Exploding: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection #1) Read Online Free PDF

around her kitchen in her bare feet, not slowing until Jen came through the door, her fingers twisting in angst. She only ever lost her brassy attitude when family drama between the O’Keefes and the D’Amatos came into play. “Vince is here. He’s asking for you. You want me to call the cops? Should I call Carrigan?”
    Fallyn swallowed, fighting to remain calm. “No. I’ll take care of it. You want to send him on back?”
    Jen pursed her lips. “No, but I will if that’s what you want. I’m calling Killian, just in case.”
    “No. Don’t call anyone. This is trial and error. If we treat them like a fight’s coming, one’ll find us for sure. Send him back. If I don’t come out in five, you can call Killian then.” She held up her finger. “Killian, not the cops.” Her friend was about to go back out to face the customers with a terrified expression on her face. “Smile, Jen. Everything’s fine. I bought this store because it was in neutral territory. We have every right to be here.”
    Jen shook her head as she readied herself to face the man who had always scared her. “I don’t think that matters as much to the D’Amatos as you’re hoping it does.”
    Fallyn took a few calming breaths, standing up straight and reminding herself that she was a business owner, and Vince was a customer. It didn’t matter that their families had been feuding for a decade and a half. It didn’t matter that someone affiliated with her family had been questioned in the death of Papa D, The D’Amato patriarch. The years of territory disputes, fist fights, gun fights, drug wars and personal vendettas didn’t matter. She was surrounded by muffins and sugar, and she could be just as sweet. That was all that mattered.
    Vince strolled into the backroom with his shoulders back and a bouquet of lilies clutched in his fist. “Hey, Little Keefer. Quite a place you’ve got here.” His voice was deep and even. He walked with his shoulders rolled back as if the number of murders under his belt did absolutely nothing to bog him down.
    “Vince.” She took in his short black hair that was always too perfectly in place, his tall stature backed by hard muscles that were built by an adolescence of carrying out his father’s back alley deals. He wore a permanently stoic expression that always seemed to be soaking things in for devising ruthless brutality at a later date.
    “I brought you these.” He displayed the flowers he clutched in his hand, holding onto them when he took in her shock.
    Fallyn’s mouth fell open, her expression calculating Vince for false moves. She’d been expecting veiled threats or out and out aggression, not a beautiful bouquet. “You brought me flowers? I don’t understand. You’ve n-never brought us flowers before.” Slowly she took the large bouquet from the towering Italian. His fingernails were cut short, tolerating no imperfections or wastes of his time. He wore his usual white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled exactly to his elbows, and black pressed pants with the same map of Italy silver belt buckle the D’Amatos all wore. He had always been finicky for the details. His ice blue eyes took in the flour smudges on her face and dress with a noticeable amount of discomfort, looking like a wolf deciding how best to play with Bambi before taking her down. Fallyn met his gaze, refusing to feel small in his presence, though in her bare feet, she was exactly that. “Your whole family spat on my mother’s casket, but you’re bringing me flowers?”
    “Papa D left the family business to me, and I’m tired of burying people. Aren’t you?”
    “Well, yeah. I’ve been trying to make peace for years, but you never seemed up for it. Now you’re bringing me flowers?”
    Tired of holding onto the declaration of a truce, Vince laid the bouquet on the employee desk. “I guess I am. You’re well within your rights to open a store here. Killian and I have an understanding. I trust you’re keeping