Our Crazy Little Thing Called Love

by Liz K. Lorde

  He shook his head, not wanting to accept the harsh reality – was Leo really going to shoot him? Killaine made one more step backwards, very nearly reaching the balcony now. “I paid them handsomely,” he insisted, “and there’s men that I trust.”

  “They smiled and took your money, brother. That’s all they did. Do you think the ones that you paid actually cared about you? Your family cared about you. I know that I did…”

  “There’s a good joke,” Killaine snorted derisively, “you caring about me.”

  “I’d have killed you by now if I didn’t. Trust me, I’m trying really hard to not be my usual self here.”

  “All you’ve ever done was try and upstage me,” Killaine replied, “he was going to give it to her first you know. To sweet sister mine. Do you know how hard I worked for Dad?” He laughed with contempt before his voice began to waver. “I… killed. So many—“ Killaine’s voice hitched, and he paused. “You and her, you were both given the royal treatment. You never saw blood until you were in your teens.”

  “Stop excusing yourself,” Leo roared, unbearable anguish and sorrow etched on his face even in the relative darkness.

  Killaine made one more step backwards, and as soon as he did as such, a force pummeled the both of us from out of nowhere – the energy of it so strong, that I could feel it ripple through me from Killaine’s hand. An explosion of red came from his gun hand, bits of bone and flesh moving outward in a cone. He screamed out in utter agony; in turn, I yelled out in surprise, all the while Leonardo quickly advanced towards us in the chaos.

  The gun that was on Killaine dropped to the ground and went off a single time before he uttered a litany of curses. In the time that he did, I slipped from his grasp and scooped up the gun, running right for Leo.

  Leonardo met me half way and we embraced one another tightly. We held each other harder than we ever had, and for a second I thought that he might end up squeezing the life right out of me. “Tabitha,” he whispered. “I’ve got you, you did good – you did so good. I’ve got you now.”

  “Leo,” I buried myself in his chest and let my fingers run all around his tightly wound back of muscles. “Are Fiona and Connifer okay?”

  “They will be,” he answered gravely, “they’re in good hands.” Our reunion was short lived when Leonardo broke away from me and looked to a bleeding and furious Killaine.

  “Fucking bastard,” he cried, “a sniper?”

  “No,” Leo replied, “a friend. You wouldn’t know her.”

  Just then, behind us, two bloodied men walked in with machine guns. Thankfully they seemed to be on our side for once.

  Killaine’s hand was trembling wildly, and his breaths came in rapid succession. “Go on then,” he taunted, a hint of hurt in the tone of his voice, “do it.”

  Leonardo looked to me, and I already knew that he’d made his choice. He then looked over to his brother and said, simply: “No.”

  Killaine howled in a mixture of laughter, pain and fascination, holding onto his quaking hand. “No?” He asked, his voice high and powerful, “no? If you let me live—“

  “I’m not letting you live,” he said in an even tone. “But justice won’t be involved in ending your miserable life, no. The world, the one that you and I live in? They’re going to forget about you. Your name is going to be dragged through the dirt, and you’re going to spend the rest of your existence making up for the things that you’ve done.” The men that had entered previously walked over to Killaine, and when he saw what was happening, he bolted for the door. The two men followed after him, their footsteps resounding through the room.

  Leonardo didn’t seem concerned, so I pushed down that feeling of worry, and just tried to settle into the relief. Fee and Connifer were okay, or they were going to be okay at least.

  I went for Leo’s hand and held it tight, pulling him towards me, “I knew you’d come for me.”

  He smiled, “Had to push back my appointment with death to do it, but if anyone’s going to spend their life making you miserable – it might as well be me.”

  “Aren’t you worried about your brother?”

  “Most of Pops men surrendered when me and the guys stormed the place. I’ve got Myra outside, and the whole city was already distrustful of him – once he killed Pops, well, any credit he had going for him was purely on how much money he could throw around. There is one order of business I have to do first, before anything else.”

  What’s that? “Don’t leave a girl in the dark.”

  Leo’s smile widened just before he leaned in and cocked his head to the side, wrapping an arm behind my waist and pulled me against his lips for a long, deep kiss. It was a kiss that had been coming for a lifetime, an embrace that I never expected, nor thought that I ever deserved – but it was so sweet, so perfect that everything else bled out, until only what remained was us.

  I could smell him, his sweet and musky scent. There was iron there, too, from the blood. Our lips danced with one another, and my heart became touched by fire, my body lighting up with ribbons of desire. Each brush of our lips was another part of our melody, each building on the last and bringing us towards a passionate crescendo.

  This was our moment. Our crazy little thing I knew now was love.

  Love for him.

  Love for me. Love so strong that it made me feel for myself, that it made me see beyond despair.

  Love so strong that boundaries could not hold us apart.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  WEARING THE CROWN

  LEONARDO

  All my senses just disappeared in that moment when my lips met Tabitha’s. This was the moment I never knew that I needed in my life. The moment that everything made sense in a life of extravagant misery.

  I’d give up everything in the world for these lips. For those lips, I’d change anything and everything.

  I wanted her to melt against me, and I wanted to whisper a hundred sweet nothings into her ear.

  But I knew that there was work to be done, and wrongs to be made right. Regretfully, I broke away from our embrace and brushed back some of her chestnut hair. What was that spot of red on her jaw? “Did he… did he hurt you, baby?” I curiously moved my thumb across the spot. Yeah, he burned her. I should burn him for that.

  Tabitha recoiled against my touch and then quickly nodded her head, “It’s okay,” she assured me. “I’ll wear it with pride.”

  Anger flooded me from the soles of my feet, but I knew that was a feeling I’d have to combat if I wanted anything more than just vengeance. “That’s my girl,” I said, cupping the side of her absolutely gorgeous face. “Come along, now,” I said, “I’ve got some things to settle and then we’ll get you home.”

  She nodded her head.

  Not five minutes later and Pops men—my men, incapacitated Killaine for me and brought him inside. Soon the cops would be here for the obvious noise complaints, but once they realize where it’s coming from – they’ll send down Lieutenant Riley and we’ll have an enlightening chat on how best to proceed.

  After gathering everyone to the meeting room, I brought Tabitha by her hand to the head table and sat her ass down, joining at her side. It hurt to be inside of this place again, so soon after Pops was murdered. Being so near where he died, I wanted to try and feel some of his spirit… but there just wasn’t anything that remained.

  Not while his empire was being pissed on by Killaine’s corruption.

  Killaine himself was off towards the back of the room, knocked out and bleeding some, so I instructed: “Dallas, don’t let him die on me. Go and fetch something to staunch that bleeding.”

  Dallas quietly nodded and headed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  “Now some of you already know, but for those that didn’t want to quit quietly, no, I didn’t kill the Boss. No, I didn’t kill my father,” a stone formed in my throat. “I did not kill Raphael Ligotti… and to those of you who believed that, that knew me better than that… thank you. We’v
e got a lot of work to do, and Ernest, you’re going to have to take Killaine’s place as the family accountant.”

  “I don’t want anyone acting on the shit that went down tonight. You’re either okay with it and you’re with us, or you’re not – and in that case,” I pointed outward, “I want you to leave right now. Because I will not stand for a house divided.” Patiently as I was able to be, I waited to see if anyone would get up. A couple of lower ranking players, Johan, Kimmy, Luther, Jackson and Tyler all got up from their seats and made their way out.

  Looking over to Tabitha, my heart smiled before my mouth did. I wanted to go and spend every second that I could alone with her; but I knew that there was much to do. We’ll have to clean the compound, plan the funerals, likely have to set up a couple of patsy’s for the whole power struggle and it’s ensuing mess that Killaine caused.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  SWORDPLAY

  TABITHA

  It was sometime past midnight that I got in to check on Fiona. Leonardo had told me that he had one of his private guys look at Connifer, and that he’d be okay sooner than Fee. I was glad to be able to check on her, but at the same time I wasn’t ready to be apart from Leo. Still, it was better that I get back to my normal life. Better for the both of us for to have a moment of space, given all that we had went through in such an incredibly short time.

  I never thought that I’d be one to experience so much so quick, to run through a gauntlet of emotions and obtain such epiphanies.

  The pain from earlier was still there. I think the worst part of it, was that it reminded me of his blue eyes. If I stopped to think on it for too long, it was like I could feel his lighter burning at my chin all over again. Stepping over to Fiona’s room, I peeked inside to see if she was awake. Most of her body was covered in a thick white blanket, but her eyes were open.

  Grabbing the door handle, I slowly opened the door and shut it behind me, catching Fee’s smile as I did so.

  “Thought you’d forgotten me,” she playfully scolded.

  “Nonsense,” I replied, moving to her bedside. The room itself was small, claustrophobic, even. There was a green dividing cloth that went unused around her bulky bed. The tiles themselves were a light green with black, decorative flecks – each of them plainly cut up into squares. Every now and again, the machine hooked up to Fee would beep rhythmically; I wasn’t one to read medical, but her vitals were green, so it seemed she was in stable enough condition.

  Of course they probably wouldn’t have moved her if she wasn’t, I suppose.

  “What happened, exactly?” I wanted to hear it in her own words, “if you’re alright to talk, that is. Don’t want you straining yourself.”

  “Oh please, Tabitha,” Fiona blinked for emphasis, “I’ve been bored out of my mind ever since I woke up. The least you could do for me is let me gab your ears off.”

  I smiled lightly for her, “Alright then.”

  “They were closing in on us, just getting ready to finish that bastard—“

  “You mean Leo?”

  “Yeah, the green haired idiot of a man.”

  “Glad to see you still view him so lowly,” I said dryly. Hopefully the two of them can warm up to one another… some day.

  “I knew that the Amigos had quite the reputation, well, I do too now.”

  “What do you mean?” I moved over to the neighboring chair and pulled it up to Fee’s bedside, plopping my butt down into the brown cushioned seat; I let my arms rest on the square wooden handles and listened intently.

  “You know the piece I keep on my wall? The Twins?”

  “Uhm,” there was no way that she meant what I thought she was getting at.

  “Yeah,” she boasted, her smirk turning to a sinister, prideful smile. “They thought that they were the cock of the walk. I challenged one to single combat.”

  Instinctively I moved in closer, and my eyes widened at the prospect. “You—you, you what? You—“

  “I opened him up like a pin cushion, and when he’d had enough, when he realized that he was going to die, he shot me up with an SMG.”

  “Jesus, Fee. You’re mental!”

  “Just starting to pick that up now, are you? Don’t worry, runs in the family.”

  “Single combat with a man with a gun.”

  Fiona rolled her eyes, “Humans can be such prideful creatures, don’t make it sound so hideously unreal. You should never underestimate a man’s willingness to discount a woman’s wits.”

  “I think you mean brass balls,” I said beneath my breath, unable to stop myself from thinking aloud.

  “Pardon?”

  I just shook my head, “Nothin’ Fee. I’m going to try and believe the words that are coming out of your mouth, but, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  “Going to take a lot more than that to put me down,” she boasted.

  “Stubborn ox of a woman,” I said beneath my breath.

  ***

  Hailing an Uber from the hospital, I dug out the spare key from my potted plant and brushed off the dirt. Placing it in the keyhole, I turned the knob and shut the door behind me. I slipped out of my clothes and crawled into bed, letting the warmth wash over me and closing my eyes.

  The first thing I saw was Leo.

  I could see his gorgeous green eyes, and I could taste his thin, wondrous lips. Pulses of heat wracked my body, and I could feel a sinfully delightful ache between my legs.

  But I held back on being bad. I wanted to save all of my physical frustrations for him.

  I wanted only him to know the struggles of my soul, to know the meanderings of my mind.

  Only him.

  Turning over in bed, I flipped my pillow around so that the cool side could press against my face.

  For once in what felt like forever, I didn’t find myself chained to that dark and lonely place where all my demons dwelt. Sleep took me so quick and hard, that morning made itself known in what only felt like minutes. It was forty minutes and five past noon, but I felt well rested.

  I felt alive.

  Even more strangely, there was this urge that I found myself not wanting to fight anymore. My lips curled upwards, and a finger of warmth touched at my heart.

  I was happy to be awake, instead of laying in the dark before sleep.

  I got to work ten minutes before four PM. Naturally everyone was curious as to just what happened that night, for once it was like I was the popular girl. Suddenly it was me that people wanted to speak to, that they wanted to hear from. It felt… good. Good to have people listen and ask and laugh with you. Felt good to smile, and to give them something – if only even just a story to tell.

  Leaving out some details was for the best, I didn’t want them to know that I had an affair with the Prince of Crime.

  Perhaps that title will change.

  When night time rolled around, and I got off from my shift, I walked down the front steps to see Leo. My insides practically turned to joyous goo and I wanted to run at him careless and free. But, alas, not all things were meant to be changed. I stuffed my good feelings back inside where they belong, and opted for a grin before power walking towards him.

  He was leaning against his exotic Koenigsegg Regera, one foot up and pressed against the back passenger’s seat. He had a cane on him, probably for the wound on his leg. Leonardo smirked at first, but then, like he couldn’t contain himself – he brightened. For just that one moment, he gave me a private, unrestrained smile that I knew he gave to nobody else. He closed the distance between us, meeting me halfway. I threw my arms around him and kissed him so hard that my glasses bumped awkwardly against his face. God I couldn’t contain myself, every part of me lit up inside and I couldn’t believe how… how whole that I felt.

  Our tongues came together in a sacred dance of bonded love and simplistic attraction. His hands went down to my ass and squeezed hard, causing me to yelp in his ear. In turn I moved my lips from his, down his jaw, and lower to his neck.

  “Settle
down there sparky, you don’t want me going away for indecent exposure down here, do you?” He gave a short, deep laugh and pinioned me against his person.

  “No,” I smiled, “but I do want us to go away for some indecent exposure.”

  “Oh darling now you’re talkin’ my tongue, you know how to ride?”

  I straightened the lines of my face, “Riding happens to be a specialty of mine.”

  “Really?” Leonardo asked, tilting his head and guiding me over to the hood of his car. “Think you could…” he spun me around like we were dancing in a ballroom all our own, “show me?”

  “Sure, but I ride hard so buckle in.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Leo growled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  LIFE TO A COLD METAL FRAME

  LEONARDO

  By the time we made it back to Tabby Cat’s apartment, my insides were jonsing for me to be inside of her – the whole god damn ride she drove like a banshee out of hell; fuck, if that didn’t turn me on like a son of a bitch.

  My body was like a diary for pain right now. Aches in places I never thought I’d feel before, ‘specially in my heart. The shoulder was still hurting some, from where I’d been shot. Cuts along my forearm from the devil that killed my crew… rest their souls… still bothered me through my clothes. Even walking was a problem for me with the drugs out of my system. Had to limp around and I hated it, but if I didn’t use a cane, well, that mortal reminder was too much even for a guy like me.

  When she scrambled for her keys, digging inside of her purse, I closed the distance between us. There was this powerful and magnificent heat between us, as though we were burning stars meant for only one, and the other.

  I put my hands on her shoulders and forced her to turn around, so that I could press her back up against the light-blue, shadow draped wall. Her heavenly ivory skin contrasted against the darkness exquisitely, and picturing myself kissing all along her simple, stunning beauty, that was enough to get me rock hard through my jeans. I tilted my head and began to move in for the kiss, letting the seductive electricity guide my every move. When our lips met, I found a simple meaning in my otherwise very, very complicated and beyond fucked life. It wasn’t skull shattering, or heaven-finding. No.