“They’re out.” My mom’s brow furrowed with worry, and she glanced at my father, who took her hand.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Jason’s out looking for Tony,” my mom said.
“Why? Where did Tony go?” I held my breath, hoping Tony had just decided to have some fun somewhere and Jason was simply worried it was too soon to go out like that. “Did they take the guards with them?”
“We don’t know,” my mom said. “Tony said he was going to some club, but he hasn’t returned yet. It’s been seven hours already. The guards who he mentioned would be going with him are here and have no clue where he’s gone.”
“What?” My stomach fluttered.
“There’s no need to panic just yet,” my dad said, but the lines around his eyes were more prominent. “Tony probably wanted to spend some time on his own. Perhaps he’s found himself a girlfriend. The war’s over. He should be safe. Jason went to that club to see if he’s still there.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said, although I didn’t understand why Tony would go out alone. He’d always been with Jason, Michael, or Dylan. Never alone. He didn’t even like to go out that much. But maybe my father was right. Maybe Tony had met someone and didn’t want us to know.
“Wait a second.” Michael put down the controller, his headphones around his neck, and frowned at Dad. “You said you were sure Tony was at that club.” He got to his feet. “We should all be looking for him.”
“I said I was almost sure,” my dad said.
“You know, Michael’s right. This doesn’t sound like Tony at all.” Dylan pushed himself off the floor, his controller and headphones forgotten at his feet, and crossed his arms. “We should go out there too.”
“There’s no need,” my dad said. “Jason should come back with him any moment.”
“But what if he doesn’t?” Michael asked. “Did he tell you something we don’t know?”
My father’s face was expressionless. “He may or may not have said he met someone special.”
“Did he say who?” I asked. Dating in our world was very, very complicated, but if Tony had found someone before the war started, then I could understand why he wanted to see that person as soon as possible now that there was no more danger.
“No,” my dad said. “But I’m sure the three of you are more than capable of getting the details out of him once he gets back.”
Michael, Dylan, and I looked at one another. Yep, we were definitely capable of that. Tony wouldn’t stand a chance against us.
“Okay, but I’m not just going to sit here and wait. Dylan and I are going to check around for him,” Michael said. “Call us if he comes back.”
“We will,” my mom said.
“See you later, sis,” Michael said, and he and Dylan waved at me before heading out.
“Princess, we need to talk,” my dad said, his face serious.
“If it’s about business, I’m not sure I’m in the mood to listen. Aaron’s still figuring out what to do, but don’t worry. He’s not going to attack us or want to take over like Roberto did.”
“Honey.” My mom’s eyes searched mine. “How serious is your relationship with that man?”
“Umm.” Now that was an awkward question. “I’d say pretty serious. Why?”
“Please don’t make any rash decisions when it comes to him,” my mom said.
“And by rash decisions you mean...?” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“I mean marriage,” she said.
I jerked back. “Yeah, I don’t think we’ve gotten that far. It’s really not something that concerns us right now.”
“Good,” my mom said. “Give yourselves time. You know your father and I aren’t too happy with your choice, but it’s yours and we respect that. As long as it doesn’t have consequences for our family. So please don’t get married in secret, no matter how big a romantic gesture he makes or if he claims that you might not have time to do it if something happens.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Why are you so afraid I’d get married?”
“We’re not afraid,” my father said. “And we want you to be happy, but we don’t want the Ferraras and Viteris to be united officially on paper in any form. We can’t allow that. Aaron might not have desires to overtake us, but if something happened to him, you wouldn’t be able to disentangle yourself from him, and someone could come after you and everything that is yours.”
“That also means no children,” my mom said. “At least not yet. Not until we’re sure there isn’t anyone who wants to ruin all your plans.”
“You mean Sebastian Viteri.” My family was afraid that Sebastian could kill us off one by one and get control over everything.
“Yes,” my father simply said.
“Okay, whatever.” It was a bit hard for me to believe someone would be able to do all that without everyone being suspicious and realizing what was going on, but I supposed my parents were just worried about me. They clearly thought I could get a crazy idea to marry Aaron and they expected that to potentially be the biggest mistake of my life. “I don’t plan on doing any of that at the moment, so let’s forget about that.”
“We just wanted you to know,” my mom said. “Although I’m sure you’re already aware of all the risks.”
“Yeah.”
My father’s phone beeped and he quickly checked it. “Jason found Tony.”
“Oh, thank God!” my mom said, her shoulders slumping in relief. “When he gets here, I’m going to tell him he shouldn’t scare us all like that.”
“I told you it would be fine.” My dad pocketed the phone and moved closer to my mom, kissing her cheek.
“That’s great,” I said. “I’ll go now. Aaron should be back any moment.”
My mom opened her mouth to say something, but my dad just shook his head.
“Go,” he said with a smile.
“See you tomorrow.” I grinned at them and headed out.
***
“Maybe my father was right. I can’t do this,” Aaron said, loosening his tie. He unbuttoned his shirt and angrily chucked it on the floor. Throwing the covers away, I got up from the bed. Aaron had come home almost five hours later than I’d expected him. His shoulders were tense as he leaned his palms on the dressing table.
“No, he wasn’t, and yes, you can. Where did my brave Aaron go?” I came from behind him and placed my hands on his shoulders, massaging gently, but his body remained rigid. I stepped away from him. “Turn around,” I said. “Look at me.”
He slowly pushed himself up and turned to face me, his eyes widening when he realized I was wearing only a black lacy bra and panties. Before he could react, I grabbed his wrists and shoved him toward the wall. Pinning his wrists above his head, I pushed my knee in between his legs.
“Octavia...” he whispered, and I captured his lips with mine into a passionate kiss that burned through us like fire. His muscles gradually relaxed, and I looked into his eyes.
“Don’t doubt yourself,” I said. “Ever.”
He gave me a quick nod.
“Good.” I let go of his wrists, pulling back a bit, and trailed my fingers down his strong chest. Aaron gasped when my hand cupped his already hard cock through his pants. I gently rubbed him, making him squirm.
“Come.” I curled my finger as I backed toward the bed. “Take your pants off.” Aaron quickly unzipped his pants and tugged them down, along with his underwear, and stepped out of them. I sat on the edge of the bed and unclasped my bra, tossing it away. “Get down on your knees,” I said as I pulled my panties down my legs and kicked them off.
Aaron knelt down in front of me, his lips parted, and I spread my legs.
“I want you to fuck me with your tongue,” I said, and a jolt of desire surged through me as he moved closer, his eyes watching me through those thick eyelashes. God, he was so damn beautiful. Lowering his head, he licked my slit torturously slow, then plunged his tongue inside, flicking it against my clit. I ar
ched my back, grasping his hair into a tight grip and pressing his mouth against my core. His tongue slid in and out, faster and faster, building the ache deep inside me. A loud moan escaped my lips as I was getting closer to the edge.
“Stop,” I breathed out, letting go of his hair. He pulled away, looking up at me. “I want you inside me,” I said. “Now.” I let myself fall on the bed and waited for Aaron to get a condom, my body pulsing with desire. After rolling over on my stomach, I pushed myself up on my hands and knees. “Fuck me, Aaron,” I said, flashing him a smile over my shoulder. He gripped my hips, his thick length brushing against my thigh. The tip of him rubbed against my slickness, making me shudder. Then he plunged himself inside me, and my breath got caught in my chest. His powerful thrusts became faster and faster, and I clutched at the sheets.
“Octavia,” he groaned, his hand traveling from my hips to my stomach. I closed my hand over his and quickly guided it to my breast. He squeezed, and my body nearly gave out. He rammed into me so hard and fast that I cried out, a wave of ecstasy ripping through my body. A groan escaped his lips, and I felt him shudder inside me, his cock throbbing in the rhythm of my speeding heart.
I collapsed on the bed and he pulled out, panting hard.
“Come here,” I breathed, rolling over, my body still feeling electrified. Aaron fell down on the bed next to me, his face serene. He smiled at me, and I leaned toward him to give him a gentle and slow kiss. As he snuggled closer to me, I caressed his hair.
“What if we...?” he started to say, and I pressed my finger over his lips.
“Shh. Not tonight.” Tonight was just ours and no one was going to take it away from us.
Chapter 26
“Where’s everyone?” I asked when I realized the only one in my family’s house was Jason.
“They’re out looking for Tony. He’s gone off somewhere again. I’m sure they’ll find him,” Jason said. “He’s in love.” He curled his lip. “I don’t know if love is like a disease for some people, but it definitely makes you blind to your beloved’s faults and bad traits.”
“Why didn’t anyone call me? I could’ve talked to Tony about it.” If he was in love with someone he thought our family wouldn’t approve of, all he had to do was come to me. I had plenty of experience by now. It would be kind of refreshing that it wasn’t only my relationship that was a problem.
“There wasn’t time,” Jason said, a strange glint filling his brown eyes. “But it’s a good thing you’re here. I need to show you something.” His voice was cheerful.
“Does it have to be right now? I should probably call Dad to ask if they need help searching.” I couldn’t really focus on anything while my family was looking for my brother.
“Yeah, you need to see this now. It’s important.” Jason pulled out his phone and handed it to me. “Play the video.”
“What’s this?” I held the phone in my hand and looked up at him.
“Just play it. Then you’ll finally be free of that monster you’re sleeping with.”
I rolled my eyes, ready to throw the phone at him. “Not with that crap again. I know you don’t like Aaron, but can’t you just be happy for me?”
“What kind of a brother would I be if I let my sister date a rapist?” His question cut through me like a knife, and I frowned at him.
“What are you talking about?” My voice was strained.
“Play the video,” Jason insisted.
I looked down at the screen. It was footage from a phone or something. A little blurry and pixelated in places. The first person I noticed was a naked girl who was restrained with something. She was lying on a table. Aaron and Roberto were standing not far from her, surrounded by guards. My finger hovered over the play button.
“Go on,” Jason said. “I bet he never told you about this.”
I couldn’t help it. I tapped the screen. The girl’s cries as she begged to be released sounded from the speaker. Roberto was smiling as he nudged Aaron, who was laughing about something I couldn’t hear. Then Aaron made his way toward the table, unzipping his pants. I stopped breathing as he grabbed the screaming girl’s hips and pulled her toward him. As his hips began moving rhythmically, her cries grew louder, and the camera zoomed in on Aaron, who was wearing a smile on his face. The video stopped and the phone fell out of my hand.
“You see? You can’t go back to him. I can bring his head to you if you wish.” Jason had a satisfied smirk on his face.
“No.” I stumbled back, my legs shaky. “Where did you get this?”
“Oh, from Sebastian Viteri, who got it from his half-brother,” Jason said. “All I had to do in return was give some information about your traitorous lover. Roberto already knew about you and thought you were a spy, so I had nothing to lose.”
“What?” I gaped at him. “What did you just say?”
“You were fucking our enemy and everyone seemed so happy about making a deal with the Viteris, so I figured, why shouldn’t I see what the all fuss was about?” His face went serious. “It turned out I was right and it wasn’t such a good idea to make my own deal with them because the old bastard didn’t really do as promised. But at least Sebastian came through with this little piece that I showed you so you’d finally open your eyes.”
I advanced on Jason, fisting his shirt. “What did you do? What deal did you make?”
“It was impossible to reach Roberto, but Sebastian found me instead. He turned out to be a reasonable man for a Viteri. I offered him proof that Roberto’s son was a traitor. Both of you were in our house and acting like lovebirds. It really wasn’t that hard to get some, and I told him what I knew. Probably wasn’t hard for them to verify my story.” Jason grinned, then his face darkened. “But the Viteris’ duplicitous nature had to kick in, and Roberto didn’t kill Aaron as he promised he would. I contacted Sebastian after Roberto died and told him he owed me because you were still involved with that... scum, and Sebastian finally delivered something useful. In the end, we both won. A video in exchange for another.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I banged against his chest, but he grabbed my wrists.
“I admit. I made a mistake. Shouldn’t have trusted the old Viteri would kill his son,” Jason said. “I wish I’d just killed Aaron instead of making a deal, but I didn’t think Roberto would break our family’s deal and I wanted you to be safe. If I’d known... But it all turned out well in the end. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”
I let go of him and ran my hand over my face.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’ll be thanking me later.”
I started toward the door, and Jason caught my arm. “Let go of me,” I hissed.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to talk to Aaron,” I said.
“What?” Jason’s eyes bulged. “Are you insane? I just showed you proof that he’s not who he pretends to be and you want to talk to him?”
“I need to know the truth.”
“What truth? You saw everything!”
“No, I didn’t.” There had to be an explanation for what I’d seen, and the only person who could tell me the truth about what had happened was Aaron himself.
“Fuck it, O!” Jason clenched his teeth. “How can you still not see it? I bet he’s fucking some slave girl when you’re not around.”
“That video proves nothing,” I said. “The image isn’t that clear. How do I know it isn’t fake? How do I know this isn’t a trick?” Except I actually believed it could’ve been Jason who’d revealed to Roberto what Aaron had done. Jason knew everything, and he’d had plenty of time to get proof. But would my brother really go that far and strike a deal with the people he hated most? If he’d thought Aaron would die because of it... Maybe. He’d been pissed off because no one would agree to his plan, so he’d come up with a new one.
“I’m sure there’s a way to prove that. Just ask Tony when he gets here. I’m sure the video is authentic. The quality isn’t as good, thoug
h,” Jason said. “But you don’t have to go to that sick son of a bitch ever again. I’m sure he was more careful later on, so there isn’t any evidence.”
“I’m going to talk to him,” I said determinedly, ripping my arm out of Jason’s.
“No, you can’t! He’s going to kill you or invent something to fool you again. Just because he was younger when this happened doesn’t mean there’s an excuse for his actions. Did you see that smile on his face? That’s not how sane men react. It isn’t just a phase you can grow out of.”
“I guess you would know from experience how insane men react,” I growled and started for the door. Jason got in my way, blocking my path.
“Get out of my fucking way,” I yelled.
“I’m sorry, sis, but you aren’t going anywhere.”
“You can’t stop me.” I pushed at him, but he wouldn’t budge. His arm shot out, and a sting of pain surged through my neck. I lifted my hand up, my vision getting blurry.
“Jason...” I said, but my voice sounded distant. “Jason, what did you do?” I whispered, swaying on my feet. Jason threw something that looked like a syringe on the ground, and then he caught me in his arms. I tried to get free, but it was useless. My vision darkened, and my eyelids closed.
“Don’t worry, sis. I’m going to take care of you.” I heard Jason’s voice and felt something brush against the top of my head, and then I was plunged into the darkness.
###
Follow Octavia’s story in Hers to Love (Loving Your Enemy, #3). More information:
http://taliaellison.weebly.com/loving-your-enemy-series.html
Never miss a new release! Sign up for Talia's newsletter: http://eepurl.com/btLeVv
More books by Talia Ellison:
HOLD ME
Hers to Save Page 17