Saints 3

Gio

She had given me the finger in a cocky, totally un-Keeley like way. She might look the same, but my sweet girl had changed. There was a fire in her now and I wasn’t sure I liked it. It might be inevitable that she had hardened, and she hadn’t known it was me behind the glass, but there was no way of knowing if her reaction would have been different if she had known.

We hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms. Hell, we hadn’t even had a parting. One day she was in town and the next time I had opened my eyes she had been gone, leaving nothing but a note to her cousin explaining why.

She hadn’t written me a note. She hadn’t given me a second thought. And that had hurt. Because back then she had been all I could think about. The gorgeous Keeley. Pet angel of the Savage Sons. Everyone put her on a pedestal, and I was no different. I could look, and I looked a lot, but I could never touch.

Because she was too good for men like me.

She wasn’t up on any pedestal now. Although I wanted her to be. I wanted her to be the same girl I had met back then. Because she had lit up my life with her very presence.

A door slammed and one of my men came trudging towards me. His face was thoughtful. There was something in his eyes that made them twinkle. Usually that light only came out to play when violence was involved. I had expressly forbidden them from laying hands on her.

“Did she put up much of a fight?” If he was back, it meant Keeley was there. Under my roof. Somewhere in the apartment she was waiting for me.

“Not at all. Her boyfriend did though. Luis had to get a little rough with him.”

My head snapped up. “Boyfriend?” I hadn’t even thought about the possibility that she had a boyfriend. In my head she had stayed pure. Because to me she would always be pure. What that animal had done to her didn’t change that.

“I guess so. One bedroom place, they were both ready for bed. Hell, she’s still ready for bed. What do you want her for, boss?”

Normally he wouldn’t have asked me such a personal question. I scowled at him.

“None of my business if you want to fuck her, but there has to be easier ways of getting her attention.”

“You’re right, it isn’t any of your business, but I know her from a long time ago. Her family will want to know she is safe.” I didn’t even know why I was explaining myself to him. But I didn’t want to admit that he had hit the nail on the head. I wanted to fuck her. I wanted to possess her. I always had. It had nothing to do with Monster and the other Savage Sons. If it did, I would have called them the moment I realised it was her.

“That makes sense.”

My eyebrows slammed down. “What makes sense?”

“That she knows you. She was too calm and only a woman who has been around men like us could be that calm when they are plucked from their bed. Plus there’s what she asked her boyfriend to do if she isn’t home in a few hours - who she told him to call.”

My eyebrows arched into my dark hair as I waited for him to finish.

“Someone called Monster.”

That made sense.

“And someone called G. I’m guessing that G stands for Gio.”

I couldn’t let myself think about what that meant. That after all these years she still knew she could call me and I would come running. Maybe it made me a fool, one she knew she had wrapped around her little finger, or maybe – just maybe it meant that after five years she still thought about me.

“Take me to her.”

I let him lead the way even though I knew where she was. I had purposely asked for her to be placed in the living room. The big one with the wrap around window that gave the perfect view of the city sprawled out below. 

The door to the room was open. Luis, his bulk leaning against the wall, was standing guard and making sure she didn’t try and run. I swept through, trying to be as quiet as possible and the two men brought up the rear.

Keeley was standing by the big window. Her cartoon spotted bottoms were low on her hips and the strap of her tank top had fallen over one shoulder. She was nervous. I could tell by the way she kept pushing her hair behind her ear, but she was doing her best not to show it.

My brave, beautiful Keeley.

“Would you like to take a seat, Keeley?”

Her head snapped up at the sound of my voice and perfectly plump lips fell open as she caught sight of my reflection standing behind her.

I watched the emotions war across her face before it settled on anger. She whirled, her hands closing into fists at her sides. I don’t know why my sudden appearance made her mad, but it did. And it was a violent reaction.

“You.”

I smiled. I couldn’t help myself. “Me. Are you glad to see me, sweetheart?”

Keeley flew at me. Behind me, the two bodyguards stepped forward but I waved them backwards as she crashed into my chest.

“Why couldn’t you just leave me alone? What did you do, stalk me and…?”

I caught her wrists in my hands and pulled them downwards. She was too close, the smell of her shampoo filling my nostrils. It had been years since I’d had the chance to smell her. Five years of fucking every woman I could find that looked like her because she was gone.

“Of course, I’m not stalking you, Keeley. I did what you asked and gave you the space to find yourself.” Forcefully, I pulled her into my chest. “But imagine my surprise when I discovered you ‘finding yourself’ swinging around a pole.”

Keeley’s shoulders sagged. “You’re Mr Marino?” She shook her arm from my grip and stepped away from me, putting some distance between us. “I didn’t know your name was Marino.”

I laughed. “What did you think it was? The Family?” But of course, that’s exactly what she had thought because that’s what everyone called me or anyone else that worked for my organisation. We were The Family. “Now, why don’t you calm yourself and sit down. I think you have some explaining to do. Don’t you?”

She spluttered but did as I asked, taking a perch on the very edge of the sectional. The part that put her farthest away from me. I closed the distance between us. “Explain why you were at The Penthouse, Keeley.”

“I think it's pretty obvious what I was doing, Gio.” She cocked her head to the side as she stared up at me. Her blue eyes dared me to do something. I just wasn’t sure what. “I was trying to get a job. But my body wasn’t up to your high standards.” Pouty, almost too full lips twisted with disgust.

“You know that is not the reason I didn’t employ you. Why are you stripping for your money?”

“Because I have bills to pay, rent to cover. Not all of us were born into big, bad crime families.” No one else would ever get away with talking to me like she was.

“The club would’ve helped you out.” I pointed out. I would have helped her out as well. All she had to do was ask.

“No, thank you. I am done with that life. I don’t want their handouts.” Her eyes lashed towards me. “I don’t want yours either.”

I ignored her. Coming to a stop behind her, I let my hands come down gently on her shoulders. I shouldn’t have. The feel of her skin was as addictive as it had been when I had first met her. But I had to touch her. “And why doesn’t your boyfriend look after you, Keeley? What kind of man doesn’t support his own woman?” Featherlight, my fingers slid down her upper arms, taking the spaghetti straps of her black top with me. “What kind of man…?”

Her laughter took me by surprise.

“What is so funny, Keeley?” Inch by inch my fingers twirled closer to her throat. She was Keeley, and that gave her some privileges because I had always been crazy about her, but she was skating on thin ice now.

“You are, Gio. Even after all these years, you still can’t let me be, can you? It was an annoyance back home, now it’s just pathetic.”

My hand closed around her throat before I could stop myself. I squeezed just enough to cause her breath to hitch. Leaning over, I brushed my lips against her ear. “Be careful, Keeley. You have a smart mouth and I’m not sure I like it.”

“Well, leave me alone then.”

I knew without looking that she was pouting. Back in the day it had been all smiles and giggles. Now she pouted. With my hand still wrapped around her throat, I moved in front of her. She leant back to try and get away from me, but I followed her down, pushing her back against the plush leather cushions.

“That’s not going to happen, Keeley, but if you keep mouthing off the way, you are, then believe me, I will find a better use for your lips.” I dropped my forehead to hers. “Make no mistake, Keeley, you aren’t the only person who has changed.”