Nailed Down: The Complete Series
Page 67
Surrounding us now was a crowd I hardly recognized. The Garcias had made an enthusiastic appearance, Mrs. Garcia telling Sammy she knew that night at dinner that it wouldn’t be long before we married. We didn’t bother explaining about the flower girl, and by the end of the night, I had a signed contract in my hand and a new investor in Mr. Garcia. One step closer to my family being out of the family.
“Johnny.” I heard, and I twisted around to see my cousin Smoke leaning against the wall. His attention was on a table to the left and a few of her volunteers Sammy had introduced me to earlier in the day. They were young and pretty and completely uninterested in anything but a good time, just how a guy like Smoke seemed to like them. “I wanted to tell you,” he started, grinning at the tallest of the girls when she looked him over. “Dante got word that Liam is in Ireland.”
“That right?” I turned away from the crowd, facing my cousin, not caring about anything at that moment but what he knew about that asshole and the threat he might pose to my wife and daughter.
“I knew you were busy, so I took care of it.”
“And how did you do that?” I asked him, not convinced he had the clout to take care of much when it came to someone like Liam. He might be a punk, but Shane was still part of the McKinney family. They cared what happened to theirs.
“I had words with Ian.” Smoke finished his drink, looking down to the bottom like he couldn’t believe he’d polished it off.
“Ian…McKinney?”
“Si,” he said, setting the glass on the table to his left.
“Ian McKinney, who…”
“You always look surprised when I do shit. Why is that, cousin? You think I’m stupid?” He was joking, grinning at me like he expected me to say yes, and laughed when I didn’t.
“I think I’m more serious than ever about you taking over for me.”
Smoke moved his jaw, his head working in one long nod. “That right?” The sound of laughter from the table caught his attention, and my cousin shifted his gaze, his head still facing me before he pushed off the wall, tucking one hand into his pocket. “Let me think about it,” he said, heading toward the table.
“You feel like dancing?” I asked him, head shaking when he gave me a “man, please” look.
“I don’t dance.” Then he stopped by the table, leaning down to whisper something in the tall girl’s ear, and the pair of them disappeared into the crowd, in the opposite direction of the dance floor.
My gaze caught in the middle of the room, to my little girl twirling in her pale green tutu dress, with the ribbons in her hair as she moved in time with the music. She was beautiful. Her long, dark hair was curled, hitting her waist as she held her little cousin, Keleu.
Kit and Kane were nestled off to the side, watching and talking to their friends Dale and Gin, who was heavily pregnant with her first child. They could all use this trip to my wedding as a business write-off if they were so inclined since my production company was now funding their new cable shows. Little by little, my legitimate companies were taking over. If I could settle them all, squeeze myself out of the businesses that had made my father rich, then I wouldn’t have to worry about my family, my blood family, being in danger.
I made my way to the dance floor as Kiel picked up the baby from Betta. “Dance with your old man?” I asked her, holding out my hand.
She laughed when I twirled her, then hopped onto the tops of my feet, letting me lead her. “Aren’t you supposed to be smooching my mama?”
“That comes later,” I told her, barking out a laugh when Betta wrinkled her nose.
“Where is she?” The girl swiveled her head, frowning when she couldn’t spot Sammy in the crowd.
I picked her up, letting her see above the crowd. “There,” I said, lifting my chin toward the bridal table. At the end, huddled in a corner, sat my wife, Sammy, and Father Patrick.
“Wow,” Betta said. She nodded, looking down at me when I turned, exaggerating our movements to follow the rhythm. “Did you do that?”
“I did nothing,” I said, twirling us in the opposite direction.
My daughter grinned, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I think you did, and it’s good.”
“Think so, little one?” I asked. Didn’t think I’d ever get tired of how good it felt when she hugged me.
“I think it’s the best thing you could have done for her, Papa.”
“Nah, picolinna,” I told her, kissing her cheek. “You’re the best thing for both of us.”
* * *
The world was watching, and we didn’t care. Judgments and opinions and a bunch of thoughts that had nothing to do us washed over us, and they still didn’t touch us.
Nothing would.
“This was a great day,” Sammy said, head against my chest, her fingers curled in my hand. “Thank you, Johnny.”
“Every day is a great day with you, amore mia.”
The music was slow, and the crowd was thinning. Kane held his woman two feet from me, shooting me a nod just before he led his wife and two sleeping daughters away from the venue. I didn’t know what had become of my cousins, likely drunk or passed out somewhere, probably sleeping between one or more of Sammy’s volunteers, but Antonia had skipped the reception altogether, and Dario still wasn’t a fan of large crowds. I had a feeling it would take a while for him to shake off Rikers.
The Seattle contingent was gone; Dale and Gin congratulating us and leaving for their hotel, and my sister and brother-in-law taking their cranky baby home for the night.
Now it was just me and my wife and a few lingering friends who still didn’t quite believe that Johnny Carelli had given up the single life.
But I had. Gladly. Willingly.
Sammy melted against me, and it took all my effort not to drag her off of the dance floor and find an empty room in this place. I wanted her—now. Wanted more than anything to get busy working on the sibling request Betta had made. But one glance around the room, spotting Father Patrick sitting next to my daughter, doused any of those sparking inclinations.
He sat directly across from us, glaring whenever Betta didn’t hold his attention, but I didn’t care. Let the old man have his anger. He could hate me all he wanted. I had my wife. I had my child. And Sammy was starting to forgive him.
“Talk to him,” I’d prompted, reminding her two days ago that he was old and wouldn’t be around much longer. “If you don’t say your piece now, you’ll always regret it.”
A small olive branch had come with an invitation to our wedding, something I was convinced he’d tried to object to. He didn’t, and Sammy spent a half hour of the reception letting the old man tell her how sorry he was and how much he missed her and Betta.
It would take a long time for her to forgive, even longer to forget.
But for now, the only thing on my mind was my wife and the life we were moving toward. She stretched her arms around my neck and smiled at me, that same glorious smile that had mesmerized me as a boy. It had always driven me over the edge like it did now, and I moved in closer, kissing her, needing a taste, never being full of her.
“Bella,” I whispered through a sigh. “I’ll never get tired of the way you taste.”
“Good,” she said, biting her lip, the small gesture reminding me of that first day in the library, years ago.
“You know, you told me once you were going to burn in hell because of me.” She looked up, moving her head back as though only just recalling the memory.
Sammy’s surprise softened into a smile, her features relaxing as she ran her fingertips over my face. “I’d burn for you. A hundred times, I’d burn for you, my love.”
“It doesn’t matter where we spend eternity, bella.” I kissed her, knowing right then nothing or no one would ever make me feel this good or this free. “A lifetime with you is all the heaven I need.”
* * *
Thank you for reading STRIPPED DOWN. We hope you loved Johnny and Sammy as much as we do!
Our t
ime in the sexy mafia word in New York City isn’t over.
We’ve only just begun.
Coming in 2020 — a NEW steamy romance series by Eden Butler and Chelle Bliss featuring Smoke, Dario, and so many more. Sign up now to get the latest news — menofinked.com/alert
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To learn more about Eden Butler, please visit edenbutler.com.
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About Eden Butler
Eden Butler is an editor and writer of Romance, SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-time great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum.
When she’s not writing, or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden impatiently awaits her Hogwarts letter, writes, reads and spends too much time watching New Orleans Saints football, and dreaming up plots that will likely keep her on deadline until her hair is white and her teeth are missing.
Currently, she is imprisoned under teenage rule alongside her husband in Southeastern Louisiana. Please send help.
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ABOUT CHELLE BLISS
Chelle Bliss is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of Men of Inked: Southside Series, Misadventures of a City Girl, the Men of Inked, and ALFA Investigations series.
She hails from the Midwest, but currently lives near the beach even though she hates sand. She's a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, coffee fiend, and ex history teacher.
She loves spending time with her two cats, alpha boyfriend, and chatting with readers. To learn more about Chelle, please visit menofinked.com.
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