Buttons and Shame

by Penelope Sky

  Buttons and Shame

  Buttons Book Four

  Penelope Sky

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Hartwick Publishing

  Buttons and Shame

  Editing Services provided by Final-Edits.com

  Copyright © 2017 by Penelope Sky

  All Rights Reserved

  1

  Pearl

  “Place that dresser here.” I moved to the spot where our old dresser had been and pointed it out for the movers. They carried the heavy, rustic piece of wood and placed it directly against the wall.

  “Great. And then the nightstands go here.” I directed the movers to place the last two pieces of furniture where they belonged then got to work on returning Crow’s boxers and socks into the drawers, along with the rest of his clothes. The master bedroom had been distinctly masculine, with black dressers and a matching headboard, and since this place was half mine now, I wanted to change it up a bit.

  Lars appeared in the doorway, his hands behind his back. “Mrs. Barsetti, I probably don’t need to tell you that His Grace won’t be too pleased with this.”

  I folded Crow’s sweat pants and stuffed them into the drawer. “You’re right. I’m fully aware of the consequences.” I shut the drawer then placed the brand-new vase of flowers on the dresser. I added my little touches. A few Mediterranean pieces that tied the room together and truly made it stand out. Crow wouldn’t be happy about the changes. He hated change in any capacity. But he’d deal with it.

  “If he asks, I tried to talk you out of it.”

  Lars did a lot of things for me around the estate that Crow didn’t know about. I was an excellent secret keeper and never threw our faithful servant under the bus. He was family, as far as I was concerned. He’d stitched that knife inside my wound, the very one I killed Bones with. To this day, Crow thought I pulled that off by myself. “Of course.”

  Lars continued to linger in the doorway, standing upright and tall like old age hadn’t affected him just yet.

  “Did you need something, Lars?”

  “Cane is here to see you. He wants to have lunch.”

  “Oh, that’s great.” I was finished with the bedroom, so the timing couldn’t be better.

  Lars looked uncomfortable with betraying his master. “Perhaps you should let His Grace know?”

  Crow didn’t like it when I was alone with any man besides himself or Lars. Even though Cane was his brother, he still wasn’t good enough to trust. Crow might never truly forgive Cane for what he did to me. But if I could let it go, he should be able to let it go too. “That’s unnecessary. I’ll be down in a moment.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Barsetti.” Lars gave a quick bow before he walked out.

  Crow and I saw family in different lights. Since I didn’t have anyone, family meant a lot more to me. Cane was the closest thing I’d ever had to a brother. In fact, he was my brother. Life was too short to hold grudges—even if Cane had almost killed me.

  I walked into the dining room where Crow and I usually had breakfast together. “Hey.”

  “Hey, sis.” Cane stood up and hugged me. He was more affectionate, considerate, and gentle with me than he was with anyone else. It didn’t even seem as if he liked Crow most of the time. “Is Crow driving you mad yet?”

  “Not quite.” I took the seat across from Cane and saw the two wineglasses Lars had already poured. One thing I liked about Tuscany was the relaxed attitude about wine. It didn’t matter how early it was in the day. It was perfectly acceptable to drink wine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. “But I just redid our bedroom, and he’s not gonna be happy about it.”

  “As long as it’s not pink, I doubt he’ll care.”

  “He’s very particular.”

  Cane took a long drink before he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Well, he has a wife now. He’s gonna have to get over it.”

  “I’m sure there will be an argument. But I’ll do something nice for him, and that will shut him up real quick.”

  Cane winked then tapped his wineglass against mine. “You understand men very well.”

  A basket of fresh bread was on the table along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We pulled pieces onto our plates and ate like we were in a restaurant. Even when Lars wasn’t expecting company, he was always prepared. “What’s new with you?”

  “The weapons business has really changed. With Bones out of the picture, it’s a bit chaotic.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, he was one of the biggest players in the trade. Without him, smaller factions are now competing for the top. They’re trying to steal his contacts, his clients. It’s pretty much a free-for-all.”

  “How does this affect you?” It was easy to talk to Cane because he was always honest. He didn’t withhold information the way Crow did. He spoke his mind candidly and was easy to read, unlike his brother. I only knew how to read Crow because I had so much practice.

  “I’m not big fans of these clients. They’re involved with the underworld even more than I am. I wouldn’t be surprised if we found another enemy on our hands. One that’s more ruthless than before.”

  “Worse than Bones?” I had a hard time believing that was possible.

  “Definitely. Think about it. Whoever takes his place has to be even more vicious to hold the position. They have to compensate for what they lack with more heinous acts. Bones was a loose cannon, but at least he was predictable.”

  When one dictator was removed, another took his place. It was the circle of life. “The nightmare never ends, huh?”

  “Nope.”

  “You couldn’t be allies?”

  “With the nature of our business, it’s impossible. We’ll always be direct competitors. In a nutshell, we supply weapons to each other’s enemies.”

  “True.”

  Lars walked into the room without the same grace he normally possessed. He held our plates and spoke in a panicked voice. “Mr. Barsetti just pulled up. He must have come home for lunch.”

  Cane looked at me before he turned back to Lars. “So…?”

  Lars quickly set our plates in front of us. “He’s not going to be happy about this, and you know it.” He walked through the doors, and his voice carried from the next room. “Good afternoon, sir. What can I prepare for you?”

  Cane shrugged then took a bite of his food. “My brother needs to get over himself.”

  “He’s a bit over the top,” I said in agreement.

  Crow walked inside a moment later, wearing that intense expression I’d come to love and hate. He eyed me with accusation, as if this lunch were entirely my fault. Then he shot Cane a searing look.

  There was only one way I could make this better. I walked up to him and circled my arms around his neck as I kissed him. It was the kind of kiss that wasn’t appropriate for public, but I knew it was the only thing that would calm him down—or at least get him thinking of something else. My tongue found his, and I let a quiet moan escape into his mouth, just loud enough for him to hear.

  When I pulled away, his eyes weren’t so terrifying. His anger went from a boil to a simmer. “Would you like to join us?”

  “Lars made lasagna,” Cane added.

  The second Cane spoke, Crow was pissed all over again. He took the seat beside him and glared at his brother.

  I sat down and poured him a glass of wine. Only scotch seemed to silence hi
m, but wine soothed every once in a while.

  “Thank you, Button.” He took a drink while keeping his eyes on his brother, treating him as an enemy rather than blood.

  Cane met my look then rolled his eyes. “You’d think I was Bones with the way he treats me.”

  Crow set his glass on the table with a loud clank, making it echo in the dining room. “Don’t ever say that name in my house again.” Sometimes those moss-green eyes were comforting, but now they looked utterly terrifying once they were trained on Cane like that. He didn’t need to say anything more to exude his threat. It was palpable, unnerving.

  Cane exchanged another look with me, not rolling his eyes but clearly wanting to. It seemed like Cane and I were closer than he was with Crow. It was an interesting change of events.

  Lars set a plate in front of Crow, a white plate with a slice of fresh lasagna.

  “Lars?”

  “Yes, Your Grace?” He moved his hands behind his back as he stood upright.

  “What did I say about allowing guests into the house when I’m not present?” Crow didn’t raise his voice, but he was still berating his oldest employee with just his tone. He stared at Lars the same way he stared at Cane just a moment ago.

  “Don’t be an asshole.” Lars had been like family to both of us. Even though we were paying him, it didn’t mean we had the right to treat him like shit. “Lars, ignore him. He’s just in one of his moods.”

  Crow didn’t drop it. “I don’t want Cane in here unless I’m present. Do you understand?”

  Cane shook his head. “Ouch…”

  Lars bowed. “Of course, sir—”

  “Don’t blame this on Lars,” I snapped. “I invited Cane over. When Lars told me he was at the door, I opened it and allowed him inside. So, don’t blame one of your oldest friends for something your wife did.” I poked Crow in the arm. “Apologize to him.”

  “Not necessary,” Lars said quickly as he backed out of the room. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again, Mr. Barsetti.” He stepped out.

  I gave Crow my darkest glare because he was going to apologize—whether he liked it or not.

  “Crow, you need to chill.” Cane took another bite of the bread and munched on it. “I’m not gonna do anything to Pearl. I’m not gonna make a move on her—”

  “I’m not worried about my wife’s fidelity.” Crow had a natural ability to appear more intimidating than an entire army on the battlefield. “You almost killed my wife. I’m never going to forget that.”

  “So I can never see Pearl?” he asked incredulously.

  “You can see her all you want—when I’m around.” Crow grabbed his fork and cut into his lasagna. “I wouldn’t hang out with your wife alone.”

  “I wouldn’t care if you did,” Cane argued. “After being with me, she definitely wouldn’t look for lovin’ anywhere else.” He waggled his eyebrows then took a bite of his lunch.

  Now Crow wore a permanent glare on his face. “I’ll beat her until she’s nearly dead and see if that changes how you feel.”

  I elbowed Crow in the side. “Don’t say things like that.”

  “No, that was fair,” Cane said. “I’ll let that one slide.”

  We focused on our lunches and ate in silence. The tension was worse now that we weren’t speaking to each other. The conversation Cane and I engaged in just moments ago was easy, like two friends chatting. But the second Crow walked inside, he brought in a foul mood with him.

  “Cane was just telling me that the business has changed since—” I stumbled before I said his name, knowing Crow didn’t want that man ever to be mentioned again. “The chain of command has been mixed up.”

  “It’ll go back to normal in no time,” Crow said. “When one villain falls, there’s another one to replace him. If that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have much of a business anymore.”

  “There’ll always be business when it comes to arms dealership,” Cane said before he shoved another piece of lasagna into his mouth. “Do you come home for lunch often?”

  “When I miss my wife.” Crow didn’t give me as much affection as he normally did, and I suspected that was because he was in a bad mood due to his brother’s presence.

  I didn’t want it to stay that way. We were all Barsettis now. “Crow, you need to bury the hatchet with Cane. I enjoy spending time with him, and frankly, your discomfort isn’t going to change anything. We need to move on.”

  “I almost lost you twice because of him.” Crow took another drink, downing his glass of wine like it was scotch.

  “Twice?” Cane asked. “When’s the second time?”

  “When you were stupid enough to get captured, and my wife took your place,” he snarled. “That’s when.”

  “That’s not fair,” Cane argued. “That was her decision. I had nothing to do with that—”

  “Shut up.” Crow didn’t take his eyes off his food. Insulting his brother was second nature to him.

  Cane threw his napkin down. “I know when I’m not welcome. Call me when your period ends.” Cane stormed off and left the dining room.

  As if nothing happened, Crow kept eating.

  That was the first lunch Cane and I ever had. “Crow, what the hell was that?”

  “Are my feelings unclear?” He devoured half of his lasagna in a few bites. When his glass was empty, he poured more wine.

  “You need to let this go.”

  “Never.”

  Crow really had a lot of nerve to say that. “You made me work for my freedom by sleeping with you.” Just because we fell in love and got married didn’t mean his actions were justified. “You should have just let me go, but you didn’t. So don’t act like you’re the most innocent man on earth.”

  He swirled his wine before he took a drink. “Did I hurt you?”

  My only response was a stare.

  “Did I lay a hand on you without your permission?”

  My reaction was silence.

  “Didn’t think so.” He returned to eating.

  “I still think you’re being ridiculous. The three of us have been through a lot together. In case you haven’t noticed, Cane cares about me. He would walk through fire for me. You need to tone it down.”

  Crow dropped his fork and repositioned himself in the chair so he was facing me. “If someone had done to me what Cane did to you, would you let it go? I’m not disowning the guy. I just don’t want him to be alone with you.”

  “If the situations were identical, yes.”

  He stared at me like he didn’t believe me.

  “I’m comfortable around Cane. If I weren’t, I would tell you.”

  “Your comfort isn’t what concerns me. It’s mine.” He grabbed my glass and drank it before he rose to his feet. “I should go.”

  I knew he was mad because he’d only been there for ten minutes. “Apologize to Lars.”

  Crow didn’t respond to orders—ever. He adjusted his tie as he ignored me.

  “And since you’re in a bad mood, I may as well tell you I made some changes to our bedroom. You aren’t gonna like them, but I do. Get that out of your system while you’re at work so I don’t have to deal with it when you get home.”

  He leaned down and hovered, his lips just inches from mine. “This is what’s gonna happen when I get home.” His eyes were trained on mine like a gun on a target. “I’m gonna walk into the bedroom and see you naked on the bed—your ass in the air. I’m gonna fuck that mouth of yours until I’m soaking wet, and then you’re gonna turn around and get fucked so hard you’ll scream. I’m gonna fuck you in the mouth, the pussy—and the ass.” Without waiting for my agreement, he gave me a hard kiss on the mouth and left.

  2

  Crow

  I had every right to be pissed, and no one would change my mind about that. I loved my brother and would give my life to save his. But I’d never forget how blue Pearl was when I found her bleeding on the floor. I hadn’t been there to protect her, and Cane took it upon himself to beat
her within an inch of her life. This woman was my wife now, and it was my responsibility to keep her safe.

  I took the job seriously.

  She’d been raped by a psychopath. She’d been beaten by an asshole. And she’d been assaulted again by the same psychopath. Now it was the honeymoon phase, a time when both of us would be happy.

  I came home at my usual time and was greeted by Lars.

  “Hello, sir. Dinner will be served in an hour.”

  “Make it two hours.” I loosened my tie as I approached the stairs. Button better be ready for me when I walked into that bedroom. That mouth was about to be fucked until I hit her gag reflex. “And I apologize for my behavior earlier. I was being an ass.” I didn’t feel guilty for treating Cane like shit because he deserved it. But Lars had been nothing but loyal since he started working for my family decades ago. He didn’t deserve anything but my respect.

  “Nonsense, sir.” Lars would say that even if I were wrong. He cared more about making me feel better than accepting an apology he deserved. “But I appreciate your saying it anyway.”

  I patted his shoulder then walked upstairs. “Don’t disturb us. We’ll come down when we’re ready.”

  “Of course, Your Grace.” Lars knew exactly what it meant when I said I didn’t want to be disturbed. I wanted to fuck my wife in peace without having the rest of the staff overhear us.

  I reached the third floor and unbuttoned my shirt as I went. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind she would follow my orders. She was stubborn and argumentative, choosing to defy me out of principle.

  I opened the door, and just as I expected, she was there.

  Buck naked.

  Ass in the air.

  Goddamn perfect.

  I kicked the door shut behind me and undressed, dropping my suit jacket, tie, and collared shirt. I slowly approached her as I undid my belt and let my cock loose. He was hard and red at the tip from all the blood that rushed through my length. I stripped off everything and stood in front of her, feeling like a king in front of my queen.

  She had the nicest ass, and at this angle, I could see the steep curve in her back. She was all woman, smooth skin and gorgeous curves. Her wedding ring was on her left hand, exactly where she left it every single day. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and gently yanked her back, forcing her eyes upward and onto my face.