by Faye Byrd
She nods, her gaze falling to her lap, but I’m not having that bullshit. I grip her chin and bring it up, pushing my lips against hers in such an honest, appreciative way that it leaves even me startled by the sheer depth of the emotions flowing between our connection.
“Jesus fuck,” I groan as I pull away and press my forehead roughly against hers. “What are you doing to me?” She licks her lips in a slow, sensual motion, causing my eyes to fall closed just so I don’t attack her again. “You’re pushing your luck.”
Her mouth moves to my ear, and she whispers, “Any other time, I might want to push my luck, but I think we’ve done enough of that already.” Her tongue snakes out and traces the rim of my lobe. “Take me home, Dante.”
My hand goes to the door handle, but I don’t miss the opportunity to give her the most intense stare I possess before pulling it open and shifting so she can exit. Once she’s out, my eyes cut to Carlos, who’s standing beside the driver’s fender, looking out over the runway—anything to avoid being caught staring.
“Anything on this guy?” I push open the door after climbing back across the SUV and look around. “What about the other one?”
“Already dead on the plane,” Carlos says with a shrug. “I caught him headed toward the cockpit. No ID on either man, but if I had to guess, I’d say they were the backup plan.”
I give him a nod. “Let’s make it look like they killed each other and get the fuck in the air.”
“Got it, Boss.”
The set-up is easy enough. After wiping down our SUV, we place one dead guy behind the wheel and fill him full of bullet holes with the other guy’s gun. Then we place Piper’s pistol in his hand and fire it a few times so he’ll have gunshot residue since the other guy already has a bullet from her gun in his temple.
Twenty minutes later, Carlos and I are settling into our seats as the plane taxis down the runway. It isn’t until we’re clear from Miami airspace when I finally start to relax. Riley and Lorenzo are settled into two reclining seats at the back of this cabin with a stewardess tending to their needs. It’s the best we can do until we make it back to Chicago.
I unbuckle with two things on my mind. First, I lean across the aisle where Carlos is settled. “I want you to contact Ivan and have Doc waiting at the airport to take care of those two.” I flick my eyes to my long-time friend and new bodyguard. “Don’t tell him what happened, just that something did. I prefer the details to come from me.”
Sitting back in my seat, I reach over to release Piper’s buckle and take her hand. I pull her up with me and start toward the back of the plane. Pausing at my old friend’s seat, I lean down and place my hand on his shoulder, prompting his eyes to open slightly.
“Doc will be waiting as soon as this bird lands,” I say lowly. “Hang in there.”
As I go to continue on my way, he reaches a hand up and grabs Piper’s arm. “I’m sorry to see you involved in all this, but”—he pauses and pulls her closer—“I’m happy to see you two like this.”
A beautiful smile forms across her lips as she leans in and whispers something too low for me to hear. When she stands, I give her a brow lift, but she only shakes her head and nudges me to continue my path.
When we reach the end of the narrow hallway, I pause and send a smirk in her direction before sliding the door into its pocket. The room is small but private, which is just what I need right now.
Me, Piper, and nothing fucking else.
Heaving a grateful sigh, I turn and perch on the edge of the small double bed, pulling Piper to stand between my parted knees. I bend my forehead to rest against her chest, and her fingers hesitantly go to my stiff hair.
A small gasp escapes and they jump to my shoulder. “Oh my God, Dante, you’re bleeding.” Through the rip in my shirt, I can feel her softly stroking the scrapes that line my back.
I don’t even look up, choosing to just shake my head. “It’s nothing.”
“Dante,” she says as her fingers zero in on a particularly tender spot before stepping back and holding them out, forcing me to look. “Tiny rocks embedded in your skin isn’t nothing. Is there a first aid kit somewhere? This wound needs cleaning.”
“It might,” I say, grabbing her wrist and bringing her back into my personal space. “But I know what I need, and that’s to fucking wrap my arms around you and just goddamn breathe for a minute.” She opens her mouth to protest, but I silence her with a finger across her lips. “Please.”
All her resistance fades instantly, and she goes even one step further. Pushing me back, she straddles my thighs and wraps her long, muscular legs around my midsection, not only letting me hold her but holding me, too.
I fucking close my eyes with a sigh as every possible inch of us lines up, front to front, with her legs and arms securing me tightly to her. I’m no goddamn fool, I prop my chin on her shoulder and return her embrace, my arms wrapping around her in an attempt to absorb her very being.
For minutes, we stay that way. Not a word is said, but it doesn’t need to be. Miami turned out to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions in so many fucking ways, but in this one perfect, fucked up way, everything fell into place.
Her lips ghost my neck, and the whispery soft feeling travels through my chest and wraps around my heart. It’s all new to me, feeling these things, but I recognize them for what they are—what they mean.
This is it.
She’s it.
The other half of my murderous, black soul.
The light.
TEN
HONESTY
When the wheels of our private jet hit the old, unused runway about twenty miles outside of Chicago, a huge gust of air leaves me. We’re back on home turf. Piper is fucking safe, and my men can get the help they need. Fucking Riley hasn’t woken yet, but it appears Lorenzo just needs a little TLC.
I nudge the sleeping woman beside me, hating to disturb her, but at the same time, dying to get the fuck off this tin coffin and back to the secure luxury of the penthouse. This trip was way too close of a call for my liking.
Her beautifully expressive dark eyes open, and she immediately realizes we’re on the ground. “Are the medics here?”
I chuckle as I lean over to brush my lips across hers. “They better be,” I say as I pull back from the soft, thankful pass. “I love that your first thought is about the others even after all you’ve been through. After everything you’ve seen, and it’s all because of me.”
“Dante,” she says softly, cupping my cheek and brushing her thumb across my bottom lip. “I’ll admit this wasn’t in my plans when I went on vacation, but it was all worth it. This is where we’re supposed to be. Together. Hearing you admit you feel it too will probably go down as one of my top ten greatest moments ever.” She purses her lips. “But that doesn’t mean I’m letting Ivan off the hook just yet.”
I groan. “Don’t even mention that fucker right now. He’s within killing distance, so it’s best I forget he exists for the moment.”
“Boss,” Carlos calls from down the aisle. “You wanna check out these bozos before we hand over our men? That Miami shit has me paranoid.” He shoves his thumb toward the open door of the plane, where two men are standing impatiently.
“Who arranged for them to be here?” I ask, gripping the handle of my piece.
“Only person I’ve spoken to is Ivan,” Carlos replies.
I relax and wave them onto the plane. I may be mad as hell at his ass right now, but I’m not concerned that anyone he sent is a setup. Ivan is super smart, but sometimes he gets zeroed in on one thing and fails to see the bigger picture. In this instance, he was so focused on fixing shit between Piper and me that he inadvertently put her in danger to accomplish his goal. It’s definitely not ideal, at-fucking-all, but it also wasn’t intentional on his part.
I oversee the two medics as they check on my men. One of them helps Lorenzo to stand, and he and Carlos get the old geezer off the plane. When the other medic returns, it’s with a ba
ckboard.
Carlos enters a few seconds behind him. Tilting his head toward the plane entrance, he says, “We got men out there, too. I made two of ‘em load into the ambulance with Lorenzo.” He cuts his eyes to the two medics. “At this point, I can’t trust a face I don’t recognize.”
“Smart man,” I say, tapping my temple. “There a couple cars here, too?”
He nods. “Yes, Boss. With trusted men behind the wheels.”
I bob my head a few times as I watch the men try to work out how to maneuver Riley’s giant-ass frame onto this skinny-ass board. There’s a brace on his neck, and he’s still out cold. “Is he going to be okay?” I ask, my worry increasing with each moment he lies there unmoving.
One of the medics lifts his eyes to mine. “His breathing is normal, so that’s a plus. We’ll know more once we get him back to the facility.”
“Facility?” I ask, because shouldn’t he be going to a fucking hospital.
“Yes, sir,” he replies, looking away from my hard gaze. “We have a special setup for instances such as this.”
I don’t know shit about a special setup, so I step closer, my tall frame towering over the puny fucker. “I’m going to assume since my brother sent you that you’re exactly what my men need, but know this.” I jab him in the chest. “If they don’t walk out of your ‘special setup’ of their own volition, I’ll burn it to the fucking ground.”
“Yes, s-sir,” he stutters as he strains to lift his end of the board holding Riley’s bulky frame.
“Jesus fuck,” I mumble. “Just move outta the fucking way. We’ll get him.” My hands fly around in frustration as I usher them up the aisle. “Come on, Carlos. Grab the other end. These pussies couldn’t lift a five-pound bag of flour.”
Piper’s giggle echoes up the aisle, bringing lightness with it that expands inside my chest. “Go easy on them, Dante. Not everyone can have your brute strength and good looks.” Her eyes sparkle as they lift to my hair—the slicked-back clump of hardness atop my head. She is so fucking with me—and I goddamn love it.
I smirk. “You keep that up, and I might adopt this as my usual style.”
“Not likely,” she says with another light, airy giggle. “You hate it more than I do.”
“How’d you get to be so fucking smart?”
She pokes my side. “I just know you. That’s all.”
The moment overwhelms me, and I’m caught in her stare. Her statement is more accurate than I ever wanted it to be. If I had my way, she’d have never seen the things she did in Miami. But there’s no taking it back now.
Carlos fakes a loud cough, pulling my eyes away from Piper. “Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Let’s get him off this plane.”
We spend the next ten minutes maneuvering Riley up the aisle and down the perilous stairs to finally reach the cracked asphalt of the old runway. Flashing lights greet me as I see a pair of ambulances off to the side and four dark SUVs. The two medics motion us toward the empty ambulance, where we help transfer Riley to a gurney.
Once he’s loaded, the medics are eager to be on their way. I halt them for a second and motion to Matteo and one of his crew. “Take an SUV and follow these fucks. I want an update as soon as we know something. Get a man in there with Riley, too.”
“Got it, Boss,” he replies and does as he’s fucking told.
When the runway is empty of everything but the remaining SUVs, I call Carlos over. “Look, I just wanted to commend you for your help with this trip. You did a good job and kept your cool.”
“Thanks, Boss,” he says, surprised by my candor.
“Don’t get used to it,” I snap, just so he knows not to take advantage or expect it in the future. “Have everyone ready. Piper and I will be there in a sec.”
“Got it.”
When he’s moved away, I turn and hold out my hand. “Are you ready to go home?”
Piper takes it, but her brows are furrowed. “Home? After all this, you’re taking me home?”
I yank, pulling her flush against me with one swift move. “My home.”
“Ohhhh,” she says, and her mouth forms such an inviting visage that I can’t stop myself from taking advantage.
Gripping her nape, I tilt her head and plunge my tongue between her unsuspecting lips so fast she’s frozen for a second, but it’s only a fucking second as the fire between us explodes. Her hands fist my shirt as she frantically tries to get closer, to take more of me, to give more of herself. Her taste clutters my mind, causing me to forget where we are and where we’ve been. I lose all sense of self as I revel in her and the emotions I’ve kept banned from my life.
As the kiss deepens, I see it all. Us. A future I never thought possible. But as it comes to a blissful, sensuous end, I also question that future. Is it possible to have? Can I keep her safe with the life I lead? Will I become vulnerable with her by my side? Will she be the chink in my armor, the weak link?
But as we break apart and I stare into her kiss-dazed eyes, I know she won’t. She’ll give me a reason to come home at night, a reason to plan my every move to exact precision, a reason to ensure every mission is a success—a reason to live.
I take a deep breath, and with it, I exhale all my worries. There are still a lot of things I need to accept in order to make room in my life for a change this big, but the change is here. It’s evident by the swell that blooms in my chest every time I gaze at her beautiful face. By the desperate need I feel to protect her from all harm. By the fact that as I gaze at her, sex isn’t even on my mind.
In fact, a shimmer of fucking uncertainty creeps across my skin as I remember the last time. I shake off the funky vibe and take her hand. “Let’s go home.”
As we approach the SUVs, Angelo is the only man stupid enough to open his fucking mouth. “Are we ready to roll, Boss?” he asks, stepping forward and spreading his arms. “Or are ya gonna make out some more.”
My muscles tighten as I consider what I’m going to do to his disrespectful ass as soon as he’s within reach, but a soft touch to my arm causes me to pause. “He’s ballsy,” Piper says with a cheeky wink. “I like it.”
“He’s fucking stupid, but it is part of the package with him,” I concede, brushing his insolent comment aside. Sometimes, he just plain doesn’t know any better. “Angelo,” I bark, causing him to jump to attention. “Come meet Piper.” I motion to the smiling woman at my side.
Too fucking stupid to be afraid, he saunters right up to her and makes a giant show of taking her free hand and placing a kiss on it. “My lady,” he says, like the fucking dork that he is. “I am honored.”
I snatch him up by the front of his shirt with my free hand. “You fucking should be. She’s the reason I’m not cutting out your tongue.” I toss him back a couple feet and pass my glare over the soldiers gathered around to ensure we have a safe trip the rest of the way home.
I shrug. It’s as good a time as any. “Men, I’d like you all to meet Piper.” Their faces remain stoic, but I can see the questioning from a few of them—aside from Carlos. He might actually be rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “You may never see her again, or you may see her often, but whatever the case may be for you personally, know this. She’s important to me. Very important, and she should be treated with respect and honor no matter where or how you encounter her. Should the need arise, I expect you to give your fucking life protecting hers.” I meet each and every one of their eyes, making sure to give that fuck Manuel a hard glare. “Got me?”
“Yes, Boss,” they reply in unison.
I nod and start leading Piper toward the SUV Angelo was standing beside earlier. “Good. Let’s get rolling. I want one SUV behind and one ahead of us.”
The trip is short in comparison to the long journey we’ve traveled up to this point. The past twenty-four hours feel like they lasted a goddamn week. Was it only yesterday when I lost my cool and beat an old, one-eyed man to death?
As the sun’s ray begins to peek beyond the horizon and the city light
s come into view, Piper leans her head against my shoulder with a sigh. “You know, you should probably be more careful with your words. I might start to think you care.” Her fingers are absentmindedly tracing the Polo emblem on my shirt, careful not to make eye contact.
I lift her chin, forcing said contact. “I do care, Piper. I’m not a man who flip-flops. Yeah, I got freaked out after that night, but up here”—I tap my temple—“it’s all straight now. I know it, and I accept it, and I can admit it. You aren’t going to wake up one morning and that be gone. That’s not me. It’s not who I am.” I sigh, glancing out the windshield to gather my thoughts before focusing back on her. “Am I ready to admit my undying love?” I shrug. “No, I’m not, but I can’t honestly tell you I don’t feel it. I’m just not sure, but I promise as soon as I am, you’ll know too.”
Piper blinks, her misty eyes reflecting the lights from the city around us. “That’s all a girl ever wants, Dante. Honesty.” Her eyes fall back to her fingers, which are still tracing the little emblem on my shirt. “I wouldn’t have been upset if you’d just stayed and talked to me, but you didn’t. You ran away, and I woke alone and unsure. It was a bitter pill that turned into rage as the days passed.”
When she lifts her eyes back to mine, the swell inside my chest expands and explodes, causing the fine hairs on my body to stand at attention. Because it’s there. I see it in her eyes. Her very essence is screaming it loud and clear.
She loves me.
“Piper,” I whisper, dying to hear the words fall from her lips yet afraid of the same thing. “I …”
She shushes me with a finger across my lips. “I do love you, Dante, and I am sure of it, but I don’t trust you. I can’t right now. Those two go hand in hand for me. So no matter what I feel here”—she places her hand on her heart—“I have to know it here, too.” She taps her temple. “Until then, I can’t give you that part of myself.”