A Dance of War

by Ellie R. Hunter

  Sliding his hands under my thighs, he lifts me and carries me over to his bed. I go willingly, and am surprised when he twists and lays down himself, leaving me straddling him. Careful of his leg, I make myself comfortable and run my finger down his chest.

  “I used to wonder what we’d be like together the older we got.” Leaning over, I brush my lips over his peck, pressing a kiss over where his heart beats. “I used to imagine us like this.”

  He hardens beneath me, and I purposefully wiggle, getting myself worked up while getting him even harder.

  “Show me what you imagined.” His voice is thick and heady. “Give…” I swallow whatever he was going to say in a kiss, rocking back and forth over him, making sure to push down on his hardness. Digging my nails into his chest, I pull away and lower myself down his body, running my tongue down and over his perfectly carved abdomen until I’m nestled between his legs. Keeping my eyes on his, I stroke his length until his eyes drift shut and he bucks his hips forward, urging me on.

  Scooping my hair into a ponytail with my free hand, I hold it tight and lean over, taking him into my mouth.

  His precum coats my tongue, and I flick it over his tip before sucking him in as far as I can as I work my mouth over him, gradually bobbing my head faster and faster.

  “Christ, Mila, you used to imagine this?” he groans, leaning up on his elbows.

  Keeping him exactly where I want him, I let go of my hair and use my hand to push against his chest to force him back down. Taking the hint, I release his dick with a pop. Catching my breath, I climb up his body and swipe the back of my hand across my mouth. Wordlessly, I straddle his waist and slide down until every inch of him is inside of me.

  His hands squeeze my hips as I build momentum, rocking back and forth, taking all of him with every stroke.

  Not forgetting how he did me this afternoon, I ride him harder, my fingers circling my clit. I will finish before him this time. And as the fucking stars begin to blind me, the sky outside lights in a colourful array with screams and bangs. Fireworks? How fucking apt. My climax hits me, and I’m not sure if I’m exploding or imploding on top of him.

  Collapsing forward, I lay across his chest, and I can feel his heart racing in time with mine. Every inch of me is on fire, yet completely at ease.

  “Not to ruin the moment, but why is there a firework spectacular that could rival New Year’s Eve?” Trying not to smile, but giggle when he stutters before finding his tongue.

  “I have no idea, and I don’t care, either. I’m not done,” he groans, sweeping his hands up and down my thighs, sending chills all through me.

  “Oh, don’t forget, we have forever.” This time, I can’t help but laugh.

  “It’s like that, huh? Forever starts now. I’ve got you all to myself till morning, and I’m going to use my time wisely. Tomorrow, we fight, but tonight, it’s all about us. War could be banging down my door, and I’d be all about you. And I still need to finish.”

  Rolling onto my side, I lay on my back and open my legs for him.

  “I’m all yours.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Raphael

  Walking into the kitchen as the sun rises over Vita, I feel on top of the fucking world. Even my leg is a lot better as long as I take the pain meds like clockwork. I’m pretty sure I’d suffer any pain as long as I get to share my nights with Mila.

  “As I wasn’t awoken in the night, I assume all was quiet?” I ask Cristian while pouring myself a mug of coffee.

  “Absolutely nothing. It was eerie. I sent a couple of guys to check what’s going on out on the streets about ten minutes ago.”

  I’ve barely sat at the island when Mila walks in, snatching the coffee from my hand with a smile. It’s such a small act, but it’s enough to show everyone lingering around how comfortable she is with me, and I take great pride in it.

  Trey tenses, his left eye twitching with frustration, making my morning even better. Call me petty, but what the fuck ever.

  “I’m surprised to see this morning without incident. Monsters always come out at night.”

  Everyone looks to Mila, myself included, and I wonder if everyone notices the pink in her cheeks, or why she’s so happy in the middle of a war.

  “You shot and killed one of the brothers. They’ll be planning,” Trey snaps, breaking the moment.

  His tension with her riles me, and I’m getting sick of having to bite my tongue. Mila ignores him and looks to Cristian. “Spread the word through our men to be ready when Raphael gives the word.”

  My cousin has questions, but he nods and finishes his coffee.

  “You mean your word?” Trey smarts.

  Seriously, he’s lucky that Mila would rip my head off for overstepping her second, but there’s coming a point where I’ll risk her wrath and step the fuck in.

  “No, Raphe’s word. You can go with him.”

  For once, he doesn’t need to be told twice, and leaves with my cousin. Once we’re alone, she turns on her stool and faces me.

  “You’re going to lead our men to the market square when you get a call from me. Capture any DiMarco men you cross, but don’t kill them. By tonight, we’ll either be dead, or they’ll be.”

  Leaning over, she kisses my cheek before slipping away and crossing the kitchen. It takes me a minute to gather my wits and stop her.

  “Mila, what the fuck?”

  She turns, but she doesn’t come back to me.

  She does, however, smile playfully when she says, “Oh, you want an explanation?”

  “That would be fucking nice.”

  She’s unbelievable. I’m holding back a lot when it comes to her, but the more we grow closer, the more I’m dying to unleash my sharp tongue and demand what I want to know from her.

  “I want every night to be like last night with you, so I’m making it happen.”

  She walks out and I’m off the stool, catching up to her before she reaches the front door.

  “Still not much of an explanation, Mila.”

  She sighs. “Lead the men to the market square when you get my call. And then, you wait for me in the church. Don’t make a move until I meet you there.”

  Again, she’s not giving me anything to go on.

  “I need to know what you’re planning,” I grind out.

  Placing her hand on my cheek, she says, “Tell me you love me, and that you’ll wait for my call.”

  I don’t hesitate. “I love you.”

  As she disappears out the door, I step forward, noticing two things. One, she hasn’t declared her love for me, and two, she climbs into her car, taking Trey with her.

  Cristian joins me as I watch the car pull up the drive and out through the gates.

  “Where are they going?”

  “I have no idea. We’re to wait for her call and lead the men to the market square.”

  “I would’ve thought now that you’re between her legs, she’d offer up more information on her plans.”

  I clench my hand into a fist, wanting nothing more than to smash into his jaw. Instead, I keep it at my side and say, “You’re the only family I have left besides Sienna. Don’t make me kill you. Talk like that again about her, I’ll make it hurt before you draw your last breath.”

  The fucker laughs and darts inside before I can reach out and grab him, changing my mind on following through and causing him pain.

  “You know, it’ll be something to see, you not being able to go about your business calling all the shots. I never thought I’d see the day when Raphael Marocchi did as he was told.”

  He’s seriously wearing on my last nerve.

  “How’s Clara?” Wisely, he shuts his mouth.

  Besides Mila, Clara is one of the most patient women I know. She’s put up with Cristian for the last nine years, and even though he hasn’t proposed marriage, or moved in together, she loves him, and is happy to wait for him to make that final commitment. I don’t personally understand him. He doesn’t stray behind her bac
k, and I see he loves her in return, yet he doesn’t fully commit himself to her.

  “She’s fine. And she listens to me, and answers my damn questions.”

  Cristian may be happy to have his woman act like an obedient dog, but I’ll take Mila’s passion and fire any day of the week.

  “You should go to her. If this is to be our last day, don’t you want to spend some time with her?”

  “And leave you on your own?” Shaking his head, he takes a seat on the couch.

  “She’s your woman. Don’t put me before her, not if you love her.”

  Narrowing his eyes, his scrutinization digs deep into my soul. So much so, I can feel it.

  “Family first,” he counters with such conviction, guilt begins to gnaw at me.

  “Is that why you haven’t moved out and married her? Because of me?”

  “We’ve been at war, Raphael, and I’m your second. I’ve had no time for marriage.”

  My guilt grows, swelling around my heart.

  “Cousin, you can’t put that on me. We could have kept her safe all these years. No harm would’ve come to her.”

  “Like it didn’t to Leo? Like Sienna wasn’t picked up from thousands of miles away?”

  He has a point, but Mila has known about her for quite some time. Clara hasn’t been as safe from this war as he’d like to believe.

  “Do you want to marry her?”

  He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. For once, he’s speechless, and my guilt lessens. Maybe he isn’t quite as in love with her as I thought.

  “She wants to, and she wants a family. I’ve tried letting her go so she can find those things with someone who can give them to her and make her happy, but we always find our way back to each other. Perhaps if we survive this war with the DiMarco’s, I’ll be able to think about such things. Why are you so interested in Clara all of a sudden?”

  Good question. Actually, it’s not her so much as him. I had amazing plans as a teenager, and then got trapped into a turf war for over a decade. But with Mila back in my life, possibilities for the future are racing through me, and I’m hungry for them all.

  “I guess I don’t want you missing out on something great for you because of me.”

  “Jamila’s changing you, Cousin, and I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, just a… different thing.”

  “I first spoke to her at a peace ball when we were sixteen. I felt her walk in and knew she was in the room before I saw her. How crazy is that?” I laugh at how absurd it sounds. “I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. When she snuck off, I took my chances and followed her. I grew up around beautiful things, but she was… I couldn’t breathe, for her beauty was constantly trying to blow me away. And then I spoke to her, only drawing me in even more. After that night, we would sneak around, meeting up where we could. I knew the prophecy, and I was convinced a change for this city was destined to come true.

  “We fell in love, Cristian. And even back then, I would’ve fought for her, protected her. I would’ve died for her. We had plans. The change you see now should’ve been seen years ago. I’ve waited a long time for this, and no one is going to stand in my way.”

  “I gathered you loved her when you had a gun in your mouth. I wasn’t stupid, I knew something was going on, but you should have told me. I could’ve helped you.”

  That’s the funny thing about looking back. It’s so much easier to see where you went wrong, and where the simplest changes could’ve been made to alter the course of history that followed.

  Hours pass with no more talk of marriage, but I eventually I say, “Whatever happens from Mila’s plan, do you have measures in place that will take care of Clara if the worst should happen?”

  My phones rings, and Mila’s name flashes across the screen. Once he nods to respond to my question, I put the call on speaker.

  “It’s time,” she says first. “Direct our men to the market square. And like I said, you wait for me in the church. Don’t get yourself caught, but make sure the brothers know we’re both in there, like we’re seeking sanctuary, and make sure our men know not to put their weapons down at any point. I’ll meet you there.”

  Before I can question her, she hangs up and I’m on my feet, and Cristian too.

  “Showtime,” he mutters as we head out to the back patio.

  Rounding the men up and giving orders, I spread the trust I have in Mila to the soldiers who set off knowing we’re playing for the end game.

  “Whatever your woman is planning, I hope we’re breathing come sundown.”

  So do I.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Jamila

  The side door into the church is thankfully unlocked. Inhaling deeply, I slip inside as Trey disappears into the crowds on the street. The musty smell of the church calms me. When the click of the door shutting echoes through the space, Raphael stops pacing along the aisle.

  “The brothers are out there, calling for us to come out,” he tells me.

  “Good.”

  Shrugging out of my jacket, I dump it on the pew, the one I’ve sat at all my life, and drop to my knees.

  Under the seat, I pull at the tape strapping my gun to the wood and sigh in relief when it’s in my hold.

  Climbing up to my feet, Raphael places his hands on his hips, causing his jacket to open up and flash his gun in his holster.

  “Jamila, Raphael! The longer you hide in there, the more men we will kill!”

  Damien’s voice is muffled by the stone, but we both hear him clear enough.

  “Care to share the next move in your plan?”

  Walking over to the window, I lean up on my tiptoes to see through the clear glass to where the brothers are standing by the water fountain. Our men, their men—everyone has a gun on someone, and the silence between them is a sight to see.

  This is it. This is the beginning of the end. Like I told Raphael this morning, either we die today, or they do. I danced in a war with Raphael for far too long, and I refuse to do it in this war.

  “We’re going to give ourselves up.”

  “The fuck we are,” he snaps, coming up beside me. We don’t have time for his theatrics.

  “They’ll take our guns from us, and you need to let them.”

  “And leave us defenceless? I can’t agree to this, Mila.”

  “You don’t have a choice. They’ll hold us until our men surrender, which will buy us the time we need. Be ready.”

  “Ready for what?”

  We’re running out of time. Brushing past him, I reach out for the iron door pull and I’m thwarted backwards.

  “Be ready for what?” Raphael grinds out, his hold tight around my wrist.

  I hoped we’d have more time together, that we could share many more nights like last night. I would pray for a win on our side, but this isn’t down to God—this is down to us.

  “We either die together out there, or you trust me. We’re running out of time.”

  “Trust you? Mila, I’m at peace if this is to be my last day, but I can’t go out there not knowing your plan, especially if it’s to be your last day. You have to trust me.”

  Before we go out there and face what our destiny is to be, he needs to hear from me that he’s one of the very few people I do trust. There is no one I’d rather have at my side, walking out to face the DiMarco brothers.

  “I do trust you.”

  Closing the space between us, I lean up and claim his mouth, needing him to feel how much I love him, how much it’s always been him who has owned my heart, and always will. We’ve wasted so many years continuing a war we long ago vowed to end, and if this is to be our last day, this will be our karma. If we survive, it’ll be our chance to redeem ourselves and work to repair the consequences of our actions.

  I finally break the kiss, hoping he felt it all.

  “We’re not dying today, my Mila,” he vows.

  Nodding my agreement, I open the door.

  “That’s the idea.”

  Outside, our
every step is watched by men waiting with bated breath for what will kick off at any second.

  Raising my hands, I make it clear my stance is of defeat. Seconds roll by until I see Raphael doing the same from the corner of my eye.

  Father DiMarco wears the dirtiest smirk I’ve ever seen, and I count down the seconds till he gets what he deserves.

  He nods at two of his men who come toward us, moving around and digging their guns into our backs, urging us forward.

  Not even a whisper can be heard. Only the wind that’s been picking up all morning whistles.

  “Put them on their knees facing their men. Let them all see they’ve failed.”

  Damien holds himself back, but the fire burning in his eyes for revenge reminds me of the Devil.

  I bite down on the inside of my lip to stop the smile I want to throw his way. I can’t provoke them into any rash decision that will cost one of us our lives.

  My knees hit the ground, shooting a pain up into my thighs. Raphael curses as he lands the same way a foot away from me.

  My hair is collected into a ponytail, and a warm hand squeezes my shoulder. But I refuse to look up and see who is touching me.

  “We’ve taken your city. A city that never belonged to you.” Damien yanks on my hair before letting go and walking around me. As he looks around the market square, I scan over every man here, willing to fight for us. Whether they survive the day or not, I’ll find some way to repay them.

  Men are always asked what price they would put on their lives, and many will give you one. But the ones who tell you that what they would die for is something money couldn’t buy, they’re the ones you want at your side and at your back.

  “Today marks a new day in Vita. We’re not the enemies. We don’t want you to die because of misguided loyalty to the two families who line your pockets with money. Lay down your weapons and stand with us for a better, safer Vita.”

  Our men aren’t easily swayed, and not one gun is laid down. Father DiMarco sighs and kneels before me.