Sniping Her Mafia King

"Was that on purpose?"

Addy helped her into the cabin of the chopper and his frustrated hiss as her entire leg and part of her hip was exposed made her giggle. All conversations ceased as he pulled the dress around her leg and then hopped in beside her leaning over her warningly. "No. Accidental. I don't want the world to see everything."

"You couldn't find any underwear to fit under this thing?"

"Sure, but you don't think it would have looked funny to see my underwear?"

"Better than the world seeing your a*s."

"You should hope there's not a breeze or someone will see my vag-"

His finger against her lips made her smirk. "Enough."

He passed her a set of headphones and pointed to Enrique. "Make sure she keeps her clothes on."

"Can't I have another job?" Enrique could barely look at Arwen. "Maybe you need a kidney or my liver? I will even sacrifice my oldest child."

Addy moved to the captain's chair with Santino ignoring Enrique's teasing.

The helicopter started up and Arwen was excited to see Addy piloting the chopper. His voice in her ear of the headphones let her know the flight would be brief and uneventful. Yet, the notion of him being in control of the vehicle was titillating. Again, he and Santino conversed in Italian but somehow with the technical aspects of the flight, Arwen felt she was following the conversation somewhat.

The flight was brief as he'd said it would be, barely twenty minutes from landing to landing and Arwen almost laughed aloud when Addy instructed her to remain seated and not move a muscle until he said so. Enrique looked at her sideways, "you should have changed. He's going to be a d**k all night."

She chuckled at his words, "I've done nothing wrong. He bought the dress."

"Arwen, I will give you a friendly piece of advice. Like you I enjoy poking the bear." His eyes danced as he looked towards Addy. "I warn you only to choose when to poke. Tonight, all eyes will be on both of you. If you were going to dinner in New York, I wouldn't have blinked at the dress, but he is working, and appearance means everything. Tonight, he is showing off his fiancée and how you both look will be on his mind constantly. Just know I have your back and won't let him disrespect you tonight but try at the very least to meet him halfway."

She was surprised at his words. "You like to antagonize him?"

"You have no idea." He nudged her with his elbow, "I'll tell you some stories once we are somewhere more comfortable. I will tell you the story of how in college we got him drunk and locked him in the ladies' showers naked."

Addy overheard the end of the conversation and made a face at Enrique. "Remember stories can be told both ways."

Arwen giggled at Addy's teasing. He reached his hand out to help her down and she pinched the dress tight at her thigh. His nostrils flared as Tony; his manager got too close to the chopper as Arwen was getting down. Santino moved the man away who was pale as he met Arwen's eyes apologetically. Behind Addy's back Santino made a slicing motion at his neck and tilted his head at Tony who was now staring at the ground. She grinned at his antics.

She gave a nod and tucked her hand against Addy's arm. "I'm fine. Let's go. You need the distraction of work, I think."

He gave a curt nod and motioned at Tony to lead the way. In the elevator he exhaled, "give me the rundown, Tony."

Tony appeared relieved he wasn't going to die from seeing half her a*s cheek and immediately rushed into his work. Arwen listened attentively but it was useless as Tony spoke Italian and so quickly, she started to tune them out. The ride was short to the casino and when they stepped out onto the floor, Arwen noticed immediately how every member of the staff appeared to know Addy was on the floor. Postures were erect, uniforms pristine, smiles were wide and professional attitudes were on full display. He commanded attention. She felt proud to be on his arm

She stood just behind Addy between Santino and Enrique as he made his rounds to various players and guests and many staff. She was impressed he knew the names of everyone until she noticed a mic in his ear and realized someone somewhere was feeding him Intel. Sneaky. She liked it.

In what she guessed was a high roller and private room one of the guests let his gaze linger on Arwen too long and Enrique stepped to block the view and she shook her head. She was getting annoyed. A dress like this was meant to be seen and Addy was treating her like she should be in the background and, she was starting to feel he was ashamed of her. Anger started to boil, and she knew she had to quell it before she did something she would regret.

During a pause in conversation, she touched Santino's shoulder. "I need the ladies room." She whispered to him noting his frown but not caring. He moved to Addy and whispered in his ear

Addy looked over his shoulder and grimaced but then nodded when a player called for his attention.

She walked with swagger through the casino to a private washroom escorted by Enrique. All eyes were on her, and she knew it and she reveled in it. She took her time in the washroom, fixed her lipstick which really didn't need to be retouched and then casually made her way back to Enrique.

She had almost reached him when she heard her name called and looked to her right in surprise. "Nate! What a surprise! What are you doing here?" she extended her hand and shook his warmly.

"Coach gave us the weekend off. You look great. Who knew you owned clothes other than yoga pants," the hockey player's eyes lingered on her chest a fraction too long to be accidental. "Thank you. Are you having a good time?"

"We are. I'm not drinking," he winked, "can't have my physiotherapist yelling at me because I fell down drunk and wrecked all the work, she put into me."

She laughed at his words. She could feel the tension oozing off Enrique and she shot him an annoyed glance. "Nate it was good to see you. I need to get moving or my fiancé will send a search party. Have fun."

"I didn't know you were engaged." Nate didn't take the hint.

"Ms. Beddoe," Enrique cut Nate off very curtly, "Mr. Cavallaro has gone to his penthouse office and requests we rejoin him immediately."

His tone told her Addy didn't like her talking to another man. Enrique's earlier words echoed in her ears. She was in his workplace. While she had done nothing wrong this wasn't the time to address it.

"Of course," she patted his arm reassuringly. She had a feeling she was in trouble and didn't like it. "Which way?"

She gave a wave to Nate and preceded Enrique towards the elevator. Her strides were long and purposely revealing long stretches of her legs. Enrique's irritation at her actions wasn't missed but she didn't care. She hadn't done anything wrong and as of now all her private parts were still concealed in the dress. She was about ready to let the entire place get the view as she controlled her temper. Instead, she let the man push the button on the elevator. When he went to speak, she held up a finger.

"Save it. It's not you I'm pissed at, and I don't want to take it out on you so don't speak."

In the elevator she was fuming. When the doors opened, she found Addy sitting at a huge desk made of a very dark wood. A wall of monitors was to his right giving him a view of the casino, restaurant and hotel lobby and halls. It almost reminded her of HQ on a smaller scale. Behind him the entire expanse of wall was glass overlooking the city below.

Addy was on a call, but his eyes were narrowed and on her as she stepped into the room. She flicked him a bored glance and when he crooked his finger at her she pretended not to notice and walked through the office to the wall of windows looking down over the city. Arwen watched the lights twinkling below on the strip and found herself wondering how exactly she had gotten here.

She had been a kid from a farm in Virginia whose life had gone from simple and pure to dangerous and exotic. In her wildest dreams never would she have dreamed she would be an assassin engaged to the rumored most ruthless mafia king in the world. Yet here she was, in an expensive dress, in his office, wearing his ring and feeling angry she couldn't even talk to her clients in public without it becoming an issue for her fiancé. She wanted to kill something. She reminded herself to breathe.

"Arwen," Addy's cool voice snapped her from her thoughts, and she looked over at him. "Come," he patted his lap.

"I'm not a dog."

He gave an impatient snort, "would you please come to me?"

Reluctantly she crossed to him and let him take her hand and sat on his lap sideways, the slit of her dress towards his torso. She noted for the first time they were alone. He lifted her ring finger and kissed her knuckle. She contemplated punching him in the face at his movement. "Who was the man?"

"Don't play games." She glared at him. "He is a client. You knew who he was. You already had your guys report him once before outside my clinic. He's a hockey player with an injury. He's almost done his program. He saw me and said hello. I cannot ignore my clients just because you don't like the dress you bought."

"You are angry." He leaned back in his chair in surprise.

"What gave it away? Enrique pulling me away like a kid in trouble with her daddy was a bit much. I understand appearances are important, but I certainly wasn't going to rudely ignore someone who has paid me tens of thousands of dollars. I didn't engage in flirtatious behavior. I was not disrespectful, and I even mentioned my fiancé. Yet, I got pulled up to the principal's office like a brat."

He sighed, "you came in on my arm, Arwen."

"And it is the arm I will leave on. I wasn't flirting and I wasn't doing anything inappropriate. I cannot help you can't control your jealousy. If this is how the rest of the night is going, show me to a room and I'll sleep until it's time to leave because I'm not going to get treated like a child." She didn't look away from his annoyed stare. "If you're going to treat me like a puppet on a string when we are out in public, especially while you are working, then I will stay home moving forward. Either you trust me to not embarrass you and to represent your professional side or leave me home."

He was about to say something when his phone rang, and he answered It quickly.

She tried to slip off his lap, but he held her fast to him. He lifted a hand to her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her dimple and pulled her forward until their foreheads touched. He spoke into the phone, but he kept her close to him. After several long minutes he hung up and tilted their heads closer.

He gently pecked her lips, "I love you. You are right. I put you in this dress. You look incredible. I trust you not to make a scene in the floor. I am sorry. Forgive me?"

His apology took her by surprise, "I forgive you," she whispered quietly against his lips. She kissed him again softly her hands cupping his cheeks.

He deepened their kiss, sipping his tongue alongside hers and adjusting her over his lap. The dinging of the elevator made him groan in complaint and she broke the kiss. She was ready to move off his lap, but he kept her tight to him. "Everything okay in here?" Santino called out mockingly. "You didn't kill him did you Arwen?"

"No. He's still alive and breathing. I can't kill him. Deidre can't handle any more losses and my boss would pull me into a psych debrief and I hate those. Basically, killing him is too much paperwork." She jumped when he pinched her bottom for the teasing. Addy shook his head, "take Arwen to the floor. She can mingle with my guests if she chooses, and I will collect her when it's time for dinner."

She couldn't help her wide smile as both Santino and Enrique's mouths were wide at his words.

"Arwen promises to behave." She jumped off his lap and bent to kiss him one more time. "Don't make me have to kill someone tonight please?" He met her eyes beseechingly.

"I promise." She walked proudly between the two guards. "Who is going to be my tail? I'm in desperate need of a good drink and to make someone lose their money because they're distracted by my legs."

Addy gave a shout of laughter as he caught her words, "take her to the VIP area. The Prince is there, and Tony tells me he's up two million. Maybe Arwen's legs can turn the tide back in favor of the house."

Enrique looked like he would rather show his own legs. Arwen patted his chest, "I'm a trained assassin. I can handle a bit of leg and a good whiskey."

An hour later Arwen was laughing at something the foreign Prince was saying and true to Addy's prediction the man's luck had turned. Enrique had finally relaxed enough to sit with her at the small bar though he didn't drink. He was sitting close enough everyone in the room knew she was protected by Cavallaro, though admittedly nobody appeared to know why.

She looked up to see Addy watching her from across the room where he shook hands with a guest outside the VIP lounge and she shot him a wide smile.

"There she is," he called out as he entered the room. "How is everyone doing this evening? Have you all met my lovely fiancée?" He motioned to Arwen to join him. She eagerly left her chair at the bar and walked to his outstretched hand. He was putting on a show and she was here for it. If he wanted to flaunt her, she was happy. She would much rather he flaunt her than treat her like someone he should keep hidden out of embarrassment. She slipped her hand into his and let him draw her close to his side. "Your fiancée?" The prince said. "She mentioned she had a fiancé, but I did not know you had it in you to settle down, Mr. Cavallaro."

He squeezed her hip possessively, "look at her, my friend. Does it look to you as if I am settling? When you find the rarest of jewels you do everything you can to make sure you never lose it."

She smiled at his words. "Thank you for the kind words, my love."

"They are true," he kissed her cheek warmly. "I came to collect you for dinner. Shall we?"

She agreed with a smile and followed him through the lobby to the restaurant

He sat her at a table, "I was sitting here just last Sunday when Radomir told me he had Deidre. Tonight, I want to celebrate our engagement and erase the horrible memory of the panic I felt. Are you in agreement?"

She felt her face ache at the wideness of her smile. "We are celebrating our engagement?"

"Yes. I want to have a meal with you and then music will start later, and I'd like to dance with you. Can we dance?"

"I would like this very much." She couldn't stop her grin.

Just as she was about to lean in for a kiss commotion outside the private room, he'd led her to made her look up in surprise.

"You should save yourself lady. He's the devil and he's going to destroy you!"

Arwen looked to the door and would have laughed if the sight weren't so pathetic. Killer Bea.