Hell.
I shouldn’t be noticing shit about her skin.
Or hair.
I licked my suddenly dry lips and sat down on the floor next to her. “I’m sorry.”
Her lips parted, and then, she frowned at the plate. “We can’t have food in here.”
“Nixon’s a clean freak that should burn in hell.” I said cheerfully as I picked up one of the Christmas cookies and took a bite then offered it to her. “Besides, I like to live dangerous.” I lifted the cookie until it grazed her lips. “Come on, live on the dark side, Ella, I promise I won’t tell.”
Her eyes snapped to mine.
I nearly dropped the cookie on the floor and tasted her instead.
Bad idea.
Really bad idea.
We were in a stare down I wasn’t sure I was going to win. Slowly her gaze lowered to my lips and then she leaned in and took a bite out of the cookie, face still pale.
“Chew.” I whispered.
She didn’t argue, instead she closed her eyes and let out such a small moan I almost missed it.
“How did you know?” She asked.
“About cookies?” I frowned, thankful for the subject change.
She nodded.
I could lie.
But it was Christmas.
And my sister did say to be nice.
So, even though, I knew I’d regret it later, I leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Day one, the first day you were here, you snuck cookies into your room. Day two, you did the same thing.” I hesitated. “Whose stash do you think you keep stealing, hmmm little thief?”
Her skin flamed red all the way down her long neck. “I’m so so—”
“—You’re lucky you know — that you have your own personal cookie fairy, who makes it his mission to keep you fed, regardless of what you may think about him.”
Too far.
I’d said too much.
I jerked back.
But not before she reached for my hand and squeezed it, tears filling her eyes. “Thank you.”
Her touch. I couldn’t take it. Didn’t want it, yet craved it. I slid my hand out from underneath hers and shrugged. “Don’t mention it, seriously, I don’t want anyone else finding the macaroons, and if you touch the chocolate chip ones tonight, I’m hiding in the pantry with a Taser. Consider yourself warned.”
I stood up.
I walked away.
My hand, where she’d touched, trembled, shook, at my side.
Damn it.
Being nice.
Had almost killed me.
Sergio
I SLID MY arms around Val’s waist, my chin resting on her head. “One day, I’m going to kill him. He keeps pushing.”
She gripped my forearms. “Just don’t get blood on the carpet.”
“Haha.” I rolled my eyes and turned her to face me. “I’m not kidding, Val, Dante’s just asking for one of us to slip up and finish him, he’s angry ninety nine percent of the time.”
“And the other one percent?” Damn I hated how hopeful her eyes were.
“He’s freaking sleeping.”
“Oh.” Her face fell and then Dante breezed by us a cookie hanging out of his mouth and a hint of a smile on his face.
“Holy shit of all Christmas miracles.” Chase walked into the room at the same time. “Is our little protégé… smiling?”
Dante flipped him off.
“Two seconds.” Chase winked at us. “New record.”
“I think you guys just make it worse.” Val groaned shaking her head. “You could try to just be less—” She pointed at Chase, “Just less.”
“What?” Chase grabbed a Christmas cookie and shoved almost the entire thing in his mouth. “We need milk.”
Val crossed her arms. “You know how to drive, you get it.”
His smirk was making me itch to toss a sharp knife at his head and actually hit my target. “But your milk tastes so much better, Val.”
“That’s it.” I charged toward him.
“Thank God, I’ve been itching for a fight.” Chase probably felt as relieved as I did — none of us guys did well with sitting around the house.
Chase peeled off his shirt.
I followed suit.
“Come on, old man, hit me.” Chase bounced from foot to foot. I waited to see if he went with his usual pattern, which he did, because it was Chase and he favored his right foot even though he almost always started with his left leading.
I kicked at his right foot, then slammed my shin into his thigh sending him backward against the pantry, he stumble stepped then laid a sucker punch against my left ear.
“Shit!” I yelled. “I hate it when you do that!”
“Well then stop channeling a ninja, you freak!” He lunged for me, I kneed him in the chest then got in a right hook before Tex walked into the room, took one look at us, and jerked his shirt off.
“I got next.” Was all he said, just waiting for one of us to pass out from blood loss, then, “Nixon! Phoenix, we got us a Christmas Brawl!”
“Damn it, Tex, I can’t concentrate with you yelling that loud!” Chase turned just slightly enough for me to get in another two punches to his head.
“Thanks, Tex.” He still hated me at least half the time, his scowl said he was pissed he was helping me win.
“Computer hackers have no right to have that good of a punch.” Chase wiped blood from his nose, then popped his knuckles.
“Shit.” I backed up slightly.
“No guns!” Tex yelled, “No knives!”
Chase grinned.
He knew how good I was with both.
Nixon and Phoenix made bets.
“Does nobody want me to win?” Chase dodged another one of my kicks.
“When you win you don’t shut up about shit!” Phoenix yelled, “So no, and God I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Sergio, kick his ass.”
“What the F—”
My roundhouse kick knocked him right on the side of his head, he staggered to the ground, I jumped on him, and sank another two hits into his face, before blood caked my knuckles, chest heaving, I was finally jerked away from him.
“Dude, at least let me keep my teeth.” Chase grinned as blood trailed down his face, “Stupid kicks, I’d have you if kicks weren’t allowed.”
“Sure you would.” I rolled my eyes.
Chase used his discarded shirt to wipe the blood from his face and then let out a little roar. “God that felt good. Who’s got next?”
The girls, to their credit didn’t even look horrified.
Probably because the minute Chase said that, Mo walked in, pulled off her sweater and crooked her finger at Nixon, “You ready to get your ass kicked, brother?”
“Oh hell no.” Tex walked toward her, but she held a knife in the air and pointed the tip at his eye, he backed away with his hands in the air. “Sorry Nixon, she’s all yours.”
Nixon glared and cracked his neck. “No knives, sister. Or are you too afraid to take me on without them?”
I whistled and stood next to Tex, he handed me an ice pack, I pressed it against my face and winced.
“I’ve been practicing.” She beamed. I wasn’t about to confess to everyone that I’d been the one training her in between trying to help Nixon kick Dante’s ass.
The best part was that I knew Nixon would expect her typical fighting, scrappy style, not Muay Thai. I hid my grin behind my hand while she got into a boxing stance.
He sighed and then lifted his fists.
She leaned in to throw a fake punch.
Nixon being Nixon, and her brother, read her like a book and slapped her hand away as if to say, really? And then she jumped into the air and drove her foot into his stomach so hard he flew back and knocked his head against the sink.
Blood gushed from the back of his head, when he was done cursing he sent me a seething glare. “Thanks Serg.”
“Not my fault she caught you by surprise.” I shrugged.
�
��You keep your ninja skills to yourself!” Chase yelled.
“Hey Chase,” I pointed to his face, “You got a little something right here.”
“You piece of shit!” He charged toward me, but was intercepted by Phoenix.
“Do I get next then?” He asked the room.
Everyone fell silent.
Chase closed his eyes, like he’d suddenly died.
Even Tex took a step back.
“Seriously?” Phoenix crossed his arms, “Last time was a fluke!”
“A fluke?” I repeated. “Man, you nearly took Tex’s head off with a machete!”
“I didn’t know it was that sharp!”
“A likely story.” Tex flinched. “Besides, no way am I going up against your weird Israeli combat shit.”
“I will.” Trace’s voice rang out.
Nixon stood, then backed off.
We all knew better than to piss off our women, they were Italian, our best bet was to just let them yell and fight then kiss them into submission later.
Trace and Phoenix went at it for at least ten minutes before she finally struck, and part of me thinks he let her, she did just have a baby, but still, no way was I getting in the middle of their weird style of fighting, the kind that looked hard as hell to pull off and even harder to take since poking someone in the eye was literally an actual movement they had down so well they could do it with their eyes closed.
“Enough.” Nixon barked.
Phoenix smiled — which was rare, and then gave Trace a side hug. Nixon looked away.
I knew it was the only way he could deal with them touching.
A part of me wondered if the reason that Dante had the anger issues he did — all stemmed from Nixon — he held grudges and the man didn’t forget.
So basically, he was a mature Dante even though he only had a few years on him.
Dante was Nixon off of Xanax.
“I didn’t even get to go.” Tex pouted in the corner.
It was a bad idea.
I saw Dante’s quick movement, was about to tell him not to do it, instead he jerked the chair out from underneath Tex, then landed a punch to his face and started wailing on him.
Blood was everywhere.
Tex fought back.
Val tensed next to me.
“Let him.” I gripped her arm.
Dante was finally pulled away from a bleeding Tex, with two black eyes.
He stood to his full height, charged toward Dante, then punched him in the stomach, patted his head and said, “Good job.”
“This is the weirdest family ever.” Val whispered.
“You have no idea.” I snorted.
Chase
I STAGGERED DOWN the hall and winced as I stumbled against the wall, yeah pretty sure that bastard broke a rib, maybe two. Shit, I always forget how much his kicks hurt when they connect with bone — my bone.
“Mil?” I called. Normally she’d be right in the middle of the chaos, ready to kick everyone’s asses. Frowning, I went further down the hall, ready to commit murder with each step, damn it, Sergio! “You down here, babe?”
I checked in my old bedroom, and found her face planted against the mattress snoring.
With a chuckle, I made my way in, and slowly started pulling the clothes off my body as tenderly as I could without shouting out curses into the room. The lamp on the bedside table was lit, casting a soft glow across her face. I swear, the longer I was married to the psychopath the more I loved her, the more I discovered. I wanted to spend my life creating a map of Mil’s body and exploring it like I was freaking Christopher Columbus, because she wasn’t just my world — she was everything.
Naked and still caked in more blood than necessary — I crawled across the mattress and placed a gentle kiss across her cheek. “Mil?”
“Tired. Too much food.” She groaned and then opened one eye, “You look like you got the shit beat out of you.” Her grin grew. “Who am I high fiving when I get up?”
I slapped her on the ass.
“Hey!” She leapt on top of me bracing my arms above my head. I let her. I always let her win when I was naked — common sense and all that. Her eyes drank me in and then she hissed out a breath. Fingers crossed it was because I was sexy AF and not because I was bleeding.
“You know, for eating all that food — you still look hungry.” I whispered. “I’m fully capable of providing something for you to snack on.”
“I’m sure.” She grinned but didn’t pull away. “Salty or sweet?”
I leaned up, arching to meet her mouth, brushing a kiss across her pink lips. “A bit of both.”
“Even after getting your ass kicked, you still want sex?”
“Mil,” I frowned, “I’m disappointed in your knowledge of me in the bedroom — when do I not want sex?”
“Chase, I think you’d have to be dying and even then, it would be your last wish.”
“That’s my girl.” I kissed her harder. “Just try to stay quiet, we’ve got babies sleeping down the hall.”
“Chase!” She pressed an open mouth kiss to my chest, I groaned in appreciation. “You know I’m not a quiet person.”
“Shocker.” I teased. “Please tell me it hasn’t taken you this long to come to that conclusion.”
Her face fell and then she was pulling away.
“Nope.” It was my turn to flip her onto her back, pinning her against the bed. “What’s that look?”
“What look?” Her eyes darted left and right before settling on my chest. “Besides, don’t you want all the sex?” She reached for me.
I swatted her hand away and glared. “Tell me.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Chase.”
“I only like it when you scream my name, you know this,” I growled, “Now we can do this the easy way…” I licked the side of her neck, “Mmmm you taste like candy.” I licked the outside of her ear, outlining it with my tongue, “Or the hard way.” I pressed my body down. “Your choice.”
“So you’re going to torture me with your body until I give in?” She said in a bored voice.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” I tried to keep my voice even. I hated when she pulled away, when she didn’t share the burden of being a female boss. Hated it more than getting shot at. “Now, what’s wrong?”
“I’ve been really tired.” Her voice was hollow. “Like really tired, lately.”
“Okay…” I drew the word out, “So I give you more naps in between sex…” I frowned, “Mil, what exactly are you trying to say?”
“And, I’m freaked out, a lot.”
“You’re fearless.” I pointed out. “I can’t imagine anything terrifying you.”
“Losing you.” She gulped. “That terrifies me.”
“Mil, I’m damn good at what I do. And so are you, so I’m going to ask again, and then I’m going to get it out of you regardless of if you’re ready to tell me or not because now I’m the one that’s freaked out and I can’t do my job if I’m worried about you. It’s not safe, and it’s not fair, you know that.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m afraid that I may be possibly…” Her face paled. “You can’t have that much sex and not get pregnant, Chase!” She was full on yelling while I was so shocked you’d think she’d just sucker punched me. “Say something, damn it!” The tears fell.
My heart cracked.
I held her in my arms and rocked her back and forth until she stopped crying. “I hate weakness — I feel so weak.”
“At the risk of sounding like a complete jackass — why are you so upset?” I asked quietly, my heart hammered in my chest, I was afraid to admit how terrified I was.
I saw the changes in Phoenix.
The changes in Nixon.
Children had a way of taking that hard edge away from a person, replacing it with a protectiveness that was lethal — but it also gave enemies one more thing to use against you. It’s why Nixon had over seventy cameras on his property, ten of them
pointed toward the baby’s room. Phoenix had gone even more overboard, building bullet proof windows into that part of the house and parking a freaking SUV looking tank in front so nobody could drive into the house or bomb that section. When I asked him why he was being so bat shit crazy, he just gave me that terrified look that said. “Just wait.”
“What if you don’t love me anymore? You know how I get when I don’t get enough sleep and I’m excited, and I’m scared, and I just want a nap and how can I make you happy if all I want to do is sleep? Chase, I would kill someone for a fifteen-hour nap, like slit their throat, drop the knife, walk away, and sleep in their blood.”
My eyebrows shot up, “Yeah, maybe we should get you a nap before I’m the person whose blood you sleep in.”
She nodded, her eyes still dripping tears onto her cheeks. I wanted to make it stop, but I also knew that Mil wasn’t the type of person you pushed.
“A nap you say?” I repeated and held open my arms. “Sleep on me, and know that no matter what happens, I’m here and I love you.”
“Kay.” She sniffled. “But you’re naked!”
I quickly moved to the foot of the bed and pulled on my jeans, then walked back to her bedside, “Scoot over and I’ll be the big spoon.”
Her giant dopey smile was a direct hit to my heart. God, how could I have ever lived without this woman?
When I rejoined her on the bed, she was already scooting her ass into me. “This is perfect.”
“Yup.” I tried not to hiss it out, but her ass was pressed so hard against me, I was reciting the alphabet backward. “Perfect.”
“Hey Chase?”
“Yeah?”
“If I am pregnant, we’re going to be okay, right?” Her voice was so small, so unsure. And just like that I was getting flashbacks to a tumultuous time in our relationship, where she didn’t trust me, where I sure as hell didn’t trust her, and still thought I was in love with someone else.
Mil had needed tough love then — just like she needed it now.
“Why would you even ask that?” I whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear, and kissing her neck. “We’ll be way better parents than Nixon and Trace, we’re already better looking, everything else will come.”
She elbowed me in the gut.
A Very Mafia Christmas Page 2