his room and was struck by the coolness. He'd opted out of turning on the heater and his room felt almost as cold as the outdoors. His bed looked soft and inviting, with almost silvery-grey bedsheets and a large down comforter.

* * *

His bedside table was hardwood with a soft candle and a Bible resting atop it. Eve didn't know why but she suddenly intuited — no, she knew — that in that top drawer, Nico had a firearm. The last thing on his bedside table was a small silver flask. Eve wondered how often he drank; she wondered if he drank to quiet the demons that had chased him across the Atlantic. It couldn't be easy to lose a girlfriend and child. Even if it was a step-child. You still bonded.

* * *

There was a large armoire in one corner of Nico's room. The armoire must have been old because the smell of old wood occupied the room just as strongly as the scent of sandalwood. Nico was a fan of burning either incense or essential oils because the cold air yielded a different scent from the rest of the house.

* * *

"Welcome to my humble abode."

* * *

"The decor is lovely."

* * *

"My friend's wife sorted me out. She's a designer."

* * *

"She must have known your taste very well. This place is very... you."

* * *

Nico smiled, "Ha. I wonder what that means."

* * *

Eve shrugged.

* * *

"Maybe it doesn't mean anything."

* * *

"I have more to tell you," Nico interrupted, changing the subject again.

* * *

Eve didn't mind. She thirsted to know more about Nico. Any detail that helped her paint a picture of who he really was interested Eve.

* * *

"Go ahead."

* * *

Nico sighed, "I have some of the diamonds. From the Carcanet."

* * *

"Here?"

* * *

Nico nodded. He took Eve's hand and thrust it into his pocket. She felt a smooth velvety bag with small pointed pebbles in it. Except they weren't pebbles. They had been around since the 1200s and they were worth a lot of money. Eve's hand darted out of Nico's pocket almost as if she were afraid.

* * *

"Nico..."

* * *

"Once I handle Giuseppe, I will give you half of them — for your trouble."

* * *

"Nico you don't have to..."

* * *

"Yes, I do have to. Before you met me, you were just a girl with a shop. If you want to return to being a girl with a shop, this is the only way."

* * *

"How much are they..." Eve trailed off.

* * *

"Don't worry about how much they're worth. You'll find out when you're ready, alright?"

* * *

"And until then."

* * *

"Until then we lay low... I'll have my boys working on a way to get you out of the city."

* * *

"And what about you?"

* * *

Nico smiled, "I'll take care of myself, just like I've always done."

* * *

Eve found his response cryptic. For a fleeting moment she worried that Nico was on some kind of suicide mission. He didn't care how this ended, as long as it did end. Eve knew that's not what she wanted. She knew a part of her wanted to run away with him wherever he went. She just couldn't say it. Not yet. Whatever doubt had lingered in her mind was too strong for her to just run away. It wasn't that easy. It couldn't be that easy.

* * *

Eve had wanted adventure, she'd wanted the kind of guy who could sweep her off her feet. But through the adventure she'd already been through, she realized she had a more important need for stability. She wanted to wake up on a morning and know that her man wasn't lying dead in the streets or locked up in a jail cell. Eve needed to be sure that Nico really was going to leave the life of crime and murder. And if he did, how would they survive? How would they have money? How would they avoid getting sucked back into it all?

* * *

Eve wanted freedom. That was what she really wanted more than adventure. And she wasn't sure that she could find that freedom with Nico. It hurt to think. And to stand.

* * *

Eve pulled Nico's face close to hers and kissed him on the lips.

* * *

"Thank you. I don't know what would have happened to me if you'd left me."

* * *

"It's the least of what I owe you Eve."

* * *

They kissed again. Nico's hands gingerly slid down her hips. Eve noticed how careful he was not to squeeze her flesh, ever conscientious of the bruising she'd just experienced.

* * *

"Let me sleep here, with you," Eve found herself begging.

* * *

Nico nodded and kissed her on the forehead. She was scared. In a sense, he was scared to. But Nico was scared and ready. He knew what type of evil lurked outside the doors to his townhouse. He had weapons everywhere, including the top drawer of the bedside table. He too yearned to have Eve's body next to his. He hoped that soon he'd be able to convince her to run away with him.

* * *

Maybe it would have been easier if he could have brought himself to say, "I love you". The words still hurt, they still felt like they would be a death sentence. Nico didn't want to lose Eve. He'd lost enough with her. He'd lost enough back in Italy. His brother and his father had taken away one of the most important people in his life. She was dead because of him. Nico knew his love was toxic. It introduced good women into a world they had no part of.

* * *

He should have learned that lesson with his mother's passing.

* * *

Becoming a Riccardi was dangerous for a woman — for anyone.

* * *

"No one will get in the way of me taking care of you," Nico whispered to her as one last act of reassurance.

* * *

Eve wrapped her arms against Nico and pressed her body against his. She was truly conflicted. Her heart wanted equally to run away from him as it did to fall into bed with him. Her body craved Nico more than rest. But her mind wanted freedom from this constant fear. She was both exhilarated and traumatized by being around him.

* * *

Nico started to hike up Eve's dress. His skin pressed against her bare flesh and she recoiled slightly.

* * *

"What's wrong..."

* * *

Eve shook her head. Nothing was wrong. These rogue voices in her head were getting the better of her. What she needed now was to do anything to resist them.

* * *

"Take me into bed."

* * *

Nico pushed her backwards onto the bed gently and positioned himself on top of her. He hovered over her small frame, careful not to push down on her thighs to hard. Such an act would surely cause her to yelp out in pain. Nico started to move Eve's dress up and over her head. She shimmied her body as much as she could until she was laying in front of Nico was just her bra and underwear on. Eve looked into Nico's icy eyes, a brilliant azure color in the dim light.

* * *

His eyes were glazed over in lust and desire for her. Eve grabbed onto his neck and reached her hand down between Nico's legs. As she thought, he was already hard and eager to enter her.

* * *

"Don't go slow..." Eve whispered.

* * *

She needed this. After a hard day and an even harder night, what she really needed was a good, solid pounding. She needed Nico to thrust his big fat cock between her wet pussy lips and pound her until she forgot her own first name.

* * *

"Eve..."

* * *

Nico whispered absentmindedly as he thrust his bedside table open. Eve tried not to flinch as she saw the handgun parked right next to the large-sized condoms. He pulled out the condoms and thrust the door shut. The metal rattled.

* * *

Eve's legs trembled as she watched Nico slide out of his pants and expose his cock to her. Eve's cunt drooled with the desire to feel him thrusting between her legs. Eve kept his gaze as he rolled the condom on and then slid his warm body between her legs again. He pressed against her thighs ever so slightly, but the slight pain of Nico pressing against the bruise just turned Eve on even more. She couldn't explain it but somehow she felt more naughty. She was on the run with a man who made her heart sing and they somehow still found time for rough, nasty sex.

* * *

Nico shoved his cock into her wetness in one big stroke. Eve screamed and thrust her thighs upwards. She screamed again as her bruise pressed into Nico's muscular body. He began to pound into her pussy relentlessly as she clawed at his back. Eve's moans made it difficult for her to breath and even more difficult to talk.

* * *

"More!"

* * *

"Harder!" She wanted to cry out...

* * *

When she did finally find the breath to speak, she blurted out, "Choke me... daddy..."

* * *

A shocking demand. Nico wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed hard — not hard enough to really hurt her — as he thrust into her wetness furiously. Eve moaned and convulsed beneath his grasp as she climaxed hard around his cock. Her pussy was on fire. Nico had pleased her in a way no man ever had before. He'd allowed her to tap into her unspoken cravings. What she wanted was to feel dominated at the hands of a man. She wanted to give her pussy up to a guy who could handle her and feel euphoria at his touch.

* * *

She'd found just the right man.

* * *

Nico loosened his grip around her neck. Eve continued to buck her hips upwards and writhe as she climaxed. Her breathing grew shallow and shallow as her orgasm settled into another trough. Nico wrapped his lips around a bit of flesh on her neck and continued to thrust his fat cock between her legs. Eve grunted and pulled him deeper into her. He rammed as deep into her as possible until eve started to cry out in pain.

* * *

He removed his cock from her wetness and then flipped her onto all fours, this time still sure to avoid the painful spots on her legs where she'd fallen. On all fours, Nico could admire all of Eve's curves. Her deep brown ass cheeks had perfect skin, just like everywhere on her body. Her slim waist created this perfect cinched hourglass figure. Nico ran his hands down the length of her spine, causing her to unconsciously arch her back.

* * *

Her shaven pussy presented itself to him like a treat. Nico slid his fingers between her sopping wet pussy lips. Eve groaned, but did nothing to stop him. He began to slide his fingers back and forth in her hole until her hips writhed so much, they were practically pleading for him to replace his fingers with her big hard cock.

* * *

Nico guided his cock to her entrance and slid it in quickly. He went too deep. Eve yelped out and he pulled out the tiniest bit. She readjusted to Nico's immense size and allowed him to start pummeling her wetness from behind. Eve moaned as a quick climax built up in her core. Nico squeezed her hips, pressing gently against her bruises and she felt herself burst.

* * *

Eve trembled beneath Nico as she continued to thrust her hips back to meet his eager member. She felt his hands trail over her hips and then wander down to her clit. Nico pounded her harder as one of his fingers made gentle circles around Eve's clit. There was nothing she could do to stop herself from going over the edge again.

* * *

Eve moaned and moaned as she orgasmed again. This time, Nico couldn't hold back either. He grunted and the two reached a simultaneous release. Nico's body tensed and relaxed, while Eve collapsed face first into the bed. They were still joined by the genitals until Nico caught his breath and slid out of Eve's pussy. She rolled over and watched Nico cross the room naked to get rid of the condom.

* * *

Eve had the mischievous thought that she would have skipped the condom if they were going a second round. Nico climbed back into bed with her and held her close. They said nothing for a few moments. The longer they were silent, the less time they spent avoiding the pressing matters at hand.

* * *

"Do we have to talk about this stuff tonight?" Eve said, interrupting Nico before he even got started.

* * *

"No, we don't."

* * *

"Good."

* * *

"I promised I would keep you safe. Do you believe me?"

* * *

Eve was sure she believed Nico now. She was sure that there was no point in doubting him. She had no other choice now anyway. For better or for worse, she had chosen to let love lead the way and believe that Nico was the good guy.

* * *

"Of course I believe you."

* * *

"Good."

* * *

"And you're sure that we're safe here?"

* * *

"Yes. But you can't go back to the shop. You can't leave."

* * *

"Ever?"

* * *

"Until I figure something out..."

* * *

"How long will that be? What about my shop? My clothes?"

* * *

"I'll send someone to work in your shop — someone trustworthy. And I'll send someone to get your clothes."

* * *

"Nico, are you sure this is necessary?"

* * *

"You trust me right?"

* * *

And Eve didn't respond because she supposed that yes, she really did trust him after all.
7

# On The Move

Waking up the next morning, Eve knew that Nico wouldn't allow her to go back. And he wouldn't allow her to leave the house either.

* * *

"Let me get breakfast," He said.

* * *

Eve didn't fight him. For the first time in a while she felt like she was on vacation from her normal life. Both in hiding and on a vacation. It had been a while since she'd been able to wake up on a morning and not have to race to her shop or race to do something. The sun peeled over the horizon slowly and Eve matched its slow, relaxed pace. The sun was her guidance now, not her body, not her "shoulds" and her "musts".

* * *

She watched Nico get dressed in unusual clothing for him, typical clothing for a Harvard student. He put on anonymous pair of chinos, rolling up the ankles. He slipped on a white shirt, covered by a red flannel one. His fake glasses and beanie were the added touch to turn him from Nico the ex-mafia member to Nicholas, the unassuming sociology student.

* * *

Nico left for thirty minutes on foot. He never used his car unless he had to. When he returned, he came back with sesame seed bagels, salmon cream cheese, two piping hot cups of coffee and a muffin to split between them. He sat on the edge of the bed where Eve still lay. She'd enjoyed spending the morning engulfed in his scent.

* * *

Eve pressed her lips to the cup of coffee, letting the scent hit her nostrils before she sipped on it.

* * *

"Like it?"

* * *

"Yes..."

* * *

"I usually avoid Starbucks and go to this independent coffee shop nearby."

* * *

Eve nodded, grabbing the bagel from Nico's hands.

* * *

"Hungry, huh?"

* * *

"Very."

* * *

"I think you should avoid your side of town today Eve."

* * *

He phrased it as a gentle suggestion, but Eve knew that it was really a command. If Nico said that it was too dangerous, he probably had a very good reason for saying so. They continued eating quietly.

* * *

"What should I do here?"

* * *

"Uh... Well I can bring you some of your things later?" Nico offered.

* * *

"But I still can't leave?"

* * *

"You can leave but Eve, it's dangerous."

* * *

"Right."

* * *

"I think I can help you find some way to keep your mind off of it..."

* * *

Nico leaned forward and kissed her. Coffee cups and brown paper bags littered his bedside table. Eve wasn't hungry anymore, but she still craved Nico's touch. She allowed his lips to press against hers and then he carried her up to the head of the bed, laying her head back gently.

* * *

He looked into her eyes and again, stopped himself from saying "I love you".

* * *

The words should have been liberating to anyone, but to Nico, love still felt like a curse and a death sentence.

* * *

Eve wrapped her legs around him and pulled his lips to hers again. No need for words when there were actions. No need for words when their bodies pressed up against each other felt so much like heaven.

* * *

Nico slipped Eve's underwear and nightie off. He let his lips linger over her chest and then started to suck on her breasts. Eve felt her heart swell as her nipples rolled around Nico's mouth. A part of her wanted to leave, but another part of her could be just as satisfied right here in his arms.

* * *

She relinquished her safety to Nico and he took the mantle with ease. He had all the power to protect her in a way no one else had. He looked after her without complaint. Eve found herself wanting to belong to him...

* * *

"Put your hard dick inside me Nico," She whispered into his ear.

* * *

She felt the hairs on his neck stand up as her dirty talk surprised him into arousal. Nico slipped out of his clothing, leaving his university student disguise on the ground as he climbed into bed with Eve. Beautiful, brown skinned Eve. He rolled a rubber onto his hardness and then positioned his dick at Eve's entrance.

* * *

Eve gasped as he began to slide his cock in slowly. The pleasure surged in Eve's wetness as he thrust his full length deep inside of her. Her pussy clenched tightly around his dick as he began to thrust into her hard and fast. This was exactly how Eve wanted it — a day of distractions to forget that she was on the run and to forget how terrified she was whenever Nico wasn't around.

* * *

"Fuck me... Harder..." She moaned.

* * *

Nico took her arms above her head and pinned her to the bed as he began to thrust into her more furiously. Eve started to moan in euphoria.

* * *

"Mine... This pussy is... mine..." He grunted as he thrust into her.

* * *

Eve couldn't take it anymore. She exploded, wetness running down her thighs as she climaxed.

* * *

"Yes! Yes!" She cooed as she bucked her hips up to meet Nico's powerful thrusts. With her hands pinned under him, she felt owned by him. Nico had claimed her as his own and she felt euphoria and pride to be his.

* * *

Nico began to slow down the pace as he approached a climax of his own. Eve dug her nails into his ass cheeks, sending tiny surges of pain through the lower part of his body. Nico grunted as he reached his own climax. His cock twitched from its position between Eve's thighs. And as he released, he collapsed on top of her, pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

They caught their breath from their morning quickie. Eve watched as Nico got out of bed, removed the condom and then returned to her. His body was flawless, totally covered in pure rock hard muscle.

* * *

"Yes?" Nico asked, catching her staring.

* * *

"Nothing... Just looking."

* * *

"If you say so," He replied with a wink.

* * *

"Listen, Eve, I've got to leave today. But I promise you will be safe."

* * *

"Leave?"

* * *

"I need to take care of... things... and make sure that you're safe."

* * *

Eve wanted to ask more questions but she could tell that Nico didn't want to answer. Or at least that he wouldn't answer. She nodded and watched him get dressed. As he dressed, he listed where she could find certain things in the house. The usual — food, TV remote, shower, fresh towels, guns, ammunition.

* * *

Eve hadn't used a firearm since she lived down south, but she figured she could work a handgun in an emergency. Not like she wanted an emergency. As she heard Nico leave and she heard the front door lock, she felt afraid. Eventually, that fear subsided and Eve got used to being home alone.

* * *

The next few weeks passed like that. Eve thought that it wouldn't be long before Nico allowed her to go home. But when he came with two huge duffels of her belongings, she knew that he intended for her to stay in Cambridge for a while. He assured her that the store would be taken care of and that it would be for her safety.

* * *

For the first week, Eve felt a sense of release. She didn't have to worry about the store. She didn't have to worry about walking the streets in fear. She didn't even have to worry about cleaning or cooking food. Nico had a woman cleaning and cooking every day. She was Italian, a friend's wife who needed a little extra cash, and she made delicious spreads every night for dinner.

* * *

She didn't speak to Eve much; Eve got the sense that had been at Nico's behest. Nico let her make phone calls, but she couldn't use the house phone. Only burner phones. Eve talked to her sister and her parents, and even Daniella. But she hated lying to them. She told them that she'd needed some time off and that she'd taken a vacation to Cape Cod.

* * *

Not a complete lie, but a lie all the same. Eve couldn't bear to get them involved but the lying was tearing her up. After the second week, Eve could tell they were getting worried. She assured everyone in her life that she was fine, and she started calling less and less, dodging all their questions.

* * *

Each day, Eve had imagined spending the whole day with Nico. But that never quite materialized. He would be there in the morning, sweet as ever, always remembering to share breakfast with her. Then he'd either leave or he'd stay on the phone for hours talking in Italian. Eve could hardly understand what he said; she wasn't sure she wanted to. She was in too deep; she needed to believe that Nico was really a good man.

* * *

After hours of talking (or of his absence), Nico would come back for lunch in the afternoon. He never brought anyone to his place except the housekeeper. And he never told Eve what he was doing. Eve was starting to get frustrated. She understood that Nico wanted to keep her safe, but he had no right to treat her like a prisoner.

* * *

One evening, after he'd arrived home tired with a cut above his left eye, Eve determined to confront him.

* * *

Nico started first before she could say anything, "Are your bruises healing?"

* * *

"They've been healed for a week," Eve said quietly, unable to squelch the negativity from her voice.

* * *

"Is everything alright?"

* * *

It hurt more that he was so sweet and caring. Eve knew that Nico had her best interests in mind, but she couldn't help this cabin fever. It was worse than a fever. Eve had an increased desperation to leap out of the house and just take in a big lungful of fresh air.

* * *

"No Nico. Everything is not alright."

* * *

"What's wrong? Is it the food?"

* * *

"No. It's not the food."

* * *

"Then what? Er... Online shopping?"

* * *

Eve rolled her eyes, "No. I don't want money from you Nico. I want to go outside. I want to feel like a real person again."

* * *

They were upstairs in his bedroom. Eve had never left. A part of it was her feelings for Nico, another part of it was her fear of being alone.

* * *

"It's not safe quite yet Eve. I promise..."

* * *

"Yeah. I get it," She pouted.

* * *

Nico kissed her lips.

* * *

"Trust me."

* * *

"How much longer is it going to be?"

* * *

Nico didn't have the heart to tell her that if what he was doing worked, he wouldn't get to be in the United States with her any longer. She could either run away with him, or they'd never see each other again. Maybe she wouldn't be so eager to leave if she knew what she would be missing out on.

* * *

Nico sighed, "Not much longer."

* * *

"Why don't you tell me anything that's going on?"

* * *

"To protect you."

* * *

"Bullshit."

* * *

Nico's eyes lit up with an Italian fire.

* * *

He snarled, "Don't say bullshit. You have no idea what the fuck I do."

* * *

Eve was taken aback by the tone of his voice.

* * *

"Don't talk to me like that."

* * *

"Sorry," Nico said, genuine shame welling into his cheeks, "It's just that I don't like to talk about what I must do."

* * *

"Why 'must' you do anything then?"

* * *

"Because it's the only way to deal with a man like the one I'm dealing with."

* * *

"Maybe if you told me..."

* * *

"No!" Nico insisted, "I can't tell you. Just stay unspoiled Eve."

* * *

Eve bit down on her lower lip, stopping more words from coming out as she realized just why Nico wanted to protect her so badly. He'd lost one lover before, and an adopted child. He'd never even mentioned their names. They had become sad ghosts, ghosts that only Nico could see.

* * *

"Fine," She said, resigned to the fact that she wouldn't get Nico to let her leave or to open up.

* * *

Nico knew what Eve was craving. He could see on her face exactly what she wanted from him. But he couldn't give that to her — not yet. He wanted her to be safe. He wanted to ensure that he would make it out of Boston alive. These were his last weeks here and he needed to feel safe for a change. This time, he wanted his way out to be complete.

* * *

He'd leave Eve with a little something sure, but he couldn't be with her unless she chose to be with him.

* * *

For now, he'd distract her. Nico bent his lips to her neck and sucked a small piece of Eve's flesh until she moaned against her will. He pulled her backwards and positioned his body on top of hers. He knew that he owed her more than this. He knew that he owed her an explanation or even an idea of what was going on. But for now, this was what he could give.

* * *

Nico's hands wandered over Eve's body until he reached her voluptuous hips.

* * *

"Mmm," Eve moaned.

* * *

Her eyes were closed and her brown skin glistened under the lamplight. Nico slipped her dress over her body. Her bosom seemed especially plump — Italian cooking will do that to you — and her tummy felt beautiful and soft. Nico ran his lips down every inch of her flesh, always stopping just above her underwear.

* * *

As he kissed her all over except for that spot , Eve grew more and more impatient. She wriggled and bucked her hips upwards to meet his lips. When her convulsing beneath him grew far too intense, Nico slipped off Eve's underwear easily. Her hips experienced the same thickening of her bosom. Her buttocks had grown full and chubby; relaxation served her well. Nico planted a quick kiss on Eve's pussy before pulling his hardness out of his pants.

* * *

Eve smirked as she watched him approach her with his sheathed cock. She spread her legs wide and he entered her. Eve groaned as she felt Nico's cock starting to pound her hard and fast instantly. She knew he was trying to take her mind off of everything. And it was working.

* * *

Eve groaned as Nico pummeled her furiously. Her pussy tightened around his cock like a vice until she felt herself close to cumming.

* * *

"Yes! Don't stop!" She crooned as she gyrated her hips to match Nico's furious rhythm.

* * *

In a few moments, Eve climaxed. Her body shuddered as she relaxed into the bed and heaved desperately for breath.

* * *

Nico continued to pound into her furiously. His body tensed and before long, he'd climaxed too. They went at it again like that for hours, switching positions and most of the time, Eve lay on her back and Nico plunged his tongue between her wetness. He never tired of the flavor of her juices.

* * *

Eve knew that this would have to come to an end soon. She couldn't take living like this much longer. But for now, she could fall into the passion between them over and over again.

* * *

The next day, Eve determined that she had to leave. She watched Nico get up and repeat the same old rituals. It was the weekend, so this time he was just on the phone. Eve sat up in bed and went through her new morning ritual. At Nico's place, everything was posh and fancy. Eve had gotten used to her piping hot morning showers and the luxurious bath products that Nico would bring to her. Eve was sure it was a form of bribery to keep her from complaining too much about how isolated she was over here.

* * *

As Eve started to get ready, she began to do things a little differently. Instead of putting on her usual "house clothes", she wrapped her head up in an African print head wrap and threw on a pair of dark wash denim and a white t-shirt. She saw Nico eyeing her, but she said nothing.

* * *

Eve packed her handbag and headed for the door to what had become "their" bedroom.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, stepping between Eve and the door.

* * *

"I'm leaving," She said, folding her arms.

* * *

"No... Eve... I told you it isn't safe."

* * *

"I don't give a damn if it's safe or not. You can't tell me what to do Nico."

* * *

"You're right."

* * *

"Then let me pass!"

* * *

Eve tried to push past him but Nico stopped her again.

* * *

"I just want you to know... It's dangerous Eve. You know that right? You know how damned dangerous this is?"

* * *

Eve looked at Nico defiantly. She didn't care what he said, he wasn't going to hold her a prisoner here.

* * *

Nico continued, "He was the one who killed those teenagers in the park. Kids. He's not a good man."

* * *

"I know. But I can't live my life in fear!"

* * *

"Alright. But don't go home alone. I'll take you home."

* * *

"Really?"

* * *

"Yes really. Against my better judgment."

* * *

"Well you can't keep me hidden forever Nico."

* * *

"And why not?" Nico roared, "I'm trying to do EVERYTHING in my power to keep you safe!"

* * *

Eve pursed her lips shut. She could see a thick vein push itself forward on Nico's forehead and his face turned red. She knew that he feared something happening to her more than anything.

* * *

"I understand that you're scared Nico, but I need to live my life."

* * *

"Maybe you should be as scared as I am."

* * *

"I can't... I'm worried, but I can't live the way you do."

* * *

"Come then, let's go," Nico said.

* * *

His anger hung thick in the air. Eve knew that she was driving a wedge between them. But something had to be done. She couldn't let Nico think that keeping her trapped here like this was okay.

* * *

"I promise you, things will be over soon."

* * *

"What does that mean?"

* * *

"Giuseppe is on the move today. I will be ensuring that he can't hurt us anymore."

* * *

"And what does that mean?"

* * *

But Nico didn't answer. He didn't say a word until they got into his car together. And once they were in the car, he didn't talk. He played violin solos on the radio and hummed to himself as he drove Eve calmly back to her neighborhood. This was almost over.

* * *

Eve had a feeling that if she stepped out of this car, she would be stepping out of Nico's world forever. She'd turned down his protection; her independence might very well be her undoing.

* * *

But I have to do this. I need to take care of myself. Eve mused to herself.

* * *

Eve and Nico sat on the block across from her house. Nico hadn't said a word to her the entire drive. She could feel how angry he was from the driver's seat.

* * *

"Nico... Don't be upset."

* * *

"How the fuck can I not be?"

* * *

"So you're saying you don't understand where I'm coming from?"

* * *

"No. I don't. Because to me it seems like you're suicidal."

* * *

Nico looked at Eve with a mixture of rage and caring in his eyes. She could see how badly he wanted to protect her and how angry it made him that she was refusing that protection. In favor of what?

* * *

"Why can't you understand me?" Eve huffed.

* * *

Nico wanted to scream out, "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU. CAN'T YOU SEE THAT."

* * *

But he didn't. Again, his love was a curse. Maybe Eve was right; maybe she would be better off without his protection.

* * *

"I don't want to feel responsible for you getting hurt," Nico said stiffly.

* * *

"Is that it?"

* * *

He melted when he saw her brown eyes. But the words still wouldn't come. Instead, Nico pulled Eve's face close to his and began to kiss her deeply. She closed her eyes and ran her hands through his hair as he kissed and kissed her. Still, the pain wouldn't go away. He still wanted to protect her — to stop her from making this foolish decision.

* * *

All her time away from her home and her business had caused Eve to forget the very real danger that lurked. Nico couldn't forget. It had been his daily life for weeks.

* * *

"Let's drive around a bit," Eve whispered as she pulled away from him.

* * *

Her hand rested on his crotch through his pants. He knew what she wanted. He even envisioned exactly which abandoned lot he could pull the car into and have his way with her. Nico peeled away from Eve's house. One last time. He'd have her one last time and then this would be goodbye. Nico could feel it.

* * *

While Eve's hand caressed his crotch, he thought about the objects he had in his pocket. He'd promised to take care of her and even if she wouldn't let him do it overtly, Nico still had a way of making sure that the woman he loved was safe.

* * *

Nico pulled his car over to the abandoned lot. He knew they were taking a big risk here, but neither of them cared. They needed each other badly.

* * *

"Get into the backseat," Nico commanded.

* * *

Eve obeyed, climbing into the backseat and waiting for Nico to join her. She'd never been in the backseat of his car but it was spacious. Plenty of space for... what they were about to do.

* * *

Nico joined Eve in the backseat. They looked at each other for an instant before they fell into each other again. Nico held Eve's face close to his and then plunged his tongue deep down her throat. Eve moaned as she reached for Nico's crotch again. And again, he was tempted to just tell her that he loved her. He was tempted to beg her to run away again and leave all of this mess behind. It was too much — clearly — it was too much for either of them.

* * *

"Please, Nico... let's go slow."

* * *

He slowed down his pace, letting his hands wander over the curves of her body at a more gentle pace.

* * *

He removed Eve's white t-shirt slowly and then ran his hands over the curves of her breasts. He could feel her nipples poking excitedly through her bra. Nico let his eyes look through the tinted car windows and he saw no one. They were completely isolated. The universe's gift to them for what might be the last time they could ever make love.

* * *

Eve pushed her chest upwards, allowing Nico to access the clasp of her bra. He unhooked it in a swift motion, releasing Eve's breasts. His lips fell upon her bosom instantly. Eve's nipples hardened in Nico's mouth and he could feel his cock twitch to attention in his pants.

* * *

"Yes...baby..." Eve moaned.

* * *

She wanted him to never stop. If she could have suspended time and remained in that moment together, she would have. Eve pulled Nico's shirt off and ogled his beautiful chiseled chest and stomach. He was perfection. Nico helped Eve wriggle out of her jeans. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him again.

* * *

"Please..." Eve whimpered.

* * *

She wasn't sure what she was asking Nico for. Please stay with me. Please don't do anything dangerous. Please don't be mad at me for wanting to go back to my life. But all that came out was "please" before Nico pressed his lips against Eve's neck and sucked hard on her flesh. He slipped her underwear off.

* * *

Eve's pussy was nice and wet, prepared for Nico's hard and fast entrance. Already, the windows of the car were starting to fog up. Nico reached his hand to the radio and played old school jazz. There was something both old-fashioned and romantic about it. Nico slipped his fingers between Eve's folds.

* * *

She gasped as Nico's strong fingers grazed her clit. Waves of pleasure surged through Eve's body. She grabbed onto Nico's back and urged him to press his fingers deeper into her wetness. Nico slipped two fingers into Eve's tightness and began to thrust them in and out of her pussy furiously.

* * *

"Yes... yes..." Eve whimpered.

* * *

"Quiet, someone might hear you," Nico whispered mischievously.

* * *

He knew the chances of being overheard were almost none. But he relished both the teasing and the fear of getting caught.

* * *

Eve tried to hold back but Nico's fingers were stroking her g-spot, intentionally driving her to a massive release. Eve moaned and writhed beneath Nico as she came.

* * *

"Yes baby... Fuck me... Don't hold back."

* * *

Her desire for Nico to take it slow was overshadowed by her mounting desire for a big climax.

* * *

Nico slipped his cock out and wrapped it up. He positioned his hardness at Eve's entrance and slid inside her with one swift motion.

* * *

"OH! OH!" Eve cried, digging her nails into Nico's back as he slid into her. His fat cock stretched her pussy out and penetrated her deep. The scent of Nico's musk filled her nostrils and she gyrated her hips forward to get his hardness deeper inside her. Nico's lips pressed to her neck as he thrust deep inside her and began to pummel her wetness hard.

* * *

"YES! GIVE IT TO ME!"

* * *

"Take it baby... Take it..." Nico grunted, following up his pleas with fervent Italian.

* * *

Hearing his deep guttural voice muttering in heavy Italian turned Eve on even more. Even if she could hardly understand him, she felt aroused just hearing Nico's passionate grunted.

* * *

"Harder baby..."

* * *

He plunged into her harder. Eve screamed as his cock grazed her cervix. She puled his ass cheeks deeper and deeper. Eve climaxed again and lay nearly limp beneath Nico. She was spent but he still had the stamina to continue. He knew exactly what would bring her back to life.

* * *

Nico slid his cock out of Eve and turned her onto all fours. This would have been impossible in a less spacious car. Eve arched her back and exposed her wetness to Nico's hard cock. He slipped his fingers into her pussy and began to rev her up. Eve bucked her hips backwards and jiggled her ass cheeks, urging Nico to enter her again.

* * *

When she climaxed once, Nico pushed his entire length into her from behind. Eve screamed. Nico gripped her ass cheeks tightly enough to cause a bruise and began to ram his cock deep into her wetness. Eve knew she couldn't handle Nico's pounding much longer. She bit down on her lower lip trying to hold back another scream as he smacked her ass and continued to pummel her wetness.

* * *

Eve could feel her juices flowing out of her pussy. She was covered in sweat and so was Nico. The windows were so fogged up that they couldn't even tell if anyone was outside. Nico thrust into her deep and slow now. Eve could tell he was close to finishing.

* * *

"Yes..." She whimpered.

* * *

Nico's cock stiffened inside her and he grunted as he reached a big release. Nico grunted as he came inside of Eve. He pulled out and then threw the condom into his car's wastebasket. Eve was starting to get dressed already. Nico eyed her body one more time, noting just how beautiful she was. Good bye. This was good bye. It finally hit Nico. He slipped his pants back on and felt his pocket. It was still in there. Good.

* * *

He helped Eve get dressed, helping her slide on her pants and then her shirt.

* * *

"We should go," Eve said quietly.

* * *

"I know."

* * *

"I've got a busy day if I want to get back to work by Monday."

* * *

"Right."

* * *

Nico got into the driver's seat and Eve returned to her seat. They didn't say another word until they got to her place. Eve reluctantly stepped out of the car.

* * *

"Promise me you'll be okay," She asked Nico.

* * *

He smiled, knowing that there was no way he could possibly promise her that without lying.

* * *

"Sure."

* * *

"And Nico, when will I see you again?"

* * *

Ah — the question he had been praying she wouldn't ask.

* * *

"I can't say for sure."

* * *

Eve pursed her lips and tried to fight back tears. This really was it — even if Nico refused to say so explicitly. He was going to do God knows what, tackling a dangerous man, and he refused to promise that he would be alright or that they'd see each other again. It was a suicide mission — it had to be. Maybe that's what Nico's silence was all about.

* * *

"Good bye then."

* * *

Eve returned to her house, remembering that she'd left her toothbrush at Nico's once she'd gone inside. Eve looked out the window, but he was already gone. Tears started to fall from Eve's eyes. This good bye hadn't felt right for a number of reasons. Eve felt her pocket for her cellphone and instead felt something hard in her left front pocket that she hadn't noticed before.

* * *

Eve shut all the blinds to her house and locked the door. Her instincts towards privacy and self protection had been honed to deep paranoia during her time with Nico. She took a velvet bag out of her pocket. Her fingers rubbed against what felt like small hard pebbles in the bag.

* * *

Eve sat down at her kitchen table with the overhead light on and emptied the bag carefully. She gasped when she saw the tiny brilliant stones hit the table. Somehow, Nico had slipped her the bag of diamonds. Eve knew these had to be the same diamonds that he'd removed from the carcanet. Real diamonds — diamonds that had been around since the 13th century were now at her kitchen table.

* * *

Eve's hands shook as she thrust them back into the bag and then ran upstairs, hiding the diamonds in her top drawer. What had Nico been thinking? This was Eve's final proof that he really had gone on a suicide mission. But he hadn't neglected his promise to protect her. Except for one thing — Eve had no clue what to do with these diamonds besides hide them, and keep them safe.

* * *

When she settled into bed that night, she dreamed of a far off place. She dreamed of a country where she couldn't understand a word anyone was saying. She dreamed of a wedding. She couldn't tell if it was hers. She dreamed that the bride — who may or may not have been her — was bleeding from her womb. She bled and bled until her white wedding dress turned scarlet.

* * *

Eve woke up the next day screaming Nico's name over and over again.
8

# The Fortune

The first day without Nico was painful. Eve underestimated how much security she'd derived from being in Nico's private home and in his unknown location. But she'd made her choice, and now she had to live with that choice, whether or not she was having second thoughts about it. Eve peeped out her window first thing that morning and saw nothing that indicated her life was in danger.

* * *

Still, she knew that didn't mean she was safe. Eve knew she'd have to adjust to a lot. Her fridge barely had anything for her to eat and she still didn't have the desire to open up her shop. She was trying to live her normal life again, but that didn't mean Eve was foolish. Maintaining her old routes would mean nothing but trouble.

* * *

Eve managed to scrounge up some oatmeal which she prepared with cinnamon and raisins. She took a long, necessary shower and then changed into a pair of leggings, a nice shirt with a tank top underneath. The weather was starting to warm up, so before she left to buy groceries, Eve only had to throw on a light blazer to cover her arms. She slipped on her ankle booties and left by foot. In broad daylight, she didn't feel nearly as scared. If what Nico had told her was accurate, Giuseppe was "on the move". Eve wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but she figured it meant she was in the clear for the time being.

* * *

Eve had to admit to herself that she already missed Nico. He hadn't called that morning. All she had left of him was tucked away in her dresser. Eve knew she'd given up a lot besides Nico's protection. She'd have no more of his loving touch, his gentle kisses or his little surprises whenever he spent many hours out of the house. Eve knew she wasn't supposed to miss him that much, but she did.

* * *

As Eve entered the store, she started to feel like her life was bordering on normal again. The aisles were moderately full and everyone here just seemed normal. She'd forgotten that the past few weeks of her life had been almost like living on another planet. Most people didn't worry about the mafia and they didn't fear kidnapping. Sure, they might be concerned about the rise in crime, but crime was something that happened to them, not something that they were really involved in or exposed to.

* * *

As far as Eve was concerned, whether or not she'd done anything illegal, she was involved. The moment Nico had beat those men with a bat, she'd become involved. This had been the last thing she'd wanted from Nico, but now she was in the middle of it. Despite her attempts to leave Nico's home, Eve wondered if she could really abandon her involvement in all of this. One simple event had changed everything in her life.

* * *

If Domenico Riccardi had never walked into her shop, she would have been just another citizen whose biggest concern was the Red Sox game or the weather warming up too early. Now, Eve could hardly walk down the street or walk to her shop without worrying about being seen. Involvement in this wouldn't be so easy for her to give up, no matter how badly she wanted to just become another invisible civilian.

* * *

As Eve started picking out meat she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned around sharply and came face to face with Daniella Di Carlo.

* * *

"Surprise!" Daniella said.

* * *

Eve's heart still raced, but her panicked facial expression morphed quickly into a smile.

* * *

"Daniella," She said, wrapping Daniella in a hug, "How have you been."

* * *

It had been a long time since Eve had interacted with Daniella. What would the young girl who looked up to her say if she knew even half of what Eve had been through.

* * *

"I've been good. The store has been closed for a while though... Are you okay Eve?"

* * *

Eve hadn't exactly been "okay". She'd been safe, but psychologically she hadn't been the same ever since she'd gone to stay with Nico. It was hard for her to express those ideas to Daniella.

* * *

"Yes... I've been... Truth be told... I met someone."

* * *

Knowing that she'd have to skip past a boat load of details, Eve finally confessed to Daniella that she'd been seeing someone. Daniella's eyes lit up just like every good hopeless romantic.

* * *

"Well maybe I can help carry your groceries home when you're done and you can tell me about him."

* * *

"Are you sure?" Eve asked.

* * *

"Yup. It's senior skip day today so I don't have anything better to do."

* * *

Eve saw how eager Daniella was to help so she agreed. As they walked through the store selecting her remaining purchases, Daniella talked her ear off about school and everything she'd missed since she'd disappeared to Cambridge (which wasn't particularly far away, but somehow felt a world of distance from her part of town).

* * *

Daniella hoisted up half of Eve's groceries and took the brown paper bags up the street towards her house.

* * *

"So... Who is this guy exactly?"

* * *

"He's Italian," Eve started.

* * *

"Ohhh! Aunty Eve... Is that where you've been this whole time?"

* * *

Eve nodded, "Yes. But... Don't get your hopes up child. I'm not sure there's a really a future there."

* * *

Again, Daniella gasped like the hopeless romantic that she was.

* * *

"No! You can't be serious? What's wrong."

* * *

There was so much wrong. And so much of it was inappropriate for Daniella's teenaged ears.

* * *

"Well, we're just different culturally."

* * *

"My mama and daddy are different," Daniella offered.

She was right. Daniella was exactly the kind of daughter that Eve could picture herself having. And she didn't seem too troubled by the fact that her father was Italian and her mother was black. Eve bet too that Daniella's father was likely involved in similar "jobs" to Nico, whether his precious daughter knew it or not.

* * *

Maybe there was a way to be with Nico and keep herself (and future offspring) safe. Maybe.

* * *

"I know," Eve said, "But with this guy, I just don't know."

* * *

Daniella lowered her voice and asked tentatively, "Is he... Is he mafia Eve?"

* * *

Eve considered telling Daniella a flat out lie.

* * *

"Well... I don't know. I don't know how involved he is."

* * *

"Do you think he's dangerous?"

* * *

Eve chuckled as they approached her doorstep, "That's the question you're going to ask?"

* * *

"Listen," Daniella sighed, "I know I'm just in high school, but I know that sometimes, there's a lot of gray area in life."

* * *

Wise advice from a girl who had barely lived life. Eve unlocked her door and they went inside. She didn't answer Daniella for a while. Together they unpacked Eve's groceries. With everything she did, she was starting to feel like her life was getting back to normal.

* * *

"What time do you need to get home?" She asked Daniella.

* * *

"My mama said she could pick me up before dinner."

* * *

"Perfect... So you can stay for some tea and help me out around here?"

* * *

"Sure."

* * *

"And you're sure this is how you want to spend your senior skip day?"

* * *

Daniella nodded but then looked away.

* * *

"Is there something you aren't telling me?"

* * *

Daniella nodded, "It's this boy..."

* * *

"Another boy?"

* * *

"Yeah. A lot has happened in the past month."

* * *

"Well why don't you tell me."

* * *

Daniella sighed, "I've been dating this new kid... Dom... He's from Italy."

* * *

Eve felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She was almost sure that the boy Daniella was talking about was Nico's nephew, Domenico. She said nothing and continued to listen to the girl.

* * *

"Oh?"

* * *

"Yeah. We've been dating for two weeks and today we were supposed to go on a date — hang out all day and even go to the aquarium. I feel so embarrassed. I told all my friends about it and bragged about it like crazy. My mom even bought me a new dress. But this morning? He doesn't text back and he's a no show."

* * *

"So that's why you don't want your friends to see you?"

* * *

Daniella nodded.

* * *

"I can't believe he would stand me up like this!"

* * *

"And you're sure there's no misunderstanding?"

* * *

"I'm sure. I'm one of the few people at school he even talks to since I can speak Italian. I think something might be wrong with him or he's just over me and to chicken to tell the truth."

* * *

Daniella looked upset.

* * *

"Would you like some tea?"

* * *

"Yes."

* * *

Eve started boiling some water as she gave Daniella a hug. She understood what it was like to be worried about a guy — even if her issues were more complicated than Daniella's, they were in a remarkably similar position. Eve wondered too if Daniella's nonchalance about the mafia meant someone she knew was involved. That could be either her father or Domenico.

* * *

The tea finished and Eve poured them both steaming mugs of sweet orange tea.

* * *

"I'm sorry you got stood up."

* * *

"It's fine. I just feel like a total loser, you know?"

* * *

"I understand."

* * *

"Does it get better Eve? Like does it get easier?"

* * *

Eve chuckled and then shook her head, "I don't think so. Men are just... men. And for some reason we seem to always fall for the bad boys."

* * *

"Why though? I mean... You're smart and successful."

* * *

"I know," Eve said with a sigh, "I guess it's the adventure. We just want someone who can take our breath a way."

* * *

"Maybe we all watch too many rom-coms," Daniella muttered bitterly.

* * *

Eve chuckled. Daniella was probably right. Too many romantic comedies indeed. But what were the options? Eve felt that she had the choice to either be a romantic or a cynic. And she would choose being a romantic any day. At least she had something to look forward to. With Nico? Maybe not. But there would always be more love.

* * *

"So. I hope when Domenico finally sees you again he apologizes for letting you down today."

* * *

"If I don't dump him first," Daniella grumbled.

* * *

Eve smiled.

* * *

They finished drinking tea and she had Daniella help her declutter some parts of her home before the evening time. Eve could tell the girl needed company and frankly, she needed company too. By the end of the day, neither of them were thinking about their boy troubles. The power of female companionship had reminded them of how complete they were without men. And that was a beautiful feeling.

* * *

Eve waved good-bye to Daniella as her mother picked her up. Daniella blew her a kiss before getting into her mother's vehicle and the vehicle sped away. Eve went back into her house and closed the door behind her, locking it. Alone again. While she was alone, Eve didn't find herself regretting her choice like she had in the morning. Nico still hadn't bothered to message her, but Eve also hadn't been troubled at all by spending the day with Daniella.

* * *

She knew that she had to stand by her choice regardless. Eve started to prepare dinner for herself. As much as she tried to keep her mind off of Nico, there were so many memories that came flooding back in against her will. There was the fact that Nico had taken care of her. He'd gone out of his way to defend her. He'd also gone out of his way to appreciate her body in so so many ways — including in the back of his car. Eve blushed just thinking about those memories that felt so distant already.

* * *

She hoped that he would come back. She hoped that he would find a way out of this. But Eve got the distinct sense that he wouldn't — and that's why he'd left her the diamonds. She finished preparing her meal and sat down to eat alone.

* * *

As she ate, Eve suddenly heard a loud noise. It sounded like a gun shot, except louder. Eve had never heard anything like that in her life. She got up and looked out the window. Nothing. She moved to another window in her living room and then looked towards the city. A cloud of grayish smoke reached up towards the sky. Embers and the slightest hint of flames followed. But while the smoke was thick, the orange burning was faint.

* * *

Eve felt her stomach turning in knots. Her intuition told her this had something to do with the warring that had been going on with the Italians. And that meant this could have something to do with Nico. Eve double checked the window she was looking through as more of a symbolic gesture than to keep herself safe.

* * *

She returned to the table and checked her phone. There was still nothing from Nico. Eve couldn't help but panic. What was he doing? Was he still out there?

* * *

Eve heard another "boom" again. She felt the ground beneath her feet shake ever so slightly. Tucked away from the action, she was safe just like Nico wanted her to be. She was safe, but desperate to know that he was alright. Eve cleaned up her dishes and continued to try to live this normal life.

* * *

Normal, normal, normal. She'd been anything but normal since Nico had first walked into Eve's Cupcakes & Candy Store. She'd been hooked on his addictive kisses, his intoxicating touch and the way his icy blue eyes bore into her.

* * *

Eve went to her couch and considered calling Nico, but then changed her mind. She turned on her TV and started watching the middle of some mediocre romantic comedy that she didn't recognize. She was so behind on what people were watching on TV these days.

* * *

Eve was just starting to figure out the complexities of the love triangle when she heard a rapping on her door.

* * *

Her first thought was that this was Nico.

* * *

Eve ran to the door and opened it (carelessly). But it wasn't Nico. It was his nephew.

* * *

"Please... Signora... Allow me inside."

* * *

Eve ushered the boy inside and slammed the door shut, locking it. Today, Domenico looked even worse than the day that she'd met him. He looked even skinnier and his sallow skin revealed dark circles under his eyes that were too deep for a high school student. He had a gash across his arm and he appeared to be covered in soot.

* * *

That explained why he had stood up Daniella for her date.

* * *

"Good evening Domenico. What are you doing here?"

* * *

Domenico stared at her like a surprised deer for a few moments. He shook his head and tried to find the words in English to reply to her.

* * *

"I need to warn you."

* * *

His words came out slowly, but Eve could already tell that his English had improved since the first day that she'd met him. America might not have suited him based on how filthy he was, but at least he was learning English.

* * *

"What's going on? Did Nico send you?"

* * *

Domenico shook his head.

* * *

"I don't have long. I have to get out of here and you do to."

* * *

"What? What are you talking about."

* * *

Domenico reached down into his waistband and took out a large serrated knife, slamming it on the table.

* * *

"Jesus!" Eve exclaimed.

* * *

Domenico thrust his hands out, trying to calm her down.

* * *

"Don't worry Eve. Take this to protect yourself. Nico should be on his way... But Giuseppe is coming too."

* * *

The hairs on the back of Eve's neck stood up like antennae.

* * *

"Shit..."

* * *

Domenico half smiled, "Shit is right. Here, take this."

* * *

He thrust his hands into his pocket but instead of procuring another weapon, he pulled out a piece of paper. There were a series of numbers written on the paper as well as an Italian phrase scribbled in messy cursive.

* * *

"What's this?"

* * *

Domenico mumbled, "Water..."

* * *

Right. Eve felt mildly ashamed at how inhospitable she'd been. She reached for a glass and brought Domenico some water. He drank it all without pausing for breath and then continued.

* * *

"This is the code to a vault. Nobody knows the key except me. I've never written it down. My mother... she taught it to me in a nursery rhyme... It's the fortune I inherited from my father. I've willed what's left to Nico. I'm getting out of here. If he doesn't come here... You need to go to Italy and claim this. Nobody knows about it. Not the government, not anybody... So please, keep this safe."

* * *

"Where in Italy? Domenico, why are you giving this to me? You're just a child! You shouldn't be involved in something like this."

* * *

Domenico smiled.

* * *

"I've never really been a child. And neither has Nico. This is his chance at happiness. If you see Giuseppe coming first... run. Run like your life depends on it. He will kill you if he finds you."

* * *

A lump rose in Eve's throat. She shoved the paper into her pocket. Domenico turned and started walking towards her door.

* * *

"Where are you going?"

* * *

"It's better if you don't know."

* * *

He opened the door and started walking down the street. Eve watched as his walk turned into a full on sprint. He disappeared out of sight. Eve closed her door again and locked it. On the counter, she saw the serrated knife that Domenico had given her. It smelled too clean to have not been used before. She shuddered at the thought.

* * *

Eve couldn't believe that she held the key to a vault that contained someone's entire life fortune. What did that even mean? How could she even get there? Domenico had answered some questions, but he'd left her with even more. And all Eve could do was wait. She'd either be completely safe, or she'd have to run for her life.

* * *

The uncertainty caused her heart to pound feverishly in her chest. Eve took the knife off the counter and fled upstairs. She started packing as much as she could into a backpack. Shirts. Her wallet. Some underwear. Pants. She put on her running shoes and wandered back downstairs. All she could do was bide her time.

* * *

When the next knock came on Eve's door, she knew that she didn't have to worry anymore. This time, she could tell it was Nico. He rapped softly and then called out her name.

* * *

"Eve... It's me..."

* * *

Eve ran to the door and opened it. While it hadn't been long since they'd last seen each other, it still felt like forever. Nico stood there looking less haggard than his nephew had, but haggard all the same. Dust and dirt covered his black shirt and his face was covered in a thin layer of grime.

* * *

Still, Nico looked handsome. From his blue eyes, to his scar, to his boots, he looked flawless. He was the man that she loved through and through.

* * *

"Nico. You're here."

* * *

He came inside and wrapped her in a huge hug, kicking the door shut behind him. Eve rested her nose in Nico's neck and inhaled his scent as he wrapped his arms around her. He squeezed her tightly, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. He set her down, looking into her eyes to make sure she was alright.

* * *

"How've you been?"

* * *

"Good. But scared... Your nephew..."

* * *

"So Domenico made it?"

* * *

"Yes... And he gave me..."

* * *

Nico didn't seem to be listening. He interrupted her, "We need to move. We need to get out of here soon Eve."

* * *

"And go where?"

* * *

"Away. You don't have a choice. My father is furious. He will kill you. I'm sorry but... We need to leave."

* * *

"I've already packed."

* * *

"Good. We should have an hour before he gets here. Let's just say I've set him back a little bit."

* * *

"And what about your nephew?"

* * *

"He's fled the city. Domenico has all the money he needs now. He can take care of himself."

* * *

"Even if he's only sixteen?"

* * *

Nico smiled. It was the same half smile that Eve had seen on Domenico earlier. For the first time, Eve saw just how much they looked alike. She knew she had to trust that Nico would protect his family. He'd certainly protected her.

* * *

"Trust me, he's not like a normal sixteen year old."

* * *

Eve thought about Daniella and how different Daniella was from Nico's nephew. Maybe Nico had a point and the boy really would be okay.

* * *

Nico continued, "And were you really alright here?"

* * *

"Yes. But Nico... I missed you."

* * *

"I missed you too."

* * *

Eve wrapped her arms around Nico again. But this time she kissed him. As Nico's warm lips touched hers, she got the sense that perhaps everything would be alright. She had the key to Domenico Riccardi's fortune in her pocket. She had his knife. And most importantly, she had Nico.

* * *

"I'm doing everything in my power to avoid taking you to bed right now," Nico whispered.

* * *

Eve nodded and pulled away.

* * *

"We should really get out of here then before the temptation overwhelms you.

* * *

"Do you have the pouch that I gave you?" Nico asked.

* * *

Eve nodded.

* * *

"Bring it with you."

* * *

That was one thing she hadn't packed. With Nico downstairs standing guard, Eve fled to her bedroom and found the pouch exactly where she'd left it. Now they were really ready. Eve arrived downstairs and she saw Nico standing there, looking around her living room.

* * *

Again, she was struck by how handsome he was and by how much she loved him. While she still hadn't told him, Eve had a feeling that he felt the same way. That's why he was here, wasn't it? If he didn't give a damn, Nico could have very easily left her to Giuseppe's devices. But why didn't he just say it? If Eve knew that he loved her, she would do anything for him — including move to Italy.

* * *

But she wouldn't uproot her life for a man who could kill but who wasn't brave enough to say those three little words.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

* * *

"Yes. I think I am."

* * *

"Eve... You realize that you might not be able to come back here?"

* * *

Eve hadn't fully realized that, but she'd suspected it.

* * *

"And... What happens to my stuff? What happens to my store?"

* * *

Nico took her hands and brought them to his lips.

* * *

"I promise you, I'll take care of all of this. I will keep you safe. Do you trust me?"

* * *

"Yes."

* * *

"And Eve... I... I know we haven't had time to chat about what's going on between us. But we will, alright? I just need to make sure we get out of this."

* * *

Just need to make sure we get out of this alive. Eve didn't need him to say that to understand. Whatever had happened between Nico and his father had put all of their lives at risk. That's why Nico had encouraged his young nephew to flee across the country. That's why he was moving her from Boston in the dead of night. It was this, or suffer at the hands of a cruel man. A man who had already killed someone that Nico loved.

* * *

Eve left her house and didn't look back. She was afraid if she looked back, she wouldn't be able to follow Nico. She'd feel too attached to her old life to take the risk of leaving it all behind if she dared look back. Eve got into the passenger seat of Nico's Audi and she never said goodbye to her home.

* * *

Eve had a sense that this was goodbye. She'd built up so much in all her years in Boston. Her chest heaved and Eve fought back tears as she came to the realization that this was goodbye. She didn't know where she was going or if Nico would even be there at the end of it all. Nico sensed her tears and reached his hands over, squeezing Eve's thigh as they peeled off from her home.

* * *

Goodbye. It hurt more than Eve had expected. She'd wanted to make a move. She'd wanted something different. She just hadn't expected it to come like this. She reached for her pocket and felt the piece of paper still inside. That paper would give Nico access to millions. But he'd need her to get it. Perhaps this meant they'd be bound together until this was all over.

* * *

Maybe Eve could still have hope.

* * *

At Nico's place, he started packing. He never mentioned to Eve where exactly he planned to go or what was happening next. She had a feeling she'd find out. As she sat in Nico's bedroom, watching him pack, Eve's mind was swimming.

* * *

"Nico?"

* * *

"Hm?"

* * *

"Are we leaving here tonight?"

* * *

"I hope so."

* * *

"Where are we going?"

* * *

"New York."

* * *

"New York?"

* * *

"Not forever. Just until... Nevermind."

* * *

Eve didn't want to "nevermind". She wanted answers. Pushing Nico right now might not be the best idea. Eve realized that. But she couldn't exactly allow him to uproot her entire life without at least asking a few questions. She loved Nico, but she was no fool.

* * *

Before Eve could fix her mouth to ask another question, she heard a loud slamming noise downstairs. The front door had opened. Nico rose to attention.

* * *

"What was that?" Eve whispered.

* * *

Nico pressed his fingers to his lips. Eve started shaking. Oh God. This was it. She would die here tonight. An unknown local shopkeeper, somehow mixed up right in the middle of a criminal family drama. Nico reached into his bedside table and pulled out a gun. Eve's eyes widened when she saw the weapon.

* * *

"Nico..."

* * *

"Sh."

* * *

Nico moved towards the stairs. Eve couldn't help but follow him. She had Domenico's knife and she couldn't allow Nico to head downstairs alone. Once the two arrived downstairs, Nico whipped around and saw exactly who had broken down his door.

* * *

His father. He also saw Eve positioned behind him. Nico chastised himself for not locking her upstairs — far away from where she could be hurt.

* * *

"Good evening my son," Giuseppe said with a grin.

* * *

"Buona Sera," Nico spat.

* * *

"I suggest you lower your weapon."

* * *

Nico's eyes darted around the room. Giuseppe hadn't come alone. He had replaced Luca during his months in the United States. A young, fat and hideous man stood at Giuseppe's side with a gun pointed directly at Nico's chest. One wrong move and his guts would splatter all over Eve. Nico lowered the gun.

* * *

Giuseppe stood up and opened his blazer. Eve's stomach turned when she saw the blood seeping out of Giuseppe's chest.

* * *

"I came here for revenge. You thought your little stunt worked eh? But I'm like an angry bull... And I've come to collect. One of your little pigs eventually squealed. Nice hide out my son..."

* * *

"What do you want?"

* * *

"I want the vault key."

* * *

"I don't have it," Nico spat.

* * *

Giuseppe cackled.

* * *

"Oh, but you do have it. I know that little shit gave it to you."

* * *

Eve tried to steady her breath. The vault key. Nico wasn't lying. Domenico had given the key to her, figuring (correctly) that it would be safer in her hands than in Nico's. She was on Giuseppe's mind, but she had always been an after thought.

* * *

Eve took a step back. She noticed the fireplace behind her was burning brightly from after they'd stepped into the apartment. She'd burn it if she had to. She'd burn the whole thing down and die if she had to.

* * *

"I don't have it father," Nico snarled.

* * *

Giuseppe pulled a gun out of his waistband with his good arm, wincing as he held the gun up and pointed it directly at Eve.

* * *

"Give it to me, or I'll shoot her."

* * *

"Stop!" Eve cried out.

* * *

She lifted the paper over the fire.

* * *

"I swear to God, I'll destroy this!"

* * *

Giuseppe cocked the gun.

* * *

"Wait! Don't shoot," Nico said.

* * *

Nico lied, "She's pregnant. Father she's pregnant. She's carrying your heir. A Riccardi."

* * *

Giuseppe started laughing. The laugh started deep in his belly and emanated outwards, almost more like a belch than a laugh.

* * *

"An heir?"

* * *

He continued laughing for a few moments. Eve kept the paper dangled over the fire, ready to risk it all if she had to. She wasn't sure why Nico had lied, but she was willing to back him up if Giuseppe probed her.

* * *

"You think I give a damn about an heir? I'm still a young man Nico. I could make another heir with any bitch that crosses my path."

* * *

"Please... Papa... Don't shoot..." Nico said.

* * *

Eve could see him getting weaker. She bent the paper to the fire and started to let flames lick at the edges.

* * *

"NO!" Giuseppe screamed.

* * *

He lifted the gun and Eve blew out the flames. None of the numbers had been harmed. Giuseppe held the gun up and as he caught his breath, the door of Nico's apartment flung open again. There he was, sixteen-year-old Domenico — wielding a gun.

* * *

Eve heard a gun shot and she crouched down low, her eyes squeezed shut. Eve slowly opened her eyes and saw that Domenico had shot and killed Giuseppe's guard with a precise shot to the head. Blood pooled away from the man's head and Eve could feel her body trembling against her will.

* * *

Whatever was going on tonight was so far out of her world of experience that she didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Domenico," She heard Giuseppe snarl.

* * *

Domenico said something in Italian which must have meant "lower the gun" because Giuseppe dropped his gun to the ground. Nico walked over to his father, pushing him back in the chair with the barrel of his own gun.

* * *

"Nico no!" Eve said.

* * *

Nico turned towards her momentarily but then turned away. Eve had a feeling that her word meant nothing here. The three of them began speaking in Italian to each other. At one point, Giuseppe spit and it landed at their feet. Domenico slammed the butt of his gun into his uncle's temples, causing a lot of pain but not quite knocking Giuseppe unconscious. Blood started to trickle out of his forehead, just as blood was pooling all over Nico's floor at the head of Giuseppe's former right hand man.

* * *

Eve tried not to look at him.

* * *

"You should go Nico," Domenico said.

* * *

"No. I cannot leave you with him."

* * *

"Tommy is coming. Others are coming... Take Eve and get out."

* * *

"But..."

* * *

"She has everything you need. I promise you... Everything will be taken care of. Just leave."

* * *

Domenico held the gun up to Giuseppe's forehead. The man started trembling. He'd never anticipated being in a powerless position — not tonight especially. Nico took one last look at his cousin before kissing him on the cheek and turning away.

* * *

"Eve. Come."

* * *

Eve followed Nico and they packed away the rest of their things as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Are we really doing this?"

* * *

"It's now or never. If you want me to leave you behind Eve... I can..."

* * *

"No. I want to come with you."

* * *

Nico nodded.

* * *

"And Eve... You know that I love you right?"

* * *

Eve felt her cheeks growing hot. Her palms felt sweater but the words slipped out of her mouth anyways.

* * *

"I love you too."

* * *

"I promise we'll be safe."

* * *

"I believe you."

* * *

Eve kissed Nico on the cheek and they ran downstairs. Domenico had given Giuseppe another wack in the head with the gun. This time, he was barely conscious and totally unable to speak.

* * *

"Nico. Say hi to my mama," Domenico said.

* * *

Nico nodded.

* * *

"Dom? Make sure you get Paul to take care of this place, okay?"

* * *

"Sure."

* * *

"And you'll have Nolan take care of this mess alright? He's never let me down on clean up."

* * *

"Si. Don't worry about me cugino."

* * *

"English Domenico. I won't worry. I trust you."

* * *

Nico and Eve approached the door and said a final goodbye to Domenico. The scared teenager had grown up fast — almost too fast as far as Eve was concerned. As she got into Nico's car, she felt like she was saying a different kind of goodbye to her home. Now that she was sure she wasn't coming back, Eve felt like she had to say goodbye to everything. She hadn't properly closed shop. She had never said a proper goodbye to Daniella, the girl who had spent so much time helping her and just being a friend.

* * *

She'd never said goodbye to her sister. Or anybody. Eve was escaping from her life in the dead of night and it was only all okay because she was with the man she loved. And the man she loved, loved her right back. Once they were in the car, Eve could finally acknowledge just how tense her body was.

* * *

They said nothing to each until they were outside of city limits.

* * *

"Are you doing alright dear?" Nico asked.

* * *

Eve shook her head, "I don't know. I mean a man... a man... died."

* * *

"I know. I'm sorry. Eve... I'm so sorry. You know this isn't the life I want to live, right?"

* * *

"I know," Eve said.

* * *

But she was also thinking about what that really meant. Now, they both had access to money and freedom was well on the way. They could live however they wanted and do whatever they wanted. Freedom to live and freedom to love. But could Nico really leave this all behind? His world was absolutely terrifying, sure, but he was also used to it. This was his normal.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" Nico asked.

* * *

"Nothing," Eve said, "Just thinking about New York."

* * *

"I have a guy there. He's getting us a place tonight in Long Island."

* * *

"I'm scared Nico."

* * *

Nico glanced over at her, "Don't worry... I'm a very good driver."

* * *

"Not about that," Eve said, smiling at Nico afterwards.

* * *

"I promise you Eve, I'll find a way to work this out."

* * *

"I never got to say goodbye to anyone..."

* * *

Nico put his hand on Eve's thigh again.

* * *

"I know... I will try to fix this for you Eve. I promise. But I can't stay in Boston tonight. I can't let you stay in Boston."

* * *

"I understand. But I'm still scared."

* * *

"And I love you."

* * *

Eve smiled and settled into her seat. Nico started playing classical music like he always did. Eve tried to close her eyes and tried to block out the image of the man lying on the floor, of Giuseppe pointing a gun at her and of skinny, gaunt Domenico suddenly taking charge. She was surprised at just how tired she was as she slipped off into sleep.

* * *

When Eve woke up, she could tell they were close to Long Island. Closer to Long Island than Boston at least. Everything here was so much brighter and noisier than Boston. Nico still didn't look like he needed a lick of sleep. Eve slid her hand onto his thighs and felt how warm he was.

* * *

"Good morning sleepyhead," Nico said with a grin.

* * *

Eve noticed that he was right. It really was morning. The sky was a purplish, almost coral color as the sun began to rise. Eve looked out the window at the spread of brick buildings that lined every street. New York was already more diverse than Boston. Eve imagined that if she ever did have a baby with Nico, this baby would fit right in to this part of the world.

* * *

They didn't have to wait much longer until they came to the apartment on Long Island. One of Nico's friends was allowing him to use their downstairs apartment for the night. Nico never introduced Eve, but she didn't mind. It was probably for her own protection.

* * *

By the time they got into bed, Nico was exhausted, but Eve wasn't. She made herself a mug of brutally bitter instant coffee and sat up all morning as Nico passed out in bed, tired from an exceedingly long night.
9

# New Beginnings

They stayed a week in New York without Eve complaining a bit and without her missing a beat. But throughout that week, Eve began to notice something different about her body. She was starting to notice that something was off. Her period was a couple days late but that didn't bother Eve too much. It made sense that her period would be late considering the kind of stress that she'd been under.

* * *

Nico had helped her with the shop. And she'd called Daniella, her sister and everyone else to say goodbye. It wasn't exactly a clean break but at least it got the job done. When it came to her store, Eve had to rely on Nico. It broke her heart to have to leave that place behind, but Nico promised that the business would be sold to someone else like her or a small family. The process was already under way.

* * *

Eve couldn't believe that her store — the very place that she'd met Nico — was now going to be no longer. She tried to keep her grief to herself. Nico had bigger problems to worry about and Eve was back in that place where she wondered how safe they really were. Nico was muttering into the phone again and Eve could tell that he didn't love having her explore the city alone. He was still scared, despite doing his best not to show it.

* * *

Eve waited for Nico to return from buying them dinner. She'd had a headache all afternoon and her nausea had been something else. She needed a doctor. Eve had entertained the notion that she might possibly be pregnant, but it didn't make any sense.

* * *

She hadn't had unprotected sex with Nico. They'd been careful. She knew that they needed to be careful now more than any other time. This hideout was no place to have to start thinking about pregnancy. There were bigger issues, including the fact that they weren't even supposed to stay here long and it had already been a week.

* * *

Nico was out getting them takeout at a Thai restaurant. Eve had wisely asked him to get her a light soup instead of something excessively oily or spicy. She peered out the window of the apartment. The streets were empty except for a couple families walking together.

* * *

Eve didn't have to wait long for Nico to appear. When he entered the house, her face lit up against her will. Her heart still felt warm and fuzzy every time she saw him. And now that they'd confessed their love for each other, everything was on another level. Nico was really her boyfriend. They were really in this together — whatever this might be.

* * *

Nico set the takeout on the table and swept Eve up into his arms, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. He set Eve down and she reached up to kiss him. After planting a long, deep kiss on Nico's lips, Eve pulled a way and went up to the bag of takeout.

* * *

"I'm starved... Can we just get right to it?"

* * *

Nico chuckled, "Yes we can. But I have some important things to discuss with you over dinner my love."

* * *

"Si signor," Eve replied.

* * *

Her Italian hadn't gotten any better since spending time with Nico, but she'd picked up a few phrases here and there. Nico grinned at her efforts and they sat down to dinner together. As she started to eat, Eve started to feel her tummy getting just a bit better. The fact that she was aware of its presence at all meant she still had to discuss with Nico how ill she'd been — and the fact that she really might be pregnant.

* * *

She'd let him go first.

* * *

"So," Nico said, "I think it's almost time for us to leave New York."

* * *

"For where?"

* * *

"For Italy. You have a passport, right?"

* * *

Eve nodded, "Yes, I have a passport."

* * *

"Perfect then."

* * *

"But Italy?"

* * *

Nico nodded, "If you don't want to come Eve... We can always part ways. That's what I wanted to speak with you about."

* * *

He was giving her the choice now. She could really leave everything she knew behind and fly across the world with him.

* * *

Nico continued, "If you wish to part ways, let me know."

* * *

Eve shook her head. No. After all that they'd been through together, that was the absolute last thing that she wanted. She didn't want to be separate from Nico ever again. She recalled how she felt when he had left her alone for just a day. She could never tell when Giuseppe would rear his ugly head and destroy her life. While Eve had some reassurance everything was better now, she wasn't too sure.

* * *

Not to mention, she loved Nico. She loved Nico more than she'd loved any other man. He had brought her to a place in her life where she could experience adventure. He was bold, brave, strong and he could take care of her. Many men in Eve's past only added stress to her life. Nico gave her much more than that.

* * *

"No. I don't want to leave you Nico."

* * *

"Then Eve," Nico said, dropping to his knees, "If you don't wish to leave me, will you marry me?"

* * *

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Nico snapped the box open and revealed a solitaire diamond ring with a cushion cut diamond in the center. Eve gasped. She was absolutely sure that Nico had one of the diamonds from the old carcanet repurposed into her engagement ring. He'd proposed with something that didn't just have financial value, but sentimental value to his family as well.

* * *

Nico took Eve's hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

* * *

"I would be honored if you would become Signora Eve Riccardi," He said, kissing her hand as he slipped on the ring.

* * *

"Nico... Yes. Yes, I will marry you."

* * *

"I want you to come to Italy with me Eve. I have a place already that we can live. I have family that will help me get settled in and of course, you have the vault key."

* * *

"Yes! Yes I'll come with you!" Eve squealed.

* * *

She pulled Nico to his feet and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nico pulled her close and kissed her.

* * *

"My beautiful fiancée... I love you so much," He whispered into her ear.

* * *

"Mmm... I love you too..." Eve said.

* * *

Nico moved his hands around to her buttocks and squeezed tightly, pulling Eve in closer for a much deeper kiss. Eve pulled away from Nico. She liked where this was going, but she still had something very important to tell him.

* * *

"Nico... It might be nothing but... I'm late."

* * *

"Late?"

* * *

"My period..."

* * *

"Do you think that you might be... pregnant?"

* * *

He said the word "pregnant" in almost a whisper.

* * *

Eve shrugged.

* * *

"I might be. It doesn't make sense because we've been careful."

* * *

"But it can't hurt to check," Nico said.

* * *

"So you wouldn't be angry?"

* * *

Nico chuckled.

* * *

"Angry?" He said, "No. I wouldn't be angry. Eve, I know that I haven't told you all the details of my past. But there was a time when I thought my only hope of ever being a father had vanished completely."

* * *

Nico sighed, "If you were pregnant, I'd be nothing but grateful. And we could start all over again in Italy. Everything would be fresh, right?"

* * *

Eve nodded, "Yes. Right."

* * *

"So why don't you take a test and then we'll know."

* * *

"I don't have one."

* * *

Nico grinned, "Why don't I talk to my buddy upstairs. They're Catholics so they know their way around pregnancy. I'm sure she has a spare."

* * *

"Won't that be embarrassing?"

* * *

Nico winked, "Maybe for me. Just wait right here and I'll go plead our case."

* * *

Eve waited nervously for Nico to head upstairs and find a pregnancy test. As she sat in their living room, she eyed her engagement ring, studying the white gold band and of course, the magnificent diamond in the center. Her life had changed so fantastically since she'd met Nico and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

While there was a sadness in big changes, there was a type of happiness too. The rug had been swept out from underneath Eve and now, she had no choice but to follow this trajectory. As long as they were no longer in danger, everything would be beautiful once and for all.

* * *

Eve had never been to Europe before and she didn't speak enough Italian to make it at a restaurant. But she had her trust in Nico. And she trusted that he'd take care of her and make sure that no matter what, she didn't make a fool of herself over there.

* * *

It didn't take Nico very long to return with a pregnancy test. He'd guessed correctly and the family above had been more than willing to encourage another life into the world. He handed the test to Eve and waited outside the bathroom door, anxiously anticipating their fate.

* * *

For the first time since he'd left Italy, he didn't just feel love for Eve, he felt hope. He felt hope that he could change. He felt hope that they'd be able to settle down and he'd finally have a normal life — the life his mother would have wanted for him.

* * *

Eve emerged from the bathroom with a look on her face that betrayed nothing about what had happened within the bathroom's four walls.

* * *

"Nico?" She called.

* * *

"Yes?"

* * *

"I'm pregnant. I'm really pregnant."

* * *

Nico grabbed her and swept her up spinning her around. He kissed and kissed and kissed his beautiful fiancée. This wasn't the order that things were usually done, but Nico didn't care. He was well on his way to healing and to forging a beautiful new family. A family that was part Italian and part American, just like he was.

* * *

"Let's head to he bedroom," Nico whispered into Eve's ears.

* * *

She grinned. Hell. Yes. Now that she was pregnant, at least they didn't have to worry about protection any more. She took Nico's hand and led him to their bedroom, prepared to lead the way into a long night of hard, intense passion.

* * *

The bedroom in the New York apartment had been made cozy by their presence. The queen sized bed had white cotton sheets and fluffy pillows but was nothing special otherwise. It was starting to get too warm for a heater, so the room was maintained at a cool sixty-five degrees.

* * *

Once in the bedroom, Nico shut the door and Eve reached forward to pull him close to her. She caressed his chest and then let her hand linger at his package, cupping his thickening cock as they kissed.

* * *

"Mm, you are so beautiful," Nico whispered.

* * *

He reached Eve's dress, unzipping the back and letting it slide to the ground. With her curves exposed to the cool air, Eve wanted nothing more than to feel Nico's rock hard, warm body pressed atop hers.

* * *

Nico unhooked her bra and slipped her underwear off so that Eve was standing fully nude before him. Her deep skin tone reflected the dim light of the room and she shone like a gorgeous dark-skinned angel. Nico bent his lips to Eve's neck and sucked on her flesh.

* * *

She moaned and leapt up, wrapping her legs around him. Nico cupped her buttocks tightly and moved Eve over to the bed. He lay Eve on her back gently, letting her head press into the soft pillow.

* * *

"Relax baby... Let me taste you..."

* * *

He spread Eve's thighs apart as far as they could go, exposing her thick and juicy pussy lips for his pleasure. Nico climbed between Eve's legs and eyed her slick slit. She had already grown wet with the anticipation of what was to come.

* * *

Nico started by slowly kissing around her mons. His lips grazed her thighs and his tongue traced around her soft belly, intentionally avoiding her pussy to build anticipation. Once Eve began to wriggle in pleasure, Nico pried open her pussy lips and drove his tongue between her legs, circling her clit.

* * *

Eve groaned and arched her back. Nico pressed her thighs into the bed and began to lap at her pussy more furiously. He suckled on her clit and rolled his tongue up and down the length of her pussy. Eve gasped for breath as she approached climax.

* * *

"Ohhhh don't stop... don't stop!" Eve groaned.

* * *

Nico flattened his tongue and started to lick her pussy with broad, slow strokes. Eve clutched the cotton bedsheets and cried out as she came. Nico continued to squeeze her thighs as she trembled beneath him. Eve's pussy convulsed and she quivered as Nico lapped his tongue up and down the length of her wetness.

* * *

Eve cried out as she climaxed again and Nico moved his face away from her wetness. Eve continued to tremble from the immense pleasure she'd just experienced and Nico moved up to her and kissed her long, slow and deep. Eve tasted herself on Nico's lips and his hand moved between her thighs as he kissed her.

* * *

Nico's finger slipped into Eve's pussy and he began to slide it in and out. Eve's pussy was still sensitive from her last climax. She moaned and moaned as Nico began to thrust his finger into her hard and fast. He massaged her g-spot with his fingers until Eve's cries were loud and shrill.

* * *

Eve's pussy clenched tightly around his finger as she came. Her eyes rolled back, almost to the back of her head as she moaned and moaned. Nico removed his finger and then slipped it into his mouth. Eve smirked.

* * *

It felt good watching Nico taste her juices and watching him enjoy her taste exactly as she was.

* * *

"Please... Make love to me Nico. Bring that big hard dick over here," Eve implored.

* * *

Nico didn't need to be told twice. He stripped down to nothing and brought his massive hardness to Eve's entrance. Eve gripped her fiancé's back and slowly guided his cock into her entrance. Eve moaned as Nico's cock slipped past her entrance.

* * *

Her nails dug into his back as he continued to slide his full length past her tightness.

* * *

"Yes... Push it in... Give it to me," Eve whimpered.

* * *

Nico continued to press his cock into her slowly. Eve gasped as she felt his hard tool stretching her out. There was pain but it also felt oh-so-good. They were touching bare skin on skin for the first time and the sensation was incredible. Nico thrust the full length of his cock deep inside Eve and she moaned loudly.

* * *

She felt full, completely full. She grabbed onto Nico's ass cheeks as he started to pound into her furiously. Love making had been frequent enough since they'd come to New York but this wasn't just making love, this was celebration.

* * *

"Yes! Yes!" Eve whimpered.

* * *

Nico took Eve's hands away from his body and pinned them over her head. The feeling of being restrained sent jolts of pleasure through Eve's body and she found herself approaching another strong climax yet again.

* * *

"YES! DON'T STOP!" She squealed as she came.

* * *

Nico kept her arms pinned down and began to thrust into her harder and faster. He could feel her pussy getting wetter and wetter with each thrust. Her tightness clenched powerfully around his cock as he slammed into her nice and deep.

* * *

"You like that baby?"

* * *

"Yes Nico! Fuck me! Give me your big hard cock!"

* * *

"Yes... Si... Take it baby..." Nico grunted.

* * *

Eve exploded again, releasing all over Nico's hardness. He found himself unable to hold back. Eve moaned and convulsed around his dick and she felt Nico's skin prickling beneath her tough. He was getting close to a climax of his own.

* * *

"Come on baby... Come on... Cum inside me... Yes baby..." Eve whimpered.

* * *

Nico couldn't hold back much longer, especially not with Eve's dirty talk. He let out a masculine, animalistic grunt and released deep inside of Eve's hot wet pussy. They both shuddered as his cock twitched a few more times, coating her insides with his baby juice. He released Eve's arms and she immediately pulled him close to her as he collapsed from the pleasure.

* * *

"I love you," Eve whispered.

* * *

Nico kissed her forehead and replied, "I love you too."

* * *

He pulled out of Eve and the two of them finished off their night with a nice, long, steamy shower. Once they were finished and dressed in their bed clothes, Eve and Nico snuggled together for the night. Both of their minds were swimming.

* * *

"When do you think we'll be leaving for Italy?" Eve asked.

* * *

Nico kissed her shoulder and replied, "Maybe in a week?"

* * *

"That sounds nice... Very nice, actually."

* * *

"Good. I can't wait for you to see my beautiful home country."

* * *

"Really?"

* * *

"Of course. I think you'll love Italy. And of course, you will be well cared for."

* * *

"Hm..." Eve said.

* * *

And then she became lost in thought. In a short time, her life had changed. She was pregnant, she was going to be married, and she'd met a man who cared for her more than any man ever had. He was already taking her across the world to his old country. Eve had a sense that with Nico, she would never be bored, for better or for worse.

* * *

And she also had a sense that she would never be lacking for love. Nico would take care of her just as he had in Boston. She imagined the rolling hills of Italy and the beautiful, old European cities. She imagined what it would be like to be in a country with plenty of wine, espresso and high fashion. It would be a world unlike any Eve had ever known.

* * *

But she was excited about the possibility of an entire life with Nico. She loved him and she knew that he loved her back.

# Epilogue

The familiar smells of the old country had once again become a part of Nico's everyday life. Here, he didn't live in fear of what might happen next. Here, he finally felt like he had a chance at experiencing a "whole" life. Leaving America had been sudden, but Nico had vowed to do everything in his power to protect Eve. Now, she was his. No one could take her away from him. Not Giuseppe. Not Luca. They were safe over here and their child would be safe too. There had been a point in time when he was uncertain about what would happen between them.

* * *

Now they were married. Nico still thought fondly of the woman he'd loved before — the woman he'd been killed. But he could never compare them. They were too different loves and Eve was here now. She was the woman who had finally encouraged him to give up on this life of running and running and running. Nico thought what he'd wanted was revenge. But what he truly wanted was to settle down. He wanted to put an end to fleeing for his life and fearing for his loved ones. At first, he'd thought revenge was the way to do it. Eve had changed that.

* * *

And she seemed to be adjusting well to Italy. Nico could tell that she missed her family. He could tell that she was having a hard time adjusting to hearing Italian on the streets everywhere they went. But she could appreciate some of the simple pleasures that Italy had to offer too. While she was still far too pregnant to be enjoying wine, the smell of it filled every restaurant. The streets had that old smell, like history had happened here.

* * *

Plus, Eve had determined to learn some Italian and she was getting better at it. Her doctor — an old family connection — spoke a little English, but he made an effort to practice Italian with Eve. He spoke slowly and gently. Nico practiced with her too, but she was more shy practicing with him. She wanted to get everything perfect the first time and she would find herself in fits of laughter trying to pronounce certain words that were unfamiliar to her American tongue.

* * *

Their new apartment in Italy had just been outfitted for the baby. Nico found himself adjusting to life without the constant motion that being involved with his father had been. Nico had never had a regular job and he didn't feel inclined to start. The money they had he'd invested and now they were living cooly off the interest. No worries. No greed. No constantly chasing after more than what life had given them.

* * *

They already knew that Eve would be having a baby boy. Nico had been overcome with relief realizing that this boy wouldn't have to grow up living the same life that he had. This boy would be free. He wouldn't have to know that he had been born into the Riccardi family — a long, wealthy line of mafia members. Nico knew his son could lead a normal life. He could be both American and Italian and never worry about the things Nico had to worry about growing up.

* * *

Nico knew he would be a loving father in the way Giuseppe had never been. He'd take care of his family, not use them as loyal subjects. Today, Nico was scouting the city for a few gifts for Eve. Their anniversary had snuck up on him quickly. It would be their first and last anniversary before marriage. It wasn't exactly as Nico had planned it, but they'd have to get married after the baby. Eve was showing too much and she refused to get into a wedding dress with her baby bump.

* * *

Nico wandered into a local chocolate shop. He thought about the first time he'd stepped into Eve's store back in Boston. She'd sold the shop to her sister. There was no one who had fallen in love with Italy faster than Eve. Once she'd truly settled into life, once she'd stopped feeling afraid, she'd sold her shop and invested the money from it. Nico thought about the first time he'd caught Eve's deep brown eyes. He thought about how scared she was. He thought about how lost he was.

* * *

He'd been looking for Domenico and he'd been desperate. He wouldn't have thought of Eve as anything more than a local shop owner if she hadn't been so magnetic. She had moved with divine femininity. She'd carried herself with class and bravery. She'd been strong in all the places he might have been weak. She had seen someone in need and she'd put her life on the line to protect them.

* * *

Nico asked for six hazelnut truffles and four squares of fudge and had each one wrapped nicely. The kind, fat shopkeeper placed the wrapped candies in a bag and Nico paid his 40€ without complaint and then meandered to the florists. No one did flowers quite like Barbara. Nico remembered how much his mother had loved this flower shop. She'd been quite fond of the life-giving beauty of flowers and plants. Nico often wondered how his mother had ended up with a man like Giuseppe. His mother's side of the family had probably married her off in some ill-conceived alliance.

* * *

Giuseppe had been young, handsome and rising in power. Anyone in one of the families would have done anything not to inspire his wrath. Nico and Luca had been both a blessing and a curse. Nico hadn't thought about his mother in a long time. As he thought about her, a tear escaped his eye. Nico wiped it away quickly. She'd been gone a while but the pain was always still fresh, just beneath the surface if he dared to look for it.

* * *

No one missed her the way that he did — certainly not Luca. Nico ordered his flowers. He bought a dozen red roses, one for each month that he'd known Eve Morgan.

* * *

Soon she will be Eve Riccardi. The thought cheered Nico up.

* * *

He took his gifts all the way to the door of his apartment. Nico opened the apartment up and inhaled the fresh scent of pasta cooking on the stove. Eve had been determined to try cooking more of Nico's food for him. Nico didn't have the heart to tell Eve that her spaghetti always had a very American twist to it.

* * *

Nico walked into the kitchen armed with his flowers and treats.

* * *

"Good afternoon beautiful," He said.

* * *

Eve stood up, revealing her large baby bump. Nico set the flowers and the truffles down and gave her a gentle hug.

* * *

"Has he been kicking?"

* * *

Eve nodded and smiled.

* * *

"Lots."

* * *

"It's good that he's getting his father's energy."

* * *

"But on the bright side, I haven't been sick all day."

* * *

"Good," Nico kissed Eve's forehead.

* * *

She'd been having an especially hard time with back and belly pain in the third trimester of her pregnancy.

* * *

"I didn't forget our anniversary today," Nico said with a smile.

* * *

Eve grinned.

* * *

"So that's what this is all about."

* * *

"Yes. A dozen red roses from my mother's favorite place and then... delicious truffles."

* * *

Eve took the box of truffles from Nico's hand and opened them. The warm scent of hazelnut flooded her nostrils. Her favorites.

* * *

"Thank you."

* * *

"You can eat one now..."

* * *

"No I don't want to spoil dinner."

* * *

Nico grinned again. Everything about Eve was so sweet and gentle. In that way, she reminded him of his mother. Nico knew there were still so many secrets to his past that he hadn't shared with Eve. He knew how curious she must feel to know more. Eve eyed him patiently, hoping for another sliver of information about her husband's mysterious past.

* * *

"It's been a long year, hasn't it?" Nico asked.

* * *

"It feels like it's been forever."

* * *

Nico approached Eve as she turned towards her pot and he hugged her from behind. Eve closed her eyes and allowed her husband to kiss her neck. Nico's lips pressing against Eve's neck still sent her into deep relaxation. Everything was fine. Here she was with her husband and things had settled down. Somehow, she'd found an adventure out of the simple things in life.

* * *

Italy had been everything that she'd ever desired out of life. And Nico? He had been more than Eve could have hoped for out of life. Everything had fallen into place and she was truly happy. Eve was experiencing the kind of happiness that swelled in her chest with each breath.

* * *

She experienced peace of mind every time she heard Nico walk through the door, every time she saw his face and his gorgeous blue eyes smiling down at her.

* * *

The madness had settled down and now there was just this — love, family and turning every day into an adventure.

* * *

Eve finished cooking and Nico helped her set their small dining table. Nico trimmed the stems and put the roses in a vase. Their scent filled the room as they sat down to their pasta dinner. Eve had always been more of a baker than a chef, but this time, she'd really out done herself.

* * *

They ate their evening meal slowly, pausing only to gently gaze at each other. Nico reached his hand across the table and squeezed Eve's. Eve could feel his eyes watching her. She could feel his desire not only to protect her but to have her oozing from across the table. Nico hungered for her in a different way ever since she'd become pregnant.

* * *

He was turned on by the idea of Eve's belly being filled with his seed.

* * *

They finished dinner and Nico meticulously cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom. Eve sat at the small table and smelled the bouquet of flowers. These days, most scents repulsed her and turned her stomach. But roses were always welcome.

* * *

"Do you like them?" Nico asked.

* * *

He walked over to Eve and planted another kiss on her forehead.

* * *

"I love them."

* * *

"And the truffles?"

* * *

"I'll try them tomorrow."

* * *

"Perfect. Will you come to bed with me?"

* * *

Eve nodded. Yes, she would go to bed with him. And she planned to for the rest of her life. She followed Nico up the stairs into their clean, minimalist bedroom. Everything was pure white and smelled like starched, clean cotton. Eve's dreams had come true one by one from the moment she met Nico.

* * *

"You're beautiful," He whispered before kissing her deeply.

* * *

Eve's round belly was the only thing keeping them from mashing their bodies together in desperate arousal. That bump meant every bit of love making had to happen nice and slow...

* * *

"Happy anniversary Nico," Eve whispered.

* * *

"Happy anniversary," He replied back.

* * *

"Aren't you so happy that we met?"

* * *

Nico's hand wandered to Eve's baby bump. He felt slight motion in her tummy as he nodded. Yes, he was happy they'd met. Eve had saved his life probably in more ways than she even realized it. She had pulled him out of a life of crime and a life of running from his father. She was about to give him the child he always wanted. She was about to become the wife he'd wanted.

* * *

Nico's life had taken many twists and turns but he'd never expected this. He'd never expected a real chance to live a normal life. He'd never expected a real chance at happiness.

* * *

"Yes. I'm very happy..."

* * *

Eve looked up at Nico and asked, "Do you still think about her?"

* * *

Nico nodded, "Sometimes. But... Life happens and we find ways to cope. We find ways to move on. So I don't regret meeting you Eve."

* * *

Eve smiled and kissed Nico on the lips.

* * *

"Why don't you help me get out of this thing?"

* * *

Eve's maternity dress hugged the shape of her body tightly. While she looked incredible, wriggling out of that dress was a chore that required the help of her fiancé. Nico clutched the fabric and began to help Eve get it over her head. He couldn't wait to feast his eyes on her beautiful body.

When his wife's naked body became exposed to him. Nico could feel his cock already straining to get out of his pants. She looked heavenly like this. Her skin had that beautiful pregnancy glow; her rich umber skin was especially smooth to the touch. She stood before him nude, her belly protruding outwards as she propped up her tummy. Her breasts had swollen since the start of her pregnancy and every inch of Eve's body reminded Nico of ripe fruit.

* * *

"Come closer," Nico demanded.

* * *

Eve approached him with slow delicate steps. She turned her chin upwards to meet her husband's gentle gaze. His eyes roved over her face and her body, taking in every inch of her beautiful physique. It was amazing how all these changes were somehow erotic. Her skin glistened; Eve hadn't had a breakout since she was pregnant.

* * *

She gained weight in all the right places. Her sweet, flat nose grew even wider and chubbier. Her breasts expanded and her nipples had turned dark and hard. And of course, there was Eve's fertile, protruding stomach. Now, she couldn't see her toes and she hadn't been able to for a few weeks. Somehow, that made her even more beautiful.

* * *

"Kiss me," Eve whispered.

* * *

She was getting tired of Nico's staring, not because she didn't appreciate it, but because there was a far more urgent desire to satisfy between her thighs. The growing in Eve's belly increased her lust over the past few months, not diminished it. Every moment Nico left the house, her pussy pined him. Whenever he was home, they made love over and over again.

* * *

Eve often mused that they made love more now than when they had first met; that was no easy feat. Nico had the stamina of a stallion and despite Eve's rising desires, he never felt like his desire for her waived. In fact, Nico loved her more and more every day. In his youth, he never understood why women fantasized so much about "love" and "marriage". But now... He finally understood. When you truly loved a woman, you wanted to marry her. Marriage wasn't a prison, it was a release...

* * *

Nico's lips pressed gently to Eve's. She melted in his arms and he supported her weight with ease, dipping her backwards to add an element of thrill to what would have otherwise been a simple kiss.

* * *

"I love you," Eve whispered as she pulled away.

* * *

"I love you too..." Nico said.

* * *

He spun Eve around until her back was facing him and he moved her into a position on all fours. Their options for sex positions were limited, but that didn't stop them from making each other feel the love whenever they got the chance.

* * *

On all fours, Eve usually had only a few minutes before she'd get tired. Nico made the best of them...

* * *

He bent his head between Eve's legs and began to slide his tongue up and down the length of her pussy lips. Eve gasped and clutched onto the bedsheets as Nico's first stroke grazed her clit without touching it completely.

* * *

"Relax..." He whispered.

* * *

Eve took a deep breath in and relaxed, arching her back. Nico's tongue returned to her pussy lips and she gasped out again. He began to lick in slow circles around her clit and the rub his tongue against her juicy, engorged pussy lips. Eve's pussy clenched tightly. She was getting ready to burst.

* * *

"Ah... Oh... Yes..." Eve whimpered.

* * *

Nico clutched her thighs with more force and drove his tongue deep between her pussy lips. Eve called out more loudly and he continued to massage her wet folds with his tongue. She could feel her arms and legs trembling as Nico's tongue continued its assault on her wetness.

* * *

"Don't... Stop..." Eve groaned.

* * *

She could feel a climax building up deep within her and she didn't want Nico to stop right before she could experience the sweetest release. Eve shuddered as a climax exploded. Her pussy convulsed and Nico's tongue kept stroking and stroking her wetness. She gasped and released a pump of juicy fluids. Nico lapped up the juices running down Eve's thigh and then reinserted his tongue into her wetness.

* * *

Her sweet pussy drove him to lick with flatter, broad strokes. He licked her faster and harder, thrusting his tongue even deeper between Eve's legs. Again, she couldn't resist a climax. She pushed her hips backwards and released again.

* * *

"OH YES! YES!" Eve screamed.

* * *

More juices pumped out of her wetness and Nico continued to lick at her thighs, trailing his tongue along her thick thighs until his tongue was coated in her deliciousness. Eve shuddered, but remained still until Nico moved her off the bed and turned her head to face him.

* * *

He kissed her on the lips, forcing Eve to take the sweet juices she'd emitted in the throes of passion. Eve clutched her husband's back. While her pussy might have been satisfied, her heart wasn't. She wanted more. She needed to feel Nico's fat cock thrusting in and out of her engorged wetness. Every inch of Eve's soul needed to feel Nico making love to her.

* * *

Nico held onto Eve's face, kissing her long and slow, thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth with each kiss. Every time they broke from the kiss, they gasped sharply for air and then began to kiss again. Nico's dick was pushing through his pants, now rubbing against Eve's leg. His tool grew hotter and hotter with each kiss.

* * *

Eve dropped her hand downwards and began to massage Nico's cock and balls through his pants. If anything were to stop him from teasing, it would be this slow game. It would be the fact that his balls were desperate to escape the fabric and destroy whatever was getting in the way of their 'skin on skin' contact.

* * *

Nico began to remove his shirt and Eve smirked as she watched her husband's flawless toned chest become exposed to their room's cool temperatures. She couldn't wait to get her hands on him. She couldn't wait to kiss him all over his body and then feel him sliding into her with his hot, thick tool. Nico's shirt was off; Eve ran her fingers down his six pack abs. She looked up at him mischievously and then let her hands travel down to his belt buckle and zipper.

* * *

Her fingers moved purposefully, removing Nico's belt and then unzipping his pants. Eve could feel the heat from his tool a few inches away. She groped at his cock through the fabric of his boxers, enjoying the lusty twitch of Nico's member as she teased him.

* * *

Eve finally slipped her fingers into the waistband and pulled Nico's underwear off. His cock jumped to attention. His throbbing dick was a dusky pink color as his lust-filled blood pooled into his hardness.

* * *

"Turn around," He grunted.

* * *

Their breathing had already synchronized into a hot and heavy melody.

* * *

Eve bent over on all fours again, positioning her ass and pussy for Nico's pleasure.

* * *

"Give it to me baby," Eve whimpered.

* * *

Nico used his fingers to massage Eve's sensitive outer lips. He knew how badly she wanted him but he wanted to tease her; that would make the release even sweeter. Eve could feel Nico's cock moving against her slit. He drove just the tip between her folds. Eve gasped and arched her back. He removed his cock.

* * *

Her pussy needed to be filled by his dick. Eve wriggled her butt cheeks and thrust her pussy backwards, hoping to tempt Nico into sliding his full length into her. Again, he began to slide just the tip into her. Eve whimpered and bucked her hips backwards again. Nico's cruel teasing drove her crazy.

* * *

"Please... Give it to me..."

* * *

She could feel Nico smirking, even if she was facing the other direction.

* * *

"Patience," He said.

* * *

He slipped into her about halfway. Eve relaxed, thinking that Nico was finally going to put an end to his games. No such luck. He pulled his cock out of her again.

* * *

"Please... Please... Nico..." She begged.

* * *

This time, Nico was ready to succumb to her wishes. He started to slide his cock inside of her gradually. Eve gasped as Nico's thick cock began to stretch her pussy out. Once he was fully embedded inside her she felt a mixture of pain and pleasure. Pain because she could never fully get used to the size of Nico's cock. Pleasure because she enjoyed that sensation of fullness. Every inch of her pussy clenched around Nico's dick tightly. Pleasure began to mount as he started to thrust slowly.

* * *

"Oh... Yes..." Eve whimpered as Nico began to plunge his cock in and out of her wetness.

* * *

She could feel her juices already starting to drip down her thighs. He had revved up her engine with his tongue and now her threshold for climax was already much lower. The gradual thrusting of Nico's cock also pleasured Eve's outer lips. Her folds engorged with desire to release and Eve struggled to catch her breath as she approached climax hastily.

* * *

"Cum for me baby..." Nico grunted.

* * *

Eve couldn't resist obeying his command. She let out a loud moan and thrust her hips backwards to meet Nico's cock. She groaned as she released. A hot orgasm blasted through her body, sending her shuddering from the burst of pleasure. She gasped and continued to thrust her hips backwards.

* * *

She could tell Nico was enjoying every bit of this, from the view to the way her pussy creamed around his hardness. After the large first wave of her climax overcame her, Nico began to pound into his fiancée even harder. Eve grasped onto the Egyptian cotton bedsheets and braced herself as her husband continued his furious assault on her pussy. She loved the feeling of his hot stiffness slamming between her legs.

* * *

Eve could feel herself approaching climax again. She moaned and thrust her hips back faster. Nico grabbed onto her hair as he began to pummel her wetness from behind.

* * *

"Don't stop! Don't stop Nico!" She moaned.

* * *

Nico grunted but he didn't stop — not until he felt Eve's pussy convulsing around his cock.

* * *

Eve cried out in pleasure as she came a second time. Nico drove his dick into her slowly as she moaned and bounced on his dick. Her arms and legs started to tremble as surges of euphoria flowed through her body. Eve was gasping, nearly out of breath.

* * *

Watching her body shake in pleasure beneath him, Nico knew that his own climax wasn't far off. Eve gasped and groaned as she felt Nico's cock stiffen inside her. He gripped her hips tightly and thrust in one final time before releasing his load inside her.

* * *

Nico's sticky sperm coated Eve's pussy. His cock twitched a few more times as he deposited his last spurts of cum in Eve's wetness. He pulled out slowly, watching Eve's pussy ooze as he removed his cock. They were both shaking with pleasure, both satisfied to their very core. Nico removed himself from the bedroom and came back with a warm rag.

* * *

While Eve was on all fours, he tenderly cleaned her pussy with the warm rag, wiping away all the juices of their love making. Once she was clean and her thighs were tingling from the touch of the rag and her climax, Nico pulled her off the bed. Eve wrapped her arms around him and buried her nose in his neck.

* * *

"That was amazing..."

* * *

Nico kissed her, plunging his tongue down her throat a second time.

* * *

"Amazing doesn't begin to describe it darling."

* * *

His breath still felt warm against her skin. Eve noticed that she was cold. In the evenings, Italy could become almost as cold as Boston. The more she acclimated to the weather, the colder the cold felt. Nico guided her into bed and lay her on her side with a pillow propping her tummy up. He covered Eve in their wool blankets and then climbed into the bed beside her. Eve looked into her fiancé's eyes, happy that they would have a long life together.

* * *

They lay together beneath the sheets. Nico reached his hand out and touched Eve's stomach. He could feel their baby moving in her belly.

* * *

Eve smiled as she felt Nico's warm hand as well as the movement within her womb.

* * *

"Any ideas about what we should name him?" Eve asked.

* * *

"Something traditional. Italian," Nico offered.

* * *

Eve smiled, "Okay."

* * *

"What about you, what do you want?"

* * *

"Something Italian sounds nice..."

* * *

"I was thinking Paolo or Emiliano."

* * *

"I like Emiliano... But it's a bit long."

* * *

"What about Edoardo?"

* * *

"Eddie for short?" Eve replied, wrinkling her nose.

* * *

"Matteo?"

* * *

"Now that I like."

* * *

"It's a strong, masculine name."

* * *

"Almost makes me think of... a lion."

* * *

Nico smiled. Matteo. Thinking about his son by a first name was strange. Before, this baby had been an abstraction, a person sure, but more of an idea. Soon, their baby would be born and he would be a whole new life. He would have a name — Matteo Riccardi. He would become a part of their family, someone else for Nico to protect. Nico just hoped that he would be able to protect his son.

* * *

"Do you think that he'll be safe?" Eve asked.

* * *

It was like she could read Nico's mind and understand all his fears. They'd escaped the United States and they should have been safe where they were. But there would always be that lingering fear that something would go wrong. There would always be that lingering fear that someone would discover them so many miles away from Boston and make them pay.

* * *

"I will keep him safe," Nico reassured her.

* * *

He knew that Italy might not be the safest place. Perhaps they'd have to spend a few years in Paris, London or maybe even Greece to truly feel safe from his father and his father's men. But he would be able to provide for Eve and that was what was most important.

* * *

"Don't worry Eve. I've protected you so far, haven't I?"

* * *

He had. Eve nodded and leaned forward to kiss Nico. As she kissed him, she felt another burning between her thighs. She wanted even more from him. Her desires had been sated only for a short time. She found herself craving Nico's touch again. He could see it in her deep, warm brown eyes. Her eyes were such a dark color that they forced him to open his soul.

* * *

He gently rolled Eve on her back and kissed her lips as he lay by her side.

* * *

"Relax babe..." He whispered.

* * *

Nico moved his head between Eve's legs again. Oh goodness. She both wanted and feared more pleasure from him. With his tongue, Nico could do amazing things that defied Eve's expectations. He spread her legs apart and ran his hands up and down her thighs. Eve gasped as Nico began to plant kisses on her thighs and legs. Her flesh prickled beneath his lips. He trailed his tongue in the spots that he'd kissed, spreading a cool sensation all over Eve's skin.

* * *

Eve gasped as Nico's kisses finally trailed to the top of her mound. All her fears had been replaced by pure excitement. She craved Nico's tongue between her legs, his soft warm tongue slurping between her folds until she reached a fantastic climax.

* * *

Nico pressed Eve's thighs down. She could no longer see him over the curvature of her belly. Nico's tongue grazed her outer pussy lips. Eve shuddered from the instant his tongue made contact. Nico squeezed her thighs tighter and plunged his tongue fully between Eve's folds. She arched her back upwards, allowing him greater access to her slit.

* * *

Nico's tongue began to slide across the full length of her slit. Eve gasped and thrust her hips downward, grinding her pussy into Nico's face. He held onto her thighs tightly and began to swirl his tongue around her clit. Eve could feel a climax building in her chest. She cried out as Nico began to suck on her clit hard.

* * *

Eve's pussy engorged beneath his tongue. She moaned as she reached that point of release. Nico kept his tongue pressed against her pussy as she writhed beneath him in ecstasy. Waves of euphoria burst out from Eve's core, leaving her to groan and wriggle as each wave crested. Fluids exploded from her pussy and Nico lapped up every last drop with his tongue. She convulsed again and felt another climax exploding.

* * *

Nico nibbled tenderly on her outer pussy lips as she came, sending brand new sensations traveling through Eve's body. He pulled his lips away when she could barely find her breath. Her bosom heaved up and down with each inhalation as Nico slid beside her.

* * *

"Wow..." Eve managed to allow one word to escape.

* * *

Nico smirked.

* * *

"More?"

* * *

"No. I don't think I could handle it."

* * *

A job well done. Nico slid next to Eve and snaked his hands through hers again. Pleasuring her brought him pleasure too. They'd been through so much together and now they were going to start life again in a new country. They'd have time for a proper relationship, not just existing while on the run. Nico would finally get a chance to have the family that he'd always craved.

* * *

When he looked back on his past, he saw the pain that was there. But this time, he could look at this pain from a more detached perspective. It was all a part of his journey. And now, he'd reached a new destination, with a new woman. And Eve wasn't a woman he would fail to protect. He'd learned his lesson this time.

* * *

Nico knew he'd have to fight temptation to go back to who he was. He'd have to fight the temptation to live a violent life. He'd have to consciously choose to be different from Giuseppe in every single moment. Nico already had a feeling that he'd be a better father. He needed to. He needed to be a real man — not just for his unborn son, but for Eve.

Read Book Two:

<https://books2read.com/thefamilysecret>
I

# Book Two

**The Family Secret**

# Prologue

## MATTEO

March 1st, 2019

* * *

Dear Diary,

* * *

I worry that I'm starting to tire of Italy. At first, things seemed great. And of course, Matteo has been the best thing to ever happen to me. It's been amazing watching him grow and now that he's six months old, I'm starting to realize that he's ours. Despite everything that's happened between me and Nico, we've created something beautiful.

* * *

Matteo right now has gained weight and he's at around 18 lbs. Look at me. I would have never guessed back in Boston that this is where I would be right now. I would have never guessed that I'd be writing at my desk, facing a gorgeous pavilion, waiting eagerly for Nico to return.

* * *

Matteo is sleeping in the room, occasionally gurgling and I feel strong love flowing through my veins every time I hold him, look at him or feed him. I understand what it's like to be a mother now. I never understood why women made such a fuss over husbands and babies but now, here I am — soon to be married and mother to a beautiful biracial child.

* * *

As I haven't described him yet — Matteo has skin the color of caramel and his hair is a mixture of dark brown with streaks of blond. He has more hair than most babies and of course, I'm reluctant to cut it. I've sent pictures of him to all in the family and they rave about how much he looks like me. Personally, I hope that he ends up looking more like his father. I would love for him to have Nico's strong jaw, his firmness and his sweetness. I suppose all of that is all up to chance either way. There's nothing I can do about it.

* * *

Since moving to Italy, I worry about Nico more. At first, he seemed content with the way we were living. Everything was calm. Perhaps it was too calm for him. Then, I suspect he got pulled into business again. Though I have no real evidence of this, I noticed a change in the man I loved.

* * *

After everything that happened in Boston, I find myself wary of any of his business dealings. He promises me that nothing dangerous is happening and that he loves me and Matteo both. He promises me that nothing will go wrong — that he is simply doing what he has to in order to ensure we remain safe.

* * *

So far, it seems like Giuseppe is out of the picture. He doesn't plan to return to Italy and I don't think he's willing to take on Nico again. He knows his son is strong enough to finish him. Nico was merciful in Boston, and I'm grateful for that. While Nico's life comes with its fair share of thrills, I'm reluctant to be cavalier about crime.

* * *

We haven't heard much about what is happening over in the United States but I get the sense that Giuseppe may be in prison — but I don't know what to believe. Nico has ears everywhere, but I try my best not to get involved. I don't think our relationship could handle more of that sort of thing again. How can we be expected to?

* * *

And now, things are different. I expect more from Nico and he knows it. Now that we have a son we cannot become deeply involved in his previous business dealings. I don't care how much money is involved. That's not the sort of life that I want for Matteo and it's not the sort of life that I want for myself.

* * *

I haven't returned to Boston, but my family has come here to visit me. It's been rough not seeing them and I miss just hearing English all the time. But I can't complain too much. We live in a gorgeous home and Nico is thinking of upgrading again. I have everything that money could buy. My closet went from J.C. Penney to Dior overnight and that's all because of Nico. He's provided for me in exactly the way a good man should and I'm beyond grateful for everything he's done for me.

* * *

In this new place, we have two cooks, two maids and I have a personal assistant. Nico wants me to focus on the baby, but I've been itching to get back to work soon too. I have so much creativity and so many good ideas. I was thinking that maybe I could start catering baked goods or making candies again. Perhaps it is all too soon as Nico thinks. But I don't feel as if I need more time to settle. Everything is stable — and I like it that way.

* * *

I love my home, I love my baby and I love Nico. What more could a girl ask for?

* * *

I've been thinking about discussing a second child with Nico too. I know that it might be too soon since Matteo is only six months old. But each time that I see his beautiful face, I imagine what it would be like to have a daughter. One boy. One girl. That isn't too much to ask, is it?

* * *

I must close this entry now because I think I hear Nico at the door downstairs and I'm certain Matteo will wake up. Isn't it awfully quaint to be writing in a real diary? This one is nice and leather bound too — a gift from my fiancé. Nico has been encouraging me to document my feelings since moving here and the process isn't entirely painful — though it feels corny.

* * *

It's definitely Nico. So long.

* * *

— Eve

Read Book Two:

<https://books2read.com/thefamilysecret>

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# Afterword

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# About Jamila Jasper

Jamila Jasper is an Amazon bestselling author of African American women's fiction and romance novels. She writes contemporary interracial romance novels with gut-wrenching plots, titillating alpha male bad boys, and strong female main characters from diverse backgrounds — from London, to Atlanta, to Kampala. In her free time, Jamila enjoys hiking, spending time with her cat and salsa dancing. Use the icons below to find Jamila Jasper on social media. Use the hashtag #BWWMJamila and post the Jamila Jasper book you read online for a social media shoutout!

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# Acknowledgments

Thank you to all my readers, new and old for your support with this new year. I look forward to making 2019 an INCREDIBLE year for interracial romance novels. I want to thank you all for joining along on the journey.
