by Deja Voss
“It is all about her,” he says, his voice wavering. I can tell by the way he’s talking he’s scared shitless. Selfish fucker is probably more worried about his pristine reputation than the fact that he’s wrecked my girl’s life in more way than one. “Only solution I can see is to end this bitch.”
A gunshot rings through the air, and blood splashes all over the front of me. Fitz doesn’t have a head anymore, and I drop his lifeless body to the ground as Catarina charges towards us, the smoking gun in her hand.
“Nobody here is ending this bitch but me,” she says, holding her gun to my face.
I grab her by the neck and squeeze until she starts to turn blue, the gun falling to the ground beside her.
“Nobody move!” a voice shouts from an intercom. “FBI! Everyone drop your weapons.”
I peacefully set my gun down, one armed draped around Mani, the other one in the air. The rest of my men join in.
“What’s going on?” Mani asks, as the swat team swarms from the mansion, tackling men to the ground and handcuffing them while all us Bastards just stand there with smiles on our faces, doing our best to stay out of the way.
I hug her to my chest, and she wraps her arms around me.
“For the first time in our lives, Mani, we did things the right way. When we started doing research on these assholes, we forwarded everything to the FBI. When we had Doctor Hardin look at Ella, he noted all his findings and reported them to CPS. We knew we could take these guys down on our own, but it’d only be a bloody mess and we’d all end up locked up for life. I can’t keep you safe from jail, and these two would probably find somewhere else to keep doing what they’re doing.”
She presses her lips to mine, and I pick her up in my arms, hugging her tight. “I’m never letting you go again, babe,” I say. “You ain’t gonna leave my sight.”
“I love you,” she says. “I’m so proud of you.”
In my own sick way I’m proud of her, too. I’d never ask her to sacrifice for me. What she did took some serious balls. Perfect proof she’s my ride or die.
“I got her pretty good, Lean. Before they knocked me out, I almost had her,” she says.
“Don’t say that shit too loud, we got the law here.” Sirens are wailing and the flashing lights of ambulances are lighting up the driveway.
We both take a step back and appreciate the sight of Catarina and Stefano being toted off in handcuffs. Mani spits at their feet, a cute little smirk on her face.
“Let’s go get Ella,” I say.
“Already got her, chief.” Brass is carrying her in his arms. I never pictured him as the fatherly type before, but for some reason, that little girl has his heart, and for whatever reason, she thinks he’s the greatest guy in the world.
He sets her down and she runs to Mani, hugging her tight.
While it wasn’t the justice any of us craved, it was the justice this city deserves, and seeing my girl happy, knowing I’ll never have to worry about her again, it’s worth all the red tape and paperwork in the world.
“Can we go home now?” Mani asks, and it’s the sweetest thing I ever heard. Home. With me. Forever.
Chapter Thirty-One
Mani:
three months later
I stretch out across the mattress, searching for Lean, but he’s nowhere to be found. I grab the comforter and wrap it around me tight, rolling over with a grumble.
“Wake up, my love.” He walks in the bedroom door, a bakery box in one hand and a sexy smirk on his face. “Did you really think I was going to leave you alone on your first birthday here with me?”
He’s been busting his ass lately trying to get the strip clubs fixed up so the club can sell them off to get some money flowing for the casino they’re trying to open. I’ve been helping as much as I can, but apparently I am not great at construction work in any capacity. I can’t complain. His drive is sexy as hell, and even though he never said it out loud, I know a lot of the getting out of the strip club business has to do with me. It has nothing to do with the naked chicks, either, but more of the whole wanting more for the club than he ever wanted before.
I sit up, keeping my body covered with a blanket, and he kneels over me, sliding the blanket down just enough to expose my breasts. He plants on soft kiss on each of my nipples, and I lick my lips in excitement.
I can’t think of a better way to spend the day than in bed with the man I love.
“Before I give you the time of your life, I want to give you your present,” he says.
I kiss him on the lips. “You don’t have to give me anything, babe. You already give me everything I could ever ask for.”
I have a safe place to live, my sister is thriving, and my life is filled with more love than I’ve ever felt. I can walk through the city without a worry, and it’s not just because I always have a couple prospects with me.
“It’s nothin’ really,” he says, pulling a little box out of his pocket. “Just made me think of you.”
“Oh, this is incredible!” My heart melts as I pop open the jewelry box and admire the charm bracelet. There’s three charms hanging from it, a motorcycle, a pair of ballet slippers, and a ruby red heart.
“This is a symbol of a fresh start, Mani,” he says, planting a kiss on my shoulder. I hold out my wrist and he clasps it for me. “You, me, and whatever else you want from here on out. Nothin’ else matters.”
“You know what I want right now?” I ask, drawing a circle on his chest with my fingers.
“A cupcake?” He pops open the bakery box, and I shake my head. “We can have those for dessert.”
His lays me on my back, ripping the blanket from on top of me. “Just how I like you, naked and ready. I feel like I’m the one unwrapping a present here.”
“It’s all for you,” I say, pulling his shirt up over his head. I could lick those abs all day. I could ride that dick all night. He unzips his pants and his cock is already straining his black boxer briefs. He pulls them down to his ankles, fisting it in his palm until it’s oozing with precum. He dips a finger in my wetness and brings it to his lips, and I blush.
“Better than any fucking cupcake,” he says with a wink, lining his cock up with my dripping pussy.
He thrusts inside me and I dig my fingers into his back, writhing my hips to meet with his as he bucks in and out, our eyes locked, bodies connected, savoring the closeness of him. I thank God for whatever reason he brought me this perfect person I can actually open up to. A person who could destroy me if he wanted, but never will.
That’s the best birthday present I could imagine. Unconditional love and trust, no matter how unconventional.
He strums my clit in just the right way. He knows exactly how to make me explode. My eyes roll back in my head and my legs tremble. He presses his lips to mine, catching my moans in his mouth as I feel his dick expand and twitch inside me, filling me with his hot seed.
He flops over on his back next to me, and I curl up in his arms, our bodies drenched in sweat, my breath choppy.
“I could do that all day,” I say, gently kissing his hand. “Scratch that, I could do that all year.”
“I’ll make damn sure of it,” he says, a possessive hand trailing down my ass.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lean:
“Declan, my man, I’m glad you finally picked up your phone,” I say. He’s my brother from the Flagstaff chapter, and about the only guy I trust to handle a bunch of displaced strippers. “I got a bunch of dancers looking for work. They’re good girls. Clean. Been working for the club for years.”
“I’m intrigued. You guys getting out of the business or what?”
“Mostly. We’re keeping Bella Donna’s but it’s time to move on. Gotta get that casino up and running.” I grab Mani’s knee. She’s strong enough that she’d never ask me to back down from my aspirations, but the strip club business ain’t exactly it. We’re keeping Bella Donna’s on account of Gin wanting to manage it, but as of now, my time’s be
tter spent working on this new project and keeping my woman happy. “I’m sure the girls will appreciate a change of scenery. I know you’ll treat em right.”
“I’ve been meaning to come up and see ya’ll anyway,” he says. “Been a long time, brother.”
“Sure has. Hey, I gotta go. There’s a guy in a suit on my porch, and at this point in time, it could go either way.”
Between depositions, business deals, and the FBI, we’ve been rubbing elbows with way too many guys in suits lately. I shut my phone off, and step out on the porch to talk to him.
I’ve never seen this man before in my life, but his suit and briefcase scream lawyer.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m actually looking for Mani Gallo. I have this as her permanent residence?” he half asks, waving his hands around at the clubhouse.
“If you’re here about custody shit, you gotta talk to our lawyer.” I swear to fuck if these assholes want to start shit with her on her birthday, I’m gonna flip. It’s always the same with these guys, they know exactly when to attack to inflict the most psychological damage.
“Actually, I’m here on behalf of the Gallo estate. Is she here?”
I eye him skeptically, but before I can ask anymore questions, Mani walks out the front door and joins me on the porch.
“I know you.” She cocks her head and studies the man. “I’m sorry. Have we met before?”
“Mani,” he gasps. “Oh, sweetheart, it’s been so long. It’s me, Rich Amberti. I was Guilian’s lawyer. I haven’t seen you since you were just a little girl.”
“What are you doing here?” she asks. “Am I in trouble?”
“Well, I know they say money can’t buy you happiness, but what I’m about to give you can buy you out of pretty much any trouble you might ever get in for the rest of your life. Is there somewhere private we can talk?”
“You guys can have the office.” I open the front door and walk them through the clubhouse.
Mani laces her fingers with mine. “I want you here for whatever this is,” she whispers. I can see why she’d be skeptical of anyone related to her past.
He sits down at the metal desk and pops open his briefcase. “You honestly have no idea why I’m here?”
She shakes her head and shrugs.
“It is your twenty fifth birthday, right?”
“Yes. Is that bad?”
“Mani, did you ever read your mother or step father’s will?”
“I never had the opportunity. Everything was a blur then, I guess I just assumed Catarina and Stefano got everything because they were blood.”
He slides some papers across the desk. “Holy fuck,” I whisper, my jaw dropping.
“Uh… this is some kind of sick joke, right?” she stammers. “This cannot be real.” She slaps her hands over her face and starts taking deep breaths. “Is that really thirty million?”
“Well, it’s quite a bit more than that now. It’s been sitting in a high interest savings account until your twenty fifth birthday. Your step father cared about you very much, Mani. He knew you weren’t going to continue down the path he laid for Catarina and Stefano, but he wanted you to get out in the world and make a life for yourself. He knew if he gave you that money before you were an adult, you would end up getting taken advantage of.”
I squeeze my fingers into her shoulder, and she starts to weep.
“That’s why they tried to kill me. That’s why they didn’t kill me.”
“If anything happened to you before your twenty fifth birthday, all that money would’ve gone to Ella under the same conditions.” He slides a pen across the table, and she can barely pick it up, her fingers are trembling so hard. “I know this is very emotional for you, Mani. If you sign these documents, I’ll get out of your hair and let you go about your day.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” she whispers, shakily signing her signature across the papers. When she’s done, she takes a deep breath and leans back, looking up at me. I smile down at her and kiss her on the lips.
She hugs him as he leaves, letting go of the last piece of the puzzle, the last leg of the race complete.
“Well, damn.” I pull her close to me and she cries into my chest. “Now my present to you looks like a pile of shit.” She laughs and I squeeze her tighter.
“I feel like such an idiot. I’ve been fed so many lies, I don’t even know which way is up. All these years of torture, it was because they were jealous of me. I wished so many times they would just put me out of my misery, I thought so many times I was on the verge of death, but that was never part of the plan. It’s fucking sick.”
“It’s fucking done,” I say. I know no amount of money is ever going to stop the night terrors, the random triggers, or erase her memories of the past. “It’s time for you to let go and start a new life. You have everything you need, Mani. You could take Ella and start all over again anywhere you want.”
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere,” she says, pulling me tighter. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy, Lean. I always wanted to be part owner of a casino.”
“Really?”
“No, actually, the thought never crossed my mind.” She looks up at me, grinning from ear to ear. “The only thing I ever wanted in life was to be able to look in the mirror and know I was doing the right thing. Now I don’t even need a mirror. I can just look at Ella finally thriving, or look at you, and know you love me.”
“And I always will. And I’m not just saying that because you’re the richest woman I ever met.”
“Oh, I’ll be your sugar mama for life, Lean, but you’re gonna have to make sure every day I’m on this earth starts off like it’s my birthday.” She licks her lips and arches her back, leaning up against the desk with her ass out.
I crack my knuckles, my cock going from zero to hard as hell in a matter of seconds.
“I think I can do that.”
I know I can do that, and more, because every day of my life is going to feel like my birthday too, as long as Mani’s by my side.
The End
Epilogue
Mani:
My desk is cluttered with more paperwork than I even know what to do with. Lean says I need to hire a secretary, but something about that feels like a cop out. I want to make sure every woman who comes to me for help gets it, no matter how overwhelming it is. There’s nobody in the world I would trust to take the time and care I put into my shelter.
It’s funny, I could be anywhere in the world right now. I could be on a beach sipping margaritas, or in Italy wandering the streets, eating all the amazing food and drinking wine. Sitting in an undisclosed warehouse in the suburbs of Pittsburgh definitely isn’t on the top of most young millionaires’ wishlist, but I wouldn’t want my life any other way. To me, this is heaven. Purpose, power, calling… those are more fulfilling than all the cash in the world.
I seal up my letter to Trixie, in care of the Royal Bastards of Tonopah Nevada. I know she’s been through a lot and still has a long way to go, but I like talking to her, even if it’s just through the rare letter. I think every time I remind her that she shouldn’t feel guilty for moving on, for finding joy, or for having a good day where you don’t think about the shit you’ve seen or did a million times over - I’m secretly reminding myself. Some days are easier than others, and having a strong man beside me helps remind me no matter how much I feel like I’m falling, I’ll always have a soft place to land.
Obviously it doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous, sexy, compassionate and driven.
He’s been busting his ass working with the contractors so they can finally start construction on the casino. Watching him and his father work together on this project and find common ground has been an adventure in itself. I can tell Bruiser is starting to come around to the fact that he did a good job raising Lean up, and eventually, he’ll be able to take the club over and keep the legacy going.
I’m proud of both of them.
Pride isn’t an e
motion I’ve ever really indulged in, and it seems like more and more every day, it flows through me like a tidal wave. I’m proud of myself for being able to take my very generous inheritance and make the city a better place. I’m proud of Ella for being able to put all the pain she’s been through behind her and be a normal teenager. I’m proud of the Bastards for taking a chance on me and using their strength and power to help countless women and children from suffering at the hands of the Gallo family, even if it means putting on something other than a pair of jeans and a leather cut and showing up for court dates.
I know everyone was on edge for awhile, thinking the guys would be perceived as snitches for working with the law, but I’m beginning to realize nothing is black and white. Sometimes you have to break the rules to make the world a better place, and sometimes you have to cut ties with people if you want to free yourself from a cycle of bullshit. The best people always see through your bullshit anyway.
Maybe that’s why I opened up to Lean so fast. Maybe that’s why I came so far so quick. He knew before I did that everything I’d been fed my whole life was bullshit. He never saw me as I saw myself. He saw me for my soul.
Which is why I am avoiding him like the plague right now.
Because I know he’ll see right through my bullshit.
It’s not that I don’t want to tell him that I’m pregnant, I just want to save it for a day where it can just be him and I. I want save it for an afternoon where the rest of the world doesn’t need our attention. It’s the greatest gift I could possibly give him, and I want to make sure there is absolutely zero distractions that day. I press on my belly, knowing the little one growing inside me isn’t even the size of a peppercorn yet, but to me, this baby feels huge already. Huge because I know our lives are going to be forever changed.
As if he knew I was thinking about him, he appears in the doorway, a bottle of plinkovac in one hand, and a sheet of paper in the other. “We’re breaking ground in three days!” he says, opening the bottle of liquor and taking a big swing from it. He offers it to me.
