Royal Bully Read online

  “You’ve already met Phoenix’s oldest and only, Junior.” I pointed to Junior, who lifted his wine glass and leaned back against his chair, all casual like he wasn’t plotting world domination. “I’m sure you’ve seen him around campus.”

  Her sudden paleness said yes; she had, in fact, seen scary as shit Junior walking around campus.

  “Sergio and Val’s girls are the ones that keep fighting over the bread basket as per usual.” I grinned. “Kartini’s the oldest in her junior year of high school, and Lydia’s a freshman in high school and has already been suspended for beating up the class bully.”

  Lydia and her dad shared a high five. Yeah, our family was weird, and getting weirder the more I introduced them.

  Claire hadn’t run yet, so I kept going. “And that brings us to Dante’s two girls, the youngest of the brood, the most spoiled, and champions of Mario Kart two years running.” I pointed to the nine-year-olds. “That’s Raven and Tempest.” I leaned in and whispered. “Their names fit, trust me.”

  “Heard that,” Tempest said with a wide grin.

  “And you already know my family.” I shrugged. “Izzy’s my twin, and Violet’s a year older, she’s at EE too, you just rarely see her because she finds books more fascinating than people. And my littlest and most spoiled sister Ariel is ten going on thirty.”

  “Ten, and yet, she can still kick your ass.” Serena made a face.

  I sighed. “I’m ignoring that comment since last time we sparred you limped for a week, by the way how are the freshman fifteen? Still holding on even though you’re a Junior?”

  Nixon let out a growl.

  “Uncle Nixon,” I held up my hands in mock surrender. “She kicked me in the balls!”

  Serena shrugged. “You didn’t like my shirt.”

  I threw my hands in the air. “I rest my case.”

  “So—” Phoenix Nicolasi, scary as shit boss interrupted with wine in hand “—Marco tells us you’re from Seattle.” Phoenix was the first to speak.

  I let out a groan. “You did that on purpose.”

  He just grinned, like he liked throwing people under the bus.

  “Marco?” Claire frowned. “Who’s Marco?”

  More cursing around the table.

  And then a slap hit me in the back of the head, followed by another slap, a roll got chucked at my face—from my own mother before she gave my dad a look.

  “Too Italian,” I finally said.

  “Damn it, Marco!” Nixon said with a grin.

  “Fucking Marco,” Tex added.

  “Marco…” Izzy cupped her hand over her mouth.

  “Polo.” This from Violet.

  I turned to Claire. “My full name’s Marco Chase Asher Abandonato.”

  “I like Marco better,” she said, probably earning the love and respect from every single family member at the table. Damn it.

  I could have sworn I felt my mom sigh ten seats away.

  “All right—” Tex stood “—let’s pray and eat and drill her later; we’ve traumatized her enough.”

  I grunted. Ain’t that the truth. I just introduced the girl I was falling for, to the Cosa Nostra. Most people couldn’t even say they survived it.

  I gripped Claire’s hand.

  She gripped mine back.

  And look, I know we were praying and thanking God for letting us rule the crime world, blah, blah, blah, but I could still taste her on me.

  Feel her slide against me.

  I was at a family dinner, completely ready to swipe the food off the table and feast on her instead.

  Maybe she felt my tension.

  Her fingers inched across my thigh.

  I jolted as her hand cupped me and then moved, just a bit, the friction, her heat. I gritted my teeth. How long was this prayer gonna be?

  “Amen,” everyone said.

  Her hand remained.

  I narrowed my gaze at her, but she was staring innocently straight ahead.

  Huh, two could play that game. And I remembered hearing of a few of my uncles nearly having sex during family dinners so…

  I reached into her lap.

  She jumped a foot.

  “Everything okay?” My mom asked.

  Claire’s face flamed. “Yup, just… great… food.”

  “You haven’t eaten anything yet.” Mom pointed out.

  “Right.” She swallowed and shot me a glare. I shrugged and faced my uncles again. All the while pressing my palm against her in warning, I had no qualms about getting her off while thirty people wondered why she was having a heat stroke at the table, in fact. I looked forward to it.

  Chapter Three

  Claire

  The guy had a death wish.

  Mouth dry I tried to look normal as I lifted my water glass to my lips, I nearly choked when he pressed down. The pressure was driving me insane, the need to ride his hand, move against him, strangle him…

  And he seemed to love it.

  The devastating grin on his face was almost too much to take in.

  Did I put that grin there?

  “So, how’s Eagle Elite?” A guy that literally looked like he just stepped off a magazine cover high-fived Asher and asked, he looked younger than the rest of the uncles as Asher called him. I couldn’t remember his name for the life of me. I just knew he had the youngest kids.

  “Dante,” Asher said under his breath with pride.

  Ah, another scary one.

  The one that took down several students on campus, who took over the Eagle Elite throne, then disappeared. The woman next to him smiled wide.

  She was too pretty for words.

  Who were these people?

  What was this world? I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t accustomed to money, my uncle was loaded, but it’s not like I lived in his mansion or on his yacht. My mom worked as a VP for his company, and my father was a surgeon. This was next level beauty, next level money, the kind that makes the world go round.

  Or people disappear?

  “Um, it’s good…” I found my voice just as Asher pulled away his hand, Thank God. “We have US History together.”

  “Have you gotten to our chapter yet?” Dante asked with an innocent smirk.

  I gawked.

  “He’s kidding.” Asher laughed as chuckles erupted around the table, more wine was poured, more questions asked.

  And I ate.

  Or I tried to eat while all the powerful men and women around me asked questions.

  More wine was brought an hour later.

  A knife was thrown toward Tex’s face, he moved out of the way then threw a fork back, nearly hitting a guy named Sergio who caught it without looking up.

  “So,” another one of the uncles, one who made me so uncomfortable that I almost hid behind Asher, spoke. “What are your intentions with Marco?”

  Right. Marco. Not Asher to them.

  “You do mean after I found them naked together, right?” Chase piped up.

  Humiliation complete, I groaned into my hands; nobody seemed upset instead they seemed, excited? Could that be right? Parents who encourage wild, crazy sex with a relative stranger and pour their eighteen-year-olds wine?

  “Dad…” Asher’s tone shifted, it sliced through the room, the way he said Dad, his voice rasped, his tone dropped. And I realized, I was very much in over my head. These people were killers. This wasn’t Marvel, more like Suicide Squad.

  “I really like him.” I interrupted the tense moment.

  The guy across from me grinned. “Mmm.” He reached down and pulled out a folder; it was black, and it had my name on it. “Understand that men like us are curious.”

  “Because I’m not Italian?” I wondered out loud.

  The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. “Nah, Claire, it’s not because of who you aren’t… it’s because of who you are.”

  “Come again?” I wondered out loud.

  “Step. Away.” A familiar voice sounded. Meanwhile, I hadn’t even heard the door close,
what in the world? Slowly I turned.

  A gun was held to Asher’s head.

  My uncle, on the other end of it.

  I jumped to my feet, knocking my chair on its side.

  His eyes raked over me, then he nodded to Nixon. “Thanks for the text.”

  “Figured the jet would get you here faster.” Nixon just grinned like he was enjoying himself.

  “Nikolai?” Asher craned his neck around.

  “Uncle Nikolai?”

  “Were you or were you not just having sex with my niece?” His finger pressed the trigger.

  This was not happening.

  Uncle Nikolai was stupid rich.

  Famous.

  Incredible.

  My mom’s boss.

  I would do anything for him.

  “Right, was getting to that part.” The other guy smiled. “She’s a Petrov… surprise!”

  “It’s like this family just can’t stay away from Russia,” Sergio said under his breath earning stares his way and a kiss from his wife.

  “Um, can someone explain…” My voice trailed off when Asher winked at me and then gave Nikolai a playful shrug.

  With a sigh, Nikolai lowered his gun and stared Asher down. “You’re lucky you’re one of my favorites.”

  Asher rolled his eyes. “We’re all your favorite, you can’t help it.”

  “Wine?” Nixon held up a bottle.

  Nikolai took the entire thing, not taking my eyes off me. “Do your parents know?”

  “What do you mean, do they know? It’s been like four hours!”

  “Five.” Asher coughed. I glared at him; he just shrugged with a smile. “Sorry, I’m a numbers guy.”

  “Just don’t ask him to go past ten,” Violet said sweetly, earning an eye roll from him.

  I was having a hard time wrapping my head around any of this.

  My uncle.

  Russian.

  I mean, I knew that we had Russian blood in us, compliments of Nikolai and his wife, but still.

  I frowned down at my hands. “Is this a problem?”

  Nikolai burst out laughing while the rest of the guys at the table snickered.

  “Yes, because Italians are a pain in the ass to deal with at Christmas, so loud… never any vodka.”

  “He lies,” Sergio said in a bored voice. “We always have vodka; he’s just pissed because it’s Tito’s…”

  Nikolai made a face.

  “What are you even doing here?” I blurted. “I haven’t seen you since I left for school!”

  He just grinned that good looking grin that got him on the front cover of People magazine and shrugged. “We all have our connections, don’t we?”

  Asher raised his hand. “Question, when were you guys going to tell me that her uncle has a scary amount of kills to his name? Anyone? Anyone at all?”

  “Oh, that’s why we called him.” Chase flashed us both a grin. “You know, figured it was smart to have a legit doctor do the whole reasons why you don’t have sex in your dorm room talk, then again I realized I didn’t have a leg to stand on, neither does Nixon, Sergio, don’t even get me started on cousin Vic…” A tall, brooding guy with enough guns strapped to his chest, rolled his eyes. Had he seriously been standing by the door the whole time? “And Tex well he just plowed right through—” A gun was pointed at Chase, “HEY! No weapons at the table!”

  Tex shrugged, gun still pointed. “I’m the Godfather.”

  I mean, he wasn’t wrong…

  “Shoot him, Chase, I’m next in line.” Another male voice snickered, earning my attention. Yup, all beautiful. Every last one of them.

  “Dom doesn’t have the balls,” Tex said dryly.

  “I don’t need a sex talk.” I felt the need to say. “Is this how every family dinner goes?”

  Everyone fell silent as if the silence meant they agreed with each other.

  I moved away from the table, needing some space away from the crazy, well that and my uncle’s watchful eyes. Asher joined me, clutching my hand in his.

  And then I found myself walking away while Nikolai chased Asher and me down.

  “Hey.” Nikolai grabbed my hand and spun me back around. “You know we’re just giving you shit, right? I only flew down to scare him, and he’s still wearing a smug expression handed down by his equally smug father.”

  “Standing, right here.” Asher waved at us.

  “You know—” Nikolai’s face darkened “—once you’re in… that’s it, there is no escape…”

  “Are you talking from experience?” I asked in a weak voice.

  “We all have blood on our hands,” he said somberly. “Some more than others.”

  “He’s some,” Asher piped up. “Just in case you were curious.”

  “Coming from the guy who had his first kill at twelve?” Nikolai made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. I dropped Asher’s hand, my legs heavy, head swimming with questions.

  Twelve?

  Years?

  Old?

  I was still playing with Barbies! And he had a gun? Okay, maybe not Barbies, more like makeup, but the thought of it was outrageous!

  “Thanks, Nik.” Asher rubbed the back of his head with his hand and did a small circle like he wasn’t sure whether to strangle something or just let what Nikolai had said take root in my mind. “Give us a minute?”

  Nikolai bit back a curse and then turned on his heel and called back. “Get her pregnant I cut off two fingers and your pinky toe.”

  “Pinky?” I whispered hoarsely.

  “Helps a person balance and all that.” Asher waved me off like it was a joke when I knew that it wasn’t—Nikolai meant every word, didn’t he?

  I frowned.

  “Something wrong?” Asher cupped my face with his hands. “I mean other than the obvious.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a beautiful smile, one that I wanted to focus on because if I could focus on that smile, then everything else didn’t matter, right? It just faded into the background.

  I exhaled a slow and steady breath. “Do you think my mom knows? About Nikolai?”

  His eyes searched mine. “The truth?”

  I nodded. “Always.”

  “I’m going to assume your mom and dad both know more than they’re willing to admit. I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

  I waited.

  He licked his lips and lowered his mouth until I could feel his air, his words against my face. “Telling you anything about this life only puts you in danger. So, I’m going to bet they kept you in the dark on purpose. Not that it helped. They sure as hell aren’t going to give you daughter of the year award for associating with me.”

  “Shoot, and I was so looking forward to the ceremony.” I teased.

  He captured my mouth like he couldn’t help it then wrapped his muscular arms around my body. I sighed as his tongue dove deeper, his hands gripping my ass and jerking me against him.

  Asher pulled away his eyes searched mine. “He always said it would be like this.”

  “He?”

  Asher kissed my forehead and wrapped an arm around me, guiding me toward the back of the house, the suits as he called them ignored us completely, but each of them had earpieces in fit for the CIA.

  “My dad.” His voice was filled with pride. “He said that when you find that person, the one who reaches into your soul and refuses to let go—that you make sure never to give them any reason to run.” His face darkened as he stopped walking. “His first wife…” He licked his lips. “It’s why I wear the horse necklace.”

  “But you didn’t know her.” I fished. “Right? I mean that gorgeous woman sitting next to Chase is your mom?”

  “Absolutely.” He shrugged. “But it still bothers him, every year on that day, it bothers everyone that you could love someone so deeply so painfully, only to have them rat you out. Money…” He shook his head and looked down at the wet grass. “It wrecks the best of us.”

  “I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.
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  He was silent as we kept walking. I dumbly followed him, at this point I’d probably follow him into a grave and go, cool we spooning while they pour dirt on us or what?

  I was acting insane.

  He made me insane.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a laugh. This was crazy. Wasn’t it?

  “How did he know?” I asked once we reached what looked like a pool house. Asher opened the door and then shut it behind us.

  The thing was as big as my house back home. Two stories of perfection, flat screen tv, full kitchen, a balcony to kill for, and what looked like a sauna and steam room right next to a theater room.

  Asher went to the freezer and pulled out a bottle of chilled vodka.

  “He says she yelled at him a lot.” He smirked as he pulled out two glasses and dumped a circular ice cube in each. When his eyes met mine, I almost backed away. He looked ready to attack, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for more of him, because he was the type of guy that stole pieces of your heart before you consented to give them away.

  It was terrifying.

  Maybe more than the violence.

  More than the look in his eyes.

  The way he couldn’t help but demand everything from me and expect me to just hand it over, all of it, his.

  “So, yelling’s the way to your heart?” I joked.

  “You have seen my family, right?” He handed me a glass and let out an amused laugh. “To… new friendships.”

  “Is that what we are?” I tossed back the vodka like a pro and held out my glass. “Friends?”

  Slowly he drained the vodka, his eyes never leaving mine. “Guess that’s up to you… Nikolai warned you already, you’re either in or you’re out, no in-between for people like us, Claire.”

  “No pressure.” I set my glass down on the table and then ran my hands down his shoulders, down his chest, feeling his hard-muscled stomach. Damn, the guy had more rivets than necessary, didn’t he? Like his body couldn’t help but build muscle on top of muscle even if all he drank was vodka and wine. In what world did an eighteen-year-old have a body like that?

  He slapped my hands away and crossed his arms. “No playing without purchasing.”

  “What’s your price?” I tilted my head, scrunched up my nose, and waited for him to say something ridiculous.

  His expression sobered as his arms dropped to his sides. “You. I just want you.”