Rock Hard Neighbor

by Hart, Rye

  I did my best. I did what I thought was right. I had to stop thinking the way I was.

  If I didn’t, I was going to break down at the kitchen table, and the last thing these children needed to see was me sobbing.

  “So,” I said as I squeezed Cassie’s hand. “Is everyone ready for Christmas?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Kevin said. “Got my list ready and everything.”

  “Me, too,” Junior said.

  “What do you want for Christmas, Junior?” I asked.

  “A bookcase,” he said. “All my books are in boxes underneath my bed.”

  “Do you like to read?” I asked.

  “Yeah, do you?” Junior asked.

  “When I can,” I said. “What do you enjoy reading?”

  “Poetry, mostly. Sometimes fantasy novels. You know, the really long ones.”

  “Poetry,” I said as my eyes flickered over to Camillo. “Do you have a favorite author?”

  “Right now, I’m reading Yeats.”

  “Yeats?” Kevin asked. “Who’s that?”

  I was suddenly pulled back into the past. Into the beautiful dungeon lair of my dark prince. I was handcuffed to the bed with Camillo’s body on top of mine, writhing into his chiseled chest while his body stuffed me to the brim. The lines of that tattered note I still kept in my bedside drawer raced through my mind as Junior talked at me, but all I could see were his moving lips.

  There was no sound. Only the feeling of those fluffy handcuffs against my wrists, with Camillo’s teeth sunken into my neck.

  “Could I read it sometime?” Kevin asked.

  “Sure, I could bring it over soon,” Junior said. “Would that be okay?”

  My hand was massaging my wrist as my gaze fluttered over to Junior.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “Junior wants to bring his book of Yeats over for Kevin to read sometime,” Camillo said.

  I could feel his eyes on the motions around my wrists as I dropped my hands to my lap and swallowed deeply.

  “Junior, you’re welcome here whenever you want to come over. No matter the day of the week or what time it is. You’re always welcome here. Just like your Uncle.”

  “Awesome,” he said, smiling.

  “Thanks, sis,” Kevin said.

  My eyes gravitated back toward Camillo, who had ripped his gaze from me and was now paying attention to Ana. I looked back over to Cassie, her attention fully trained on me. For the second day in a row, I was no longer hungry for food and I could see the worry bubbling up behind Cassie’s beautiful, dark blue eyes as her hand slipped back onto my knee.

  I clenched it tightly, allowing all my emotions to pour into that one action, while my face kept a small grin for the comfort of the people around me.

  But deep down, I was scared. I was scared, angry, guilt-ridden, and sad. And I had no idea what to do about it.

  Chapter Eighteen – Camillo

  Rose was overworked. That much, I could tell. Her mind was so exhausted, and her body was so downtrodden from her life that she was having a hard time keeping herself together. But when I saw her massaging her wrist, I had to suppress the burn rising in my gut.

  “When’s your next day off?” Cassie asked Rose.

  “Tomorrow, actually. It’ll be nice. My mind’s just so…”

  “Tired?” I asked.

  Rose’s gaze whipped over to me, giving me a chance to study her further. The slight way her shoulders slumped. The way her breathing was labored. The way the bags underneath her eyes hung just a little bit lower.

  She needed help. My beautiful songbird needed a break.

  “Why don’t I come over tomorrow and help out with Ana?” I asked.

  “Oh, she’s got daycare tomorrow,” she said. “And Kevin’ll be in school.”

  “Would it be possible for her to skip a day of daycare?” I asked.

  I saw Rose thinking about it while Cassie eyed me cautiously.

  “If he came over,” Cassie began. “It would give the two of you some time to talk, as well.”

  I could see the confusion behind Rose’s eyes at Cassie’s words.

  “Could I stay home from school, too?” Kevin asked.

  “Could I come over with Uncle Camillo tomorrow?” Junior asked.

  “You guys, let’s not throw all of this stuff at her at once,” I said.

  “Actually, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Rose said.

  Everyone turned their gazes toward her and I drew in a deep breath through my nose.

  “Yes, I’ll keep Ana home from daycare tomorrow so you can spend time with her. Junior, if you want to come over and spend time with Kevin, I’ll call him out of school tomorrow. The two of you can play Minecraft all day and I’ll make us all some snacks we can eat.”

  “I can make the snacks,” I said.

  “You’ll be too busy entertaining your daughter,” she said, grinning. “I’ll make the snacks. You just make sure the two of you are back over here tomorrow.”

  “Only if you let me cook dinner,” I said.

  “Actually, I thought the guys, and I could do a pizza night with movies,” Cassie said.

  “What?” Rose asked.

  “Yeah. If Camillo’s gonna be here with Ana, she’s probably not gonna nap. That means she’ll be down early for bed, so the boys and I can have pizza and watch movies.”

  “Actually, I was thinking I could make dinner,” I said. “It’s been a long time since I had the ability to make a full family dinner.”

  “Camillo, you don’t—”

  “What was the promise I made to you, Rose?” he asked.

  Her eyes stared at me as I pulled Ana from her high chair.

  “We’ll come over tomorrow and I’ll cook dinner for us all that evening,” I said.

  I shot her a stern gaze, and immediately, she backed down.

  “All right,” she said, nodding. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  I convinced her to leave the food on the table while we all ventured into the living room to play charades. Junior and Kevin automatically paired up, which warmed my heart in ways I didn’t think were possible. I held my sweet, beautiful daughter in my arms while the boys challenged the girls and I couldn’t stop laughing as they bounced around and tried to win points for their team. By the time the game was winding down, Ana was getting fussy, and before I knew it, Rose was plucking her from my arms.

  I watched her turn her back and head toward the stairs and, immediately, I followed her to watch their routine.

  I wanted to know how my own daughter enjoyed being put down so I could do it tomorrow night.

  I walked behind them into her room and watched while Rose changed her into her pajamas. She wiped down Ana with some baby wipes, explaining to me that Ana preferred morning baths instead of evening ones. I took in every single detail of the encounter as I watched mother and daughter enjoy their routine.

  I never thought my heart could fill with the amount of joy I had, watching the mother of my child take care of our daughter.

  She put Ana down into her crib, but Ana’s whining got worse. Rose tried to shush her. I could see the frustration and exhaustion quickly creeping up her back as she bent over the crib, so I went over and planted my hands onto her hips.

  She gasped as I slowly moved her off to the side, her body obeying me as it always did.

  I looked down into the beautiful blue eyes of my angry little girl, and I planted my hand onto her stomach. I slowly began to massage her, chuckling lightly as burp after burp rose up from her throat.

  “I guess garlic doesn’t agree with everyone,” I said, grinning.

  Then, an idea crossed my mind.

  “Ninna nanna, ninna oh. Questo bimbo a chi lo dò? Se lo dò alla Befana, se lo tiene una settimana. Se lo dò all'uomo nero, se lo tiene un anno intero. Ninna nanna, ninna oh, questo bimbo me lo terrò.”

  I sang the little Italian verse over and over again, like my mother did with me when I was angry at night. I coul
d still hear her soothing voice in my ears while Ana’s cries slowly lessened. Over and over again, I sang the lyrics to her while memories of my own mother flooded to the forefront of my mind.

  I missed her every single day I woke up.

  After the third time of singing it, my beautiful little daughter was asleep. Rose was staring at the interaction, her eyes wide with questions.

  I rose up and looked over at her, watching as she peeked over into our daughter’s crib. I could see the delight behind her eyes at the fact that Ana was asleep and the relief that flooded all the way down to her toes.

  She had been easy to read that first night and it was wonderful that she was still so easy to interpret now.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  “A lullaby my mother used to sing to me back in Italy,” I said.

  “What does it mean?”

  “It’s about how a mother talks about keeping her child for herself because she knows no one else will take better care of her child than herself,” I said.

  “Could you… teach it to me?”

  The sparkle in her eye returned. The curious gaze that soaked my soul returned, blasting me with memories of the past. Memories of the way her eyes took in all my little toys. Memories of the way she dangled so wondrously from that chain in the ceiling. Memories of things I’d wanted to do to her. Paddles I wanted to redden her skin with and marks I wanted to make. Nipple clamps I wanted to tease her with and massages with hot oils that would’ve made her squirm.

  “I can,” I said.

  She led me out of Ana’s room as I turned out the light. I closed the door behind me, and we stood in the hallway, listening to Cassie play downstairs with the boys.

  I already had a plan formulating in my mind of how I could get her alone tomorrow night.

  “How did you find yourself raising your nephew?” she asked.

  I felt my entire demeanor darken as images of the blood and carnage pushed away the beautiful thoughts of her body.

  “My brother and his wife died,” I said. “I am his godfather, so when his parents died, I took him in. I decided that boy had experienced enough for one lifetime, so I liquidated everything and moved us here to start fresh.”

  “So, they’re true? The rumors about you?”

  I looked down at her as her wild eyes stared back up at me.

  “Yes,” I said. “They are.”

  “I’m so sorry about your family,” she said.

  “And I’m sorry for yours.”

  “Can I be honest with you?” she asked.

  “I hope you’re nothing but, my songbird.”

  I heard her gasp lightly at the name as I turned my body fully toward her.

  “What do you wish to say?” I asked.

  “I’m worried,” she said. “About your ties to the mob. Are we…? Is Ana…?”

  I knew what she was trying to ask, and I heard the fear dripping from her voice. The only thing Rose deserved to feel was happiness and pleasure.

  “My past is behind me,” I said. “You and Ana have nothing to worry about.”

  Her dazzling eyes drank me in, hanging onto every word before she finally nodded her head. I could still see the doubt rolling behind her eyes, even as she tried to convince herself that my answer was enough for her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me and, just like she had before, she melted into my body. How willingly she gave herself over to me time and time again. How eager she was to trust me despite everything.

  I moved my lips to the shell of her ear.

  “Good girls do as they are asked and believe what their masters say,” I said.

  I felt her nod into me while her legs trembled.

  “Tomorrow, we shall have a wonderful day. I will look after Ana, the boys will occupy themselves, and we will all enjoy a day out on the town. Then, I will cook dinner for all of us. Then Cassie will watch the children while I whisk you away.”

  “Have you talked with her?”

  “Good girls never interrupt their masters,” I said. “Is that clear?”

  Her hands clung to my clothing, pulling me closer to her body as her cheek pressed into my chest.

  “Yes,” she said breathlessly.

  “Join me tomorrow evening and you will be rewarded. Anything less will require punishment.”

  My lips trailed down her ear, causing her to shiver before I planted a kiss onto her neck. Her legs gave way while my arms kept her steady, her breath coming in short pants while I held her in the dim lighting of her upstairs hallway. Her pulse was jumping against me. Her entire body was screaming out for me. She wanted me as badly as I wanted her, but she would have to wait one more night to have it.

  To have me.

  I waited until Rose could get her feet underneath her. Then the two of us headed back downstairs. I could tell the boys were getting tired, so I coaxed Junior off the couch and told him he’d be back tomorrow. I could feel Cassie and Rose silently communicating, as I was sure Cassie was curious as to what took so long.

  I shot one last, telling look toward Rose before Junior and I started for my truck.

  “Thank you for dinner,” Junior said. “Your lasagna’s awesome.”

  “I’m glad you liked it,” Rose said.

  “See you tomorrow!” Kevin exclaimed.

  “See you!” Junior called out.

  The entire drive back home, my nephew wouldn’t stop talking about Cassie and Kevin. It was wonderful, listening to the words of happiness fly from his lips. I hadn’t seen him this excited for anything since I found him curled up in that closet three years ago and I knew, in that very moment, I was doing the right thing.

  Rose and I both were.

  I pulled the truck up to the cabin and, when we got inside, the nanny took over for the night. She got Junior laid down for bed before she left for the night and I started planning out our day tomorrow. I was going to surprise everyone by taking them out for brunch. Then, I’d take us all to the aquarium so we could walk underneath the shark corridor and let Ana pet the stingrays. After that, we’d get some treats in town to tide us over until dinner. Then, I would start cooking dinner while Ana sat in her high chair and the boys played video games.

  I’d have to pack up stuff from here to take with me in the morning so I could cook Rose what I wanted to.

  I laid down in bed, a smile on my face for the adventure to come. I could still feel the way Rose melded into my body. My cock was tormenting me underneath my pajama pants, threatening to push forth and ache for the rest of the night. Every single part of me wanted to masturbate to the thought of her. I wanted to stroke my cock to the memory of her body. The way she arched into me and accepted all of me. The pain and the pleasure I had to give. I wanted to come with her name on my lips while I imagined her chained from the ceiling. Pinned to the shower floor. Her ass reddened for me while I paddled her as punishment.

  But I couldn’t. If my beautiful little songbird had to wait until tomorrow night, then so would I. I got out of bed and took a cold shower, trying to abate my urges before I fell back into bed. My body was buzzing with excitement for the day to come. A day spent out in the middle of town with my growing, blossoming family.

  However, all night was spent dreaming of the night to come. I would convince Cassie and my nanny to babysit while I brought Rose back to the cabin. My mind raced with thoughts of her writhing at hot wax being poured onto her skin. Whimpering while my cock split her in two, her legs roped to the bed.

  I woke up the next morning two hours before my alarm was set to go off, with a throbbing erection. I took another cold shower before I started packing up all the food I wanted to cook for our family dinner. Then, I picked up my phone and called our nanny.

  I was going to need her to help me convince Cassie to keep the kids while Rose and I came back here.

  Back to the cabin where I would claim her as mine once again.

  Chapter Nineteen – Rose

  I couldn’t believe how wonderful Cam
illo was being. He showed up at my house with Junior and his nanny in tow and announced he was taking us all to brunch. We all piled in our respective cars and followed him to the Garlic Restaurant and Bar where we had the most delectable food I’d ever tasted. Camillo was feeding our daughter while Kevin and Junior were talking each other’s heads off. I took in the sights around me, while Cassie talked with Junior’s nanny.

  The day had been spectacular. The air was chilly, and the snow was falling, which blanketed the town around us in a beautiful, pristine crispness. It reminded me of the outfit I was wearing when I first saw Camillo, the lacy white dress clinging to my body while he stared at me from on high. My mind got lost in the memory of him while his words rang deep in the back of my mind. Words that prickled down my neck when he’d whispered them deep into my ear the night before.

  Good girls do as they’re asked.

  I could tell Camillo was trying to steal glances at me. Ana kept crying for his attention, a feeling I was all too familiar with. He didn’t blink an eye when he paid the massive check that was delivered to the table and, before I could protest any further, we were all being swept over to the indoor aquarium.

  Inside, the boys were in absolute awe of all the fish. The nanny and Cassie were running around with them while I walked alongside Camillo, listening as he held our daughter and pointed out all the fish to her. She planted her hands onto the glass and tried to kiss the fish, pulling a chuckle from Camillo that rushed straight down my back. Every single time he interacted with her, he burrowed deeper and deeper into my heart. The natural love and bond he had with his daughter would’ve made me jealous had it been anyone else.

  But as he smiled at his daughter and continued to talk softly in her ear, I could see the way she was grasping his shirt. She didn’t want to let him go.

  Like I hadn’t wanted to let him go that night.