by Aria Ford
Very rarely had I kissed a woman, and yet this one had initiated it.
Aya’s feathery sigh was the last kick in the ass I needed, and I curled my fingers into her hair to pull her back. My skin twitched, shoulders tense and chest tight as a growling noise ripped through my throat. Her chin bumped against my mouth, and I ground my teeth together as her scent slithered up my nostrils.
“Why did you do that, Aya?” Her body quaked in my lap, arms sliding from my shoulders and her sniffle ringing in my ears. My abdomen tightened, and behind the safety of my shorts my cock throbbed gently. The sensation rippled through me, and my eyelid twitched in frustration.
“I don’t want to go back… Luciano- I don’t want to go back. I- I… I have money. I have money- we can go. We can go away. We can go. We can go away just us, and Sylvi- Sylvi won’t bother us.” Carefully releasing her, the first thing I saw was the desperation in Aya’s eyes. It shone almost too brightly, and all thoughts about her kiss went out the window. “We can go. Please? Sylvi lied. I- I never- I never b-”
Clamping my palm over her mouth, I squeezed slightly to stop the hysterics that threatened to burst from her eyes.
“We aren’t leaving, Aya. We’re going back.” My low command brought me only a wide eyed, fearful stare, and I loosened my grip to touch her paling cheeks. “I know what Sylvi said to you, but he’s wrong. You didn’t betray me, Aya. You would never betray me- I know that. We’re going back, and after we find out what’s in Trevor’s safe I’m going to beat the living fuck out of Sylvi. He’ll never try this shit again, I promise.”
Oh-h yeah. I’m going to beat that fucker to within an inch of his life. He’s lucky I don’t want to deal with Georgio or his replacement. Not with Aya in the middle.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
AYA
Staring at Luciano’s thundering expression, a smile picked up the corners of my lips. His eyes widened, the only change in his expression, and my brows came together even as his fingers splayed across my cheek.
“You’re so beautiful, mia Aya.” My heart squeezed painfully in its cage, and Luciano’s gentle palm conformed to my aching cheeks. “So beautiful… You’re so beautiful.”
I’m dead. I died in the gym. Heat bled into my cheeks, and the realization that Luciano cared for me was hammered against my soul. His eyes were no longer soulless pits as they gazed into my own; they were sparkling with every shade of black, an abyssal depth that went down and down forever. The darkness wrapped me in comfort and safety, blocking out everything else. That void held everything he was, camouflaging and tainting every emotion, distorting each thought and wisp of a feeling.
But that didn’t mean he cared less.
“Luciano…” Groaning softly, I pressed my forehead against his to sniffle and close my eyes. Luciano’s image flashed behind my lids, and I took a heaving breath of his smell. My arms tightened around his neck, and against my chest his muscles hardened. Carefully pressing my lips to his, I tensed at the butterflies that flapped wildly in my belly. His lips were soft, almost hesitant, and I opened my mouth as he gripped the back of my neck.
Holding me to him, Luciano licked my upper lip with a groan of his own. The sound rose goosebumps on my skin, and I ground my hips against his. His tongue slathered his taste against my inner cheeks to pull a gasp from my throat. Grasping at his shoulder blades, my fingertips burned and their nails dug into his hot, hard flesh.
My moan was loud and high pitched as Luciano squeezed my butt. Rocking my hips, a shiver rattled my spine as my core pulsed lowly.
“Hell!” Snarling against my chin, Luciano pushed down my globes, and I gasped. My aching slit brushed his basketball shorts, and I arched into his mouth as he traveled south. Fire trailed behind his tentative touch even while the rest of him grew harder. Tiny kisses lined my throat, and my breath was stabbed by the invisible needles he punctured me with.
“Lucian-n-no…” Fire licked my core, spreading through my body as I ground against him. Luciano groaned, the bulge in his pants pressing more firmly against my slit. Rocking in sync, his lips brushed my collar bone to pull a strangled whimper from me. Ducking my head, need leaked from my pores, and my palms wrapped around his strong jaw.
My lips tingled against Luciano’s, our kiss becoming deeper and rougher. Heat scorched my skin where his palms groped and kneaded, and goosebumps washed down my legs. Tightening around his waist, my thighs quivered from his creeping touch.
Grinding against him, an intense throb spread through my body as he gently pulled away. Following his lips, desperation replaced the arousal simmering in my veins, and he let out rumbling growl.
“Stop.” Jerking back, a shiver slid violently down my spine at Luciano’s command. His eyes glowed in the dark, and I stroked his face with trembling fingers while harsh pants filled the small space between our mouths. “We need to go, mia Aya.”
“B- but I… what if Sylvi tries to hurt you?” My lower lip wobbled at my murmur, and tears blurred my vision. Sniffling harshly, I pressed my mouth to his in frantic, hot kisses. “Please… please… I- I- I…”
“Sh-h…” Luciano’s soft coo squeezed my heart, and my eyes widened as it caressed my ears. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect such a noise to come out of his mouth. As if realizing what he’d done he pursed his lips together, his own pupils narrowing into fine points. “We’re going. Now.”
Holding me firmly to him, Luciano stood up easily to swipe his keys from a small table near the door. His strides were stiff, and I glanced around the room before sucking on my bottom lip. In the dark I could only see the corners of furniture, the slight glint off metal or glass. This was our safe place, and my heart squeezed at the fact that we were leaving it. Sylvi’s home was a battle ground I didn’t want to return to.
“Tell me how much money you have, Aya.” The room disappeared behind a door, and I blinked back the sting in my eyes. Luciano locked our place up tight with a soft, final click, and I rested my head on his shoulder. His question forced me away from our few minutes today, and I tightened my grip around his neck.
Sauntering down the hallway, Luciano’s gait caused every muscle he owned to ripple against me. The sensation was almost therapeutic, and I turned my attention to what he wanted to know. Why hadn’t I thought of it before deciding to run off and find him?
“My parents left me a note… I never showed the police. They said they left me $10 million, and there was some bank stuff and cards. They said- they said they were sorry for being bad parents.” Murmuring into the cool, pre-dawn air, I closed my eyes only to be encompassed by darkness. I couldn’t remember what my parents looked like; I couldn’t remember their names. A pang of sadness burrowed in my chest, but by the time we reached the car it had disappeared.
Just like my parents, my childhood, my everything. Until Luciano.
“Where did you put it?” My skin prickled at the question, and I took a sharp breath as Luciano wrenched open the door to his car. Memories bombarded me of the only other time he’d asked me something, and a whimper flew from my lips. The contrast was startling, jolting my heart and locking my muscles even as he palmed my thighs heavily. Prying my legs apart, he set me in the passenger seat to loom over me with a sharp gaze.
“I- I… T- there’s… in the backyard… against the gate.” For a long, pregnant moment Luciano stared, searching, and I sucked my lips between my teeth. Grunting, he leaned back to slam the door shut before I let out a hot breath. Clasping my clammy palms together, I sunk into the seat as he rounded the car to slip into the driver’s seat.
Silently Luciano pulled out of his spot, and I turned my gaze out to the scenery. My lips tingled with the residue of his essence, and my tongue sneaked out to swipe over them. Watching the city go by, my eyes ached to stray to the man that sat only a foot from me. His form radiated a tenseness that seeped into my skin and spread a harsh warmth through me. The car became cramped, and I tapped the button to roll down the window. Air streamed along the crow
n of my head, and my shoulders jerked in a shiver.
“... Aya…” Rough fingertips caressed my cheek, and I turned to Luciano with wide eyes. His expression was dark, hard like stone, but his touch was gentle when he thumbed my lips. “Don’t let me go.”
My jaw slackened at his demand, and his gaze glittered like a starless night as it locked onto mine. Thudding in my chest, my heart swelled to bursting, and tears clogged my throat. Sucking in air, my mouth curved into a watery smile before I managed to nod.
Green pooled in through the windshield, and Luciano grunted lowly before turning back to the road. His dry palm fell from my face slowly, almost reluctantly, to curl around the wheel as he stepped on the gas pedal. Glancing out of the car, the butterflies fluttering in my belly only intensified when I realized that was the last light before reaching Sylvi’s house. In mere moments we would arrive, and anxiety prickled up my arms.
Luciano would be the hero that thwarted the villain.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
LUCIANO
Shoving the gear in park, I took a deep, hard breath to try to cool the raging magma that sloshed in my veins. My hands flexed around the wheel, itching to squeeze as much life out of Sylvi as I could. The car was quiet, and I ground my teeth together with a groan. Even in the silence I couldn’t hear myself think; there was nothing but the overwhelming desire to jam my fist down Sylvi’s throat.
Directly in front of me was Marco’s van, and for a moment I debated what to do. Whatever was in that safe could wait until after the anger in me had been quenched. Glancing at Aya, I took in her pensive expression and tight shoulders through narrowed eyes. Depending on what was in the safe, I could kill Sylvi. It would be a bad decision, but I wouldn’t feel guilty.
The person sent to replace Sylvi could be a problem, though, and it was that thought that had me kicking open my door roughly.
“Let’s go.” Reaching for her arm, I pulled Aya across the center console as I jumped from the vehicle. She was hot and soft, and I squeezed her tender flesh absently. Scanning the drive, my pupils became fine points at the steadily graying atmosphere. The silence was ominous even as the first, distant rays of the sun pierced the darkness, and electricity zinged through my already tense muscles.
The front porch step creaked under my weight, and I held Aya close to my side. Anxiety thrummed between us like a physical current, but for the moment I ignored it to grab the door handle. Her proximity did nothing to soothe the writhing, black mass that festered inside me, but she brought me a comfort.
As long as she was close to me, Sylvi wouldn’t shoot her. As long as I didn’t make the mistake of thinking distance would help, she would be safe.
Safety- it was a strange notion. Wanting this woman safe, to keep her safe, was a desire I’d never felt before. Drawing my brows together, I pursed my lips as her hot, shallow breath flowed down my arm. Vengeance danced with desire in my chest, slithering down to my hand to twist.
In the pre-dawn hours the house was quiet, but I knew it was an illusion. Swirling shadows and whispers betrayed the stillness, and a gruff noise lodged in my throat. My hand swung to wrap comfortably around my gun pommel, finger itching for the trigger even as a wave of irony slammed into me.
Sylvi’s home had never felt so uninviting before, and a grimace painted my face as I dragged my feet across the threshold. Aya clung close to my side, her heart sputtering and starting against me. My gaze narrowed on the gloom, searching for the faintest hint of light, the tiniest shimmer of movement. Carefully maneuvering through the living room, I held my breath behind barred lungs before a shuffling sounded from the second floor.
“Luciano- holy shit. You’re not going to believe this.” Half hanging over the banister, Tyler motioned towards himself with stiff movements. His expression terse, eyes narrowed; even in the dark he looked annoyed and somewhat shocked. Grinding my teeth together, I hauled Aya up behind me as I took the stairs two at a time. She stumbled against my back, her little breaths culminating in a gasp. The sound echoed in my ears, and I glanced back at her pensive, tight face to grimace.
“So, before we get to the safe, I figured out why Aya’s parents were doing drugs in the first place.” Tensing up at the topic, I clenched my jaw as the three of us crowded into Tyler’s little room. Dropping into his chair, he crossed his long legs and slouched while Aya sidled up next to me. I couldn’t bare to look at her face, knowing exactly what I’d see. With each passing moment my heart rate doubled and my chest tightened until I was no longer breathing.
“They were trying to get pregnant. Ever since she was 7. First they tried to do it the old fashioned way. Then, three years later, they started IVF. Ten treatments over two years- ten takes- ten miscarriages before the fourth month. They were doing drugs because their losses and failures were too much.” Finally look down, I took in the stoic, detached expression Aya wore through narrowed eyes. Anxiety buzzed in my veins, but she seemed more nervous being in an unfamiliar room than anything else. “It was the mother’s fault- she just couldn’t carry. I dug into it a little. Found out it’s genetic, which means Aya will have a hell of a time. Probably for the best.”
Facing the harsh lights, Aya looked as pale as a corpse while I was struggling to keep myself from melting. The force of the heat bubbling inside me squeezed my heart, and I tightened my grip on her arm.
No children. Probably for the best. Vivid green eyes met mine, and I sucked in a sharp breath before forcing myself to look away. Aya was empty, as if what she’d just heard was incredibly sad but had nothing to do with her. Clearing my throat, I turned my gaze to Tyler while he observed silently, his pupils mere points.
“Fine. Tell me about the safe.” Gruff, my demand sounded tight even to my ears, and I pursed my lips tightly together. What the fuck is wrong with me? The question blared in my mind’s eye; Aya wasn’t affected by any of this, so why was I?
“Uh, well, there was more money. Another $10 million was found in the safe in bank notes. When Marco brought back the urn, I checked the date of death- which is fake, but the name and date of birth are real. Carl Montoya. I managed to track down an alias of his out in Vegas. Seems like he faked his death.” Tapping a few keys, Tyler brought up a photo on one of the monitors. The man was unremarkable in looks, with bland brown eyes and dead hair that curled around his ears. His longish face was gaunt, but he couldn’t be older than 25.
“I don’t know how he’s connected with Trevor yet, but you should probably take Aya to the law firm and talk to the partner- see if the name rings a bell. I’ll do some more digging. Luciano…” Snapping to Tyler, my eyes narrowed at the grim expression on his face. “Marco wanted to see you.”
An itch shot down my arms to settle in my knuckles, and I curled them into fists. Turning on my heel, I grabbed Aya’s bicep to pull her out of the room. Slamming the door behind us, I let out a hot breath and tried to get my pounding heart under control. Soft hands trailed up my chest, and my cheek twitched at the sensation. Pressing her lips against my jaw, she pressed against me as the feel of her sucked the tension from my body.
“What now, Luciano?” Her question flowed down my neck, and I released her arm to wrap my around her back. My mind churned, torn between dropping this whole thing and seeing it through. Aya had been through enough- Trevor was dead, the Russians were out of the picture, and she had no more enemies left. She had $30 million and nothing to tie her down.
Nothing but me, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to let her go.
“You need to eat and rest your feet.” Palming Aya’s hips, I hauled her off the floor to wrap her legs around my waist. Tiny spots of blood seeped through the bandages, and an irritated grunt past my lips. “Marco can wait.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
AYA
Staring at Luciano’s passive expression, I nibbled diligently on my bottom lip as deep, even breaths flowed from his nose. For once his brow was smooth, and the thin lines that marred around his mouth were absent. Smiling
at how peaceful he seemed, I set my head back down on his shoulder to take a deep lungful of his smell.
“I told you to rest, mia Aya…” Luciano’s rumbling words were more felt than heard, and he shuffled onto his side to throw his arm around my waist. His expression never changed, and my smile widened at the notion that I was the cause of his peace. “Ragazza ostinata.”
“Will you teach me?” In the dark silence of my room my whisper was loud, and Luciano opened his eyes. His orbs twinkled with black light, and I wiggled closer as he let out a half groan, half sigh.
“Vai a dormire. Go to sleep.” Irritation leaked into his husky tone, and Luciano pushed his knee between my legs. The coarse hairs that covered his arm tickled my side, and I carefully mouthed the words he spoke before he reached to thumb my lips. “Why are you still here?”
My eyes widened at Luciano’s grumble, and I stiffened while his expression screwed. Jumping into my throat, my heart throbbed wildly as butterflies fluttered in my belly. No thoughts came to my mind no matter how furiously it worked, and I sucked my lips between my teeth, a crease forming between my brows.
