by K. L. Myers
“Just a scratch, lady, just a scratch. No need to stop.”
He was crazy! Only an absolute mad-man wouldn’t realize that there would be much more than just a scratch on the car we hit. This was why I hated taking a taxi anywhere. In the sea of yellow, none of them paid attention to who had the right of way. Nope, they’d just take an inch when given and then push you out at your next stop only to pick up the next passenger and go. The car came to a screeching halt in front of Bottura’s, one of New York's best Italian restaurants in the city.
“Twenty-five dollars. Cash or charge.” The driver's broken English was now clear as day.
“Cash,” I replied as I handed him two twenties and stepped out of the car, and stood by his window waiting for my change. I tapped on the glass with my knuckles and waited as the window rolled down.
“Thank you. God bless,” he replied as the window rolled up, then he sped away. I watched as the lit Taxi sign on the top of his car went out. I guess that explained his rush, and since he got me there with time to spare, he felt he deserved a fifteen-dollar tip.
“Reservation for Eastwick,” I said as the hostess reached for my coat when I entered the restaurant.
The petite brunette relieved me of my garment and handed me a ticket. “If you step to the counter, Serina will assist you.”
The dining room was relatively empty at this time of night. Candles burned on several tables, and the ambient glow gave a romantic feel to the room. Seeing me coming towards the table, Gabriel, Angelo, and Jefferson all stood. My mouth fell open at how handsome my man looked in his fitted sport coat and slacks. Typically, he wore jeans and a T-shirt or a tank and leather jacket. All three men seemed extremely dashing tonight.
Gabriel leaned in and kissed my cheek. “You look beautiful tonight, princess.”
“Just tonight?” I joked
“Every night, sweetheart, but tonight more so.”
Bethany smiled up at me from the chair beside mine. I reached out and took her hand, giving it a quick squeeze as I took my seat. A few minutes later, the sommelier broached the table and revealed the house wines for the evening. Angelo took control of the decision-making by selecting several bottles for the meal. Though I was impressed, I wouldn’t be drinking tonight.
Once we all placed our orders, Jefferson tapped his knife to his glass of water and began to speak. “Tonight, we celebrate. Our families go back to a time before G and I were even a distant thought. Our upbringings were very different, but in the end, we are proof that love knows no boundaries. I knew when we first met, she’d be the one I’d grow old with.” Jefferson turned to face his love and winked. “Earlier today, I asked this beautiful woman over here to be my wife, and she said yes.”
The table erupted with congratulations and cheers to blending two families. The Panzicas would now be bound by blood to the Rizzuto family once a child was born. Just as the Rizzuto family became tied to the Eastwick family with the birth of Serafina and the Vicci family untied with the Eastwick family when a son was born to Lillian and Lincoln. I was the outsider here—my father an enemy of the Vicci and Rizzuto family and no connections to the Eastwicks. I could only dream about being a Panzica.
“You’ve been quiet this evening, princess. Is something wrong?” Gabriel asked as he drove me home.
“I’m fine.”
“You are not ‘fucked up, insecure, neurotic, or emotional.’ So, don’t tell me you are fine.” Gabriel laughed at his humor. However, I failed to appreciate it as much as he did.
“See,” he said, “that right there is what I’m talking about. You’ve been completely emotionless this evening. What is bothering you?”
“It’s just been a long day, and I’m tired. I just want to get home and sleep.” I expected him to argue, but he didn't. When we reached my place, Gabriel leaned over and kissed me gently before telling me he had business to take care of and that he’d be back in a bit. He waited until I reached my door and stepped inside before driving off. A part of me was relieved he had to go, but there were those pesky hormones that wished he would have stayed.
With each step up my stairs, I undid a button on my blouse, finally unzipping my skirt as I reached the landing at the top. Tossing my shirt on the floor, I let the black fabric of my A-line skirt drop and pool around my feet. I raised one leg and then the other, removing my shoes, and then bent, picking up my clothing and carrying it into the bathroom, where I tossed it into the hamper.
The warm water filled the tub while I pulled my hair into a bun on top of my head. When I reached the tub again, I dipped my hand under the water to ensure the temperature wasn’t too hot. When the vessel was almost full, I slid in and closed my eyes. Once the water covered my chest, I reached out and turned the spout off. As I lay there enjoying the feel of the warm water around me, I thought back to the first time Gabriel and I soaked together. It was the night when I returned from Virginia.
“I was so scared you’d never return,” I’d told him.
“You had nothing to worry about.” There was a hesitance in his voice that had me questioning if he was telling the truth.
“We’ve lost so much time, and there is so much to catch up on.” I swirled my hands just above the water, and little ripples fanned out across the tub.
“I’m here now. Tonight, we’ll start finding our way back to each other,” Gabriel answered as he wrapped his arms around me tighter, pulling my back into his chest. “I promise I’ll never leave you again.”
I felt safe sitting like that with him. We were in our little bubble where nothing could harm us. “I never stopped loving you, Gabriel, though I never thought I’d ever see you again.”
His hands ran up and down my arms. He bent his head and placed kisses on my neck. “I’ve never forgotten you.”
“But the way you left, it was so final. I just assumed.”
“I never forgot you,” he declared. “You’ve owned my heart from the day I met you. It’s always been yours, I’ve never given it to another.”
His length bobbed in the water between us when I turned to face him. I wanted him, desired the feel of him inside me, so I became the aggressor and reached between us, taking his cock in my hand and holding it steady as I slid down on it. A few choice expletives filled the room with a growl. “I want you badly,” I whimpered as I slowly slid up and down his shaft.
“You have me; take what’s yours.” Gabriel stood, his hands below my ass as he steadied me, and walked us back to the bed. Each thrust bore deeper into me. I swear several times, the only thing stopping him from filling me was my cervix. With a roar, I felt him explode inside me, sending me over the edge with my release. He’d held me in his arms as I dozed off.
I’d just crawled into bed and gotten comfortable when I heard the door to the house open and close. The sound of Gabriel's boots on the stairs grew louder as he reached the top and began his trek down the hall to my bedroom.
24
Gabriel
The room was dark when I entered. It took my eyes a few moments to adjust before I could see Victoria lying there, awake.
“Having a hard time sleeping?” I inquired.
“No. I just finished with a bath and climbed into bed, and then I heard you come in.”
I took a seat on the edge of the bed. Reaching down, I untied the shoestrings on my boots and stepped out of them. My pants were the next to go. I pulled the forest-green henley over my head and tossed it on the ground next to my pants and boots. I lifted the covers and slid between the sheets. I hadn’t expected Victoria to be naked when I cuddled up next to her.
“Did you miss me?” I asked as I rested my chin on her shoulder.
“Nope. Though I almost fell asleep in the bath remembering the first night we bathed together.”
My lips found their way to the patch of skin behind her ear. I placed a tender kiss there before speaking. “It was a memorable evening for me too, princess, just as it should have always been. Just you and me forever.”
“Open your eyes, princess, and tell me what is wrong.” She shook her head but refused to let me see those beautiful eyes. “Talk to me, tell me what’s wrong. I’ll fix whatever it is, I promise.”
“You can’t fix this.” Her voice was faint. “Only God can fix this.”
My heart skipped in my chest. Was there something wrong with her health? Did she have cancer, and that’s why she said only God could fix this? It couldn’t be; I’d just gotten her back. “Are you sick? We can find you the best doctor around to fix whatever it is. I have money, so don’t worry.”
“I don’t need a doctor, at least not the way you think,” she said with a snicker.
I’d had enough of her cryptic responses. “Damn it, Victoria, open your eyes and tell me what the fuck is wrong with you. You’re scaring me.” I watched her eyes flutter open, but she wouldn’t look directly at me. My hand reached out to her, brushing a piece of hair away from her face. “Please, princess, tell me what’s wrong.”
When her eyes finally met mine, I saw fear. “I’m pregnant, Gabriel. That’s what's wrong with me. Are you happy now that you know?” Her eyes bore into mine, and when I didn’t respond, she turned away from me. “You should just go. It would be better for both of us.”
I sat there for the longest time, staring at her back. How could she think I would walk away? After every time I’d promised never to leave her. Every time I proclaimed my love for her, this was what she thought would be best? With a twist of the switch, the lights went out in the room, and I curled into her side. “Princess, I don’t know what’s going through that head of yours, but I’m not going anywhere. If you think only God can fix your problem, then you’re a fool.”
“Am I?” She rolled over to face me. “Do you think bringing a child into the world with you is the right thing? Look what we went through two months ago. Now your enemies will have a child to add to their list of angles to get at you. How could any mother want that?”
Victoria wasn’t wrong. Our child would be a target for anyone who wanted to come after me. Angelo and Bethany somehow found a way to work through it with Jefferson, and now with their daughter. “It doesn’t have to be that way. Bethany has Serafina, and she makes it work. We can too.”
“I’m scared, Gabriel. This is what we planned when we were kids, and now it's happening. But what if we can’t survive the issues that come with pregnancy? I’m going to want you to myself, to share every moment of this journey, and I never know if you’re going to be here when I wake up in the morning. If Angelo calls, you have to go. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, you go. How can I depend on you to be there when I need you?”
I felt her slipping away. She was right, and I couldn’t promise her what she wanted. One thing I knew was that Angelo would be understanding, but I didn’t get to pick and choose when I could say yes or no. Family business would always take priority. There was also the issue of who our child's grandfather was. Regardless if he were estranged or not, his blood would still run in our child’s genes. “This doesn’t have to be figured out tonight, beautiful. Rest. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I held Victoria in my arms for hours, and I knew the moment she finally fell asleep because her body went slack in my arms. She was at peace, but now I was the one wide awake. So many things to consider, about my future, no, make that our future, that sleep was the last thing on my mind. Doing my best not to wake my sleeping beauty, I eased from beneath the covers and made my way to the refrigerator. In the dark, I sat on the sofa, a beer in my hand, contemplating what came next. In the end, there was only one answer: Victoria meant more to me than anything in the world. It was time to get out and start a life with the woman I’d given my heart to all those years ago. Now all I had to do was figure out how to tell Angelo.
…The End
THANK YOU
First and foremost, I want to thank ladies who are always there supporting me. My betas, Ellen Crotts, and Nancy Metsch. My proofreader Autumn Beaty and cover designer JM Walker.
Next, I’d like to thank my production team. These ladies are the backbone of my success. Without the support of Lydia Harbaugh, Heidi Jo Bellus and Julia Goda, I’d be just another dreamer without a published book to her name. These ladies are my everything.
Lastly, I want to thank all of the readers who have taken time out of their busy schedules to read From Past To Present. I hope you’ve enjoyed Gabriel’s story.
If you’ve enjoyed Book 2 in the Vicci Crime Family Series, please take a moment to leave a review.
About the Author
K.L. Myers was born in West Berlin, Germany, the daughter of a military father. She then spent her childhood moving from continent to continent, finally landing permanently in Colorado when her father retired.
Eventually, she moved to "hell," aka Arizona, where she resides with her husband & their fur babies. She has two daughters & four grandchildren, and she believes in living every day to the fullest.
K.L. has a passion for reading and writing hot romance when she is not juggling family & a full-time job. Her novels show a pension for a bad boy with a heart of gold and strong, independent women who don't need rescuing, and just a taste of naughty redemption! Her characters will pull you in & leave you satiated, yet panting for more, More, MORE!
Her motto will always be - “If my books can give readers a brief reprieve from their everyday life for even just a moment, I have achieved my dreams and lived a full life.”
Other Books By K.L. Myers
The Second Chance Series
Reawaken His Heart (Book 1)
Reclaiming His Future (Book 2)
Rediscovering His Life (Book 3)
Razor’s Edge Series
Rocking Between The Sheets (Prequel)
Sheet Music (Book 1)
Heart Beats (Book 2)
Love At Last Series
A Chance At L.O.V.E.
Lost In L.O.V.
Finding L.O.V.
Deserving Love
Standalones
Captured
Hearts Intertwined
Contemptuous CEO
Vicci Crime Family Series
From Son to Soldier
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