Tex was standing on the last obstacle, a stupid looking gladiator stick twisting in his hands. “You ready for me, Russia?”
I rolled my eyes. “That depends…”
He hesitated; it was brief.
I flashed him a cocky smile. “Didn’t know your wife was pregnant with triplets!” I widened my eyes. “Look!”
Nixon and Chase both looked and gaped.
Then Tex turned just enough for me to slam my hands against him and throw him into the foam pit they’d constructed.
I hopped off in victory as Mo gave me a high five.
Her sign said. “Triplets! YAY US!” Then she flipped it over. “Gotcha.”
Tex was on his knees. “Shit, I nearly had a stroke. Three? Three at once?”
“I’m praying you have ten.” I patted him on the back. “Never underestimate manipulation or the fact that your wife wants this to happen because she planned the reception.”
Tex grumbled. “Touché.”
I looked up.
There she was.
My heaven.
Dripping in red.
Blood red.
My body tightened as I took purposeful steps toward her, pulled her into my arms, and stole kiss after kiss, ignoring the throat clearing around me.
“You did it.” She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around me. “I like you in a tux.”
“I like you in red.” Our foreheads touched, she was so warm, so pretty and delicate, her hair was down past her shoulders, and a small silver crown rested on top.
The diamonds were real.
I would know.
Louis had them flown in earlier that week.
They were from my family line, the one that I thought had abandoned my mom, abandoned me. The one I never knew.
I was birthed into darkness.
Not knowing, I was truly a child of the light.
“I love you.” Alice clung to me tears glistening in her eyes.
“Dearly beloved…” Tex started and then snickered. “Seriously, though, is everyone ready for this?”
A throat cleared.
I glanced up as Luca made his way toward us with Frank, both of the men who had “retired” from the families yet watched us from afar like the perfect puppet masters in disguise.
They were both in black suits, fedoras, and wouldn’t you know, Frank had a red scarf wrapped around his neck.
Luca carried a bottle of wine, and Frank held the glasses.
“Hope we aren’t late.” Luca winked at me. “I couldn’t miss my protégé getting married.”
“He also couldn’t miss his tee time,” Frank added.
Luca just rolled his eyes. “It’s important to stay busy.”
“Andrei killed seven people in under ten seconds a few days ago,” Dante just had to point out. “Does that count?”
Luca snorted. “Boy, talk to me when you get it down to six.”
“Chase did just last year.” I jerked my head to Chase.
“Yes, let’s talk about body counts,” Mo said through clenched teeth. “Not just on your wedding day but literally minutes before you say your vows.”
“Mafia,” Alice blurted with a grin. “It’s the mafia.”
“Blood in,” Frank lifted his glass. “No out.”
“Thank. God.” I kissed her again this time ignoring everyone’s protests.
It took another few minutes to settle down Serena and Junior, apparently she’d gone from sticking out her tongue to kicking him.
And he learned how to fake a fall so it looked like he was severely injured. Little faker even closed his eyes.
The ceremony was quick as most Russian ceremonies are; technically you just sign papers and call it good unless you want something big.
And I just wanted her.
“I’m happy to announce Mr. and Mrs. Andrei Petrov-Sinacore,” Tex grinned. “You can kiss your bride… again.”
And I did.
I kissed her with every part of my soul.
With every ounce of blood I had.
I kissed her.
And I knew she was mine, mine without the ceremony, mine without the tux. She’d been mine the minute she walked into my club.
And now she had my name.
A name that used to cause me shame.
That now held scars I refused to forget, and a name that held my future, one where the darkness didn’t stay forever, one where light always came, in the morning and in her arms.
“And NOW!” Chase interrupted us with his loud voice. “We eat.”
I grinned at the memory, my eyes locking with Alice. “You hungry?”
“I’m starved.” She bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes darting from my mouth back up to my face like she couldn’t decide.
“Then I say we feast.” I leaned in and brushed a kiss across her neck. “On each other.”
Her knees weakened as she leaned against me.
“You guys coming?” Tex hit me on the back.
I winked over at Alice. “Yup.”
Her face flashed as red as her dress.
Mo looped her arm with Tex’s.
One by one, the couples went into the house. We were last to go in. It was loud, like it always was with the Italians, like they didn’t understand the meaning of silence and the person who was the loudest won for the day.
We bypassed the kitchen.
And then I was running pulling her along with me as we made our way down the hall and slammed the door to the bathroom behind us.
Our mouths fused together with a ferocity that I felt in my soul as I shrugged out of my jacket, not wanting my lips to leave hers.
Alice let out a moan as I tossed the jacket to the ceramic tile and lifted her up onto the sink, my fingers digging into the silk dress that seemed too pretty to ruin.
She hooked a heel around my hips pulling me close as she smiled against my mouth. “Thirty days locked in a room isn’t going to be enough.”
“No.” I couldn’t control myself, didn’t want to, as I jerked her skirt up to her hips, her head banged the mirror as she leaned back giving me access to her thighs, opening them wide for me, welcoming me, making it impossible for me to focus on anything and everything all at once.
“I’ll be gentle,” she whispered, her fingers touching a few of the scars roaming my shoulders as she untucked my shirt.
“Don’t be.” I clenched my teeth. “I want you rough, I want you raw, I want you walking back into the reception funny, so they all know where I just spent the last few minutes… making you mine, in the bathroom, with your legs spread like a fucking feast.”
Her mouth found mine again while she pulled my pants open, I tugged a flimsy piece of lace down her legs and tossed it. I’d memorize every part of her lingerie later. Right now, it was all about need.
Essential.
Primal.
I almost let out a roar when she gripped me in her hand.
How I went through my entire life not experiencing this finally made sense, she was the only one whose touch was life.
Who I wasn’t scared to share my soul with.
Who made me feel everything.
She moved down the counter. I gripped her hips and pulled her close, as she impaled herself on me sinking down, taking me inch by inch. I couldn’t stop my movements, I was hurried as I pumped into her, kissing her with each slick movement. Sensations hit me everywhere as she tugged my hair and moaned against my mouth.
I was so close.
And the only thing keeping me from being pissed about that was the fact that I had her, not just for twenty-four hours, but for every day.
Forever.
“Andrei.” She whimpered my name. “I’m so happy to be yours…”
Waves of happiness rushed over me until I was dizzy with the feeling. I bruised my lips against hers, I slid my tongue across her bottom lip then bit, tasting her, sucking her, as she clenched, her body going so tight that I knew she couldn’t hold on any longer.
I didn’
t want her to.
I watched her face then watched the ecstasy slide across her perfect features. I was doing that. No, not just me, us together.
I let go, soaring high with her, gripping her dress, crinkling it in all the wrong places, making a mess of her perfection.
She rested her head against mine. “How long?”
“How long?” I was high on her; I couldn’t even remember how old I was. “What?”
“How long until we can get back here and do that again?”
I barked out a laugh. “Give me thirty minutes.”
She pouted.
“You realize that it’s only because I’m young, right? Tex would probably need five days.”
I heard a throat clear.
We both froze.
A knock sounded at the door. “The walls, real thin, just ask Vic. At any rate, I just feel the need to clear my name. It’s not days, it’s like an hour, you little shit. Now I’m going to give you guys five minutes before we come barging there. Time to enjoy your wedding feast that my wife worked her ass off doing up for you.”
“Be right there,” Alice yelled.
“Uh-huh.” Tex’s footsteps lessened the farther he got away.
I quickly helped Alice get dressed and put the crown back on her mussed hair. Her face wasn’t any better, pink cheeks, swollen lips. Not to mention Tex had a big mouth.
We got as presentable as we could and made our way back to the kitchen only to find every single person in there grinning at us like fools.
“Not a word,” I said through clenched teeth, then reached for one of the steak knives.
Mo cursed. “Will nothing ever be normal?”
Tex grabbed the other knife.
“I wanna play too!” Junior yelled.
“Son of a bitch.” Phoenix reached for the wine while Nixon sat Serena down and started explaining that bitches were, in fact, dogs.
“That was maybe two minutes if you’re lucky,” Tex teased.
I lunged. “Just how many girls did you sleep with in college? I lost track…”
Mo grabbed a knife.
Tex ran in the opposite direction while Chase did a slow clap and eyed me and Alice. “So, you ready for blood and war De Lange?”
Alice smiled at him. “I think if I can handle you, I can handle anything.”
“She’s not wrong.” Luc nodded handing him a glass of wine.
Chase sighed and then lifted his glass into the air. “A toast, to the new arm of the five families. Andrei Petrov-Sinacore, may you and your wife have many children, a house of love, and peace in between the war. Most of all, may you never have to face betrayal or loss. Each day is precious. Live life to the fullest and love hard. Cheers.”
Alice had tears in her eyes as she took a glass of wine and clinked it with his and then stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. The man who killed an entire family line in cold blood, her line. It wasn’t lost on anyone in the room the power behind what she did next as she whispered to the other monster, “Thank you.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, please know you are not alone.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7
Telephone: 800.656.HOPE (4673)
Online chat: online.rainn.org
Español: rainn.org/es
WANT MORE RVD?
Did you enjoy Debase?
Then check out these other Mafia Romances
Envy
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Eagle Elite series…
Every family has rules, the mafia just has more....
Do not speak to the bosses unless spoken to.
Do not make eye contact unless you want to die.
And above all else, do not fall in love.
Renee Cassani's future is set.
Her betrothal is set.
Her life, after nannying for the five families for the summer, is set
Somebody should have told Vic Colezan that.
He's a man who doesn't take no for an answer.
And he only wants one thing.
Her.
Somebody should have told Renee that her bodyguard needed as much discipline as the kids she was nannying.
Good thing Vic has a firm hand.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
Purchase Envy HERE
Rip
Pretty things aren't meant to be broken.
But I broke her, and now we both have to pay the price.
I'm her nightmare.
I'm her savior.
And now that I have her signature on an ironclad contract, I own her body and soul.
She doesn't remember me.
She will.
It's inevitable.
Because as much as I know I need to stay away, for fear of unlocking the memories I helped her father bury--I can't.
She was the apple in the Garden, dangled in front of me, her core so tempting and sweet. A voice whispered. Just. One. Bite.
I bit.
I tasted.
I fell.
Welcome to the world of the Russian mafia, where death, is your only future.
Purchase Rip HERE
WHAT TO READ NEXT
Gone For You by Jennifer Van Wyk
EXCERPT
Starting at her temple, I give her a long, slow kiss. My lips linger against her, my nose skimming the sensitive outer shell of her ear. She shivers. Moans. It’s a light sound, full of breath. Her stomach sinks in as she sucks in a deep breath, pressing deeper into the mattress.
I love how I affect her – the slightest of touch has her begging for more. I suck on the flesh of her neck where it meets her collarbone, but this time I don’t stop before I risk leaving a mark. It’s ridiculous and juvenile but the need to claim her, to let everyone she sees to know she belongs to someone, is roaring inside me.
She must feel it too because instead of pushing me away and stopping me, she just tilts her head to the side, giving me more room.
But there’s more of her silky skin for me to explore. I palm her breast, massaging and squeezing before latching onto her nipple. My tongue swirls around her tight bud as she writhes beneath me. Her arms pull against the silk red scarf and I know she’s dying for the use of her hands.
I lean up on my elbow so I can keep my mouth on her while sliding my rough palm along her sternum, over her naval and right where both of us want me. She’s practically dripping and as I insert my middle finger inside her, her body pulses around me. Clenching tightly when I add another finger. I press myself against her, knowing that she can feel how hard and ready I am for her. I’m not sure if she’s the one who moans or me, maybe both. Her cries of pleasure always drive me wild, making me want to thump on my chest and shout to the world, staking my claim.
“I need…” she gasps, not being able to continue talking as an orgasm begins. “Eth… gaaaahhhhh… it’s s-s-s-so good,” she’s stuttering, struggling against the material that’s stopping her from moving the way she wants. All just from my mouth on her breast and thumb tickling her clit as my fingers continue to work. In and out. In and out. Roughly. Her body jerks back and forth, hands grip the slats in the headboard so tightly her knuckles are turning white. The noises she’s making echo off the walls. I love that she doesn’t hold back, passionately screaming my name. I’m not being gentle or careful, knowing that she can handle it. Prefers it.
“Don’t stop. Don’t stop.”
“Get there, Liv. Now. I need to be inside you.” It comes out as a deep, feral growl.
“I’m… I’m…” her voice rises, back arches as she presses herself deeper into me. I suck harder, curl my fingers. She’s so close but I’m a selfish son of a bitch and I want this one for myself. I want to feel i
t while I’m buried inside her.
Her name comes out as a growl from deep in my throat as I yank my hand away from her, lift her hips and slam into her in one hard thrust. It doesn’t take but a few seconds for her orgasm that was on the cusp of tipping over the edge to come roaring back to life. Exactly what I wanted. Waves and waves of pleasure. My name is torn from her throat as if her body is being ripped in two in the most glorious of ways. Her head thrashes side to side, her blonde hair spread all around her in a mass of tangles as I continue to drive in and out of her. Slow then fast.
“Next time I’m taking you from behind,” I grunt.
“Yes.” Is her only response, aside from squeezing me tightly which tells me how much she wants that, too. Desire is coursing through my veins just at the thought of next time even though I’m still in her.
Purchase Gone For You HERE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This has been such an incredible adventure, I’m so thankful to God that I can do what I do. My family is so supportive, and I truly LOVE writing stories, especially the mafia ones. We’ve been in this world for a decade (Eagle Elite) and I don’t think I can ever end it. So, readers, don’t worry, we have so much more mafia coming your way!
Thank you so much to my beta readers for helping out with this one, Yana you are AMAZING with your Russian translations, Krista, Georgia, Tracey, Jill, Candace — I couldn’t do this without you guys! Angie, Heather, Dannae, thank you for always being there for me! Jill yet again you killed it with the formatting and editing, along with Kay (who I make content edit EVERY book lol). I so appreciate you guys and all your hard work! Nina, my amazing publicist I truly don’t know what I would do without you, you make releasing a book not just a fun experience but different and unique each time! Becca, apologies for all the crazy emails haha and thank you for keeping me organized! To all of my author friends I constantly bother, Lauren Layne (Wife), Audrey Carlan, Corinne Michaels, Jen Van Wyk; I’m only sort of sorry and also thank you for your constant advice and support! To the bloggers who are so on TOP of everything and do such thankless jobs, I will be forever in your debt for not just the reviews, but the promotion you guys do, there are so many to name, just know each and every one of you are important! Readers, authors have jobs because you guys have the same addiction to words we do, thank you for being so supportive and talking books. I love you all so much and if you aren’t a part of my fan group, one of the friendliest groups on facebook, what are you waiting for? Join Rachels New Rockin Readers and see what all the fuss is about.
Debase (Elite Bratva Brotherhood Book 1) Page 31