Covet (Beautiful Sinner Series Book 2)

by Elena M. Reyes

  “But when you took over, why didn’t you just come back? Mom would’ve—”

  “When Lucas was born, I made a promise to God and him that I wouldn’t fuck that relationship up, Aurora. I couldn’t live with another child hating me.”

  “I don’t hate you.”

  “Thank you.” Then, he’s turning to look at the woman who is close to turning blue beneath his hand. He eases up but doesn’t move. “Now, for the rest of this story—”

  “I have a gift,” Casper speaks up from the doorway, and I never even saw him move. “This is my early birthday gift to you, Cancio. Enjoy.”

  No sooner has he said the words that Callum enters, all but dragging a dirty man behind him. A gasp leaves my throat because I know him. I have seen him from time to time over the years, but there’s no denying the resemblance between him and my father.

  “Ah, Mario.” Dad looks at Casper and gives him a smile. The British bastard has officially become his favorite person. “So good to see you.”

  The edge in his voice causes the man to jerk back, but Callum isn’t having that and shoves him forward where he lands on his knees a few feet from his brother. A move that makes whatever her real name is whimper.

  Mario’s head snaps up and the moment he sees her, rage builds behind his eyes. “Get your hands off her,” he sneers, spittle flying from his mouth. “She’s mine and you stole her from me! You took everything from me!”

  “Did I?” Releasing her, he lets Samantha fall to the ground and turns toward his brother, taking the remaining steps between them. There is no remorse or pause in his actions, but Dad pulls a gun from the waistband of his pants and forces it into his mouth. “Because I didn’t want to become the head of this family, but you were irresponsible and had a drug habit that would’ve created problems. You slept with her and got her pregnant. You refused to step forward and let them force me into that sham. You put me in the position to lose it all so your life could be spared, and yet, I did take care of your responsibilities and lost my world.” Is he saying that Dominic and Antonella were my cousins? That they had kids together?

  “But you offered me an arranged marriage to—”

  “I didn’t know, kid.” The remorse in his expression guts me. “These two pieces-of-shit faked the children’s death shortly after they turned fourteen. And I believed her. Bought the tears and screams of pain.” Dad turns his eyes back to his brother. The iciness in them makes everyone in the room pause. “Your idiocy has cost me a lot over the years, but I forgave because that’s what families do, but trying to overthrow me while touching the one thing I told you to never come near...you crossed the line, brother.”

  “Please don’t. Don’t take him from me, too.”

  “When I married you, I told you to never betray me. I took care of your kids with him,” he sneers, “as best I could, given the situation. I maintained them while Lisa raised them. I warned you that I’d given my arm to bend once, that I signed my name on that dotted line so that both of you wouldn’t be killed, to stay away from my daughter. You didn’t listen, and this is your penance.” Without another thought, my father pulls the trigger, ending his own brother’s life.

  His body falls and I’m immune to it. After what he confessed, I’m an emotional ball of a different kind. I’m angry for what they did to us—to my family—but more than that, I see a man who gave up everything to protect me. So that I could live a normal life.

  That’s a sacrifice most people will never have to make.

  That’s the most unselfish act a parent can do.

  And all I can do in that moment, as his ex-wife crawls over to my uncle’s dead body and Dad steps back, is rush forward and hug him tight. I understand. What he did for us... “I love you, Dad. I’m sorry it took me this long to say it back.”

  Epilogue #2

  Four years later…

  “YOU TWO WILL have issues with that one,” Malcolm says from beside me. We’re outside in London’s childhood home barbecuing, waiting for Callum to arrive with Aliana, and for the girls to come downstairs. He’s taking too long and is making the wife a wee bit antsy. Then, we have one heavily pregnant woman covering for the other who thinks she’s slick and is taking multiple tests upstairs.

  This family is crazy but keeps me entertained. Everyone thinks they can keep secrets, but we all know the other too well. Have too many resources at our disposal.

  Aurora gave birth to our precious Penelope Bianca Jameson a little over a year ago and has already been wanting another one. She wants a huge family and I do too. With everything that happened, the heartache and obstacles, getting pregnant wasn’t easy. Cost a year of tears and frustration for her, but when that little stick held those two pink lines, everything became worth it.

  However, what I still don’t get—what’s beyond my comprehension—is how Gem thinks I wouldn’t know? That I don’t pay attention.

  When it comes to her, I don’t miss a single detail. Especially, one as blatant as chugging a gallon of water this morning without rhyme or reason.

  “Why do you say that?” I ask, watching Maximus, his son, come closer to my Penelope and I smile. That little dictator-like arse is going to come in helpful when boys come knocking. Heck, he’ll save me the time of shooting them myself.

  Like now, Thiago’s son waddles toward a sleeping Penelope in his mother’s arms and Max pulls him away, all but dragging the child by the vest toward the sandbox we put up for the kids yesterday.

  We’re here for the next three weeks to unwind for a bit and celebrate my woman’s birthday. That, and let things die down in Boston. Business is business and a dead body near the Boston harbor will bring forth questions.

  Questions, that will be thrown our way because of who the bodies belonged to. Samantha and Lucy—who’d gone missing after being released from her interrogation—were both found dead and tied together last night. Both spent the last few years together inside the asylum as neighbors, like the good little cousins they were, and died by suffocation the night before being found by a worker there.

  Good riddance. None of us care.

  Even Matteo has moved on and likes the retired life down in Boca. He’s popular among the women there and while Aurora finds that disgusting, she agrees he needs to move on.

  To find someone.

  “I’m going to set up a bodyguard business for Max and I’ll charge you for him.”

  “Will he know how to use a gun?” Because Romeo has a little backbone on him already, pushing the other away so he can reclaim his spot near my little girl. Arsehole. “That might bring in bigger clients with heftier pockets. He’d be golden for the fathers trying to keep their hands clean.”

  “Maybe when he’s eight.” Malcolm nods; I can see the wheels already turning in his head. “London will kill me if it’s before...she even made me sign an agreement on this.”

  “You tried teaching him?” The kid’s only four and a mini replica of his father down to the attitude and brow-raising. Fuck, even the way he talks reflects the man. “That would be kind of cool.”

  “It is.” Yeah, the lad isn’t waiting, and his wife will have his head for it. “Now, back to your weirdness...”

  “Speak up, arse. I don’t have all day here.”

  “You remember my inauguration of the Hong Kong building?”

  “I do. Why?”

  “You said that Chicago would become your permanent home base?”

  “That’s because I plan to retire here...eventually.” I shrug, watching the stubborn bloke trying to rouse my princess from sleep. He’s playing with her toes and I want to punch the lad. “My plans have deviated a bit.”

  “Is this change happening any time soon?” Malcolm laughs now, but wait until London delivers his next child. A girl. “Need help?”

  “When Lucas is ready, I’ll be making some changes. Might settle the family here first, for a little while at least, and then move.” At that, he nods in understanding. Since his mother went away and father
decided to live in Florida, the kid’s been with us, going to school during the day and being trained at night. Aurora was against it at first, but she sees and accepts his desire to carry on the family legacy.

  And I agree. My sights are on a different city.

  Much larger. Grander scale.

  “Out East or West.”

  “East first—”

  “Malcolm!” we hear the women yell and take off running.

  Malcolm enters the kitchen first, coming to a stop in front of an already waiting London. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “It’s time,” is all she says, and he’s picking her up and heading toward the front door; the man barely has enough of a conscious thought to ask that we watch Max for them. The front door slams shut after my confirmation, tires peel out, and through it all, I’m watching a smiling Gem.

  “We’ll be there soon, love,’ I croon into her ear as I turn and place my hand on her flat stomach. “Just a few months.”

  “You know?”

  “That’s a silly question, love.”

  “A boy this time? To have a pair?”

  “I’m happy with whatever the Lord blesses us with.”

  Her head turns in my direction and those hazel eyes are bright. She’s smiling at me so beautifully. “I love you, Casper, and I’m so blessed to have met you.”

  “And I’m thankful to call you mine.” Then, my mouth is on hers. Pouring every bit of the love I have for her into that kiss, because I do. I adore this woman.

  She’s my heart. My soulmate. The mother of my children.

  And I’ll never let a single day pass without her knowing this.

  She’ll always be my greatest treasure. My Gem.

  The End.

  But what happens between Thiago and Luna?

  MINE #3 (Beautiful Sinner Series)

  Coming Early 2020

  Add to Goodreads:

  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25921920-mine

  Also, turn the page for an Outtake of SIN as a special gift to you!

  Elena xoxo

  OUTTAKE FROM SIN #1:

  “WHAT THE FUCK?” everyone in the room hears Malcolm whisper-shout from his office. It’s not in anger, but more of a weirded-out confusion that makes the nosy folk in this family head in his direction.

  Of course, I’m the sacrificial lamb since I’m untouchable, with everyone else following close behind. Roe and Mariah are a few steps behind me, almost tiptoeing, and their men cover the rear.

  Pun intended. Literally.

  “Who the fuck left this in here?”

  And while we’re all lost, Javier is chuckling to himself. As if he knows what’s happening.

  “Babe? Are you okay?” I call out, announcing the brigade because the man hates people barging in. Except me. I get a total pass, and more so since he knocked me up. “What’s wrong?”

  However, before we can enter, the man himself appears in the doorway in all his devilish glory with a set of keys in his hand, clenching them tightly. “Is there something you’d like to explain, Twirl?”

  My brows furrow, head shaking at his tone. “Not that I can think of. Why?”

  “Are you missing anything? Maybe misplaced something?”

  “My Chapstick, but I highly doubt you’d be upset by that.” That’s the only thing that comes to mind.

  “I’ll order five cases tonight.”

  I cringe. “Did I leave it on your desk?”

  “No.”

  “Laundry?” Because that’s happened a time or three, ruining a shirt or pair of pants, and all incidents damaged something of his. Not that he cared. I was more upset than he was.

  “No.” Malcolm shakes his head, less tense now. If I’m reading him right, he’s becoming amused. “Think, baby. Are you missing anything personal.”

  “Did I leave out one of our—”

  “No. Not that.” This pregnancy has done a number on my memory. If it’s lost in this house, ten times out of ten it’s mine, but even so, I don’t understand Malcolm. What the hell did I do?

  And then the tears come.

  I can’t help myself.

  I’m five months pregnant with the following uncontrollable symptoms: hungry, horny all day, and hormonal. I cry if the breeze is too hard while munching on my newest obsession: pickle chips.

  I’m down to my last bag. Need to have more delivered.

  “I’m sorry.” It’s a hiccup as I look up through watery eyes.

  “What the hell is wrong with you,” Mariah seethes at her cousin, coming to my defense, which makes me sniffle harder. “How can you pick on a pregnant woman?”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Casper, give me your gun.” That’s Roe-Roe for you. After discovering her long lost love affair with the shooting range, she wants to shoot everything.

  “Cool it or get the fuck out,” he hisses, and another round of tears hit.

  “But the barbecue!” Cause I’m also hungry.

  “Oh for the love of...” my husband trails off, picking me up in his arms and walking me toward his display case inside the office. It’s a creepy addition he had custom built a few months back.

  The large trophy-like case takes up the entire wall to the left of the entrance and holds nothing but guns; old and new ones, some going as far back as the early 1900s which were given by a client as a gift. Then, right at the center of the case, he put his retired Desert Eagle.

  The same one I used to shoot Alton.

  Placing me back on my feet, Malcolm wipes the few tears that have fallen and kisses my lips. A quick yet passionate peck that makes me forget my name, and once I’m calmer, he turns me to face the glass structure. Oh my God!

  “Hmmm,” that’s all I manage to get out, biting my bottom lip to fight back the laughter building. “That’s...”

  “So you recognize it?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?”

  “Kinda.”

  “Twirl?” When I don’t answer, he turns me around and tips my chin up with two fingers. His lip is twitching and mine aren’t any better. “How did an old and worn copy of Emma end up in there?”

  “Are you mad? Because my answer depends on that.”

  “And my answer will depend on who did it.”

  Widening my eyes, I give him my most innocent expression. “Me?”

  “Why are you framing this as a question?”

  “Just in case your answer was a trick.”

  “Christ, baby.” Then he’s laughing, cracking up in a way I’ve never seen him do before. The serious businessman I know and love is gone, and this one is almost choking on his amusement. “London, sweetheart...you...I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “And you owe me some money, Mrs. Asher.” Javier says from behind me and I pout, because he was right. Malcolm isn’t mad and is laughing, pulling me close to his chest and kissing my temple between chuckles.

  “She owes you shit, and I should shoot you for this. This bullshit has your idiocy written all over it.”

  “I’m insulted.” Javier’s mock indignation should earn him a slap to the back of the head. He’s a horrible actor.

  “Try threatening him when you can breathe, babe.”

  Malcolm looks down at me, still wearing a grin. “Get the book out of my case, Twirl.” Then, because the jerk loves to use my neediness against me, he leans down and places a kiss below my ear. “You’ll pay for this tonight, baby. Over my knee and you’ll count each one; ten spanks in total.” I swallow hard and nod, afraid to speak. “Then, I’m going to fuck your ass slowly, agonizingly, because I want you desperate.”

  “Please,” I whisper under my breath, hoping no one notices, but he does. His hum against my skin is the proof.

  “You will beg. You will cry.”

  “Malcolm,” I whine, at this point ready to say goodbye to everyone and take him upstairs. “Don’t be mean.”

  “You will say my name, but more importantly...you will s
oak our sheets and my cock.”

  Okay. That’s it.

  “Everybody out.”

  “Lo-Lo, you okay?” Aurora asks, but the moment my eyes shift to hers, she gets it. I don’t have to say a word because she’s dragging Casper out of the room. “We’ll be back in two hours. Have fun!”

  God, I love her.

  “I owe you double, now get lost.” Javier nods, giving me a quick high-five before pulling a confused Mariah behind him. She’s asking him what’s going on as the door locks behind them, demanding to know why they had to leave, but I drown it all out the moment Malcolm takes ahold of my hips and grinds his hardness against my ass.

  The world fades and it’s just us.

  “So beautifully needy.” Gathering my hair, he moves it over to the opposite shoulder and nips my exposed neck, each bite a little harder than the last. “My perfect girl.”

  “Yes,” I moan, pushing back against him. “All yours.”

  “To have and to hold.” He walks us back to his desk, stopping once my hands find purchase on the edge.

  “Always.” I’m panting, skin prickling with excitement.

  “In sickness and health.” Strong hands wander across my chest, squeezing my tits before pinching each nipple through the thin cotton of my shirt.

  “We will never part.”

  “Never.”

  “Good girl.” His hands wander to the front of my maternity jeans and lowers them carefully over my belly, shimmying them down my hips and lower until they pool at the floor. I’m not wearing any underwear and he hisses out a curse in appreciation. “Now, bend over and count each one, Twirl. Let’s not keep our guests waiting.”

  “But you...fuck! One!”

  “I decide the when, sweet girl. Not you.” His lips are at my ear, releasing a rough exhale over my skin. “This is to punish you for taking bets from an idiot.” His hand comes down again, three times in rapid succession and he doesn’t wait for my count. I can’t. Not when he’s squeezing the hot skin with one hand and rubbing my clit with the other. I’m wet and swollen and already close to the edge.