POSSESSED: MISS CIA AND THE MAFIA DON

CHAPTER NINETEEN

In a room full of wolves, only the hyena survives…

CAMERON

The room falls silent as I enter, all eyes turning to me.

Earl’s gaze is the first to meet mine.

Even across this distance I can see his eyes widen in surprise.

But he recovers quickly. His piercing eyes narrowing slightly as he takes in my transformed appearance.

A hint of approval flickers across his face, followed by something darker, more primal. Something dangerously identical to lust.

Nikolas's gaze, seated where he is opposite his brother, is more overt, his eyes roving over me with a hunger and suspicion that makes my skin prickle.

Earl’s face, fixed on mine as it is, remains unreadable as he rises from his seat.

“Cameron…”

All he says is my name, his voice low and husky, yet I blush all the way to my toes.

“Earl.” I say back, nodding and allowing him to kiss me on my cheek.

His hands slide around the small of my back to hold me against him for just the briefest of seconds.

I tell myself it’s nothing but the minute his lips brush against my skin, I might as well be back in that bathtub, his mouth slanted over mine.

He lets me go just as my stomach starts to twist in on itself and pulls out a chair for me to seat beside him.

As I lower myself into my seat, I can feel the men's eyes fixed on my every move.

A shiver runs down my spine, my senses heightened by the awareness that I'm the center of attention.

Rose's whispered words echo in my mind: "You're a vision, darling."

And for the very first time, I believe her.

I sat stiffly beside Earl, trying to make sense of the tense atmosphere at the dinner table.

Everyone is dressed a version of a button up shirt and expensive tailored pants.

Everyone that is, except for his father, Salvatore Mallore, the mafia don, sitting at the head of the table.

I look towards him and for the first time in my life, set my eyes on the man responsible for holding together and running one of the most successful crime syndicates in the country.

The man, dressed in a wooly cardigan despite the warmth in the room, is no doubt closer to a hundred years than he is to thirty, yet I can see shadows of the scary, handsome man who must have given both Earl and Nikolas their good looks.

He seems to be sizing me up, his piercing gaze so intense that I am starting to feel like an insect under a microscope.

I fidget with my napkin, trying to appear calm, but my heart is racing.

It doesn’t help that Nikolas is seated across the table from me, glowing, his eyes hard and unflinching.

I think he thinks that if he stares hard enough at me, my head will spontaneously explode and all my secrets will come spilling out.

Well have I got news for you, buddy.

To Earl’s right sits an older man that I only recognize from the briefs I was given at the agency.

Marco Gambiano. The Consigliere for the Salvatore Mafia family.

He is Earl and Nikolas’s uncle but not on their father’s side.

He is their mother’s brother.

A woman who as far as the CIA knows hasn’t been spotted in years.

I feel like I am trapped in a den of predators, with no clear escape route.

Besides me, Earl clears his throat.

“Father, Uncle Marco, I would like you to meet Cameron. My fiancé.”

I smile softly and incline my head at both men.

“Good evening Don Mallore. Uncle Marco.”

To my credit, my voice comes out firm and clear. You wouldn’t even know how close I am to running away screaming with my hands in the air.

Salvatore Mallore grunts unpleasantly but the uncle offers me a tight lipped smile.

“You may call me Marco.” He says, nodding at me.

His voice is oily. Small and tiny for a man his size. His eyes, the same light blue as Earl’s stare down at me from across the table and I feel a shudder pass through me.

Salvatore snorts again from the head of the table. “She will do no such thing. At least not yet.”

I almost sigh out loud.

Oh boy.

Suddenly the doors open and servers dressed in literal livery begin bringing in covered silver trays of piping hot food.

"So, Cameron," Salvatore starts, the minute the servants are gone, his voice dripping with malice. "I hear you're quite the intelligent woman. Tell me, what makes you think you can handle being part of this family?"

I don’t remember who reached for who first but I feel Earl's fingers when they wrap around my hand, squeezing them gently underneath the table.

If I didn’t know better I would almost think he is trying to reassure me.

But if I want any of them to respect me, then I would have to stand on my own.

I pull my hand out of his and tilt my chin up. "I'm capable of handling myself, Mr. Mallore," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I've built a successful career, and I'm not afraid of hard work."

“I doubt that.” Salvatore scoffs in his scratchy deep voice, cutting almost aggressively into his steak. "As I feared, you’re just a pretty face, a trophy for Earl to show off.”

He points his dinner knife at me. “No doubt you approached my son intending to trap him for his money, But as you will soon come to learn, this family isn't all glamor and glitz. We're about power, respect,” his dark eyes find mine. “loyalty ."

I feel a surge of anger and fear, but Earl's hand is around mine once more and the fear dissipates a little.

I take a deep breath. “With all due respect Mr Mallore.”

“Don Mallore.” He snaps but I power ahead ignoring the correction.

“I care very deeply for your son. But let’s be real, what self respecting woman with a good head on her shoulders wouldn’t try to get something out of your son’s influence and power?”

Salvatore Mallore grunts derisively but there is a quiet, cautious interest to his eyes now that wasn’t there before.

I sit up straighter. “As for loyalty, I believe Don, that you will find that I am tougher than you think”

Nikolas speaks up then, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Yeah, because nothing says “Loyal” like marrying a woman who's only interested in your money and status."

“Nikolas, lay off.” Earl says, a warning in his tone as he turns to his brother.

But I simply just smirk at him.

“Perhaps if you had more of both Nikolas, you would be the one with a woman on your side of the table and not your Uncle.”

Nikolas turns red with rage just as Salvatore lets out a bark of laughter.

Earl glances at me and the flash of pride that flickers in his eyes has my chest fluttering.

I look away quickly, lifting my cup to my lips.

But Nikolas isn’t done. He leans forward on his elbows, pushing his plate aside and glaring down at me. “Who are you really?”

Earl glowers at him before he can force me to answer. “And since when has the woman in my bed ever been of any concern of yours Nikolas?”

I almost choke on my wine. The woman in his bed??

“Since you decided to force her upon all of us.” Nikolas throws back.

Salvatore's gaze, unbothered by his son’s bickering, turns to Earl. "You're too soft on this broad, Earl. You need to toughen up if you're going to take my place."

“Yeah Earl” Nikolas agrees, his voice dripping with spite. “and stop bringing every lost thing in a skirt that you find on the streets in to our home.”

My face flushes with anger, but I bite back my retort and when I stab at my duck, I imagine it’s Nikolas Salvatore’s eye.

Earl isn’t as calm. He hits the table so hard, the plates jump and rattle.

“You say one more word insulting her again and I swear to God, not even father would be able to stop me reaching across this table and punching your lights out.”

Nikolas leans back, out of his brother’s reach. I can see the fear that flashes across his face but he hides it well.

He hisses at Earl through clenched teeth. “I’d like to see you try.”

The room falls silent and I have no doubt that were it not for my hand grabbing unto his, Earl would have reached over the table and punched his brother.

I feel like I have been caught in a sticky web of family dynamics, with no clear escape route.

“Enough. Both of you.” The uncle, Marco finally snaps, talking for the second thing that evening.

He turns to me, gesturing with his hands.

“I apologize, Miss Cameron, for my nephew’s crassness. But you do understand how hard this sudden pill is to swallow.”

Salvatore speaks up, his voice low and menacing. "Let's not forget why we're here. We're discussing the future of this family, and Cameron's place in it."

At this point I can feel sweat starting to trickle down my back.

Am I the pawn or the player?

I glance at Earl, but his expression is unreadable. I am on my own.

Salvatore's wrinkled gaze turns back to me as he lifts his fork to his thin lips. "So, Cameron, tell me. What do you know about our family business?"

I hesitate, unsure of how much to reveal. "I know it's...complicated," I finally say, trying to tread carefully.

Salvatore laughs. "Complicated? That's one way to put it. Let's just say we have...interests. And we do whatever it takes to protect them. The question now Cameron,” His gaze narrows and I can feel my heart start to pound.

He points his knife at me again. “Is are you prepared to do the same?”