Take Me Apart (Vitale Brothers, #1)

by Brea Alepoú

“I need some of your old case files on the Vitales. The chief has me working on them, and I figured you might have some things other people don’t. Notes, recordings, anything.” He looked me up and down. “Leave it alone.” “I can’t do that.” “Yes, you can,” he said.

“This will help me make detective.” “No,” he grunted. “It’s going to get you killed.” He shoved a finger in my direction. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll drop this case and leave it the fuck alone.”

He glared at me. “Look at my leg,” he snapped as he tugged up his pant leg and showed me the dark, knotted mass of flesh that remained even after all the surgeries. “This is what happens when you mess around going after mobsters. And I was the lucky one, unlike my partner, who’s six feet deep and rotting in a pine box,” he snapped. “So when I say no, I mean no. Find a different way to make detective. I’m not helping you.”

My face grew hot as my jaw tightened. “Why do I ever expect you will?” I snapped back. “You didn’t help back then, and you don’t help now. Let’s be honest; the only thing you care about is yourself.” “You have five seconds to get out of my presence before I knock you on your ass.”

my mother cut off my retreat. “Oh, don’t leave, Tex,” she said softly. “I know your father’s cranky, but that’s just because of his leg,” she said, trying to reassure me. She reached out and rubbed my back. “Won’t you stay for dinner? Maybe spend the night for once.”

My heart clenched, and shame settled on my shoulders. I felt bad not staying around for her, but I couldn’t stand being around him. On top of everything else, he’s robbing me of my mother. The thought made the heat rise in my chest again. I glanced toward the living room.

She sighed. “You never stick around. I wish you wouldn’t take off so quickly.” I wish you would protect me from him more. Or at least stand up for me.

She was a good mother, and I knew she’d done the best she could, but when it came to my father she cowered. And part of me hated her for it.

I let her load my arms up with containers, effectively building a wall between my hurt and her shame. If all we focused on was food, the weather, the job, and every other trivial matter in between, then we would never have to talk about the chasm of pain that grew between us and threatened to swallow us whole.

Rourke grunted, reminding me of the disappointed sounds my father made at me, and my stomach clenched. Suddenly, my appetite was gone. I stuffed the sandwich back into its container and slammed the lid closed.

Enzo Vitale killed his lover.

I was going to find out who that man was and confirm what I already knew. A small, niggling part of my brain screamed it wasn’t true. That I would find the guy alive and well in the city. But the realistic part of me knew.

Slowly, I walked to the door only to stop like a deer in headlights when it started to open. “Enzo, I forgot my goddamn keys,” Gin bellowed.

Something hard slammed into me, and I flew back into the kitchen. I crashed to the floor, and Enzo stood there, his eyes wild as he stared down at me. He shoved a finger against his lips, shook his head, and walked away.

My heart sped up so fast I couldn’t breathe. Did Enzo just protect me? His brother hadn’t seen me, is that what he was after? The brothers talked, the keys jingled when they were found, and I couldn’t stop feeling the urge to puke again.

The door shut, and I pulled myself to my feet before I stuffed the USB drive into my shoe. I straightened up as Enzo rounded into the kitchen and slammed me against the counter.

“What the fuck are you doing in my house? How did you even find this place?” he demanded.

“I missed you.”

My blood rushed, and pinpricks danced along my forearms and to my fingers wrapped around Tex’s throat. I missed you.

His words wrapped around me like a snake does to its prey, squeezing me until I felt as if I couldn’t suck in air.

Why was he here? I knew the answer to that, and yet I refused to acknowledge it. Pain blossomed behind my eyes as a headache built. My fingers tightened around hi...

He went still. “What? So it’s okay for you to break into my place, but I can’t do the same?” “No.” Tex’s brows dipped. “That’s bullshit.”

Tex’s breathing was erratic and the closer I leaned toward him the better he smelled. I got lost for a moment in his blue eyes. I’d been right to compare them to glass because Tex was going to cut me.

“Enzo.” My name on his lips was like a freshly sharpened knife sliding through flesh. Why? I’d made sure not to get attached to anyone. One night with Tex, and I was hooked. Benito is going to be pissed off.

“You shouldn’t have come,” I said. “Thanks for missing me too.” Tex pouted. Had I missed him? I knew he took up every thought in my head. Tex was a constant even in my dreams. I woke up wanting to touch him. Gin had called it; my obsession was dangerous.

I took another step back as I tried to think of what to do. Asking him what he’d heard weighed heavy on my tongue, but the answer might result in me having to kill him. I pressed my lips together, refusing to ask the questions I needed to.

Giancarlo had been seconds away from seeing Tex. If my brother had caught sight of him? I doubted I could have kept him from killing Tex. He would have known Tex had broken into my place, which meant we were compromised. There was only one course of action; kill the threat. Family first.

My hand instinctively relaxed, and the tightness in my stomach eased. He’d stay. Tex wouldn’t end up causing a disaster, and my hand wouldn’t be forced. I met his big blue eyes and there was fear there but unlike before there was no arousal accompanying it.

“Uh, want to put the shelves together?” he asked. Why isn’t he running? Now would be the perfect time while I was trapped in my head. I reached out for the tool bag, making sure not to touch him. “I’ll start on this one,” Tex said.

Reading over the steps and following them soothed me. The noise around me quieted down and to my relief, Tex said nothing else. It was as if he was a piece of furniture in my apartment, and I didn’t have to give him a second thought.

I gave into the draw and moved while Tex was reading the back of a book. I twisted Tex around and shoved him down. “Fuck.” He lost balance, and I grabbed his hand to steady him.

I freed my cock. I didn’t have to say anything as Tex opened his mouth and swallowed me whole. A moan caught at the back of my throat as pleasure plowed through me like a bulldozer.

My fingers in his hair, I cupped the back of his head and pushed my cock down deeper as ecstasy coursed through me. My toes curled and a throaty moan resonated around us. It took me far too long to realize it had come from me. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. The way his lips stretched around my length or the way his gorgeous blue eyes watered.

Tex’s moans around my cock sent vibrations right to my balls, making them tingle.

My climax took me by surprise. I groaned, “Mine.” Fell from my lips in a whisper. Tex moaned loudly, his eyes fluttering closed as I filled his mouth with cum. I didn’t have to instruct him to swallow. Tex’s throat worked as he swallowed every drop before opening his eyes.

His hot tongue ran over my softening cock, sending little shocks dancing along my flesh as he cleaned me off. “You’re tempting me to do it again.”

I thought he was my type, but Tex was more than that. He didn’t just meet the requirements physically but in every aspect. I wasn’t the only dangerous one here.

I didn’t want to kill him. This time when I cupped Tex’s face, I didn’t allow him to pull away. I hardly ever kissed, but it had been the only thing taking up residence in my mind after our last encounter.

Our lips pressed together and a slow warmth erupted from our mouths and blanketed my entire body. I pulled him closer and swiped my tongue over the seam of his lips. I wan...

He attempted to dominate mine, but I bit his tongue. Tex moaned as he gave in.

Why can’t this be us? My eyes shut for only a brief second. I didn’t want to stop kissing him. I didn’t want to let him go just yet. A part of me screamed that Tex was mine. If I locked him away right now, he wouldn’t be able to hurt the family and then I wouldn’t be forced to end his life. I could play with him whenever I pleased, and I knew Tex would like it. He responded to me so beautifully.

“Tex…” I leaned forward and nipped his ear while applying more pressure on his cock. A whimper blessed my ears, and I basked in the moment. “Come upstairs or get out.”

“You leave…” I couldn’t bring myself to say it, but we both knew what would eventually have to happen. “If you do, don’t do anything stupid.” Please.

I released him and took a step away from him. I stared at Tex for another second before I...

Please don’t make me ...

The look on his face when he left had been conflicted and… Am I imagining shit, or was he upset?

Something had definitely come over him before. All I could think was to distract him with the project of the bookshelves, but something had happened. For that short moment, he wasn’t a man who had murdered a cop that I knew. He was lost and unsure.

My stomach tightened and something laced through me. I felt the cold shiver of fear. I didn’t want to leave Enzo alone, but I felt just as afraid to go to him. What if I never recovered? What if whatever twisted obsession I had became full-blown psychosis?

Against all my instincts that screamed go back, I opened the shower door and watched as water rolled down his skin. He gazed at me, and something in me melted.

Chelsea was right; I was the good guy. He was the bad boy. And I was falling for it hook, line, and sinker. I kicked off my shoes, knocking them to the side before his hand curled around my shirt.