by Stone, M. T.
“I’ve been thinking about security a lot the past few days too,” Tiny replies, seeming to be breathing a bit easier. “I’m glad to see you’re beefing up this place. We need to feel safe in here.”
“Yeah, you can thank Victoria for that. She insisted that I spend the extra money for level-ten.” I think back to the Irish kid who was gunned down in my club. “The other night got a little too real, didn’t it?”
“Yeah, and my ears are still ringing from that fucking car bomb too!” he adds. “When is the new SUV going to get here?”
“On Wednesday or Thursday at the latest,” I confirm. “Just take a different limo each time you go somewhere. Change up your times and try to take different routes.”
“I’ve just been using Uber,” he admits with a laugh. “Nobody would guess that it’s us in a charcoal-colored minivan,” he adds, continuing his belly laugh.
“You’re right. That’s a clever way to go incognito,” I agree as Victoria comes in from the porch and takes a seat next to me. “Well, I’ve got to run. I’ll let you know when we’re headed back. We’ll probably hang out for a couple of days since her grandmother is pretty sick.” She simply stares at me in silence until I hang up the phone.
“I can’t sit around here. I want to get this confrontation with Dad out of the way,” she says as soon as I set down my phone. “I want to leave tomorrow and finish it. Then I can come back down here while the dust settles back home.”
“Okay.” I nod my head, knowing that there is nothing I can say to change her mind. “So you want to head back on tomorrow’s ticket?”
“I do. I’ll just go nuts if I have to sit around and wait until Friday to deal with Dad.” She taps her nails nervously on the table top. “Grandpa has a good nerve toxin that I want to try.”
“I thought maybe I could do the dirty work,” I offer. “That way if something goes wrong, it’s my ass and not yours.”
“We’re Bonnie and Clyde, baby.” She smiles, running her fingernails down the side of my cheek. “We’ll either end up with everything or nothing. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll be going down together in a blaze of glory, Thelma and Louise style.”
“You sound like a movie trailer. But yeah, if we don’t go for it, then we’re guaranteed to end up with nothing,” I reply, having come to the same conclusion over the past couple of days. “You just tell me what I can do to help.”
“Right now, I could use some lovin’,” she replies with a flicker of lust in her eyes. “It’s been a long day and I’m feeling a little tense.” She stands up and holds out her hand.
Without another word, I take her hand and follow her up the enormous staircase. At the top of the staircase, she stops in front of a collage of family pictures. The first picture that catches my eye is a picture of a little girl and little boy out on the porch. “Is that you?” I ask, wondering who the boy would be.
“No, that’s Mom and Tony,” she says with a faint smile. “I think she was eight years old in that picture.”
“This one is you.” I point to another picture of a little girl flanked by two adults. “Wow, your Mom looks just like you in this picture. “Your dad looks really young too. Has he ever smiled?”
“I think Mom was probably my age in that picture, because I was five.” She pauses to reminisce for a few seconds. “That was when we used to spend a lot of time down here. And no, Dad never smiles except for that condescending grin of his. That’s the only one I ever see, at least.”
“Do you think he put us in separate bedrooms for a reason?” I whisper as I look through two different doors, seeing luggage in both rooms.
“Yeah, Grandpa’s a little old-fashioned when it comes to that stuff, but I’m twenty-seven and independent minded.” She leans into me and bites at my lip, giving me a little growl.
“That you are,” I agree as I back her through the doorway of the room containing her luggage. “I feel like a teenager sneaking around in my parents’ house. It’s been a long time since I had to be quiet.” I turn to the bed, expecting to find an old, squeaky spring mattress. But to my surprise, it passes my bounce test without a single squeak.
“You’re hilarious,” she says with a look of shock. “You should’ve done a few hip thrusts while you were on there to really test things out.”
“No, I’ll just do them for real.” I reach out and guide her toward the bed and onto her back. I immediately reach beneath her dress and slip her panties down her outstretched legs. I then unbutton my shorts and drop them to the floor, quickly stepping out of them. Without the slightest hesitation, I join her, kissing her neck and sliding my hand back up between her thighs.
“We should probably shut off the light since there isn’t even a lock on the door,” she gasps, completely caught off-guard by my aggressiveness. “I never told Grandpa that we were going to bed, so I would hate to have him . . . oh, God, that feels good.”
I continue to massage her clit until my fingers move freely between her lips. I leave the bed momentarily to hit the light switch before returning to the bed. Grabbing the hem of her dress, I move beneath it in search of an after-dinner treat. I kiss my way up the inside of her legs until I reach the sweet spot. She gives out a soft moan as my tongue moves between her swollen lips. She tastes divine, and I’ve been waiting for this moment all day. Watching her legs move beneath that little red dress had me frustrated by the time we landed, and it only got worse as the skies grew dark.
“Oh, God . . . that feels so amazing,” she whispers softly as I circle her clit with my tongue and continue to move a bit farther down her slit each time. She gasps as I force my tongue as deeply as possible within her, moving it back and forth. “Fuck, that’s amazing!” I smile against her soft skin as she tries to grasp at my hair, only to find that her dress is in the way. I push back against her legs, sending her feet straight into the air, and continue to ravish her with my lips and tongue. “Oh, fuck . . . oh, fuck,” she begins to cry, a bit louder this time. A brief thought of Antonio flashes though my mind, but it disappears just as quickly.
At first, Victoria seems frustrated by the constraints of still being in her dress, but she gradually begins to relax, and by the time I begin making love to her, she seems to be enjoying it. “It’s been a long time since I got laid in my dress,” she whispers as I ease into her. “This kind of makes up for not being able to go to my senior prom.”
I let her comment go for the moment. My dick is rock hard and I’ve been working up to this for the past fifteen minutes. Nothing is going to stop me now. I reach back for her ankles and spread her legs wide as I deliver long, deep strokes that will make her forget the hurts of the past. In the moment, I realize that not only do I want to fix the past for her, but I also want to fix the present, and most of all, the future. I want to make things right for her. I want her to feel appreciated and to realize her full potential. She is the most kickass woman I’ve ever met. In fact, I never dreamed I would meet anyone like her. She’s my perfect counterpart. My other half. I’ve never believed in the astrological signs, but in this case, we truly are the Gemini twins.
I arch my back, lifting my head, and begin kissing her passionately while continuing to fuck her with all the intensity and passion I can muster. She immediately responds, wrapping her arms around my neck and forcing her tongue past my lips. I adjust my hips just slightly and begin concentrating on her G-spot. “Yeah, right there,” she moans loudly. I slow my pace, now really feeling the little bumps against the top of my head. Her pussy actually tightens up, gripping me in a way that instantly feels like heaven. “Oh, God, that’s amazing.” She begins panting, and I can feel her body trembling beneath me.
“You are amazing,” I reply, completely overwhelmed with the feelings that are now coursing through my entire body. I’ve had lots of good sex in my life, but this is on a whole different level. It’s like everything else was simply practice leading up to being in the championship game. Everything is becoming apparent to me. I’ve not only
met my match personality-wise, but I’ve met my match in life. I’m beginning to understand what it means to meet your other half, to find the one who completes you. Someone you not only enjoy being with, but who actually fills that gaping hole inside your heart. I only hope I can do the same for her.
Chapter 16
Victoria
Upon waking, I find myself alone in the middle of the bed. Instinctively, I search for my phone to check the time. It’s just after eight, so that explains why I’m feeling relatively refreshed. I notice that I have a missed call and voicemail from Dad. My heart skips a beat and I toss the phone to the bed. It’s too early to hear a message from him, so I need to compose myself for a few minutes before listening to it. After several minutes of procrastination, I feel strong enough to listen to it. I click the speakerphone button and keep my head firmly nestled in the pillow.
“Victoria,” he says, starting out the message the same way he always does. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry things haven’t worked out better between us.” There is a several-second pause before he clears his throat and continues the message. It’s honestly the closest thing to an emotion that I’ve ever witnessed from him. “To be honest with you . . . I wish things could be different, but you’ll see this is for the best.” I nearly hang up on him, but I wait to see if there is anything more. “I just want you to know that I’m sorry . . . for everything.”
My heart drops upon hearing those words and I don’t really know why. I should feel a bit better due to the fact that he apologized, but something about the way he did it had so much finality. It almost seemed like something someone would do prior to committing suicide. I click to call him back, but it goes directly to voicemail. “I just listened to your message. Give me a call. I would like to talk to you. About everything.” I hang up, knowing that I won’t receive a return phone call. I’ll get a chance to talk to him face to face soon enough. I slip out of bed and glance in the mirror at the sight of the crumpled red dress that I’m still wearing. I was too tired to get up and take it off before falling asleep. I pull a pair of shorts and a tank top from my bag and slip them on. I need a cup of coffee before I shower and get ready. I run a brush through my hair and wipe some stray mascara from the corners of my eyes. Good enough for now.
The smell of a good old-fashioned breakfast greets me as I make my way down the staircase to the kitchen. “Good morning, sunshine!” Devon says, beating Grandpa to the punch. “You were out cold when I checked on you at seven.”
“Yeah, I haven’t slept that hard in a long time,” I reply, taking the seat next to him. “I think the lack of sleep the past few nights finally caught up with me.”
“It’s because you’re back home, honey,” Grandma says, pushing a plate of pancakes and eggs in front of me. “Would you like bacon or sausage?”
“Oh, this is more than enough,” I reply, not really feeling at all hungry. “I was just looking for a good cup of coffee.”
“You need your protein,” Grandpa counters, tossing a strip of bacon and a sausage patty on my plate. “You’re going to need your strength.”
“Yeah, if I’m going to go kick some ass in New York, I might need a couple more strips of bacon,” I reply with a laugh. “By the way, Dad left me a message sometime late last night. It was weird. He was apologizing for the fact that things haven’t been better between us and for everything he said.” I turn to Grandpa, who immediately gets a sour expression.
“That’s not good.” He shakes his head, turns, and walks out of the room. That hollow feeling that I had earlier in my stomach returns with a vengeance.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s been fussing for days.” Grandma sets a cup of steaming hot coffee in front of me. It smells delicious, just like I remember from my younger days. It was her who taught me to like coffee. Two cubes of sugar and a splash of Half and Half.
“I still drink it this way,” I tell her as I pour the Half and Half in my cup and stir in the sugar cubes. “It’s kind of funny how we do things out of habit.”
“Or we just do it because we like it,” she counters, biting down on an egg sandwich. “I’ll bet I’ve had ten thousand sandwiches just like this one, but I still love them. If I don’t start my day with a good bacon and egg sandwich, I feel like I haven’t had breakfast.”
“My chef introduced your granddaughter to French cuisine last week,” Devon says after taking the last bite of his breakfast. “If we end up in Manhattan, we’ll probably have to take him with us. I brought him straight from Marseille last fall.”
“Were you in France for business or pleasure?” Grandma asks. “I always wanted to go, but Antonio was always too busy to take me.”
“I was in Naples on family business and a cousin of mine talked me into a weekend excursion into southern France,” he replies, widening his eyes. “It was the most amazing food I had ever tasted. When I found out that the chef aspired to come to the states, I hired him on the spot.”
“Well, since I probably won’t make it to France, maybe you can send me one of your favorites,” She replies, looking at me with an incredibly sad expression.
“I’ll tell you what.” I rise and put my arm around her. “When we come back, I’ll talk Devon into bringing Jacques along. There are so many wonderful things that you have to experience. It wouldn’t do them justice to send any of them.” I look over at Devon for confirmation.
“Hey, if things turn out the way we want, Jacques can spend as much time down here as he wants.” Devon gets up from the table and gives Grandma a pat on the back. “He would love to cook for you.” He gives her a smile before turning and heading out the door that Grandpa had exited through. “I’m going to see what Antonio’s up to.”
Devon
The expression that Antonio had on his face when he left the room was a little eerie. The fact that he never returned can’t be a good indication. I find him sitting in the same rocking chair as the evening before, puffing on another cigar.
“I don’t usually smoke before noon, but today I’m a little stressed,” he says as I walk over to the adjacent chair. “You want one?”
“No, I’ll just enjoy the smell of yours,” I reply honestly. “I like the smell of them a lot more than the actual taste. When I woke up this morning, it tasted like someone had shit in my mouth.”
He laughs, shaking his head and giving me a look that my father used to give me when I said something stupid. “When you get to be my age, everything kind of tastes like shit.” He smiles and takes another puff before the scowl returns to his face. “Something’s not right,” he adds in a deadly serious tone.
“Why?”
“Victor reminded me yesterday that our agreement is between my corporation and The Syndicate, not between the two of us.” He pauses, taking another long drag and slowly blowing it into the air. “I didn’t think that much of it at the time, but then he also sent an apology to Vicki.”
“And that’s bad?” I ask, not understanding the issue.
“The only time he ever apologized to Felicia was the day before she died,” he says, his scowl deepening. “She actually called me and told me all about it. She was so impressed that he had finally taken responsibility for hurting her. The next morning, we received the call that she was dead of an apparent suicide.”
“Even though she had called you and seemed happy?” I ask, immediately seeing the similarity.
“She said that it was the first time he had ever apologized to her.” He looks over at me with concerned eyes. “And obviously, it was the last.” He gets up from his chair and paces the length of the porch before stopping once again in front of me. “I wonder if he has ever apologized to Vicki before?”
“From what I’ve heard, it’s not something that he normally does,” I tell him, immediately wondering if he is planning to do something to her . . . to us. That would be the ultimate irony. We are down here planning how to get him to turn the power over to Victoria while he is up there planning how to get rid of
her. “What’s your gut telling you?”
“Did you buy roundtrip tickets?” he asks, squinting against the bright morning sunlight.
“Yes. I bought the return leg for late this afternoon, knowing that I could extend it if we needed to stay longer. Why?” I ask, wondering where his thought process was heading.
“Well, since he immediately knew that you guys were down here . . .” he says, the creases in his forehead becoming even more well-defined. “Lets take a walk.” He walks in silence to the stairway and doesn’t say another word until we’re well away from the house. “I’m starting to think that he’s got this place bugged somehow.”
“When was the last time he was down here?” I ask out of curiosity.
“He hasn’t been here for years in person, but he’s always sending pilots down here to pick up product and drop off cash. Some of them I know, and others I don’t,” he replies, sounding as if he’s in deep thought. “There was a new one last week. He came up to the house to drop off the cash because I was caring for Val.” He stops and looks back at the house, shaking his head in disgust. “Val is always accusing me of being paranoid, but this is what happens when you let your guard down.” He takes one last puff of his cigar before throwing it to the ground. “Son of a bitch! If this place is bugged, he most likely heard our conversations yesterday.”
The look on his face matches the feeling in my gut. The thought of Victor hearing us plot against him is the absolute worst-case scenario. “Good God, I hope there is another explanation. Maybe someone at the airport saw us and tipped him off. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s had people following us back home. I’ve had several run-ins with the Irish mob in the past week.”
“Ah, the Irish Mob.” Antonio gives an amused look. “I always thought it would’ve been fun to be part of the old Sicilian Mafia. I really enjoyed The Godfather.”