by B. B. Hamel
His name left my lips as a strangled moan. I said it again and again, moving faster along his mouth as he licked me, sucked me, grabbed and held my ass hard against his mouth. I came like lightning, pleasure shooting through my skin, and he licked me through it all, tasting my juices, swallowing me like I was nothing. He purred like a content lion as I collapsed back against the wall, panting, eyes wide and staring.
He stood and licked his fingers clean before kissing me, his tongue in my mouth. I tasted myself on his lips.
“Good girl,” he whispered, lingering close. He kissed my cheek and bit my lip. “Be ready to go by five. There’s a package for you downstairs, a little present.”
I blinked. “We’re meeting him today?”
He nodded. “Be ready. And open your present.” He turned and left without another word. He disappeared down the steps and I slowly slumped down to the floor. I was breathing hard, gasping, choking breaths. I’d never come like that before, not even half that intensity. I hated myself and hated him, and god, all I wanted was to taste him one more time. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my body before managing to get back to my feet.
I staggered into my room, slammed the door shut, and collapsed onto the bed.
9
Dante
My new car didn’t have the same armor plating as my last one, but at least the tires weren’t blown out. The old car was in a shop owned by the Leone Family, and hopefully I’d get it back before the end of the week. I felt exposed without the armor plating, and if Vlas were smart, he could roll up and hit me any time.
Which is why I kept my men close and stayed on the move. No more showing up at the bakery every morning to help Sergio. I still sent a couple of guys to help out and meet with local residents as my proxies, but I didn’t go myself.
I hoped the world could return to normal, but I suspected that might never happen. Not after something like what Vlas pulled. A hit on one of my men was one thing, but a hit on me was an entirely different play. Vlas skipped a few steps and went for the king, but he missed, and there would be hell to pay.
Steven parked out in front of the Mt. Airy house. Gino was inside with Aida, but they were expecting us. “You sure this is a good idea?” Steven asked. “She’s a liability.”
“Maybe,” I said, not looking at him.
The front door opened and Aida stepped out. I lifted my head up and sat straight as she lingered on the porch for a moment.
“Maybe not,” Steven said, an air of surprise in his voice.
The wind picked up for a moment, blowing through Aida’s thick, dark hair. She wore a dress with a low, plunging neckline, loose and gauzy. It was short, down to just above her knees, though it flowed slightly longer in the back. Her breasts looked incredible, barely covered by the thin fabric, and a diamond necklace sparkled around her throat. It was more like a choker, with little stones studded all around it. It was simple, elegant, and a symbol that she was mine, and she knew it.
She began down the stairs in her heels. I was surprised that she moved so elegantly, like she had practice in them. Her makeup was perfect, a little bit of pink on her cheeks, a little bit of red on her lips, her eyes lined in black. Simple, almost understated, but it drew the outfit together.
She opened the back door, climbed inside, and pulled it shut.
Nobody spoke for a moment.
“You look nice,” I said without looking back.
“It was a nice present,” she answered, her voice light, like it was no big deal. “I hope it didn’t cost too much.”
“It did,” I said. “But you’re worth it.” I looked at Steven and nodded.
He let out a breath and began to drive.
The meeting was taking place on neutral ground in Rittenhouse Square Park. It was an incredibly public place, about as public as it got. There’d be a police presence on top of the vast amounts of civilians that were always hanging around the park on a nice day. The sun was shining and it was a comfortable temperature out, so I knew there’d be a crowd.
But I wasn’t taking any chances. I had guys posted all over the park, and I knew Vlas would do the same thing. Steven drove to Rittenhouse through the narrow Philly streets and found the spot that Ryan held for us. I got out and clapped the young soldier on the shoulder. He had a thin beard, dark eyes, and dark hair. He was a little out of shape, heavy in the middle, but he was a loyal guy and a good worker. “Thanks,” I grunted.
“No problem, boss.”
I opened the back door and Aida swung her legs out. I glanced at Ryan and saw his eyes go wide as she stepped out. I offered her my arm and she took it, shooting me a look that I couldn’t read.
“Ready?” I ask her softly.
She shook her head. “Not at all.”
“Don’t worry,” I said as we began to walk. Steven and Ryan fell in behind us. “The meeting’s taking place in the park.”
“So lots of witnesses.”
“Exactly. Not the sort of place that anyone would want to do something stupid.”
She frowned a little bit and stumbled over an uneven piece of sidewalk. I steadied her and smiled as she looked up at me. “I hope you brought more guys than just those two.”
I laughed. Couldn’t help myself. I glanced back and Steven rolled his eyes and Ryan looked annoyed.
“We brought more muscle, don’t worry,” I said as we walked on. She just shrugged and kept up, her hand on my arm.
People threw us looks. I was wearing an expensive bespoke suit, and Aida looked like she belonged in some French film, her clothes just as expensive, if not more so. Ryan and Steven tagged along behind us, trying to look nonchalant, but neither of them had the talent for it. Steven was too large to disappear into a crowd, and Ryan was too inexperienced.
But it didn’t matter. I liked the attention, I liked the appreciative looks from men and women alike. Women wanted to be Aida, and men wanted what I had, and I liked the idea of their jealousy. Aida was my prize, even if I could sense the tension rolling off her in waves, even if I knew she still hated on me on some deep gut level, hated me just as much as she wanted me.
The taste of her pussy still lingered on my lips from earlier. I’d taken her then, despite knowing I should wait, knowing I could wait for her to come to me. I couldn’t help myself, once that towel fell away, I had to taste her delicious little pussy. And god, I was right to do it. The way she came on my tongue, her breasts shaking with every gasp of air, drove me fucking wild with lust.
But like I said to her then. It was just a taste, just one little sip of her skin, and no more.
I’d have more in time. First, she’d have to learn to stop hating me, and learn to love the way I made her feel.
We crossed the street and stepped past the black wrought iron fence that circled the park. We moved down the brick sidewalk with its canopy of large shade trees and the benches that lined either side. I was right to expect a big crowd, and most benches were taken up. There was a guy doing the fake statue thing as we came toward a large clearing, and another guy playing a violin for tips. I ignored them and moved further into the park, taking the central spoke that cut toward the other side. There, sitting on a bench directly in the center, was Vlas himself.
I slowed down and checked my back. Steven and Ryan were lingering not far away, leaning up against a low concrete wall. They pretended not to be paying attention, but they were pretty obvious. I had other guys scattered all over the park, and most of them did a better job at blending in. I knew Vlas would have men hidden as well, and I forced myself not to try and pick them out.
“Don’t talk,” I said to her, turning away from Vlas so the man couldn’t read my lips. “Don’t tell him anything. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said, eyes flicking past me toward the Russian. “Is he dangerous?”
“Very. Keep your mouth shut.” I reached up and pulled her chin toward me. “You’re going to listen to me, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, ang
er flashing in her eyes.
“Good girl.” I released her and turned back toward Vlas.
I led Aida over to him and he smiled at our approach. He was my age, early thirties, with a square jaw and a wide, crooked nose that had been broken more than once. His eyes were ice gray and his blond hair was buzzed down to stubble. He wore a black t-shirt, jeans, and basketball sneakers, and he didn’t look much different from any civilian in the area.
But I knew Vlas, maybe better than anyone else did. We grew up together, though we grew up in different worlds. He was Russian mob from birth, but I didn’t find myself in the Leone Family until later on. We knew each other in school though, and were friends for a time when we were just kids. But our worlds pulled us apart, and our familiarity turned us into enemies, slowly but surely.
“Thanks for coming,” he said without a hint of accent. “I appreciate you showing up on short notice. And you brought the girl with you.”
I nodded once. “I was ordered to show up,” I said. “If I had my choice, the next time you saw me would’ve been at the end of gun.”
Vlas laughed. “I don’t blame you at all. Come on, take a seat.”
“I’d rather not.”
“You know your standing only makes me uncomfortable.”
“Good.” I stared him and he just smiled.
“All right then, fine. Have it your way.” He slowly stood up and stretched his back. “You know, Dante, I liked you better before you were a Capo. You were no bullshit back then, know what I mean?”
“Sure. I wouldn’t have waited for orders before hitting back.”
“Exactly.” He grinned at me. “But here you are with your little girl, obeying your commands like a good soldier.”
“What do you want, Vlas?”
“Let’s talk terms.” He lingered a few feet away, a smile on his face. He clasped his hands behind his back.
“Terms?” I snorted. “I don’t follow. You’re finished with this already? I kill two of your guys and you’re done?”
He tilted his head, grinning. “Oh, no. Terms for you, my man. Terms for your surrender.”
I laughed, unable to help myself. “And why the fuck do you think I’d surrender anything to you?”
“Because we both know you aren’t winning this,” Vlas said. “I have more men and more guns. And I’m not constrained by a Don that’s unwilling to spill blood.”
“I don’t know, that’s not the rumor I’ve heard. I hear your boss is pretty goddamn pissed about what you pulled.”
He waved that away with a casual flick of his wrist. “I think you might’ve heard wrong, then. My Pakhan is willing to let his brigadiers do their jobs.”
“What do you think your job is?” I grunted.
“Killing you and taking your territory.” He smiled, teeth flashing in the sunlight. “Come now, Dante. You know how this goes. We’ve been at peace for too long, sooner or later our businesses are going to clash.”
“Makes no sense,” I said. “There’s no profit in killing each other.”
“Maybe not for you,” he said then his eyes moved over to Aida. He tilted his head to the side and looked at her body, top to bottom. From other men, I felt a sense of pride at their desire. But from Vlas, I wanted to rip his teeth from his skull and shove them through his chest. “I didn’t realize our girl was so beautiful.”
“Don’t speak to her,” I said, stepping forward. Vlas looked a little surprised, but I caught a flash of fear in his eyes. I’d always been a step above him, always a little stronger, always a little faster. He was a hard man, but we both knew that I was harder in a fair fight.
But that was the thing about Vlas. He didn’t fight fair and never had. That was how he won so often, how he climbed through the ranks of the Bratva to become a celebrated brigadier. In his family, those underhanded tactics were celebrated, so long as they were successful.
Tactics like ambushing a rival in the middle of the morning for no apparent reason.
“And yet you dressed her up for me.”
“I wanted you to see what I had,” I said. “And to know what you’ll never touch.”
He snorted. “Please. She’s pretty, I’ll give you that.”
“And she’s mine.”
His eyes moved away from her and locked back onto mine. “Actually, that’s what we’re here to discuss.”
My jaw tightened. “What?”
“Her father fucked me,” Vlas said, a bit of anger leaking into his voice. “He embarrassed me and made me look weak. You took care of the little rat for me, which I do very much appreciate. But that wasn’t enough. I need that girl. I need to show what happens to those that cross me. I want the city to know that when you steal from me, you’re not the only one that gets punished. I break you and your family.”
I watched him for a long moment before laughing. I couldn’t help myself. The notion was so absurd, so over the top, that I just couldn’t hold it in. “No, Vlas,” I said, shaking my head and grinning. “That’s just about the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard.”
His smile didn’t falter, but I saw the tension in his eyes. Other men that didn’t know him so well might not have noticed, but I could see it plain as the clouds in the sky.
“This is not negotiable,” he said. “Hand me the girl and we can end this war now.”
“No,” I said. “I wouldn’t give her to you for anything. And beyond that, you tried to kill me, Vlas. You went too far.”
He shrugged and shook his head. “What can I say, Dante? I wanted to get rid of my biggest threat in the city. You should be flattered.”
“I’m angry,” I said, keeping my voice low. I felt Aida stiffen next to me and shift closer, pressing her body against mine. “I’m very angry, Vlas. This won’t end until you apologize, give me concessions, or your whole brigade burns.”
Vlas clucked is tongue and shook his head. “Such words, Dante. But I’m not the Chinese. I’m not disorganized rabble.”
“I know what you are.” I resisted the urge to spit.
“You really want to go to war for real over some… girl?” He looked at Aida and shook his head.
“I told you already. She’s mine.”
He grunted and his smile began to waver. “You’re making a mistake.”
“No, Vlas. You’re the one that’s making a mistake.” I stepped toward him and I saw out of the corner of my eye several men turn toward the two of us. I assumed they were Vlas’s Boyeviks, though I knew my own soldiers were nearby and ready. “Calling me out here, making threats, and assuming I’d back down was a very bad mistake. Maybe I’ve given you the wrong impression over the years, because I’ve been under orders to keep tensions from boiling over. But hear me now, you little fuck.” I leaned even closer. “You tried to kill me. And worse, you almost hurt her. So I’ll cut your throat before I back down.”
I stared at him, breathing hard, rage filling my body. I wanted to strangle Vlas then and there, but I knew there was nothing to gain from it. His men would pull me off him in an instant, and we’d all end up murdering each other.
Vlas took one step back. “All right then, Dante. That’s your answer.” He turned away. “You can have war then.”
“Wait.”
I turned to Aida. Her eyes were wide and I felt a stab of rage. I’d told her not to speak, but she took a step toward Vlas.
He hesitated and looked back. His head tilted, and a smile slipped across his lips. “Yes, thief’s girl?”
She flinched at that. “You can’t do this. My father’s dead. He paid the price. Just… why are you doing this?”
“Aida,” I hissed.
Vlas only turned and laughed. He continued walking, melting into the crowd. Aida stepped like she meant to walk after him, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward me. An older couple wearing matching hats and t-shirt frowned at me, but I ignored them.
“I told you not to speak,” I said.
“But he—”
“You made
me look weak.” I pulled her back the way we had come. Steven and Ryan fell back behind us as we moved past the buskers again. “You made me look foolish.”
“I wanted to help.”
“You didn’t.” I clenched my jaw. “He was feeling us out. That wasn’t a real attempt at brokering peace.”
She stared at me, eyes wide. “But... I don’t understand.”
“Vlas is a clever shit, as much as I hate to admit that. He wanted to see how many men I’d bring and how committed to the fight I was. But now he learned two things he didn’t expect.”
“What?” she asked softly.
I released my grip on her arm but kept walking. She hurried to keep up.
“First, he learned that you’re important to me,” I growled. “That was my mistake, and I’ll own it.”
“And second?”
I glanced at her and narrowed my eyes. “He learned that I don’t have control of you, and he’s going to use that against me.”
She stared at me for a second then her face tightened. “You don’t get to control me, you asshole.”
“It’s not like that,” I snapped at her. “I told you earlier today. It’s about obeying orders. If you can’t listen to me and trust me, how the fuck am I supposed to keep you safe?”
“Hey, wait,” she snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me. I turned to her and stepped close. We stood on the sidewalk just outside of the park, right past the wrought iron gate. Fewer people were around, but an overweight man wearing a backpack and a hooded sweatshirt stared as he leaned against the fence a few yards away. “I’m not one of your soldiers. You… you pulled me into this. You forced me into it. I didn’t want any of this.”
I leaned closer and spoke in a rough, quiet voice. Steven and Ryan lingered nearby, pretending not to listen.
“And yet you’re in it,” I growled. “You chose to come here, and by coming, you agreed to obey. You didn’t listen. Instead, you gave Vlas something to use against me, and now I’ll pay that price.”