“I will talk to Unique first because she’s made a sketch for me. Karma brought some fabric and I picked out one, so I would like to know when she can make my dress.”
His eyes flare before his lips crash against mine making me feel that I belong. The kiss starts out rough, needful, but soon enough he slows down and takes his time to explore my mouth with his tongue. Stroking, searching, tenderly letting his feelings flow.
Unrealistic, that’s what it is. I’ve seen the kind of fire that flames his eyes with fierceness and yet this man…this tenderness right now makes me feel adored.
He pulls back all too soon and places his forehead against mine. Both panting hard, we clearly need a moment to catch our breath. That is until he murmurs, “I need to kiss your…lips. Will you let me? Please, I need to taste you.”
A shiver runs through me at the sound of the desperation in his voice. With my mouth still tingling from our previous kiss, the answer is obvious. “Yes.”
And why is he even asking if he was the one initiating the first one? Holy shit. Is all my mind registers when my pants are ripped off and hit the floor, Afon balancing above me, his gaze locked with mine.
The corner of his mouth twitches. “Didn’t expect my trick question, huh?”
“Obviously,” I pant, slowly calming myself, waiting for panic to set in.
Just like the last time he touched me there. I was expecting to be repulsed, my mind throwing me back to that night when I was sixteen...except it didn’t happen. The horrible memories never came. His touch is different, safe, exciting. And yet, I’m scared shitless.
I’m still wearing my shirt when Afon slides down and places his head against my lower belly. “I’d be just as happy if you let me place my head here for a few hours, Andy. I just need to be close.”
His arms slide underneath my legs until his hands grip my waist, as if he needs to ground himself. Eyes closed he releases a sigh that expels all his anger, or so his whole demeanor radiates he’s trying to relax. Reaching out, I let my fingers slide over his head, letting myself fall a little deeper in adoration for this man.
His breath is leaving a hot trail over my skin, making my pussy clench. A reaction that only he has managed to provoke. Like the last time when he had me cornered against the door. My heart beating fast, feeling wetness and tingles building. Something I’m itching, daring myself to experience and yet I don’t have the nerve to ask. Because…what if I freak out and he doesn’t want to stop?
Softly he places kisses on my skin while his eyes burn into mine, making me feel every single hair on his scruffy jaw, the air that rushes out between each kiss, it’s as if he’s bringing us closer to each other. Letting me feel, bringing my body alive, making me hand over the trust that allows me to open up to him.
Yet the air in my lungs freezes when his lips feather over my pussy. Eyes still connected, he covers my pussy completely with his mouth. The feel of his tongue searching, stroking. A moan leaves my throat and I helplessly pull him tighter against me. Shamelessly, I start to grind against his face, experiencing tingles of pleasure building rapidly.
His tongue is magical and then it happens. Impact. I throw my head back as my spine curls while I scream, “Afon.” Everything inside me shatters into a euphoric state of pleasure. A place where I feel every element of my body and the man between my legs who gives it to me.
Sagging back into the mattress I wait for my soul to slip back into my body because I for damn sure think that all the flashes of white was an outer body experience. “That was…I can barely recall, it’s…I have no words.”
“Open your eyes, anima mia,” Afon tells me, his voice filled with longing.
When I do I find out that he’s just inches away, his nose almost touching mine.
“Fucking special. My heart just nearly stopped when you fell apart underneath my touch,” he growls and scoops me up, only to twist us around so I’m now draped over his chest.
He’s staring at the ceiling, one hand is on the back of my head holding me close while the other is lovingly stroking my back. His heart is beating rapidly in my ear and when I shift I feel his arousal as a huge, very hard, reality between us. And yet he doesn’t make a move. He didn’t take that next step, he did what he said he would do. Well, except for overwhelming me with an orgasm.
That was most definitely something I never thought a man would be able to give me. The mere touch of a man brought me quite the opposite feelings, repulsion and more, and yet this man…this man was the first to obliterate past memories and replace them with new, precious, overwhelming pleasures.
Feeling utterly exhausted, I feel myself drift off, trying to push out one word he needs to hear. My gratitude for his persistence. For not giving up on the broken pieces I thought I was never able to heal by myself. For making me feel all woman in a man’s touch. “Thank you.”
Chapter 11
Pretty sure this shit isn’t allowed in landscaping.
***Afon***
My phone starts to buzz within my pants pocket and I’m fucking glad I’ve got the damn thing on vibrate. Andy is still draped over me, sleeping while I’ve been spending the last three hours just watching her. Relishing the feel of her body against mine while the sweet taste of her arousal is still on my tongue. My chest tightens with the thought of how our connection has strengthened in such a short time.
I manage to get my phone without waking Andy. I see it’s her brother that’s calling me. Fuck. “Hang on,” I tell him in a whisper and slide myself out from underneath my woman.
She turns over and snuggles into the pillow. I drape a blanket over her and stalk out of the bedroom. When I’m halfway down the stairs, I place the phone against my ear. “What man?”
“Everything okay over there? Can you check with security?” His voice has an edge to it. One I’m not fucking liking one bit.
“What the fuck is happening, Ricca? Spill that shit.” I’m rounding the corner to the room where I have all the cameras set up that are watching inside and outside of my house. Well except for my own bedroom and bathroom of course.
“I had a little message left on my fucking front porch, lost three of my men. I’m just making sure my shit doesn’t spread onto you guys. That’s the whole fucking reason I wanted Andy out of this. Dammit,” Ricca says but half the words fade when I walk into the room.
My gaze connects to the camera that’s locked on my front porch. “Your shit landed on my fucking doorstep, motherfucker. Get the hell over here. I’m calling it in.”
I disconnect and hit speed dial. Tarzan picks up on the third ring. “I was dreaming of unicorns shitting out freaking rainbows so this better be good.”
“Boss. Be here in ten. The both of you.” I disconnect and hit Jakov’s number.
He’s not picking up. I try Vinci while I know it’s all useless because the picture on the screen is obvious.
“What the hell? What is,” Andy’s voice comes up from behind me. “Is that? Shit. Do you have a gun?”
I’m already gripping mine when I stalk to a painting on the wall. I’ve installed it like a little door, shutting out the safe that’s behind it. Opening it up, I grab a Luger and give it to Andy.
“Stay close,” I tell her and she falls in step behind me.
I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have my back. Andy is a damn good shot. Tarzan told me so. They’ve worked out together plenty of times and I’ve seen her in action. She’s a damn warrior.
“I can’t get a hold of either Jakov or Vinci,” I tell her as we slip out of the house.
“Obviously,” she mutters. “Did you call it in?”
“Yeah. Fucking Ricca called me when I was still holding you. He asked me if everything was okay, that’s why I went down. He’s on his way too.” I keep my eyes on the outer perimeter.
I don’t need to look down because I damn well know there are bodies lying at my feet. Not just bodies…a fucking message.
“Fuck, Afon. No heat. His body…shi
t…the parts are cold. Whoever did this is long gone,” Andy tells me just as headlights come up in the distance.
Aiming my gun, better be safe than fucking sorry, I wait until the car has come to a stop. The headlights go out and I notice it’s Ricca.
“Where is Vinci? You told me both didn’t pick up? As far as I can tell, this is only Jakov, Afon…where the hell is Vinci?” Andy’s voice is matter-of-fact.
Fuck, no. My eyes go to the man lying in pieces on the ground. Jakov. My fucking friend is dead. The surge of sadness that hits my chest is overwhelming and yet I need to shove it down. I need my fucking head in place to keep functioning. Get whoever did this to him. End him so I can pay my respects to my friend and honor him the way he needs to be.
“Aw, fuck.” Ricca comes to a stop at the body parts. “I had the same fucking mess.”
“You had ‘Fuck You’ on your doorstep too?” Andy asks, making the both of us turn our heads her way.
She releases a deep sigh. “Oh, come on. That one, the cut off arms stretched out underneath each other and clutching at the wrist with the torso underneath it? That’s an F. The two legs with the toes connecting, that’s a U. The intestine and the head resemble an exclamation mark.”
“That’s disturbing. Even more that you notice that shit, sis.” Ricca releases a deep sigh. “Stefano was a good fucking soldier.”
“So was Jakov. Not just a soldier, a fucking friend I’ve known for years,” I add.
“Where the hell is Vinci?” Andy presses.
“Let’s get a look at the fucking tapes,” I tell them, Ricca and Andy following behind me.
We all come to a stop when another car approaches. Ford and Tarzan jump out. Assessing the mess Tarzan mutters, “Pretty sure this shit isn’t allowed in landscaping, Afon. You might wanna change landscapers.”
“Fuck. Is that Jakov? Or what’s left of him?” Ford questions.
“Yeah. And we’re missing Vinci,” I tell him.
“With me the fucker used only one body too. Shit.” Ricca curses some more as he plows a hand through his thick hair. “I know who’s behind this shit.”
All eyes are on him now. “Esposito. That’s fucking who. I told him ‘Fuck You’ and ended the call. I got a warning signed in blood the next day.”
“Shit,” Andy mutters and even in the dark night I can tell she paled.
Ford brings his phone to his ear. “Get your team here asap.” He ends the call and addresses all of us. “Inside. Cleanup will be here in five. We don’t want that shit sprawled out for anyone else to stumble into. Did you handle it at your house?”
Ricca gives him a tight nod. “Had it handled before I called Afon.” He reaches for his phone, turns his back to us and barks out his words. “Do what you suggested. Get it done.” That’s all he says before he hangs up and faces us again.
Although I can tell Ford is just as edgy to find out what that call was about, we all leave it alone and head into the house.
“I’ll get us all some coffee,” Andy says and stalks off toward the kitchen.
Once in the security room, I check the tapes but most is blocked out. That leaves the one camera that only I know about. Yeah, I’m a superstitious asshole that doesn’t trust many people so I’ve got a hidden camera in here. A few clicks of a button and we all watch how Vinci deletes the security tapes.
“That fucking rat,” Ricca snaps, grabs his phone and yet again starts to bark out orders.
Knowing this info and seeing a few of our men starting to clean up the mess on my doorstep, we don’t have to keep standing in this room. “Come on. Let’s get into the living room and talk things through.”
When everyone is seated, Andy walks in with the coffee. She grabs two cups and hands me one as she plants her ass cheek on the armrest. It’s such a small gesture yet it means everything to me. She’s not sitting next to her friend Tarzan, or choosing to sit next to her brother Ricca.
No. She wants to be near me. Right now, when I need her the most. Reaching out, I wrap my arm around her, noticing every gaze in the room is locked on us. I don’t fucking care, let them fucking see we’re solid. Or at least getting there.
“What a fucking mess. I should have fucking known he’d pull something like this.” Ricca breaks the silence in the room. “Esposito. Always jumping to extreme measures when someone puts him in his place.”
“You told me it was all handled.” Andy’s voice sounds fierce, as if she knows more.
“Okay, could someone fill me the fuck in? I don’t know heads from damn intestines so be sure to get it all out why the fuck one of my men is in pieces,” Ford bellows.
“Esposito asked for Andy’s hand in marriage about three years ago when his wife died. He wanted the connection between our families and thought it was his right to claim Andy,” Ricca tells us and with that my whole body locks tight.
Andy grabs my cup and places it on the table in front of us along with hers before she pats my knee. “Ricca shot him down straight away. He promised me no one would ever force me to be his wife.”
I have to damn well swallow that one because both me and Ricca fucked that one up.
Andy chuckles when she sees my expression. “Well, you tried but you realized soon enough that you screwed up and took a step back.” She pats my hand that’s still placed on her waist. “Afon here postponed the wedding and asked me to pick a date instead.” She releases a sigh and her smile is stunning when she looks at Tarzan. “I told him I needed to check with Unique because I want to give her enough time to make the dress…you know, with the fabric I picked out.”
Tarzan releases a girly scream and jumps up, hugging my woman tight.
Ricca’s eyes are huge when they connect with mine. “You postponed the fucking wedding? What the hell, fucker?”
“It doesn’t fucking matter,” I growl back. “Everything I do is for her so mind your damn business. Now tell me why you connect this with Esposito.”
“Because he demanded another meeting when I left your house the day you brought Andy home. I was all pumped up and when I saw his number calling, I just picked up and snapped ‘Fuck You’ and ended the call. A day later I got a note written in blood; the only thing it said was ‘Bad choice of words’. I had so much on my damn mind that day that I didn’t really think it through, but to be honest…that bad blood between us was inevitable. But I’ll handle it. I’m already handling it.”
“That ship has fucking sailed,” Ford’s voice rings out. “Because the shit that Esposito fucker just pulled? He’s not at war with just you anymore, Ricca. He just made himself a target of the Dudnik Circle. And together we’ll end that shit.”
A familiar feeling settles within me. The screwed-up scene at my door fades in the background when Ford voices his words. There’s little we can’t handle. Marco is a fucking bleep on the radar, we’ll squash that fly when we run into him. And we will. But this one? Esposito? The fucker doesn’t realize just who the fuck he pissed off just now. And knowing he’s after my woman makes my skin crawl.
But I damn well know with both The Dudnik Circle and Buca Di Volpe coming for you…the Earth is a fucking speck of dirt without a damn twig to hide behind.
Chapter 12
I am really starting to dislike your brother.
***Andy***
I grab my brother’s arm and pull him to the side. Afon is talking to Ford and Tarzan so it’s a good moment to ask if he’s doing what I think he’s doing. “You’re not going through with what Fausto suggested, are you?”
His gaze hardens and he pulls away from my grip. “This doesn’t concern you anymore, sis.”
This doesn’t…my eyes narrow while my blood boils. “That was your plan all along, right? Run Buca Di Volpe all on your own without me butting in. Shove out the pesky woman so you can run it with the hard hand like our father used to do.”
Ricca’s upper lip twitches. “Afon,” Ricca snaps loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. “Explain why we both signed the co
ntract.”
Afon’s hands fist at his sides and I know very well he’s got dual emotions. Though it was an asshole alpha move, Afon’s motivation was based on the connection we had the first time we met. I didn’t even know what it was back then, but I also was very aware he made my body spark with something I never felt before. But the all business, lay it out because she needs the finer details, is a dick move that only my asshole brother can pull off.
“No. That’s not necessary because I know all of Afon’s motivation. Except…his bottom line warms my heart but yours, brother…yours makes my blood run cold.” I step away and come to a stand next to Afon.
Who instinctively wraps his arm around my waist to pull me closer. The fact that he doesn’t utter one single word also tells me he has my back. And it’s then I also realize that there’s no other man that could be more perfect. He doesn’t fight my battles, nor does he let me fight them alone. He’s right there next to me.
Ricca’s phone beeps with an incoming message. He glances down and gives me a smirk. “Too late now, sis.”
“You fucking asshole. I hate you,” I seethe.
“What the fuck is going on?” Tarzan snaps.
I point my finger in the direction of my asshole brother. “That fucker just took Chiara, Esposito’s daughter, hostage.”
“You did what?” Tarzan’s voice makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“It’s nothing. Chiara won’t be touched. Fausto, Arminio, and Ernesto know how to follow orders.” He connects his gaze with mine. “They’re aware. Have a little trust, sis.”
“Have a little…you fucking asshole.” Afon’s fingers tighten, pulling me closer against him.
“Enough.” The single word bounces off the walls, making everyone snap their head toward Ford.
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