The Mafia Contract Series

I feel like the biggest bastard in the world as I watch Charlotte’s life crashing and burning at her feet. Her expression says it all as I lay out the real reason behind this.

She looks shocked and yet we can’t talk about it because the captain calls me and tells us we’ll be landing shortly.

As we clear and stow away the breakfast things, I sit beside a shocked Charlotte as we wait to land.

Since hearing she has a different father to the one she calls daddy, she has been as silent as a person who was born without a voice.

I should be worried about her, but I was cruel for a reason. Whatever is building between us must stop, because I have to give her up. It was never an option to form an attachment and there are more than my emotions riding on this. It’s my brothers and Winter and I must put them first, before me, before her, before us.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

As we land, I reach for the envelope and pull out the necessary paperwork and see two airline tickets accompanied by new passports. There is a credit card and a driving license, and it appears that Malik has thought of everything.

The plane taxis to a stop and still Charlotte says nothing and as the door opens and the customs officer step on board, I hand over our paperwork, hoping to God they don’t question us.

The officer looks at the paperwork and his eyes slide over Charlotte, and I don’t miss the appreciative glance he throws her, which makes me uncharacteristically jealous. I know she’s hot and looking like a million dollars and even with no make-up, I have never seen a more natural beauty in my life.

“Mrs. Belton.” She looks up and smiles, her perfect English manners serving her well on this occasion.

“Yes.”

You would never believe anything was wrong, as she bats her lashes and smiles adorably. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

I can tell the officer is won over already, and he nods and smiles before turning his attention to me. This time his expression is a very different one as he says coolly, “Your connecting flight to Switzerland is waiting. The last passengers have boarded, and they need to leave in the next five minutes. Do you have any luggage?”

“It’s fine. We can pick up what we need when we get there.”

He nods and then flashes another smile at Charlotte before saying respectfully, “If you would like to follow me, I’ll make sure you get there on time.”

Nodding my thanks to the captain and watching Charlotte hug him accompanied by a warm smile, I shake my head, suddenly annoyed for some reason, and follow behind as she chatters sweetly with the officer. She pointedly ignores me and for some reason I don’t like it one bit, and I briefly wonder why she hasn’t alerted him to her situation. That thought alone keeps me going because I’m holding onto the one last shred of hope I have that maybe, just maybe, I can make both our futures a little different somehow.

WE MAKE it to the commercial aircraft barely on time and as the doors close behind us, we are shown to two seats in first class. Charlotte is sitting in the one in front of me, which means I can always keep my eye on her. I didn’t miss the curious looks of the passengers as we entered the cabin, and I’m guessing we appear a little out of place dressed in our formal wear as if we’re about to head up a board meeting. The fact I look exactly what I am doesn’t help with my dark black suit and menacing vibe, which definitely has a few people on edge.

Charlotte, however, wafts through the cabin like a summer breeze and smiles sweetly at anyone who looks her way, and an ache somewhere deep inside me is starting to grow whenever I study her.

I’m not used to being around women for lengthy periods of time, and my attachment to her is growing.

For some reason, I am starting to care, which is definitely not a good thing.

As the flight takes off, I begin to relax because there was a part of me that was uneasy. Any official could have stopped the plane and removed us, and I wouldn’t put it past Massimo to add airport officials to his pay list. I know he won’t be far behind me and it’s making me edgy. Charlotte is now his number one priority and, according to Flynn, he will stop at nothing to bring her home to him.

Angelo told me the story behind why Charlotte ended up in England and hearing that Massimo never knew she existed is a sad story of loss and pain. However, they did Charlotte a huge favor because until now, she has led a much better life than the one she would have. I’m guessing that’s why I’m uneasy about this. The fact we are using her to save Winter is not sitting well with me, and I wonder what I can do about that.

Halfway through the flight, I look up to find Charlotte standing beside my seat and leaning down, hisses, “Your friend has a fucking twisted sense of humor.”

She waves her passport in my face, causing me to smirk. “Blame him, not me.”

“I can’t believe he did that. I am mortified beyond belief.”

I can’t help laughing and notice a few of the passengers around us are looking on with curiosity and feeling devilish, I reach out and drag her ass down onto my lap, whispering, “Perhaps it was a message to me.”

“Whatever it was, it isn’t funny, and how will I be able to look the passport officer in the face?

He will think this is a joke and I’ll be arrested.”

As I run my hand around the back of her head, I pull her lips to mine and whisper, “I thought that was what you wanted. The police will save you, won’t they?”

The fact we’re in such a confined space means the heat from her body is radiating against mine and I bury my face against her sweet-smelling skin. Just holding her on my lap is causing me serious discomfort, and I am going through the purest torture right now.

“People are watching.” She hisses and I whisper, “Then we should give them something to look at.”

I can’t help myself and claim those tempting lips and kiss her deep and hard, loving how her body relaxes against mine and her fingers rake through my hair as she gives back as good as she gets.

“Um, sir…” We break apart and it amuses me to see the blushing face of the flight attendant as she stands holding the tray of food I ordered.

“I’m well, sorry, but your meal is ready.”

Charlotte, to her credit, just smiles sweetly and says in that clipped British accent I am beginning to love hearing, “Of course, I’m so sorry. Please forgive us.”

She grins at the flight attendant who smiles back with a mixture of jealousy and admiration and as Charlotte takes her seat and waits for her own meal, I try to distance my mind from how crazy she makes me when I’m around her.