“Is that why Reign and you don’t get along?”
“No,” he huffs. “When I finally got him out, I was his hero. The day I was arrested, he hacked into the police system, fucked around with the evidence, and made sure they had to drop all charges against me. But by that time, child protected services already took them, and I had to fight for custody. It wasn’t until years later when he found out that I wasn’t innocent that he flipped.”
I consider his words, a question lingering on my tongue. I’m scared to ask, though, because I’m pretty sure I won’t like the answer.
“Why were you arrested?” I bring my hand up to cup his cheek, giving him a comforting gaze. Hopefully, I am silently telling him that he won’t scare me away, even though I’m already terrified to hear what he’s about to say.
“Second degree murder.” He examines my face closely as he says this, waiting for my reaction.
I take a deep breath, letting the words settle in my mind.
My first instinct is to run.
I should run as fast as I can.
I’ve spent enough time with Emerson to know anyone who can kill is someone you should run away from as quickly as possible. But the feelings I have for Franklin make it impossible for me to leave.
Even though he’s a criminal, the biggest, most powerful criminal in the entire city, I can’t help but think about how he treats me.
Like a damn queen.
I stayed with Emerson for six years, even though he treated me like shit. He lied to me; he cheated on me; he abused me; he belittled me.
Yet here is Franklin Wolfe, ruling the city of Boston with his Wolfe pack, admitting every awful thing he’s ever done. Never pretending he’s any better than he is, but also treating me like I’m the most precious thing in his world.
I don’t fear him.
I feel safe with him.
“Did you do it?” I ask, watching his mesmerizing green eyes closely.
“Yes,” he says without hesitation, his voice deep and confident.
“Did he deserve it?”
“Yes,” he repeats.
I let out a relieved breath, even though I know I would’ve stayed no matter what answer he gave me. I lean in, tugging his neck closer before I cover his mouth with mine.
I kiss him slowly at first, showing him I’m still here, that I’m not going anywhere. He stays rigid for a few seconds until he parts his lips, sating my craving for him as he moans against my lips.
His grip around my waist tightens as he tugs me closer, his hard cock pressed to my lower belly while I dart out my tongue and lick the seam of his lips.
When his tongue finally finds mine, it searches my mouth in hunger, growing more demanding with every breath.
“There is nothing that will keep me away, Franklin,” I whisper against his lips when I press my forehead against his.
A small smile tugs on his lips while I feel one of his hands reach under my shirt.
“Good. Because I told you, there is no stopping me.”
As if my words unleashed something inside of him, he crashes his mouth against mine while his hands move to the front of my jeans to unzip them. He lets out a hungry roar when he pushes his hand down my panties, finding my pussy soaking.
“Fuck, you’re drenched,” he mutters as he moves his lips to the skin beneath my ear. I’m so turned on, I almost collapse into his arms.
“I know,” I mewl, “fuck me, Franklin.” My hands reach up to fist his hair, twisting his face towards mine, forcing him to look me in the eye. “Fuck me, Franklin. Fuck me like I’m yours,” I plead against his lips.
“You are mine, Kendall Ryan.” He rushes to push his dark jeans down, then he does the same with mine while we work to ensure our lips stay connected the entire time. I throw my head back against the wall, anxiously waiting for him to enter me with my jeans pooled around one of my ankles. His lips find my neck again while he lifts up one of my legs, giving him easy access, before he roughly enters me, stretching me wide.
“Holy hell,” I screech before covering my mouth, suddenly aware of the fact that we are not home.
“Don’t worry about it, baby,” he chuckles as he starts to thrust inside me. “These walls are soundproof. Why do you think I took you here?”
“To teach me how to shoot?” I pant, the feel of his shaft rubbing against my walls over and over again, making it hard for me to speak.
“That was just an added benefit. But this,” he grunts, pushing me even harder against the wall, “is the real reason I brought you here.”
“I’m not complaining.”
“Good.” He pushes his thumb into my mouth, and instantly I suck on it, wetting it with my tongue before he brings it down to circle it around my clit.
Long, slow, soft, even strokes that brush my sensitive nub in the most scorching and delicious way over and over again.
“Fuck,” I moan while all the tension from the last twenty-four hours releases from me. I’m enjoying the pleasure between my legs, then relishing the sweet agony as his moves become more frantic. I bring my lips towards his, softly biting his lips as he lets out a grunt. “Harder,” I beg.
I lower my leg to the ground when his hands move down. He grips my ass as he languidly pulls back several inches, readjusting my body by pushing me against the wall before he starts slamming inside of me again. My head keeps banging against the hard surface, but I don’t even care. I’m completely consumed by this man and this moment.
I can feel the muscles in my ass cheeks tighten from the tension, creating a rigid, sore pain. That combined with the sensations he’s eliciting by flicking my clit has my looming orgasm more intense by the second.
“Yes! Keep going!” I let out a cry as Franklin continues fucking me at a steady pace, bringing us both closer to the point of release.
Finally, I feel a burst of ecstasy exploding inside me, making my eyes roll back in my head. Franklin drives into me even harder, letting out a feral roar as he slams his eyes closed. I watch him come undone, loving the ecstasy on his panting face, small drops of sweat beading his forehead. When his hips still, I drop a lingering kiss on his lips before I connect my forehead with his. We are both panting, sweaty, wet, and totally satisfied when he snickers.
“Was that a good shot?” he jokes, pulling an unexpected laugh from me.
“A perfect shot!” I feel fatigue settling in my body as I lean against his chest, glad that he can keep me up even while his dick is still inside of me. “Shall we do it again?”
“Next time, baby. Right now, I need to go and see Connor.”
Thirty
Franklin
I walk through the front door of the mansion at the same time Connor walks down the stairs.
“What’s doin’, man?” He grins. “You’ve got a smile on your face.”
“Shut up,” I roll my eyes, shutting the door behind me, with said smile still in place.
“I thought you were taking Kendall to the shooting range?” I follow him as he walks towards the kitchen, my leather shoes clicking on the marble floor as we move through the hallway.
“I did.”
“Then why are you acting like you just got some?”
The perceptive bastard takes a seat at the breakfast bar while I move to the fridge, pulling out two beers before placing them on the bar. He places the cap between his teeth, opening the bottle before handing it to me while I cock a brow at him.
“You need me to answer that question?”
“You dirty bastard, you fucked her at the shooting range?” A proud look appears on his face while I take a pull from my beer as he puts his between his teeth once again to open it.
“Shut up, Connor.”
“What?” he bellows, enjoying this way too much. “You’re not the adventurous type, but she pushes you out of your comfort zone, I like it.”
I shake my head, leaning my back against the counter while giving him a glare, even though I’m not really irritated. Kendall does push m
e out of my comfort zone. She makes me want to do better, be better, and fuck me, she makes me want to love and protect her, evoking emotions in me I’d always thought were reserved for my brothers. I didn’t take her to the range tonight because I wanted to fuck her, even though the thought had crossed my mind, but because I wanted her to feel as strong as she is. To make her realize she’s fully capable of defending herself, even though I will be around to protect her. I want her to stick around for fuck knows how long, and I’m realistic enough to realize that shit can happen. Like it did with Nigel.
For fuck’s sake, I sound like a fucking pussy.
“How are you holding up?” I give Connor a sympathetic look as he purses his lips before he takes a pull from his beer. His massive, tattooed arms look even bigger as he raises the bottle, highlighting every muscle in his upper arm.
He’s huge.
He’s the type who will barely budge when you try to shove him to the side, always trying to maintain the same stoic expression I do, but if he cares for you? He turns into this big teddy bear with the same empathy for all living things like Reign.
“Shit happens,” he states, brushing away the grief he’s obviously feeling.
“You’re allowed to be sad, you know. Just because you’re a fucking asshole doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have feelings. I know you loved that kid.”
“I did,” he confesses. “And I will avenge him, but there’s nothing I can do to bring him back. So we move on.” He shrugs his shoulders, even though I can see the pain in his eyes.
“You called me out here because you found something?”
He nods his head, taking another sip of his beer.
“Yeah, Reign found out where that kid lives.”
“What kid?”
“The one who shot Nigel. His name is Damien Johnson.”
“Okay,” I drawl, not liking where this is going. “What did you do?”
“Busted through his door.”
“Then what happened?” I ask carefully, pretty sure I’m not going to like what he’s about to say next. He leans forward, resting his elbows on the counter.
“He wasn’t there.”
I let out a sigh of relief, glad I don’t have to go pay off any police officers to cover up my brother’s murder.
“So I took his sister,” he deadpans.
“Are you shitting me?” I dart forward, scowling as I press my hands on the breakfast bar, ready to pull the rest of the story out of him. “No suh!”
Damn, I hope he’s fucking joking.
“Yes suh,” he replies matter of fact, taking another pull from his beer.
I rub my hand down my face, trying to keep calm.
“You took her? You kidnapped a girl?”
“Yeah, I actually know her,” he explains, finally looking somewhat guilty as he drinks his beer.
“You know…? What the…?” I can’t believe this motherfucker.
“Yeah, I slept with her a while back,” he says this as if he’d lost his favorite toy a while back instead of taking a human being against her will.
I rub my hands over my face, staring at my brother, seriously wondering if he has lost his mind.
“You took the girl you once slept with.”
“Like years ago, and technically,” he starts, the corner of his mouth rising in a sneaky grin, “she offered herself up.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? She offered to be taken?”
“Well, no. But she was begging me not to hurt her little shit of a brother. Offered herself instead. I took her up on the offer.”
“Connor!” I shout “That’s a fucking felony. We don’t go around kidnapping women!”
“Well, she didn’t want to tell me where her brother was, so I figured we could trade her for her brother. If he loves his sister, he’ll take the trade without a second thought. It’s a win-win.” He says all this with ease, as if he’s announcing that he’s going to the packie for some bears.
“A win-win?” I echo, seriously concerned about my brother’s sanity.
“Okay, maybe not a win-win, but you know what, I don’t care. That little shithead killed Nigel. An eye for an eye, Franky. I want him to pay. If I have to do that by taking his sister, so be it.” His voice tells me he’s growing more aggravated, so I soften my face and loosen my stance. “You would’ve done the same thing if that had been any of us.”
“You are my little brother.”
“And he was a little brother to me,” he yells, slamming his fist on the surface, pain swimming in his eyes. He’s right. During the last few years, Nigel became one of us. A Wolfe without the name, but he definitely was part of us. Even more for Connor, who spent most of his days with him.
“Okay,” I concede as I rub the back of my neck. “I get it. But now we’ll need to find a way to shut her up once she’s free to go.”
“I think killing her little brother will shut her up.”
“Yeah, that’ll probably do the trick,” I agree sarcastically. “Where is she now?”
A guilty look appears on his face before he turns away, avoiding my eyes.
“Connor?”
“Your bedroom.”
“Goddamm … you’re a fucking bigger shit than Reign is right now!” I yell, ready to kill my brother.
“Well, you’ve been at the apartment with Kendall. Figured, you weren’t coming home soon.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Yeah, well, that makes two of us.” He brings his beer bottle up to toast me, a huge grin splitting his face. “Don’t worry about it, she’s cool.”
“She’s cool?” I repeat, confused by his choice of words.
“Yeah. Her name is Lilly.”
Now I’m not a chatty person in general, but until this moment, I don’t think I’ve ever been speechless in my life. I swear, if I don’t die from a bullet through the head, it will be from one of my brothers giving me a heart attack.
“For now, I’m gonna pretend that I don’t know about this girl. We already have enough shit on our plates as it is. Don’t tell Reign and Kill about her either. We’re keeping this between you and me. I don’t need any more people knowing you’re keeping some girl you fucked hostage upstairs. Don’t want to give Killian any more reason to not trust my judgment.”
“Cool.” He shrugs. “He’s still giving you a hard time about Kendall?”
“Yeah, says she’s running around with Emerson.”
“And is she?” He raises his eyebrows.
“She is,” I confess, “but nothing I don’t know about.”
“You’re serious about this girl, aren’t you?” Connor takes a pull from his beer with a questioning look on his face. “I mean, you can’t deny it because you even quit smoking for her. Something you said you’d never do.” He gives me a smug grin, which I return with a glare, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
“Just admit it, Franky. You’re stuck on her.”
I exhale deeply, realizing there’s no use in denying it. My brothers all have different opinions about Kendall, but they’ve all noticed that she’s not just some girl I’m fucking.
“Are you cool with that?” I ask, knowing he doesn’t let anyone into our circle easily.
He stares at me for a while, narrowing his eyes until he brings up the bottle for another drink.
“Yeah, I’m cool with that. She seems like a good girl. But you better be right about Kendall, Franklin.” He points his bottle at me with a slight scowl.
“Yeah, I know,” I reply, hoping my heart isn’t going to cause this to all go to shit.
Thirty-One
Kendall
I hadn’t gone back to my apartment once, not feeling like seeing Josie. She texted me a few times, probably because she heard about the party, but I wasn’t ready to talk about it.
Besides, I’m still kinda shaken up about seeing Nigel get shot in front of my eyes. I’ve been assisting Reign with the funeral arrangements, hoping it would make me feel a bit better,
helping someone for a change. Franklin went with his brothers to Nigel’s house to pay their condolences to Nigel’s mom. Franklin told her he would not only pay for the funeral, but would also provide for her until her last child turned eighteen.
‘I can’t bring her son back,’ he’d said, ‘but I can at least give her one less thing to worry about for the next few years.’
It fucking melted my heart, further proof that my domineering badass has a soul. I think back to how Josie told me to put on the show of my life, and how at the time, I’d agreed with her. But after the last week, after all that we’ve been through and seeing the true Franklin that no one else sees, it feels impossible to put on any act when I’m around him.
My heart can’t put on a show anymore, and my mind is done trying.
However, my conscience is still there, yelling at me every minute of the day, telling me what a cunning bitch I really am. I do my best to ignore it, relishing in my addiction to the way Franklin makes me feel, but I know there is only one possible outcome in this fucked up situation.
No matter what happens, I’m the one at risk, and if this doesn’t go as planned, I’m the one who’s going to be fucked.
Literally.
It feels like I’m waiting for a tropical hurricane, knowing there is a chance my house will get washed away, but praying it will stay up.
It’s Friday afternoon, and I mentally prepare myself as I put the key into the lock, twisting it to open the door.
“Hey,” I bellow through the hall once I’ve opened the door. I throw my keys on the side table in the hallway, heading straight for my bedroom to grab a weekend bag out of the closet.
“Hey,” Josie greets me, her look stern and filled with worry when she appears in the door frame.
“Hey.” I pop my head out of the closet, then turn back to the weekender in my hand.
“I heard about the party.”
“Right.”
“You need to stop, Kenny. It’s too dangerous.”
I hear her, I really do. But let’s be honest: I don’t have a choice.
Franklin: A Boston Mafia Romance (The Boston Wolfes) Page 20
