Something about the look in his eye unnerves me, and I take a gulp and wait silently for whatever it is he’s found.
He opens the journal and hands it to me, saying gruffly, “You’d better read this.”
I note the elegant handwriting of Mrs. Thompson and the date makes me look at Lucian in surprise. Coincidence, probably not, so with a sinking feeling, I start to read.
Bill was so angry. I could tell as soon as he returned home early to find Maria Romano and her son waiting. She came to us for help because she wanted to escape her husband, a well-known villain, and was afraid for her life. She seemed so desperate, and I wondered why she thought we could help. I sent her son off with Ivy so we could talk and she broke down. She told me she had evidence we could use against her husband and she would cooperate if we arranged a safe house for her and her sons. I didn’t know what to do because quite frankly, I was appalled even having her in the house at all. A criminal’s wife and son, sitting in my house. What if word got out that we were socializing with people like that? Luckily, Bill returned and saved me from the embarrassment of sending her away. He was so angry, though. I knew by the look in his eye we would be blamed and hated that woman for bringing her problems to my door. People like that don’t deserve to breathe the same air as respectable pillars of the community, and I was in complete agreement with Bill that they should leave at once. As soon as they did, he went into one of his rages. He blamed me for them being here at all and for allowing her brat to spend time with his daughter. He punished me so I wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Then he made me wait for him in the bedroom until he had dealt with Ivy for being in the company of a criminal’s son. I heard her screams and hated her for them. Always screaming, why didn’t she understand she was at fault? She must learn to accept her punishment in the spirit in which it was given. He was making her a better person—me a better person and protecting us both from people who would take advantage of us. I hope he made the stupid girl see sense because she needs to understand the way our world operates.
I stop reading because I couldn’t give a fuck what he did to his wife but Ivy, that’s different. Picturing the girl I left that day and what happened after I left, makes my blood boil until I am desperate for revenge. I want to kill them both for what they put her through, but Lucian grabs the journal and says harshly, “That’s not all, this one changes everything.”
He scrolls through the book until he finds another page he has marked, and from the look in his eye I know I’m not going to like what I read.
Bill killed a man last night. I can’t believe I’m writing this because everything else he’s done is nothing compared to this. He came home late, and I immediately knew something was wrong. It looked as if he’d seen a ghost and he was shaking. I thought something bad had happened, but nothing prepared me for what he confessed to me. I suppose it was the shock that unleashed his tongue because I’m sure he would have kept this to himself if he was of sound mind but I can’t believe what he told me, it’s bad and I don’t know what to do about it.
He was being blackmailed. Somebody had evidence of his dealings with a reporter who he paid to deliver fake news. If this got out his political career would be ruined. We would be ruined, and everything we had worked so hard to build would be destroyed. He confessed that he knew the man liked to attend a club he was a member of. He knew his movements and prepared to deal with the problem once and for all. Bill waited in the rest room in one of the cubicles because the man always used it before he headed home. He had monitored his movements across several weeks and knew there were no cameras installed in there. He had planned it meticulously and as soon as the man unzipped his pants, he opened the door a crack and fired his gun. Bill was never going to miss because he was on the team at college and loves to hunt for pleasure, so the man never stood a chance. He told me he left before anyone came in, knowing the cameras were pointed away from the entrance. He was so afraid and kept on repeating ‘what if anyone saw him?’ He had murdered a mafia don, and he was fearful of repercussions. I told him to man up and we would deal with it but I’m not sure what to do. If this ever gets out, we are ruined one way or another. Either the Romano family will avenge their leader’s death, or the authorities would send him to prison. I know I should report him, nobody would blame me for any of this, but we would lose it all. The house, the money, the power. Bill’s a fool. He should have left it to me to sort out. I could have made this go away—it wouldn’t be the first time, after all.
There are no words to describe how I’m feeling right now as murder takes over my mind. Bill Thompson killed our father, I should either thank him, or kill him.
Lucian snarls, “So, now we know.”
I nod because up until now, nobody ever knew who the killer was. My father was a frequent visitor to the BDSM club he was murdered in. Obviously, Bill enjoyed his membership too and used the opportunity to rid himself of a monster. He did us a favor, but my father was still a Romano and we avenge our own. But he’s Ivy’s father. How will she react when I end his life? It may destroy what we have before it even begins, and that causes me more pain than the knowledge of who killed my father.
Then there’s what happened the day we left her. Thinking of how scared she must have been, is too painful to deal with. I left her—with him. I knew she was afraid; I still remember the look in her eyes that day when he returned home. I should have known, told someone, helped her escape. But then again, I was locked in the same madness myself. Two of a kind. We always have been.
Lucian leans back and says darkly, “This is not our decision to make alone. I’ll call a family meeting and we’ll decide where we go from here. If I were you, I’d prepare Ivy for something she may not be able to reason with, but she has to know there’s no other choice. Her parents have committed the ultimate sin in our eyes, and that can only mean one thing.
For a moment, we say nothing. Lucian is no doubt already planning a cruel and callous revenge for the Thompsons, and I’m not far behind him. However, my first thought is for Ivy, I can’t lose her, not now, and yet what we are planning may destroy her like it did my mom. I’m not sure I can live with what that may mean for either of us.
Chapter 34
Ivy
As soon as Romeo came to find me, I knew something had happened. The fact his brother was looking like the Grim Reaper also made me anxious. Riley catches my eye and I see something that worries me. She seems scared as she looks at her husband. He is watching her with a look I can’t figure out and just nods his head to the door and she is up and running. She doesn’t look back, and I see nonna stop and take a look with an expression that once again I can’t read. Something has happened and maybe I’m about to discover what living under this roof really involves as Romeo holds out his hand and says huskily, “We need to talk.”
Nonna says quickly, “Is there something I should know?”
Romeo smiles, and to my surprise heads across and puts his arm around her and whispers something in her ear. She looks down and I can tell whatever he said has affected her. She raises her eyes to mine and I see a mixture of pity and pain and now I’m worried.
I hear her whisper, “It’s fine, go, we’ll talk later.”
I swear my heart is hammering so hard it physically hurts as I take Romeo’s hand and he smiles at me gently. There is love shining from his eyes, but mixed with that is something that catches me off guard—devastation.
I am so on edge by the time we reach his room, I almost can’t register where we are. He guides me to sit on the bed and takes my hand gently. “I’m sorry, Ivy, but Lucian has read your mom’s journal, and it’s bad.”
I begin to shake and he places his arm around my shoulders and draws me close, rubbing circles on my back to comfort me for something I’m not sure I want to hear.
“It appears that your father killed mine.”
I wasn’t prepared for that at all and stare at him in horror. “Oh my god.”
He nods. “To b
e honest, I can almost forgive him for that. He did us a huge favor because, like yours, our father was not a nice man. He was cold, cruel and dismissive. He didn’t treat us like his kids, he treated us like punching bags most of the time. I’m guessing the older we got, the more likely it was that we would finish him off ourselves, but your father apparently beat us to it.”
“Romeo…”
I make to apologize, say I’m sorry, but he places his finger on my lips and whispers, “Hush, you have nothing to apologize for. The thing that angered me the most was the account of what happened the day we met.”
I look down as the memory burns and I hope to god he’s not about to make me revisit it.
“That is why I am planning the darkest revenge. Not the fact he killed my father. My brothers may tell themselves that’s the reason they will make him pay, but my reason is sitting here now. Thinking of the torture he put you through causes me a physical pain and I’m sorry, Ivy, I can’t let him get away with that.”
“What will you do?”
I’m almost afraid to ask, and he sighs heavily. “I’m not sure. Lucian has called a family meeting, so prepare yourself to meet a room full of bastards. I just want you to know, this changes nothing about how I feel about you. I love you so hard it hurts, and I suppose that’s what made my mind up for me. I will always protect you, never doubt that for a second.”
The relief is overwhelming, but I have to ask. “What about your family, they may hate me for what my father did? Your grandmother more than most, he killed her only son.”
“Nonna is better than that. She knew the risks involved in living like we do. I’m pretty sure she will be the only one to shed a tear, but she won’t hold you responsible. If anything, she will just be happy you’re away from them.”
There is so much running through my mind, I don’t know what to process first.
Romeo sighs and pulls me back against the headboard and strokes my hair. “There’s something else.”
I almost can’t take it and say nervously, “Ok.”
“Your mom knew and did nothing about it, that makes her just as guilty. She will suffer for her decision, but not anywhere near as bad as what Lucian probably has in store for your father.”
Picturing my mom, I should feel something. Surely, I should be afraid for her, try desperately to stop them, warn her even, but in my mind, she stopped being my mother years ago. Thinking of the times she stood back and watched my father punish me with his belt, makes me feel physically sick. She watched while he stripped me naked and held me down in an ice bath, while I screamed for her to help me. She stood by and allowed him to lock me in the paneling even though I begged her for help. I remember the many slaps and scratches she inflicted on me for no other reason than I irritated her in some way, and I can’t remember one time she put me first. There was no love there at all, which makes me wonder why they even had me in the first place. So, I say in a small voice, “Do whatever you like, I no longer give a damn.”
Romeo pulls my face to his and searches me for any sign of compassion and I say bitterly, “I have no parents, Romeo, I only have you.”
He crushes my lips to his, and it chases away the bad memories. As he blows my mind, he becomes the only person in my life and I can only see him. It becomes so important to me to demonstrate that fact, and I claw at his clothes in a frenzied haste to feel him inside my body as well as my mind. I want to wrap myself up in protection and love, and that goes by the name Romeo Romano. I no longer want to live in fear, just love, and I want to live my life with him. Nothing can tear us apart and certainly not my parents and as he enters my body in an urgent frenzy, I gasp, “I love you, Romeo, please never forget that.”
He buries his face in my neck and thrusts deeper, harder and with more passion. Then he growls, “I love you, Ivy. Nothing else matters. I’ll make sure you never have to worry again.”
His balls slap against my ass and I claw his back, desperate for release because I just can’t get enough of this man. I must be a twisted fuck up to want to fuck the brains out of the man who is about to ruin my parents, maybe even kill them. Even the thought of it turns me on so much I can’t see straight, and I feel so desperate for more of him. I pull him in deeper, his low growl preparing me for the beast inside him as he thrusts, harder, deeper, faster. The only sound is our labored breathing and groans of passion, and it just isn’t close enough. He holds up my leg with one hand and drives in deeper. I bite my bottom lip until I draw blood because I want to feel every emotion I have. I need Romeo to fuck away the bad memories and replace them with the ultimate pleasure. I give him full permission to use me as he desires because whatever that is, is fine by me. We are not making love right now; we are making a solemn promise. Two souls united at last, about to fight a war.
Chapter 35
Romeo
I should head back to check on nonna, but I can’t appear to tear myself away from Ivy for a second. My skin needs to be connected to hers and I’m only happy when I crawl inside her and feel at peace. This time I lay my head on Ivy’s breast as she strokes my hair and it feels so good, like coming home. That’s why her next sentence shocks me more than anything else I’ve heard today, as she says sadly, “I’m worried for our future, Romeo.”
Quickly, I pull back and say, “Why?”
She smiles sadly, “I don’t know, it’s something Riley said.”
Now she has my full attention and I sit up and say ominously, “Tell me.”
“I suppose it’s nothing really, but she told me that your business sometimes changes you and that when you return, I might not like what I see. It’s apparently hard to manage, and I may struggle to understand you. That’s what scares me, that you will change.”
Sighing heavily, I pull her against me and lean back against the headboard.
“Riley’s right, but wrong at the same time. She is only thinking on her own relationship, possibly Isabella’s too. Ours is different because I’m not like my brothers. I told you before they get off on pain. I don’t. I’ve never wanted to play the same games as them in the bedroom, it’s not what turns me on. Lucian and Dante are dominants who like to control and that includes their women.”
“I see.”
Ivy looks shocked and I smile softly. “They love nothing more than bondage, whips and god only knows what else. When they return home, they are so wired they need a release. Riley and Isabella help bring them back from the dark place they retreat to in their minds when they stare into the pit of Hell and send another soul there. Not me, I deal with the business as my kick, my pleasure and when I leave, it stays where I left it. When I come home, there’s only one thing I crave - you. I just want a little piece of normal, Ivy. A loving wife, an amazing family, possibly four or five kids, I’ve not decided yet.”
I laugh as her eyes widen and she whispers, “Five, are you for real?”
I smirk and she rolls her eyes, making me laugh out loud. “The thing is, baby, I crave something I never had. Love. Why would I want to inflict pain on someone I love with all my heart? Why do I need anything other than being inside you to give me pleasure? I don’t need props, I just need you and my love for you is not a game, it’s a part of my soul, so push whatever Riley told you aside because we are nothing like them.”
She smiles and I swear the sun comes out from behind a cloud and she kisses me fast and all over my face and chest, making me laugh. Then she throws me a wicked grin and heads lower and I feel her soft, plump lips close around my cock and she swirls her tongue around it and sucks me in deep.
“Fuck me.” I groan and watch in amazement as Ivy’s head bobs in my lap, as she sucks, licks and moans as she devours me like the finest meal. Fisting her hair, I control her as she sucks me so deep, I swear I catch the back of her throat. It feels so good and I groan in ecstasy as she cups my balls and squeezes them gently at first and then with added pressure. Ivy literally has me by the balls in every way possible because I would do anything for this woman and I
am keen for her to understand that. Nothing will ever come between us, of that I’m sure, and so, as I pump my seed down her throat and coat her inside, I roar my release like a caveman. Before I even finish, she is kissing me deep, and I taste my own release on her tongue. It feels so hot and dirty, and I love the wild look in her eyes as she gives everything to me.
We don’t stop there. Spinning her onto her back, I return the favor and open her up to me and gently suck her clit and love the glazed look in her eyes as she claws at the sheets. Her hips thrust toward me and I taste an angel. She gasps and moans and wriggles under me and I could watch her all day. She is so beautiful all the time, but right now, she is magnificent. My woman, my love and my future.
Once Ivy is sleeping, I shower and dress and head off to find my grandmother. I need to check on her because this will have stirred up memories that are best laid to rest.
She is baking madly as she always does when she has something on her mind and I head toward her and pull her close. “Are you ok, Nonna?”
For a moment she holds me and it feels good. I have always loved her unconditionally because she is my mom and grandmother rolled into one fierce protective package. Now it’s my turn to protect her, and she seems so frail in my arms. It makes me realize her own mortality and the usual pain of losing her twists me up inside.
After a while, she pulls back and says sadly, “I’ll fix us a drink, there’s cake too - your favorite.”
She busies herself, but I can tell her mind is elsewhere as she prepares the snack and then she sits beside me and sighs. “Some things never go away, do they mio caro.”
“No, they don’t.”
I choose my words carefully. “How are you feeling about learning that Ivy’s father killed your son?”
The Throne of Fear: The Romano's Page 16