“How many people have you seen die?” I asked.
Nick hesitated for a second. “More than I would like to admit.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. “What you’re feeling is totally normal, Ava. It’s never easy, but the first time is the worst.”
“The first time,” I repeated, realizing that this probably wouldn’t be the last time.
Nick didn’t respond. There wasn’t much to say.
“Do you know who did it?” I asked, knowing he probably wouldn’t tell me if he did.
“I don’t want you to worry about that. Just focus on getting better.”
“I am going to worry about it,” I argued. “A woman died in my arms today, all because you and I are getting married. That doesn’t bother you at all?”
“Of course it bothers me, Ava. I would rather die than have you hurt like you were today.” He took my chin softly in his hand and turned it toward him. “Look at me—what happened today has nothing to do with you and me getting married. It has nothing to do with you, period. I know it doesn’t feel that way, but you have to trust me. In the scheme of things, our marriage doesn’t really mean all that much. Certainly not enough for someone to want to kill either one of us. Something bigger is going on, and I need you to trust that I am going to take care of it.”
“Does this have to do with my father?” I asked, terrified to know the answer.
“I don’t know who it has to do with yet. But I swear to you, I’m not going to stop until I do. And I will make sure whoever killed that woman today pays for it.”
I was silent, absorbing everything he had just said. I wanted to believe him, but I had a hard time accepting what he was saying. The way I saw it, the shooting was directly related to us, and the thought that someone was trying to kill me was paralyzing.
“Why don’t I get a bath ready for you? It might help you relax,” he suggested, ending the discussion. I knew I wouldn’t get more information out of him right now, and I didn’t have the energy to argue.
I nodded and followed him into the bathroom. A bubble bath actually did sound relaxing, and hopefully it would help quiet my mind so I could get some sleep.
Nick ran the water and left me for a few minutes to undress and get settled. I had to be careful not to get my hideous bandages very wet, but they were high enough I could keep them out of the scalding hot water. I stared at my skin where the nurses had cleaned off the blood, but I still felt like I could see it. Like I’d never be able to get it all off. Like I’d never feel completely clean again. I scrubbed at my skin, but it wasn’t working. My mind knew that the blood was gone, but my body still felt it there. I scrubbed and scrubbed, crying as I did, until my skin was almost raw.
“All set?” Nick frowned when he saw me. “Ava, what’s wrong?”
I shook my head. There was no way I could explain this to him. He came over and knelt beside the tub, taking the loofah and then holding both of my hands in his.
“You’re okay,” Nick soothed, kissing my hands. “I’m going to get in there with you and help you clean it off, okay?”
I nodded. At least if he was with me, I wouldn’t be left alone with my own thoughts. Nick slipped his clothes off quickly and stepped into the tub, positioning himself behind me. He rubbed my skin gently with a washcloth, up and down my body. My anxiety slowly started to disappear as the blood was erased from my skin, and my breathing found an easy pace.
Nick drained the tub and filled it with clean water so I didn’t have to look at the blood anymore. I leaned back against him and he draped his arms over me. Bubbles covered both of our bodies as we sat, melting into each other.
I could feel my mind clearing with his touch. I was overcome with need for him. It hit me like a brick wall, and an ache developed inside of me. I needed Nick to make me forget this day ever even happened.
I rocked my hips slowly back into him and draped my head back onto his shoulder. His lips brushed against the exposed skin on my neck and his hands traveled over my body, seeming to pick up on what I wanted. I moaned into his touch, dissolving all other thoughts in my mind besides the feel of his skin on mine.
“Ava, are you sure—” he started.
I lifted my chin, crashing my lips into his and silencing his protest. That was the only invitation he needed. Nick leaned forward, nipping my ear softly. His hand trailed down my stomach, slowly massaging as he went. He touch was almost too much for me. It was soft at first, then rough, and dug into my skin. He rubbed and flicked at my chest, sending me writhing against him impatiently.
He bit into my collarbone gently and I groaned in pleasure, letting my knees fall open, burning for his touch. His fingers crept between them, rubbing and teasing my thighs and taking his sweet time. After what seemed like an eternity, he slipped his fingers inside of me painfully slowly, as if he thought I might break. He pumped them at a strong pace, kissing me hungrily as he went.
“Please, Nick,” I whispered breathlessly. Most nights I enjoyed the foreplay, but tonight I needed him so desperately that I couldn’t wait.
Nick grunted, shifting himself in the tub and turning me so I was on top of him. I loved feeling him against me, our bodies pressed together, morphing into one.
His lips traced designs on my stomach and breasts as his fingers still trailed along my body. He was careful to avoid my cuts, kissing each bandage gently. Draping my leg over the edge of the tub, I pressed farther into him, begging him for more. He was relentless, taking me so close to the edge but jerking me back before I fully went over.
I moaned again, this time louder, and he quieted me with his kisses, slipping his tongue into my mouth. Just his kiss was enough to make my body shiver with need. After a few seconds, Nick pulled away and smirked again, satisfied with himself. “There we go,” he whispered huskily against my ear.
He held on to my hips, guiding them above him and slipping into me suddenly. Our bodies rocked against each other in perfect rhythm. Nick’s body tensed against mine, approaching climax, and his pace quickened. He was merciless but it thrilled me. With each thrust he got deeper and deeper, filling me up and taking my breath away. His fingers dug into my back, holding me in place as he pushed. All of my stress and concern melted away at his touch, and I found myself floating through a state of pure bliss.
I’d had no idea how badly I needed this. How badly I needed him. Nick was my refuge—saving my life, time and time again.
Finally, we collapsed against each other, panting and breathless. Even if for a brief moment, the pain of today was gone, and I was safe in his arms.
Chapter 25
Nick
It took me hours to get Ava settled down enough to sleep. She was so distraught about what had happened, and I felt like I couldn’t leave her. I didn’t have time to waste, though—we needed to get the ball rolling on some things if I was going to stay ahead of this. For the most part, I believed that Alessandro hadn’t known what was going to happen, but I had a feeling the attempt on Ava was because of his secret dealings with the Russians. They had to know that the hit was coming on their guy a few weeks ago, and they wouldn’t have retaliated in this way. This was too personal.
Attacking the wife and daughters of a prominent Don like Alessandro in broad daylight was pretty blatant. I had a strong feeling that Alessandro had bitten off more than he could chew, and Ava was nearly killed because of it. The second I thought about what could’ve happened, I was nearly debilitated. One inch either way and that bullet could’ve pierced her. Alessandro was starting to graduate from just a thorn in my side to a liability, one that I wasn’t going to take any chances with.
I shut the door to our bedroom quietly and slipped into the living room. I dialed Vince’s number and he picked up on the first ring.
“Everything okay?” His voice was flat.
“Everything is fine here. Are you somewhere you can talk?” I asked, pouring myself a healthy glass of bourbon. It had bee
n a long fuckin’ day, and I had a feeling it was going to get even worse.
“Leo and I are at the coffee shop a block from your place. Can you meet us? What we have to talk about can’t be said over the phone.”
I hesitated. I knew he was right, we couldn’t take any chances about the Russians or Alessandro knowing we had any idea what was going on. But I also didn’t want to leave Ava. She’d be hysterical if she woke up and I was gone. “I don’t have much time, I don’t want Ava to wake up alone.”
“We’ll come to you. Meet us outside your building?” Apparently, whatever they had found out was pretty serious, and we had to be careful who we trusted with it.
“Sounds good.”
Vince hung up without answering. I slipped my shoes on and grabbed my keys quickly before peeking in on Ava one more time. She looked relatively peaceful, and with any stroke of luck I could get back before she woke up. Just in case, I scribbled a note telling her I was going for a run. I didn’t want her to know anything about this. Not yet, anyway.
I double-checked the alarm and practically ran downstairs, wanting this to take as little time as possible. Leo and Vince were already waiting for me.
“Ava doing okay?” Leo’s voice was full of concern.
“She’s all right. I finally got her to sleep. She’s just having trouble processing it all.”
“I don’t blame her. I’m having trouble processing it myself.” Vince ran his fingers through his hair.
“Have you guys found anything?” I asked.
Leo and Vince looked at each other and then back at me. Vince reached into his jacket and pulled out a manila envelope. “This is the guy. So far, all we can tell is that he showed up to the dress shop a few minutes after they got there. It seemed like a spur of the moment attack. No one was casing the place or following Ava or any of the girls beforehand.”
I stared at the black and white surveillance pictures in my hand. I was clutching them so tightly that they trembled. I couldn’t stand seeing his face. They were right about it being a shitty job. The guy didn’t even try to hide his face or the giant Russian tattoo on his neck. These pictures just confirmed my suspicions. They wanted us to know who they were. “Where can I find him?”
They shared another nervous glance.
“Look, man.” Leo shoved his hands into his front pockets nervously. “I don’t think you should handle the hit on this.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Of course I was going to handle the hit. Coming after Ava was personal, whether they wanted it to be or not.
“You’re too close to this, Nick.” Vince backed him up. “It’s already got a lot of unwanted attention from the cops and the media. We need to be careful. Especially if this is really about my father.”
“Of course it’s about your dad. If this was about us, they would’ve come after me, not Ava,” I growled. I was the one meant to take over. If they were trying to stop that from happening, they would have gone straight for me. There was no way they were taking this hit away from me. “You don’t think I have my head on straight because it was Ava who was involved?”
“No one is saying that.” Leo held his hand up to silence me. “We’re saying that if what we think is true, this is Alessandro’s fight. And if you get involved in this shit, they’ll come after you and they’ll come after Ava.”
“They’re already coming after Ava.” This was bullshit; I wanted the guy. I wanted his blood on my hands.
“We don’t know that,” Vince insisted. “Look, whatever my dad is mixed up in, it’s unraveling, and anyone close to it is going to be in danger. My mother took his car to the dress shop. They were inside before the guy showed up. It’s highly possible the guy was coming for my dad and thought he was inside when he saw the car.”
“What the fuck does your dad have going on with the Russians?” I threw my hands in the air, tired of being the last to know everything. Alessandro was jerking us around like puppets. If he knew the Russians were coming after him when he made the deal with my father, the whole deal would be void. He was dragging us into a war we wanted nothing to do with. This arrangement was supposed to keep the Russians at bay, not incite them even further.
“I don’t know. I’m working on that.” Vince sighed in frustration. “In the meantime, you and my sister stay as far the fuck away from this as possible. Get her out of the city, do whatever you’ve got to do. But let me handle this. This is my father’s fault, and until we are proven otherwise, it needs to stay that way.”
I clenched my jaw. I didn’t like the idea of being pushed away from the fight, but Vince was right. Until Ava and I were married, she wasn’t officially part of the Caponellis, which meant I couldn’t use all of the resources available to me to protect her without Council approval. This was a fucking nightmare.
“Nick, Dad wants you to think about moving the wedding up. Alessandro doesn’t want it to happen, and if he backtracks on the deal, there isn’t much we can do. It’s the best thing for us, and it’s the best thing for Ava too. We can protect her better.” When Leo got through with his explanation, I couldn’t stifle my laughter.
“You think I am going to be able to convince her to move the wedding up after what happened today?”
“You can’t protect her like she needs to be until she’s your wife. You know that,” Leo continued. “And if you’re married, Alessandro won’t have a leg to stand on.”
“She’ll never go for that.” I shook my head, imagining telling Ava. Hey, babe, sorry you nearly died yesterday. By the way, it was your father’s fault and if we don’t get married tomorrow there is a big chance I’ll have to let him take you back.
“Then convince her,” Vince hissed. “If my dad gets his way, there will be no wedding at all and then what? You’ll be content handing her back into the line of fire?”
“Of course I won’t. I’m never letting your father anywhere near her again,” I spat. For more reasons than one. Deal or no deal, I would die before letting Ava be hurt by him again. Alessandro was a bastard who had no business running a group, and Ava had been at the receiving end of his horrible decisions for too long.
“Yeah, well, you won’t have much choice if you don’t seal the deal,” Vince reminded me. He was right, but I had a better chance of convincing Ava to shave her head than to move up the wedding.
I ran my fingers through my hair roughly as I paced back and forth. None of this shit felt safe.
“You gotta trust me, man.” Leo put his hand on my shoulder. “We’re all in this to make sure Ava is safe. Let Vince do what he’s good at, and you focus on getting Ava better. Alessandro isn’t going to get away with this, I promise you that.”
I was silent, deciding whether or not I was going to go against my better judgment and hand the reins to Leo and Vince.
“Nick, I had more stake in that shop than you did. My mother . . .” Vince stuttered, his voice breaking slightly. “All three of my sisters were in there. I could’ve lost any one of them. Trust me, I’m not going to let anybody get away with anything.”
I hoped I wasn’t going to regret this. “I want to be kept up to date on everything.”
“Of course.” Leo nodded.
“And the second you find out what Alessandro is trying to pull—” I gritted my teeth.
“You’ll be the first to know.”
“Fine,” I said reluctantly. I wasn’t usually one to let go of things so easily, but if it meant keeping Ava safe, I was willing to try just about anything. I wasn’t used to working on the same side as Vince, but I had to admit it was a nice change of pace. The guy had his faults, but he was passionate and he loved Ava almost as much as I did.
“You just focus on taking care of Ava.” Vince slapped my back. “We’ve got this.”
“Oh, I’ll take care of her all right.”
We were going on vacation, and when we returned, she would be Mrs. Nick Caponelli.
Chapter 26
Ava
“Ava?” Nick called, shutting the door to the penthouse quietly. Every move he made around me was quiet lately, as if he expected anything too harsh or loud to send me into hysterics. For all I knew, it would. For the last couple of days, I had been reliving that day over and over in my mind, barely able to think about anything else. It was on my mind when I got up in the morning, the last thing I thought about before going to sleep, and occupying most moments in between. Images of the tattered dress shop and the shredded wedding dress on my body, and the look on the saleswoman’s face when she’d been hit plagued my nightmares.
Neither of us had gotten a good night’s rest since the shooting. Nick refused to leave my side, no matter how restless I was, and every time I had a nightmare, I woke up cradled in his arms. I don’t think I had slept a solid hour in the two days since the shooting.
Nick had gone into the office today, but only at my insistence. He was walking on eggshells around me, and while I knew he was only trying to help, the way he treated me like I was made of glass was driving me crazy.
“Ava?” he called again.
I didn’t even bother moving from my station on the couch. I had been lying here since morning, having only moved from my bed to the couch when Nick’s housekeeper insisted on washing the sheets.
“Hey!” He came around the side of the couch and sat in the curve of my body. “How are you?”
“I’m doing okay.” I smiled, hoping to convince him. I couldn’t take another night of him placating me.
“Good,” he said. “You look better. Did you get outside today?”
“Mhm,” I lied. I had gotten to the window and opened it, that counted right?
He didn’t respond, just bent down and kissed my cheek. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, sitting up a bit.
Nick smiled. “Go change, we’re going out.” He offered his hand to help me off the couch.
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