Worth the Chance

by Vi Keeland

  “Where you been, Vince?” She rests her two hands against my chest. I remove them quickly.

  “Busy.” Turning my back to Krissy, I find her friend close behind me. Like two pack wolves, they box me in. I’m pretty sure the friend gave me head in the bathroom when I was at my low, getting high every day. I don’t even remember her name. Not that I care to anyway.

  “Hi, Vince,” her friend purrs.

  “Not interested.” Not here, not now, not ever again.

  “I can make you interested.” She reaches up, makes it close to my mouth with her long red fingernail, but I catch her hand in mine before it touches me. Squeezing her little bony hand too hard, I think how easy it would be to fucking crush it, so I force myself to let go. But she gets my point.

  “You know, Vince, the two of us could make you forget whatever is bothering you,” Krissy purrs from behind me. It makes me wonder how I ever stomached being with her. “We have enough for the three of us to party.”

  Finally, something she says gets my attention. “You know Jason Buttles?”

  “Maybe.” Krissy smiles, rocking back and forth. She’s being coy and thinks it’s cute, but it’s not, I find it god damn annoying. But I know how women like her work. I’ll get more from her giving her what she wants.

  Turning to give her my full attention, I wrap one hand around the back of her neck and lower my face to hers as if I’m about to kiss her, but I don’t. I smile instead, “Can you get in touch with him?”

  “Probably.” The two hands I removed from my chest are back, but this time I leave them be, even though it disgusts me to have them there.

  “Do that for me.”

  She pouts. “Why should I?”

  My other hand snakes around her waist and pulls her close to me. “Because I need to talk to him. And once that’s outta the way, I can party with you ladies,” I lie.

  She leans into me, bringing her mouth even closer to mine, she expects me to kiss her. No fucking way I’m touching that with what I got now. I pull my head back. “Call him.”

  “He doesn’t have a phone.”

  Who doesn’t have a god damn phone? Yesterday I saw the fucking homeless guy that lives on the north side of Nico’s gym talking on a cell. “How do you get in touch with him?”

  “Beeper.”

  Beeper? What is it, nineteen eighty-two? “Beep him.”

  Pulling out her phone, she spends a minute pressing buttons and then smiles back at me. “Done”

  Great, now I have to wait with these two.

  An hour passes and Jason never calls back. I’ve kept the two of them strung along enough to keep them close, but far enough away not to have to actually spend time talking to them. Luckily for me, a few guys from the gym come in, helping to pass the time.

  But I’ve had enough waiting around. The loser is probably passed out somewhere or doesn’t have a damn quarter to use a payphone and call her back. “Listen, I have to run. If you hear from Jason, call me, okay?”

  “What about our party?” Krissy pouts.

  “I’m gonna have to take a rain check until I hear from Jason.” I’m out the door before either of them can respond.

  Chapter 33

  Liv

  After work today, I finally unload my whole story on Ally over a glass, no a bottle, of wine.

  “So do you think it was a coincidence that they were at the exhibition match?”

  “I don’t know…Jax is a fighter, not professionally, but he sounded pretty passionate about it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had tickets. The arena was just outside of D.C., so when I first saw him, I thought it was a coincidence.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  “The look on the Senator’s face. He was just staring at Vinny.”

  “Maybe he’s a fan?”

  I take another sip of my wine and close my eyes, remembering the look on Senator Knight’s face. “It was more than that. Something just tells me he knows.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  Collapsing back onto the couch, I look at my best friend. “I don’t know Al, if I give the water bottle to the paper to test, they’ll know the results and it won’t matter what I decide. They won’t wait for me to write a story.”

  “So have the results tested yourself. Take something of Vinny’s and put the two samples into a lab under a fake name. Find out for sure before you go crazy trying to decide what to do.”

  “I guess I can do that.”

  “Do it. You never know…maybe it really is all one big coincidence. The blue eyes, the fighting…everything. Stranger things have happened.”

  I attempt to smile at my best friend. “Thanks Ally. I feel so guilty keeping it from Vinny. But I don’t want to hurt him. He loves the memory of his father. I can’t explain it…he just believes that’s where the good comes from in him. I can’t tarnish that memory if I’m not absolutely sure.” And I’m not even sure I can do it if it turns out to be absolutely true.

  “Look at it this way. If it is true, at least it’s you, and you can protect him from what the paper would do if it was someone else writing the story.”

  ***

  I get little sleep, tossing and turning half the night, guilt wreaking havoc on my brain’s ability to power down. Trudging into the office, barely making it on time, even though I’ve been up for hours, I’m greeted by an overly zealous fake smile from Summer.

  “Morning, Olivia.” Summer’s smile is full of sugar, yet far from sweet.

  “Hello, Summer.” Taking the high road, I respond professionally, as if she hasn’t spent the last three weeks ignoring me and slamming things every time I was near.

  “How’s Vince?”

  What the hell is she up to? “He’s great, thank you.” I somehow manage to maintain my professional demeanor.

  Sitting on the edge of my desk, she folds her arms over her chest and crosses her long skinny legs. “Had dinner with Daddy last night.”

  “That’s nice.” I pull out a file and power up my laptop, trying hard not to feed into whatever game she’s playing.

  Leaning down to me, she whispers through her smile. “Can’t wait to see how much he likes your little story.”

  Feeling the sting of tears behind my eyes, I stand, blinking them back before allowing Summer to see them. The thought of yet another person knowing such a powerful secret about Vinny crushing my spirit, I force anger to replace the sadness I’m truly feeling. “I’ll admit, when I first met you, I was a bit jealous. Such a beautiful girl, with all the right connections. But after getting to know you, jealousy has turned to pity. Why don’t you stop worrying about my life and get your own, Summer. I’m sure there are plenty of men that are into skinny, self-loathing, and desperate.”

  I pack the laptop I was just firing up back into my bag, no way I can sit here all day and look at her. Catching sight of Sleezeball out of the corner of my eye, I plaster on a cheery face as I continue quietly. Venom bleeding out from beneath my smiling lips, I warn, “Keep the hell away from Vinny.”

  Smiling back, looking thoroughly satisfied for ruffling my feathers, she responds through gritted, perfect, white teeth, “I’m a patient woman. Someone’s going to need to help him pick up the pieces when you tear him apart. Might as well be me.”

  ***

  I spend the day working back at my apartment, finishing off a story that I owe and researching labs that do DNA testing. Printing off a list, I decide the first few are too close. Maybe putting some miles between my life and the lab will make it feel less risky.

  My phone rings and Vinny’s voice calms me, even though he’s the subject of everything else in my life that brings tension these days. “Hey.”

  “Hey, Beautiful.” His voice warms me after a long day of feeling cold.

  Sighing loudly, I give in to what I’m feeling, even if I don’t fully understand it. How did I go from running from him to his voice bringing me comfort? “It’s good to hear your voice.”

  “Bad da
y?” I can tell he’s smiling on the other end of the phone, even though I can’t see him. Male satisfaction throaty in his voice, he likes the thought of making me smile so easily.

  “Yeah.”

  “Wanna talk about it?” The irony doesn’t escape me.

  “No, but thank you. How was your day?”

  “Spent it in the hospital.”

  “What happened?” Real concern takes hold of me.

  “Elle’s having the baby. For real this time.”

  “Wow, how is she?”

  “She’s doing good. Though the doctor said it’ll be hours still. I’m going to run home and shower, came here in the middle of a workout. Think the nurses are eyeing me because I smell.”

  As confident as he is, sometimes he’s totally clueless. “The nurses aren’t eyeing you because you smell. They’re eying you because you’re easy on the eyes.”

  He laughs, “Well, I wouldn’t notice. I only have eyes for one woman these days.”

  “Good to know.” It’s the first genuine smile I’ve had in two days.

  “How about if I pick you up after I shower and we can grab a bite to eat and come back to the hospital. Hopefully the little guy will be around by then.”

  “I’d love that.”

  Chapter 34

  Liv

  I’ve never seen Vinny in such a playful mood. We arrive at the hospital and he takes my hand, together we walk, fingers linked, to the maternity ward. “How many kids you want to have?”

  His question takes me by surprise. “Two, maybe three.”

  He smiles at my response. “How about you?”

  “Never really given it any thought.” He quiets for a minute, thinking. “Six.”

  “Six?” I respond horrified. The number shocks me.

  Vinny chuckles. “All boys.”

  “Six boys? You do realize you don’t get to pick what you have, right?” I tease, nudging him with my shoulder.

  As we arrive through the double doors, Nico comes into sight. He’s wearing light blue scrubs from head to toe, a cap covering his head, and matching blue paper booties on his feet. His smile is so big, I can see it even before he removes the blue mask from his face.

  The two men hug, clinging to each other, tears in both their eyes. “Ten fingers, ten toes. He’s beautiful, just like his mother.” Nico sniffles back the start of tears.

  “How’s Elle?”

  “She hates me. Screamed something about my head being too big and that it was all my fault, right before the baby came out.” The wide smile never leaves his face.

  “She’ll get over it.” Vinny grins, slapping Nico on the back.

  “Yeah, nurses said that. Told me it was normal and she’d forget it as soon as they cleaned him up and she could hold him some more.” Noticing me for the first time, Nico greets me with a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Liv. Thanks for coming.”

  “Congratulations. I hope Elle doesn’t mind I’m here so soon after the baby was born.”

  “You bring her coffee, she wouldn’t care if you were in the delivery room.”

  ***

  Two hours later, we finally get to see Baby Nicholas’s mom. Coffee in hand, I greet Elle and congratulate her.

  She smiles, quickly sipping the coffee. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

  Surprising me, the nurse wheels in a small clear cradle, where the baby lies wrapped snuggly in a soft blue blanket. Thinking we’d only get to see the baby behind glass, I look down at the perfect pink cheeks, mesmerized by the beauty and perfection of this living, breathing miracle that’s only hours old.

  “You think you can hold ‘em without dropping him?” Nico elbows Vinny.

  “I’m not you, old man. My hands are still good.” He grins.

  “Wash your damn hands.” Nico chastises Vinny. The two have an interesting dynamic. It’s a cross between a father-son and brother-brother relationship, mixed with a bucket load of authority challenging on both their parts. Yet through it all, the two clearly love and care about each other deeply.

  Something happens as I watch Vinny gently take baby Nicholas from Nico. A quiet moment, where all the sexual energy that emanates from the confident and controlling man slips beneath the surface, allowing a beautiful, gentle, incredibly loving man to rise to the top. Just watching him look down at the baby in awe of all his perfectness, a protective lion adoring his baby cub, clutches at my heart. I know exactly what he’s feeling as tears well up behind his eyes, love pouring out unbridled for no other reason than his heart decided it loved. I know because I feel it too…staring at Vinny.

  Elle catches me staring and smiles at me, the two men oblivious to our attention as we watch from just a short distance. “He’s a good man, Liv. He’ll make a good father and husband someday.” She reaches for my hand and squeezes. “When you’re ready.”

  ***

  A feeling of peacefulness replacing the playfulness of earlier, Vinny’s mood helps ward off the anxiousness and guilt that always seems to lurk nearby lately. Deciding to stay at his apartment tonight, I change in the bathroom and find Vinny sitting at the foot of the bed, head in hands, contemplating.

  “You okay?” I stand between his legs, resting my hands on his shoulders.

  Vinny pulls me close, turning his head to nuzzle into my chest through my t-shirt. “I’m great, you?” He whispers with a husky voice, the thickness of it telling me he’s in the mood, without the necessity of words.

  “I’m good. Tonight was nice. Thank you for taking me with you.”

  Vinny pulls me down to him, seating me on his lap, his big hand gathering my hair aside as his mouth goes to my neck. I feel his words spoken on my neck. “Want to make love to you, Liv.”

  My heart thuds loudly in my chest, “I want you too.”

  “More. I want more, Liv.”

  “I don’t understand.” Pulling my head back to look into his eyes, he looks down for a minute, avoiding my eyes, contemplating, before his baby blues find their way to me.

  “I’ve never made love to anyone. Closest I came was with you, a lifetime ago. Scared me back then, scares the crap out of me now. But I want you, Liv. More. Just damn more. I’m not even sure what that means myself, yet I’m surer of it than anything I’ve ever been in my entire screwed up life.”

  There are no words to respond with to what he offers me, so I don’t, I give him what he’s asking for. Sealing my mouth over his, I kiss him with everything I have. It’s different than our usual hot and heavy, it’s soulful, and beautiful, and forever life changing.

  Gently, Vinny lifts me from his lap, and places me in the center of the bed.

  ***

  Vinny

  I force myself to ignore every impulse in my body, telling me to pin her down and sink deep inside of her. Instead, I hover over her, one hand on the side of her head holding myself steady in place, the other lifts her hand and brings it to my mouth. I kiss each finger gently.

  She lifts her arms without words as I slip off her shirt. Looking down the length of her, I admire the beauty of her body. It’s god damn perfect. Soft on the curves, toned on all the muscle, and creamy white everywhere.

  She watches me intently as I slowly lean down, flicking the tip of my tongue over her nipple. It hardens to my touch and I feel my cock twitch from her body’s reaction. Sucking the pink pebble into my mouth, I draw firmly, falling short of biting, even though the urge is great.

  Nibbling gently from one firm breast to the other, my mouth takes the other waiting nipple as my fingers gently pinch at the other hardened point. Liv moans, and it’s that sound that drives me crazy. A throaty cross between a moan and a purr, it made me crazy back when we were just kids, but could drive a man to do feral things as an adult.

  I watch as her face goes soft and she closes her eyes and reopens them hooded a minute later. Lining our bodies up, my head looming over hers, my cock is positioned perfectly at her opening. I can feel the wet heat radiating from her slick pussy and I want nothing more
than to dive inside, riding her hard and filling every last inch of her.

  But I don’t. Closing my eyes, I brace myself, hovering over her. Waiting. Watching. My arms begin to shake and I clamp down on every ounce of control within me and reign in my need. Her big, round, hazel eyes meet mine when I look down at her, and I find them filled with emotion. It takes me back seven years, to a time when I didn’t trust myself to not hurt her. Just like so many years ago, I find myself staring at eyes that scare the living shit out of me, eyes that trust me. Only this time, I want it. Need it. Finally man enough to take it.

  So I kiss her softly on the lips and smile down at her. Wrapping her arms around my back, she smiles back at me and together we make love for the first time. I enter her slowly, our gaze never breaking, even when I’m seated deeply, the base of me flush against her wet opening.

  Pulling back out, almost in unison we both take a deep breath in, and still for a minute before beginning to move again. Together, we find our rhythm, moving in and out slowly, unhurried, each breath and thrust in perfect sync with each other. Our eyes never parting for more than a few seconds, only out of necessity to steal a kiss.

  Minutes later, I watch as her face changes, my slow thrusts speeding up, her hands on my back slipping down to grip my ass as she comes closer.

  “Show me. Show me, Babe. I want to watch as that tight pussy grips me. Need to see you.” Her eyes begin to roll back and drift shut, I know she’s close. “Open, Babe. Let me watch you give yourself to me.”

  Glazed over, she struggles to keep her eyes open as her orgasm begins to pulse through her. Her body spasms beneath mine as I tremble to continue, holding back my own release, thrusting in and out, rocking back and forth, over and over again. I feel every pulse of her orgasm grasp and milk me, until finally, I can’t hold back anymore. I smother her moans with a kiss. The sound of her being stifled by me is almost too much to bear. Panting and sliding my cock in as deep as I can, I release into her, my own body spurting uncontrollably as she moans my name through our kiss.

  Chapter 35