Can't Walk Away (The Thomas Family Chronicles #1)

by Ashlee Taylor

  Placing her fingers against my lips, she turned to the bowl, picking up a fork and began to twirl it in the noodles. Once the fork was loaded, she turned back to me, holding out a napkin while bringing the fork to my lips. As unconventional as this was, this was the sexiest thing that had happened to me in a long time. As I chewed, she kissed the side of my neck, rubbing her leg against mine. This went on for several bites before I took over. I fed her and she moaned, the sound traveled straight to my dick. I’d have to remember to do this same meal at home. I could guarantee that the food would be forgotten and she’d be laying on the table, her pussy in place of this bowl.

  I could feel my dick twitch in my pants, her moans were becoming more frequent. She bit into the garlic bread and licked the buttery goodness off my fingertips. I found myself calling for the waitress and the check. If I didn’t get her out of here, if anyone were watching they’d know I was about to take this beautiful woman who belonged to me off somewhere and do dirty things to her.

  I couldn’t wait to do all those dirty things, all night long.

  “We’re not staying?” she questioned.

  “No, I promise I’ll make this up to you later. However, I promised to take you to meet a couple of people before I take you home.”

  “Okay.”

  “That’s it? You’re not going to ask me where I’m going?” I questioned.

  “What’s the point in that? I just want to be with you, I don’t care where we go.”

  Chuckling a little bit, I turned to her. “That’s another reason why I love you.”

  “Because I’m a trusting soul who doesn’t care where you take me and that I love you?” This time she questioned me.

  “No, not just because of that. Because you said you don’t care where we go you just want to be with me.”

  “Damn straight I do,” she said and I laughed again.

  I held her hand again as I drove, the night was so perfect. I was going to introduce her to men who have been brought together to keep her safe. She won’t know the magnitude of power each one of these men possessed, she would just see in their faces how happy they were to meet her.

  We pulled into the underground parking garage of a high rise condo complex. I noticed she sat up and looked around with a sad look on her face.

  “Did you buy a place here?” she asked.

  “I do have a place here, more like office space, but that’s not why we’re here.”

  “Oh good, I love your house. I’d feel too encumbered by being in a place like this in case I need to let loose.”

  “Are you trying to tell me you’re a screamer?”

  She shrugged her shoulders before answering. “I guess you’re going to have to find out,” she said with a laugh.

  I slipped out of the car and rounded the front to open her door and help her out. “Don’t tease, I mean I can take you upstairs and see how fast I can have you screaming, mounted on my dick.”

  Looking up at me, she smirked, then she took several steps away from me in those killer heels I was anxious to feel pressed against my ass while I was deep inside of her.

  “Why do we want to waste all of that time going upstairs when you can fuck me on the hood of your car? I bet the echoes in here are fabulous,” she said, leaning against the side of the car, propping her foot onto the tire.

  I walked over to her, lifting her leg by the knee, swinging it over my hip, then hitching her dress up a little so she could feel how hard I was right then and there. She gasped as I ground my hard cock against her lace covered pussy.

  Leaning in, my eyes focused on her mouth, I licked my lips as if to taunt her a little. As soon as she licked her lips back, I knew I had her. “As much as I’d love to take you right here on my car, I’d prefer not to have witnesses,” I said. Smiling sweetly, I placed a chaste kiss on her lips before tilting my head over toward the camera with the blinking red light that hung in the corner of the concrete structure.

  “That was mean.” She gently pushed me away, adjusting her dress and shielding herself from prying eyes.

  “And teasing me wasn’t?” Walking up behind her I kissed her neck, resting my chin on her shoulder.

  “I’m horny.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “No, I’m really horny, like if I take another step I’m going to take care of this myself, horny.”

  Turning around so I could face her, I needed her to know I felt the same way. “Sweetheart, I want you even more than you want me. I’m sorry for trying to give you a night you’ll never forget and that my own horny nature got the better of me. You deserve better than being fucked on a car.”

  I wrapped both of my arms around her and hugged her tight as she burrowed her head into my chest. “I was okay with the car, you know,” she said, a bit muffled.

  I chuckled a little bit before answering. “I promise to do you on a car.” Her face shot up and looked at me. “Just not here, not where some wacko could be watching us beating his dick to your “o” face, so later at home, in the back garage. I’ll take you on the hood of every one of my cars.”

  She vibrated a little in my arms, jumping up and down with glee before I stepped back. “I’m glad you’re happy about that, now let’s go. There’s some people I want you to meet.”

  I started walking toward the far corner of the garage. Christianna slowed and then stopped when we reached the elevator. I shook my head and led her off to the opposite side where it was dark. Not many people looked twice in this direction. A door with a keypad sat off in the dark space.

  “The code is 010114,” I said, punching it in and the door clicked open. I pushed it aside, letting her go in first.

  “That’s Layla’s birthday,” she said and I nodded.

  “I changed a bunch of my codes and passwords to her birthday. She’s quite important to me if you haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “I promise you, Nicholas. I figured it out.”

  We stood in the hallway and she looked, grasping onto my arm as if she was scared the boogey man was going to pop out and grab her.

  “You’re safe here, no one knows about this place except for a handful of people.”

  As we took off walking we passed a corridor here and there that led to several different businesses. “Back in the twenties, when prohibition was in full swing, some of the men needed ways to get the alcohol through the city without the cops finding out. They set up these tunnels. Some of these run under the same roads we drive on. Some places that you probably haven’t seen before, or never noticed, are attached to these little hidden walkways.”

  “So you can pop up wherever a door is and inside is a business?”

  “Yes, technically I can. The businesses are either owned by me or owned by people close to me. Where we’re going right now is owned by a very good friend who grew up with both our fathers.”

  Turning down another hallway, we came upon a door. I gestured for her to put the code in and she did it with a huge smile on her face. When the door opened to the stairs, she looked up to them and back to me. She walked up the stairs, taking her time with each step. I didn’t mind it though, the view from back here was spectacular. I loved every second watching her ass switch back and forth as she ascended. When she got to the door, she eagerly put in the code and the door clicked open. When she stepped into the room, she scrunched her face up, trying to make out what she was seeing. It was a storage closet we were standing in, but I laughed before taking her hand and leading her out of there.

  Stepping into the hallway, the familiar sounds and smells that always greeted me when I visited started to call to us. When I stepped into the main bar area, my name was shouted by almost every voice in the place. When Christianna caught up to me the same voices hushed. With a big huge smile, she took in the scene before her. She didn’t falter, she just looked from them to me and leaned up close to my ear.

  “I’m kinda hungry,” she said and I laughed.

  “Let me introduce you to a couple of the guys
and then I’ll feed you.”

  We headed toward the table that housed two of the men people feared the most, to me it was an honor to see them sitting there. They both nodded their heads in appreciation as they checked out my girl.

  “Good evening, gentlemen.” I pulled Christianna in front of me so they could see her. “Antony Balducci,” I gestured to the man on the right. “Jerry Lanza,” I gestured to the man on the left. “I would like you both to meet Christianna Thomas.”

  Both men stood and greeted her with hugs and kisses on both cheeks, Antony pulled back and complimented her on taking after her mother and not her dad. Both Antony and Jerry started to joke with her, telling stories about when they were younger. She sat with these two men, her attention placed solely on them and they ate it up. After a while she looked at me and I nodded; I knew she was hungry. I had them make her some fresh manicotti to make up for my taking her away from dinner so abruptly.

  When I got back, Christianna had pulled her wallet out and was showing them pictures of our daughter. I heard both of them comment on her beauty and Antony even suggested I start putting the fear of God into all males because my little girl was going to grow up looking like her momma, beautiful and stunning.

  I began to plot a security detail for a little girl who wasn’t even a year old yet for when she’s old enough that boys would be interested.

  They better not.

  Food was placed before Christianna and she leaned in to kiss me before apologizing for being hungry. I walked over to the bar and Antony followed behind me. Jerry stayed there because his own plate of food was put down after hers.

  “You haven’t fed her?”

  “I did, but they had family style share meals, it was so cozy. I knew that I was going to bring her by to see you two.”

  “Driving you crazy?” he asked and I nodded. “She’s a beautiful girl, you did good, Nico.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now, while Jerry’s got her, I need to tell you about today.”

  I took one long look over to the table and I saw Jerry and Christianna eating and talking. He said something funny and her hand and napkin covered her face. I’m glad she was comfortable here, as this was her life now.

  “She’ll be okay with Jerry, he’s sworn himself to protect her. Sight unseen, you know how big of a deal that is, right? One of the most powerful men in the country is going to protect that woman as if she was his own.

  “I trust him.”

  “So do I. And that’s why he’s going to be here for a while. Let’s sit.”

  Antony led me over to a booth. We had a good view of the room and I could see my girl.

  “Nico, Jerry and I met with Michelino. As soon as we mentioned about you and her he started to freak out. He ended up going crazy, pulled a gun, and ran off. He’s in the wind. I’ve got a couple of my guys on his trail and watching his wife and daughter. Jerry’s increased security for her and you.”

  “I got guys, Antony.”

  “I know you do, kid. I also know that right now Michelino knows his life is about to end and when you start to see the fire slowly dimming on your candle you do whatever you possibly can to extend that shit. Jerry said it and I believe it now, he’s going to do whatever he can to destroy whatever is available before he’s taken out. I would venture to guess that leads back to you.”

  “What the fuck do I do?”

  “You’re going to go on as if everything was normal. Then you’re going to let us handle this. There is also another issue.”

  “What is the other issue.”

  “Michelino wants you gone, that’s a given. Ever since you cut ties with his daughter. He’s wanted you gone and himself in power.”

  “I knew that.”

  “No shit, Sherlock. We all knew that, but what you didn’t know is that it was his daughter Anise who hired the men to kidnap and kill your woman and daughter.”

  “Tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’m not, Nico. I wouldn’t joke about shit like that. She is the epitome of a woman scorned,” Antony said before downing the rest of his amber colored liquor.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Christianna

  I was starving. I hoped that Nicholas didn’t think I didn’t appreciate what he’d done for me. Our date was lovely, it was romantic. I wished that I had been in his house by candlelight making love all night long. I knew he was trying to make up for lost time. I overheard him telling Luke that he wanted to woo me like in some old fashioned movie. I was already wooed, I already knew I wanted the man. He didn’t need to put on airs, but I kinda figured out why he did it.

  Our meeting wasn’t ideal. I’m sure he thought that this was what women wanted, but I wasn’t like most women. The way we met—our impromptu screwing each other’s brains out to the point where neither of us knew what had happened during that amazing night that created our daughter—he wanted to give me the ideal.

  All the while I just wanted him.

  When I told him I didn’t care where we were going, only that I wanted to be with him, I meant it. I hoped he knew I was serious. All I wanted was him, wherever he’d let me have him. And that even meant in a dank, dimly lit garage on the hood of his car.

  But alas, here we were, in this bar slash restaurant with a plate of food that smelled absolutely amazing. I was sitting with a man named Jerry, who was telling me about how he met my parents when they were about my age. He even said he’d met my grandfather once upon a time. I missed him. I wished he’d lived long enough to see Layla grow up.

  He asked me about my life and what I did, he asked me about how Nicholas and I met. When I started to explain the situation, I didn’t leave anything out. I explained what happened and that I get little glimpses of a night neither one of us can barely remember.

  Jerry sat before me, teeth clenched, with a saddened look on his face. His hands balled up into tight fists. He shook his head a few times, but I just kept on talking. I didn’t anticipate him to be upset about the situation. I knew he cared about Nicholas. He also knew my dad, so I knew it wasn’t negative toward me.

  He muttered a few words I assumed were in Italian, but I couldn’t be sure, then he reached over and patted my hand in comfort.

  “Before you know it, you will have all the answers you seek,” he said before he took his hand back and we finished our meal.

  He didn’t say much of anything else, except to gesture for the man to fill up our glasses and then get me a chocolate dessert it was so decadent I didn’t think I would be able to finish it, but I did, shocking myself.

  I didn’t look around the room once for Nicholas. I didn’t want to be that type of woman who followed their man’s every move. I knew this was a “men’s only” situation. I knew he had some very important information to discuss with Mr. Balducci, so I didn’t pry. If I needed to know anything else he’d surely tell me, and that was okay with me.

  Finishing the last bite of that chocolate heaven, I placed the fork on the plate and scooted it away.

  “Good?” Jerry inquired.

  “The best,” I answered.

  “My grandmother used to serve this to me when I was a child. It’s an Italian chocolate cream cake. It’s supposed to have a cake-like texture, but it melts in your mouth like a mousse.”

  “If I had grown up with that, I would probably be as big as a house.”

  Jerry laughed. “When you see your father, mention this cake. I guarantee you it will bring back so many memories of his childhood that he’ll request it and you’ll tell him where he can get it from.”

  “I will.”

  Jerry’s smile made everything better. I was just about to ask him about Nicholas when Antony joined us.

  “You ate good, principessa. I told Nico he needed to feed you a little better.”

  I didn’t even get a chance to answer when I was cut off by Nicholas, who’d finally joined us.

  “I promise that on our next date she will eat until she is full.”

  �
��Well, Nicholas. Our meal was good, but this food was phenomenal. As was the company,” I said, smiling at Jerry, who winked at me.

  “We should get going. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us. We have to be up early to welcome our daughter back home.”

  Home. I think I smiled from ear to ear when he mentioned home. I couldn’t wait, I knew that as soon as I was back there and Layla was close by everything would be right with the world.

  Saying goodbyes with hugs and promises to see each other soon, I seemed to say goodbye to every man who was in there. They all bowed a bit and smiled. I didn’t question, I just assumed it was because of the position Nicholas held within the families.

  We walked carefully through the storeroom, down the stairs, and through the secret speakeasy passageways until we arrived in the garage where our journey had begun. I laughed at Nicholas when he rubbed the side of the car where I had a few hours before propped myself up against.

  Just the sight of that spot and the possibilities had me reeling. When we got into the car he reached over and held my hand just like he did when we started on our journey. We didn’t talk, we didn’t need to. He drove down the roads and past the houses that mesmerized me on the way to his place. Instead of taking the right to the front gate of his property, he kept going a little way up to a secondary gate that lay up into the cut of the woods, hidden away from prying eyes.

  Pulling up, he punched in a code and the wrought iron gates began to open for our entry. The road was dark and desolate. We went down a windy path that started to slowly open up into a beautiful meadow type area, which had been leveled of trees, showcasing a beautiful view.

  The moon looked like it was dancing on the water that was backed up to the property. The full moon in all of its glory was blazing like a summer sun without the heat. It was perfect and romantic—this setting could rival any of the seven wonders.

  Nicholas put the car in park, killed the engine, and got out. I watched his movements as he slowly crossed in front of the car to open my car door. He helped me out of the car. I looked around at the open expanse of the place.