I kicked my shoes off, ridding myself of my pants. “You’ll soon learn that you don't have a choice. Accept it now.”
“Teo, stop!”
I grabbed her hair and tugged until she was on her knees. And as I slapped my dick against her lips, she looked up at me with those wondrous, twinkling eyes of hers.
“Is this really what you want, Char? Me constantly taking, and taking, and taking, and not giving a shit about you?”
Her breathing came in pants. “No. It’s not.”
I held her lips to my dick. “Then, apologize.”
She kissed my cock and my eyes fell closed. I reached out my free hand and pressed it against the wall, propping myself up as she swallowed my cock whole. The tears of frustration that carried her makeup down her face brought me to life. She looked so helpless and yet so angelic that it stole the very breath from my lungs.
“Ah, that’s it. Your apology’s almost, ugh, over,” I groaned.
Then, as quickly as she gave into me, she shot up from her feet.
“Not yet,” she hissed.
She pressed her hands into my stomach and shoved me backward. And I was so weak from her tongue that I fell back onto the bed. She ripped her shirt over her head, throwing it at me as I tried to stand back to my feet. But, she kicked her leg up and planted it into my gut again before shoving me back down.
She quickly stripped herself down and climbed on top of me as I reached up, wrapping my hand around her throat.
But, it didn’t stop her from sinking onto my dick.
“Shut up and take a piece of your own medicine,” she choked out.
She bucked against my cock and I hated how much I loved it. Her hand pressed against my cheek, shoving my face to the side as I tried to tighten my grasp around her pulse point. She rode me like a fucking bronco at a rodeo, her pussy tightening around me while her juices dripped down my balls.
But, as her hand slid down to my neck, the beast inside me came to life.
“No you fucking don’t,” I growled.
I whipped her over and slapped her hand away as her eyes bulged with shock. I grinned down at her as I pinned her wrists above her head, feeling her buck against me as I drove my cock deep into the wet caverns of her body. She felt like silk and ecstasy. A dream within a dream that always managed to pull me away from my world and drop me into hers. A world of beauty and sensuality. A world of true power and hunger.
A world I wished she would freely give me.
She rolled me over and slapped my face with the back of her hand as she ground against my dick. I raised up and wrapped my arms around her, trapping her as I bit down hard against her neck. She cried out in pain and pleasure, twisting her sounds as my balls pulled deeply into my body.
And as her pussy exploded around me, coating me with her juices, my dick unloaded against her walls.
Marking her as mine, whether she liked it or not.
She fell against me and I shoved her to the side, smelling her womanly scent as I stood from the bed. I wobbled over to my clothes, feeling more vulnerable than I ever had in my life. What kind of power did this woman have over me? What the hell had she done to me?
I scrambled to get into my clothes before her voice filled the room.
“I know you can be merciful.”
I froze before my eyes panned over to her naked body sprawled out on the bed. Leaking, with the evidence of my need for her.
“What?” I asked.
She propped herself up. “I know you can be merciful. You did it with Lorenzo’s bodyguard when I shot him. You said so yourself: had you not killed him, my bullet would have. You didn’t kill him, Teo. You had mercy on him.”
I stared her down. “I don’t care what you think.”
“You can lie to them, but never me. I know you can be merciful, but if you don’t want to expose that side of you, that’s fine. But, that doesn’t mean I have to be merciful to you, either.”
I straightened my back. “I’ll have what I want and you’ll like it.”
She shook her head calmly. “No, you don’t. If you can be brutal, I can do the same. So, I hope you enjoyed that encounter. Because until you choose either me or your wife, you won’t touch another hair on my body.”
My entire body quivered with satisfaction and anger as it bubbled up my throat.
“And if you think for one second that I won’t put a bullet in your gut like I did with that man, you’re sorely mistaken,” Char finished.
I stared her down. “Very well, then. Let the war begin.”
And after I stormed out of her room, I locked it behind me.
Let’s see what a few missed meals does to your tone.
25
Mateo
Char’s threat kept me up most of the night, and by the time the sun rose I knew I had to get out of the house. I placed Lyle at her door, giving him explicit instructions to do whatever was necessary to make sure she stayed in that room. She wasn’t allowed a drop of food to eat. Only water, coffee, and wine to drink. If she didn’t want to give herself over to me, I’d smoke it out of her.
Because I needed her to take down the Lucchese’s.
“Where to, Mr. Emiliano?” my driver asked.
I slid into the backseat. “We’re driving the business route today. Route Plan M. It’s payday, and I have money to collect.”
“Of course, Mr. Emiliano.”
“And stop at that little coffee cafe just before the movie theater. I’d love to get some espresso while we’re out.”
My driver chuckled. “Not enough sleep last night?”
I glared at him through the rearview mirror. “Just do as I ask.”
He nodded. “Of course, Mr. Emiliano.”
As we drove up the deserted street into town, I gazed out the window. I looked across the sprawling vineyards I would one day purchase once I could get the owner out from beneath the crumbling requirements of the Lucchese Family. They were practically bleeding the man dry, and the only thing keeping him afloat were the orders I purchased in bulk. Families like ours were in positions to help those around us. Keep businesses open, keep cash flow in our pockets, and keep our families more powerful than ever. That was our purpose.
And yet, the Luccheses spit on those purposes with their disgusting ways.
“They will all die,” I murmured.
My driver rolled down the partition. “What was that, Mr. Emiliano?”
I drew in a sobering breath. “Did I say your name?”
“Well, no, but--.”
I pointed to the roof of the car. “Roll it up and stop talking, then.”
At that moment, I saw a flash of something red waft in front of my eyes. I didn’t know which direction it came from, but when the window to my right shattered just before the one to my left, I knew exactly what had happened.
“Stop the car!” I roared.
My driver came to a careening halt and another shot popped off, shattering the windshield. I heard my driver cry out in horror at the bulletproof glass that sprinkled everywhere as I got down onto the floorboard of the car. Bullets tore through the metal, one by one, while that damned red flash kept blinding my eyes.
Someone is sniping at me.
“Turn us around. Get us out of here, now!” I exclaimed.
My driver floored it and pulled a U-turn that almost forced my stomach up through my throat. After a lull in the shooting I peeked my head up, trying to determine where the bullets were coming from. The problem was that the shots weren’t coming from the vineyard side of the road.
They were coming from the fucking ocean.
There you are.
I saw a small boat out in the waters before that red flash happened again. I ducked down and covered my head as I reached for my cell phone. I sent off a text to the head of my security with only three words that told them exactly what needed to be done.
Me: Code Red, ocean
Then, I sent a message to Lyle.
Me: Code Blue, Char
>
The first message signaled to my alpha team that my supposed killer was out in the water. But, the second question signaled to Lyle that he needed to get Char somewhere safe. I felt one of the bullets pierce the back right tire, causing the car to weave for a second. But, when the tire reinflated itself, my driver took a sharp right.
And drove straight into the vineyard to provide some cover.
“Mr. Emiliano! You still alive!?” my driver yelled.
I peeked my head up. “Take a sharp left and park in the middle of the field.”
When the car finally came to an abrupt stop, I pulled my cell phone back out. I was getting tired of living my life always angry, and I knew this had to stop. How the fuck did the Lucchese Family always know where the hell to find me? I’d been careful my entire life, the way my father taught me. I never ran the same routine twice, not even to collect funds. Different days, different times, sometimes even different routes.
So, how the fuck did that asshole out in the ocean know I’d be leaving my house today for any reason?
Maybe he’s just stalking you.
“Or maybe…” I murmured.
“Mr. Emiliano?” my driver asked.
I dialed my wife’s number. “Stay put until I say otherwise. And keep quiet.”
The phone only rang once before Rosana picked up. “Well hello there, wonderful husband.”
I snickered. “You’ve got some fucking nerve, you know that?”
“Sorry, you’ll have to be more specific. I’ve got more than enough nerve for the both of us these days.”
I gnashed my teeth together. “I knew it.”
She sighed. “Knew what, Mateo?”
“You’re trying to have me killed so you can inherit my empire.”
There was a brief pause before her cackling laughter sounded so loudly in my ear that I had to pull my cell phone away from it.
“Oh, my God,” she said through her laughter.
I growled into the phone. “One more laugh and I’ll pay this sniper who’s coming for me quadruple just to take you out.”
Her laughing ceased immediately. “Teo, if I wanted an empire to take over, I would’ve married that Lorenzo character and worked my way up the chain.”
My nostrils flared. “You better watch your next words very carefully.”
“Or what?”
I drew in a deep breath. “Why should I believe you’re not the one trying to take me out?”
“Because if I wanted you dead, I would have done that ages ago. We’ve been married for years, Mateo. And I married you for a very specific reason; a reason that doesn’t get fulfilled if you’re bleeding out in the grass somewhere.”
I blinked. “And what is your purpose with me, you conniving little snake?”
“You mean, you haven’t already figured it out? And here I thought you were much smarter than people painted you to be.”
I’m going to kill you. “I got to go.”
“Toodeloo, my love!”
I hung up my phone and slammed it against the floorboard of the car. As sarcastic and as disgusting as my wife could be, I knew she was telling me the truth. Which put me right back at square one. And even though I didn’t want to believe the next thought that crossed my mind, I couldn't help but question it.
Did Char sell me out?
“Driver, take me home,” I commanded.
“Yes, Mr. Emiliano.”
I slid back into my seat and drew in a deep breath as the ocean breeze filtered through the broken windows. I knew Char and I were currently fighting, but selling me out to an enemy? That took some balls. In the back of my mind, I knew she was too damn proud and righteous to do something like that. But, her words just moments ago echoed back to me, painting a very different picture.
If you can be brutal, I can do the same.
Me and Char had much to speak about.
26
Mateo
I felt my phone vibrate and I looked down at the screen. I saw a text message from the head of my security, clearing the threat with me even though there wasn’t a picture of a body. So, I called him and held the phone to my ear.
“Mr. Emiliano, by the time we got out there--.”
I snarled. “Why the fuck wasn’t that person caught?”
“By the time we got out there, there was no sign of a boat. Not a trail of bubbles, no smell of gasoline, no boat racing off in the distance.”
I blinked. “A boat doesn’t simply disappear. It was out there. I fucking saw it!”
“I know you did, Mr. Emiliano. What I’m saying is that we didn’t. The threat is gone, and we are in the process of clearing every level of the house, one by one.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Can someone go check on Lyle and Miss Pettigrew? I commanded him to get her safe, and I haven’t had anything cleared with him yet.
“On it. I’ll call back in five.”
I hung up the phone and promptly dialed the number of the vineyard owner. I had a shitstorm of a mess to clean up with him. And when he picked up the phone, I already heard the frantic nature of his voice.
“Mr. Emiliano, it’s always a pleasure, but I kind of have an emer--.”
I licked my lips. “It was me, Mr. Pritchard.”
He paused. “Come again?”
“I was the one that drove into your vineyard.”
“Why--why would you--?”
“I can’t--and won’t--explain myself. But, I want you to tally up the number of vines that were destroyed and calculate how much money you and the Luccheses are going to lose.”
He paused. “The who?”
I groaned. “Don’t play stupid right now with my generosity. Just do it and have it delivered to me by the end of the week. I’ll make sure the debt is paid and the price doesn’t fall on your head.”
“I appreciate it, Mr. Emiliano.”
I hung up the phone without saying goodbye and clocked the time. Two minutes. The head of my security had two minutes to get back to me before I started dropping the bodies of my absolutely incompetent team.
And with thirty seconds to spare, my phone rang.
“Where are they?” I asked.
I heard the head of my team panting. “I can’t find Lyle or Miss Pettigrew.”
My jaw quivered with an emotion so intense I couldn’t readily identify. “What did you just say?”
“I’ve got my men checking the basement now, but I cleared it personally myself. Do you have any corridor of this house that I don’t know about that they could’ve tucked themselves in?”
“No. And no one from the roof saw them escape? No, forget that. The men on the roof didn’t even see the fucking boat!”
He sighed. “I have the rest of my teams diverting their attention to finding Lyle and Miss Pettigrew. But, Lyle’s competent. If he needs to hide someone, he’s going to do it until he’s absolutely certain it’s safe.”
I swallowed the angry bile in my mouth down. “Keep looking. And don’t stop until you find them. I’m two minutes out.”
“Yes, Mr. Emili--.”
I hung up before he could finish because I knew I was liable to reach through the fucking phone and ring his goddamn neck. How in the ever-blessed fuck did I pay out of my asshole for these people and they couldn’t even do their fucking jobs!? I trembled in the seat as my beach house came into view.
And something in the pit of my gut moved my mouth without my brain registering it.
“Slow down,” I said.
I felt the car slow a bit and I shook my head.
“Slower. I want the car silent as we drive up.”
My eyes searched the property on the outside as my bodyguards and security teams wrapped around all the edges of the house. I narrowed my eyes as my driver pulled into the driveway, and for some reason my gaze was pulled further down the road. I slipped out of the car and tapped three times on the hood, signaling to my driver that he was dismissed for the rest of the day.
Then, I drew the gun o
n my hip and started walking through my front yard.
I wouldn’t go down without a fight. If this was Char trying to escape, I wouldn’t go down without a war waged against her. I couldn't set her free. Not now. Not with everything falling apart. If I set her free--giving her the power to meander on her own--she’d leave me for good, I just knew it. And if she left, I’d be stuck in a massive house and a loveless world all over again.
It might just kill me if that happened again.
I crested the hill of my front yard and silenced my steps as the chaos enveloping my property fell back behind me. I walked along the ridge that separated the beach from the grass, heading toward a small cave that looked as if it had been carved out by the sloshing waters over the years. I narrowed my eyes and cocked my head as I stepped into the sand. I walked up to the jagged rocks and climbed onto a smooth surface, inching my way closer to the entrance.
And when I overheard their two voices, I had to restrain my need to kill in order to hear what they were speaking about.
“Lorenzo, I’m serious. He’s going to be back any second,” Char said.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll have you back before anyone realizes you’re not with Lyle.”
“What did you do to him, anyway? Is he okay? I don’t want him hurt.”
“Ah, the big teddy bear’s just fine. A little stab to the neck with a mild sedative and he dropped like a rock.”
Was the attempt on my life serious? Or a distraction?
Char sighed. “Lorenzo, what do you want? First, you send me some stupid burner phone and fuck with my head. Then, you storm Teo’s house and--.”
“I don’t need to tell you anything, Miss Pettigrew. The only thing I need is to make sure you understand your place in all of this.”
Wait, what burner phone?
Char’s voice started to sound panicked. “We really need to get back. You need to tell me why you’re here and what you’re doing or--.”
I came around the corner, my gun pointed at the two of them. “Or what, Miss Pettigrew?”
Char jumped back and held her hands above her head, as if I were some sort of pig. But, Lorenzo simply turned around and smiled at me as if he were some sort of charming snake.
Liar : An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance (Sold to The Don Book 2) Page 14