Maid for the Mafia
You Are The Reason

**ROMANY**

The moment the words left my mouth I felt stupid. Mickey still hadn't responded and now my bravado was fading. *Shit. Now he probably thinks I'm some sex kind of sex junkie.*

I released his shirt, my smile faltering as I shied away from him and redirected my focus to the floor.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I just-well I-I"-I bit my tongue to stop my blabbering-"nevermind."

Stepping to my right, I began to walk around him, but his left arm shot out and wrapped around my upper torso. One swift yank back and I was in front of him again. However, the insecurity I created for myself a moment ago wouldn't let me meet his eyes.

"Look at me, doll," Mickey murmured, grabbing my hip and tugging me closer.

Closing my eyes, I shook my head in refusal. My heart was drumming in my chest like a stampede of wild buffalo and for some reason I was sure the entire room could hear it.

The sudden heat of his breath on my ear made me gasp, and my eyelids fluttered to half-mast.

"I already told you before," he whispered. "If you want something, all you need to do is ask me for it."

His words from that day behind the waterfall danced through my head instantly, *There is very little that I wouldn't do, just to have you. I'd give you anything. All you have to do is name it.*

I've felt somewhat haunted by him since that day. Everything he did to me and everything he said to me sitting like bait in my head. A trap laid by a very clever, very *passionate* man that knew way more about me than I did about him. Urging me toward him with the simple promise to tell me about myself. And maybe... reveal a few secrets *behind* the secrets.

A rush of nerves climbed up my chest and I couldn't bring myself to speak. Mickey's hand on my hip tightened and his lips left my ear to trace over my cheek. Slowly they caressed my face, dropping featherlight kisses in their wake. "Mickey," Tiny called out, his voice strained. "The gun Mickey."

My head snapped his way and I followed the direction of his eyes. The gun in Mickey's hand had lowered, falling limply to his side as if he'd lost his concentration or had been... distracted.

Realizing that was more than likely my fault, I winced and was about to apologize when Mickey spoke. "There are five damn guards in here. Unless they are useless and ready to be fired, I should hope they can handle one ugly *has-been* that I hope to God you've already disarmed."

"When I get out of there"-Enzo snapped, half mumbling as he was yanked upright-"you are going to wish you never met me you little punk!"

"You won't need to wait until you get out for that," Mickey replied with a chuckle. "I already wish I never met you."

As the guards and Tiny began to escort Enzo out the sliding glass doors I chanced a glance his way. He was glaring at me, his eyes wild with rage as he snarled, "This isn't over little girl! I promise you! I'm going to take pleasure in fucking you into a cripple before I put a bullet in your worthless head."

I yelped as Mickey's free arm suddenly wrapped around my head, yanking me face first into his chest.

*POP!*

The sudden shot was so loud and bone jarring that my body jolted and I grabbed at Mickey's shirt. Sulfur tinged the air around me and I shivered. Lowering his arm away from my ears, the space was suddenly filled with Enzo's growling and yelling.

"You fucking idiot!" Enzo screamed. "You are *going to die*, Scavo!"

I spun around, watching as the guards carried Enzo out the door and down the path that led away from the pool. A trail of blood chased their steps and my eyes flared in surprise. *Somebody just shot him?* The gun Mickey had been holding was now resting on the table, but one little sniff told me it was *that* one that fired.

"Why..." I started to ask, tilting my head to study Mickey's face.

The man was devoid of emotion, unless you count the fact that he looked *bored*. But I remembered what Enzo said before Mickey shot him and now more than ever I was starting to get a little wary. *Mickey shot him because he threatened me. I just know it.* My jaw tightened and I shoved him with all my might. He didn't budge at all. Not an inch, not a centimeter. In fact, I started to doubt he even felt me push him.

"I *do not* want to be the reason there are people hunting for your head!" I seethed, attempting to shove him again. At least he looked at me this time, but there was no remorse. None whatsoever. "You can't put that on me! Please don't!" Still nothing, just a blank stare.

"You realize you just took about ten years off my life, right?" Tiny complained, shaking his head at Mickey. "That was fucking close. I had my knee directly behind his. What if you would have missed?"

"When have I *ever*?" Mickey asked blandly, not even looking in Tiny's direction. "Go see that Enzo has been secured and have the men remove the bullet from his leg using the needle nose pliers. They have to coderize it with a blow torch and a copper stamp. That should help cure him of his yapping." Then, with a faint smile he added, "Be quick, too. The three of us have something we need to talk about."

"I-hey-I-" *Grrrr... how does he make me so nervous?* I scowled as Tiny disappeared into the backyard, taking two steps back as Mickey smirked at me.

"I love it when you get all tongue tied over something I say," Mickey teased. "It makes me want to do things to you," he said seductively as he walked toward me. "It makes me wonder how flustered you might get if I did a little tongue *twisting*." His eyes blackened again, the pupils stretching the full eight millimeters as his gaze locked on the vee above my thighs.

I was backing up at the same speed that he was walking, because I didn't want him distracting me from my anger. "There will be no tongue twisting *anything* until you acknowledge what I said to you!"

He chuckled, taking off his jacket as he continued to prowl forward. I groaned in frustration when he still did not respond. I was just about to tell him that I'd changed my mind, that I didn't want either of them - not because it was true, but because I wanted to make him listen to me - when I suddenly came in contact with the wall.

Seeing that I had nowhere left to run, he closed the distance between us in two long steps. Planting his hands on each side of me, he caged me between his arms. Staring directly into my eyes, he dropped his smile. "You are not the reason people are hunting for my head," he insisted, with a flex of his jaw. "You are the reason that *I am* hunting for *theirs," he declared.

I didn't know what to say to that. I wasn't sure if I even wanted that kind of devotion. I was about to tell him so when a familiar fire sparked behind his green gaze and he leaned in.

"Right now, you and I are heading to *my* suite," he rumbled, his eyes glued to the rise and fall of my chest. "Because if you are going to want both of us," he hissed, reaching a hand down to stroke a finger back and forth around the neckline of my jumpsuit. "Then I am going to be the one that gets to taste you first."