by J. A. Coffey
"I want to forget it."
She crawled on the bed. "How can I help you?"
"Make love to me," he whispered as he joined her under the comforter. Her gentle touch and the curves of her body were the only thing he could think of that would help tonight. He pressed his lips against hers, waiting for her to say no as he'd done only a few hours before.
Instead of protesting, her fingers made a trail over his bare hip and then up his back, sending chills through him. His dick stood at attention when her tongue slid between his parted lips. Burning desire pushed away the coldness of his memories. He shoved her tank top up to feel her breasts pressed against him. He'd yearned her for so long he didn't want to take it slow. But he wanted to satisfy her in every way possible. He tore his lips from her swollen ones to move to the curve of her neck.
After suckling her skin for a moment and feeling her turn to mush under his mouth, he moved down to her bare shoulder. He wondered how wet he made her, but if he slowly touched the soft, warm folds of her womanhood, he'd want to rush to lovemaking. Take it slow, he ordered himself, and wrapped his mouth around her hard nipple.
She gasped for breath, arched her back, and moaned his name, turning him on even more. His erection throbbed in his pants, threatening to explode. Mikolas had fantasized about being with Gabi so many times but had never believed he'd actually be able to have her, yet here she was, slipping her hand down the front of his pants. He shuddered as she gently squeezed his shaft.
"I want you," she whispered. "Now."
"Not yet." He traced his tongue over her lips until she parted hers to take him inside but only for a minute. She pulled away and slid out from underneath him and gently pushed him against the pillows.
He watched as she pulled his pants down, revealing his rock hard erection. A smile played on her lips as desire matching his own swam in her eyes. She slid off her own shorts and tossed them to the side of the bed. In only her thong now, she stretched her leg over him and positioned herself over his erection to where it would rub her clit as she rocked back and forth over his rod.
"Oh my God, Mik," she moaned. He hadn't even pushed inside of her yet but could already feel her wet heat drawing him closer.
"Take me in, Gabi," he begged. "Please."
It only took one shift of her hips and his erection slid right in, filling her with everything he had to offer.
*****
The snow slushed under the tires and pelted against the windshield. The sides of the roads were covered in perfect snow. The trees looked like some sort of picture off a holiday card. Enrico would have loved the scenery if he was into that sappy shit. Which he wasn't.
He wanted to be up at the mountain to get the goods unloaded. His fingers found the butt of his gun sticking out of the waistband of his pants. The small item made a world of difference to the insecurities gnawing at his brain.
Pushing his palm against one eye and then the other, he tried forcing the fatigue away. He leaned his head back against the seat, glad he wasn't driving, so he could close his eyes. If Leon had been the one driving, he'd be able to nap part of the way but no. Everything had to get all fucked up for Enrico. He glared at Rif, who kept his eyes on the road, and wondered why on earth Enrico had let the guy be made into the Family. It seemed like things were getting worse with the guy. Was it Rif who had the hit out on Enrico?
Enrico let his eyes absorb the sight of Rif, looking for some sign of betrayal... or anything out of the ordinary. But the guy just stared at the road, trying to maneuver the van over the snow covered ground. After a few minutes, Rif glanced at Enrico.
"Is everything okay?" Rif asked. His gaze snapped back to the road. The van swerved a bit. He turned the wheel to get it straight again.
"Everything's fine. Slippery, eh?" He cocked his head toward the window.
"Sure is. You think we'll make it all the way up there?" Rif asked.
He didn't know. The roads were slick and it was obvious Rif worked hard in driving through the messy conditions. It was taking a lot longer than Enrico had expected and if he had any brains, he would order Rif to turn around and then wait for Leon to get out of the hospital. Waiting for Leon would eliminate Rif from knowing the vault's location. But he had a sense about things. His gut told him to make it up to the vault. Once they arrived into the small town of Logan, it should be smooth sailing the rest of the way.
"We're approaching the town. Do you want to stop?" asked Rif as they drove passed the ‘Welcome to Logan' sign. A few houses dotted the landscape among the thinned trees. The snow was still deep, but Rif maneuvered the van along the road's edges a bit better here.
"I'd like to stop for a minute," Dom said from the backseat.
"We're going straight through Logan. You guys can wait until we get up to the cabin." They had to since they were only about ten minutes away... maybe fifteen at the most.
"But I-" Dom started to say.
"Enough. I said to go straight through."
The two men stopped whining like babies as they drove through the small town. Enrico pointed to the turn off leading them farther up into the mountains.
The snow was deeper again with more falling flakes drifting down. Rif switched the windshield wipers on, making a swishing sound through the otherwise quiet van. Flashing blue and red lights pulled up behind them. The three men sat up straight in their seats.
"Fuck." Enrico slid his gun down into the compartment on the passenger side of the door.
"Should I just run?" Rif asked, slowly pushing his foot down on the accelerator.
"Stop the van."
Rif snapped his attention to Enrico, making the van swerve. "We're going to get caught. Do you realize what we have in the back?"
"Stop the fuckin' van. Now!" Damn it, why did the only sheriff in town have to pull up behind them? And why had he made two of the biggest pussys part of his Family?
"I don't want to go to jail, Enrico."
"Rif!"
"Fine," Rif mumbled as he slowed the van to a stop. The lights continued to flash as the tall man with a brown wide-rimmed hat climbed out of the car and trudged through the snow.
Rif rolled the window down as the sheriff approached. The badge on his coat read "Sheriff Stuart". He bent down to look in the window. "Good evening. Where are you headed?"
Rif pointed in the direction of the cabin. "Just up the road a bit. We‘re on a vacation from the wives, if you know what I mean?" Rif forced a laugh.
Sheriff Stuart shifted his gaze to look at Dom sitting in the back. "These roads are closed. All of those cabins have been evacuated."
"We'll be careful, sir."
"I can't let you up there." The sheriff shook his head in reply. His arms crossed over his meaty chest. They didn't need any trouble with this wanna-be-hard-ass small town cop.
Enrico glanced out the window and then back to the Sheriff. "Is there some place to stay? Weather's too bad to turn back for home."
Pointing toward the road, he said, "Right up there. I'll lead the way." The sheriff climbed back in his car, flipping the lights off. They turned in the opposite direction before they followed the sheriff down the road.
"What the hell are we doing?" Dom asked, leaning between the two front seats. He pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose.
"Going to a motel. If they've evacuated the mountain there'll be no way we can get this thing up there." Enrico patted the dash of the van. "We'll rest up and then head out the first chance we get."
*****
Gabrielle had opened the curtains to take a peek outside to find the snow had finally stopped falling. It brought a smile to her lips but also a tiny ping of ache in her heart. When the snow melted, they'd be able to go down the road to get out of there. She wasn't sure how exactly they'd be together but knowing they would be brought a smile to her lips and made her heart swell.
His footsteps approached her from behind, but she didn't turn around. The morning outside was too beautiful, she didn't want to
break the peacefulness of it. His arms went around her waist, giving her the chance to snuggle against his chest.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
"What?" she had to be dreaming. She turned to look at him. "What did you say?"
He chuckled but shifted his weight. "I said I love you."
"I thought I might've been dreaming of you telling me that last night." Her head rested on his shoulder as his fingers on his right hand trailed up the bottom of her sweatshirt, sending goose bumps over her bare skin.
She'd heard him claim he loved her the night before, but the words hadn't seemed real until now, standing on the porch while staring out at the beautiful scenery. He really loved her. The idea was so foreign but exhilarating, sending all of the questions in her mind on hyper-speed.
She didn't want to leave all that she loved in Vegas. Not her boutique, not her parents, not her home. But she couldn't return now. Surely, her father wasn't going to approve since he didn't want her involved with the mob life. She forced herself in by kidnapping his hitman and wasn't so naïve that she didn't realize there would be repercussions for the stunt she'd pulled.
"I've loved you for so long, and I'm surprised nobody figured it out before now, especially you," he said, his soothing voice yanking her from her worries.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I needed to hide it."
She looked back up at him and smiled. "You did a good job. And for the record, I had a crush on you before I went away to school."
He sighed. "I want to be with you, Gabrielle. I don't want to spend another night without you."
"Really, Mik?" Her breath caught in her throat as the butterflies swarmed around in her stomach. "Because I want that, too."
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I mean it, Gabi. There's a problem with that though. A problem we need to talk about."
She knew it was too good to be true. "What?" She pulled from Mik's embrace and turned to face him, leaning against the railing. Her arms crossed protectively over her breasts as she stared into his eyes.
"I never told you how I felt because of your father. He told me long ago that I'm not allowed to have any sort of relationship with you. Maybe I shouldn't have told you here, but, hell." He paced the length of the porch, raking his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. I really don't think you plan on leaving Vegas forever. If you're with me, you will have to. No contact with any of our friends or family."
Panic rushed over her and collided with anger. Her father had prevented Mik from being with her? How could he have done that and why would Mikolas ever let him if the love he had for her was so strong? "What will he do when he finds out about us?"
"You don't know?" He faced her. His hands balled into fists, but there was something in his eyes she had never seen before-anger and hatred building together.
She shook her head. "No, but I have a feeling you do."
He tore his gaze from hers and looked at something off in the distance. "He'll kill me."
She gasped. "I can't lose you again, Mik. I just can't." She rushed to him, threw her arms around him, and leaned against his chest.
His warmth gave her hope and strength to deal with the issue at hand. How had she been able to make it without this man by her side? She wouldn't even consider the idea of giving him up. Being with him was right.
"I'll go wherever you want, so we can be together." He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "But we can't have any contact with your family. He'll hunt me down."
Her heart quickened. He would really give it all up for her? He had more at stake in Vegas than she did.
He tipped her face up to look deep into her eyes. "I mentioned the packed bags at my house when we first left, right? I was going to ask you to leave with me. You beat me to it."
"I..." Her eyes widened. "Wow." Gabrielle had wanted to be part of the Family and Mikolas had served as an open door to a career in the Mafia. In the past few days, her goal had changed. She could have Mik now.
Mik pulled away. "We'll find the money and get to town. Surely somebody'll want to sale a car there. It will only be a matter of time until we are out of here."
Her pulse raced with hope. "You're really going to help me with the search?"
He took her hand in his. "Yep. I want you to have the best possible life away from the Mafia. Now let's go find that money."
"Do you have any clues to where we should look? Have you heard anything that might help us?"
Shaking his head, he said, "Only that the place is referred to as the vault."
They scurried through the house, looking in every drawer, cupboard, and closet. Mik cross-checked every spot Gabrielle had originally searched while she did the same for him, not wanting to miss the money's hiding spot.
Chapter Sixteen
Gabrielle stood outside with the Glock aimed at the empty coffee can she'd found while searching the side of the house. She slid the hammer back and pulled the trigger. PING! PING! PING! She hit the target. Having such good aim on a gun she's never used should be giving her a thrill. But it wasn't.
She wanted the money and to get the hell out of the cabin before someone decided to join her and Mik. Doing a job for her father had seemed like something interesting to try. Now those ideas had cleared, leaving her with no more false misrepresentations or shimmering appeal. Those men, even her father, were ruthless criminals. Fear ripped at her stomach at the thought of the possibility of Mikolas returning to Vegas and would continue to do so until they were both safely away. She couldn't live without Mik's love. Having the decision made felt like a house had been lifted off her shoulders. She smiled as she shot the gun again.
The front door of the cabin opened and then shut behind her. His heavy footsteps pounded against the porch and then the stairs. She tried to focus on the target but anticipation swarmed over her as his presence came closer. Gabrielle refused to break her concentration. She closed one eye, and held the other's gaze on her target. His presence made her breath catch in her throat.
"Trying out my Glock?" He came up behind her, his chest against her back, his breath on her neck.
Shivers shot through her like a bullet, but she tightened her grip on the gun and kept her eye on the target. "Yes," she whispered over the rumble of hunger in her stomach. "I needed a break from searching. After another round, I'll make us some lunch."
"I'm not worried about food right now." He pressed his lips against the curve of her neck before asking, "You're first time shooting one of these?"
Her breath came out in a rush as desire crashed through her, making her nipples pucker against the fabric of her bra. "Yes."
"How does it feel in your hands?" he whispered in her ear.
"Hard."
"And?" His fingers slid down her arms and finally wrapped around her hands.
"Dangerous." Her thighs started to tingle, her panties dampened while her core yearned for him.
"What else, baby?" His lips found the curve of her neck, sucking softly.
"Exciting." She pulled the trigger. The bullet wizzed into the can.
"Anything else?" His hands found their way back up to her shoulder, slid down her back, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He slipped them under her sweatshirt and jerked her bra up, freeing her taut nipples.
"Forbidden. Dangerous. Have you used this gun in a hit?" She let her head fall back against his shoulder, forgetting about everything but his fingers massaging her breasts.
"Yes," he whispered in her ear. "Are you excited?"
She nodded. "Let's go inside." She turned around to press her lips against his. His moan made her ache for him. She wanted him. Now. "And make love one more time before we return to the money search."
"You got it." He let go of her and flipped her up into his arms. "Make sure you close the hammer."
"I did." She giggled as he carried her across the snow. She held the gun in the hand flung over his shoulder. "Be careful. The stairs are slippery. I almost fell down them w
hen I came out here."
"Like walk slow?" He pretended to run with her.
Her scream dissolved into giggles. "One kiss and you act like a crazy man! I'd hate to see you after we have some good sex."
"Last night was pretty good."
"You haven't seen nothing yet."
She tilted her head to look at him. A second later, his lips pressed against hers with a feverish haste. The hunger for food she had earlier was now an intense hunger for him. Every part of her body yearned for him. Her murmur grew into a moan as his strong fingers slid their way up her shirt and circled her nipple.
He pulled her to him. His arms reached around her as if he'd read her thoughts, or maybe knew what she desired, and flicked the clasp open on her bra. She shoved her shirt up over her head, tossing it to the floor.
He grabbed her hand to lead her to the couch. She let her ass rest against the cool fabric. His mouth found her taut nipple and nibbled it gently, then sucked, sending desire pounding its way through her body. Her fingers ran through the short strands of his black hair. She took his dick in her hand and stroked it gently. When he moaned against the sensitive skin of her breast, chills swept over her bare skin.
"I want you," she breathed against his ear.
"Take me, Gabi."
Gabrielle pushed his sweats down over his hips and watched them drop to the floor before kicking her own jeans away from the bottom of her feet. Her thong panties followed the jeans. Once totally naked, she slid up on the back of the couch and pulled him to her. His lips found hers, and he used his tongue to pull her into his passion. It was hard, wet. Needy. Gabrielle loved every second.
The head of his dick rubbed against her pleasure spot, sending waves of arousal through her veins. She pulled her lips from his, and moaned. "Oh, Mikolas." Her breaths came out short and raspy, full of desire. She clung to his body as she neared the cliff of an orgasm.
"Don't stop, Mik," she begged. "It feels wonderful."
He smiled down at her. "Not yet, honey," he said. "You want to feel me inside of you, right?" He moved his face close to hers.
