Savage Love

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  The big kicker? Stefan looked like an angel. Blond hair and caramel-colored eyes were his best features and although the man was in his late forties, he looked thirty. Lev nodded and extended his hand.

  “Mr. Santorno.”

  “Lev.” Stefan shook it.

  James stood up and extended his hand.

  “Lev, thank you for coming.”

  “Well, when Killian said Samson Demarco was in town, I really didn’t have a choice, did I?” Lev took a seat across from the desk.

  “Why would he be here, Lev? And why would he want to speak with Chaz?”

  Lev folded his hands and decided to go with the truth.

  Why not?

  He was out of that life. He’d never taken a life as a Bonini goon — well, except for the assholes who bit him and turned him into a werewolf. That was self-defense. Nowadays, he took plenty of lives, but they belonged to rogues —scourges on society and the world, they brought violence, misery and pain to thousands.

  That didn’t count.

  “I was obviously part of the Bonini family; I assume you know that much already, don’t you?”

  “We knew about your father.” Stefan nodded.

  “Yes, well, my father’s job as an enforcer came to a screeching halt when Mario thought he was skimming from the top.”

  Stefan sat forward and clasped his hands. “He killed your father.”

  It wasn’t even asked as a question.

  Lev sighed.

  “Yes. I didn’t find out until the next morning when Mario and his goons camped out in my kitchen. I knew he’d start asking me to do the job as an enforcer, but shit — I was barely twenty-one, and I just didn’t have it in me to kill someone.”

  Lev stood up, pacing.

  “But that’s not what he wanted that morning.”

  Lev rubbed his face with his hands. God, he’d never told another soul why he’d come to Seattle, why he’d begun a relationship with Chaz Savage.

  “What Mario wanted was for me to get close to Chaz Savage,” he revealed with a heavy sigh.

  “The highest paid NFL player.” Stefan reclined back in his seat and studied Lev. “Let me guess, money?”

  Lev nodded.

  “He wanted me to get proof and expose him as gay, and then they could blackmail him to throw games and get a monthly extortion payment out of him too. I came here and I watched Chaz’s every movement for a month. Then I approached him and we became friends and, um, eventually more. Samson showed up later to remind me what my job was. Then, one night, he showed up with someone new. He told me Mario had found a new benefactor and they weren’t interested in Chaz anymore.”

  “But Mario wanted you dead anyway,” Stefan guessed.

  “Of course,” Lev snorted. “I had a gun in my face but I managed to get it away from the guy and shoot him.”

  “And Samson?” James asked.

  “That’s the weird part. Samson let me go. He said it was because he thought what they did to my father was fucked up. That was also the night I was bitten.”

  Stefan stiffened. “So Mario has werewolves?”

  “Yes. I know Samson is one, and the guy who bit me, obviously.” Lev shrugged. “What I want to know is why he’s here and tailing Chaz. I really don’t like that.”

  Lev sat down and sighed. “I’m going to have to tell Chaz the truth.”

  “At this point, Chaz needs a guard on him at all times. I think that should be you,” James said thoughtfully.

  Lev’s head whipped around to face him. “You can’t be serious! When he finds out what I did, he’ll hate me.”

  “You know Chaz better than anyone; you know the faces of Bonini’s men. You’re the best man for the job,” Stefan pointed out. “Besides, my men will be here as well.”

  “What?” Lev’s mouth dropped open.

  “Oh, Lorenzo is itching to play with Mario.” Stefan winked.

  Lev stood up and paced again. Lorenzo Costa was one of Stefan’s best assassins. He’d met the man a few times and if he thought Chaz was tall, Lorenzo made Chaz look short.

  “I don’t know.” Lev shook his head. “You don’t know Chaz Savage when he gets mad.”

  “Well now, you should try to ease that anger.” James raised a brow.

  “It’s been six years, James. Mario could have hired new guys.”

  “Then bring in Samson, get him to talk,” Stefan added.

  “I’ll see what I can do. But telling Chaz may get me a black eye.” Lev tried to smile. “And that’s if I’m lucky.”

  “You can take it,” James chuckled.

  “I’ll keep in touch.” Lev nodded to Stefan. “You’ll know as soon as I do.”

  “Good.” Stefan rubbed his hands together. “I’ve wanted to take a crack at Mario for a long time.”

  “Are all you Mafia guys so bloodthirsty?” Lev smiled.

  “Yup,” Stefan grinned. “Only we’re bloodthirsty in a good way.”

  “Okay, well,” Lev laughed. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Lev stepped out of the office and leaned against the wall. How in the hell was he going to tell Chaz what he’d been sent to Seattle for? God, it made their relationship look like a joke, when it was so far from that. He’d loved Chaz before he even set foot on Washington soil.

  Lev took a deep breath and pushed himself off the wall. He turned to walk toward the elevator but stopped in his tracks when he noticed Chaz standing at the end of the hall.

  Damn. The man was even more beautiful than before. Blond hair was cut short, tapered on the sides with a bit of length styled at the top. The crystal blue eyes locked on him and Lev’s pulse quickened. He forced himself to move forward.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I was told you were back and in a meeting.”

  “Oh? Who told you that?”

  “Well, let’s see, Killian told Ross who told Cole — ”

  “I get it.” Lev lifted a hand.

  “I want to talk to you. I’ve been wanting to talk to you since the day I found out about werewolves.”

  Lev stopped in front of Chaz. Even with all his werewolf strength, he still felt tiny in comparison to the much bigger man. The memories of their lovemaking came flooding back and Lev closed his eyes. Chaz’s warm, strong hands caressing his skin, the soft lips devouring his. He shivered and tried to concentrate on the man before him now.

  The instinct to run was strong.

  “I have to go.” Lev walked around Chaz.

  “Just answer one question for me?”

  Lev stopped walking.

  “Did you ever care about me?”

  Lev turned around. “Are you kidding me? Of course I cared about you! Shit, I still care! There’s so much more to this than you know, Chaz.”

  “So you’re a werewolf! I don’t care!”

  God, if that was all it was, Lev could live with it. But there was so much more Chaz didn’t know, and if he knew the truth …

  “Trust me on this; you don’t want to be with me.” Lev resumed walking.

  “Don’t I get a say? I think you owe me an explanation, Lev.”

  Lev stopped and hung his head. God, if he told Chaz the truth, it would push him even further away. But James had more or less commanded him to.

  “Just know that I cared, Chaz. I always have.”

  “Then talk to me, please.” Chaz took Lev’s arm and pulled him around slowly. He searched his eyes. “You’ve grown up. I still see that scared twenty-one year old in there, though.”

  Lev looked up and smiled. “You’re still taller.”

  “You’re still beautiful,” Chaz whispered.

  Lev’s breath hitched as Chaz’s fingers traced his lips. His inner wolf wanted to pounce on Chaz and claim him as his.

  “You’re turning on my wolf side.”

  “Yeah?” Chaz grinned. “Is the human side turned on?”

  Lev backed up. “Look, I care about you, but that doesn’t change anything.” Lev turned and bega
n walking again.

  “You told me to never let you go.” Chaz called after him.

  Lev stopped again.

  “Never,” Lev whispered.

  “That’s what I said, and I’m not going to, Lev. You hurt me so badly I thought I’d never recover; but I never stopped caring about you, either.” Chaz walked over to Lev and took his hand. “If you really do still care, then tell me the truth.”

  Lev’s heart raced at that one touch of Chaz’s hand. God, he knew he’d never be with anyone else. It would always be Chaz.

  “Not here, okay?”

  “Okay.” Chaz nodded. “Then where?”

  “I could come by your house later?”

  “Should I pick up some Schooners?”

  Lev chuckled. “Yes. I’ll wear a Giants jersey.”

  “And I’ll give you shit for it.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  “So, sixish?”

  Lev nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  Chapter Three

  Chaz paced the room nervously. He checked the time every three minutes. From the moment he laid eyes on Lev Chirkoff again, the memories of their night together had come back. The scared and nervous Lev who had opened up to him so freely — what had happened to him?

  Seeing Lev in full ass-kicking uniform today had given him a rock-hard boner. The man still did it for him.

  Although Lev had grown up since the time they’d been apart, he still saw the Lev from six years ago. Chaz fixed the tablecloth again and checked on the dinner in the oven. A single white rose graced a vase on the dining room table and Chaz couldn’t help remembering the one given to him by Lev six years ago.

  The sound of a car in the drive alerted him to Lev’s arrival.

  Chaz checked his reflection in the mirror one more time and took a deep breath as the doorbell rang. Opening the door, his mouth dropped open at the sight of Lev wearing a Seahawks jersey.

  With Chaz’s number on it.

  “Where did you get that?” Chaz laughed.

  “I got it off eBay.” Lev motioned to the door. “May I come in?”

  “Oh, yes; sorry.”

  Chaz moved aside and his eyes followed Lev’s round, tight ass as he moved through the house and into the kitchen. He stopped at the dining room table and gently stroked the single rose in the vase.

  “A white rose,” he whispered.

  “I still love them,” Chaz admitted.

  “I, um, brought you one.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes, it’s in the car.”

  “Why didn’t you bring it in?”

  “Because we need to talk, and I’m not sure you’re ever going to want to see me again when I finish.”

  Chaz leaned against the wall, eyes cautious. “That doesn’t sound promising.”

  Lev set his hands on the table and closed his eyes. How in the hell was he going to do this? How was he going to tell Chaz the truth?

  “First off, you need to know one thing.” Lev looked up and locked eyes with Chaz. “No amount of time will ever change how I feel about you.”

  “Were you … with anyone after you left?”

  “No, Chaz; I couldn’t be.” Lev stood and crossed the room, stopping to look out the window. “I was raised in the Bonini crime family, Chaz. My father was an enforcer. Do you know what that is?”

  “A hit man?”

  “Yes, a hit man. I grew up with these people.”

  “Were you an enforcer?”

  “No! I never could be. I couldn’t just walk up to someone and shoot him because someone ordered me to. Now, of course, I’m killing all the time, but that’s entirely different — and necessary. The Boninis would knock off anyone who didn’t conform to the ‘family’ way of life. Innocent people, people with families,” Lev sighed. “I wasn’t made that way, but my father was. Mario thought my father was skimming off the top of his businesses and had him killed.”

  “Oh God, Lev,” Chaz whispered.

  “I woke up and they were in my kitchen. That’s how I found out my father was dead. That was the day my whole life changed.”

  Lev glanced at Chaz. It was time to lay it all out on the line. He took a deep breath.

  “I was in love with you before I even met you.”

  “What?”

  “I watched you play, watched all your interviews, never missed a game you were in. That morning, Mario asked me to do something that I knew I could never do.”

  Chaz stiffened. “Kill me?”

  “No, Chaz — he wanted me to get close to you and prove you were gay so that he could blackmail you.”

  “So it was all an act?” Chaz whispered. “You pretended to just run into me at the bar?”

  “I knew walking in with my Giants jersey would get me attention; getting yours was a plus.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Chaz spat.

  “I couldn’t do the rest of it, though. I kept telling Mario and his enforcers that you weren’t gay — even after the first night you kissed me. I wanted you so much it hurt. The only good thing that came out of it all was that I was with you, Chaz. The night I left — God, I didn’t want to! But they came to kill me as I was approaching your house, and I was bitten. I was struggling with the first shift into a werewolf. One of Mario’s enforcers, Samson Demarco, told me to run. I knew they weren’t after you anymore and you’d be okay. I didn’t want to hurt you — ”

  “But you did hurt me, Lev! God, I had no idea where you were, or if you were okay! I had all these thoughts going through my head that maybe you were tired of being my secret. Hell, I even came out for you!”

  “I could have bitten you or worse, Chaz! I didn’t know how to control my lupine side. Then there was the secret I was keeping from you about why I showed up in the first place. Not to mention the fact that Bonini still wanted me dead — putting you in danger, too. It’s why I ended up in Siberia, hiding.”

  Lev looked at Chaz with pleading eyes. “God, don’t you think I went over it a thousand times in my head? I loved you then; I still love you now!”

  He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Samson is back in town and tailing you. That scares the shit out of me. I don’t know why he’s here, or what he wants but I’m going to find out. James wants a guard on you.”

  “Oh, he does, does he?” Chaz crossed his arms. “And who might that guard be?”

  Lev raised his hand.

  “Of course,” Chaz snorted.

  “This wasn’t my idea. I told James you wouldn’t be happy with it once you knew the whole truth.”

  “I wondered every damn day if I had done something wrong, if I should have changed something.” Chaz shook his head.

  “All I can say is I’m sorry, Chaz. You’ll never know how much.”

  “Those words are just a little too late, Lev. You could have found a way later on to let me know you weren’t dead, or told me to fuck off. Something, anything!”

  “I’m sorry. I still would have had to tell you the truth. You still would have been angry. I love you, Chaz.”

  “You should go,” Chaz said quietly.

  “Chaz…”

  “Please.”

  “I’m not going far, Chaz. I’m your guard, like it or not.”

  “Whatever.” Chaz waved his hand in the air. “Just go.”

  Lev crossed the room and stopped in front of him. He could sense the inner battle going on in the taller man. He lifted his hand and palmed Chaz’s face.

  “No matter what you think, you were never a job, Chaz. And I never would have betrayed your secret. Every moment we spent together meant something to me. You are the only man who will ever be in my heart.”

  Lev dropped his hand and walked across the room. He knew he’d have to wait for Chaz to come to him. It was out of his hands.

  The door closed and Chaz let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. The pain of hearing why Lev had been with him was eating him alive. To know that he had been sent to Seattle to se
duce him, trap him … it fucking hurt. Chaz threw the vase against the wall and glass and water sprayed everywhere. He growled and rubbed his face with his hands.

  “Shit.”

  He grabbed the broom and paper towels and began cleaning up the shards of glass. The rose sat in a puddle of water, untouched by the rage he’d just displayed. He held it up and looked at it, the clinging water droplets like tears. The silk petals caressed his fingers. Chaz closed his eyes. Would he ever get over Lev Chirkoff?

  Not likely.

  ~*~

  The next morning, Chaz awoke to the sounds of the trash man. He rolled out of bed and jumped in the shower. Thoughts of Lev already invaded his brain.

  Damn that man!

  Now he’d be wondering if Lev had been faking the whole time they were together. Fuck, he hoped not. He might not have said it, but he had fallen hard and fast for Lev Chirkoff. There was something so — he searched for the right word — innocent about him. The times they’d spent together had been easy, almost as if they were destined to be together. No one had ever gotten to him like that. He’d spent too much time guarding his secret, and then Lev had come along and Chaz had broken his only rule.

  Never date in the city.

  Chaz opened the back sliding glass door and stopped in his tracks. A large wolf was rolled into a ball in the back corner of the yard.

  “Lev?” Chaz whispered.

  The wolf’s head lifted and unforgettable green eyes locked on his. Holy hell, but Lev was stunning in wolf form. Chaz straightened and narrowed his eyes.

  “Hungry?”

  He got a nod and a huff.

  Fuck it, might as well feed the guy.

  Ugh.

  “I’m still mad at you!” Chaz pointed at him.

  Lev buried his face between his paws with a whine.

  “Dammit,” Chaz muttered. “Don’t do that. I’ll bring you some food but that’s it. Don’t think I’m going to forget what you told me.”