I smirk, wondering if she’s ever been so determined about something before in her life. Taking a step toward her, I lift my hand and cup her cheek. I run my thumb along her bottom lip, much like she did to me earlier.
“You have to be realistic, Della. You are an addict. I understand your needs and I’m going to be jealous as fuck, but if you need something while I’m away, I give you permission. I release you from your fidelity to me while I’m gone. I can’t provide for you when I’m that far away and I need you to be safe, healthy and happy.”
“Do you think cheating on you would make me happy?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Not cheating if I give you permission, nena.”
Her eyes fill with tears instantly, except this time, she doesn’t fight them. She lets them fall and I’m a bastard for thinking it, but she looks damn pretty when she cries.
I can hear Jaguar in the background, he shouts out her name and I don’t allow her to look behind her. I keep my hand cupping her cheek and my gaze focused on her own. Slowly, she lifts her hand and wraps her fingers around my wrist.
“I refuse your permission, Santi. I refuse it.”
Lowering my face, I touch my lips to her warm ones. I can taste the salt of her tears and I wish that it was a turn off, because this is supposed to be a serious conversation, but it isn’t.
I’m more turned on than ever, just because this is Della in front of me, Della who is crying because she wants to make me happy, Della who is my beautiful wife.
“I’m giving it anyway, Della. I told you that my relationship with you would be different from Jaguar, from anyone else.”
“You told me that you don’t share,” she snaps.
I smile sadly. “I don’t, nena. But I know that your needs trump anything else in my life. They are bigger than my desire for control. I also know that if I don’t give you what you need, then I’m not doing my job as your husband, as your Old Man. Plus, I know that you love me and whatever happens will be purely physical.”
“Nothing will happen,” she says, standing firm.
Touching my lips to hers, I inhale her scent. “Okay, mi corazon,” I rasp, shutting her up because this conversation makes me want to kill.
“Okay. Now that, that’s settled. Please don’t fuck any whores while you’re gone. I don’t want to have to hunt them down and stab them, then cut them into a million pieces. I’m pregnant and that sounds exhausting.”
Unable to hold it back, I let out a burst of laughter at her words. I can feel eyes on us as I laugh almost uncontrollably, but I needed her to lighten the mood. Fuck did I need it.
Dipping my chin, I touch my mouth to hers. “Let’s go back to my room. I need to be inside you,” I murmur against her lips.
Sliding my arm over her shoulders, I move us through the room, only to catch a glimpse of Jaguar again. He’s sucking back a drink, his eyes focused on us and he smirks right before he turns and touches his mouth to Charm’s.
Dipping my chin, I touch my mouth to the shell of Della’s ear. “The only person you absolutely cannot fuck is Jaguar. I’ll kill him if you do, he’s already walking on thin goddamn ice with me,” I growl.
Della snorts, turning to me, her lips twitching. She shakes her head a couple of times, then rises to the balls of her feet again before her mouth touches mine. “I’m only fucking you, Santi, so you don’t need to worry about him, or anyone else, at all.”
DELLA
We walk toward Eagle’s bedroom and I wonder why he’s so willing to allow me to be with other men. Granted, he understands my needs, my addiction, but doesn’t he realize that he’s more than enough for me?
Whatever was damaged inside of me, he’s mended that, or mending at least. I’m not a fool to think that I’m somehow cured, I’m not. However, I feel stronger than I ever have in my entire life and that’s because I have him. All of him.
I watch as he closes the door behind him, his eyes searching my face as soon as he turns around to face me. I’m scared. Nervous. Downright terrified of what tomorrow will bring, but one thing that I’m absolutely not scared of in the least, is the way that I feel about him, the way that he completes me—makes me whole.
“We’re going to be okay,” I say, trying to convince not only him but myself as well.
He jerks his chin, his eyes never leaving mine and so damn cool that I can’t read a single thought that is running through his head. He’s thinking though, really fucking hard, I just don’t know what about.
“Yeah,” he eventually croaks.
I lick my lips, taking a step toward him. “You’re going to go and deal with whatever you need to deal with in Columbia. Then, you’re going to come home to me and we’re going to start our family.”
He grunts, lifting his hand and pressing his palm against my belly. “Already started this shit, mi corazon.”
Tilting my head to the side, I smile up at him. “You’re finishing it. Something that I didn’t think I wanted, something that I wasn’t really ready for, but something that I’m so grateful for.”
I watch as he gulps, his throat swallows and he’s never looked sexier. Taking a step toward him, I reach out to touch the colorful tattoos that litter his exposed neck.
I haven’t really taken the time to memorize every mark on his skin, there are so many, I think it would take months to properly categorize them all. I can’t wait to have that kind of time with him, uninterrupted time.
“What’s this mean?” I ask as my fingers touch what appears to be a bug, a beetle, in the center of his throat with wings that wrap around the column.
He lifts his hand, his finger extending and touches the side of my face, tracing my skin as his eyes search mine.
“There’s an old fable by Aesop. Basically, it tells a story where the moral is to never look down on someone, especially those who are forced to do degrading things for work. So, in general, the beetle stands as a symbol of rebellion and defining rights against bullies.”
My breath hitches, my eyes widening as I take in his words. “Santi,” I exhale.
His lips twitch into a small smile. “Yeah,” he rasps. “We’ve all had to shovel shit, Della. The beetle, literally, you and me figuratively. It only makes us stronger, never weaker. Only makes us better, not worse. No matter what you’ve had to do.”
“What did you have to do, Santi?” I chance asking.
He shakes his head once. “What haven’t I had to do? Tomorrow, I’m going to load my shit up and go on a mission to kill siblings that I didn’t even know I had. I killed my father. If all of that ain’t shovelin’ shit, I don’t know what is.”
Sliding my hand around to the side of his throat, I inhale a shaky breath before letting it out. “And no matter how much of that shit you shovel, I will be right here waiting for you. I’ll welcome you into my heart and my body, always. Because I’ve shoveled shit too and for some crazy reason, you love me anyway.”
“I do. Completely,” he murmurs.
I hold my breath as he lowers his head and touches his mouth to mine. The kiss so sweet that I actually ache from it. When the door is pushed open, it slams against the wall and the both of us jump.
Though, Santiago is a bit more prepared and faster than I am. He spins around, producing a gun from somewhere and has it pointed at Jaguar’s head.
“What the fuck?” Santiago shouts.
Jaguar doesn’t even flinch, instead he’s leaning against the doorjamb, his glassy eyes shifting from Santiago to me. “So we fuckin’ her together?” he slurs.
Santiago growls, shifting to the side to shield me from Jaguar’s view. “You got a death wish, hermano?”
Jaguar shrugs a shoulder. “Figure since you stole her from right under my nose that you could at least share her cunt with me. I think I’m fucking owed that goddamn much.”
“This is a fight that will probably last a goddamn lifetime, Jag. You’re going to hate me forever, but what you won’t do is ever have my woman. Della isn’t yours to have
or control anymore. She’s mine and you’re going to need to come to terms with that.”
Jaguar shouts, his scream almost agonizing as his eyes move wildly around the room. He’s drunk and high, he is also extremely unpredictable.
“She was mine first. Della was always meant to be mine. I wanted her from the moment I saw her. She’s mine, carrying my baby, mine.”
I don’t allow Santiago to talk to him anymore. This is getting us nowhere. Moving around him, I stand between the two men. Jaguar’s eyes are filled with unshed tears and rimmed in red. I feel horrible.
I’ve done this to him, but he has to know that we were toxic for one another. Neither of us were happy, would have never been happy, not in a million years.
“Jaguar, it’s over. I’m sorry, but I love Santiago. It doesn’t have anything to do with you, it’s us, and I never wanted to hurt you.”
“Bullshit. You did. You wanted to make me suffer. Are you happy now? I’m suffering,” he spits.
Shaking my head, I reach for him but as soon as my fingers touch his arm, he jerks away from me like my touch makes his skin burn.
“I never wanted you to suffer, but I was suffering with you, Jaguar.”
“I don’t give a fuck. You were mine. Mine,” he roars.
I lick my lips and open my mouth to speak, but Santiago cuts me off. “Turn your ass around and walk out of this room or you’ll be carried out in a bloody fucking heap of flesh and bones. I’m done with this conversation, Jag. It doesn’t fucking matter anymore, it’s done.”
Jaguar opens his mouth, but snaps it closed. “This will never be done,” he growls, then he flicks his gaze down to me. “You’ll be mine, Della. And you’ll pay for this shit.”
We stay silent until he’s gone. Slowly, I turn around, tipping my head back to look into Santiago’s black angry gaze. He dips his chin, his eyes roaming my face.
“That motherfucker will end up dead if he’s not careful.” He lifts his hand, cupping my cheek with his palm as he watches me for a breath. “He will not take you, not from me, not ever.”
His vow rolls through my entire body and I believe him implicitly. I believe him. I want to believe everything. I just hope that Jaguar doesn’t do anything stupid. He’s proven to be unpredictable and I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a bit scared of him.
Chapter Thirty
EAGLE
Dragon lifts his gaze to meet mine. I watch as he leans back in his chair, looking like he’s nursing a raging fucking hangover. I almost smirk, but decide not to. He’s doing paperwork and schedules, which I know he fucking despises.
“What do you need now?” he asks, arching a brow.
I almost snort, but he’s not fucking wrong. I’ve been a needy bastard the past couple of weeks and it doesn’t look like I’ll be changing my ways anytime soon.
“Jaguar came into my room last night, high and drunk. He demanded that I let him fuck my woman. Says he’s going to get her back and make her pay for what she’s done to him. This shit has to end.”
Dragon jerks his chin before he nods a couple of times. “It does. Honest to fuck, I didn’t think he’d give much of a shit if you married the girl. Unless this has nothing to do with her, but more to do with his ego being bruised.”
“Probably.”
“I’ll send him on a run again. We got enough shit going down here, the last thing that we need to do is have you two at one another’s throats,” he says, taking a breath before he clears his throat and continues. “Are you ready for this trip?”
“Think we can put it off to leave at first light?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah, works better for Bones and his crew anyway. Get your shit together to leave. The Zanetti crew is meeting you in Panama City. Gator is taking care of transportation, checking on those SUVs that Angel brought up here.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get together with the guys that are riding down there, including Bone’s crew and we’ll start loading shit up,” I offer.
“Thanks. Takes a load off of me if you’d take care of all that shit.” Tilting my head to the side, I chance asking him if he’s okay. “This whole thing. Hits on the women, the babies, it all just feels so fucking wrong. I’m not at ease, maybe because Bellarosa is pregnant, maybe something else. But fuck, this whole thing fucking smells.”
Clearing my throat, I nod. “I agree. Twenty-five years and I didn’t even know the man existed, then he shows up and wants to work with us. Threatens us, our families. Assaults my wife. There is something wrong. That all reeks of desperation, but if he’s the head of their cartel, what does he have to be desperate about?” I ask.
Dragon lifts his hand, pointing his finger at me, he snaps. “Bingo.”
There’s a knock on the door and I spin around to see Coyote standing there. “When do we go to Dallas?” he asks.
“We all head out tomorrow. You and Taz take Della and we’ll head south,” I say.
He nods once. “Can I talk to you, Pres?” he asks.
Dragon looks from me to him, then back to me. “When you get down there, I want the truth of this shit before you start blowing the place up. I want to know that there will be no blowback at all. Our boys are heading to Tijuana to pick up the first shipment from the new supplier. Then the first shipment of mattresses arrives in four days. We’re all going to be burning the midnight oil with all of you away, so get that shit handled and get back home, fast.”
“Plannin’ on it.” I nod before I turn around and walk out of the room leaving him and Coyote alone.
Closing the door behind me, I pause at the sight in front of me. Leaning against the wall, her eyes wide and terrified looking is a woman. She looks like she’s in her early twenties, her face still round with youth.
Dragging my gaze down her body, I let out a low whistle. She’s petite, but obviously inching closer to womanhood and no longer a girl judging by her body. She also definitely does not belong here.
“You lost?” I ask her.
I watch as her body visibly trembles and she shakes her head a couple of times. “I’m here with Coen,” she whispers.
Blinking, I try to think of anyone here with that name, but I draw a blank. I don’t walk away from her, there’s something not right about her being here and I’m on fucking edge as it is. Clearing my throat, I open my mouth to speak when I hear Della’s voice.
“What’s going on?”
Shifting my gaze from the stranger to my woman, I grin. “Little lost bird in the hallway, trying to figure out who she belongs to,” I say.
Della looks from me to the woman, then back to me before she finally settles her gaze on the woman against the wall. She makes her way over to my side, sliding her arm around my waist as she tilts her head to the side. Her motion is clear, her claim on me even fucking clearer and it makes my cock hard.
“Says she’s here for Coen?”
Della lets out a small laugh, then shifts her gaze from the girl to my profile. Feeling her eyes on me, I dip my chin and look down at her.
“That’s Coyote,” she says with a smile.
“He’s talking with Dragon.”
Della nods before she turns her head to look at the girl. “I’m Della and this is Eagle. What’s your name?”
The girl is physically trembling, shaking against the wall and I wonder why she looks like she’s about to piss herself, puke, or do both simultaneously.
I mean, I know I’m a little scary looking with my neck and face tattoos, but Della looks like the sweet little heiress that she is standing next to me.
“Gisele,” she says, introducing herself, her voice barely above a whisper.
I swing my gaze back to the closed door, then to her and frown. I’ve never heard this woman’s name before, never even knew Coyote had someone out there. Let alone someone so fucking young. She’s got to be at least fifteen years younger than him.
“Ele,” Coyote’s voice barks from behind me. She jerks at his harsh tone, her head tipping down as she looks to her
feet. “Let’s get you up to my room,” he says, dropping his voice a bit. I watch as her body immediately relaxes just from his words.
He doesn’t say anything to us as he marches toward her. He wraps his hand around the back of her neck and we watch as he guides her down the hall and toward his room. Dragon snorts. Shifting my gaze over to him, I wait for his response.
“She’ll be joining you back to Dallas. Guess he’s been seein’ her for a while. Didn’t even know she existed. Apparently, he’s ready to claim her. Called in the brand design last week. He’s just pushed the timetable up with everything that’s been going down.”
Shaking my head, I look back down the now empty hall, then shift my attention back to Dragon. “She can’t handle a branding, Dragon. She just about pissed her pants when I asked her name.”
“She just looks young and shy. I think she seems sweet,” Della says with a shrug of her shoulder.
Dragon grunts, but doesn’t reply right away. He shakes his head a couple of times, lifting his hand to wrap his fingers around the back of his neck, he squeezes before he lets out a long sigh.
“I don’t care. If he wants to brand that little thing, then so be it. She’s a consenting adult and that’s all I give a fuck about. She isn’t living here without that brand though. I’m not having any more fucking fights over women,” he snaps.
Without another word, he turns and stomps back into his office before slamming the door behind him. Della jumps beside me and then I hear a noise in the back of her throat.
“Dragon doesn’t really like drama,” I inform her.
She laughs, looking up at me. The smile stays on her face and I wonder how the fuck a woman like this has fallen in love with a piece of shit like me? I’m not going to ask her though, don’t give much of a fuck. Honestly just happy to have her at my side.
“I gotta do a bunch of shit today, you wanna help me out?”
UNLEASH ME: SAVAGE BEAST MC 4 Page 25