by Raven Dark
I scoffed. “You broke up with me to save me? Do you know how stupid that is?”
“I didn’t know what else to do.” He turned, walked towards me, and when I stepped back, he dropped his arms. “Damn it, woman. Don’t you get it?”
“Get what?”
He shoved a hand through his hair. “This is all foreign territory for me. Anika, I can negotiate multi-billion dollar deals. I can face down hardened mobsters and look down the barrel of a gun without flinching. But this. This is completely beyond me.”
“This? What this?”
“The way I feel for you. It’s bigger than me. It’s the kind of thing that gets people killed in my world. When my father threatened you—”
“Kane, I know all about how dangerous weakness is for you. But you just left. No apology, nothing. We could have dealt with your father. Together.”
“I’m not talking about what he said to you. There’s more to it.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’d have handled it, or I thought we could have. I can’t handle being pushed out of your life the moment it becomes too difficult. I’m all in, or I’m out.”
For some reason, he shook his head, letting out a shaky laugh at the ceiling. “You just don’t see it, do you? You have no idea what you’ve done to me.”
“I know. I’ve messed up your life. I’ve—”
Again, he shook his head, this time closing his eyes. I saw his chest expand on a huge, shaking breath. Then it contracted as he let it out. Slowly, he stepped the last pace to me. Then, head lowered, he gradually dropped to one knee.
That single action filled me with such shock, I dropped Pinky to the floor.
“K…Kane…” Somehow, I could feel it, something huge was happening here. Something so big the air around us seemed to change.
He pressed his forehead to my stomach, cradling my hips with his giant hands. “I’m sorry, Anika,” he whispered huskily.
Again, I couldn’t breathe. My heart grew huge until it seemed to press against my ribs, trying to burst. But he wasn’t done.
“I’m telling you everything I should have told you instead of sending you away.” He lifted his gaze to mine, and the look in his eyes, the regret and the warmth in them, nearly sent me to my knees with him.
“Do you hear me, angel? I. Am. Sorry. I should never have sent you away. Because I love you, Anika. I love you.”
If his apology made my heart feel huge, those words he’d just said filled me with so much joy it made my heart burst into a thousand tiny pieces. It made it explode, and then all at once, put it back together again. Having him say it on his knees drove home the importance of what he’d said. He loved me so much, he was willing to do something no man who lived the kind of life he lived ever did for a woman. If his father, if the Family, saw him here, on his knees, they’d have shot him on the spot, and yet, here he was.
My eyes stung, and I closed them. Tears splashed onto my cheeks, hot and unbidden.
Half afraid to believe what he was saying, I lifted shaking hands, meaning to cradle his head. He bowed it again, and my fingers threaded through his hair. I half expected him to get up, to come to his senses and take back what he’d said. Instead, he kissed both my hands, pressing his warm lips to my knuckles and rubbing his face into my palms. Then he pressed his forehead against my stomach again.
“I love you so hard it’s killing me, and if I have to, I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life tied to my bed while I show you how much.”
My own happiness became too much to hold back. I gave a broken groan, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his hair.
“Kane. My crazy, beautiful, perfect Davros.”
He chuckled softly and pulled back. His smile was crooked. “You’ll have to stop calling me that. You can’t hate the name if it’s yours.”
What?”
The smirk grew bigger. Pushing to a stand, he dug into his blazer, pulling out a little black box. He opened it, revealing a gorgeous white-gold ring with a diamond the size of my thumbnail. I stared. His eyes sparkled. “Marry me, Anika.”
“But…your father’s empire. Gala. There’s so much”
“It doesn’t matter. You were right. We’ll work it out. We can do this.” He caressed my cheek, thumb massaging the skin. “Just say you’ll be mine, and I’ll take care of everything.”
It’s crazy, but the promise in his words, the depth of the warmth and love in them for me, carried so much power it scoured away all my doubts and fears of the future. It no longer mattered how we’d handle the dangers that faced us, only that I knew we would.
Unable to trust myself to speak, I bit my lip around a tearful smile and nodded my acceptance.
Kane grinned. “Words, girl. Say it.”
“Yes.” I threw my arms around him. “Yes, yes, yes.”
Kane hoisted me into his arms with a growl, lifting me high off my feet so that he was looking up at me. Never had he held me so tight, or looked so happy. It made his features seem so playful, so boyish.
“Say it again for me.” I cradled his face in my hands.
“What?”
“I’ve waited so long to hear you say it, I need to make sure it’s really real. Tell me you love me again.”
He chuckled. Then he lifted me higher above him and spun me around. I laughed in surprise and happiness, and when he stopped, he lowered me to my feet, pushing my hair from my face. He rested his forehead against mine.
“I love you,” he rasped. Then he slipped the ring on my finger and claimed my lips long and hard.
Yeah, there was no way to deny it was real.
I cradled his face in my hands, for the first time letting myself feel all the love that I had for him in my heart without fear. “I love you too, Davros.”
We stood there like that, holding each other, heads pressed together, for what somehow felt like too short a time, yet like our own secret eternity. Our breaths mingled, and I could feel Anika’s heart racing, as fast as mine.
From the moment I realized I loved her, right in the middle of that crash up in Big Bear, I’d always thought finally telling Anika how I felt would make me feel shaky and weak. Afraid, always looking over my shoulder, expecting those who would use it against me to somehow sense or see what I felt and forge it into a weapon. Against us. Instead, telling her was liberating. I was trusting her with something I’d never before risked with anyone, and I knew she’d protect this secret with her life. The way I’d protect her.
At last, I lifted my head and rubbed her arms. “Since we’re going to be spending so much time together, we have a lot to talk about.”
She nodded.
“But first, I need coffee. I’m exhausted.”
“I’ll get us some.”
Not wanting her away from me for even a moment, I followed her into her tiny kitchen. Once there, I slid my arms around her from behind, pinning her to me. Kissing her neck, first one side, then the other.
“Don’t do that if you want to talk.”
Keeping her close against me, I walked her to the counter. She rubbed against me, and my cock twitched. “Maybe I should take you right here first.” I slid my hands over her hips, pushed her slowly against the counter, and ran my hand down over the slope of her ass to the hem of her skirt.
Anika’s breath hitched. She gripped the counter but shook her head. “Not yet. I have things I have to tell you.”
Something about the urgency in her voice made me stop. I moved away, leaning against the counter. Arms crossed, waiting while she made the coffee.
“Anika?” I prompted when she only bit her lip and got down mugs, starting the coffee maker.
“No, let’s start with your stuff first. It’ll be easier.”
“Don’t be so sure.” You didn’t get worse than my father’s threats. Did you? The way her face had paled made me wonder.
“You said there was more to your father threatening me.” She leaned on the counter while the coffee brewed. “What did you me
an?”
I sighed. “At the charity auction, I heard what he said to you. Disappear, or he’d do whatever it takes to get rid of you.”
“Right.”
“Well, he gave me a much more specific ultimatum. He told me I had to marry Gala in a month, or I’d lose my inheritance. And then, he told me I had to get rid of you within the week, or he’d kill you.”
“Oh my God.” Her eyes grew big. “Well, that explains a lot.”
“Yeah.”
“And then he…did that to you.” She reached up and touched the bruises that colored my cheek, my eyes. Those bruises were strong reminders of his…ultimatum. I closed her hand around mine, finding surprising strength in the tender way she touched me.
“He could have killed you,” she said softly.
“He wouldn’t have. He’s too obsessed with making me a Boss. But he would have killed you. You aren’t a Mafia princess; you can’t give me the status he wants. I couldn’t stand the thought of him hurting you because of me. So I sent you away instead of fighting for you the way I should have.”
For some reason, she looked away. Something flickered in her eyes before she turned and started making our coffee. I took her shoulder gently.
“Anika, I know you’re scared. I won’t let him hurt you.”
“No, that’s not what…” She stopped, poured the coffees, then went on. “How do we stop him?”
I drew a breath, shutting down the disgust that squirmed in my gut. We had no other choice. “We deal with him the same way I always deal with anyone who threatens you.”
She spun sharply. “Wait a minute. You mean you’re going to. You’re going to kill him.” She blew out a shaky breath and set her hand on my chest. It was trembling. I closed my hand over it, and it stopped shaking. Mostly. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I know it has to be… It’s just. Your own father. God.”
She looked sickly.
“Anika, whatever happens, I’m doing this to protect us. Not just us, but our future. This isn’t just about what he’s done, or about my past. His death is our salvation. Besides, I’ll do anything to avoid becoming a fucking kingpin.”
Again, she looked away, this time at her hands.
“Angel, talk to me. What’s wrong?”
Silent, she lifted her shoulders, and then dropped them. Still not looking at me. I took her shoulders, squeezing them.
“Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. Tell me.”
“I just, I just don’t want it to change your feelings for me. You might not want me when I tell you this.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Baby, I’m not leaving you again.” I tipped her chin up until her eyes met mine. The fear in them made my stomach clench with the need to make it right. “I’m not leaving you. What is it?”
Anika licked her lips. “Before David brought me back here, my father woke up.”
My brows climbed. “Is he…what happened?”
“He told me who my birth father is. Right before he passed out again. He said...”
When she stopped, I waited, giving her time to find her words. Then she locked her eyes with mine. “Kane, he said Gavini is my father.”
“You have to be joking.”
I shook my head, shame rolling over me in waves, especially when I saw the horror in his eyes.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” He ran both his palms down his face. Then he turned away from me, paced out of the kitchen, and then back. When he looked at me, his dark brows slashed down. “Anika, are you sure? I mean, are you sure Lance is right? It’s not the head trauma talking?”
“I’d be lying if I said that thought didn’t occur to me, but yes, I’m sure. This isn’t the kind of mistake he’d make.”
“Jesus. But how?”
“Well, generally, it takes a man and a woman. Usually a bed.”
“Funny.”
“Sorry.”
He rubbed my shoulders. “Baby, I’m sorry. This must be awful for you.”
“I’ll deal. But, Kane, I don’t want this to change anything between us. I know that you don’t want to be a kingpin. If you. Um.” I looked at my hands. “If you don’t want me anymore—”
“Hey.” He yanked me to him almost roughly. “Awe, angel, no. Never think that—” He cut off and tilted my face up. “Wait, Anika, do you want to claim yourself as his daughter? Do you want to pronounce yourself the next in line?”
“Fuck, no.” I shook my head, face paling at the thought. “I don’t want anything to do with him or his empire. I don’t even want him knowing. But still.”
“It wouldn’t matter. If you wanted to take his name, I would still be with you. No, I don’t want to be a Mafia Boss. If I were, I’d become everything I hate about my father, only much worse. But if you chose to proclaim your right to the Gavini name, I would still be with you. It won’t change anything between us.”
Except I couldn’t help noticing, he looked relieved. I nodded. “Which just leaves one question. How do we avoid you having to marry Gala?”
“Well.” He crossed his arms. “Much as I want to get you down the aisle and make you my wife as soon as possible, it’ll have to wait until my father is taken care of.”
A shudder ran through me at the determined way he said that. He was really going to kill him. It bothered me that the notion didn’t sicken me the way it once would have. Terrified me, yes, but it didn’t make me want to run from him.
“Once my father is gone, I won’t have to marry her. His empire will become mine, and my life is my own.”
“But what about her father? Your agreement protects her, gives her the appearance of being straight.”
“I know. We’ll have to find another way to handle Rossi. But we won’t have to worry about my father anymore. I can sever our connections to the Gavini family, and turn his empire into the company it should be. Our biggest problem is the timeline my father set. He expects me to marry Gala within a month, or I lose my right to his fortune.”
“Shit. That’s not a lot of time. Wait. What happens to his company if you don’t take over? Would it be so bad if you walked away?”
“Regarding the money, no. I have enough of my own business that I can build it up to what his is now. A year, and I would be as rich as he is. But from what he said, if I walk away, or I do something to jeopardize my rights to it, the company gets turned over to overseas partners who have had their eyes on it. Moguls who are almost as dishonest and twisted as him.”
“Damn. Perhaps it’s best if you marry Gala until he’s gone. Then get the marriage annulled once he’s…dealt with.” I still couldn’t make myself say the actual words.
“No. My father thought of that. When I first agreed to marry, he amended his will. If I end the marriage with Gala before five years, I lose the inheritance. Not to mention, once I marry her, it’s a good bet the Rossi family would figure out some way to force me to stay married to her to control my fortune.”
I chewed my lip, thinking. “Well, there has to be a way.”
“Listen, this can wait for today. Let’s put it aside until tomorrow. There're things I’d rather be doing than discussing my father. Or yours.”
The desire in his eyes made my knees wobble. “I thought you said you were tired.” Any fatigue I felt was quickly vanishing.
“Not that tired.” He hauled me against him, pressing my already aching sex against his hardness. When I groaned, he tilted his head and devoured my mouth with his.
“Fine,” I murmured against his kiss. “But I just got off work. I need a shower first.”
“No waiting.” Kane released me and shoved me toward the bathroom off the kitchen. “I want your clothes off in five minutes, girl, or I’ll tear them off.”
I grinned over my shoulder at him. “Yes, Sir.”
He was right. How we made our future could wait until tomorrow. All that mattered now was that we had one.
17
Kane barely gave me the five minutes he promised before
he came into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I was taking off my last stitch of clothing and grinned up at him.
“Five minutes isn’t up yet.”
“I don’t give a fuck. Come here.”
The raw hunger in his growled voice made my stomach tingle. Remembering the rule he’d given me, that when he came to me, I was to ask how to please him without argument, I backed up toward the wall and threw the underwear I’d just slipped off at him. “Make me.”
He caught the underwear in his fist and brought it to his nose. Inhaling deep. I bit my lip, knees weakening. He smirked and tossed the underwear aside.
“Get over here, girl.”
“Uh uh.”
“You want a whipping?”
“No. But I want you to work for it.”
Kane strode to me in one step and grabbed my arm, pulling me to him. “You’re the one who will work for it. Here I was planning to give it to you nice and sweet.”
“Davros, you couldn’t do sweet if your life depended on it.”
His grin was dark. He slid his hand around my throat, his grip just enough to be threatening. Jesus, I was already getting wet for him, pussy aching.
“Well, now you’ll take it the way you deserve.”
“And how’s that?”
He fisted my hair, his face right in mine. “What do you say when I want you?”
I blinked at him innocently. He yanked my head back hard, and I groaned.
“What do you say?”
“Fuck. H…how may I please you, Sir?”
A low rumble left him. “Oh, the things I’m gonna do to you.” He released me. “Get in the shower.”
When I opened the door to my walk-in shower, something occurred to me I’d never thought of before. I had one of those walk-in showers with a door that closes over with a magnet, paned with cloudy glass you can barely see through. It had an anti-slip floor made of some kind of plastic that made it impossible to fall on, plus it was so small I could touch two out of the four walls in any direction without straightening my arms. It was the kind of thing a lot of the tiny one-room apartments in this building had. It was also the perfect place for fucking. There was even a nice metal bar along the back to hold onto, one at waist level, and another at the shoulders.
