by Aliyah Burke
“I’m thinking I should be paired with her,” Enzo interrupted.
“Why is that?” Zia demanded.
“I’m dating her.”
“Semantics. That’s no different than me claiming because we’re both women we should be teammates.” Zia grinned. “Yes, I like that. That’s why. What do you say, Halyn and Jaydee? Women against men?”
Enzo frowned. He wanted her on his team, dammit.
“Three against four isn’t exactly fair,” his father stated.
“Four?” Zia looked at their father. “You aren’t playing, Dad. You and Mom have the kids.”
He glared. “I can hold my own with you any day.”
“Let them have their fun,” his mother said. “We’re going to have fun of our own.”
“Are you sure that’s fair?” Gio asked, a smirk on his face.
“Not for you three, that’s for sure.” Zia shook her head. “Tell me you’re in this with me?”
Halyn shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”
Jaydee echoed her sentiment.
Enzo glanced at his brothers. Both of them stood there, arms crossed, looking smug.
“The match isn’t tonight,” their mother said. “Lose the attitudes and set the table.”
He met Halyn’s gaze and winked. She rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper something to her new cohorts. Oh yeah, he was so looking forward to this.
* * * *
Halyn adjusted the camouflage bandanna she wore over her hair. It matched the rest of her. A quick look to the women on either side of her, a nod, then they were off. Part of her wished Mila was there as well, but she felt confident they could do this. Jaydee had the course layout memorised. She pretty much did as well given how often she came, and she had come to realise Zia was not a wimp.
This look on Enzo’s sister made her even hotter. She wore a business suit well but hell, if anyone ever needed women to pose with guns, they need look no further than Jaydee or Zia. They progressed cautiously, expecting traps everywhere. The sun, which had been with them at the beginning, got swallowed up by clouds and now the rain had begun.
They had a plan and she kept on her course, even though she could no longer see her teammates. Pausing behind a tree, she tensed when she heard a twig snap. Whirling to fire, she found herself staring at Enzo.
Flames licked at her skin and she whimpered. He looked too damn good. Camouflaged, wet with rain and sweat, a backwards ball cap, and a weapon. Her finger wouldn’t pull the trigger.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said in a sotto voce.
“Shouldn’t you, like, be shooting me or something?”
His eyes heated with desire and she gulped. Before she could think about it, he had her pressed back against a tree, his mouth devouring hers. Their moves were frantic as they fumbled with one another’s clothing.
“You’re so fucking hot like his,” he uttered as he cupped her through her panties.
“Need…inside…now…” She couldn’t think straight for the need had taken over. She had one goal—him, deep inside her. It had been far too long since they’d been together.
“Yes.” His voice was deep and guttural.
One second he wasn’t, then he was and his thickness spread her wide. She bit his shoulder to keep from crying out as the tree bark dug into her back.
Her vest hung open, her shirt bunched up as he massaged a breast with his large hand. The taut nipple pressed into his palm as he rolled and tugged her breast.
“Fuck!” he ground out.
“Yes,” she mewled.
She hooked her legs around his waist, digging her heavy boots into the flesh of his ass, encouraging him deeper still. His pace was relentless and she craved more. Words escaped her and, holding him tight, she just hung on for the ride, determined not to scream aloud.
Enzo latched his mouth onto the side of her neck as he thrust his hips harder. Faster. Euphoria raced up to overtake her and she held out as long as she could, wanting him to join her. He dug his fingers into the flesh of her ass, turned his head and nipped her earlobe.
“Let go, Halyn. Let go.”
That was all it took. Her back bowed as she let the orgasm wash over her. He never slowed and soon he came hard. His curse was low in her ear as he filled her with his seed. Head spinning, she struggled for breath. Enzo remained buried deep inside her, his face in to the curve of her neck.
Slowly, he pulled back and pressed a light kiss upon her lips. She opened for him and welcomed him in with a gentle stroke of her tongue. His length flexed inside her. Coaxing him deeper into her mouth, she drew on his tongue, fast then slow until his hips started mimicking the action.
He groaned and she tightened her muscles around him. “Once more,” she murmured.
So he did. This time when she came, she screamed into his mouth. She closed her eyes in pure bliss as he ejaculated again inside her. Fighting the difficulty she had opening her eyes, Halyn watched him from her lowered lashes. The look in his eyes primal and possessive. She liked it. Tilting her head, she brushed a kiss along his cheek.
“We need to get back to the game before your family finds us like this.”
His answer was to grab the sides of her head and kiss her until she was ready to surrender. She blew out a breath and pushed him back. “No. No more.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
It didn’t take too long to set their clothing to rights. The second they had their guns in hand the tension rocketed up for an entirely different reason.
“How do you want to do this?” he asked.
“Give me ten seconds, then it’s back on.”
He smirked at her and she hid her own. She knew what he was thinking—she wouldn’t get far in such a short time. His nod was immediate and she almost gloated.
“Close your eyes.”
He did and she allowed herself another moment to memorise him. “Get moving, Halyn.”
“Thanks, by the way,” she whispered in his ear before she split.
She met Jaydee where they’d agreed. “Zia was shot and I took out Gio.” Tortoiseshell eyes ran over her before a small grin appeared. “I’d ask you if you’d seen either of the others, but the hickey on your neck tells me you saw Enzo at least.”
Oh, shit. She didn’t even have an excuse so she shrugged.
“Will you be able to pull the trigger on him? Or do you want to take Valentino?”
Wiping her cheek, she grinned at her friend. “Let me take Enzo. I’m betting he’ll assume I won’t be able to do it.”
Jaydee ran her intelligent gaze over her again. “You have an evil streak in you, Halyn Jennings. You remind me of my friend Lexy. Let’s do it. I’ll take out Valentino, you knock out your boyfriend.”
She gave her a mock salute and slipped away, feeling more than a bit proud. She felt accepted by Jaydee, and she liked that. It was important to her for his family to like her. Mentally plotting where Enzo would be heading, she backtracked until she reached the bunker she wanted. Thankfully, the rain cleaned off any footprints she left.
Cautiously, she made her way into the brush and settled in where she thought Enzo would come out. A crashing sound had her smearing her goggles as she strained to see what, or rather who, approached. She curled her finger around the trigger.
Barely breathing, she willed herself not to tense up. A figure materialised before her and she relaxed her finger. It was Valentino. Did it pound through her to shoot him? Yes. Was she going to? No. He was Jaydee’s target. Besides, she believed Enzo was near, and if she shot Valentino it would give away her position. There was no way for her to move without being seen. She would have one shot, that was all.
He progressed slowly and she did her best to sink farther out of view. Still, she never stopped scanning around, searching for the man she knew, deep in her gut, was nearby. Valentino was the sacrifice.
She grinned, ignoring the mud which made its way to her mouth. Jaydee had a sniper rifle, so she just had to m
ake sure he didn’t step on her while she waited for her teammate to knock out Valentino. Halyn had an idea of where Enzo was, but she couldn’t quite turn her head to check. She’d seen a flash of metal and figured it was his watch.
A single shot rang out and before the first ball splattered him, another followed. Green paint spread over Valentino’s chest, marking him dead and out of the game. Jaydee’d hit him twice.
“Damn!” he swore.
From the direction she’d assumed, Enzo burst into view, spraying paintballs from where the shot had originated. She waited for him to move into her line of sight so she could shoot without giving away her position.
Just a little bit more. Come on. The moment he was beside his brother, who had sat down, shaking his head over the green on his chest, she raised the muzzle and fired thrice.
It was over before he even knew what had hit him. She laughed as she stood and hollered for Jaydee. “We did it, Jaydee!”
“God damn it,” Enzo cussed. “I didn’t even see you there.”
Jaydee approached, an unusual smile on her face. Valentino got to his feet and shook his head, while Gio and Zia broke through from a bunker where they’d been hanging out.
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“Gio was right, you are mean. All of you are.” Enzo lost his smile, swung his gun over his shoulder and stepped closer. “What happened?” He reached out for her neck.
“Tree got me and you did the bruising, thank you very much. Like I needed a hickey.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Let’s go get cleaned up.” With his other hand, he wiped some mud off her cheek and kissed her.
“Seriously, bro? On the field?” Gio shook his head.
“Please, like you wouldn’t have done the same thing had you run into Jaydee. Now let’s go, I’ve got some bathing to do.”
Everyone laughed as they walked back. She smiled, she liked this. Being an only child made her appreciate the large family dynamic. Enzo glanced at her and winked. She picked up the pace, suddenly extremely anxious to get to the shower.
Chapter Fifteen
Enzo drummed his fingers on the tabletop as he stared across at his manager, Ben. The man had flown in for a meeting—thankfully it was on a school day and Liev sat in a classroom because, personally, he was losing his patience.
“What were you thinking, Ben?”
“People are wondering about you and this boy who you’re suddenly claiming as your own. A news piece could go a long way in explaining it all.”
“No way. I’m not subjecting Liev to that. It’s bad enough we see them occasionally when we come or go to school. He’s nine. This is my life, not his.”
“What about that reporter you went after? It could make things better with him, too.”
“Ernest Macklin? I don’t give a damn about him,” he said, voice rising. “I’m not looking to smooth anything over with the press. I’m actually allowed to have some privacy in my life. And I’m using that to include my son.”
Ben looked like he’d swallowed something nasty. Enzo narrowed his gaze and fought the urge to reach across the table and punch him in the face.
“What the fuck did you do?”
“I told them you’d do the interview.”
“Not happening.”
“The hell it’s not. You will do this, Enzo. You will also apologise to the man you threatened.”
“Or what?”
“We lose sponsors, that’s what.”
Anger burned in his gut. Ben had placed him in an awkward position. He thought about Luke and the other members of the team. They were paid because they had sponsors, and good ones. Through narrowed eyes, he stared at the man who’d known about Liev from the get-go. He’d been the one who had told him to embrace the child, now Enzo wondered if Ben wasn’t behind this himself, just to get more publicity for the team.
“I will talk, but my son stays out of it.”
Ben shook his head and opened his mouth. Enzo cut him off before he could speak. “This is not up for negation. I’ll let you continue to meddle in my life but I’ll not expose my son to this. And heaven help you should I find out you have been pushing this.”
His blue eyes widened. “Me? Why would I do that? I’m doing what’s best for the team.”
“Because stuff had been dying down here until you called three days ago demanding we meet”—he gestured with his hand—“to discuss this bullshit.”
Something odd burned in Ben’s gaze before he contained it. “Think what you will, Enzo, but my priority has always been the team.”
Yes, he knew that, yet sometimes what was best for the team wasn’t best for him. Or his son.
“I don’t like this, Ben. I hate being manipulated.”
“I’m sorry. It’s a done deal. You and your son.”
“You can say that all you want. It won’t happen.”
“Damn it, Enzo! I’m trying here.”
Bullshit. “What does my son being there have to do with anything about the team? He doesn’t race. I’m the driver.”
“They want to know. How many times do we have to go over this?”
“No more, as far as I’m concerned. They can want to know, but it won’t happen. They can come after me with their stupid, annoying and entirely too personal questions, but I’ll be damned and off the team before they get Liev up there.”
Ben checked his watch and stood up. “Too late.”
Dread filled his gut. “For what?”
“I already sent someone to pick him up.”
“You bastard!” he seethed. Drawing out his phone, he called the school and got the receptionist. “Let me speak to Principal Reynolds.”
“Who’s calling, please?”
“Cindy, it’s me, Enzo Cassano. I need to speak to him right away.”
“Hang on, please.”
“Principal Reynolds here, what can I do for you, Mr Cassano?”
“Some men are going to be asking to take my son from school. Don’t let them. I will come get him myself.”
A hesitation. “I’m sorry, Mr Cassano, but they’ve already left.”
“You let him go with them?”
“They had a note signed by you, sir, okaying that the child be released to their custody.”
Enzo stood slowly. “Thank you, sir.” Staring down at the smug man before him, he ended the call and put the phone away. “Let’s go.”
“You’ll see, Enzo. It’ll be fine.”
It took all of his willpower not to break every bone in Ben’s body. Once outside and by the car, he slammed his manager against the side, forearm across his windpipe, restricting air.
“You do this to me again and I’ll kill you. You look sideways at my boy and I’ll kill you. Don’t talk to him, forget he exists. I will never forgive this, Ben. Were it up to me, I’d fire your ass. You have something to say to me, it damn well better be about racing because other than that, we have nothing to discuss. You bastard!”
He shoved him and walked off, trying not to completely lose it. He climbed in the passenger side and waited for Ben to slide behind the wheel. The silence in the interior was thick and ugly. Ben dropped him off at his vehicle, and Enzo followed from there.
He got out and entered the building where the media waited. A good-sized crowd had gathered when he pushed through the doors. Cameras flashed as he walked down the aisle and up to the table, where he sat.
“You apparently have some questions for me,” he said. “Let’s get this over with, then you can leave me alone.”
Macklin stood. “Mr Cassano, tell us about your son.” A brief pause. “Where is your son? We were told he would be here.”
Leaning back in his chair, he fought the urge to cross his arms, aware it would make him look defensive. Then he gave in. Hell, he was defensive.
“I don’t know where he is, you’d have to ask my manager that. He’s the one who had him taken out of school without my permission just so you people could get your rocks
off.”
“I find it hard to believe the school would release your child without your permission.”
“So did I, Macklin, so I called the school to tell them not to, but was informed they’d arrived with a signed letter. So apparently, one of them, or Ben, forged my signature.”
Ben hastened up to his side and leaned towards a microphone. “What Enzo means to say is—”
“Oh, I’m saying exactly what I mean,” he interrupted. “You used forged documents to kidnap my child because this group”—he waved his hand—“can’t let us be. It’s disgusting. You asked about my son. Let me ask you something. Would you toss your son up on the podium in front of all of you? Of course not. You’d want to protect him. Why is it when I do that, I’m branded as someone who is hiding something?”
“You’re a sports star, Mr Cassano.”
“I’m a father first, Macklin. My son has been moved to a new country, new customs, school and life. It’s not easy for him, I’m not letting you grill him. So, listen well, for I’m only saying this once.”
His phone sounded, along with Ben’s. He read the text on his screen.
Liev is with me. H.
He’d wondered how long before Liev managed to get to Halyn. So he replied.
Keep him safe. Be there when I can. In an interview. E.
“Sorry. As I was saying, I didn’t know about him until his mother told me. That’s why he was ‘dropped’ onto the scene. She is a Russian model and I would guess she’s now back in her country. I don’t know.”
“He went missing,” Ben hissed in his ear.
Enzo stiffened. “Tell them, Ben. Tell them how you first kidnapped my son and now lost him.”
The entire group leaned closer, recorders extended.
Ben flushed red. Enzo shook his head. “I will never apologise for protecting my son, don’t expect one.”
“What about Halyn Jennings? Are you two an item?” Macklin again.
“Yes. We’re dating. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Whatever you want to call it. No, Liev is not staying with her when I go back to racing. Is that all? Or do you have more questions which will keep me from finding my son?” Derision dripped from his words.
