Therefore, I opened my mouth and said, “You didn’t save me…” And burst into tears.
Chapter Nine
Tank
I didn’t know what to do.
But the last thing I needed was her bawling in front of the crime scene—or having whoever they sent seeing her upset and reporting back to Sergio.
So, I promptly scooped her into my arms, opened the sliding glass door, and walked out onto the beach until I found an empty Cabana with its sides pulled tight around it.
She was still sniffling when I sat down on one of the lounge chairs with her still on my lap, her head resting against my chest as if it belonged there.
I’d made the right choice.
I knew that now.
I just needed a reality check of what that meant, what it could mean if this went wrong. If the Family that I chose either double-crossed me—or chose not to protect me.
God, it hurt.
That space where my heart beat against my rib cage, that space where my heart beat for her over and over again.
Could I even regret such a thing?
No.
Not even a little bit.
“What happened…?” I whispered. “That day.”
Kartini stilled, and then she pulled away from me just enough to look at her hands—as if they were stained with blood.
“You weren’t there.”
“But I was…” I corrected. “I was there when Ash was being an ass per usual. I was there when we went to the bar. And I was there when you ran off because you didn’t want them to see your tears.”
She shuddered against me, still refusing to lift her head so I could see the sweetness of her blue eyes.
“There were two men.” She sighed. “They hit on me earlier that night. I turned them down because, obviously, I couldn’t look like I was with someone else when all my energy was spent on trapping you.”
I froze. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I may have”—she twisted her hands in her lap—“had a small, non-important crush on you.”
“What?”
“Are you really going to make me repeat the humiliation, Tank?”
“Having a crush on me’s humiliating?”
“Okay, that came out wrong. Tuck your tender dick away and just listen, okay? Otherwise, I won’t be able to get this out.” She sighed.
“My dick isn’t tender.”
Another sigh. “I’m aware. I can feel it.”
Weirdly enough, I felt my cheeks heat right along with the rest of my body.
Crush.
She’d had a crush?
Had as in past tense.
So, what did she have now? An aversion? Hatred?
Shit.
She really should not have told me that.
She flirted with anyone and everyone. And while, yes, the plan was to get answers from her, I realized I was compelled to flirt right back. To see how far I could push her, to see how much I could touch her, to see how much I could have her.
“So, what happened?” I finally asked with extreme strength that I somehow gathered from whatever well of it I had left after hearing that news. “You can trust me.”
Finally, she looked up into my eyes. “I ran away like the little girl you said I was. I cried, like the child you saw me as.” My heart clenched. “And then, in less than seven minutes, I went from little girl to woman. I went from innocent to guilty. I went from Heaven to Hell, and I’ve been there ever since.”
Tears slid down her face in rapid succession.
I wiped them from her cheeks. “Why?”
“He said he was going to kill me.” Her voice was hoarse. “He-he touched me.”
My fingers clenched into fists.
“And he kept trying to touch me.” She lowered her head. “He ripped my dress.” All I saw was murder. “He wasn’t just going to kidnap me. He wanted to screw me before or after I was dead, didn’t seem to matter to him. He was using me as an example maybe? I never figured out who he was connected to, and neither could my dad. It was maybe a hazard of being in the mafia, a one-time thing, you know? All I know is that one minute he was trying to kill me, and the next, my knife was in his stomach, and I was pushing. He was bleeding. And then all my training came back full-force. I was at his back, choking him, we fell back against the rocks on the cliffs.”
Slowly, she turned in my arms. “You never asked about the small scars on my back…they’re from the rocks.”
“I don’t notice scars,” I said honestly, because I hadn’t. “I just notice your beauty, Tiny.”
She wiped under her eyes. “Thanks.”
“So, he died?” My stomach clenched.
“I killed him,” she admitted. “To save myself. And I’d do it again.”
I was quiet for a few heartbeats as the ocean waves crashed against the shore. I pulled her against my chest and kissed the top of her head. “You did well.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“That depends...”
“On?”
“Did that fucker suffer?” Rage burned behind my eyes.
She hiccupped out a sob and then a laugh. “I hope so.”
“Good.” I kissed her head again. “Did he ever tell you his name?”
“He said his name was Jenner, that’s all I know. It wasn’t in any databases. Trust me, my dad looked them up.”
It wouldn’t be in any databases.
It was his code name.
The name of a spy.
My stomach rolled. “What did he look like?”
“Tall, blond, handsome.” She shuddered. “A monster.”
Jenner had been on my team.
The same one Giana and I had partnered on.
The team I’d told to stand down that day, even though Giana saw an opportunity. And they should have. I thought they had. And then Jenner went missing, and I assumed that he’d gotten drunk and wandered off.
Drowned.
Or got his ass killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time at a mafia wedding.
I was close.
Not close enough.
The very bureau I had trusted—worked for—had carried out a hit on the precious woman sitting in my arms, crying. Forced to make her first kill.
Forced her to become made, when all she’d wanted was to flirt with me and dance with her dad.
Agony ripped through me.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to burn the entire world down.
And now I knew why Sergio had put me in this position.
He wanted me to see it firsthand.
He didn’t want to tell me that we were all villains because who would you believe? The one with the badge, or the one with the gun pointed at her head?
“Do you know what happened after?” I asked quietly. Already, I was afraid of what she would say.
“Dad said he would deal with it. But it was my kill. Mine. It was my life. Not his. So, I chopped off Jenner’s head and made a choice—to send a warning to everyone who could possibly be involved. His head was delivered to the FBI in a cake box. And since I had no way of knowing if they had any involvement, I covered my bases and sent his hand to Valerian—after all, it was at their wedding. And then I sent a foot to the Carola Cartel. And since he had one foot left, I decided that he could still walk in Hell. So, I burned it. Maksim helped me, and my dad watched in horror, knowing I’d never be the same. I tried washing the blood from my hands, but it’s still there. I still see it.” She choked on a sob. “It won’t come off. God, it won’t come off.” She shook in my arms.
I quickly turned her on my lap so her body straddled mine on the chair. She’d never been more vulnerable—or more beautiful.
“You did good, Kartini. So damn good.”
Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “You shouldn’t praise me for killing.”
“I’m not praising you for killing.” I tucked pieces of her blue hair behind her ears. “I’m praising you for surviving.”
Her blue eyes flashed, scanning mine. I didn’t know what happened next, but my hands tightened on her curvy waist as if my body, my fingers, knew how desperately I needed to keep her close.
Forever.
To protect her.
Fight beside her.
Mark her.
“Tank…” She licked her lips.
I caught her tongue with my mouth, licking the seam of her lips and pulling her hard against me as her tears fell across my cheeks and rolled down my face, colliding with our mouths.
It was a moment I would never forget.
Kissing her tears away.
Drinking in her pain.
“Never again,” I said between long, languid kisses. “You’ll never be alone again.”
“What are you saying?” Her bottom lip was swollen from my mouth, from sucking on it, from holding it where I wanted it, pinning it with my teeth, pinching it, only to suck it again.
“I’m not a knight in shining armor. I’m more villain, who’s always pretended to be the hero,” I admitted. “But now, I know who I am. Because of you.”
“And who’s that?”
“Yours…” I said. “A half-De Lange.”
She gasped.
“A made man.” Her eyes filled with more tears.
“Loyal to the Five Families.”
“And the FBI?” she asked.
I nipped at her mouth and whispered, “Let it fucking burn.”
Chapter Ten
Kartini
He didn’t judge me.
Instead, he loved me. Devoured my pain with his mouth.
De Lange.
We all knew, but for him to openly admit it—it was like watching a healing take place across his face as he finally confessed his truth.
And another De Lange orphan had joined the fold.
Had joined us.
Repenting for the sins of the father.
Earning my respect and that of the Five Families. I couldn’t be prouder or happier or more interested in ripping his clothes off.
I clawed at his naked chest, forgetting that he’d basically carried me out there in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, one wrapped around my body.
With a curse, he pulled mine loose.
I was completely bare to him—naked, needy.
His hands cupped my breasts as he flipped me onto my back. I took his towel with me.
Both of us were naked, grinding against each other as the waves crashed on the shore. And rather than wanting to get it over with, I wanted this moment to last forever.
He was mine.
He would always be mine.
His mouth pressed against my neck as he moved down to my belly button, his eyes meeting mine with wicked promises and relentless pursuit. “Still have a crush?”
My body responded as I spread my thighs. “What do you think?”
“I think I would be starving for you even if I’d never met you.” He lowered his head. “And I’m not fighting it anymore.”
“Don’t.”
“I told you, you’d be wet before the end of the night.” His laugh was dark as his eyes flashed, and then his mouth clamped down on me, his tongue darting out to find every sensitive inch that screamed for his attention.
My head rolled back and hit the soft pad of the chair as he tasted me, filling me with nothing but his tongue but making it feel like it was more than that—more than anything I’d ever had in my life.
“Don’t stop,” I begged. I never begged. This was the Tank effect.
He did stop, though, just enough to lift his cocky head, just enough to dig his fingertips into my thighs, just enough to give me a knowing smirk, his mouth glistening. “Did you just beg?”
“Let it go, Tank.”
His eyes were fierce, nearly feral. “Do it again.”
I started to move, to close my legs.
“Oh no, you don’t.” He held them open, his hands strong, his golden muscles taut. He was like this massive god, like Poseidon capturing a willing human on the beach and feasting. “I want to experience you saying it. I wanna hear it. I want you, Kartini Abandonato, to beg me.”
“For what?” My body trembled, totally giving me away as the warmth of the night air blew across my naked skin.
“Me,” he finally said. “I want you to beg for me. For my mouth wherever you want it, however long you need it. For my cock—” He slowly crawled up my body, easily covering me as he held himself over me and whispered against my mouth so I could taste myself on his lips. “Beg.”
“You think you can fight me and win?” I taunted.
He rolled a nipple between his fingertips then lowered his head and sucked, sending shockwaves through my system. “You think you wanna rephrase that question, princess?”
“Damn it!” I bucked against him. “Why can’t you be like normal guys? Get me off, give me an orgasm, and be happy about it!”
“Because”—his green eyes flashed—“I’ll never be happy until I have complete surrender. I’ll never be happy with pieces of you. I crave the entire thing.”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes. “You mean it?”
“I swear it.” His forehead touched mine.
I clawed at him, needing him to be closer as I pulled his head down to mine, our mouths colliding in an explosion of chaos as I tugged at his hair. My legs wrapped around his body, not even able to go halfway as I tried to get closer and failed.
“Please,” I begged. “Please, Tank…I need you. I needed you then. I need you now.”
He groaned, reaching between us, feeling how slick I was between my thighs, ready for him. “You’re perfect.”
I moved his hand away and gripped his cock, guiding it toward my entrance. “This, this is what I need.”
“We don’t have a condom.” His chest heaved as if he were having trouble breathing and hated himself at the same time for saying something in that moment.
I just grinned. “Birth control. You think any of our dads would let us out of their sight without it?”
“Tiny…” His lips tugged again at mine, nipped, then kissed, healed. “Let’s never discuss your dad or anyone else’s again mid-sex, okay?”
I laughed against his mouth. “Good talk.”
“And now…” He thrust inside me with one smooth movement. “No more talking.”
I groaned as he started to move, then pounded at his back when he stopped, only to hear his wicked chuckle each time I got upset.
I’d never felt anything better than being full of him, then feeling his weight against me, him inside me. This was bliss. This was what I’d been missing, like I’d been walking around half of a person for a year.
All I’d needed was for this irritatingly attractive man to make me realize that I’d always been whole.
“Harder.”
“If I go any harder and faster, this is going to be over really quick.” He laughed and then groaned as I clawed at his back more. “Fuck.”
“Yes, that. I want that.” I laughed against his mouth. “Tank, Tank, I think—I don’t know—”
“You’re so close.”
I felt myself tightening, spiraling out of control as I clung to his sweaty skin.
The sound of our bodies moving together, slapping…something about it, combined with the sound of the ocean waves, made me lose it.
Two thrusts later, Tank followed suit.
Panting, we looked at each other, our eyes locking.
A throat cleared.
“Um, yes. Hi, this is Maksim. You know, your cousin who did not, for the record, pull the cabana sheet back and take a peek. Um, the bosses require your uh, presence—”
“Shut up, man, you’re making it worse!” King hissed. “Yo, hey, haha so…funny story, we saw you guys come down here, waited like ten minutes, then thought maybe you er, fell asleep.” He coughed. “And, surprise, you were—”
“Not.” Maksim finished. “I mean, at least that’s not how I sleep, but to each his own, man. To each his o
wn.”
“No. Way.” I covered my face with my hands.
“Good job, Tank!” King felt the need to say. “Ouch, what? At least, she got where…you know what? You’re right, we won’t talk about this.”
“Never happened!” Maksim agreed. “We uh, brought clothes.”
Tank squeezed his eyes shut. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”
I fell back against the chair and blew out a breath. “Well, I guess at least they brought us clothes.”
Tank burst out laughing, and then I joined him as we lay there a hot mess—naked and sweaty.
He leaned down and pressed another kiss to my mouth. “We’ll see the bosses, and then I’m locking you in the master suite for the rest of the night.”
I nodded. “Only if you promise to be naked.”
“I’ll even let you tie me to the bed. I know how your brain works. Just don’t leave me there with an erection, ‘kay?”
“Haha, no promises. Better keep me happy.” I trailed a finger down his chest.
He grabbed my hand and kissed it.
“Guyssssss.” Maksim’s voice came again. “Good for you for blowing off some steam, but they said ten minutes, and it’s been way longer. And you still have to somehow get that sex smell off of you, which, honestly, it’s even out here. So maybe…walk faster, Tank, so Sergio doesn’t break your legs for screwing his daughter?”
“Good point.” Tank pulled away from me and then went to the opening of the cabana to poke his head out. “Clothes?”
Maksim said something I couldn’t hear.
Then there was laughter.
Tank kicked at someone.
And then he closed the cabana again.
“Everything okay?” I leaned back on my elbows and watched him approach.
He swore and dropped my sarong and flip-flops onto the other chair. “No. You’re naked, and now you have to put on clothes… Oh, and Maksim’s a jackass.”
“Heard that!” Maksim called.
“You really are, though,” King agreed, loudly.
I threw my head back and laughed. “You’re no saint either, King!”
“Love you, Tiny!”
“Love you, too!”
We hurried and got dressed, discarded the er…towels we’d used to wipe each other down, and quickly started walking with Maksim and King.
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