by Bethany-Kris
A few more minutes wouldn’t kill anybody.
“Harder,” Alessa breathed. “Fuck me harder, Adriano.”
Sweet Christ.
“One more time,” Adriano mumbled. “And then we have to go.”
Alessa nodded, but her eyes were already dazed and her stomach clenched with her need to come. “One more.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alessa melted into the bed, content and blissed. Adriano’s arm curved her lower back as he kissed a path over her sweaty cheekbone.
“God, don’t start us again,” Alessa warned, feeling out of air and hot at the same time. “I don’t know how to say no to you, Adriano.”
Adriano hummed against her shoulder, smirking wickedly. “It can’t be that late, Lissa.”
“Jesus.”
His hand slipped between her thighs, widening her legs without a word. Alessa found herself propped up to her knees, her face buried into the blankets, and Adriano behind her. His cock found heaven and home, driving her up the bed with the first thrust of his body against hers. He took her hard, rough, and fast. Deep, quick plunges that reached every possible inch it could.
Alessa felt him everywhere.
She fisted the bedsheets as he grabbed her hair and yanked her upward into his chest. The sting in her scalp was lovely. The sound of their flesh meeting was even better.
She was sticky.
Dirty.
Sweaty.
She smelled like him and sex.
It was fucking wonderful.
Adriano’s mouth found her neck and his teeth marked her skin. It was enough to send her into another orgasm that left her drained of energy and gasping for air.
“Fuck, I love feeling you come,” Adriano growled into her ear. “So hot and tight, Lissa. And my name in your fucking mouth—nothing sounds like that. Nothing.”
He wasn’t the only one.
She felt his pace pick up, his body driving into hers even faster and harder.
“Come,” Alessa begged. “Let me feel it. I want to feel it, Adriano.”
He came with a thick groan, pushing them both down to the bed. Alessa felt his cock jerk with spurts deep inside her tender pussy, filling her full.
“God,” she breathed, happier under his weight. “So good.”
Adriano mumbled his agreement.
Alessa laughed. “We have to get up.”
“We will,” he assured. “But I like this.”
“This?”
“Us. In a bed together. Nothing else matters. I like it.”
Alessa smiled into his arm as he rolled them over so she was tucked into his side. Adriano’s fingers ghosted down her arm before coming to a stop on her finger. Alessa stilled, remembering the piece of jewelry that should have been there but wasn’t because Adriano took it.
“How’d this go over?” he asked.
“No one has noticed yet.”
Adriano barked out a bitter laugh. “Seriously?”
“They’re all too focused on other things to be bothering with me. I’ve passed them by a lot over the last week. I’ll figure out something when they do notice.”
“Don’t let him put another one on there, Lissa.”
Alessa glanced up at him. “I don’t have a choice.”
Adriano’s gaze darkened. “I’m the only fucking man who gets to put something on that finger of yours. You’re mine, Lissa.”
Alessa wasn’t going to argue that fact.
“Promise me,” Adriano said quietly.
“I won’t let him put another one on me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m yours.”
“Shit.”
Alessa heard Adriano’s curse just as she closed the bedroom door.
“Uh, hey, Eve,” Adriano said loudly.
Alessa cringed.
Maybe their one more time had turned into two or three.
The small hallway that led out to the kitchen and living room of the loft apartment kept Alessa hidden well enough. She turned to go back into Adriano’s bedroom, but stopped when Evelina started talking.
“You are not nearly quiet enough, Adriano,” Evelina said.
Alessa’s cheeks turned pink at what Evelina implied.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Adriano muttered.
“Right,” his sister drawled. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know—”
“Alessa!”
Crap.
Alessa walked out into view of the kitchen and leaned in the small entryway.
Evelina looked her over and nodded like she knew something was up. “You’re quite a sight this morning.”
Alessa shrugged. “Yeah, well …”
She needed a shower, a hairbrush, and a facecloth to clean the smeared makeup she sported. Alessa wished she could find it in herself to care about her appearance.
“Walk of shame,” Evelina said to Adriano. “I can’t believe you were going to let her leave here looking like she just spent the night with someone. Are you stupid?”
Adriano glared. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“And we have to leave soon,” Alessa added.
“Too late, I’m already up,” Evelina replied. “And seriously reconsidering staying here if I have to wake up like that again.”
Adriano cleared his throat. “Sorry.”
“You know what is sad about it all?”
“What?” Adriano asked.
“I wasn’t even surprised and I didn’t even have to wonder who it was you brought home. That … says a lot, Adriano.”
“We good?” he asked.
“We’re good. And of course, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
Alessa laughed under her breath. “Thanks.”
Evelina nodded at Alessa before pointing at the hallway. “I bet you know where the bathroom is. You’ll find what you need in there.”
“Five minutes,” Adriano said to Alessa.
She’d make it two.
With a detour still to take, they were running out of time.
“Stay put,” Adriano said. “I’ll be five minutes, maybe ten at the most.”
Alessa leaned over and kissed him quickly. It was only a quarter to eight in the morning. “I’ll be fine.”
“And quiet, huh?”
She got his point without needing to ask.
Dino DeLuca’s home and property rested just outside of the Chicago city limits on a private estate. After Adriano made a stop at a warehouse and came out with a black bag and no answers, he’d driven them straight to Dino’s place.
Or, it used to be Dino’s.
“I heard Lily got the house and property,” Alessa said.
“She did, apparently,” Adriano replied. “Theo picked up the businesses and some trusts. Dino had it all settled and ready. Odd how that worked out. Like he knew or something.”
“We all know, Adriano.”
“Hmm?” he asked.
“We all know it’s where we’re going to end up. Dead, I mean. It’s just a matter of when and how. I’m more surprised when a man in the mafia doesn’t have something set up in case of his death. Men like that think they’re untouchable. That’s a bad place to be.”
Adriano frowned in his seat. “That’s an awfully morbid way to look at it, Lissa.”
“I see it like it is.”
“And say it like it is,” he said.
Sometimes life was too brutal to think about it differently.
Alessa didn’t like to live in the clouds. Sometimes, when she was with Adriano, she found herself there all the time. High up, looking down. So high, actually, that nobody could reach him or her.
She knew that was wrong.
Somebody would reach them. They weren’t the untouchable ones.
“Hey,” Adriano whispered.
Alessa let him catch her chin between his forefinger and thumb. He turned her head so they could stare at one another. The flecks of color in his green irises drew her in like a moth
to the flame. Fitting, since they were both waiting to be burned in one way or another.
“Hey,” Alessa said back.
“You’re a special kind of crazy beautiful. You know that, right?”
Alessa smiled. “I do now.”
“This is all going to work out, Lissa. You and me, it’ll work out.”
“I’d like to think so, but … more often than not, the bad guys win, Adriano.”
“We are the bad guys.”
Were they?
“As long as I’m bad with you,” Alessa said, grinning.
“Cute.” Adriano sighed, eyeing the quiet, large home. “This is just one more step in everything. One more goal to hit before we’re closer to the end.”
“I’m almost tired of running to it. Isn’t that what we’re doing; running?”
From responsibility, fears, and life. They ran. Maybe he liked to use the excuse that they were running toward something, but she figured they were constantly running away.
Adriano smirked. “Just keep running, Lissa.”
“Why should I do that?”
“I like the chase,” he said.
Alessa blinked, feeling his thumb roll over her bottom lip soothingly. “Love you.”
“Always,” he echoed. “I’ll be back in five, like I said.”
“Go. I’ll wait, Adriano.”
Adriano got out of the car, tossed her a wink, and closed the door. Alessa watched in the rear-view mirror as Adriano popped the trunk and pulled out the black bag. He didn’t even make it half way across the driveway before the front door opened to the large home. Damian Rossi stepped outside. The two men met one another in the middle.
Despite knowing better, Alessa rolled down her window to listen.
“That was quick,” Damian said.
Adriano shrugged. “I think we all have our reasons for wanting to get this done, Ghost. Better to do it fast, like ripping off a Band-Aid.”
Damian eyed the car, his gaze falling on Alessa. “Why did you bring her here?”
Alessa wasn’t offended by the question, but she had to admit, Damian could be a little intimidating. For the most part, the man stuck to the shadows and out of the spotlight.
“We woke up later than we should have and this was easier,” Adriano explained.
Alessa was confused. Adriano talked like Damian had somehow known she spent the night with Adriano. How could Damian possibly know that?
“Lucky her brother is out of the city.”
Well, that answered one of Alessa’s questions regarding Joel’s whereabouts. Even Abriella hadn’t known where their brother disappeared to for a day.
“Is he?” Adriano asked.
Damian scoffed, jerking a thumb in Alessa’s direction. “Like you don’t already know.”
“I don’t know where he is, asshole.”
“Vegas, apparently.”
Adriano’s brow shot up as he shot a look over his shoulder at her. “Vegas?”
“Sorrentos. Maybe he’s trying to buy votes or something.”
“That’s the wrong family to be going to for that,” Adriano said.
“Joel has a mighty sense of entitlement, a big head, and enough cockiness to carry him through a meeting with Maximo Sorrento. One meeting, anyway. Two might cost him more than he’s willing to give, like his life. After all, Max has little to no patience for spoiled boys. Look at what he did to his own son.”
Adriano chuckled. “And then Max will head back to the Marcello crew in New York.”
“Like I said, buying votes,” Damian replied dully. “Or trying.”
“I’ll pass the info along.”
“Do what you will with it, kid.”
“Thanks,” Adriano said.
“I didn’t expect you to get here this quick,” Damian said.
“Or you didn’t expect me to get the money.”
Damian shrugged like it didn’t make a difference. “Semantics, Adriano. Out of curiosity, do you often keep eighty-k of cold cash just sitting around for a rainy day?”
Eighty-k?
That was a lot of money. The black bag in Adriano’s fist caught her attention again. It made a lot more sense.
“No, but a friend of mine did,” Adriano replied. “And I figured since he can’t use it anymore and I was the only one who knew about his stashes of cash, I might as well put some of it to use.”
“A friend?” Damian asked.
“Sleeping at the bottom of a river.”
Alessa frowned at those words. She was starting to think maybe she should roll the window back up, but she didn’t.
Damian chuckled coldly. “Well, that’s unfortunate.”
“It was.” Adriano’s tone held a great deal more feeling about the topic than Damian’s did. “But it is what it is.”
“I heard a rumor this morning,” Damian said, looking Alessa’s way again.
“I’m listening,” Adriano replied.
“There are new boots on Conti territory.”
Adriano stilled. “Oh?”
“Are we going to play stupid?” Damian asked. “I thought we were past that, Adriano.”
“There’s a little truth in every rumor, as the saying goes, Damian.”
“Well said.” Damian sighed heavily. “You’ll make a good Capo if you stay the fuck out of trouble. You’re young, yeah, but that’s all right, too. You’ve been doing this under Kolin for years. No man in the Conti crew has ever worked as closely with him as you did. I bet they’re not even looking elsewhere for a Capo but right at you. You’ll be fine out there—the guys like you. But you need to keep your head above water and right now, you’re pretty goddamn close to drowning, Adriano. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“Sure,” Adriano muttered. “But considering she’s the only thing that keeps me breathing, I don’t mind being pulled under with her.”
“Poetic,” Damian said dryly.
“Are we going to do this thing or keep chatting?”
Damian smiled, flashing his white teeth in the process. “There’s no need. You’re too late.”
Adriano’s shoulders stiffened. “We made an agreement, Damian. Twenty-four hours; eighty-k. I followed through. Why won’t you?”
“Because I don’t need to, kid.” Damian surveyed his quiet property before saying, “There was a big story on the news this morning.”
“Stop skipping around and get to the fucking point. Why in the hell won’t you follow through on the hits?”
Hits?
Alessa’s heart practically leaped into her throat.
“Because I don’t need to. At least not on one. Laurent Rossi was found late last night by his wife after she was woken up from one of her many drunken stupors by the sound of a gunshot. Laurent had his head blown apart and was dead on the kitchen floor by the time Serena got to him.”
Adriano just stared at Damian like he didn’t believe a word the man was saying.
“So, there’s nothing needing done,” Damian continued, still smiling. “Someone already did it. Serena is still there. If she follows her usual pattern like I believe she will, Serena is liable to drink herself into her own grave. Especially now that her husband isn’t there to rush her to the hospital when she needs her stomach pumped.”
“You’re serious,” Adriano said.
Damian shoved his hands in his pockets in the most unbothered fashion. “Yes.”
“Who did it?”
“That, Adriano, I do not know.”
“Is that the truth?” Adriano asked.
“For this, I have no reason to lie,” Damian said.
“Well then.” Adriano shifted on his feet, still tense. “My father had planned nothing on Laurent, not yet. He was waiting and said it wasn’t time.”
Damian grinned. “Keep your ear to the ground, Adriano. You hear a lot there.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Adriano asked.
“Someone did this for a reason. They’re looking to help somebody. That means something is
about to happen and soon.” Damian glanced back at his house. “I’ll leave you to it. My wife doesn’t like waking up alone and it’s been a rough couple of weeks for her.”
Adriano nodded once, but he still looked unsure. “Yeah, all right.”
“Godspeed, Adriano. I have a feeling this war is not even close to being over. And when the families really go to the mattresses, there’s not a soul in Chicago who won’t feel it.”
Alessa didn’t want to let go of Adriano’s hand. He kept one on the steering wheel and his other locked with hers, resting on the seat between them. Tenderly, his thumb swept over her knuckles again and again.
When the car rolled to a stop, Alessa didn’t move.
Adriano eyed her from the side knowingly. “Back to life, Lissa.”
Alessa sighed. “Confession time?”
“Shoot.”
“Last night was the first time I’ve slept without nightmares.”
“Since the restaurant,” he said quietly.
“Yeah.”
Adriano looked her over without sympathy. Alessa appreciated that in a way. He didn’t coddle her or tell her false platitudes. “Give it time.”
“Time.”
“You’re not going to forget, but it’ll get easier. Less nightmares, more sleep. Less time spent thinking about it because you’ve moved on to new things. That’s life, Lissa.”
“My sister almost died,” Alessa said, staring down at their connected hands.
“Some of my bullets might have gone inside that restaurant,” Adriano admitted.
Alessa sucked in a deep breath, nodding. “I want this to be over. I don’t want to lose someone else I love in this mess.”
Adriano leaned over and kissed her softly. Ghosting the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone, he murmured, “We won’t be one of them. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Okay.”
“Back to life,” he repeated.
Alessa smiled, feeling better already. She had a part to play, too.
“How many people do you think are playing games in this?” Alessa asked.
Adriano shrugged. “A lot. And we’re no different than them, Alessa.”
She knew he was right.
“Text me later,” Alessa ordered teasingly, before kissing him quickly again.
“Will do, pretty girl.”