Detained: A Dark Mafia Romance (Beneath The Mask Series Book 4)
Detained: Chapter 2

I tug on the chains connected to my handcuffs and lean back in my chair. There’s just the meticulous ticking of the clock to keep me company. Whatever Luca’s plan is to get me out of this questioning room needs to speed the fuck up.

The longer I’m in here, the more time Romano Capri has to retaliate. The police are right. I sliced his daughter Maria’s throat and had her dumped at his son’s place. You take one of mine, I take ten of yours. In fact, we’ve murdered all three of his kids. Although, I didn’t bank on some of our new recruits missing some brain cells and leaving her body in plain sight.

I tap my handcuffs impatiently on the metal table in front of me. The cops were called out of the room thirteen minutes and twenty-three seconds ago. The fury in their eyes told me all I needed to know. They won’t be keeping me here much longer.

The commissioner wants Romano out of New York. Well, that means he has no choice but to let me free to rid the world of that bastard.

The door creaks open and a grin twitches on my lips. I twist my head around as soon as I hear the clicking of heels on the tiled floor. A woman. Interesting.

Her dark green eyes meet mine and I’m faced with a scowl. “Are the cuffs really necessary?” I hold up my hands.

She ignores me and storms past the table, her dainty fingers grabbing hold of the seat in front of me. I cross my ankle over my knee and study her. Her silky black hair sits just on her shoulders and her plump lips are shining under the lights. The power suit that tugs her in so perfectly at the waist that I can see the outline of her breasts. Without even witnessing it, her curves tell me she has a perfectly round ass.

“You murdered Maria Capri.” Her face remains stern. The woman has balls. She knows exactly who I am. The same as I know her. Miss Zara O’Reilly. Only daughter of commissioner George. Rose through the ranks of NYPD with an immaculate record, on her own accord. She’s a force of nature here according to her stats.

I shrug. I did the world a favor, and it got me one step closer to my end goal.

“Why?” she presses. Any other cop would have just come in here, set me free without so much as a word. But not this pretty little thing.

My elbows rest on the table as I lean forward. “Do you really think I’m stupid, Detective?” I drawl out the last word.

Her eyes form into slits. “To kill a woman, the only daughter of the biggest crime boss in Europe. Yes. I think you must be pretty dumb, Mr. Falcone.”

The way she says my last name has my cock twitching, imagining the way she would moan out “sir”. I shake my head to try and free myself of the image.

“I didn’t realize you were an expert on the mafia, Miss O’Reilly. Now, if you don’t mind, I am a busy man, as you well know.” I wink at her and hold up my wrists.

She pulls out a key from her pocket and leans over the table, just enough to give me a peek of the top of her full breasts hiding under her shirt. “Nice tattoos.” I barely hold back a grin.

It’s not often I get the opportunity to rile a woman up like this. I’m used to them doing exactly what I say. Zara is a new kind of game.

Her chin tilts down, and I let a smile play over my lips, watching her realize the button is undone. She doesn’t rectify it; she just shakes her head and continues unlocking my handcuffs.

She steps back as they drop on the table. I rub my wrists and raise myself from the stiff confines of the chair. She stands her ground as I walk towards her. “Will it make you sleep better at night if you truly knew the monster you are releasing?”

When she takes a step back, I take one forward. I want to fuck with her. I like a challenge. Ideally, I want this detective on my side. But, it’s not a necessity. I’m sure the commissioner can keep his daughter on track.

The blush spreading up her chest tells me what I need to know.

“You’re free to go, Mr. Falcone. For now.” She mutters the last part under her breath.

I lean down, my nose brushing against her cheek. I almost expect her to clock me in the jaw, but she doesn’t. “I slit that bitch’s throat and let her bleed out on the concrete. I laughed as I watched her take her last breath. And I will do the same to anyone who gets in my way.”

She sucks in a breath and leans back, looking me dead in the eye. There isn’t an ounce of fear there.

“Clock’s ticking. You might have the commissioner on your side, but not everyone listens to him. Now get the fuck out of my personal space.” She juts her chin defiantly.

I tilt my head and bite my bottom lip. Fuck, this woman. She struggles with control. She clearly isn’t happy with her father’s orders to release me.

“The clock’s only just started, sweetheart. We’re in a new reign.”

I step back, despite my body not wanting to. I want to bend her over the table and spank her for speaking to me like this. I could fuck this defiance out of her in no time.

But I won’t. I know my limits.

“You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?” Her sweet voice has my full attention, even if it is laced with venom.

“Hmm?” I respond, watching the color deepen on her neck. It’s either from stress or my presence, or both.

Why is she still speaking?

“I’m sorry, I’m free to go right? I don’t have to explain myself to you, detective. Now I suggest you run along back to your father to collect your next order.”

I keep my expression stern and watch as her hands ball into fists, so tightly her black glitter nails dig into her skin.

“Fuck you,” she spits back.

Instinctively, my hand shoots out and my fingers lace around her throat, pressing her into the wall behind. I feel her swallow against my palm.

“Silence. Much better.” I can’t believe I’ve listened to this woman for the last five minutes, no matter how beautiful and intriguing she may be. No one speaks to me like that.

The fact there’s a speck of desire in her eyes behind the fury has me tightening my grip. She needs to learn her place. Clearly, she’s more of a loose cannon than I first thought.

“Your kind are no better than mine. I don’t hide who I truly am, while you all cower behind a badge. But you’re different, aren’t you, detective? Under this tight uniform, those tattoos, and that defiance against your controlling father. I can smell your desire from here. You want to fuck.”

I loosen my hand to allow her to speak.

“I want to fuck.” She rubs her neck, her gaze landing on my cock straining against my pants. The red marks around her throat are not helping the situation.

Her fingers pull my tie to tug me back towards her. Our noses nearly touch as she bites down on her lower lip with hooded eyes.

Those full lips brush the hairs on my jaw as the heat of her breath washes across my ear. “Anyone on this planet, other than you.”

A smile teases the corner of my mouth. It’s cut short when her knee slams into my balls.

“What the fuck,” I mutter under my breath as I struggle not to bend over.

“I’m probably not your usual type. Let me guess, quiet and submissive. ‘Yes sir, no sir. Oh, Frankie, please’.” She fake moans the last part, and I have to stop my lips twitching into a grin.

This fucking woman.

She makes me murderous and turned on at the same time. My brain and dick are currently fighting a battle for blood.

“Now, get out. Touch me again, I will cut off your hands.” She stomps over to the door and opens it, while flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. Gesturing me towards the hall, she wears a carefully polite expression.

I shake my head and follow her out. “You’re crazy,” I whisper.

She shrugs, keeping a fake smile in place. The lieutenant, Alex, from earlier watches our interaction from the corridor.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Mr. Falcone.”

I lean towards her, watching her hand tighten around the doorknob.

“I hope for your sake, we don’t meet again, detective,” I say in a low tone and walk past her, ignoring her gawking friend as I do.

Pushing out the heavy door into the warm sun, I spot Grayson’s white Audi in the parking lot next to a shiny black Porsche. The sign in front of it reads ‘Detective’.

Interesting.

I loosen my tie and slide in the passenger seat.

“Morning, boss. Good night?” Grayson’s blue eyes look over his sunglasses, with one blonde brow raised.

“I’ve had worse. I miss anything?”

A few hours in this life, a lot can change. The last couple of weeks have been filled with bloodshed and death. The Capris have been fucking with my family right under my nose. Romano’s long-lost son is my niece’s rapist. The same guy who forced her into a marriage and fooled us all. I will live to regret missing that. I should have known.

But now she has Luca, which means we have to lose him as a leader. I have vowed to carry on our revenge. It’s not just for me anymore, but for Luca’s mom and Eva, my niece. We are in the middle of war, and this is what happens; people lose their lives. Grayson knows that. He’s my new right-hand man, the ex-marine. We’ve come a long way from him wanting to murder me for kidnapping his wife. Luca’s men have become mine. Their loyalty lies with me. Why? Because they know I can end this war.

My thirst for Romano’s blood is unmatchable. The last ten years will come down to these next few months. Every part of my plot boils down to the end of the Capris. Only then can I breathe again, knowing I took my revenge.

“No, Luca and Rosa arrived in Greece safely. Enzo has started looking into Romano’s whereabouts. Me and Keller have been rounding up the guys in the gym waiting for your arrival.”

We built an army, now it’s time to use it.