Gino’s calloused hand roamed under my skirt and up my thigh. “Don’t worry, I will take my sweet time with you before I pull the trigger.”
I squeezed my legs together to stop his hand from moving higher and fumbled for the door handle. I wasn’t able to reach the lock before he grabbed a chunk of my hair and pulled me across the seat.
“So you prefer it rough. No problem.” With a harder yank Gino pulled my head towards his lap. I cupped his erection and squeezed with all my strength holding tight for extra pain. His eyes twisted with anger.
“Fucking tease.” The side of my face slammed into the seat and I was yanked back again.
“Angelo’s going to fucking kill you,” I screamed.
“Probably, but after that stunt he will kill you too,” Gino snickered.
Xander’s arm came barreling across the seat, his gun pointed at Gino. “That’s enough. I’m not going down for this. Leave her alone.”
The back of Gino’s hand struck my cheek with a powerful blow. “Sit there and shut the fuck up.”
I leaned against the door and tugged the hem of my skirt over my knees. The rest of the ride was silent. All I could think about was what the outcome would be for me.
Xander steered the car through the gates of the estate and parked off to the side.
“Moment of truth sweetheart, keep your fucking mouth shut and maybe we’ll both get out of this alive.” Gino yanked me from the car and I was dragged toward the house.
“I’ll take her to him. You better get lost for a while.” Lorenzo’s hand squeezed around my arm and Gino bolted.
Chapter 15
Angelo
By the time the car pulled into view of the security cameras my vision blurred red. They had one job, to watch her and they sure fucked that up. I was meeting with an investor when Ava called to inform me Bella gave her the slip. How could one woman get the best of three of my crew? Reckoning was upon them. They would all get a lesson they wouldn’t forget.
Ava returned an hour ago, and I already dealt with her. The way she looked at me with those soft blue eyes and pouty red lips made it difficult but it was a mistake she would never make again.
I watched the monitor as Lorenzo ushered Brie inside. I stalked to the door and opened it with a force that caught them off guard. Once she was free of Lorenzo’s grip, my clenched fist collided with his face.
“Wait for me in the hall.” My voice was harsh and unyielding.
I closed the door and turned toward Bella, crossing the room toward her. “I hope you enjoyed your walk. It might be the last one you ever take.”
She crept backwards, never taking her eyes off mine until I caught her between my aching cock and the desk. The fragrance of peach blossoms drifted off of her. I braced myself against the desk with one arm on each side of her trembling body. “I thought I made my position clear. I expect complete loyalty, I don’t like when people fail me, Mia Bella.”
Her sable eyes, moist with tears, looked up at me from under her long lashes. With quivering lips that made her voice falter she managed a soft, “I’m sorry.”
I wanted to strangle her until the contempt drained from her eyes and fuck her until she screamed my name with those quivering lips. The contrasting emotions tugged at me from inside. I tamped down the urgency tightening under my pants.
“Where’s Ava?” She whispered with a bated breath.
I leaned forward until she arched backwards underneath me. The image of her laid out on my desk made me want to rip her clothes off and fuck her right there but I couldn’t allow her to see weakness in my desire. “I’ve already dealt with her, she’s gone. As for you, I haven’t decided yet.”
“But it wasn’t her fault, it was mine. Please tell me gone doesn’t mean dead?” She shifted her weight onto her arms holding herself upright as I continued to leer over her.
“What’s done is done, Mia Bella, she is gone, but no she is not dead.”
The warmth of her breath ghosted over my face. “Angelo, I know you feel betrayed and I’m sorry but if Ava isn’t here tomorrow, then I won’t marry you.”
I slammed my fist against the desk and swung my arm outward sending its contents scattering across the room. “Do you think you’re in a position to demand anything from me? You have a choice to make, me or death.”
“Why not, is there anything left for me to lose? If you want to kill me, kill me already.” She stared at me with her big brown eyes opened wide.
I brought my face inches from hers, brushing my lips over hers. “I never said it would be your death.”
Her body trembled underneath mine. “If you want me, then I should get what I want in return.”
I ran my fingers down her face tucking her hair back and grasped her chin tilting it up so her eyes met mine. The sight of faint purple bruises forming on her face caught my eye. “Who did this to you?” I demanded.
“Your boy Gino. I guess he thinks you don’t mind sharing.” Her eyes narrowed and bitterness laced her voice.
I clenched my fist at my sides to control the anger building inside of me and called Franco and Lorenzo back into the room. “Where’s Gino?”
“I don’t know boss. I haven’t seen him since we got back,” Lorenzo answered.
The blood rushed from my lower extremities and pounded in my head. “Xander, take her to her room. Lorenzo, find Gino. Franco, strip him of his obligations to the family. Strip him of his obligations to the family. Then get the word out on the street that he is no longer under my protection. Emilio is now in charge of her safety. If she leaves this house, he is not to leave her side.”
“You got it, Boss.”
“And Bella, I will give you what you want but tomorrow I get what I want. This is not a mistake you want to make again. I promise you won’t like the way it ends next time.”
Chapter 16
Brie
The day I was dreading had arrived. What I was about to do made the difference between surviving and having some resemblance of a life. A life necessary to regain his trust and allow me to plan an escape. My last attempt failed forcing me to bargain with the devil for my life... and Ava’s.
I was no blushing bride. There were no pre-wedding jitters only animosity and a bottle of Xanax. I reached for the prescription bottle and swallowed two. They stuck in the back of my dry throat like boulders. I took four more and crushed them between the glass vanity top and the edge of the bottle. I scooped the fine powder into a tissue and rolled it tightly, wedging it between my cleavage under my lacy bra.
The dress I wore did nothing more than aid his fantasy and add authenticity to the sham of matrimony. It was meaningless. The real me, Brie Morgan, was declared dead and Bella was nothing more than his delusion. The dress flowed around my legs, its tight bodice constricted my breathing. I walked as graciously as I could toward the door that held my fate on the other side. I paced through it; the dress traced my movements in a way that made his eyes follow my body and a shiver run down my spine.
There were no frills, no flowers or candles only the office where just days before I took a man’s life. The only guests were his hand-picked witnesses, his employees; Franco and Ava. I smiled on cue and fulfilled my obligations. Every hollow word I spoke burnt my lips. I sealed the deal with a smudged signature on the license... B. Morgan.
Ava’s eyes bore into me as Angelo led me out of the room and up the stairs. I steadied my breathing and prepared for what was coming next. With his hand on the small of my back he opened the door and led me into the bedroom. My eyes went straight to the bottle of wine chilling on the mantle.
He shrugged off his suit jacket, folding it as he laid it on the chair. While he dimmed the lights I poured us two glasses of wine, shaking the fine powdered Xanax into one. I swirled it in as I handed it to him. I dropped my gaze, following the glass with my eyes as he raised it to his lips. A slight smile tugged at my lips as I watched him drink then closed my eyes and summoned the image of Cal, the one man I wanted above m
e, the only man I wanted to feel touching me.
Angelo took the glass from my hand and sat them both aside, moving toward me with a purposeful gate. His muscular body pressed against mine while his hands ghosted down my back, unzipping my dress. The musky scent of Patchouli oil washed over me and I forced back the thoughts of the man who took my life and evoked the image of the seductive man on the beach. Recalling how his strong touch awoken a need within me I didn’t know was there. Remembering that version of Angelo was the only way I would make it through.
His hands possessed my body, sliding my dress free until I stood in front of him with my breast covered only with a layer of thin white lace. He lifted me off my feet and carried me to the bed; I bounced lightly onto the soft mattress as he lowered his sculpted body next to mine.
He slid his warm hands up my bare sides, lowering the straps of my bra down my shoulders, kissing the curve of my neck. His powerful hands snaked under my back to unhook my bra as his mouth devoured my bare tits. His tongue licked the folds of my neck until his lips met mine with a vigorous kiss.
I broke the kiss and slid my fingers through his dark hair before rolling us and taking control. My heart pounded against my chest, my hands shook as I raised his arms above his head. My fingernails skimmed down his biceps as he closed his eyes, biting back a moan. His muscles tensed when I splayed my hands across his chest, drawing them lower to his waistline. I raked my fingernails deep into his skin as I slowly removed his pants. His body sprang to life with my touch. I teased the tip of his hard cock with my tongue and trailed back up along his stomach, chest and under his neck until my lips met his again.
His hands clenched the curve of my ass as he striped my panties away, rolling us, taking back control. He lowered until his heated skin was flush with mine, squeezing at my inner thighs until my legs spread around his waist. A low moan escaped my lips when his firm cock pressed hard into me. His mouth returned to its place on my tits, tracing my nipples with his tongue while his hands squeezed my throat under my chin. He raised my face to meet his gaze.
“Keep your eyes on me, Bella. I want to watch you come undone,” he commanded with satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. I allowed him to dominate but this time, it was on my terms and I melted into the orgasm rising through me. My back bowed in response to the tightening inside of me as he pushed into me sending shock waves through my core. I squeezed his waist with my thighs wrapped around his back as my body shuttered with every thrust of his massive cock into my warmth.
He gripped my hips pulling me up harder so my body raised off the mattress and matched his rhythm thrust for thrust as we ground together with an urgency even I couldn’t deny. My breath caught, and I moistened in response, slicking his shaft with my juices; my pussy squeezing tight around him as I lost control under him. Every inch of my body ached from the orgasm ripping through me as he continued to increase his speed and power until he shuddered and released himself into me as I rose to the height of another climax.
Sweat and sex stained the sheets. His sculpted body laid naked, stretched out next to me, his breathing regulated as he succumbed to the sedating effects of the Xanax and drifted off to sleep.
I left him sleeping, wrapped my silk robe around me, picked up the bottle of wine and slipped onto the balcony. Despite the wine I drank my heated skin cooled in the crisp night air. As I stood there reveling in the satisfaction that comes with a good fuck a sudden movement below caught my eyes. A tall, well-built form dressed in all black emerged from his hunched position in the dark shadows and approached the rear of the house. Startled, I dropped the bottle, wine poured onto the deck running over the shards of broken glass. In an instant, pleasure turned to panic. My heart rate picking up its pace in my chest as a series of gunshots below shattered the silence.
Chapter 17
Angelo
The quick succession of thuds ripped me from sleep. I bolted upright, my heart in my chest scanning the room for Bella. She stood trembling in the corner, her voice faltered as she forced out the words, “Someone’s shooting.”
Scrambling from the bed, I pulled on my pants and placed her behind me, easing the door open to the hallway with my gun raised. I glanced down the hall to assess the situation, muffled voices and another series of gunshots echoed up the stairwell. I moved into the hallway with her flat against my back. Leading my prized possession into a gunfight with an unknown enemy was not how I wanted to spend our wedding night but I wasn’t about to leave her alone and defenseless in the bedroom. I knew somebody was shot but I didn’t know if it was the enemy or one of my men. I couldn’t worry about them, I trained my men for these situations. They vowed to lie down their lives to protect mine… and now, hers.
My eyes skimmed the hallway watching for Ava to emerge from her room. I approached her door and reached for the knob, it was locked. Unlike my men, she was not equipped for this work but the thought controlling my actions was getting Bella to safety. When she was safe, I would send someone back to check on Ava.
I stood in front of Bella pressed against the wall listening for sounds in the stairwell, then I took a careful look down into the dark and waited a moment before deciding it was clear. We rounded the corner. Bella buried her face into my back, muffling her sobs.
“Stay behind me,” I ordered.
As we descended the stairs, I griped the gun in front of me, my finger against the trigger, scanning for movement. Franco and Xander stood at the base of the stairs blocking the intruders path.
I stopped behind them and lowered my weapon. “What the fuck is going on?”
In a low tone Franco responds, “Four gunmen breached the alarms, we got one for sure.”
“Can you see who are they are?” I asked.
“No, but my guess is Gino’s retaliating at being released from the family or…” Franco trailed off.
“Or what?” I scowled.
“Or someone’s coming for her.” Franco crooked his head toward Bella.
“Impossible, anyone who would look for her is already dead.” I felt her tighten behind me. “I wouldn’t put it past any of my enemies to come after her to get to me.”
Two figures dressed in all black with masks covering their faces approached our position with their guns raised. I pulled Bella down crouching on the stairs behind me, covering her from stray bullets as my men stood in front of us in a protective formation.
“We got this Boss, take her back upstairs.” Franco said his voice low and shallow.
A steady stream of gunfire erupted in front and the sound of thuds and splintering wood exploded from behind us. We stood in deafening silence, one man collapsed at the base of the stairs in a pool of blood as the other held his ground. Franco, Xander and the masked intruder stood staring down the barrels of each other’s guns. Movement behind me caught our attention, and we all turned in its direction.
A third man covered in black, the same mask hiding his face appeared at the top of the stairs with Ava held close to his side. I straddled Bella still crunched low on the stairs. My eyes locked on the man holding her, our guns raised in a standoff. I steadied my hand and took my shot. The man fell backward when the bullet entered his head. We spun back around to the other gunman and found the foyer empty.
When silence fell over us, we lowered our weapons and took calming breaths. Bella raised, shaking from head to toe. I took her hand and led her up the stairs to where Ava stood frozen in place, her mouth wide in a silent scream, blood splattered in her hair.
I tipped my head to the top of the stairs and Xander approached. “Take the girls to my room and make sure everything is clear before you come back down.”
I turned to Bella. “Go with Xander and Ava, help her clean up. Lock the door and don’t open it for anyone but me. Understand?”
When she nodded in reply, I watched the girls walk away, my arousal clear under my zipper. I tamped down the image my brain concocted of the two of them showering and refocused on Franco.
“Secure the re
st of the house, I want a casualty count.” I kneeled down next to the body and removed the blood soaked mask. “Find out who they are. I’ll be in my office.”
Chapter 18
Angelo
Rage burned from deep within, seeping out of every pore. My sole focus on abstracting revenge. The shooting earlier had me pacing my office floor unable to focus on anything but what I would do to the piece of shit behind it.
My crew was dwindling fast. First, I had to take out a long-time associate, Agent Conroy, for choosing his oath to the uphold the law over his obligations to me and then, Gino forced my hand by placing his on Bella. He was lucky all I did was remove him from the organization and left his hands in place. Three of my men were dead along with an unknown assailant. God help Gino, if Franco was right and this was his doing.
The ticking of the clock in my ears only fueled my anger. I needed an outlet for this pent up rage. Sex was off the table; it was my wedding night and my bride stiffened under my touch. I couldn’t be sure if she was angrier with being shot at or the not-so-subtle reminder that her lover was dead. Either way, she would submit like she did earlier, coming unglued in my arms as I fucked her.
I thought about burying myself deep inside Ava. She was eager to please and a fine piece of ass, with those soft blue eyes and bright crimson red lips. Her pussy would do, if Brie wasn’t willing to satisfy my needs. The idea had my cock throbbing, but being held hostage and sprayed with a stranger’s blood had left Ava a shuddering mess. An hour later she had showered and changed and Bella had calmed her down. I walked Ava back to her room and drew her into my arms letting her cry against my chest. I consoled her, promising that I would always protect her as she wept herself to sleep.
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