Mafia King: A Mafia Royals Novella, Rachel Dyken [i am malala young readers edition .txt] 📗

the face, knocking her out cold.

Shaking, I held the weapon out to him. “Well, that was a dramatic post-sex experience.”

“Come here.” He pulled me against his chest at about the same time my door burst open with my dad charging in, a gun in each hand. The rest of the bosses followed, and then they peered around us and laughed.

“She’s out, all right.” Dad picked up her arm and dropped it. “I’m assuming Tank’s work?”

Tank held me tightly. “Actually, your daughter kicked the gun away. I got to take the punch.”

“Next time, I get to punch,” I grumbled. “Punching’s more fun.”

“Bloodthirsty little girl,” Tank said under his breath.

“I’m not small,” I argued.

All the men stared at me as if I had two heads.

“I’m delicate.” I sniffed.

That got a laugh out of Tank.

“What happened? All I know is Tank was running toward your bungalow, so I assumed the worst…” Dad asked.

I filled them in on what happened, shocking the hell out of my dad and the rest of the bosses as they discussed a point of action for Giana. Tank said he’d talk to the local authorities and put her under arrest, and an agent would fly her back to the States for disciplinary action.

Which didn’t sound fun.

By the time they were all done talking, and the proper authorities had taken Giana away—kicking and screaming, mind you —I was exhausted, starving, and really wanted a margarita.

Dad came over and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m leaving you in good hands, but let’s try for no more attempted killing these next few months, all right?”

I nodded. “I’ll try.”

His expression was grim. “Maybe try a little harder. Your mother already threatened me last night after I told her what happened to you last year.”

I laughed. “She use her favorite knife?”

“Carries that thing everywhere, you know that.”

I laughed.

He paused for a second, his eyes searching mine. “I love you, Tiny. I will always love you more than my life, more than my next breath—blood staining your hands or not. You’re mine.”

A tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it as I rushed into his arms, slamming my face against his chest. Dad always smelled so good, he was so strong, so perfect.

My hero.

“I’m s-sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he whispered. “Just promise you won’t make it easy for Tank, all right?”

“I’ll give him hell.” I sniffled.

Dad barked out a laugh. “I believe it. Now, go relax…”

His face went a bit red.

“Dad, is relax a code word for sex?”

“Oh, God.” Dad backed up slowly.

“Daddy, where do babies come from?” I teased as he started walking away from me. “But, Daddy, I need to know!”

“She’s your problem now, Tank,” Dad called after him. “Good luck!”

“You’re abandoning me?” Tank yelled.

The door shut.

“You’re impossible.” Tank rested his chin on my head. “You should go easy on him, he’s getting old…”

“No, you’re old.”

“This again?”

“The truth? Yes, Tank.”

“How about”—he spun me around in his arms—“we go hang out with everyone at the pool? They have nachos, margaritas…”

“Mmmmmm.” I wrapped my arms around him. “Sounds great. But first…” I took his shorts down with me as I went to my knees. “I think it’s only right that I thank my hero for coming after me.”

“Gonna be coming before you if you keep looking at me like that,” he teased.

I gripped him in my hand. “Yeah, you will.”

“Damn, your mouth…” He dug his hands into my hair. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Nope.” I licked his tip.

He shuddered. “God, you’re annoying.”

“I bite.”

“But I love you anyway…” His body shuddered.

I looked up. “You love me?”

Tank frowned. “I loved you the minute you finally started talking to me last year and tripped me then said, ‘Oh, hey.’”

I laughed. “That was a good day.”

“I loved you when you told me to go die too, but it was more of an I love her, but I hate her when she says that with her mouth—while her eyes drink me in.”

“I was afraid.”

“Let your fear go….” His eyes were heavy. “You’re mine now.”

“Yes.” I returned my attention to his very perfect body. “You are.”

Chapter Fourteen

Tank

“Some vacation.” I grinned while Junior and Serena exchanged vows out in front of the ocean. It was perfect.

Scary, but perfect.

And only scary because somehow Serena had convinced every single boss/uncle sitting up front to wear matching white linen shirts.

Meaning, all I saw were angry tattoos swirling around their crossed arms, and the guns strapped to their chests below the clothing.

They were their own army.

And the pictures? Well, they would definitely show the weapons. Poor caterers kept tripping in the sand as they set up the reception out closer to the water.

It would be hilarious to watch if I didn’t understand that fear very well. My first time meeting them, I’d nearly shit myself.

Now, it was a bit easier.

Because one of their princesses was entrusted to me.

“Yeah.” Kartini clung to my arm as we watched them make their promises. “It started at a wedding, and the drama ends at the wedding.’

“The drama.” I beamed down at her in her gorgeous, tan peasant dress and blue heels that matched her eyes. “But not us.”

“Never us.” She licked her lips and then frowned behind me. “Plus, I have a birthday to celebrate later this week.”

“Birthday sex,” Maksim slurred to himself as he slumped in his chair. King kept kicking him. I’d seen that look on Maksim’s face before.

He was pissed.

Which meant, he must have fought with Izzy again.

“You okay?” I elbowed him. “Maksim?”

“No.” His eyes were hollow, lost. “No, I’m not.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Ha…” He kicked some sand with his shoe. “No, Tank. I don’t want to talk. I want to drink. And I want to fuck. And then I want to do some math.”

“Ummm, okay.”

“Likes his math, turns him on,” King said from the other side of him. “Just…relax a bit, bro, then we’ll get you some coffee.”

King shot me a worried glance.

I turned back to Tiny. “What’s going on with him?”

Her expression shuddered. “Not my story to tell.”

“Ah, one