Leaving her room and the recrimination that filled it, she joined Tori downstairs, and they went to the car. Matteo had assigned them six guards for their night out: Two in a car in front of them, two driving with them, and two in a car behind them. He was taking no chances. Nero had been gone for the last two days on business and was due back tomorrow, so Matteo was in charge of them.
Walking into the casino was loud after the quiet car ride. Undeterred by Maria’s silence, Tori chatted all through dinner. By the time they were finished, the alcohol Maria had consumed had her laughing and joking with Tori. It was like the past didn’t exist. Drunkenly, they gambled as their guards watched, chasing away any brave soul who thought to approach them. After a few hours, Tori decided that they needed to dance. Taking Maria’s arm, she turned the two of them to the door and marched them to the car, arguing with the guards the whole way. Nero owned several dance clubs in the city, and Tori wanted to go.
After finally agreeing to stay only an hour, the guards relented and drove them to the closest one. It was packed. Eyeing the line to get in, Maria stupidly asked what they were going to do. Shaking their heads, the guards surrounded the women and marched them to the door. She could hear one muttering under his breath that this wasn’t a good idea. If the boss’s wife didn’t realize that she could get in anywhere, then she was too drunk to go. Confused for a moment, Maria looked at his back before she realized that he was talking about her. Shit, she forgot that she was married. Giggling, she told Tori, which had her bursting out laughing. Tori said that obviously her brother wasn’t doing something right if she could forget him because there was no way in hell she could forget Dom.
“TMI!” Maria yelled over the music as she realized what Tori was talking about. Ugh. That was a part of her brother’s life of which she wanted to stay blissfully unaware. As far as she was concerned, Adrianna was a product of Immaculate Conception.
Looking at the roped-off section they had been led to, Maria plopped down next to Tori on a couch, which had them laughing hysterically. Holy shit, they were drunk. They told the head guard to get them a bottle, which he flat-out refused. The argument that ensued had Maria laughing so hard, her side hurt. It took Tori more than ten minutes of negotiating for him to finally agree to one shot and one drink. Satisfied, she waved her hand at him like a princess and leaned back, waiting. If looks could kill, they would have been dead because his look said he’d like nothing better than to strangle them.
Waiting until he was out of sight, Tori jumped up, pulling Maria with her. Moving quickly for someone so drunk, she got them past their other guards and down to the dance floor. Pushing Maria ahead of her, Tori got them into the packed floor and away from the guards.
“They’re gonna be pissed when they find us!” Maria yelled at her.
“Yeah, when they find us, but until then, let’s have some fun,” she called back, laughing as she grabbed two shots from a shot girl.
Throwing one back, Maria went with the flow, losing herself to the music. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this free. The two of them danced together, pushing away the guys who came too close.
After about twenty minutes of playing and having fun, it was over. A strong hand gripped Maria’s arm that she couldn’t shake free. Looking over her shoulder to tell whoever it was to let go, she found herself confronted with a very pissed-off Nero and a very annoyed-looking woman glaring at her from behind his back. He was away on business, all right. Pulling her arm free, she ignored him and looked at the woman whom he couldn’t seem to shake.
Tori, realizing that she’d lost her partner, stopped dancing and joined her in glaring at the woman attached to Nero. Outrage filled Tori’s face as she pushed herself between Maria and Nero and started screaming at her brother. Each word that left Tori’s mouth had Nero’s face growing darker.
Moving forward to end it, Maria went around to get between them, which gave Nero’s bitch the chance she had been waiting for. Leaving Nero, the woman reached out and pushed Maria back, causing her to stumble into a couple behind her. Hell, no. No. Hell, no. No more. Never again.
An alcohol-fueled rage filled Maria. Launching herself forward, Maria came back swinging, taking the bitch to the ground. Pinning her down, Maria pounded on her, taking out all her helplessness, anger, and frustration. When they tried to pull her off, she reached out and grabbed the bitch’s hair. Screaming and cursing as they lifted her away, she refused to let go. When they finally pulled her free, long locks were entwined in her fingers. Rough hands pulled her through the club and threw her into the waiting car. She could hear Nero yelling for them to be taken the fuck home before the door slammed shut.
Sitting back in the seat as the car sped down the road, Maria held her hands out that were filled with the bitches hair and turned to Tori and said, “Best girls’ night ever,” which caused her to burst out laughing the rest of the ride home.
***
Fuck, he was tired. He’d finished up his business earlier than he expected and gone to meet Cindy at the club. She was one of his managers. The two of them had been screwing on and off for the last few years. It had been convenient until she had started to get more and more demanding. She knew the deal from the beginning, and he had no intention of changing it. He had gone there to tell her it was over, and she hadn’t taken it well. He had been dealing with her when his guy at the door had burst in to tell him that his wife and sister were there and their guards had lost them.
Ignoring Cindy’s screams at the mention of a wife, he had gone out to find them. He had been ready to shut the fucking club down when he finally spotted them. Pushing his way through the crowd, he hadn’t noticed that Cindy had followed him from the office until he had gotten ahold of Maria and she looked around him. He hadn’t expected her to pull away, and he sure as hell hadn’t expected for his very drunk sister to scream at him about bringing his whore around his wife. But what had completely dumbfounded him was the fight that had broken out between Maria and Cindy. Once he got the women separated, he had sent Maria and Tori home so he could deal with Cindy. Cindy, that fucking cunt, had attacked Maria. No matter what his relationship with Maria was, she was his wife. No one would ever touch her without consequences. Cindy had foolishly thought that the fact that she’d spread her legs for him would save her. It hadn’t.
Going into his office, Nero looked around, tiredly knowing he should get some work done, but he just couldn’t deal with this now. Turning to go upstairs, he stopped when he heard faint voices. Curious, he went to the window. Looking out, he saw Maria and Tori sitting a few feet away. The right thing would have been to walk away and leave them alone, but instead he opened the window enough so that he could listen.
“Maria, can I ask you a question?”
“What?”
“Why do you want to stay married to Nero if you two don’t share the same bed? I mean, I know that it’s none of my business, but I would have killed that bitch if that had been Dom,” Tori said, angrily stopping at the wave of Maria’s hand.
“Your marriage to Dom is different; you chose each other. Nero and I were forced together. Nero would have never married me if it hadn’t been for Angie. I mean, look at me, Tori. Who the hell in his right mind would marry me?” Maria laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“There is nothing wrong with you.”
“Tori, I’m used goods. The only way that I got a husband was through bribery and blackmail. No man would take me otherwise.”
“That’s not true. You’re beautiful, funny, caring, and…” Tori argued.
“And used goods,” Maria finished with a sad smile.
“Maria, that wasn’t your fault. Don’t say that about yourself.”
“No, it wasn’t, but that doesn’t matter. It’s the way of our world.”
“Maria?”
“Yeah, Tori?”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
“That’s
a little broad.”
“You know what I’m talking about. I’m sorry for not being truthful when we first met. I’m sorry for not saying anything when you were forced to marry. I’m sorry for not being the friend that you needed. I have no right to ask it, and I know that I don’t deserve it, but do you think that you could ever forgive me enough to start over? Do you think we could ever be those people sitting under the tree talking again?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know if that girl exists any longer, Tori. I don’t know if she really existed then. Maybe I was just doing what everyone wanted me to do. Maybe I was being what they wanted me to be,” Maria replied.
***
Moving away from the window, Nero didn’t want to hear any more. Each word that left Maria’s mouth was a stab at him. The events that had happened in his life had shaped him into what he was now. He was what everyone expected him to be. Sitting down, he stared out unseeing as her words caused him to reflect on things better left alone. Silently, he watched as Tori went upstairs, and yet long moments passed and Maria hadn’t followed. Knowing that he shouldn’t in the mood that he was in but unable to help himself, Nero stood up and made his way outside.
From the dim light of the moon, Nero saw Maria. Stretched out onto the bench, she lay back, her face upturned to the night. Her lips slightly parted as if waiting for a phantom kiss. Looking at her like that, Nero saw what he had tried not to. Moving forward, he silently crouched next to her. Fuck, she was beautiful. She was beautiful, and she was just as broken and fucked up as he was. Reaching out Nero pushed back all the reasons that this wasn’t a good idea, all the reasons that this would never work, and cupped her face with his hand. Gently, he brushed his fingers over it until her eyes opened, causing his breath to catch. Pain and sadness filled her gaze that he recognized. How couldn’t he? Wasn’t it the same that filled his when he foolishly allowed himself to remember? As if she saw all that he hid from the world, she reached out her hand and cupped his cheek. Her touch was beyond gentle as it moved along the scar that graced it. From brow to chin, she moved her fingers. Nero had never had a shortage of women, even after being scarred, but none had done what she was doing now. Instead of ignoring his flaw, she was accepting it. Closing his eyes, Nero allowed his hand to drop and focused on her touch, needing it if only for this moment.
***
Watching Tori walk away, Maria knew that she should get up and head to bed, too, but she couldn’t. Talking with Tori had brought up things that she knew the silence of her room would only amplify in her head. Lying back, she forced her mind to silence as much as she could. She must have drifted off at some point because she started to dream of the caress of a breeze. Opening her eyes, she saw her own pain reflected back at her. Knowing that look and the hopeless pain that brought it, Maria reached out to give the comfort for which she had always wished. Touching his scar, she caressed it gently. Hadn’t her own pain been ignored?
Leaning up, she gently allowed her lips to touch his scar. Starting at the top, she moved her lips feather light across it until she reached the bottom, then made her way to his lips. His mouth that was always set in such hard and unbending lines was slightly open as heavy breaths passed through it at her touch. Pressing her lips to the corner, she worked her way across, unsure what to do. She had never really been kissed. In the dark days of her capture, the men had other things that they wanted to do with her mouth. During her brief marriage, Paulie hadn’t bothered, and even Jason, whom she thought loved her, gave her only chaste kisses.
As if sensing her hesitation or perhaps needing more, Nero took charge. Moving his head slightly, he captured her lips gently. His movements were soft but firm as he molded his lips to hers. Tingles spread through her body, causing her lips to part. As if waiting for that, his tongue painted her lips before delving into her mouth. With small, teasing swipes, his tongue danced with hers until she shyly joined in. As if those simple touches were what he was waiting for, his hand cupped her face, and he deepened the kiss in a way she’d never thought possible. Need that she had never felt before burned in her at his touch. Placing her hands on his shoulders to balance herself, she leaned forward, needing more. A small gasp left her as Nero shifted his hands to her waist, pulling her down onto him. The gasp that left her when he went to the ground with her in his arms was quickly replaced with a moan at the feel of her breasts being pressed into his hard chest. With a boldness that she never would have had sober, she shifted her legs until they cupped his hips. His hardness pressed into her, but instead of inciting fear, it increased her need. On top as she was, she felt empowered, in control. Her time with Jason had given her the courage to do this. She had been willing to lie under Jason and give him what he needed, but with Nero, she would take what she needed. Instead of the fear that had once swamped her at the thought of sex, a need pulsed within her.
Her lips still locked with Nero’s, she ripped at his shirt pulling it open. Pressing her hands down hard into his chest, she felt deep indentations. Keeping her touch firm, she moved her fingers across his body, feeling each imperfection. A tenseness had filled Nero at her touch, as if he expected her to pull away, but instead, it just made her burn hotter. His body like hers bore its scars on the outside for the world to see.
Breaking free from his mouth, she worked her way down to his chest. With long swipes of her tongue, she traced the scars that crisscrossed it before capturing his nipple between her teeth. Hisses and curses filled the air as he gripped her hips and ground himself into her core. Fire burst behind her lids at the friction that created a burning inferno that coursed inside of her, stopping all breath. For one endless moment, the world and everything in it stopped as her body exploded into millions of little pieces. Her body arched back as she sat up straight and pressed herself into Nero, knees behind her. She felt Nero touching her, shifting his body, but she was so focused inward that it didn’t register what he was doing until she felt him filling her. Her muscles already contracting sucked him in greedily as he slammed upward. Hands braced behind him, he used the leverage to control his hips and her body. Her body came forward; his mouth now level with her naked breasts greedily took advantage. Needing more, she wrapped her hands around his head; gripping his hair hard, she forced him to take more. Her nails struck deep as he sucked her breast and pumped up into her again and again. Each time he slammed into her, he ground himself into her clit and bit down on her nipple, causing liquid to gush from her. Panting, she began to follow his movements, needing that friction. Nothing else mattered but capturing that moment again, and she did. Opening her mouth in what was sure to be a scream to wake the dead, she buried her face and her teeth into his shoulder to muffle the sound. The feel of her bite caused Nero to buck up into her hard, shooting his own release deep inside of her.
Collapsing to the ground, both panted, lying there lost in their own release.
Chapter 12
Opening her eyes, Maria groaned in pain. Her head was killing her. Rolling over, she looked to the clock beside the bed and saw that it was late afternoon. Getting up, she went to the bathroom. She felt horrible. Climbing into the shower, she shuddered as the cold water poured over her. What the hell did she do last night? Bits and pieces drifted fuzzily into her head until enough was there to tell a story that made her cringe. She slept with Nero. No, she didn’t sleep with him. She had sex with him. Sex that made her body react in ways that it had never before. What was wrong with her? Sex was something dirty and to be endured. How could she enjoy it? How could she enjoy it with the person whom she was supposed to betray?
Stepping from the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself and stood there, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Disgust filled her at the sight. She was no better than the people who had used her. It didn’t matter that she never intended to sleep with Nero. She had. She had slept with the man whom she intended to turn over to his enemies.
The sound of a ringing phone pulled her from the mirror. Walking to the bedroom, she
picked up the phone, not even bothering to check who it was. “Hello?” she whispered numbly, her mind still trying to grasp everything.
“Where the fuck were you?” the voice on the other end snarled.
Fear raced through her at the sound of that voice. Oh, god. “I—I—” Maria stuttered.
“Shut the fuck up. You were told what would happen if you missed an appointment.”
This wasn’t happening. “No. It wasn’t my fault. I was doing what you wanted,” Maria said desperately, her earlier self-recrimination forgotten.
“What I wanted was for you to meet with Wendy and give her a report.”
“I couldn’t. I was with Nero.”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“Please. I was doing what you wanted. I swear I was. Please don’t hurt Nico,” Maria begged.
Soft laughter filled the phone. “Oh, Maria, I’ll do more than hurt the little fucker.”
Oh, God, oh, God, this couldn’t be happening. Images filled Maria’s head at that laugh. “Caterina, please, I swear I’ve been doing what you wanted. I spent the night with Nero. That’s why I couldn’t get away. Please, I’m doing everything that you asked.”
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