“When can we expect Max and Jackie to get here?”
“He texted me that he was in-flight and he should be here in about six hours. I need to get you and Antonia home. You are beat, and we will be back here before you know it. Besides, I really need to lose myself in you for a while, sweetheart.”
I don’t need to say anything more; she gets it. She gathers up Antonia and we say goodbye to Michael Sr. We head out of the hospital, flanked by six guards and Bo, into a waiting car. The house we are renting is a quick ride from the hospital, which I thought would be a blessing until I get a look around the neighborhood. The iron gates open and we drive up a short drive to a nondescript looking home. Given the increased threats, this is never going to work for us. We get out and head inside. Mrs. Osla is waiting for us.
“Raven, why don’t you get Antonia settled in for the night while I talk to Mrs. Osla.”
She looks between me and Mrs. Osla, “Go easy on her, Jax.”
“Raven, the bedrooms are all upstairs. Antonia’s room is the third door on the right; it’s attached to your room. Don’t worry about me, I can handle him.”
“Thank you for everything, Mrs. Osla. Jax, I will meet you upstairs.”
I watch my wife walk away and my need to lose myself in her is becoming even more intense.
Mrs. Osla clears her throat, snapping me out of my daydream. “Jaxson, I know this is not the best place, but you saw the same pictures I did. The area around us didn’t look like this. The pictures made it look more secluded. I’m trying to find something else, but it’s not easy.”
“Let’s go sit down. I need to bring you up to speed on everything.” She leads me into a den and pours me a drink.
“Mrs. Osla, there have been some new security developments and I know this place is not going to be secure for us.”
“I’m aware of the developments; Mick has explained everything. I looked to see if there are any other hospitals that have this level of treatment for young Michael; there aren’t any in this area. There is St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee, but I’m not sure it would be any more secure then what we’ve got. I also looked into other countries. Until I get the reports back, this one still comes out the best. So, what do we need to do to make it safe for us to stay here?”
“Short of locking everyone up in here, I’m not sure. We’ll stay here for tonight, and then I will get with Max in the morning. How is my mum doing?”
“The trip was a lot for her, but she is resting. And Rose is keeping a close eye on her.”
“How much does Rose know?”
“Nothing, we got home, and then she was making sure your mum was settled in.”
“Good, I need to have Max here with me when we explain everything to her. How many guards are here?”
“There are a dozen at different points of the house.”
“Okay, we should be good for the night. Get some rest, tomorrow will be another busy day.”
She gets up and I’m left alone to figure out what to do about this mess. Just then, Raven walks around my chair, pulling me from my thoughts. She crawls into my lap and nuzzles my neck. “Come to bed, Jax. Everything will still be here in the morning. Tonight, I need to cuddle up into your arms and have a peaceful sleep; we both do.”
She doesn’t need to say anything more; I lift her and carry her up the steps. My love, my salvation, the only place I truly have any peace is when I’m lost in her. “I love you, sweetheart, always and forever more.”
WE ARE SAFELY IN-FLIGHT and I texted Jax to let him know.
My wedding night . . . not exactly what I was planning, but I can improvise. I take her hand and guide her into one of the large suites in the back of the plane. “My beautiful wife, God I can’t get enough of that word. Happy birthday, Jackie; one of many we will share together.” I hand her a small box. “I had this diamond heart made to match your ring; my heart next to yours—always.”
“It’s beautiful, Max, please put it on me.” She turns and lifts her hair. I gently kiss her neck before putting on the necklace.
“Please, Jackie, get me out of this Kimono.”
Her giggle is so sweet. “Maybe I like seeing you in this, then what?”
Her delicate fingers are trailing up and down my chest and I feel like I might combust. “Well, then I might have to get used to it, or maybe prove to you how much better it is when I’m naked.”
She blushes and quickly helps me out of my Kimono. “Jackie, I need to figure out how to get you out of this. I don’t even know where to begin!”
“Start by untying anything you can find. The wedding ones are more intricate, but I’m sure you will get me out of it. Keep in mind . . . this was my grandmothers, so please be careful.”
Guess taking a scissor to it is not an option. There are so many parts to this, but I prevail. As the robes all fall away, I’m left staring at the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. My beautiful wife—in thigh highs, diamonds, and pearls . . . nothing else.
“Max, um, are you okay?”
Her voice snaps me out of my daze, okay? She is standing here like a vision and she thinks I would be okay! “I need a minute, babe. You took my breath away.”
“I have something for you.” She steps over to one of her bags and pulls out a small package.
“I wanted to give you something very special and it has to be now.” She is chewing on her bottom lip and seems very nervous. I open the box and my eyes grow wide.
“What do you give a man who has everything? The one thing I know he really wants. I completely stopped them the day we got engaged. Honestly, with everything that has been going on, I haven’t kept good track of them. I know I’ve missed several, so what’s the point? As scared as I am, I know my life is with you and will always be, no matter what.”
I pull her birth control pills out of the box. I’m speechless; she knows how much I want a child with her and she is willing to jump right in.
“It might take a while; it might not. I’m willing to go on the journey with you. We will face whatever life throws at us, together. I love you.”
“I’m confused, I thought you were scared to have a baby?”
Her hand is trembling as she places it on my cheek. “Trust me, Max, I’m scared. But being around Antonia and the kids that I teach made me realize how much I really wanted one. I didn’t want to tell you I stopped my pills until the wedding. I didn’t want to put any more pressure on you. My hope is that, by your birthday, I will have a great present to give you. You are a very hard man to surprise, so I needed to do it this way. I knew we would be together forever; I wasn’t being underhanded, Max. I wanted to make it special for you. Are you mad at me?”
With her, my needs are always first. How could she possibly think I’d be mad? “Mad? How could I ever be mad? You’re making all my hopes and dreams come true. You, babe, amaze me. Come here.” I pull her tightly in my arms. “You make me want a future, one that will never end. I promise you I will treasure our baby with my life.”
I gently kiss her tender lips; they’re so very soft. I don’t want to rush this. I want to live in this moment for the rest of my life. I flutter my fingers up her sides, swirling up and around her nipples. They perk instantly to my touch. She looks down, following the trail of my fingertips. Her head is bowed but her eyes glance up to mine. She has a gift like no other, submissive and powerful in one single sweep of her eyes. “Kiss me, Jackie, now.”
She slowly lifts her head, her eyes keeping contact with mine. I feel desire burn deep within my soul. She softly brushes her lips over mine, followed by the swipe of her tongue. She takes her hand and glides it down her body. Slowly, she uses her fingertips to gather her wetness. She brushes her fingers across my lips and I taste her sweetness. I nip her fingertip. I consider myself a strong man, a man who is able to take a lot. When she tilts her head back and lets out a long, low moan, I lose it. I lean down and take one of her nipples between my teeth, pulling just enough to make her
buck and yell. I lift her and place her gently on the bed and I wait.
She fists the sheets, “Max, what are you waiting for?—I want you now.”
“Anticipation, babe, you can’t always get what you want.” She said she wanted to experiment and try different things. I plan on fulfilling every one of her fantasies, even ones she didn’t know she had.
“Play with your nipples, Jackie.” Her eyes flutter, and that shy submissive look is all over her face. She hesitates and that’s what I want, that’s what will intensify it for her. She brushes her fingers over them, causing them to perk. Simply beautiful. I kneel between her legs, lean down, and kiss each one. I slowly leave a trail of gentle kisses all over her. When I get to her clitoris, I barely let my lips touch and she gasps.
“Oh, Max, more please, I need more.”
Kiss, blow, nibble, and then swipe my tongue. She grabs my head, bucks her hips, trying to push for more. I’ve got my arms locked around her legs, holding her down. I work my tongue in and out, then stroke up and down. She begins to shake and her skin feels like it’s on fire. As I work my fingers deep inside her, I keep a constant force on her clitoris. She arches her back and begins to beg me for more. “I know you want more, but not yet. I won’t rush this night, our wedding night is once in a lifetime.”
I need to slow her down. I slowly work my way off of her, taking my time nipping and kissing her everywhere. She whimpers at the loss of my tongue on her. Fuck me, it’s beautiful. I head over to the dresser for some toys I got specifically for tonight. When I look back at her, she is rolling her nipples between her fingers.
“Does someone need a spanking?”
“No, please, Max, I need you.”
I walk up to the bed and crawl between her legs. I pull her hands away from her nipples and put a remote in her hand.
“What is this for?”
“Babe, it’s for your pleasure.”
“What is that thing on your cock!?”
“You’ll see, right now I’m going to enter you very slowly. When I tell you, slowly tilt your hand.”
I enter her and she closes her eyes, I stop. “Open your eyes and watch, now.”
Her eyes fly open when I’m all the way in. “Oh my!” she gasps from the cock ring hitting her clitoris.
“Tilt your hand very slowly.”
It begins to vibrate and her eyes grow wide. “Oh wow, what the hell?”
“Tilt your hand back and forth, you have all the power, babe. If you want more, move it more.”
Every time she moves her hand, my cock grows harder. While she’s having fun with her remote I roll her nipples into a perfect peak. “I have another surprise for you.”
“O-oh this is so wonderful, I don’t think I can handle any more surprises.”
“You can and you will. Slow it down or this will end too quickly.”
She slows down the vibrations and her rapid breathing is becoming more even. I reach down and grab her next surprise off the bed. I hold them up for her to see as they sparkle in the dim lighting. “What are they?”
“I had them made for you; diamond and gold nipple clamps.” I need to start her slowly with these. I put them on, but make sure they are not too tight—yet.
“Wow, they are beautiful. They feel . . . different.”
“Now you can use the remote again, but slow, babe.”
She’s getting into this and I’m trying not to explode. It’s a mind game; concentrating on giving her pleasure. When she speeds up the vibrations, I tighten the clamps. Her eyes open wide and she doesn’t realize it, but she’s moving her hand more, which of course, makes the cock ring vibrate even more. I’m harder than I can ever remember being in my lifetime. “Oh, Max, you feel huge. I don’t think I can take much more.”
I tighten the clamps again and her whole body begins to shake. “Babe, you’re shaking, what do you want?” Before she can answer, I release the clamps and it sends a surge through her. Right at that point, I release the cock ring and slam into her, over and over again. She finds her release and I’m right behind her—beautiful.
I slowly work us down as I nuzzle her neck. “I hope we made a new life tonight,” she whispers.
I pull the covers over us and hold her close to my heart. “I hope so too, babe.”
THE CASE THAT MADE my career is now blowing up in my face. I’m looking at the order, demanding all documents in the Giaconna deal to go to his new attorney. Who is this attorney and why have I never heard of her before today? What does she think she can accomplish? The buzzing of my intercom snaps me out of my thoughts. My assistant informs me Amelia Jade, the current pain in my ass, is here to see me. Sending her away would be like poking a hornet’s nest. “Give me a minute and send her in.”
Within a moment, the door opens and in steps the most stunning redhead I have ever seen. I have to stay focused; I can’t let her distract me. “What can I do for you, Ms. Jade?”
“I’m here to discuss Mr. Giaconna’s case.”
“Have a seat, Ms. Jade, and please enlighten me; I don’t know what case you’re referring to? Mr. Giaconna took a plea deal, there is no case.”
She doesn’t sit. Her glare becomes more intense. “Mr. Hage, you must have received the order to turn over all your files in my client’s case, by now. My client is requesting an emergency bail hearing and a trial. The tape was obtained illegally. You should have known that this would somehow come back to bite you in the ass. You obtained the tape without a warrant, and a proper chain of evidence was not followed. Therefore, all the evidence you obtained from Duke never would have happened without the video. It’s called fruit of the poisonous tree, and you knew that but chose to ignore it. Mr. Hage, my client has the right to face his accuser; he wants his day in court.”
She’s got to be just as crazy as Vincent if she thinks this will ever fly. “You know and I know this is never going to happen, so what’s your end game?”
“Everyone is entitled to justice, Mr. Hage, even Mr. Giaconna—whether you like it or not. We all have to play by the same rules. You can’t write them to fit your needs. I want him moved, via U.S. Marshals Service, from ADX Florence to Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse for a bail hearing. On my way here, I filed the necessary papers for the emergency bail hearing.”
“Look, Ms. Jade, I don’t know what your game is but no judge would ever grant that animal bail. You and I both know you don’t have a leg to stand on. Drop it; find another way to make a name for yourself.”
She gathers up her stuff and turns to leave. “Mr. Hage, I will see you in court.” Just like that, she’s gone. I sit back in my chair; total shock envelops me. What is her end game? Money? Making a name—what?
My intercom buzzes again, “Mr. Hage, papers just arrived for you from the court. It appears Mr. Giaconna has been granted an emergency bail hearing. I also sent Ms. Jade the files . . . sir?”
“I’m here. Get Mr. Phillips on the line for me immediately. ” This is a call I’m not looking forward to making.
LOSING MYSELF OVER AND over again in Raven last night was just what I needed. With her, I can release all my fears and frustration. With her, I find my safe place. I’ve got her locked up in my arms when my phone begins to ring. At this hour of the morning, it has to be a problem. I look at the display. And so the nightmare continues . . . Hage.
“ Hage, what’s the problem?”
“Vincent is being granted an emergency bail hearing.” What the fuck?!
“I’ll call you back in five.” I don’t want to wake Raven. I make my way out of bed and grab my sweats. I head downstairs where I know she won’t hear me. I’m about to call Hage back when Max and Jackie come through the front door. Relief washes over me, and I pull Jackie into a big bear hug.
“Jax, you’re smothering me; is everything okay?”
“Oh sorry, yeah, just very stressed out. Glad you guys got here okay.” I look over to Max and nod. I never have to say anything with him.
“Bab
e, I’m going to go over some stuff with Jax, and then have a quick shower before we head over to the hospital. Would you mind getting everything set up for us?” he asks.
She kisses him and giggles, “If you want alone time with Jax, you just have to ask.”
He is watching her head up the steps with a grin like the cat that ate the canary.
“Okay, Jax, besides this house, what’s the problem?”
“Hage just called and said Vincent was granted an emergency bail hearing. I didn’t ask any questions. I didn’t want to wake Raven. I need to call him back now.”
Sammy walks into the room. “Hey, Jax, I just hung up with my contact. The U.S. Marshal will be bringing Vincent from Colorado to New York. Hage requested that he be brought back via private plane due to the high security threat. The hearing is set for tomorrow. It’s only a bail hearing so Max and Raven won’t need to be present.”
“Thanks, Sammy. Sorry about everything that happened when we left the States the last time.”
He holds up his hand, “Don’t worry, Jax; just business.”
“Sammy, before I call Hage back, does he know who Amelia Jade really is?”
“I don’t know, but I would tell him. Better to have all the cards on the table.”
“Max, you ready for this?”
“Yeah, put him on speaker.”
He answers on the first ring. “Hage, you’re on speaker, and Max is here.”
“Okay. As I said earlier, Vincent was granted an emergency bail hearing. He is already being processed and turned over to the U.S. Marshals office for transfer to New York City. Do not come to court.”
“I personally won’t be there, however, my attorney will be. My family’s safety is at stake; I trust no one.” I hear him growl and I really don’t give a fuck.
“Hage, do you have any idea who Amelia Jade is?”
“I know that she is from Virginia and graduated top in her class. She knows she can’t win the case. Vincent made a deal and now she wants him to back out of that deal. I can’t figure out why. I thought maybe it was some sort of revenge but she is squeaky clean with no ties to the Giaconna family. Do you know something I don’t?”
Shattered Lies Page 19