Dangerous Flames (Mafia Hearts) Read Online Free Page B

bread in silence.
After his plate was empty, he washed it all down with a glass of
Lagier Meredith wine.
    Fifteen
people, not counting himself, sat around the table. The only other
female present was Maura who would excuse herself at any moment, so
the men could go into more detail while talking shop.
    While
he drank another glass of wine, Mikolas looked around at the Family.
Bo and Ray were some of the few who weren’t afraid to laugh
because they treated life as an enormous game. Mikolas enjoyed
hanging out with the two men on occasion but not any of the others,
including his father. The rest of them remained stone-faced to keep a
hard image. After completing one more big hit, he’d get the
specifics of the job as the Medini Family enforcer, connecting
Mikolas to these men until death. Which category would he fall into
after he’s officially made part of the Family in a few months?
    One
thing was certain; these guys thrived on the danger, always looking
for an opportunity to rile up some trouble. Mikolas wasn’t
stupid. That had been Clayton’s entire intention when he
mentioned Stefano earlier. Mikolas should hold similar traits as the
Enrico’s men but couldn’t find those in himself at all no
matter how hard he’d tried. He described himself as good—hell,
he held a talent of killing people—but he hated it. The very
idea of becoming one of them made his anxiety roar to life. So why
did he stay when he still had a chance to get out of it all?
    Suddenly
needing some fresh air and a new atmosphere, he excused himself from
the table. Thankfully everyone planned to have a nightcap in the den,
Mikolas would have the hot tub to himself for a while. Exactly what
he needed before Gabi joined him for a swim.
    The
pool house sat a few feet from the hot tub and served as a dressing
room while storing a dresser full of swimwear available to guests.
The Medini’s didn’t skimp on anything, he decided as he
crossed the marble floor that matched the flooring of the main house.
    He
slipped his Dockers off and then his shirt. Both were folded nicely
on the wicker couch with his Glock hidden underneath the pants. Being
neat and tidy had been part of his training given to him by his
father and Enrico that had started at age twelve, reinforced in the
police academy, and remained a trait he valued as an adult.
    Too
bad the other members of the Family didn’t share a similar
cleanliness habit, he thought as Mikolas dug through the drawer for
his swim trunks. After locating his heather gray shorts, he slipped
them on, flipped the switch to turn on the outdoor heaters, and
headed out to the hot tub. He turned the dial to start the jets and
slipped slowly in the water. The heat took his breath away but
quickly eased the tension from his shoulders.
    He
leaned back and closed his eyes. Events of the day bubbled through
his mind, making his muscles tense again. Tonight needed to be about
relaxation, not worrying, so he pushed the thoughts away as quick as
possible. Life would be sweet if he could just focus on Gabi instead
of stealing men’s lives. His heart swelled as he pictured her
face.
    Should
I do it? Since Gabi had returned to Nevada, Mikolas had allowed himself to
fantasize about revealing his feelings to her. The fantasy always
ended with the two of them taking off together, living their lives
together far from the Mafia. Mikolas wasn’t a fool. He could
walk away alone, but with Gabi by his side Enrico would hunt them
down unless the couple left the country. If Mikolas managed to keep
them hidden from her father, he could provide a good life for
Gabrielle. Their future as a couple certainly got his pulse racing.
Only a good fantasy, he reminded himself, one that would never see
the light of day.
    He
opened his eyes and surveyed the gorgeous surroundings. Palm trees
bordered blooming gardenia trees. A fountain stood in the corner of
the marble deck along with some patio furniture and a bar. Beyond the
pool area laid a long