Page 1 of His Vicious Desire
ChapterOne
Three years ago
Bianca
The car slides into the parking lot smoothly.Sandro sees me taking a deep breath to still my nerves.“You good?”
I force a smile and nod.“Yes.I was joking.I didn’t think you’d actually throw a party for me.”
He laughs.“Right, like I was going to ignore all your hard work to graduate early, go unrecognized.There was also your birthday.I’m not a birthday person, but you are.A party for your eighteenth is kind of a required thing—you never had one for your sixteenth.”
I love Sandro.I’m lucky to have him in my life.It’s why I’ll never tell him that I’ve dreaded tonight for weeks.He hadn’t understood I wanted a night with him as a celebration.The reason why I loved my birthday—that was three days ago—was because it gave me a good reason to spend time with Sandro.
We could have had dinner at McDonald's, and I would have been happy.
I’m not sure how he thought I meant a party.I’ve never been a party person.The introvert in me shuddered at entering a room with more than a dozen people in it.He has no idea that all the girls here are practically strangers.Girls I invited out of desperation—for fear of being embarrassed when no one showed.Most of the girls didn’t even know my name.While they didn’t outright treat me cruelly—I’m almost positive it’s because they or their parents knew Sandro is mafia.
The Catholic all-girls school I graduated from a semester early, a week ago is toxic as fuck.Sandro thought I graduated early because I was in a rush to start at UNLV for the spring semester.Except it wasn’t the reason why.
I hated the pressure to be something I couldn’t be, skinny.Teenagers weren’t kind to others who didn’t fit the mold of the ideal teen girl.All I have are three friends.And two of them were more of the frenemy variety.They were my friends because I paid for things when we went out together.And they’re also plus-size.However, if they had a chance, they’d cut me down in a second to move up in the popularity stakes.I’m trying to look at tonight as a goodbye to the hell of high school.
Sandro is out and opening my door.I take the hand he offers and step out of the limousine.The club Sandro rented is loud.I fight the urge to cringe at the pounding beats.
He sees it.“Sorry, I’ll tell them to turn it down a notch.I can’t imagine being able to hear anything in there.”
“Thanks,” I mutter as I take the arm he offers me.I can’t walk in these stupid heels.He’d also bought me the red-bottomed high heels he thought I wanted.They might be stylish, but they hurt like hell.
The fear I had of walking in and the girls in my own party ignoring me doesn’t come true.Everyone is treating me like we’re best friends.I stamp down the unease and am simply grateful they don’t out me to Sandro.
He leaves me with Joanna and Kitty who edge out the pretenders to give me a hug in welcome.I’m able to breathe a little deeper when the volume is lowered.
Looking around I see something I never have before, men from the Outfit.I’ve encountered Luca often, and a few others, but Sandro was adamant about keeping me from coming into contact with mafia.They move like Sandro, fluid with a threat in their movement.Their eyes are moving constantly over the crowd—on alert.
Sandro is the unofficial second for Luca Toro, the capo who runs Vegas for the Outfit.There is only one Don of the Outfit, and he’s in Chicago.My father was Luca’s second before he died last year.When my father died, another man took over for him—despite Luca wanting Sandro.Luca told him that he hasn’t given up on him becoming his second, but Sandro is certain it won’t happen.All because our mother was half-Filipino.
The mafia is racist as fuck, and Sandro is certain he’ll never be allowed to become Luca’s second officially.It didn’t stop him from giving his whole life to Luca and Outfit business.
Sandro is back.Our eyes meet, he sees the question in them and nods.“I’m not going to be able to stay all night, and I’m not leaving you here without people to watch over you.”
“You’re leaving?”I can’t believe him.I’m blinking fast to keep tears at bay.
“I’m sorry.We have a truck carrying women coming through we have to stop and remind whoever is sending it that we won’t allow it.Luca needs me.”
Right, Luca.He always has to be there for Luca.Tears aren’t acceptable.I force a smile.No complaining, ever.I’m to smile and always be appreciative of what I’m given.Except this time, I can’t fake it.I mutter I need to use the restroom.I can’t look at him right now.
This is not how I want to start the night.Neither did Sandro, which is why he left it until the last minute to tell me.Knowing him, he never planned on telling me.He was going to sneak out and hope I wouldn’t notice until he was already gone—the way he always does.
Blinking fast, I run right into a brick wall of silk.I bounce off it and almost fall in the stupid heels.I’m caught around my arm by a hand made of steel and enough electricity to power the strip.It’s not enough to keep me up, and I’m falling until the other hand grasps my other arm.
“Careful.”Is muttered low into my ear.
I shiver at the air going down my neck and the current still running through me from his touch.My eyes come up to find a man staring down at me with a thunderous frown on his face.If he didn’t look so angry, he might be handsome.I’m not sure, though, because his full silver beard covers so much of his face.I hate the beard.I want to see more of him—all of him.
He’s the same height as Sandro, six foot two, yet he’s broader and more muscle-bound.For the first time, I feel small.I’ve always felt too tall and fat at five-nine and forever battling between a size sixteen and eighteen.Pressed up against his hard, wide chest, I feel almost delicate—even in the four-inch heels that bring me to almost eye level with him.
Black eyes are burning into me.“Sorry,” slips out of me in a whisper.He lets go of me, and my knees are so weak I begin sinking the second he does.Seeing it, he catches me again quickly.
“You all right?”The words are gruff.
