Merciless Queen Page 3

  “Everyone knows who you are. You’re on the news quite a bit.” Andre lowered his voice to a whisper, “Cassandra De Luca daughter of Donato De Luca. First female Don, people are fascinated.”

  “You’re not a stupid man, I can see that. Since you seem to know so much about my career per se, then you should know I don’t like playing games or talking in circles. You know what I meant by my question. Now I suggest you answer it.”

  Andre took another sip from his glass, unfazed by her threat.

  Cassandra

  Cassandra’s anger was starting to boil to the surface; she had been in the game long enough to know that when someone started playing games it only meant trouble. She wanted answers, and if she couldn’t get them, it would only be a phone call to have Andre taken care of. Much better to have him dead and gone than having to worry about him setting her up or stabbing her in the back later on. The waitress arrived with their meal, roasted bell pepper, and bacon risotto.

  “Some guy pointed you out at the bar. I don’t know his name or where he works so don’t ask. He told me who you were. Just like the rest of America, I am not immune to the allure of the Mafia. I was curious. That’s all.” Andre’s eyes met hers. He was relaxed, confident, and didn’t waver as he told her a variation of the truth. Cassandra nodded satisfied with his answer.

  “Now, if you don’t mind, I really would like to enjoy my meal without being interrogated by my beautiful date,” he said.

  They ate and kept conversation light for the rest of the date. Andre noticed how she seemed to have relaxed a little. A few times he caught the face of the woman he had back in his penthouse, almost like a switch would flip. She would forget who she was supposed to be and was just herself. Once dinner was over, Andre had made up his mind. He wanted to find out who the woman was behind the mask she wore. That was the key to getting what he needed. Standing up from the table he put his hand out. She took it and allowed him to lead her out of the restaurant to the Lexus parked in front.

  Cassandra slid into the same Lexus she had last night, and they took off toward his penthouse. No words were spoken, but Cassandra knew exactly where he was taking her. She couldn’t be more excited for him to have his hands all over her again. She tried to not let her attraction to him throw her off her game while they were at dinner. But now that they were alone, she couldn’t help but stare up at his strong jawline and broad shoulders as he drove. She could feel the sexual tension building in the car as they got closer to the penthouse. She snaked her hand out and rested it on his thigh. She could feel his body tense under her touch. She looked up at his dark-blue eyes, he turned to look at her, and she could see the desire lingering there.

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Impatient?”

  She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. “Very.”

  She squealed as Andre suddenly veered the car off the main road and pulled over on a quiet street. His attention was fully on her now that the car was parked.

  “Take them off,” he demanded.

  She didn’t need to ask what he meant. Anticipation pulsed through her body.

  “We’re in the middle of…” her words fell quiet as Andre narrowed his eyes on her, daring her to argue. Wetness pooled between her thighs at the dangerous-looking man beside her. She slowly reached under her dress and slid her underwear down to her ankles before taking them off. Andre’s eyes wandered across her entire body. In an instant, Andre grabbed on to her chin and crushed his mouth on to hers, pulling her bottom lip in between his teeth. His hand slipped under her dress and rubbed between her wet folds. She gasped at his touch.

  “More,” she moaned against his lips her voice coming out breathless.

  “Backseat.”

  She quickly started to climb over the console into the backseat. Her dress lifting up just enough to expose her bare perfect ass. He landed a slap to her ass as she fell the rest of the way into the backseat, giggling.

  Andre

  He froze for a second caught off guard by the carefree sound of her laughter. She had let her mask down. For now. Her skin glowed, and her cheeks flushed as she twirled a piece of the pink-dyed tip of her hair around her finger. She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth, teasing him.

  “What now?” she asked.

  Andre raised an eyebrow. “Touch yourself.”

  Her finger paused, and her eyes flashed to the windows.

  “They’re tinted, Amore. You know that. No one can see in here if they tried.”

  She hesitated still not confident.

  “Now,” his voice came out deep and demanding, but he could tell it did nothing but turn her on even more. He watched as she trailed her fingers up her thigh under her dress. She pulled out a knife and dropping to the floor.

  He cocked an eyebrow trying to look surprised. “Really?”

  She shrugged. Sitting up straight against the back seat she planted her feet against the back of the front seats and pulled her dress up to her waist. She opened her legs to give him a full view. She never broke eye contact as he watched her rub herself in slow circular motions occasionally sticking her finger inside. Andre watched until he couldn’t bear it any longer. Hoping over the console he was in between her legs. He wrapped his hand around her hair and pulled. Exposing her neck, he licked and sucked until she moaned. They laid down sideways across the seats. He hovered over her, fitted perfectly between her thighs.

  “Please…” she begged thrusting her hips up toward his now full erection pushing against his pants. The sound of a cellphone ringing filled the car. Andre’s hand started to travel to her thigh ignoring the ringing. Cassandra started to move against his hold.

  “Wait…” she gasped.

  “Ignore it,” he said his mouth hot against her ear and his hand kept traveling further up.

  “I can’t.” She rolled over, pushing Andre out of the way, and reached for her purse in the front seat.

  “What?” she snapped into the phone. Andre sat up, waiting. She pushed her fingers through her hair clearly frustrated as she listened on the other line. Pulling her dress back down over her thighs, she balanced the phone against her shoulder.

  “Yea, I hear you. Follow us back and then do what you gotta do. Yea, I’m sure.”

  She let the phone fall to the floor.

  “Back to the penthouse?” she asked as she finished readjusting her dress.

  Andre nodded. “What was that?” He tilted his head in the direction of the phone.

  She started pulling her hair into a ponytail. “Leo, we had a problem with the….”

  She froze. Realizing the mistake she almost made. Her wide eyes locked on him as if he was to blame for her almost slipup. Without saying another word, she climbed back into the front seat.

  Cassandra

  Nightlight seeped through the window as she pushed her naked body to the edge of the bed. Swooping down to pick up her bra that laid thrown across the floor. She hooked it and got up in search of the rest of her clothes as Andre watched her.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Well, unlike you, my work hours aren’t exactly 9–5. I have to go.”

  She found her dress and shimmed it up her naked behind. She remembered her panties were still laying on the floor of the Lexus. She decided to leave them as a sort of souvenir or maybe a goodbye present. Cassandra had decided that this needed to end. She wasn’t sure if Andre had been telling the truth about who he was, but she didn’t have any evidence to say otherwise. If he really was this businessman that he claimed, she couldn’t afford to get tied up in anything that would stray her focus from what was important. She remembered her dad’s words loud and clear. Cosa Nostra is your life. No matter what choices you make, Cosa Nostra will always be one. She had decided a long time ago she wasn’t going to put herself in a position where she had to choose Cosa Nostra over the people important to her. At the end of the day, she knew what her choice would have to be. They had gone back to the penthouse and finished what th
ey had started in the car. She’d be lying if she said Andre didn’t ruin her for other men. Taking his time, demanding what he wanted and giving her what she needed. It felt good to be out of control for one night letting him take and give but that was over. Before she realized it, two arms reached around her waist and pulled her back making her fall onto the bed. Andre’s lips were warm against her neck as he kissed her.

  “Stay,” he said.

  The bed was so soft and his body felt warm against hers. She could have easily melted in next to him, but she shook her head. Twisting out of his arms she slipped on her heels and left without looking back.

  Chapter Four

  Andre

  “So let me get this straight she just left? In the middle of the night?” Matteo questioned as he and Andre walked toward the office building the next morning.

  Andre sighed. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

  “You know what I call that? A booty call.”

  Andre stopped on the sidewalk and turned to look at Matteo.

  “What?” he asked, confused. People gave them dirty looks as they walked around them on the busy Chicago street, clutching their jackets close to brace themselves from the cold autumn winds.

  Matteo shrugged his large shoulders. “That’s what it sounds like to me. She comes to your place, gets what she wants, and leaves. What does that sound like to you?”

  “Like someone who is busy. I’m the one who invited her to dinner.”

  Matteo scuffed and kept walking. “If that’s what you want to think.”

  “Wait.” Andre held his hand out stopping Matteo from walking any further. “You really think it was a booty call?”

  Andre would be lying if he said he wasn’t starting to feel used. He needed Cassandra to be fascinated and charmed by him but instead, she had flipped the tables. He couldn’t stop thinking about how vulnerable and relaxed she was in his bedroom. Then a few hours later she was so cold and distant.

  Matteo nodded. “Yea, I would say so. It’s not a big deal; you just have to get the upper hand.”

  Andre scrubbed a hand over his face. That was easier said than done with Cassandra.

  *****

  The rest of the day in the office went by in a blur. There was nothing more boring to Andre than doing paperwork. It was hard to work on his legitimate business when he knew there were so many other illegal businesses he needed to get his hands into before he had to go back to Montreal. Cassandra’s slip last night told him he might be close to getting what he needed. But from the way she walked out on him, made him think otherwise. It was obvious her switch had flipped, and he bet it was going to be a lot harder now to break down those walls. Unable to concentrate on the documents at his desk any longer he pulled out his phone and sent her a quick text.

  Cassandra

  Hearing her phone vibrate Cassandra rolled over to her bedside table checking the time. It was nearly three o’clock in the afternoon. After she left Andre’s penthouse, she had to meet Leo at the doc to look at the rest of the product. Unfortunately, it never showed up. Their shipment was running late. Late shipments could mean it was stopped by the FEDS or someone was trying to steal products. It didn’t happen often, but she needed to be there later today to make sure nothing fishy was going on. She had spent the rest of the night at Tempest, collecting money from her capos and getting information. When she finally got back to her apartment, she had stripped her clothes off and fell asleep. Forgetting even to turn off the lights. She read the text message that popped across her screen.

  What are you wearing?

  She smiled at the cliché and decided to reply honestly.

  Nothing.

  She stretched in her bed feeling the cold breeze from the window she left cracked open. As she did, her small gray cat, Grayson, hopped on the bed next to her waiting to be feed. She had decided to leave Andre alone, but she couldn’t help text him. Rubbing her eyes, she rolled over to the side of the bed, pushing herself to a sitting position. She opened her stash jar before starting to roll a joint. She let it rest as she balanced her phone on her shoulder.

  “Ciao,” Lucas greeted.

  “Morning, we still on for tonight right?”

  She climbed out of bed, Grayson following close behind her as she ruffled through her closet for something to throw on.

  “Yea, ‘post to arrive within the next couple of hours.”

  She found a big sweater and threw it on.

  “It’s just you?” she asked as her bare feet slapped against the hardwood floors finding her way into the kitchen.

  “And Calvin.”

  “Good, I’ll be there in a few.”

  She hung up the phone and set it down on the counter. Not a second later it vibrated.

  Don’t tease me.

  She grinned. A knock on the door interrupted her, and she went to open the door for Leo.

  “You know my schedule too well sometimes, Leo.”

  He nodded. “That I do.”

  He handed her a large Starbucks cup. She took the cup and letting her hands warm against the sides as she took a sip and walked back into the kitchen.

  “Any news?” she asked.

  She opened the cabinet, grabbing the cat food and pouring it into Grayson’s food bowl. Leo shrugged out of his jacket and sat down at the kitchen island.

  “Your father called. He’s worried about you. Wants you to come to dinner sometime.”

  She busied herself making a bowl of cereal.

  “I will,” she said vaguely.

  “I did some more digging into your friend.”

  “Oh yeah, and?” She cocked her eyebrow as she leaned against the counter eating her cereal.

  “And nothing.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks.”

  “No, I mean nothing. It’s like he doesn’t exist or he has been living off the grid. I can’t find anything.”

  “Hmm, you think I should be worried?” she asked.

  “Let me worry. That’s my job. Your father wouldn’t be happy if he found out you’re doing my job.” Leo had been loyal to her father when he was a boss. Her father made sure to have him stick to her side when he found out she was taking over. Cassandra’s father had groomed her for this life but you couldn’t tell from the way he calls Leo daily to check up on her. She finished her cereal and coffee before getting ready for the day while Leo hung out in the kitchen. His eyes stayed glued to the TV watching the news. She threw on a pair of jeans, heels, and a tank top throwing her leather jacket over top. This had become her and Leo’s morning routine.

  “I don’t know how you can stand to watch this shit,” she said as she picked up her joint and lit it standing next to her bedside table.

  “It’s good to know what’s going on around you, Cass.”

  Cass was a family nickname; Leo used it only when they weren’t doing business and never in front of other made men.

  “Going to the dock?” he asked.

  “Yea, the shipment was late; it’s supposed to come soon.”

  Leo turned his head around to look at her. “Late? When’s the last time a shipment’s been late?”

  Cassandra inhaled another hit of her joint feeling the slight burn in her lungs.

  “A long time, that’s why I’m going down there. Michael’s never had a problem before. He’s always making sure the FEDS don’t stop our cargo. If something’s up I won’t hesitate to kill him and find myself another Stevedore to pay off.”

  There was silence while Cassandra smoked her joint, already feeling her shoulders relax with each inhale.

  Leo cleared his throat. “So…how are things going with your friend?”

  Cassandra shot him a look.

  Leo threw his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying you need to be careful, Cass.”

  She didn’t need that reminder. She was well aware of the risk she had taken going back to his penthouse again. He was fun, and there was no doubt she was attracted to him, but it was what
it was. Cassandra took a few more hits of her joint throwing the roach in the ashtray.

  “You ready?” she asked ignoring Leo’s attempt to pry into her fling with Andre.

  “Yea, let’s go.”

  *****

  Although Gio was her underboss, Cassandra relied heavily on her two favorite capos: Calvin and Lucas. They made their loyalty clear from the beginning. They took care of anyone who had a problem with a female boss taking over Cosa Nostra. They were young but good at their jobs. Gio took care of the big business, places where Cassandra rather not risk showing her face. The fewer people who knew who she was the better. He was currently in New Jersey checking on some issues they’ve had gun smuggling. Next, he’d be at the border cleaning up the problem with the Mexican cartel to ensure they weren’t a threat to us.

  “Dov’è?” Cassandra asked as she approached the two men. Both wore fitted suites, with buzzed haircuts. Calvin, the bigger of the two, smoked on a cigarette swinging a crowbar in his hand.

  Lucas cocked his head toward the building behind him. “He’s waiting in the office, Boss.”

  “You check the product?” she asked.

  “Waiting for you,” Calvin said.

  Crossing her arms over her chest against the cold breeze coming from the river, Cassandra followed them across the shipyard. They stopped at a big red shipping crate. Inside were stacks of wood boxes. Calvin, using his crowbar, pried open one of the boxes to reveal clear bags full of coke. Enough coke to put her away for life. She cut a bag open and offered it out to Lucas. He took a small sample on his pinkie and rubbed it against his gums to make sure it wasn’t tainted. Once Lucas confirmed it was all good, she decided to speak with Micheal. They made their way to the brick building in the corner of the shipyard.

  Micheal sat at a table in the middle of the employee break room. His eyes kept darting back and forth between Cassandra, who stood in front of him, and Calvin and Lucas standing off to the side. He fiddled with the ring on his hand. Taking it off and putting it back on, twisting it around his finger as she stared down at him.