It was Luke. He stood at the door, one flower in his hand and a sad smile on his lips.
“I couldn’t stay there…”
She jumped into his arms, showering him with kisses, and shut the door. Not for a moment did they let go of each other, kissing, bodies rubbing. The flower fell to the floor, as did the t-shirt Tasha was wearing. Luke pulled it off her, kissing the naked body underneath. Next went her pants, and then the panties. His hand went between her legs, fingers rubbing her clit softly. Then she was unbuttoning his shirt, and then the pants. They fell to the floor, and she pulled down his underwear. He was already hard. She lost all control of herself. She got to the floor and began kissing around his cock, and then sucking on it. One hand massaged his balls, while the other held on to his ass, fingernails in the cleft between his buttocks. Luke's fingers were in her hair, pulling lightly, moving with her head. He reached down and squeezed her breast – she moaned.
Luke pulled her up then and turned her around, pressing her to the wall. He kissed her nape and then her back, as his hand once again went between her legs. She felt his fingers inside her, slow, precise, while the fingers of his other hand were playing with her clit. Luke was kissing the small of her back, his tongue going up and down. Tasha’s legs felt weak again. She clenched her fists, one cheek to the wall. It was impossible to wait any longer.
She felt for his penis, and pulled it close. He slipped into her, and went deep, his hands holding on tight to her hips. He thrust, again and again, making her moan. Her hands were pressed to the wall, and she pushed back, trembling with every motion.
One of his hands went to her shoulder, and the other to her breasts. He pressed her tight, picking up pace.
Tasha got tired of the pose. She pushed him off, gripped his hand and led him to the couch. She sat him down, legs apart, and got to her knees again. His penis was slippery, throbbing, and she stroked it a few times, looking into his eyes. He was in ecstasy. She gave it a lick and got on top of him, sitting down on his cock. It went in deep.
Luke’s hands were on her breasts, squeezing as he kissed them. She put her arms around his head and pressed him to her chest, moving up and down on him, her hips shifting to and fro. His arms locked around her, one hand going down, one finger up her ass. She almost screamed – she loved it so much.
She kissed his mouth, their tongues intertwining, as he moved inside her. She lost track of time, it seemed they’d been at it for hours, and that wasn’t enough.
Luke picked her up and put her onto her back, his knees ending up on the floor. He was relentless, his penis going in and out. One of his hands was on her belly, its thumb twisting her clit. The other arm was around her leg, and he was kissing her ankle. Tasha held on to his muscular arm, one hand in her hair, eyes rolling.
He leaned in to her, their lips locking. Tasha pushed him away, rose, and turned her back to him, leaning on the back of the couch. He licked between her butt cheeks, three fingers inside her, reaching deep. She trembled.
The next moment his penis was inside her again, his hands on her hips. He moved fast, tireless.
She took his hand and put it between her legs, where his fingers quickly found what to do. His other hand was in her hair, pulling at it as he leaned close, kissing her ear.
“I love you,” he whispered, barely audible. Then louder: “I love you!”
“I love you, too,” she replied, her voice ending up on a high pitch, almost a squeal. “Say it again.”
“I love you!” he said louder, him on her chest, pressing tight, as his penis moved inside her. She came.
Her hand went behind her back, holding on to his neck. She pushed back, needing him deeper inside her. He bit into her shoulder. They were one, moving in unison, both of them wet and moaning, getting tired but no less lustful. Tasha came again, her legs getting weak.
She sat back down on the couch, and he was on top of her again, moving just as fast, but now he was kissing her on the mouth, holding her by the neck, her hands on his hips, nails digging into his skin, pressing him as he thrust harder and harder. She pushed him back, forcing him to pull out. She put one arm under her breasts, perking them up. Her other hand stroked Luke’s penis, hard and pulsing, until he shot his load all over her. She sat up and sucked him clean as he trembled, hands in her hair.
The last thing Tasha did that night was call the office to tell them she’d fallen sick over the weekend for the first time in years.
Chapter 8
They took a hot bath afterwards, drinking wine and kissing. It was out: they were in love. It was liberating. Nothing worried them anymore. Tasha felt invincible. They were together, stronger than ever, and she felt sure nobody could stop them now. They would fix everything, get rid of Luke’s oppressors (which was how Tasha saw them) and be happy together.
Before going to sleep they made love again, gentle and sensual this time, and then spent half an hour talking.
“I shouldn’t have come, Tash,” Luke said. “They’ll be all over the place. I’m sure I’ve been followed all the way from the Hamptons.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said lightly. And it didn’t. “They already know where I live, I’m sure, and surely they’ve been monitoring our movements for the past week. It’s fine.”
“I guess. They haven’t made a move. Must mean we’re doing alright.”
“Maybe they think all we do is fuck?” she said with a smile.
“They’re kind of right about that, aren’t they?”
He kissed her passionately.
“We need to sleep. Tomorrow we will be doing more than fucking,” she said, and saw in Luke’s eyes that he had a plan. She didn’t know what it might be, and didn’t want to find out just then. It was their night, and she wanted it to end that way.
They slept all through the night, arms around each other, tossing and turning, but always touching bodies. In the morning, Tasha cooked breakfast and brought coffee to bed, where Luke was struggling to wake.
“My legs are cramped,” he said.
“So are mine. It’s a good sign.”
They kissed, and ate pancakes, chasing them down with coffee.
“So, are you ready to hear it?” Luke asked. “Come closer.”
She saw he was nervous, probably fearing that the apartment might have been bugged at some point. Tasha wouldn’t be surprised; she just wished the bastards enjoyed last night’s show.
Luke whispered: “I have evidence.”
That was amazing news! In her head, Tasha was celebrating already.
“Okay,” she said back. “What kind?”
“A few recordings, some emails, texts, that kind of thing. There are also a few official papers connecting Vincenzi and his men to the operation.”
“Luke, that’s gold. How legit are the papers?”
“All originals. The emails are print-outs, naturally.”
“Will that be enough?”
“It’ll be enough to commence an investigation into South East Financial. They’ll probably give me a deal. Witness protection. New identity.”
This was moving faster than Tasha expected. She’d seen in films how this was done, but hearing Luke talk about it made it too real.
“What about me?”
Luke fell eerily quiet. Then, he said, “I’ll have to find out. You are not mixed into this.”
“But they’ll be after me, you know that!” she drew back, but he pulled her back close.
“Don’t worry. There is a way. If we get married.”
Now things were moving extremely fast!
“I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”
“It might be the only way.”
“What’s the plan then?”
“First, to finish the breakfast.”
He gave her a kiss and they ate, even though both had lost their appetite. Tasha’s mind was racing, full of doubt and concern. Would it work? Did they really have a chance of bringing down the Mafia? It sounded unrealistic, if she was honest, but
that was the best (and probably the only) plan they had. And Tasha trusted Luke. She would stand by his side no matter where this road led them.
After breakfast they took a shower together and got dressed.
“Where to?” Tasha asked.
“I’ll tell you on the way there. Do you still have the keys?”
“Of course.”
She passed him the keys to his sports car, and they rode the elevator down. Outside they stopped on the sidewalk, looking around. Neither of them could see anything – no suspicious black sedans, no strangers propped against a streetlamp, seemingly disinterested, secretly watching.
They walked to the car, and Luke got behind the wheel. They drove down Broadway, ending up on Wall Street.
“I know it’s cliché, but the package is in a safety deposit box.”
“It is. Good thinking. Is it really safe?”
“As safe as the bank is. Which is very, I should hope.”
“Okay then.”
She stayed behind in the lobby, keeping watch, while Luke made all the necessary arrangements. He was an important client, and the management worked fast, taking him to the depository downstairs.
Tasha sat in a leather chair, leafing through a magazine without reading it. It was hard to focus, as there was a constant feeling of being watched. She was sure among the many people in the spacious hall there was at least one man keeping an eye on her. Had to be. She waited, looking through the crowd and not able to pin down the stalker.
Finally, Luke returned, walking confidently away from the reception desk; the manager watched him go, with no expression on his face. Tasha suspected everyone. Something told her the manager was a made man, ready to tell on them. She hoped she was wrong.
Luke took her hand and they walked out, walking towards the car as if nothing of importance had taken place. Once they were safely in the car, Luke produced a brown envelope from under his shirt.
“It’s all here. The human trade, the drugs, all of it.” He held the package in his hand like something priceless, which it indeed was.
Tasha grabbed it and put it into her handbag. “It’ll be safer there than tucked behind your back.”
“You’re right. Tell me, is your phone secure?”
Tasha’s work phone was a Blackberry, encrypted and encoded, practically impossible to trace, unless the potential eavesdroppers had military-grade equipment. Somehow it seemed like that would be exactly the case. She passed him the phone.
“Press asterisk-number sign-asterisk before the number. It’ll go into encrypted mode.”
“That must do the trick.” He dialed a number and waited. In a few seconds, he said, “Hey, it’s Luke Briscoe! Yeah, can never be too careful, right? Good to hear you, too, brother. Are you in today? Great. No, a business matter, actually. No, can’t wait a day. Right now, preferably, I’m in the neighborhood. Come on, I’ll buy you a coffee.”
He laughed then, and Tasha assumed the man on the line told a joke, probably something that had to do with Luke’s wealth. “Okay, thanks. I’m on my way.”
He clicked off and returned the handset.
“Where to?” Tasha asked.
“Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York City.”
He revved up the engine, and the car joined the traffic. Even though the FBI building was only a few blocks away, it took them thirty minutes to get there, navigating narrow one-way streets. They parked in front of a café on Worth Street, and Luke went inside, returning in a minute with three large coffees.
“Can you trust the man?” Tasha asked. She didn’t. If she’d learned anything from the movies – nobody was to be trusted, where the Mafia was concerned.
“We went to university together. Chris is one of the good guys.”
“Good guys have bills to pay, too, you know.”
He didn’t reply to that, taking a huge sip.
They waited.
Had the man turned them in? Had he tipped off the gangsters? Tasha assumed if that were the case, they’d have gotten a visit from the short man and his giant bodyguard. It was all too easy to imagine the two men surrounding the car, pulling them out. Well, maybe they’d be more conspicuous. Tasha imagined turning her head right, only to see the giant’s waist, with a handgun safely tucked into his pants. Just a glimpse of it would be enough for her to say goodbye to her life. She remembered the story Luke had told about his dad. He just disappeared. She supposed the same thing would happen to them. But, provided the bank manager and Agent Chris were clean, she was sure the plan would go smoothly.
It didn’t, not exactly.
After twenty more minutes they saw a man in a cheap gray suit exit the FBI building and head towards them. He jaywalked and approached the car from Luke’s side. There were only two seats in the Ferrari, so all Luke could do is bring the hard top down in time. Chris leaned on the car, one arm on the windshield frame, the other on the headrest of Luke’s seat. He was a small man in his early thirties, but clean-shaven and cut. He gave Tasha a glance, and then focused his gaze on Luke.
“What’s the urgency?” he asked. His tone suggested he would’ve been a lot more open to a social call.
“I have something for you.”
Chris frowned. “Something good?”
“Depends. How does the Bureau feel about Italian Mob?”
Chris looked around. Tasha did, as well. She could see no immediate threat, but something told her they were watching. Maybe listening, as well. What if Chris was bent, after all? All it would take is a subtle hand signal, and the gangsters would be at his side, or worse – a swarm of agents could be down here, and then the car’s frisky engine would be of little help.
Chris said, “What is it, Luke?”
Luke turned to Tasha and gave her a short nod. She produced the package and passed it to her man, who then handed it to their potential savior. Chris took the unmarked envelope hesitantly, still frowning.
“What is this?”
“Take a peek,” Luke said.
Chris untied a string that held the envelope closed and took out a few papers. He read through them, his eyebrows tight together, forming vertical lines on his forehead. To Tasha’s dismay, he was not displaying any positive signs – not a half-smile, not a nod of approval. Were the papers not good enough?
Luke got nervous, too. “Read this one!” He riffled through the papers and took out a particular one. “Read it.”
Chris did, with the same expression.
Luke cracked. “We need witness protection, and guarantees that no charges will be pressed against either of us-”
Chris held up a hand. “Wow, let me stop you right there. Are you wearing a wire?”
Luke was confused for a moment, but then started shaking his head; so did Tasha.
“No, of course not! We’re not wearing any wires, Chris! Are you?”
Chris sneered. “No, Luke, me neither. Listen.” He tucked the papers safely back into the envelope, and made a point of reeling up the string. “I’m sure this would be a fascinating read. The boys would lose their minds, and I would surely get a promotion.”
“Yes?” Luke asked. Tasha’s heart sank.
“Luke, you’re a good guy. Filthy rich, right? You should know better than this. Coming to my office? Come on.”
There was silence, and Chris dropped the envelope into Luke’s lap.
“Chris, you have to help me!” Luke was alerted, ready to jump out of his seat. Tasha found herself clenching her handbag so hard that her hands began to hurt.
“Luke.” He shook his head. “That promotion I’d get? The problem is, I wouldn’t live long enough to enjoy it, because I’ll be right next to you two, with a shovel in my hands, digging a nice shallow grave. Are you quite ready for that? I know I’m not. And everyone in that building behind me will tell you the same thing.”
“I can’t believe this,” Luke muttered, defeated. “They got to you.”
“Got to me? No one got to me, buddy. I’m just smart enough to
keep away from them.”
“But you’re a federal agent!” Tasha snapped.
Chris laughed heartily at that. “Lady, your friends wouldn’t give two shits if I were the president of the United States!” He looked back at Luke. “Trust me on this one, Luke, forget this meeting ever took place.”
Chris straightened up, ready to leave.
“But what do I do?”
“Suck it up. Burn this little envelope, or bury it. Go home, have sex, live your fabulous life. You should know better than anyone how to go about that.” He shrugged, all out of advice. “I’ll see you around, Luke. Next time, please, bring some donuts along.” He leaned into the car and grabbed a coffee. Then, speaking to neither of them, but rather to a disembodied third listener, he said, “Goodbye, Luke, it was nice seeing you this afternoon.”
He walked away then, giving them a single wave. They watched him jaywalk once again and disappear inside the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
They sat in complete silence, unsure what to do next, for what felt like hours. Luke pressed a button, and the hard top rose into place, cutting them off from the world around them.
“Do you think he will turn us in?” Tasha asked.
Luke didn’t answer for a long minute, then said, “No. I don’t think so. If he were their mole, he’d have called Vincenzi right after he finished speaking to me. He’s just scared.”
“I can’t blame him.”
“Yeah.”
“So, what now?”
“Let’s go home.”
She didn’t ask any more questions. She grabbed the package and put it back into her handbag – it might come in handy, after all. Evidence was evidence. When you spend years dealing with financial documents, you realize that it’s best to keep all the papers around; you never know what you’re going to need.
Luke drove purposefully, but in no hurry. They both needed time to think. Tasha trusted him to come up with another plan, with another way to fight back. Herself, she had no idea how to handle it. If the FBI wouldn’t even consider looking into hard evidence against a mob boss, then there was no use calling the cops. Luke’s most trusted man of law let them go with a warning, but the next one wouldn’t be so loyal. They couldn’t take that chance.
Her Russian Millionaire (BWWM Romance Book 1) Page 21