by J. C. Cliff
“You really thought you could pull the wool over my eyes, didn’t you?” he bellows.
“Please, dear, I can explain,” she says, melodramatic.
“Oh, I bet you can,” he starts off, anger clear in his voice. “I once told you, I had eyes everywhere, but you took advantage of my illness and thought you could scheme on me,” he says as he steps closer to his wife. “You miscalculated, dear, and worse than that, you underestimated me.”
“Honey—”
“You’re done,” he roars.
Then he turns to Saber and holds out his hand. His gray eyes peer at my brother and the next words that come from his mouth, have Annmarie screaming.
“Give me your gun,” he orders.
Saber looks to Rush who nods his head in approval and I tighten my hold on Ree as Mr. Signorile takes the offered gun. Lifting my hand to cover her eyes, I stare at the Don as he checks the chamber before he points the gun directly at his wife’s head.
Fuck.
Quickly, I remove my hand from hers and push Ree down onto the ground. Laying my body over hers, I shield her as the gun goes off.
Her screams echo in my ears as she struggles underneath me.
“No,” she sobs.
Seeing her so distraught, knowing this moment will haunt her for the rest of her life, I almost wish she was still unconscious just so she’d be spared the truth.
That truth being, her father, the man she idolizes more than anything, is a stone-cold killer who just offed her mother.
The life she’s known is as dead as the woman who brought her into this vicious world.
Welcome to reality, princess.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
SIX MONTHS LATER
I learned at a very young age, I was different than most girls. I didn’t come from a picture-perfect family, far from it. On career day, when all the kids in school shared what their parents did for a living, I knowingly lied, telling my class my father was in the business of private sanitation.
I didn’t realize until I was a teenager that it was all a front. My father didn’t dispose the neighborhood trash, he disposed bodies. He ordered people to kill and lived a life of sin.
It was hard to believe, it was hard to fathom, the man I called daddy, the man who loved me unconditionally, was a criminal. I never wanted to see my father in that light and so, I pushed his occupation to the back of my mind. In my eyes he was just my dad, not some powerful mob boss.
I might not have watched him pull the trigger or see the life drain from my mother’s eyes, but I have to live every day of my life knowing my father murdered my mother. The sound of the gun going off still echoes in my ears from time to time, and I’ll never forget the sight of her dead body when Blade carried me out of the cellar.
Apparently, my father, as sick as he was, knew my mother and Dean were scheming to take over his organization. Through the years, he and his henchmen acquired enough evidence to blackmail Dean into confessing to a sea of crimes, sending him up the river for the next twenty-five years.
With my mother in a grave and my ex-husband in prison, life as I knew it completely changed. In the weeks that followed that horrid nightmare, I went to stay with Trish and her husband.
Blade wanted me to stay with him at the clubhouse but after everything that happened, I couldn’t bring myself to go back to the Chaos compound and to be honest, I wasn’t sure I could look him in the eye knowing my ex-husband had an affair with his sister or that my mother killed her. To be fair, I wasn’t sure how he could look at me either and I wondered if he’d see his sister’s killer every time he looked at me.
It took all but a week after the incident for him to start calling me. At first, I didn’t answer, and he’d leave a message, saying he was just calling to check on me, that he missed me.
The more he called, the more I started to wonder if he and I could build on the twisted foundation on which we began. One crazy night evolved into the discovery of painful secrets and a web of lies. Could either of us move past that, and more importantly, were we both willing?
Two months into ignoring his calls, I finally answered the phone and the moment I heard his voice a sense of peace washed over me. I can’t explain it, but hearing him speak, the sound that captivated me from that first night made me forget my whole life was a lie. He didn’t talk about what had happened or blame me for anything. Instead, he kept things light and cursed me for his newfound obsession with Netflix.
By the end of the conversation, he asked when he could see me again and professed his desire to start over. He wanted to forget how we met and the nightmare that followed. I found myself hanging on his every word, wishing things were as simple as he made them sound, but I was traumatized and until I healed there was no way I could start a relationship with Blade.
On top of dealing with my mother’s death, my ex-husband’s imprisonment, and my father’s murderous ways, I needed to find my place in the world. For so long I’ve been labeled by the people in my life. First, I was the Don’s daughter, then I was Dean’s wife.
I’ve never just been AnnMarie Signorile.
I realized freedom wasn’t about checking off ridiculously rebellious experiences on a bucket list. It was about becoming my own woman and living just for me. I didn’t want to rely on a man and I feared if I got involved with Blade, I would lose sight of that. I’d fall back into old habits and be known as Blade’s girl. As much as I wouldn’t mind the title, I needed more.
Blade understood that and when I told him I wanted to open my own consignment store, he supported my endeavor and offered to help. Determined to do this on my own, I declined his assistance and for the last few months I’ve put my blood, sweat, and tears into my store.
Now, with my store scheduled to open next week, I’m planning a grand opening celebration and aside from Trish, the only other person I want by my side is Blade. It’s the reason I’m at the Chaos compound, walking into the clubhouse the man of my dreams held me captive in so long ago.
Pulling open the heavy door, I make my way inside and am immediately greeted by the burly beast who called me a bitch. Rush crosses his arms against his chest and studies me for a moment.
“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he says.
I might not be his biggest fan, but I’ve come to respect the man who helped rescue me.
“How you doin’, girl? Blade tells us you’re opening up some fancy as shit store.”
“I am,” I confirm with a smile. “In fact, that’s why I’m here. Is Blade around?”
“In his room,” he tells me, jutting his thumb over his shoulder, toward the hallway. “You remember the way, yeah?”
“Are you kidding me?” I tease, winking at the man. “I know this place like the back of my hand.”
“Yeah, I bet you do,” he grunts. He shakes his head, but I can tell he’s mildly amused by me too. With another smile, I brush past him and make my way down the narrow hallway. Finding Blade’s room, I take a deep breath and lift my knuckles to door.
On the way over here, I rehearsed what I was going to say and tried to pinpoint how I’d feel when I saw him again for the first time. Yet as he pulls open the door and our eyes meet, I realize it was all a waste of time. I could never prepare myself for this moment.
It’s funny how we live our lives adhering to society’s and social standards, frowning on people we think are beneath us. Before Blade, I thought all bikers were low-class criminals. I never expected to find my heart in one.
I never expected to fall for the man standing in front of me, quirking his lips and staring at me like I’m a dream come true.
“Hi, stranger,” I whisper.
“Welcome home, darlin’,” he replies as he reaches for my hand. Pulling me against his chest, he wraps his arms tightly around me and I know for the first time in my life, I’m right where I belong.
Home isn’t a fancy mansion in a gated community.
It’s not a penthouse apartment either.
Where you can be yourself.
Home is where you can fall in love.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
When it came to Chaos and what I wanted to do with my future, I didn’t need to think long on it. I’m with my band of brothers, and they had my back in my time of need. I might not have set out to be a biker, it’s not one of the greatest aspirations one could have in life, but I’ve decided that this is who I am. I’m a Chaos rider. At the end of the day, I know I have real brothers who’d go to battle for me, and I would do the same for them. The entire club had my back during one of the worst struggles of my life and whether or not they believed me, they still came through for me. Respect. Loyalty. Honor. Those things mean everything to me. You can’t put a price tag on that shit.
I can’t put a price tag on Ree either and what I love about her the most is her innocence and the will to survive.
I give Ree a kiss on the lips, gentle and sweet, just before I shut the door to my room. Damn, she feels so good. To feel her lips against mine and hold her in my arms is just short of heaven. I’ve missed her, and I didn’t think I could stay away from her this long, but I had to. So many times I just wanted to storm into her life and take her back, give her all I’ve got to give, but I stayed strong for her sake. I gave her the space I thought she needed in order to heal. We’ve both been through so much shit together and I’m proud of her for pulling through it whole.
“I’m glad you came to see me,” I whisper heatedly over her lips.
“You are, are you?” she asks with a lilt of lightheartedness in her voice.
“Mmm, you know it,” I tell her as I give her another soft kiss. “Did you come over to watch some Netflix with me?” I ask, teasing.
She smiles over my lips, giving me a sheepish grin. “Ohh…,” I draw out my words with innuendo. “You had something more devious in mind, perhaps? Maybe you think I got one of them roses hiding in my desk drawer for you, like one of those millionaire schmucks?”
She tilts her head back and laughs out loud and it’s one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve heard in a long time. The amount of time that’s passed between us has been too long, and in this moment, everything feels so right.
I wanted to take her back home with me the night she lost her mother, but she was in such a state of shock and so hysterical I didn’t know what to do to help her. Trish came to mind. I figured she was the best person to help her heal. So that’s where I took her. I knew from experience she needed to be where she received the most attention and sane counsel. As innocent as Ree was, I knew in the back of my mind she didn’t think her father was capable of such a heinous act, and it was going to take some real soul searching to recover from that.
Ree told me she always understood what her father was, but it never registered because her dad treated her with kid gloves. I guess when one is not exposed or a witness to such horrendous acts of violence, they can keep the reality of it pushed far back into the recesses of their mind.
The whole time Ree was living with Trish, I did a lot of my own soul searching. I had to ask myself what the fuck I was going to with the rest of my life now that my sister’s death had been avenged and her killer was dead. It wasn’t Ree’s fault her mother did what she did. And in that moment of truth, I couldn’t process all that shit down in the basement as it all unfolded at the same time. Especially when her father came down the stairs like The Walking Dead and on a fucking war path. I had to respect the man, but it took me some time to let my own bitterness go over not doling out justice for myself.
We don’t talk about what happened in that basement, but if there was any one lesson I’ve learned in all this, it’s to never underestimate a man of power. The man may have been on his death bed and battling cancer, but he sure as fuck knew how to cover his own ass. People who viewed the man as weak and out of the game, guessed wrong and it cost everyone who wanted to cross him, including his wife.
At least that piece of shit Dean finally had what was coming to him. Although I would’ve preferred to have put his ass in the ground for getting Carrie hooked on drugs and pregnant and not owning up to it. I was amazed that not only did Dean get sent away for his own crimes, but Ree’s father was able to pin more crimes on him from his other associates than I could count. Which meant the man owned the judges and the judicial system. I’ve got to give credit to Mr. Signoreli. He prepared for a serious take down, and in the middle of it all, he set everyone up he knew who would betray him. Although I have to think his wife’s double-crossing antics came as a bit of surprise to him. Either way, it’s sad, tragic as fuck that Ree was caught in the middle.
Had I paid better attention to Ree and asked her more questions, treated her better, or had been intelligent enough to ask her certain questions, I probably could’ve found out ahead of time about Gianco, but that’s all behind me know. I can’t look back. It’s pointless to wonder about what I could’ve done differently to have spared Ree from what she witnessed in her father’s basement.
With Rush’s help, he took the time to help me to find the peace I needed in order to let my past go. I realized I had to move on for my own sanity. When I lived from day to day dreaming about revenge, I realized it was an empty existence. The past was full of bitterness and vengeance. It turned out to be nothing but wasted time. Now I live for tomorrow, like I have never done before, hoping for a decent future. I want Ree to be in that future.
“You sure you’re good being here?” I ask in all honesty, because even though I’d never given up on her, I’d never expected her to show up at more door. Through it all, I never gave up on Ree. I called and kept in touch despite many unanswered and sometimes unwanted calls. But one thing I was determined to do was make her come to me when she was good and ready.
“Of course,” she says, returning my kiss with another.
“You know what this means, right?” I ask, tilting my head to the side so I can gaze into her eyes. I want to see the truth, not just hear it.
“It means I’m most likely your bitch,” she says with a smile. At that I let out a small chuckle. Her words warm my heart and I grow serious.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I tell her in a low, sultry voice. “I felt as if a piece of myself has been missing every day that you were apart from me. There’s one thing for certain, we do have serious chemistry.” Is there love? I don’t know. Maybe. All I know is there’s something more than just mere lust between us.
I run my fingers through her hair as I think back to how we came to be in the first place. It was one fucking crazy night that I was trying to get my patch. “I can’t help but think you belong with me. You’ve rooted yourself into my fucking soul,” I whisper with conviction.
“Just shut up and kiss me,” she demands.
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” I say just before my lips crash down on hers. I keep kissing her as I guide her to my bed and lay her down gently. I break the kiss just long enough to rid us of our clothes, and when I move my bare chest over hers, the warmth and feel of her body has me reeling.
“I’ve waited so long for this right here.”
“Me too,” she confesses then slips her arms around me, pulling me in against her body as if I can’t get close enough.
Her kiss grows from soft and sultry to a frantic need. Our tongues taste each other and explore as if it were all new. It feels like the first night we came together, but better.
She spreads her legs open for me in invitation. I let out a low moan as my hardness presses against her opening. “Your pussy is so hot and wet.” I hold back from entering just because it feels so fucking good gliding the tip of my dick back and forth from her wet pussy to her clit. She bucks her hips thrashing her head from side to side, trying to get me where she wants me.
“What you need, darlin’?”
“Please, Blade,” she whimpers with unadulterated need, “I need you inside me.”
I give her what she wants and
in one hard thrust I’m deep inside her. We both let out a heavy exhale of blissful pleasure just before I take her mouth. Our body fuses as one. My breathing is heavy and carnal, our tongues battling for something unspoken. It’s been too long for me. “I’m not going to last. You feel too fucking good.”
Ree moves in tandem with me, matching my every move and soon she’s screaming out her release. I’m right there with her, coming deep inside her. Our bodies shudder and quake as we hang onto each other through our orgasms. “You feel so right—so perfect,” she says, staring straight into my eyes. I can see into her soul and know we’re gonna make it. She’s my future. Ree might not know it yet, but she will in due time.
THE END
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CHAPTER THIRTY
© COPYRIGHT
Uncontrollable Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco
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Prologue
Thirteen years ago
JACK “BULLDOG” PARRISH
There was no God, no higher power I prayed to hoping to relieve me from my sins. No one would grant me penance for all the wrong decisions I’ve made. There was only the devil, and I tangoed enough with him in my twenty-five years to know I was at his mercy. There was nothing I could do but eat the crow he threw at me. I’ve swallowed a lot of shit in my life, losing my parents, my wife cheating on me, my brother turning his back on me and becoming a federal agent. But there is one thing you don’t swallow, one thing you never get over, one thing that stays with you, forcing you to question everything you know in life—that is losing a child. No parent should outlive their child. No parent should have to pick out a casket for their baby. And no parent should have to sit in a funeral home as a man dressed in a cloak prays over their son’s lifeless body.