Gloria was still on top of Oz, still asleep in his arms, when he woke up. Oz smiled. Why did she make him feel so good, he wondered? But there was no denying it. She absolutely turned him on in ways that went well beyond his ability to understand.
And making love to her was monumental to him. She was great in bed! She made him feel like a lion on a mountain. She made him feel like a cub in a nest. Strong and vulnerable all at the same time.
And it wasn’t just the sex with this girl. Unlike any other woman he knew, he liked talking with Gloria and being around her more than any woman in he’d ever been with. Because he could get a release with any woman. But with Gloria, for some weird reason, he got so much more.
Which was strange and crazy to him.
What was it about her that had him following some damn Uber to the airport and all but begging her to ride on his plane? That wasn’t the fun-loving, womanizing Oz everybody knew and loved! What was wrong with him? What was it about her?
He didn’t know. But he knew this much for sure: he wanted more of what she gave to him.
In the meantime, he stared at her, and rubbed her soft, brown skin, and smiled at her for several more minutes, until she, too, woke up.
When she looked at him, and smiled back at him, too, he kissed her. She loved the taste so much, that she kissed him back.
“We’ve landed?” Gloria asked.
“Several minutes ago, yes,” Oz said.
“I’d better take a quick shower and get off of this plane,” Gloria said, about to get off of Oz. “I can’t be late.”
Oz sat up, with her on his lap. “I’ll shower with you,” he said, and carried her into the bathroom. While she got into the shower, he tossed his used condom into the toilet, and put on another one. And then he got in too.
But as soon as he got in with her, he was fucking her again.
Gloria held onto the shower wall as he held her from behind and pounded her. Her small body was moving forward and back with every pound. Her ass was turning red with every pound. She leaned back, and closed her eyes, loving every second of Oz’s skills.
They eventually showered and then got dressed. And while Gloria spruced up her hair, Oz made his way back up front where his crew glanced at each other and smiled. She seemed different than all of Oz’s other ladies. There was no way, some of the crewmembers, thought she’d give in to Oz’s charms. But she had. They could tell by the serene look on Oz’s face. That woman had satisfied him better than they could ever recall him being satisfied. Some won the bet because they saw through Gloria’s classiness. Others lost the bet because they didn’t’ think Gloria had it in her.
They also knew that Oz had better not find out about any bets on her.
Oz stood up and began getting her overnight bag and briefcase from the overhead compartment by the time Gloria was coming out of the bedroom. And when he saw her again, coming back toward him with her ponytail smoothed down and her face no longer filled with the anguish that defined it before they made love, but was a happy face now, he smiled too. And he realized, right then and there, that he was fooling himself. Getting a release with just any woman might be off the table for now. He always needed a release, that was the nature of his sex drive, but he also realized, as he watched Gloria happily come back to him, that he just might, never again, get one without her.
But just as Gloria was coming his way, he saw something out of the corner of his eye that caught his attention and made him do a double take. When it looked like he was seeing what he was seeing, he quickly put on his prescription glasses that he rarely ever wore and looked out of his plane’s window. And that was when he saw what he thought was the face of someone he recognized.
“What is it?” Gloria asked as she saw Oz leaning over to get a better look.
When he realized his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, he removed his glasses and looked at Gloria. “Is that your ride?” he asked her.
Gloria looked out of the window and saw Teddy leaned against his Corvette, his legs crossed at the ankles, his arms folded. “Yeah, that’s my ride. I called him when you got off of the plane in Apple Valley to talk to those guys. I told him my flight was canceled, but that I was catching a ride on a friend’s plane. We weren’t exactly friends at that time, but that I wasn’t going into that with him.”
“But that’s Teddy Sinatra,” Oz said, staring at her.
“Yes, I know.”
“You know who he is?”
Gloria smiled. “I should know, yes. He’s my brother.”
Oz was shocked. “Your brother?”
“Don’t worry, I get that all the time. Just because he’s all-white and I look all-black doesn’t mean--”
Oz interrupted her, because he was still in a state of shock. “How can he be your brother, Gloria? That’s Mick Sinatra’s son.”
“So, you’ve heard of my father?”
Oz was floored. “Your father? Mick Sinatra is your father?”
Gloria didn’t understand his reaction. “Yes. So what?”
“But you said your name was Gloria Gabrini.”
Gloria laughed. “Gloria Gabrini? I never said any such thing! Because you knew I was related to Reno Gabrini, you apparently assumed I was a Gabrini too. But I’m not. The Gabrinis are related to my father, that’s the connection. I told you, in my family, powerful men are called Uncle as a title of respect, no matter what our real relationship is. That’s why he’s Uncle Reno to me.”
But Oz couldn’t stop staring at her.
“You didn’t know the Gabrinis were related to the Sinatras?” Gloria asked him.
It seemed like something Oz should have known, and maybe if he had been putting two and two together, he would have remembered that little fact. But there was no reason for him to be putting anything together!
When he didn’t answer her, Gloria continued. “I only ask,” she said, “because you seem to know my family.”
“Reno’s a friend of my brother’s,” said Oz. “That’s the extent that I know them.”
“So, you don’t know my brother like that?” she asked him.
“No.”
“Then how did you know he was Teddy Sinatra?”
“He’s well-known in certain circles. I’ve seen him before.”
“And you don’t know my father either?”
“No. I know of him,” said Oz with distress in his voice. He couldn’t believe his bad luck!
“What does that mean you know of him?”
“I know him by reputation.”
“But you’ve never met him?”
“I don’t think so, no,” said Oz.
But as Gloria looked at Oz, an idea occurred to her. She would love to get Teddy’s opinion of him, too, because her opinion of Oz was all over the place. On the one hand, she just knew he was a bad-tempered, womanizing cad who couldn’t be trusted with her heart even if her life depended on it. But, on the other hand, he seemed like such a wonderful, caring man who held her all the way to Philly, and helped her with her vendor problem, and seemed to know her deepest emotions without her having to tell him a thing. And the way he made love to her! He could be totally trusted with her heart, she felt, on the other hand. But both of those feelings couldn’t possibly be true at the same time, and she knew it. Which she knew made her an unreliable witness to Oz Drakos’s character.
But Teddy was once a womanizer himself, who met a good woman and was trying to change his ways. He’d be able to size up Oz far better than she could. “Wanna meet him?” she asked Oz. “My brother, I mean?”
But Oz was still reeling, and whenever he was not in control of a situation, his anger took hold. “Why would I want to meet your brother?” he asked her, and he asked it with an edge in his voice.
Gloria heard the anger in his tone. Was he upset with her again for absolutely nothing? What was wrong with him? “What did I do this time?” she asked him.
“Did I say you did something?” Oz frowned. “What are you talking about?�
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“I’m talking about your tone.”
But then she realized what his tone implied. He was a major league businessman who had a reputation to uphold. It was one thing to be around a relative of Reno Gabrini’s, a man who was primarily known as the owner of The PaLargio Hotel and Casino on the Vegas Strip, despite rumors of mob ties. It was something entirely different, at least in Oz’s mind, she supposed, to pal around with the daughter of Mick Sinatra, a man reputed to be the most powerful mob boss in America. That was a horse of a different color. Gloria got it. And it was a sad realization to get.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said to him, extending her hand.
Oz was still reeling, but he was able to shake her hand. And a sadness, she noticed, was in his eyes too. There was no way they could be together, his eyes seemed to say. But hope was a mighty aphrodisiac. She was beginning to have some hope that she might have found somebody special, in a crazy kind of way. Now that was all dashed. She was still going to be all alone, as usual.
Oz didn’t want to release her hand, because he was sorry that it had come to that too. But it had come to that. No way was he reckless enough to mess around with the daughter of Mick Sinatra. What man on the face of this earth was?
But, ultimately, he released her hand. He had no choice. She was pulling away too hard.
“Do you need anything?” he asked her.
She was surprised that he would even bother, at this point. “No,” she said. “You?”
He was surprised that she would even bother, at this point. “No,” he said.
And then she took her bag from him, too, picked up her briefcase, and made her way off of his plane.
Oz stared at her as she walked across that tarmac, and her brother met her halfway, hugging her with a big bear hug and relieving her of her overnight bag.
As they walked toward her brother’s car, arm in arm, Gloria glanced back at the plane, and the window where Oz had been standing near. But Oz had already moved on.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Alex and Kari were in bed, watching a movie, and Kari was cheering the protagonist on. “You tell him, Harriet,” she was saying. Shirtless, her breasts were still red and swollen from when Alex’s mouth was all over them, and they were bouncing as she excitedly waved her finger. “You tell him about his foolish behind!”
“What’s foolish about it?” Alex asked. “Are we watching the same movie? The man thought she was dead, Kari.”
“And?”
“And he thought she was dead! What was he supposed to do?”
“He could have waited for her.”
“Waited for a dead woman?” Alex asked.
“But she wasn’t dead!” Kari pointed out.
“How was he to know that, Kari?”
“He could have waited,” Kari said firmly. “I don’t care what you say.”
“Besides, he did wait,” said Alex. “He waited a whole year.”
Hard knocks were heard on their bedroom door. Alex looked at Kari. “I thought Jordan was spending the night at Matty’s house.”
“He is,” said Kari, grabbing the shirt Alex had removed from her. “Must be Oz. Who is it?” Kari yelled out.
“It’s me.”
When they heard that voice, Alex paused the movie and looked to make sure his wife was decent.
“Come on in,” Alex said when he saw that Kari was covered. But when Oz walked in, the look on his face made it clear to them that he wasn’t there just to shoot the breeze.
“What’s wrong with you?” Kari asked him.
“Why didn’t you guys tell me?” Oz asked.
“Tell you what?” asked Alex.
“That she’s his daughter!”
Alex frowned. “Who’s whose daughter?”
“Gloria.”
“Reno’s cousin?” Alex asked. “What about her?”
“And she’s not his daughter,” Kari said. “She’s his cousin or niece or something. And we did tell you, Oz. We told you to stay away from her.”
Oz, frustrated, sat on the edge of the bed and tilted his head back.
“What is wrong with you?” Kari asked again.
“She’s his daughter,” Oz said with defeat in his voice.
Now Alex was getting upset. “Whose daughter, Oz?”
Oz turned and looked at his brother. “Mick Sinatra’s daughter.”
Alex was shocked. He stared at Oz. “Are you serious?”
“Mick Sinatra?” Kari asked.
But Alex and Oz were still staring at each other. “Why is that your business?” Alex asked Oz. “We told you to stay away from her.”
“You knew who she was?” Oz asked.
“We knew she was related to Reno Gabrini. That should have been enough for you to leave that child alone.” Then a terrible thought entered Alex’s mind. “Oz, what have you done?”
Oz stood up and began pacing the floor. Kari looked at Alex. She’d never seen Oz so discombobulated.
“Just tell us what’s going on,” Alex said to his brother. “Just tell us.”
Oz continued to pace the floor, and then stopped near the foot of the bed and placed his hands in the pockets of his pants.
“What is it, Oz?” Kari asked him. “She’s his daughter. So what?” Then she hesitated. “Have you slept with her?” she asked him.
He looked at her, and that look said it all. “Oh, Oz, you didn’t!” Alex said.
“And that’s not the worse part of it,” Oz said.
“What do you mean?” asked Alex.
“I just agreed,” he said.
“Agreed to what?” Alex asked him.
“I agreed to head the Greek families,” Oz said.
Alex couldn’t believe it. “Why would you agree to do that” he said angrily.
“What does that even mean?” Kari asked.
“It means his ass is still roped up and tied up in that mafia shit!” Alex was hot with his brother. “You told me your ass was out of that for good. That’s why I brought you in as a partner, Oz!”
“And I was out of it when you brought me in. But things changed on the ground. Major businesses that I own in Greece were being threatened because nobody was greasing the palms of all of those crooked-ass politicians. I had to step in.”
“But?”
“But stepping in wasn’t the problem.”
“It never is,” said Alex.
“Stepping out was the problem,” Oz said. “Once I went back in, there was no getting back out.”
“Why do you need to run the Greek families?” Alex asked. “They have strong enough leaders. Why can’t they run themselves?”
“They’re being picked off, one by one, by this shadowy group that just took out Madinis and Morpheus.”
Alex was shocked. “Both of them? When did this happen?”
“They mean business, Alexio,” said Oz. “And they don’t plan to stop in America either. They want all the families’ territories in Greece too. Which is where I operate. I can’t let that happen.”
“You say a shadowy group?” Kari asked.
“A group that calls themselves the Ghost Mafia,” said Oz. “That’s why somebody has to be in charge of the Greek families. The Ghost Mafia has declared war on them. They knew they had to centralize their fractured groups into one group, or none of them were going to survive the onslaught.”
“And they chose you to lead it?” Alex asked. “Or did you choose yourself?”
“You think I want an assignment like that? Hell no, I didn’t choose myself! But it’s on me now,” he said, and ran his hand through his hair. “This shit is on me now.” He began pacing again.
Alex was studying his brother. “Is Sinatra involved?” he asked him.
“We aren’t sure.”
“But there’s a possibility?”
Oz nodded. “Yes.”
Alex leaned back. He understood the implication. Kari didn’t know the magnitude, but she could feel its impact in the room.
; “There would have never been a coalition if they knew he was behind those takeover attempts,” Oz said.
“But every Greek mob I know is on the northern edge of the west coast,” said Alex. “Sinatra’s stronghold is southern.”
“That’s why I never associated him with the takeover. But maybe that was by his design.”
“But you aren’t certain that it’s him?” Alex asked.
“No,” said Oz, “but that’s how it’s looking.”
Alex let out a strong exhale. “Damn, Oz! You’ve got to get out of that shit before it’s too late.”
Oz stopped pacing. “I think it already is.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked him.
Oz didn’t respond right away.
“What do you mean?” Kari asked him.
“After they took out Morpheus, I called a hit on their guys.”
“A hit?” Alex was stunned. “Even after you knew it was that maniacal motherfucker Mick the Tick?”
“No! I’m not crazy! Before I knew it! They took out one of ours, I told Dee we had to take out two of theirs.”
“And you did?”
Oz nodded. “Yes.”
“Good Lord,” Alex said.
“How bad is it?” Kari said.
“It’s bad,” said Alex. Then he looked at his brother. “Has there been retaliation yet?”
“No. Not since our hit. I figure they’ll be ready to talk.”
“You’d better hope so, Oz,” Alex said to his younger brother. “Your ass had better hope so.”
“And you’re sleeping with his daughter, too?” Kari said. “If he is involved, you just might become his target number one.”
Oz knew it too. That was why he continued to pace.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The guards at the gate waved in Teddy and Gloria as the Corvette sped through. Both siblings stared at the main house at the end of the long driveway, and both of them began to feel that queasiness they always felt whenever they were summoned to meet him. Although he was a generally absent father when they were little, he was now a very protective father now that they were grown. It didn’t help that both of them worked for him. It didn’t help that one of them was looking to get out from under him.
Oz Drakos: Loving Mick the Tick's Daughter Page 9