by Penelope Sky
“I didn’t do it for them. I did it for you.”
“I know…”
He moved into me and cupped my cheeks, his hands soft and comforting against my skin. He kissed the corner of my eye where the bruising started. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m sorry I didn’t get here quicker.”
“You were right on time.”
He pulled away and gave me a sad look. “I want to be more affectionate with you.” He pulled his hands away. “But I’m just so angry right now.” He lowered his hands to his sides again. “I need some time.” He stepped back, like he was afraid to touch me.
I remembered the way he was after he killed The Butcher. It took him the rest of the next day to get back to normal. There was still so much carnal rage in his veins. He wasn’t the same. He turned into an animal. “I understand, babe.” I touched his shoulder gently before I walked to my uncle.
He still stood back, giving my father and brother a moment alone with Egor’s corpse. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and held me like I was his daughter. “When I got Vanessa back in Morocco, I cried. She’s a grown woman, but she’ll always be my little girl. I remember the first time I held her. Just the thought of something terrible hurting something so beautiful…is enough to break the strongest man. Your father loves you the same way. And I love you too.” He kissed my temple.
“I know, Uncle Crow. I love you too.”
“I like Bosco.”
“You do?” I asked.
“He’s rough around the edges, but any man who’s experienced real life is bound to be that way. He reminds me of Griffin—which is a great compliment.”
“It is.”
“I think your father has changed his mind about him.”
“Yeah, I think so too. As he should…”
He patted my back gently. “Cut him some slack. He just loves you.”
“I’ve never held a grudge against him for it. I know his feelings came from a good place.”
“They always do.” He lowered his arm. “Something good came out of this. Now we never have to worry about that piece of shit again. Mia deserved real justice—now she has it.”
“Carter does too.” I knew Egor must still haunt Carter since he loved Mia so much.
“Yeah. Now they both have some peace.” His eyes moved to Bosco, who stood off to the side alone. His hands rested in his pockets as he stared at Egor’s body. His men moved in the background and departed with the prisoners they took. They slowly cleaned up the screen and sprayed the blood off the pavement. “He doesn’t look happy.”
“He’s just…still angry. He wishes he could kill Egor again. Once isn’t enough.”
Crow nodded. “I know how that is…”
My father and Carter came back, my father’s hand on Carter’s shoulder. “I guess we’ll head home. The wives are all upset right now.”
“I told Pearl everyone is okay,” Uncle Crow said. “I’m sure she told the others.”
My brother hugged me. “I’m so sorry, Carmen. This is all my—”
“I’m glad it happened. I’m glad Bosco killed him. I’m glad that our family can have some real peace. Mia deserves this justice. I’d gladly get hit in the face again for that joy. It was totally worth it.”
Carter pulled away and gave me a slight smile. “Well, I wish you didn’t have to get hit in the face…but I’m glad he’s dead too. Really glad. It’s like…a huge weight off my chest. I would still think about him, anxious that he would figure it out and swarm my house. But now, I never have to worry about it again.”
“None of us do.”
Carter glanced at Bosco before he looked at me again. “He’s alright in my book, in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t,” I teased.
He smiled. “Maybe he and I can hang out. Get to know each other.”
“He would love that. All he has is his brother. I know he would love it if we could all make him feel like family. He lost his mom a few years ago, and he says he hasn’t been himself ever since.”
“Until he met you,” Carter said. “At least, that’s what my guess is.”
It wasn’t until a few hours later when we returned to the penthouse.
Wordlessly, Bosco shed his clothes and got into the shower.
I watched him from the doorway, watched him just stand there as the warm water dripped down his muscular frame. The warm water must have soothed him because he didn’t seem to care about shampooing his hair or rubbing soap across his body.
I took off my clothes and joined him even though he asked for his space. I came up behind him and rested my forehead against his back, my hands holding on to his triceps. I let the warm water cleanse me, wipe away the dirt under my fingernails. I was frozen from hitting the cold concrete so many times, and I didn’t realize how numb I was until I started to thaw.
He didn’t react to my touch or ask me to leave.
After a few minutes passed, he turned around and lifted my chin so I would look him in the eye. There was still a hint of violence in his eyes, but the softness was beginning to return. “I wouldn’t be able to go on if I lost you.”
My fingers wrapped around his wrist. “I know.”
“I don’t judge your father for crying, because I would have cried too.”
“I know.”
He kissed my forehead then my lips. “I know you’re a tough woman who can handle herself pretty well. I know you’re strong enough to not let this hurt you, to overcome it, to not be afraid of what could have been. That helps me too…helps me let it go.”
“Honestly, I’m happy all of this happened. If given the choice, I would have done it again. I knew you were coming for me. I just had to be a little more patient this time.”
“I will always come for you. Bullets and knives can’t stop me.”
“I know. And that’s why my father shook your hand and admitted he was wrong. In case you haven’t noticed…he never admits he’s wrong.”
Finally, a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. “Yeah…I noticed.”
I pressed my face to his chest and kissed the muscles over his heart. “So, should I cancel the lease on my apartment? It sucks paying for a place I don’t even use.”
His hand rubbed the back of my neck. “You should have done that a long time ago.”
“I’ll pay you what I normally pay in rent.”
He gave me such a terrifying look.
“Or not…”
He dropped his outrage and rubbed my neck again.
The last thing I wanted to do was piss him off after he’d just killed someone a few hours ago. “So, I’m gonna move in, then? Officially?”
“Please.”
“I’d love to. This place has felt like home since the first time I visited.”
“Because it is home—your home.” He kissed me again, loving my lips delicately.
I smiled as I felt his embrace. “So…you want to fuck me savagely like last time?”
He smiled, but his eyes turned even more intense than before. “Yes.”
21
Bosco
I walked across the floor of the casino, silently saying goodbye to the building that had housed all my dreams and aspirations. From a young age, I’d always been ambitious, always wanted a better life for my family.
I accomplished it.
Not only was I wealthy, but I had power.
I’d been powerless to help my mother when I was young. She’d had to beg for jobs to make ends meet, and one time when she couldn’t, we were kicked out of our apartment. I never wanted her to feel powerless like that ever again. I didn’t want to feel powerless either.
But now I was walking away from all of it.
Without a hint of bitterness.
I looked at the men playing at the tables, holding their hands of cards while cigars stuck out of their mouths. The women danced overhead, and topless waitresses couldn’t get drinks served quick enough.
I remembered when this room was empty. The d
ay I bought it, it was a rathole.
Now it was an empire.
“Hey, Bosco.” Ruby’s sexy voice emerged from my right. She stepped from the shadows of one of the power tables, walking through the cloud of smoke that made the room hazy. “Where’s your lady friend?”
I kept walking. “Home.”
“She’s feisty, isn’t she?” She smoked a cigar as she walked, wearing a red gown with a sweetheart neckline.
“I’m gonna cut to the chase, Ruby.” I stepped forward and faced her, not attracted to her curves anymore. “I’m marrying her. This—” I pointed between the two of us “—is never gonna happen again. She’s the woman getting my money. Stop wasting your time and find someone else. I’m selling the casino, so I’m probably not interesting to you anymore.”
She hid her disappointment at my speech. “Who are you selling it to?”
“Ronan, obviously.”
“Oh…so now he has the moneybags.”
He always had the moneybags since we split the profits. But it didn’t matter. “He’s all yours.” I walked away from her, hoping that was the last time I would ever see her again.
I took the elevator to the office to meet Ronan. It was strange to see him sitting behind my desk. He’d changed a few things in the room—but kept the picture of the three of us. I sat in the leather chair where Carmen and I had once slept.
Ronan eyed me. “You’re sure?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“This must be hard for you. I can tell you don’t like me sitting behind your desk.”
“Your desk,” I corrected. “And no, I don’t.” I grinned. “I’ll get used to it.” I had a lot more to look forward to.
“So…marriage…babies… You still want that?”
I tapped my fingers against the armchair. “Yes, eventually. But right now, I’m happy with the way things are. Carmen is a lot younger than me, so there’s no rush.”
“I don’t know…she’s twenty-five. She probably wants to get started soon.”
“Well, she knows my dick is available at her command, so I’m ready whenever she is.”
He chuckled. “Ain’t that truth. Well, I’m gonna miss seeing you around here. You won’t come by for a game or two?”
“No. I told her father I wouldn’t be associated with this place anymore. My goal is to disappear.”
“I hope that means you won’t be disappearing from my life too…” It seemed like a joke, but I knew there was a hint of seriousness to it.
“Never. We’ll have you over for dinner once a week.”
He grinned. “Now, I’m down with that.”
“Carmen really likes you. She wants you around as much as I do.”
“That woman is lovely. You fucked around for so long, but your dick knew when it found the right one.”
I placed my hand over my heart, even though it was cheesy. “No. My heart did.”
Ronan laughed, but he didn’t tease me. “I’m happy for you. I hope I find that someday…not that I’m in a hurry.”
“When the time comes, you’ll know.” I never walked anywhere, and the one time I did, I came across the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen—my future wife. “Let me know if you have any questions, even though I know you probably won’t.”
“I know this business like the back of my hand,” he said. “But maybe I’ll use it as an excuse to call.”
I gave him a slight smile. “You don’t need an excuse, man.”
Carmen’s apartment was packed up and empty. The lease was broken, and she’d redirected her mail to my penthouse.
She’d officially moved in.
I didn’t ask her to marry me because there didn’t seem to be a rush. The diamond was still in the box whenever she was ready to wear it. We were happy, so it didn’t seem like I needed to hurry.
“Are you okay?” she asked when I walked in the door.
It was the last time my suit would smell like cigars. I would actually miss that. “I’m fine, Beautiful.”
“I know it must be hard for you…” She pushed my jacket off my shoulders and rubbed my chest. “And that’s okay if it is.”
I stared at the beautiful woman who loved me, loved me for me and not my money. She didn’t care about my power and was intimidated by it most of the time. This woman only wanted me. I knew how lucky I was to have her, that not all men could have such an extraordinary woman. “It was a little hard when I left the office. But when I remembered what I was coming home to, it wasn’t so bad.” My hands gripped her hips, and I held her against my chest, treasuring the petite woman I would love the rest of my life. She was the only woman I would fuck, the only woman I’d ever made love to. The thought wasn’t scary at all.
Her eyes softened in the most adorable way. She cupped my cheek and placed a kiss on my lips. “I love you, babe.”
I loved that nickname. It was a pussy name, but I liked it anyway. I liked the affection, the way she called me that by accident the first time she said it. It was the first time I knew she loved me, the first time I understood how possessive she was of me. “I love you too, Beautiful.” My hand slid under the fall of her hair as I enjoyed her lips. “I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”
Epilogue
Carmen
Once I sat in the chair at the dining table, I couldn’t get up again. “Oh my god, I’m so fat, I can’t even move.” I placed my hand on my stomach and groaned as my knees and back ached. I was carrying a litter, and my body couldn’t handle the twin boys growing inside me.
“If I can give birth to Crow junior, then you can do this,” Vanessa said across the table from me, her pregnant belly only three months along.
Griffin was beside her, holding their son in his arms. Young Crow was asleep, passed out after a busy day of swimming in the sun.
“My back killed me too,” my mother said. “With both of you. It sucks, but it’s so worth it in the end.”
“You told me that last time,” I said sarcastically. “And that’s debatable.”
My father came out of the kitchen holding Emily by the hand, my two-year-old daughter who liked to rock a side ponytail. He tickled her tummy, making her giggle. “I gave her some ice cream, Carmen.”
“I told you she can’t have dessert before dinner.” I was a lot more irritable than I used to be since my belly was getting so big. Now anything pissed me off.
“Not my problem,” Father said. “I love being a grandparent.”
“Wait,” I said. “You never let us get away with stuff like that when we were little.”
Father shrugged. “I like being a grandpa more than a father. It’s more fun.” He took Emily into the other room to play with Luca, even though he was a lot older than she was.
“Babe.” I sat back and rubbed my stomach.
Bosco came out of the kitchen. He was cooking with my brother and uncle, trying to whip up a dinner that could feed nearly twenty people. “Beautiful, are you doing alright?” He kneeled down and placed his left hand on my stomach, his black wedding ring visible.
“I think I need some ice cream,” I blurted.
Mom laughed. “He’s in the middle of making dinner, and you’re going to ask him for ice cream?”
“Father just gave my daughter some, so now I want some,” I demanded. “I’ve got two babies in here.”
Bosco kissed my stomach, amused by my request, not annoyed. “Coming right up, Beautiful.”
“Way ahead of you.” Ronan came up behind him with a bowl of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and sprinkles. “I know how she likes it.” He set the bowl in front of me with a spoon. “Anything else?”
“You’re my favorite brother,” I said, partially joking and partially not.
Carter’s voice sounded from the kitchen. “I heard that.”
I rolled my eyes.
Bosco rose to his feet then rubbed the back of my neck. “Dinner is almost ready.”
“Thanks for cooking,” I said. “My knees are killing me.”
“You’re so nice to my daughter, Bosco,” my mother said. “Even when she doesn’t deserve it.”
He turned back around and looked at me. “She’s giving me twins. She can ask for whatever she wants.” He walked back into the kitchen to help my brother and uncle.
The house was packed with all our family members. We’d invited them over for another Sunday dinner, and while I loved having everyone here, I wished I wasn’t so pregnant. I was excited to have another baby, but I’d never expected to have twins.
“And you’re going to do this two more times,” Aunt Pearl said. “So, pace yourself.”
“Uh, no,” I said. “Just one more time. That makes four babies.”
“But that’s only three pregnancies,” Mom said. “That’s cheating.”
I grabbed my bowl of ice cream and started to eat. “Do you want me to have more kids or something? Mia and Carter have two kids, and we’re gonna have four. That’s six grandkids. That’s so many Christmas presents.”
Mom shrugged. “The more kids, the better. That’s just my opinion.”
“True.” Aunt Pearl picked up Crow Jr. from Griffin. “Grandkids really are the best.”
I finished my bowl of ice cream in less than a minute and then rubbed my stomach again. The frozen treat helped me cool off since it was the middle of summer in Tuscany. The air cranked, but there were so many people in the house, it couldn’t be controlled.
Bosco came back into the room and placed a glass of ice water in front of me. “You need anything else?”
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“Yeah, but I noticed you didn’t have anything.” Bosco had turned into the most attentive husband and caring father I’d ever seen. It didn’t seem like it was possible years ago, but he fit the role perfectly, like that’s what he was meant to be.
“Aww…you’re so sweet.” My hormones were all over the place, so just a glass of water was touching to me. “Thank you. You’re so good to me.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “There’s no one else in the world I would give birth to twins for besides you.”