by Sam Crescent
“Enough!” Lastra clicked his fingers as he sat down. Klaus took the other end of the table, watching his opponent.
Waiters came out carrying silver serving platters of food.
Klaus’s jaw clenched as he caught sight of his wife’s plate. There was barely anything on it, while he had several slices of toasted baguette with a tomato relish. His wife had one already prepared.
“To keep with your weight, darling,” her mother said.
He looked at her father and of course, there was a smile.
“Get my wife the same as us now,” Klaus said.
“But her figure!” Her mother pointed at her.
“Feed her, or this is over. I will not have my wife insulted. Parents or not.”
“Klaus, it’s fine.”
He looked at his wife. “We came here for dinner. The least they could do is be polite hosts and feed you. I consider this an insult, and all Accardi will see it as one. Wars have been started for less.”
Lastra once again gave in.
Whatever the son of a bitch’s game was, he refused to fall for it.
The waiter took Isabella’s food from her and left. She took a deep breath.
Silence rang out in the dining room. Klaus refused to eat anything. This was a mistake.
Her mother picked up her bruschetta and took a bite. “It’s delicious.”
He counted to ten, wondering if he would get Isabella out of this hell hole while he also killed every single fucker here. The fact her mother wouldn’t fight her battles pissed him off. When his own mother was alive, she always tried to coddle and defend him whenever she could.
Isabella belonged to him, and it was time others realized it. He wouldn’t have her embarrassed again. When the waiter returned, Klaus made the man stand while he counted everything. Satisfied, her plate was put in front of her.
The meal began and like he’d hoped, silence continued throughout.
****
Isabella laughed as she climbed out of the car. They were finally back at their home, and she’d never been so happy to see their house on the hill.
Klaus rounded the car and pulled her in close. “We made it. God, I didn’t think I’d make it.”
“Yeah, but I know it pissed you off.” She kissed his lips as he ran his hands down to her ass.
She was very much aware they were not alone. His guards patrolled everywhere.
“Someone will see.”
“No, they won’t. They know to look the other way.”
She shook her head and giggled. “I hope I can get used to that.”
“What?”
“You threatening everyone every chance you get. I doubt I’ll ever get used to it.”
He squeezed her ass even tighter. “You’re going to need to get used to it. This is who I am. What I do.”
“Did you get a reading off my dad? Any sign? Anything?”
He shook his head. “The hit is real. I feel it in my gut. What I don’t know is when it’s coming. He’s enjoying this. I know he is.” Klaus took possession of her lips, and she was thankful for the distraction.
There was no way she could defend her father’s actions. He was a monster through and through. They all were. Their lives meant they were constantly in the thick of pain and trouble.
“Come on, let’s get you inside.” He took her hand, leading her into their home. She removed her jacket and he took it.
Together, hand-in-hand, they walked upstairs to the bedroom. Before she had a chance to move, Klaus grabbed her by the back of her dress, keeping her in place.
“Klaus?”
“I’ve spent all night wanting to take this dress off. I never want you to think of your parents and the shit they say.” He lowered the zip and his lips were at her neck. He nibbled on her shoulder. “Understood?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t get to think about what they say. In your world, my word is law.”
She giggled and then held her breath as his hands moved around to touch her stomach. He didn’t stop there. His fingers traced up, cupping her breasts. The moment he touched her, she released a gasp. He pinched her nipples through the lace, and his other hand delved between her thighs, touching her pussy.
His finger stroked over her clit before going down to plunge inside her.
Teeth sinking into her bottom lip, she tried to contain her squeals of enjoyment, but Klaus wished to take control of them as well.
“Let me hear you scream,” he said.
With each touch, he set her aflame. Within a matter of seconds, he had her bent over the bed and he’d removed all of her clothes. He spun her around and pushed her thighs apart. Keeping them open at the knees, he ran the tips of his fingers up her inner thighs. The sensations skittered along her skin. All night, she’d remembered his promise. Her body always reacted to Klaus—one look, one touch.
He grazed across her sex only to score back down to her knees. Each touch heightened her need for him. Her pussy throbbed, so desperate to be full of his cock, sating her need.
“Please,” she said.
“That’s right, baby. Beg me.”
“Please, Klaus.”
“You want my mouth?”
“Yes.”
“Spread your pussy open for me.”
She reached down, touching the lips of her cunt and doing as asked. His words were always dirty, and she loved to hear them.
Klaus groaned, the sound guttural and deep. “The prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”
She cried out as he swiped his tongue between her slit, circling her clit before moving down to plunge inside her.
In and out, he fucked her with his tongue before moving up to suck her nub back into his mouth. Klaus always worked magic with his mouth. The fact he could live between her legs made her feel desirable.
His hands went beneath her ass, grabbing her cheeks as he ravished her with his tongue. He didn’t let up, making the pressure grow and grow. She had no choice but to take everything he gave her, and she did. There was no fear, just pure ecstasy. She was so close and she knew she wasn’t going to last.
Klaus didn’t make her wait. She came on his face as he lapped up her juices. In a matter of seconds, his cock was already out, and she moaned his name as he filled her. No matter how many times they had sex, she’d never get used to the sheer size of him.
He was so large. So thick. Exactly how a man should be made.
He pulled all the way out of her and then slammed back inside. She cried out, thrusting up to meet him. There was no mercy. He fucked her harder than ever before and she loved it. Isabella felt greedy, wanting more. “I love the way you fill me.”
“I’m all yours, baby girl. This cock belongs only to you.”
A groan spilled from his lips. She knew he was so close and then—
Gunshots rang out.
They both froze, but Klaus was the one to act first. He hadn’t taken his clothes off completely. He pushed his still-hard dick into his pants. She threw herself off the bed, grabbing a robe and tying it up. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest.
Within seconds, Klaus had a case on the bed, flicking through the combination before sliding it open.
He loaded up a gun, cocked it, and handed it to her. “Take this, get in the bathroom.”
“Klaus?”
“Listen to me. I need you to be safe. I’ll go and take care of this.” He cupped her face, kissing her once.
“Is it my dad?”
“Do as I ask.”
She took the gun from him and rushed toward the bathroom. Everything inside her screamed at her to go with him.
Klaus was in danger.
“Please be safe.”
“Always am,” he said.
She closed the bathroom door and stood in the bathtub, her body shaking. She didn’t know why she stood there, holding the gun in her hand.
Never had she killed anyone.
Tears filled her eyes. Her body felt numb. Every part of her
was on fire. They’d been having sex and now, gunshots. Someone was in their home, despite all the guards. She put the gun down and covered her ears. The gunshots pierced through the air and she tried not to scream.
In and out, she tried to focus on her breathing.
All too soon, the gunshots stopped.
She frowned. Putting her hands down, she listened.
Silence.
“Klaus?”
Climbing out of the bathtub, she left the gun and walked out of the bathroom. She took three steps and then screamed. The sound was muffled as someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth. She couldn’t move. The strength in the man’s grip was bruising.
His hand wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air. She tried to claw at his arms as her oxygen was cut off.
“They said it would be easy to get to you. Just provide enough of a distraction and then you’d be free.”
She was going to die.
“I’ve got to make an example of you.” His hand ran down her body and she froze. The robe had opened up and she felt even more desperate to get as far away from him as possible.
He squeezed her breast and she fought even harder.
After lifting her foot, she drew it down and slammed it on his. The boots he wore were too thick to have impact.
Everything started to go hazy, and then she did what she’d seen in so many movies. Isabella reached down and grabbed his cock. She squeezed and tugged hard.
It did the trick.
He let her go and she collapsed, breathing in air.
There was no way she’d be a match for his strength. Klaus couldn’t be far. Was he even alive? She opened her mouth and screamed, loud and hard, even as it stung her throat. She kept on going, attempting to crawl away.
“You fucking bitch.”
The man yanked her up and hit her hard across the face with the back of his hand. She would have fallen to the floor if he hadn’t been holding her. He did this twice more before he grabbed his knife. The tip pressed against her throat. He was about to plunge it in when another gunshot rang out and blood splattered over her body, warm and wet.
She closed her eyes, quickly covering her face.
Arms went around her and she fought them off.
“It’s me, baby. It’s me.”
Klaus’s voice rang in the air and it took her a few seconds to realize it was really him.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she sobbed against him.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
Her throat hurt, and she couldn’t stop heaving in deep breaths of air. Blood covered her body, and she knew some of the man’s brains were on her. She couldn’t let Klaus go. His arms were all she needed.
He went to pull away.
“Please don’t leave.” She didn’t know if she’d be able to cope if he left.
“Honey, they need to come in and deal with the body. You’re naked.”
She sobbed against his chest, and then he picked her up in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist.
“I’ve got you.” He settled her down on the bed and covered her up. When she heard the men come in, she shook in her husband’s arms.
Klaus had been wrong.
The hit hadn’t been put on him, but on her.
Chapter Eight
Klaus picked up a spent casing and examined the crimped end. “Another blank.”
“Why would they fire blanks at you?” asked Renzo.
He shrugged.
That assassination team had been well-trained. They rushed the house, took out his men, and would have killed his wife if he hadn’t gotten to the bedroom in time. He didn’t even have time to think. He just pulled the trigger.
Klaus had taken them all out, one by one, but they’d had plenty of opportunities to shoot him. He wasn’t bullet-proof. They’d distracted him, toyed with him as he hunted them around the main floor. It was his wife they were after.
Isabella was still asleep in the guest bedroom. Last night had taken a lot out of her. That asshole had come too close to ending her life.
The cleaning crew began filing out of his home, dragging their supplies with them in rolling buckets. “It’s as good as new, Klaus. You can eat off that floor.”
At least they’d be able to sleep in their own bedroom tonight. His crew was the best money could buy. Crime scenes were their specialty.
“They wanted Isabella dead,” said Renzo. “You know what this means.”
Yes, he fucking knew the hit had been on his wife, not him. His informant said the contract was for an Accardi, and Klaus had assumed Isabella’s father wanted him dead. He’d disrespected the man, gave him a quick beat down. It didn’t make sense for him to snuff out his own daughter.
“I’ve known since last night. They were trying to distract me. She was their target all along. I came way too close to losing her.”
“Pretty cold to put a hit on your only daughter.”
“That piece of shit can’t call himself a father.” Klaus paced the living room. “He’s going to pay for this.”
His security had been breached, three of his guards assassinated. It was important for him to provide a home for Isabella. A safe haven. It had been way too easy for his enemies to get through his front doors. He’d make sure to have a fucking arsenal in his bedroom and he’d beef up his security. But that wasn’t the answer. Unless he ended Carmello Lastra, Isabella would never be safe. They’d never be able to have the simple life they both craved.
“Should I get Father to order a hit?” asked Renzo.
“I don’t want him involved. This is my problem, not his.”
“Let me do it.”
He chuckled, clapping his younger brother on the shoulder. “Nice sentiment, but not going to happen.”
“I’ve been training my whole life. How many men can claim to be a better shot than I am?” asked Renzo.
“Me. If anyone’s going to put that fucker in the ground, it’s going to be me.”
“Isabella won’t hold that against you?”
He exhaled and walked to the kitchen. “The man tried to kill her. If she has any love left for him, I’ll have to get her therapy.” Klaus poured them both a coffee, then sat on a stool at the large island. The morning sun sent rays across the granite.
“It doesn’t make sense. Her father was so adamant about peace. He offered his daughter to join our families,” Renzo said. “If he wanted bloodshed, why bother with the wedding at all?”
“Last night, she would have died if I hadn’t gotten to our room in time. That’s the only thing replaying in my head.”
“I’ll keep my ears open. See what’s being said in the underground.”
His brother was thirty-two and climbing the ranks in the family. There was just part of Klaus that wanted to shelter his brothers, especially the younger Carlo. Imagining them dead was too much to even contemplate. Their world was blood and death, and although Klaus had always been fine with that, he wanted more for them.
This threat was his problem.
Lastra’s days were numbered.
Klaus knew it wouldn’t be as simple as killing the man. It could start a war between their families, blood flooding the streets once again. He’d have to be smart, handle it so it wouldn’t come back to him or the Accardi house.
After his brother left, he headed down to his gym. He had a lot of negative energy to burn. Working out helped him focus and he needed answers.
After running for an hour on the treadmill, he completed his punishing regime with the free weights. He was busy with the punching bag when he heard someone come into the gym.
It was Isabella. She wore one of his t-shirts and nothing more. Her long black hair fell loose over one shoulder.
“What are you doing down here, Klaus? I woke up and you were gone. I was worried.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you, baby.” He used his hand towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
He’d fucked up. Allowed one of his en
emies to get his hands on his own wife. Klaus felt like a failure as a husband, as a man.
“Everything looks so normal upstairs. Like nothing happened.”
“The cleaning crew left a few hours ago,” he said. “Did you get a good rest?”
She nodded, walking into the room. “It’s like it was all a bad dream. You’d never know our room was covered in blood yesterday.”
“Don’t think about it, Bella.”
He hated that she had to deal with any of this bullshit. Her father was going to suffer for this.
“I’m not a civilian, Klaus. I’ve seen blood. I’ve seen death.”
Something wasn’t right. She was too in control, too relaxed for what she’d just been through. They may not have been married for long, but he already knew her better than this. He approached her, but she was standoffish.
“Come here.”
“No.”
He narrowed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, holding her still as she fought in his arms. Her tears came out of nowhere, the deep sobbing shaking her to the core. He felt for her. Her own father had signed her death contract. She finally gave up fighting and leaned against him, crying into his shirt.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I swear on my life, it will never happen again.”
“Klaus, you didn’t do anything.”
“You’re mine. I’m supposed to keep you safe.”
She took a breath and looked up at him. “My father wants me dead.”
He swallowed hard. The pain in her voice, the betrayal, was palpable. He swore he could hear her heart breaking. “Fuck him,” he whispered, kissing her hair.
“He put a hit on me, Klaus!”
His anger grew, his muscles tensing. “Tell me you want him dead, and I’ll make it happen. Please, baby, I need your blessing,” he said. “I don’t want this to come between us.”
He thought about what Renzo had mentioned. The last thing he wanted was for Isabella to resent him for the rest of their lives.
She sniffled and shook her head. “Don’t ask me that.”
“I need an answer, Bella.”
“I can’t be responsible for killing my father, even if he is a monster. If I have that on my conscience, it will eat me up forever.”
He kept quiet.
“But if something were to happen to him, I wouldn’t lose sleep.”