by Lilly Atlas
“Better when you move.” Her voice was breathy, full of desire and need.
He laughed. “Smart-mouth. You move, fuck yourself on my cock.”
With the angle of her arched back and her hands splayed against the wall, her movements were limited. But she did as he asked, and pumped her hips on his shaft.
After a minute, she let out a feminine growl. “Acer.” Her voice was nearly a whine.
“You need something, baby?” God, he loved her like this, wanton and needy, begging for him.
“It’s not enough!”
He smiled. When was the last time he had this lightness in his chest? This sense of peace? More than twenty years ago.
He clasped her hips, stilling her frenzied movements. At an agonizingly slow pace, he drew out until he nearly lost the blazing clasp of her body. Their mixed moans filled the room. He paused for a second, letting the anticipation build. Fia’s back rose and fell with her heaving breaths.
He slammed back into her and pulled immediately back out in a fast and furious rhythm.
“Yes,” Fia cried. “Just like that.” Her head dropped down between her shoulders and she panted for breath. Against the dark door, her knuckles and fingertips were stark white.
He fucked her until his breathing was ragged and harsh. His balls slapping her ass with every deep thrust. As he raced toward completion, his dick swelled and his balls drew tight to his body. “Shit. I’m not gonna last. You close, baby?”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
He reached beneath their bodies and found her clit, pinching it lightly between his thumb and forefinger. She clenched around him, and with one last thrust, he emptied into her welcoming body, holding her tight against him.
Thank God she’d been right there with him because he couldn’t have held back for anything. With his fingers, still on her clit, Fia’s head fell back, her mouth dropped open, and a wail pierced his ears.
After her body calmed, he kissed the middle of her spine and smiled at her contented sigh. Damn, he may have shot his soul into her.
He slipped one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders and scooped her into his arms. She was soft and pliant and curled against his sweat-slicked chest.
“Oh good, you’re carrying me. Not sure I could have walked if I wanted to.”
He looked down into her eyes, at the love shining from her sleepy face. “I’ll always carry you, babe.”
I love you. The three words were on the tip of his tongue, but there was one thing that needed to be settled before he could put his own past behind him and move forward with a life with Fia.
Chapter Forty
As the doors slid open, Acer stepped out of the elevator and into Reginald Wellington’s world. The opulent design, complete with heavy drapes, carved wooden pillars, and dark colors, that adorned Reggie’s Vegas office fit in well with his hotel décor.
He hated to leave Fia so soon after the incident with Mike yesterday, but this had to be done. Fia was fully supportive, and to his satisfied surprise, insisted he go alone. He didn’t want her anywhere near his prick of an old man. Two and a half hours each way to Vegas, two if he pushed it. He’d be back by mid-afternoon, and she was working on some secret project anyway.
Acer sidled up to a large mahogany reception desk and crossed his arms over his chest. A young lady—probably no older than twenty-one and probably fucking his father on that very desk every night—stared up at him with wide, wary eyes.
He’d worn his No Prisoners cut on purpose. The MC was known, respected, and feared—if the receptionist’s expression was any indication—in the Vegas area. He pressed his lips together to hold back a grin. The girl’s only sin was working for an asshole, but he had to admit it was fun messing with her. “I’m here to see Reginald Wellington.” He kept his tone unfriendly, no-nonsense.
She cleared her throat and played with the end of a long red braid draped over one shoulder. “Um…Mr. Wellington keeps a very tight schedule. Do you have an appointment?” She pushed her glasses up her freckled nose then went back to fidgeting with her hair.
“Nope. Don’t need one. He’ll see me. I guarantee it.” He widened his stance and glowered at her.
“Let me call him.” She fumbled with the phone and Acer almost laughed. This was too much fun.
“Mr. Wellington?” Her voice took on a different quality as she spoke into the phone, softer, almost seductive. Yeah, she was definitely fucking the bastard. “There’s a man here to see you. Um, no he did not give a name and doesn’t have an appointment.” She looked at Acer. “Your name, sir?”
“Acer,” he said loud enough for Reggie to have heard through the phone.
His father yelled something he couldn’t make out, but the receptionist’s face paled and she hung up the phone. “You can head down the hallway. His office is the double doors at the end,” she nearly whispered.
“Thank you. Word of advice, things are about to get pretty shitty for Reggie. You may want to find yourself a new sugar daddy.” He tapped his hand on the desk then turned and strode in the direction she’d indicated.
The mahogany double doors were open by the time he reached the end of the poorly lit hallway. Money must be tight if Reggie couldn’t afford better light bulbs. Acer slipped through the doors and met his father’s cold stare across the room.
Reginald rose from his leather chair and placed both palms on the meticulous desktop. “What the fuck have you done?”
“Not happy to see me, old man?” Acer asked. He took a seat in an antique chair across from Reginald’s desk.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me?” Reggie asked.
Acer leaned back in the uncomfortable chair and propped his right foot on his left thigh. “I have no idea what you mean.” He smirked at his father.
Reginald slapped a palm against the desk, his face turning a deep shade of red, almost purple. If he kept ramping up, smoke would billow from his ears. “You did something. I got a call from Tony Chicarelli this morning.”
Acer was well aware the mob boss had called his father. “Hmm, not sure I can place the name. Who is he?”
“Really?” Reggie’s lip turned up in a snarl.
Damn, this was the most fun he’d had in a while. Maybe he should have brought Fia with him. She deserved a little fun.
“He certainly claims to know you. In fact, he says you’re such good buddies, he won’t tolerate my company’s presence in Arizona.” Reggie twisted the lavish ring on the finger of his right hand.
Acer almost laughed. Calling his illegal human smuggling ring his company’s presence was truly hilarious. “Huh, would you look at that. Maybe the name does ring a bell.”
“What. The. Hell. Did. You. Do?” Spittle flew from Reginald’s mouth. The man looked on the verge of a heart attack.
“Simmer down there, old man. I didn’t do much. Just a quick favor for a friend who you happen to owe five million dollars to.”
Reginald turned stark white and he dropped into his chair.
“Ahh, didn’t know I was aware of that tidbit, did you? I also know that you don’t have even a tenth of that to pay back, and your deadline is soon. This new hotel needs to be erected, fast and cheap, and it needs to be a huge success. Hence you scrambling for inexpensive labor.” Acer tsked. “Tony was not pleased to hear the news.”
In reality, Acer offered Tony something he desperately wanted in exchange for the mob boss demanding Wellington scrap the activity in Arizona.
“He threatened to ruin me. Christ, he threatened to kill me!”
Acer shrugged. “That is what happens when you piss off the mob.” He dropped his foot back to the floor and leaned forward. “Be careful who you fuck with, old man. I think I’ve proved I’m no longer a child you can fuck over. I trust the border will be clear by the time I arrive home.”
He stood and walked toward the door, leaving a defeated Reginald staring at the wall. Before he exited, he turned back around. “I warned you my co
nnections were more impressive than yours. I’ll fulfill my promise to your mother, my grandmother, and honor my friendship to Derek by attending the prison fund raising event each year. But I expect you to find a reason not to be there from now on. In fact, I expect this will be our last conversation. Ever.”
He stepped into the hallway and blew out breath as the door clicked shut behind him. He was done. Rid of Mike. Rid of his father. He’d gotten so used to the substantial weight pressing down on his shoulders over the last twenty years, he almost felt like he’d levitate off the ground as the heaviness disappeared. He raised his gaze to the ceiling. “That was for you, Derek,” he whispered.
Time to return to Arizona, to Fia. He had something very important to tell her.
Chapter Forty-One
Fia threw the door open as Acer’s heavy boots sounded on the steps. She jumped up and he caught her mid-flight, his hand cupping her ass to hold her against him. “Hi,” she whispered. He’d been gone just a little over five hours, and it felt like a lifetime. After everything that happened with Mike yesterday, Fia was a little needier than usual and wanted him in her arms.
Of course, she fully understood his need to put his issues with his father to bed, so she’d encouraged his trip to Vegas. She spent the day working and checking the clock. The wait was finally over.
“Fuck, I missed you,” he said as he walked them into the apartment and straight to the couch. He fused their mouths and lowered her to the cushions, his big body dwarfing her. This was exactly what she needed. She kissed him back, letting all her love flow into the act. They hadn’t spoken words of love yet, but she loved him with every cell in her body and was pretty sure he felt the same.
“Need you now, baby,” he said, wrestling with the zipper on his jeans.
Yes. Now. She could barely wait the time it would take them to undress. As she reached for the waistband of her white denim shorts, a shrill melody sounded through the house and she froze.
“Ignore it,” Acer said of the ringing phone.
“It’s my father’s ring tone.”
Acer sat up straight and ran a hand through his mussed hair. “Fuck. You better get it. Put it on speaker.”
She nodded as she scrambled to a sitting position. She reached for her phone, resting on Acer’s coffee table. “Okay,” she whispered, then pushed talk and speaker. “H-Hello?” She tried to sound unaffected, but her mind whirled and her heart raced.
“Fia?” He sounded so small, beaten down.
“Yes.” She worked to keep a tremor out of her voice. Despite everything that had gone down between them, he was her father, her blood, and she couldn’t remain unaffected by his distress.
Acer rubbed a hand up and down her back, always there, always supporting her.
Her father cleared this throat. “I, um, I just wanted to say thank you. Whatever Acer said to get Wellington to stop blackmailing me, it worked.”
She remained quiet. As part of his deal with the mob boss, Acer demanded his father stop blackmailing hers. How was she supposed to respond? He hadn’t done it for her father’s own good, but for hers. To keep any additional drama and heartache from touching her.
“You still have a lot of trouble on your plate,” she said instead of acknowledging his thanks.
“I know. I’m going to take care of it.” He paused, the silence made him seem a million miles away. “And I want you to know, I will not interfere with your business anymore.”
Her jaw dropped and she turned to Acer. He pressed a soundless kiss to her cheek. Her dad sounded sincere, sounded remorseful. She wanted to believe him, wanted to think they could have some sort of father-daughter relationship moving forward, but it was just too soon. After dealing with so much trauma and stress, she just couldn’t add to it at this time.
“You’ve said, and done some pretty serious things, dad.” Had he even told her mother about the affair? A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes. This was all just too much so soon after everything with Mike. She just didn’t have the energy to deal with the problems he created.
His heavy sigh was clear through the phone. “I have a lot of amends to make.”
She rolled her eyes. He had a lot more to do than just making amends. “I think…I think maybe we shouldn’t talk for a while. Not forever, but for now. I need time. Time for me.”
“I understand. Take as much time as you need. Goodbye, Fia.”
“Bye, Dad.” Fia ended the call and dropped her face into her hands. “I’m not sure I handled that right.”
Acer brushed her hair to the side and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. Then another. She smiled into her hands. God, she loved this man. It was time to tell him. Even if he couldn’t say it back.
“Acer,” she said, and she lifted her head and made eye contact with him.
He clasped her face between both hands and stared deep into her eyes. For a second, the serious look on his face worried her. Was something wrong?
“I love you, Fia.” He kissed her. “I couldn’t say it until I was free of all this, it didn’t seem fair, but I love you so fucking much.”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled out as a giant smile grew on her face. Those three words coming off his lips were the sweetest sound. After all that she’d been through in the past month, to have it all end with Acer’s love was unbelievable. “I love you too. So much, Acer. You have no idea.”
Tension fled his body until he almost sagged into her. It was like he’d been afraid she wouldn’t return his feelings.
Not possible.
He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her too him, so tight it was as though he wanted to absorb her into his body. “God I don’t deserve you, baby, but I’m so fucking thankful for you.”
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks now and she laughed. “You just haven’t seen my mean side yet.”
He chuckled and rested his forehead against hers. “I hate to say this when all I want to do is take you to bed and stay there for the next week, but I have church in half an hour.”
Fia groaned. “I forgot.” She sighed. “All right, let’s get it over with. I’ll tag along. I have something for the girls.”
“What is it?”
She winked. “Nothing for you to worry about.” She pulled him off the couch with a light heart and feeling like her life had taking an amazing turn.
~ ~ ~ ~
“So, how’d you run ’em off? I was looking forward to kicking some ass. This was too easy.” Hook rubbed a hand over his fisted knuckles.
Acer smiled at his brothers. He felt great, like he’d woken up from hibernation. Fia was officially his, and he planned to keep it that way for the rest of their lives.
Striker laughed. “You’re still rocking that shiner from the last time we ran into them. You that anxious for its twin?”
Hook scoffed. “Screw that.” He touched the faint purple bruise ringing his right eye. “This ain’t nothing’. You saw what I did to the dude, right?”
The men laughed until Shiv cleared his throat. “Think you jerk-offs can focus for five minutes?”
“Sorry, pres.” Hook’s grin was unrepentant.
Acer rolled his eyes. “Anyway, looks like Reggie was so far buried under the shit he would have needed a whole crew of excavators to dig out. A little discrete digging revealed he owed more than five million to the mob.”
Jester snorted. “Discrete digging, huh? What’s that mean? You hacking bank accounts now?”
Acer flipped Jester off. “You want to hear the rest or not?”
“Go on, go on.”
“The bill is due soon and Reggie doesn’t have nearly what he needs to pay up. Looks like he was hoping to build this new hotel on the cheap so he could pay off his debts, but even then, it didn’t look promising. Anyway, that’s why he was trying to get migrants across the border to work build his latest monstrosity for next to nothing.”
“So how’d you get him to back off?” Lucky spoke this time.
Acer was g
lad Lucky’s transition to Arizona seemed to be smooth. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to his buddy about what he was doing at the motel out of town last weekend, but he’d get to it soon. If Lucky needed help, Acer would do anything for him. There was a good chance he’d saved both his and Fia’s lives that morning.
“I had some information the mob boss could use, so I passed it along. He then let Reggie know we were tight and he wouldn’t tolerate them fucking around in our turf. He backed off in a heartbeat.”
“What did you give to the mob boss?” Jester asked.
Acer hesitated. “The FBI has been up their asses and they have a pending trial that goes to court in a month.” He cleared his throat. Everyone knew he could make a computer get up and dance, but they didn’t all know the full extent of his skills. “I tracked down some files that would give them a leg up.”
The room grew quiet as more than fifteen pairs of eyes blinked at him.
Finally, Jester snorted. “Christ, remind me not to piss you off. You can do some scary shit.”
“Seriously,” Gumby agreed. “I’d like my skeletons to stay locked in my closet.”
The room cracked up, ribbing and backslaps making the rounds.
“A’ight, meeting adjourned.” Shiv stood and nodded to Acer. “Thanks for taking care of all that shit. Glad it didn’t end up with anyone behind bars or bloodied.”
Except his father. There was a good chance he’d end up six feet under if he couldn’t pay his debt.
“Damn straight.” Jester rubbed his hands together. “Ain’t got time for any of that shit. I got a woman to keep satisfied.”
“Speaking of, any of you guys ever figure out what those ladies are up to? I swear they’ve got something planning and I’m starting to sweat,” Striker said.
“Aww, you afraid of you ol’ lady, VP?” Jester asked.
Striker snorted. “You mean, you ain’t? Yours is knocked up, brother, you’re the one who should be shaking in your clown boots.”