Page 39 of Risky Behavior: Submitting to the Ruthless Guard

“Talia, do you really believe Leo won’t come back for you?”

“I don’t know what I believe anymore.”

“A large part of therapy is retraining the way you think. As negative thoughts pop into your mind, I’d like you to try to reframe them. Instead of saying ‘If Leo comes back’ I want you to say ‘When Leo comes back.’ It doesn’t matter if it’s just in your head or something you say out loud. It’s important to think the way you want to start feeling, otherwise we get caught in these negative spirals of emotion.”

Dr. Nikolaidis stayed for over an hour as I told him about just about everything other than what had happened while I was with Miles. A lot of my past was easier to speak about than what had just happened to me. As much as I wanted this to be a one and done kind of thing, I didn’t get the feeling it would be. I stood in the middle of the study with his card in my hand when he left. When I looked down at it, all there was to see was the name Anthony and a phone number. I guess someone who worked with families like the Corsetti’s was used to some mystery, but I had to wonder who that guy really was. Did I just make a mistake baring my soul to a stranger in the house of a mafia family? Hell, this certainly wasn’t how I had seen my future as a little girl.

California

Leo

Ithadbeenthreedays since I landed, and it was three days too long. I hated the damn state of California. When this whole thing was over, I would have no problem never coming back.

“Sir, do you want me to freshen that up for you?”

I looked over at the big-breasted blonde who kept hovering and shook my head again. It was a fucking glass of water. What the hell did she want to freshen it up with, anyway?

“He’s here.”

My brother sat next to me on a barstool facing the door as I faced the opposite direction. We looked almost exactly alike, however, he’d grown some weird-looking beard since he was in jail.

“How many are with him?”

“Five, but two look like the pictures you showed me.”

“So two friendlies, I hope.”

“Maybe. If not, then we are going to have a fantastic time.”

Noah’s eyes lit up as the idea of a massacre crossed his mind. I knew that was what he was thinking without even asking. My brother was fucked in the head, but I loved him just the same.

“Did you tell mom about Talia?”

“I haven’t talked to her. Did you tell her about Ayden?”

“That’s kind of hard to explain.”

“Maybe you could just bring Ayden to Christmas dinner and I can watch her kick your ass as you try to explain that you kidnapped the woman beside you.”

“It wasn’t kidnapping.”

“What do you call it, then?”

“Persuasion. Besides, she loves me now, so none of it matters anymore.”

I raised my eyebrows at him and nodded toward the back door Carter and his men had gone through. We were at an illegal gambling site that was owned by an acquaintance of Dante’s. Carter was a frequent visitor, but hadn’t been out there in a few months. I had to drop some fake news about a whale coming into town. Little did he know the whale of a player was my rather unpredictable and homicidal brother. Hell, I didn’t even know Noah was showing until I got off the plane and found him standing there.

“Are you ready to get this shit over with?”

“I have a sweet pussy waiting for me at home so yes, let’s get some killing done.”

I shook my head as I stood. I didn’t know Ayden yet, but I had a feeling him referring to her as ‘sweet pussy’ wouldn’t go over well. We approached the back door of the bar and a man in a three-piece suit opened it and discreetly handed both Noah and I two guns as we entered.

“I’m good, man. I’ve got Eloise with me tonight.”

The confused look on the guy’s face as my brother reached for a hammer he had hanging from one of his belt loops was comical. “It’s fine. I’ll take both.”

I reached for the second gun and secured it where no one would see it. They had cleared the club for us tonight, however, we were forced to keep up appearances for the employees of the bar. That meant a full security check before we got in, which left us with no weapons. I have no idea how my brother got his bloodstained hammer in but he did, and I let him be. One thing for sure, as much as we loved each other I’d never come between him and his weapons.