by Hamel, B. B.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know what I want. I didn’t know I liked any of this stuff.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “None of it matters right now, little Aida.” I reached up, gripped her hair. “All that matters is you’re here. And you’re mine.”
I released her and reached down, grabbing her legs. She gasped, surprised, as I lifted her up into the air. She weighed nothing to me, and I pinned her against the wall, holding her in the air as my cock moved up to meet her dripping wet pussy.
Slowly, I sank myself inside of her. She let out a soft little moan as I lowered her down onto my cock. I kissed her, cock buried between her legs, feeling her muscles shift and tense, feeling her soaking spot pulse around my shaft. I kept her there for a long moment, kissing her, before I began to fuck her slow.
Passion and need flared up through me, lightning and thunder, desire and need. I slid my cock in and out of her slick, incredible cunt, taking her deep, stretching her out, making her mine. She moaned my name, arms wrapped around my neck as we fucked.
Goddamn, we fucked like it was the last thing we’d ever do. We fucked in that shower because we survived, because we were still alive, because we could. I sank my cock inside of her and she bit my lip, moaning, taking me, begging for more of it. I gave her every inch and made her breasts shake, her body tremble, her back arch. When she tilted her head back, I kissed her neck, bit her shoulder, licked her nipples as I sank myself deep inside and took her over and over again, thrusting into her faster and harder.
The rush of being alive filled me, roared through my ears. I knew she was feeling it too, I could see the passion in her eyes. I kept going, water rolling down my skin, dripping into the tub. Sweat beaded on her breasts and forehead, and I kept fucking her, pinning her against the wall, making her body all mine, making her body feel good.
“This is what you need,” I said. “You need to feel good, you need my cock deep inside you. This is what it’s like to feel alive, Aida.”
“Fuck me,” she moaned. “Keep going, Dante. Oh, god, yes, keep going.”
I took her deeper, harder, growling like an animal. I filled her and fucked her fast, her breasts shaking, and she came, wet growing down along my cock. She came hard along my shaft, and I growled in response, unable to help myself. I filled her with my seed, my orgasm lighting my body up in response to her cries, and we came together, both of us alive, both of us happy to still be breathing together.
Slowly we finished. I lowered her down and she leaned against the wall breathing hard. I kissed her, held her for a long time. After a little while, without saying much, we began to wash each other.
When we were done, I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. I gave her a towel then wrapped my own around my waist. I stood there, feeling like I was born again.
I helped her out and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her from behind. We stood in front of the mirror. I wiped away the steam and she smiled, tilting her head back toward me.
“We look good,” she said.
“We can beat anything together, you know that?” I said.
She bit her lip. “I hope you’re right.”
“I’ll show you.” I kissed her ear then took her hand and led her back into my bedroom. I took out a spare suit and found a pair of shorts and an old shirt for her. She pulled them on, and although they were too big, she still looked good with her wet hair and her pouty lips.
I got dressed slowly. She sat on the bed and watched me, not speaking. Her legs dangled and she kicked her feet, staring at the hardwood floors. When I finished dressing, a pair of comfortable but stylish black shoes on my feet, I brushed the lapel of my jacket and tilted my head toward her.
“What do you think?” I asked
She stood and smiled. “Perfect,” she said.
“I need to address my soldiers.” I spoke in a low voice, close to her ear. She stood, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Are they all here?” she asked.
“They should be. I need to tell them what happened, and we need to figure out what to do from here.”
She nodded. “Right. Okay. I can just… just stay here.”
“No,” I said. “From now on, you’re staying right by my side. It’s too dangerous for you to be anywhere else. I’m not leaving you alone for a single second until Vlas is dead, do you understand me?”
“I understand,” she said.
“Good.” I reached out and took her hand, drawing her toward me. I kissed her, one hand cupping her ass. “Come on.”
I pulled her along behind me. We descended the steps together and walked to the front door. I unlocked it and opened it up.
My soldiers stood out on the sidewalk. Black SUVs were parked all over the place. I recognized each man, knew their names, their stories, their friends and family and parents. I knew them like I knew Gino, and I wasn’t going to lose another.
Twenty-nine men stood arrayed before me. I used to have thirty, but that wouldn’t matter. I had at least double Vlas’s strength.
I stood up on my stoop, at the top of the steps, with Aida by my side. Her damp hair hung down around her shoulders, but she didn’t seem scared by the men standing before her. They were hard men, most of them killers. They were all men I’d trust with my life if it came to it. Steven lingered in the back, leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face.
“By now, I think you all heard what happened,” I said.
Every man stood at attention and stared back at me. “We won’t let him get away with this, boss,” Biagio said.
I nodded to him and he clenched his fists. I could see his anger reflected in all their eyes.
“These past weeks have been hard,” I said, speaking slowly and meeting the gaze of every man there. “Vlas has come at me hard over and over again. We tried to avoid all-out war, tried to do this the smart way, but the greedy piece of shit wouldn’t back down. So we hit him hard, killed most of his top guys, and gutted his organization. And he still won’t back down.” I stood there, letting rage flow through me. I looked at Aida, and was surprised at the look on her face.
She seemed confident, like she belonged by my side. She exuded a presence and a strength, even wearing nothing more than an old t-shirt and an old pair of gym shorts. She was a small girl, practically swimming in my old baggy clothes, but she still looked beautiful and in control. I was proud to have her by my side and I looked back at my men with a renewed vigor.
“We’re going to hunt Vlas down,” I said. “Spread the word. Ten thousand for any tips that lead to his capture. Twenty thousand for him outright. If any of you finds him, that’s fifty thousand. But I want him alive, do you hear me?”
“Yes, sir,” Ryan barked, and a few more man echoed him.
“Good,” I said. “Find Vlas, bring him back, and make sure he can talk. I want to hear him beg before I put a bullet through his fucked-up skull. This isn’t just about the family anymore, this is about the city, about our fucking city. That worm Vlas is dangerous, and he’s willing to go to any lengths to hurt us. He’ll burn this place down before he’s finished, and we can’t allow that. Find him, bring him to me, and we’ll end this right now.”
I stared at my men again then nodded once.
“Now get the fuck out there,” I said.
The guys turned and walked off without a word. I saw the determination on their faces and knew they were going to take this seriously. The hunt for Vlas was on, and I knew my boys would rip up every single corner of this city before this was all over.
Vlas was done. He didn’t have the muscle to hold my men back, and unless he ran to some other fucking country, there was no hiding.
Steven walked toward me with a little smile on his face. He put one foot on the bottom steps and stretched his back. “Nice speech,” he said.
“Wasn’t a speech,” I said. “They needed to know what’s going on. Vlas is finished.”
“Yeah, he
is.” Steven frowned. “I’d bet anything that little stunt back at your Mt. Airy place was his last desperate move.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s going to pay for all this.”
“Dante,” Aida spoke up, her voice soft. “Did you… did you talk to Don Leone about this yet?”
I frowned and stared down at her for a moment. “There’s no time for that,” I said. “If he knew—”
“But he doesn’t know,” she said. “He wasn’t at the house.”
Steven laughed. “She’s right,” he said.
“The Don was really angry,” Aida said. “You need to go to him and ask permission before you start tearing up the city.”
I clenched my jaw and pressed my fist against the black railing that cordoned off my porch. I stared at her for a long moment before letting out a long breath and calming myself.
She was right, of course. I pissed off the Don once already by running off on my own, it would be pretty damn stupid to do it again. I knew he’d give me his blessing after hearing about what happened at the house, all I had to do was talk to him.
“All right,” I said. “Steven, go talk to the Don’s people, tell them what happened, and ask for a meeting tomorrow morning at the bakery.”
“I can do that,” he said.
“Good. When you’re done, send a message to the boys. Until they hear from me again, nobody’s to make any big moves. Keep asking around, but if they hear anything or find anything, just keep an eye on it for now.”
“Understood.” Steven grinned at me. “You should’ve brought her around more often.”
I glared at him. “Get out of here.”
He laughed and walked off with a wave. I watched him get into his car and pull out before I turned to Aida. She was smiling sweetly at me, and I just shook my head.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. You’re just going to drive me insane.”
“You’re just mad I had a good idea and made you look stupid in front of Steven.”
“Damn right,” I said and laughed. “But I’m glad you’re here. He’s right, maybe I should’ve brought you around sooner.”
“Good thing I’m here now.” She leaned up against me and looked into my eyes. “Now, I’m hungry and exhausted.”
“I’d offer to cook, but you saw the house.” I leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll order something.”
“Sounds good.” She took my hand and led me into the house. I followed with a smile on my lips.
She was already proving to me why I want her around. The girl’s smart, sharp as hell. I had a feeling she would become my better half, the little bit of thought and restrained I needed to balance out my rash, violent tendencies.
Together, we’d take on this whole city.
27
Aida
We fell asleep early that night wrapped in each other’s arms. He woke me early after a deep, dreamless sleep. The sun still hadn’t risen yet, and the bedside clock said it was just after five in the morning.
“Come on,” he whispered and kissed my forehead, rustling my hair a little. “We have to meet with the Don at six.”
“Why so early?” I asked.
“Safer this way.” He walked over toward the door and opened it. “Get out of bed, lazy ass.”
I grunted something at him and he laughed before turning on the lights. He grabbed the sheets and yanked them off me before leaving the room.
“Asshole!” I called after him but managed to drag myself out of bed.
It was strange getting ready in his place. Since I didn’t have any clothes there, I was forced to hand wash my underwear the night before and hang dry it in the bathroom. I found the oldest, smallest shirt I could and a pair of jean shorts that must’ve been left behind by some other girl that was nearly my size. I looked silly, but I’d worry about finding better clothes later.
Dante looked immaculate in his suit as always. I came down to the kitchen and walked to the counter where a coffee machine chugged away. He grinned at me from the table. He had a gun in his hand and was loading bullets into a magazine.
“Morning. I made coffee.”
“You’re a saint.”
“No, darling. I’m definitely the sinner here.” He chuckled to himself then pushed the clip into the gun and pulled back the slide with a loud thunk. He nodded to himself and put the gun down gently. “Now, are you ready to meet with the Don?”
“I think so,” I said. “I feel like this time will go better.”
“Better hope so.”
He stood, walked to me, and kissed my neck. I smiled and kissed his lips.
“Where did you get these shorts?” I asked.
He frowned at them and shrugged. “No clue,” he said.
“Was there a girl in here before me?”
He laughed. “You don’t want to know, my Aida.”
I glared for a second but couldn’t keep it up. “You’re a dick, you know that?”
“I had a life before you,” he said. “Lots and lots of lives, actually.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a mug from the cabinet. I poured some coffee and drank it down as he finished gathering his stuff. When he was finished, we headed outside and found Steven already idling by the curb. I got into the back and he nodded at me, eyes bleary and tired-looking. Dante got up front and we pulled out.
“What’s the word from the Don?” Dante asked.
“Not sure,” Steven said. “Spoke with Paulo and I couldn’t get a damn read on him at all. I think the Don’s annoyed he has to come out to you again, but I told him it was important.”
“Good,” Dante said. “Let the old fuck be annoyed.”
“Dante—” Steven started then stopped himself. “Look, just be on your best behavior, okay?”
“Always am,” Dante said.
I sat in the back in silence and stared out the window as the city flashed past. The drive wasn’t long since the bakery was close by, and Steven parked out front in front of a yellow curb. I considered saying something, but didn’t bother.
These guys, they owned the city. A little yellow curb wouldn’t stop them from parking wherever the fuck they want.
I got out and followed them into the bakery. I breathed deep as the smell of fresh bread hit me. It looked just like it always did, and as soon as we stepped in, Dante began taking the chairs down.
Steven helped him, so I went around behind the counter and started prepping for the morning, moving almost on autopilot. It felt good opening the bakery again, and I hoped that I’d get to spend more time here once Vlas was caught and taken care of.
Sergio came out from the back a few minutes later and began filling up bread baskets. “You know, I retired from the fucking family,” he said to Dante. “I don’t recall agreeing to any fucking mafia meetings in my bakery.”
“So you want us to go somewhere else?” Dante asked.
Sergio hesitated and shook his head. “Fuck it.”
Dante laughed as Sergio disappeared into the back again. Steven made a coffee and sat in the far corner. We finished prepping for open just a couple minutes before the front door opened, and Don Leone himself stepped inside, followed by Roberto. The door swung shut behind the pair and Don Leone beamed around the room.
“Looks good in here,” he said.
“Don, thank you for coming,” Dante said. “Please, come, take a seat. Would you like something to eat? Aida makes some very good coffee.”
“Coffee would be nice,” Don Leone said. “Thank you, Aida, dear.”
I nodded and got to work on his espresso. Roberto walked over and sat down with Steven, who gave him a little nod and a salute. Roberto nodded back, took a spare newspaper from a nearby bench, and started reading it. The two men ignored each other and seemed to pretend like nothing else was happening.
I finished the coffee and brought it over to Don Leone as Dante sat down and settled himself. I sat down at the table next to theirs, but still close enough to be a part of the conversation
.
“I have to admit,” Don Leone said, “I’m not used to seeing a Capo so many times in just a few days.”
“I know, Don,” Dante said. “But this is important.”
“I heard about what happened.” Don Leone frowned and bowed his head. “My deepest condolences. I know Gino was a good soldier.”
“And a good friend,” Dante said.
“Vlas went too far.” Don Leone sipped the coffee and seemed pleased. “He went much too far. I understand you hit him and killed his men, but you did it on fair ground at least. He attacked you in your home like a rat.”
“I agree, Don,” Dante said. “I’m asking your permission to find him and end him.”
Don Leone leaned back and seemed to consider it for a moment. “Let me ask you something, Dante,” Don Leone said. “If you had a son, and someone killed your son, would you ever let that go?”
Dante’s face tensed. “No, Don. I wouldn’t.”
“You would burn this city down to avenge your child, no?”
Dante nodded. “I would.”
“So let me ask you another question.” Don Leone leaned toward Dante. “Do you want Maksim to burn this city down? Because that’s what’ll happen if you kill his child.”
Dante took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “He deserves it,” he said.
“I don’t care,” Don Leone said. “You can’t kill Vlas Volkov.”
“But he—” Dante said then stopped himself. He clenched his hands into fists and put them on the table, leaning forward.
The pain on his face broke my heart. I knew he blamed himself for Gino’s death and I knew it was eating him up. He wanted nothing more than to ride out through the city, find Vlas, and kill the man slowly. I couldn’t blame him, because I felt the same way.
If it weren’t for me, Gino wouldn’t have been in that house. None of this would have happened at all. It was my fault just as much as it was Dante’s or anyone else’s. He didn’t need to suffer like this, but I knew there was nothing I could do to help him. He wouldn’t let me take the blame, even if I begged him, even if I genuinely convinced him that it really was my fault.