Fine in Lingerie

by Penelope Sky

  His eyes shone with a hint of approval. “You’ll be safe here. Max will around if you need anything.”

  “Alright.”

  He bent his neck down and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. “I need to make love to you before I go.”

  “I didn’t get morning sex today…”

  He scooped me up in his powerful arms and cradled me against his chest. “You’ll get it now.”

  After Bones was gone, I went back to bed to cry into the sheets. The bed smelled like him, so it was easier to pretend he was still there. My imagination ran wild, and I thought about things I didn’t want to think about…like him being shot between the eyes.

  I lay there for a few hours, forgetting about work and the life waiting for me outside the front door. If I stayed in bed until he returned, time would only move more slowly. I was making myself suffer needlessly instead of breathing fresh air and being productive. I reminded myself he only had two missions left. Once they were completed, I would never have to feel this anguish again. We could live a peaceful life, the one we promised to each other. We would find a house close to my parents, get married, and raise a family.

  I finally had the courage to go down to the gallery and get some work done. I wasn’t in the mood to paint, so I sat behind the counter and waited for customers to walk inside. Sometimes I would get foot traffic, but most of the time, I was addressing emails from current clients. They contacted me when they wanted to decorate their second home or redo their living room. They already had a few of my paintings, and once they became fans, they preferred to contact me when they wanted something new. Most of the time, tourists only came inside to see Italian craftsmanship. That was fine with me because it was always nice to meet new people and ask how they felt about Florence.

  In the late afternoon, my father walked inside.

  I wasn’t the least bit surprised. I’d assumed he would show his face after Bones left. I was sure he knew everything about it and wanted to check up on me. I left the chair behind the desk and came around to greet him. “I’m fine.” I blurted out the phrase without bothering with a hello.

  He stopped in front of me, a foot taller than me with dark Tuscan skin. He wore the same affection in his eyes, just as he wore his heart on his sleeve. His entire life was devoted to me and Conway; he was a lot more than just a parent. His intelligent eyes scanned mine, seeing the despair written all over my face. “It’s okay if you’re not fine, tesoro. I know this is difficult for you.”

  I shrugged it off, trying to be strong like Bones asked me to be. “Just trying to keep busy…”

  He glanced around the gallery, seeing that it was completely empty. “How’s that going?”

  “It’s been a pretty slow day…too hot.”

  He examined the new paintings I had on display, pausing in front of each one to take it in. My father wasn’t an artistic person, but his natural curiosity for everything I did made him seem like an art collector. “This one is my favorite in the batch.” He pointed to an image of a sunset, one Bones and I had seen about a week ago.

  “Thanks.”

  He walked back to me, his hands sliding into his pockets. “I always want to buy your paintings, but then I realize I would be hogging all of your work…and you wouldn’t have any other clients.”

  I knew he was being sincere. “True.”

  “You want to get some coffee? Have lunch?”

  “Father, you don’t need to check on me every time he’s gone.” I appreciated the concern, but I was a grown woman. Bones fell in love with me because I was tough and fearless. When he wasn’t around, I had to be that same person. I didn’t need a man before he came along. I shouldn’t need one when he was gone.

  “Tesoro, you know I’ll always check on you. Even when you’re forty and I’m almost eighty, I’ll still be here…checking on you.”

  I smiled. “When you’re almost eighty, I should be the one checking on you.”

  He grinned back. “That’s what your mother is for.”

  “I’m sure she has better things to do.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, she does. So, are you going to stay here until Griffin returns? You know you’re welcome at our place.”

  I’d stayed at that apartment when Bones was gone. It didn’t make sense for me to leave now. “I’m fine here. It’s a nice place. Quiet.”

  My father didn’t try to convince me otherwise. “The offer always stands if you change your mind.”

  “I know.”

  “So, how about lunch?” he asked. “Since I’m here, we may as well spend some time together.”

  “Sure.”

  Father and I went to the café down the road, a place with great coffee and deli sandwiches. We both got the same thing along with two coffees. It was the same place Antonio liked to go to, but I didn’t care if I saw him. I was too upset about Bones’s absence to care about anything else.

  Father scanned the café and the events occurring outside the window, always on alert for anything that might happen. It was a hot day in Florence, with scorching temperatures and insane humidity. When October arrived, it would start to cool off again. “I’ve been trying with Griffin, but it doesn’t seem to be getting better.” He looked out the window as he spoke, his sadness obvious in the tone of his voice.

  “I know…he’s very stubborn.”

  “Your mother told me he forgave her…because she reminds him of his mother.”

  Griffin never told me that, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from softening. “That doesn’t surprise me. She’s a pretty great mom.”

  “But with me, I’ll always be the man who came between you. I’ll always be the reason you almost ended up with that other young man.” He drank from his coffee, his black wedding ring contrasting against the whiteness of the cup. “I can’t change the past, so I’m not sure what I can do at this point. I guess we’ll just have to deal with it.” He kept his look indifferent even though the pain was deep inside him.

  “There’s still hope. He’ll come around.”

  “What makes you say that?” He lifted his gaze and looked at me again, his hand gripping the handle of the coffee cup.

  “He’s a very stubborn man. He was even more stubborn when we met. But when love looked him in the face, he softened. He softened more and more…until there was no hatred left. He was committed to killing our family for his revenge, and nothing was going to deter him from that. But after enough time had passed, he dropped his pain and turned into a new man. The same thing is happening now. Each time you talk to him, you make a dent in his armor. It gets bigger and bigger every single time. Eventually, you’ll break through it. Trust me.”

  He held my gaze without blinking, and after several seconds, he gave a nod. “Then I’ll keep trying.”

  “I know you will. I told him you cared about him.”

  “I hope he believed you…because I do. I used to hate him so much, but now I admire him. When I asked him to help with the Skull Kings, he immediately agreed. He’s committed to doing right by you, protecting the family he vowed to execute. His love for you has turned him into someone different, but not someone weaker. I wish I’d seen it sooner…things would be so much different if I had.”

  I hated seeing my father in regret since it was something he rarely did. He stood by his decisions and didn’t think twice about them. But now he would give anything to erase the past, to accept the man I loved far sooner. “Our separation only solidified our love. It only brought us closer together. In time, he will forgive you. I know he will—and not just for me.”

  “I hope you’re right, tesoro. It gives me hope that he’s forgiven your mother.”

  “She’s the one who killed his father, so that speaks volumes. You’ll be next.”

  “Hopefully.” He drank his coffee then looked out the window again. “Three days, huh?”

  “Two and a half,” I said with a sigh. I’d been counting down the hours since he left. I spent most of my days down at the gallery, so we weren’t
always together, but knowing he was in danger every single second until he returned is what killed me. It made every hour feel like a lifetime.

  My father gave me a slight smile. “He’ll come back. He’s the strongest man I’ve ever met. It would take an entire army to take him down.”

  “I hope he never crosses paths with any army…”

  “He’ll be fine. Only two left, and it’ll be over.”

  I had to focus on that, to remember that this would be over for good eventually. “You asked for his help with the Skull Kings. What does that mean?”

  My father sighed before he explained the plan to me. “Griffin has a pretty solid relationship with them. My goal is to pay them off, basically. End the war before it can escalate. Conway is about to be a father, and Griffin is getting out of that life of crime. I want to settle our debts so we can never think about it again.”

  “And you’re going with him?” I asked, slightly afraid.

  He nodded. “But it’ll be alright, tesoro. I’ve been in worse situations.”

  “When is this happening?”

  “Once he gets back.”

  So Bones would return to me but then take off on another mission. This nightmare would never end.

  My father gave me a look of pity. “I wouldn’t have asked him if I had any other choice. He was eager to get on board because he wants to make sure this is done right. He wants all the Barsettis to have peace…since you’re a Barsetti.”

  “Now I understand the need for a simple life…what you’ve been talking about all these years.” I wanted to leave my front door open without fear of who might walk inside. I didn’t want to look over my shoulder and expect to see someone following me. I wanted my family to live freely under the sun, unafraid of the past.

  My father gave a slight nod. “And we’ll get it, tesoro. I promise.”

  Twelve

  Bones

  I set it up to look like an accident.

  An overdose on opioids put him in cardiac arrest.

  But in reality, I slipped something into his drink and put the pills where they belonged. He collapsed on the floor of his office, foam pouring out of his mouth and his heart giving out on him.

  I watched the whole thing—to make sure it was done right.

  Then I slipped out and headed to the airport. Egypt was warm this time of year. I headed through the poverty-stricken streets until I found my bike in the alleyway. I kicked it into gear and sped to the airport at the edge of the city, just fifty miles away from the iconic pyramids.

  Max spoke in my ear. “Everything went according to plan?”

  “Yeah.”

  “No witnesses?”

  “They won’t even notice he’s dead for a few hours.” His guards remained outside the dining room and surrounded the entire block, but they hadn’t noticed me slip inside from the roof.

  “Good.”

  “Tell Vanessa I’m getting on my flight.” I pulled up to the terminal and left my bike in the parking lot.

  “Sure thing.”

  “How has she been?”

  “Spending time with her father. He’s come to Florence every day to hang out in her gallery.”

  It wasn’t clear if he was doing that just to spend time with his daughter or give me peace of mind that she was safe. Maybe it was both. He’d been trying to earn my forgiveness, and the best way to do that was through Vanessa. I liked knowing she wasn’t alone, that she was distracted instead of counting down the hours until I returned. “Good to know.”

  “I’ll let her know you’re on your way back.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re one of the best in the group. I’ll miss working with you.” Max never hid his displeasure at my decision. We’d decided it would be the four of us until we were too old to do this anymore. It wasn’t difficult to find someone who could kill people for money, but it was nearly impossible to find someone who could be trusted. It would be impossible to replace me. Instead of finding a fourth man, they would manage with three instead.

  Words escaped me, and I didn’t know what to say. A part of me wanted to keep working with Max, but I knew that wasn’t possible anymore. Shane stayed in the business, and as a result, Cynthia wouldn’t live nearly as long because of the stress. Vanessa wanted to raise a family with me. I couldn’t do that if I was gone all the time. Once she became my wife, she would be the center of my universe—even more than she was now. My place was beside her, keeping her safe day and night.

  Not killing men for money.

  I finally responded to his words. “I’m going to miss it too, Max. But we both know it’s time for me to move on.”

  He didn’t say anything for a long time, like he’d turned off his mic. But then his voice came through. “Yeah, I know. Doesn’t make it easier for me to accept.”

  My plane landed in the middle of the night, and I arrived at the apartment past three. But the late hour didn’t fool me. I knew what would be waiting for me the second I walked in the door.

  I stepped inside and set my bag on the hardwood floor next to the door. In the darkness, she moved toward me. Dressed in nothing but my t-shirt, she moved into my chest and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank God you’re home.”

  God had nothing to do with it. I walked through that door because nothing was going to stop me from coming back to her. I scooped her into my arms so we could be at eye level with each other. Her soft hair formed a curtain across half of her face, the strands grazing against my neck with their gentle touch. My large hands felt her ass cheeks, the soft pieces of muscle I loved to spank. “I promised I would come back, baby. You know I keep my promises.” I kicked the door shut behind me and didn’t worry about locking it. With me in the house, there was nothing that could bother either one of us.

  “I missed you…”

  “I know, baby.” I carried her down the hallway and into our bedroom, feeling my woman shake in my arms. She’d counted down the hours until I returned, stayed up late at night because she couldn’t stop worrying about me. She didn’t need a man to be happy, but I was an exception. She needed me for everything, from protection to love. She allowed me to take care of her because I was the only man qualified for the job. “I’m here now.” I dropped her onto the bed then moved to pull her panties down her legs.

  But she wasn’t wearing any.

  She undid my jeans and pushed them down with my boxers, getting them over my ass but not any farther. She didn’t remove her t-shirt but pulled it up around her waist so I could move between her legs. She grabbed my hips and yanked on me hard, pulling my length inside her.

  She gasped when she felt me, like she somehow forgot how I felt.

  I held myself on top of her, my jeans below my ass and my shirt pulled up to my waist. We were both still partially clothed, but undressing seemed to be too much effort. I held her gaze as my cock felt her, was welcomed by the overwhelming wetness between her legs. She was ready for me long before I walked in the front door. Without telling me how she felt about me, she showed me she loved me every day. With tears in her eyes and desperation in her fingertips, she acted like it’d been three months since she’d seen me last, like this was the first time she was getting me back. Our love was so intense, it was almost too much for me to handle. But she was the kind of woman who could handle anything—even me.

  Her hand slid up the back of my neck and into my hair as her legs wrapped around my waist, securing me inside her. “Griffin.” She spoke into my mouth, begging me to never leave her again. Her lips touched mine, but she didn’t kiss me. “I can’t do it again…”

  I settled between her legs then started to move, surrounded by the slick arousal that coated my dick. “Yes, you can. I know you can.”

  “No.” She held onto my shoulder and moved with me, her hips shifting as she took my length over and over. “I missed you so much…I couldn’t sleep. I worried the whole time.”

  “I know, baby. I could feel it.” I could feel her turmoil even w
hen we were thousands of miles apart. I brushed my lips across hers before I finally kissed her. “But we can do it one more time. One more time and it’ll be over.”

  “Two more times…” She stopped moving and looked me in the eye. “I know you’re going to talk with the Skull Kings.”

  Her father had obviously told her. I’d been waiting, wanting to tell her the truth at the last minute. “We’ll get through that too.”

  She growled in my face, a weak sound because she couldn’t mask the pleasure between her legs. “You better marry me when all of this is over. Because that’s what I want…to live in a nice house in the middle of nowhere…just us and our family.” Her fingers grazed my hair, lightly fisting it as she took my big dick with ease.

  I stopped thrusting so I could look down at her, seeing her beautiful hair cascade around her. With bright eyes and a seductive part to her mouth, she was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. She hid her thoughts from the rest of the world, but with me, she wore her heart on her sleeve. She didn’t just want me, she demanded me. She wasn’t afraid to tell me what she wanted, unashamed to love me with all of her heart. “You bet your ass, I will.”

  It was good to be home, even though I would be leaving again in a short while. My woman was there with me, taking my dick first thing in the morning before she was even truly awake. I moved around the kitchen and made breakfast and coffee before I sat down at the dining table.

  I hadn’t been inside the apartment for that long, but it felt like home to me. Decorated with Vanessa’s artwork and the furniture that was picked out for her, it was her haven. It absorbed her spirit, made her love heavy in the fabric of the couches and carpet. Even when she wasn’t in the room, I could feel her presence everywhere.

  Crow’s name popped up on my phone.

  It was the first time I wasn’t annoyed to see his name, knowing this was just business. I answered without saying a word, unsure how to greet this man.