Oh, Logan got the president involved? What the fuck?
I roll my neck and let the smoke billow up from my nostrils as I decide it’s time to end this charade. I’m anxious to learn what exactly our plan B is, and I want to go home. As I stand up, Luca flips off the safety of his gun and aims it at Pillon, who startles at the rising tension and cranes his neck at me. Then he flings the papers onto the floor and lunges at me, but I sidestep him, place my cigarette between my teeth, and grab his neck, swiveling him around and banging his forehead on the desk. And I grip his hair, pulling his head back as he shouts profanities at me.
“Tara, you’re selling out your own government!” he yells at her.
“You can call it a deal with the devil if you like,” I remark, my smoke hanging off my lip as Kaden witnesses the scene with detachment. “This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to let me go because you made a horrific mistake. See, I always get what I want. I’m the Syndicate; therefore, I’m untouchable. I also have a variety of plan B’s. All I want is justice for having to live in hell for four months. I’ve warned everyone, over and over, not to touch what’s mine.” I smash his face against the desk twice more, causing blood to spray from his nose. “That’s for arresting Cam. I will gladly go to the electric chair to protect my wife!” Lightning fast, I seize Pillon’s left wrist and slam it onto the desk as he sags to his knees. And I take my cig and press the burning end into his palm.
“Noo!” he sobs as I blister a hole into his skin, and the stench of singed flesh infuses the air.
“Sign the fucking papers,” I order through clenched teeth and release his wrist, flinging the butt aside.
“I’m sure you have an extra copy?” Logan asks Kaden, who places a new copy and a pen on the desk.
“Sign it,” she says to Pillon, who’s crying pitifully.
Unsteadily, he writes with his right hand, and Kaden slides the document off the table and into her briefcase.
“I assume you’re going to get all copies of that tape and take care of him,” I state to her.
“I am. Every trace of his investigation will be deleted from all records; no one will know. And you’re taking care of Medlov for me in return. Logan will fill you in. I’ll contact you tomorrow.”
I simply shake her hand and move out hurriedly, coming across Secret Service men who are entering the precinct.
Logan falls into step next to me.
“What deal did you make, Logan?”
“Our interfering is your salvation. This was bigger than we thought. Wallace had an order from the White House and screwed up due to us, but they don’t know that. We have a common enemy.”
“What does that mean?”
“The president himself has offered us a partnership. I believe Kaden urged him to work with us because we funded her campaign. She likes us since she’s just as ruthless as we are. We now have an ally in the most powerful man in the free world. This means that while we always said we were untouchable, we actually are untouchable now. Our first mission is to break Medlov out of jail, terminate him, and erase any traces of his sex empire because the Russians, apparently, can’t find out about the girls he had working for him. We’re in the big leagues now.”
“So, luck is indeed back in my corner. While I do prefer for Medlov to rot in prison, if it will ensure my freedom and a life with Cam, I’ll gladly kill him. Well done, Logan.”
“It won’t be easy, but it will be exciting,” he says around a smirk.
“Yes, it will, and we have much planning to do, but first, I’m going home. We’ll discuss all of this tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 52
Camilla
I stand under the hot stream of water in my shower. Luca left hurriedly about two hours ago, so I have no idea what the status of everything is or if a plan has been set in motion to help Adriano. Scenarios of doom attack my thoughts, but I keep methodically fighting them off like I swore I would to my husband.
Nevertheless, for a split-second, I break down and rest my palm against the brown marble tiles on the wall as a sob leaves my lips. Then I force myself to inhale a deep breath and shake my head.
I will stay strong and not let fear rule me. We’ve been through so much. I will not lose faith.
Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice calling me, and I wipe the condensation off the glass wall of the shower stall. Our master suite has an open floor plan with another glass wall that separates the bedroom from the bathroom, so I can look out into the room, and when I do, I witness Adriano wandering through the flowers with a huge smile on his face.
I throw open the shower door, and as the hot steam vapors out, an icy rush of air sends a tremor down my spine. But I ignore it when Adriano wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest and pressing his lips to mine with an exhilarating, punishing pressure.
“What happened?” I ask between his desperate kisses.
“Kiss me back,” he demands, low and fierce, so I comply because I need it as well, to feel connected to him again, even though we were only apart for a couple of hours. But I also want answers.
“Adriano, are we in the clear?” I place my palms flat on his dress shirt that’s now wet from my body.
“Yes, it’s over, Cam,” he says, staring down at me. His voice is steady, his breathing harsh.
“How?” I shiver from the cold, so he walks me backward into the stall until the water flows down my back, warming my skin. I start unbuttoning his shirt, which is now soaked, as he kicks off his shoes. “Wait, where’s Fallon?” I suddenly remember that she was downstairs.
“She went home with Luca. We’re alone.” He smirks as I fumble with his pants, and he tears off his shirt.
All his clothes fall into a puddle, and he kicks them aside. The stall has a huge, round showerhead hanging from the ceiling, and we both stand under the stream.
“So what happened?” I repeat as he secures his arms around me once again, one palm groping my ass.
“Remember I told you about the senator whom I donated money to? The one who was Wallace’s rival?’
“I think so.”
“Well, I sponsored her because Logan advised me it would be wise to try to make new allies, and he was right. Because she contacted the Oval Office when a certain problem arose, and now the president has enlisted the help of the Syndicate.”
“What?!” The word ricochets around the bathroom loudly. “The president? Of the United States?”
“Yes, the president of the United States. He showed up at the CIA office to speak to Logan. Seems that he and I have a common enemy in Medlov, and he needs Medlov and every trace of his empire to vanish. Apparently, the CIA can’t fix that, but I, along with Henry, can. So, I guess I did twist fate in our favor without even knowing it. We’re now collaborating with the president, and I’ve gotten full immunity for both of us. We’ll never be charged, and our organization has the protection of the Secret Service, Cam. This time of chaos is finally over for us.”
A sound rises in my chest that’s something like a sob of relief mixed with gratitude, both flooding me at once.
Gripping the sides of his face, I ask, “Are you sure it’s over? Where’s the tape?”
“The senator is getting that copy and all other copies, if there are any, as we speak. Meanwhile, I’ll have to think of a way to break Medlov out of jail, but that’s a concern for later that I’ll have Luca and Logan handle.”
His eyes burn with an emotion I recognize immediately, and it sends a thrill through me.
“Now, I need to bury my cock in your ass,” he growls around a cocky grin.
I start to speak, but he lowers his head and silently demands that I kiss him again.
At last, we embrace without any impending threats awaiting us. It’s intoxicating. It makes me tremble with desire, an almost savage feeling of wanting more of him. I press against Adriano and feel my breasts flatten against his chest, and he makes that sound deep in his throat again, a groan so heady that I tr
emble all over, a direct response to his tight grip and the sensual touch of his tongue. Then he bites my lip as he slides his fingers between my ass and down to my center.
It’s time I relieve him like only I can, so I graze my nails over his compass rose tattoo and abs, stroking his hardening erection.
We shift backward until his back hits the glass with a loud clatter, and the moment I start pumping him, our slow seduction alters into a firestorm of passion. As I drop to my knees, Adriano fists my hair, and I take him into my mouth. My fingers curl around the base as he swells inside me, and I rotate my tongue, making him hiss and yank my hair while he leans back against the glass wall. It’s wild and feral – it’s us. I lift my lashes and am met with his hungry gaze, which is focused on me while he hits the back of my throat. Whimpering, I scratch my nails up his stomach, rejoicing under his lusty stare. With just a look, he can spark a flare of heat in my lower belly.
With a rough tug, he guides me up and we switch positions so that my back hits the wall. My fingers weave into his wet hair as the steam rises up between us, and all I hear is our heavy breathing.
Adriano nips his way down my body and lifts one leg, slicing his tongue over my center. And then he draws me into his mouth roughly while easily holding me steady. He groans as if he’s eating his favorite meal, and I grind my hips against his face, wanting more.
“Harder,” I pant.
And he fucks me with his tongue, alternately licking and sucking while I fist his thick hair. I’m probably ripping out some of it, but in reaction, he only groans and sucks me harder as I sag against the wet wall.
When I glance down, he’s studying me with a naughty glow in his darkened eyes. Watching him being completely fixated on me, causes my climax to rush over me in a wave of boundless desire.
“A-Adriano...” I whimper and thrash my head from side to side while grating against his mouth as entrancing shudders titillate every nerve ending until I collapse from my high, but Adriano rises gracefully, all sinewed muscles and virile strength, and holds me up in his strong embrace.
“I love it when you scream my name,” he mutters against my lips, letting me taste myself, and then he hooks his arm under my knee and drives inside my core. When I gasp, he smothers it with a firm kiss as he thrusts into me brutally, yet his occasional touch on my stomach is so gentle.
The glass panel shakes as he takes me against it, kissing me while my fingers trace a symphony down his back and grasp the strong muscles of his behind. Then he pulls out, turns me around, and bends me forward, so I plant my palms against the glass. He fingers me roughly from behind before I feel him dripping something onto my ass, and I peek back at him and smile at the realization that he’s readying me. When he catches my eyes, he leans forward and drops kisses on my shoulder and lips as his hand tangles in my hair.
Slowly, he rubs his arousal between my ass cheeks, and then he sinks inside, inch by inch. His lips rest against my neck as he rolls his hips forward, quickly picking up the pace when I start to moan and move back against him.
“Ti amo,” he whispers against my ear and then leans back to grip my hips and drives into me.
I take him with very little resistance since I’m still so turned on. The sound of our skin slapping together cuts through the loud flow of the water, and his satisfying grunts spur me on. My palms slide against the shower wall while I’m bent forward with Adriano’s fingers digging into my hips, and then one hand tugs my head back.
“Fuck, Cam, come with me,” he orders and changes his angle, playing my body.
Tingles catch fire and sparks shoot between my legs as he groans and pushes in so deep that I slide forward, but he holds me steady, and we ride out our pleasure together.
Sighing, I try to move when he falls against my back and strokes my stomach.
Without a word, Adriano shifts us under the water and takes my washcloth from the marble shelf. He depresses the button on one of the two built-in soap dispensers, which is filled with my vanilla-scented shower gel, and leisurely massages my breasts and all over my body with the washcloth, the touch so enjoyable that my eyelids become heavy.
“Are you tired, Cam?” he asks in a mischievous tone.
“Yes.”
“Too rough?”
“No. Never. I missed this.” I peck a kiss on his lips.
Then I push the button of the other dispenser and fill my palm with his ocean scented soap, stroking the suds over his biceps and down the solid ridges of his sculpted chest. He gazes down at me with strands of his wet hair falling temptingly over his forehead while he watches my ministrations until I’ve finished.
Afterward, we dry off in comfortable silence, and he carries me to our bed to spend our first night in five months together in our home. And I’ve never felt happier than in this moment, when he lays me down gently on the brown satin sheets and rests his head between my breasts, his palm soothing my baby bump while I caress his hair.
Absolutely at ease, I lie here, realizing that I’ve found everything I’ve ever wanted. I have a family that will be together always because of our strong bond, and I also have the other part of my soul with me. The man who loves me with a passion I never knew existed. Who’s taught me strength, giving me power in an odd way under his possessive reign. But most of all, who’s given me a piece of himself with his all-consuming and addictive affection and our love child.
It’s been a long and challenging journey to get to this point. Yet here we are. It took three months of friendship, two years of friends with benefits, nine months apart, five months of a glimpse of happiness, and then four months apart for us to reach the destination we’ve both been fighting for.
And it was all unequivocally worth it. When we’re apart, neither of us is whole. But together, we blossom. Our bond has proven to be unbreakable by any force.
To be together, we’d burn in Hell.
CHAPTER 53
Adriano
I place my head over Cam’s beating heart as we lie in our bed. The fantasy I envisioned for so long when she was in a coma has come true.
Goosebumps form on Cam’s stomach while I stroke her.
“Are you cold? I’ll get my dress shirt.” I attempt to move, but she firmly pushes me back against her chest with her hand in my hair, so I smile.
“No, stay like this. I’m not cold.” Her voice has a dreamlike tone. “I won’t be able to fit in your dress shirts in a couple of weeks.”
“Then I’ll buy extra, extra large ones for you.”
She laughs softly in that sexy husky voice of hers.
“What are you thinking, sweetheart?” I ask, and press my lips between her breasts, breathing in her familiar vanilla perfume.
“I’m happy. I feel this peacefulness in you, which, in turn, calms me. This is so nice, to be in our bed without any uncertainties.”
My sentiments exactly. “I’m happy too, Cam. You’re back where you belong. With me. Do you like what I’ve done with the place?”
“It’s so beautiful.” She doesn’t elaborate but does acknowledge me by grazing her nails up my neck, a gratifying shudder raking through me while comfortable silence cloaks us. Secretly, I’m excited about presenting her with my other gift in a couple of days.
When she was in a coma, I couldn’t stand the stillness because I couldn’t sense her in any way, which resulted in pure sorrow. But now, I’m able to enjoy these quiet moments between us, our lingering touch speaking for us. The simplicity of lying here with Cam while she’s healthy and safe with me settles the man inside who was afraid of losing his wife, who lived in the fear of hell.
The problem with fear is the paralyzing power it can hold over the human mind. And fear is inherent to love because when you love intensely, you fear deeply. But fear is a bad advisor; I’ve learned that the hard way. The fear of losing the person you love can be destructive if you allow it. And it did almost destroy us during the first months after I became boss. But you can’t try to fight it by controlling everythin
g, because that doesn’t work. Cam and I made her a Capo as a result of my anxiety about her safety, so I sought to empower her while keeping a tight leash on her every move when I should’ve managed the big picture.
How you deal with the fear is still your choice. And with everything that’s happened, I now realize that I need to accept that emotion as another aspect of our tumultuous relationship. I’ve pulled my head out of the clouds and decided to live more in the moment. No more fearing what’s to come. I’ve overcome the paralyzing fear and transformed it into a forte. A strength that reshapes my tenacity to always keep her safe, and now, with our new alliance, it’ll go much more smoothly.
We’ve come through this ordeal with as much of our sanity intact as possible. We’ll never have a life free of problems, but in this vicious world where there’s always an enemy lurking around every corner who wants to take over my territory, Cam is my only safe haven. Without her, I truly don’t exist. But with her and our baby, I’m in a place where a sinner doesn’t deserve to be. A place where the devil doesn’t belong. Nonetheless, I’m there. In Heaven.
I’m a selfish man at heart. And she’ll always own mine, like I own hers. When you finally have that, you hold on to it with everything you’ve got. You lie, steal, cheat, and kill unrestrainedly, without regret.
Because no amount of money or supremacy can equal or rival the strength of soulmates coming together. And with strength comes power, which for me, resides in Cam, because there’s only one true source of power in this life, and that’s the love of a good woman.
EPILOGUE
Camilla
The first Saturday after I’m released from the hospital, I return to our loft from my afternoon appointment with the hairdresser who’s cut and styled my hair, which is a little longer than my usual bob nowadays. I find a black velvet box – similar to the one Adriano gifted me on my first birthday we spent together – waiting for me on the kitchen bar. I open the lid to find a handwritten card inside: Sweetheart, wear the dress that’s on the bed, and then go downstairs where a chauffeur is waiting for you.
For Cam (Chicago Syndicate Book 4) Page 31