The tears started before we made it to the door. In fact, as soon as I helped her out of the car, four women, with the grandmother leading the pack, came rushing down the steps, well, as much as society mavens rush. To be frank, the Russo billions are about a hundred, a hundred- and fifty-years tops. Her maiden family looks like the type who brought theirs over before the state was even named.I could smell something in their blood that surpassed blue; these people are the real deal. “Oh, Gianna, my beautiful Gianna.” I had to bite my tongue not to tell grandma that I was the only one allowed to call her that. I didn’t hold back to make a good impression or anything like that; I just didn’t want to put a damper on her first visit.So, imagine my surprise when she did it for me. “I go by Gia.” She still had a death grip on my hand, so maybe she’d felt me tense up when the old lady used her name. Don’t ask me why I won’t let anyone else use her name. Maybe it’s because no one stepped i
Bedtime came way too soon, and I got ready to leave; though I dreaded leaving her in a strange place, I knew the time spent with her family would be beneficial to her. But she wasn’t making it easy. “I’m not that far, call me if you need me, and I’ll come get you; otherwise, call before you fall asleep, and I’ll stay up with you, okay.”She nodded but didn’t look convinced. “Come on, walk me out. I’m sure there’s a lot they want to say without me there.” She walked me to the door and outside, where the temperature had dropped. I looked around the outside of the house, picking out her room just in case—Draco Russo training at work.“Kiss me goodbye, so I know you’re okay with me leaving.” That’s about the most domesticated thing I’ve ever said in my life. Luckily for me, she got up on her toes and pressed her lips to mine. I get a kick out of knowing that neither of us had ever shared this with anyone else before, though she refuses to believe it.“Go on inside now; it’s cold out her
“You okay, Gabe, Gianna?”“Yes, Pop, we’re good. What brings you here?” I just gave him a look because I’m pretty sure he knows the answer to that already. “You two go ahead and get in the car and follow me.”“Where are we going?”“To Fontane’s house.”I walked past my men, who’d raced to get here behind me. After I got the call, I didn’t have time to wait around for them. That’s why a car is always ready with a key in the ignition and sitting at the bottom of the front steps. A different one each day because enemies tend to notice routines.I ignored the Fontane woman who was trying to get my attention and going about it the wrong way. A crowd had started to gather, and I guess that made her feel brave. “That’s right; the big bad wolf came to save his little snot-nosed brat of a son.” I laughed at that one, preposterous as it was.She took a few steps back when I looked over my shoulder at her, and I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet. “Lady, I’m not here to save my son. I’m here t
“Have you found my son?”“Sorry, boss, we’re still looking.”“You have the nerve to say that shit to me, Tommy?” He took a small step back. Keep your temper down Draco, remember, your daughters are in the room.“We looked everywhere; he’s just….” I held my hand up because if he said that shit to me one more time, I'm going to lose one of my best men.“You two know where your brother went?” As if they’d tell me if he asked them not to.“Nope!” They looked at each other as if for confirmation. Not even the threat of the guillotine will get them to talk if they know the answer. But I can’t fault them for that; their mother and I raised them to be that way. Then again, Gabe would never involve his sisters in anything that might bring them harm.“And Lancelot’s not answering his phone. I wonder why.”“You may leave Tommy; I’ll deal with you later for what went down with these two.” He didn’t seem too worried about it. Probably proud. “The four of you can follow him. I won’t hold you
“May I help you, sir?”“My name is Antonio Russo, Mr. Fontane. You’ve met my son and grandson, I believe. May I come in?” I waited respectfully for his response while he checked out the men behind me with curiosity. I can imagine how they look to him or anyone who’s ever seen a badly written mafioso movie. Thugs all of them, but my sons won’t let me leave the house without them; even here, so many miles away from where I lived that life and did my business.“Yes, yes, of course, come in. What brings you here at this hour?” I waved my men off as they made to follow me inside. “No, you stay out here and wait for me.” I followed the man down the hallway into what must’ve once been a very attractive room but was now a tacky shell of gaudy furnishings, and the color was all wrong. This is a reflection on the lady of the house, as my good wife would say. Insecure, tasteless, tacky, but I wasn’t here for that.Two women, one older the other little more than a child, entered the room behind
Trauma bonding, that’s what this feels like. Something triggered her; now, she needs to feel alive like her heart still beats. Part of me wanted to give in, but the other part, the heart that only she had touched after so many years of feeling dead inside, would never allow me to hurt her.I didn’t resist any longer though, she’d only keep fighting me to get what she wanted, so instead, I moved into her kiss the next time she offered me her lips. When her lips wanted to move hard and fast, I tempered them with soft nibbles and a gentle swipe of my tongue across her full lower lip.I was in control; I could stop at any time, but I’ll give her this much until she calms down. That’s what I told myself, what I believed to be true. So I didn’t fight as hard when she became the aggressor again. When she sent her tongue on a foray into my mouth, teasing my lips as she held my head in place.Her kisses were innocent, pure, but it wasn’t her kiss that held me enraptured; it was her, all her.
I tried easing the pain by pulling out of her, but that only seemed to make things worst, and she cried out and grew tense under me while her body fought to reject me to avoid the pain. Shit! “Shh, it’s okay, hold still; the pain will lessen in a minute, I promise.” At least that’s what I’ve read. I caught her falling tears on my thumbs and offered words of comfort. Why didn’t I think of this before? The pain I might cause her if we went here. Because I never expected things to go this far. I meant to protect her even from myself, even as I secretly hoped. Selfish, I know!I berated myself while fighting to stay still inside her, because now instead of fighting to push me out, she seemed to be trying her damnedest to pull me back in. I’d only hurt her if I pounded into her the way my body wanted, but she felt so good, like nothing I could’ve imagined, even in my wildest dreams. I’d found a new thing to add to my favorite things list.I closed my eyes while giving her time to adjust
“Calm down; we can’t call the cops; how many times must I tell you that?” I was busy trying to find a tow company to come to remove the burnt-out hull of a car from the driveway before Felix got home. I knew as soon as Victoria’s car went missing that it was going to involve the Russos in one way or another and was afraid to act.Never in a million years would I ever expect to be in this position. The position of having the most powerful family in town going against my daughter and I when we’ve never even met them except for in passing, and that very rarely. We’ve had no dealings with each other until now, and this is not the way I would’ve liked things to be between us.Now, instead of an invitation to one of those fancy teas the wife throws that everyone is always gushing about, everyone who’s lucky enough to be invited, that is, I’m being ostracized and looked down on by the son and threatened by the other men in the family. How long before things start to unravel?I’ve been care