by Taki James
Chapter 24
“That bitch is pregnant, again?” Gary shouted, pacing back and forth through the living room of his small house. “That whore. Can’t even keep her damn womb under control for even a short period of time. What the fuck.” He tossed the snifter of brandy he held in his hand at the wall, dark liquid staining the ivory that had been his choice of color.
He couldn’t believe that she would be so stupid, when he had been trying to make their relationship work. She wasn’t supposed to be having another brat. He wasn’t going to deal with another man’s brat, not when he didn’t even want his own.
He paused in his pacing. No, they weren’t his children anymore. The state of Illinois had made sure of that, giving him what he wanted. No legal responsibilities. But he didn’t have the woman that he’d always wanted. That one girl that every boy back in high school had wanted, and even now, she still garnered looks, even with a stomach sticking out, making her look bloated and disgustingly fat.
He couldn’t stand watching her stand around with another man. “That’s why I’m going to have to take care of things myself.” He already had the gun to take care of business. Now, he just needed to have a plan. “Bitch thinks she can leave me? Not in this lifetime.” He pulled his cellphone out from his back pocket. He had just the right man to do a little reconnaissance for him. It meant dealing with a thug, which he hated, but sometimes, it was the only way he could get what he needed done.
“Yo, man. What you want?”
The lack of culture in the voice made Gary cringe. “Hey, Tyrone. I need you to do me a favor.”
The smack of lips was loud through the phone. “I ain’t doing shit for you, man. You still own me for the last favor.”
“And I’m going to pay you. I just need to you help me out this time by taking care of a man. I’ll pay you big for this job.” And it would let the stupid niggah do exactly what he wanted to do.
There was a long pause at the other end, so long that Gary feared the hoodlum had hung up on him. But no, what was happening on the other end became clear as soon as he heard the sexual growl of a man receiving something good to his cock. Gary couldn’t complain, because he would love for it to be him getting his dick wet, but that would have to wait until after he took care of this unpleasant piece of business.
“Niggah, are you in?” he finally demanded.
“Yeah, man. As long as you give me ten grand for the trouble.”
“Fine. I’ll send you all the information you need to know. Just make sure that the man is dead. Deader than dead, if that makes any sense.”
“Whatever. Just make sure you got my money.” Then there was a click and then dead silence. Gary took a seat on his coach, feeling a little more like he was in control this time. If Josie thought her new husband was going to keep her safe, then she was sorely mistaken. She belonged to him, and it was time now that she acted like it.
~*~
Nothing felt better to Josie, than laying in her bed at night with her husband. His body was like a furnace, but she never minded that because she simply liked the feel of his muscles against the soft curves of her body.
This night was no different. Now that the kids were fully both of theirs and Gary was firmly out of her life, Josie was able to just relax. As long as her husband’s phone didn’t ring and he was forced away to do something that would cause her to worry.
“What is wrong?” she heard him say in the dark, even his left hand tapped against her hip to gain her attention. “You are tense and not resting. Doctor has said that you need to do more resting.”
She sighed. “I know. I’m just thinking about everything that has happened and I am counting my blessings.” She carefully propped her elbow on her husband’s chest so that she could see his face. “I no longer have to deal with Gary.”
He did that weird thing with his lips that had them twisted into a sneer that only he could accomplish. “I am glad you are content. I am tired and am wanting wife to also be tired.”
“But what if wife is not feeling tired? Are you really that sleepy that you cannot spend time with me?” His sigh should have been her answer, but she did not allow it to distract her. She played with the thick chain he kept around his neck, wanting him to get the meaning of what she wanted.
He finally seemed to get it. “Pregnancy hormones are making you bad wife.”
She shook her head. “No. Pregnancy hormones are making me a very good wife.” She brushed her knee over his groin, finding him thickening nicely for her. “I know that you really like a good wife, especially when she is being bad.”
She climbed over him, making sure that she brushed nicely against his body. Even with her t-shirt on, she felt the heat of his body searing her. Then, his hands were brushing the fabric away from her, his callused fingers caressing her soft skin. Josie couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips at the feel of him seducing her when she’d wanted to do the seducing.
“Sit up.” She did as he asked, letting him take off her top to reveal her enlarged breasts. She arched her back, anticipating the moment when he would begin to play with the sensitive globes. He didn’t make her wait for long, his large hands slowly moving to cup her. His thumbs brushed against her aching nipples, causing her to groan as electrical waves of pleasure ran through her body.
Already, she could feel her panties growing damp as her lower lips quivered. She allowed her head to fall back as her hips began to move against the hard bulge pressed against her. Her husband tugged on her nipples, just hard enough that it caused her to collapse forward against him. “You are going to look at me while I play with you.” She pressed herself tight against him, just so that she could reach his lips. “Be careful of the beba,” he whispered against her.
She pouted, but made the choice to roll to her side so that she wouldn’t have to lay on her stomach. She propped her left leg over his hips, pushing herself as close to him as possible. There was just something addictive about his lips. She could kiss him all day and never get tired of it. He always moved slowly against her, as if he wanted to just taste every part of her, like she was a fine wine to be savored. It forced her to slow down, even when she just wanted to rip both of their clothes off so that she could mount him.
It set her body on fire, even more so than when he played with her breasts. She clutched his hand, holding him tight against her chest. She ignored his laughter against her. “Relax.”
“No,” she told him. “I’m so ready for you now.” Who needed patience when she was this revved for his body? So, she slid to her back, freeing her hands to begin tugging at her panties. The soft fabric against her skin needed to leave immediately.
Her husband propped his head on his hand, watching her movements with an amused quirk to his lips. “This is why you wear nothing to bed.”
She ignored, tossing the slight piece of fabric to the side. Once again, she rolled to her side, wrapping her arms and legs around him. “Never mind that. Why don’t we just get to the good stuff and then you can give me a lecture about what I should be wearing to bed later.”
For all that he appeared so calm and collected, she could feel the tension in him. His cock alone, tried burning a path to her sex. She reached a hand between them, grabbing hold of him and finding him leaking with pre-cum. “Take me,” she whispered against his lips. “You know you want to.”
His eyes tried to stare into her soul, before she finally found herself on her back, his hips planted firmly between her thighs. She ran her hands along his shoulders, moving to his perfect ass, hoping that it would entice him to move. Her feet planted to the bed, giving her a bit of leverage to thrust against him. His cock was like an arrow. His head found her hole, and with both of their work, began to press inside.
Josie kept pulling him close, wanting more than anything for him to possess her. She relished the stretch that her muscles always went through with him, the feeling of knowing that he was so male and so in control that he could make her body obey his every
whim. Even the way that he covered her made it clear that she didn’t have free reign over her body, that he was the able to move her to his will.
She widened her legs, making it easier for him to thrust inside of her. The burning pain thrilled her, giving her something that she only ever got to experience with him. It never took her long to come, but in this moment, her body fully craved it. She shuddered, her orgasm coming upon her swiftly. “Oh, yes,” she whispered for his ears.
He thrust into her, deep and strong, keeping his movements slow in a tease. Her body practically melted beneath him. She felt every inch of him, feeling as if she could even feel the veins in his cock against the sensitive walls of her pussy. She could only lay back and give in to the pleasure, letting her husband put in the work to make her feel good.
She had no idea how long they lay locked together, only that they did and that her pleasure never seemed to end. It was a very good thing that baby Juljiana had started sleeping through the whole night.
~*~
All of the plans were set. Gary had hired some incompetent thug to try and kill him, meaning he was making plans to give Žarko his self-defense excuse. Now, he would just have to play the game right. Good thing he’d always been good at chess.
“He is not even real gangster,” Srecko said over their phone conversation. “He is trying to make connections to find you, but cannot even pronounce your name.”
Žarko laughed. It wouldn’t make a difference. No one in the real criminal world would talk to a common thug. They were too uncouth and prone to being profiled and arrested. No, Gary would have done better going to a real gangster, one with true connections. “Take care of this would be assassin. I don’t have time to play with him.”
“It’s already done. Apparently, he had a real thing for pretty girls. But, don’t worry,” Srecko said at Žarko’s grunt. “Adrijan used the fools own gun.”
“And the girl?” As he employed no females in his organization, he could only assume that the girl was either a girlfriend of one of his men, or a random. Either way, he wouldn’t trust that she would be able to keep her mouth shut.
“In safe keeping, since she’s a mouthy little bitch.”
Žarko watched his family playing in the backyard. Josie had Juljiana and Josif in the baby pool, while the girls played splashing games with the little ones. Nenad stood close at hand, making sure that Josif didn’t get too vigorous in his playing, but it was also clear that Nenad knew that Žarko had important business to take care of. “Who is watching her?”
“Danijel, although he’s eager to be replaced. Says he’s willing to put a bullet in her, she’s too much to deal with.”
Žarko sighed. He really hated to bring harm to women, but sometimes, it was a necessity. “Pick me up. Let’s see if we can convince her to shut up.” If not, he would have to do what he had to do to keep his family completely safe.
He slid open the glass door to approach his family. “Tata,” Desa called out, waving to him. “Tell majka that the bebe can handle being in the big pool.” The little girl even gave a pout that was absolutely adorable on her rosy face.
“I keep telling her that we don’t have the proper equipment for Josif to go in the big pool, and Nenad didn’t bring a swimsuit to sit in the pool holding him the whole time,” Josie said while standing to her feet with Juljiana. The baby held her hands out for her father to hold her, and Žarko found that he simply could not resist her.
He gave her a kiss on her chubby cheek, his eyes mostly taking in the beauty of his wife in her white short shorts and fitted red tank top. She ran her hands through her dark curls. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked him. Ah, how he loved that she could tell his moods without him having to say a word.
“I have to go to work. Srecko is coming to pick me up, so I want you to stay here with Nenad.” All the kids seemed to cry out about his leaving at the same time, but Nenad only nodded at the silent instructions.
Josie stared into his eyes for a long moment, most likely trying to figure out what he was about to do, and if she should maybe try and talk him out of it. She wouldn’t. They both knew that, but, it wouldn’t stop her from trying as she wasn’t the kind of woman that wanted to see others come to harm.
“Be careful,” she finally said with her lips, although her eyes told him a much different command. Don’t do anything you can’t come back from. He really hoped that he could stick to that.
But, for the sake of the children, he gave his wife a wink. “It should not take me long. I have to drop off something important.”
“Okay,” she finally said. “If you’re not back by dinner, I’ll put it in the usual place.”
“I definitely look forward to it.” His phone buzzed in his pocket, letting him know that Srecko had been much closer to him than he’d thought. He transferred a crying Juljiana back to her mother and left the backyard, moving fast before he changed his mind and just stayed home where he wanted to be. It wouldn’t be a good look for a leader, and one thing that Žarko had never been willing to do was punk out over a hard decision.
He couldn’t make his men do anything that he himself wasn’t willing to do. Besides, this was a personal vendetta and not something business related. If he had to kill the girl, then he would take it out of Gary’s hide. After all, it was his fault for getting other people involved.
Chapter 25
Josie definitely knew that there was a problem. Her husband had been so somber when leaving the house. For all that he tried to hide it, the children must have noticed, too, because they no longer wanted to be outside and had determined that it might be better if everyone just watched a movie together.
Nenad, too, knew more than he let on, because he was uncommonly watchful, always having to go check on something, as if the family suddenly was no longer safe with the man of the house gone. It concerned Josie deeply, making it almost impossible for her to calm down. It should have been impossible with the way that they’d designed the family den, with plush couches and plenty of comfortable pillows to lay on.
“It is not good for the beba if you worry,” Ljiljiana whispered in her ear, half way through the Lego Movie. “Tata will always be okay.”
Josie’s laughter wasn’t from amusement, but from bitterness that she had to be comforted by a young girl. She couldn’t be upset about it, considering this would not have been the first time that both girls have gone through this. Before, they didn’t’ even have a mother to take care of their feelings.
“You’re right, of course,” she said, and wrapped her arms around her stepdaughter in a hug. She really did love Žarko’s girls, same as if they’d come from her own womb. “Obviously, I don’t like it when he has to leave the house.”
The younger girl nodded. “I know. Tata makes us all feel safe.”
This time, the laugh was genuine. “You are so wise, Ljiljiana.”
They finished watching the movie, before deciding upon another. Baby Juljiana had been put down for a nap half way through, and she still hadn’t woken up yet. Josif tried his best to be a big boy, but when the girls decided that they wanted to watch Frozen, he grew too bored and fell asleep against Desa’s shoulder. Nenad paused in his guard duty just long enough to take him up to his bedroom. Even the girls didn’t last too long in the movie. Desa fell asleep herself and Ljiljiana wanted to finish reading a book for her homework.
Since Josie had the television to herself for a while, she turned off the movie and decided to catch up on some of her favorite shows. She’d already decided that she was going to order pizza instead of cooking something for dinner. Her heart just wasn’t in it and she feared that Nenad wouldn’t be as much of a help as he’d been in the past. So, she wanted to do something that was easy on everyone.
As soon as Juljiana and Josif woke up from their nap, it was decided that they would all just continue being lazy. With warm pizza and juice, dinner was completely relaxed that night. Žarko still hadn’t arrived by the time she put the kids to bed
, which meant that Nenad had to stay.
Josie set him up in the living room, on an air mattress that she’d purchased on a whim. Now, she was glad that she did, because the house didn’t feel comfortable without her husband around. She’d been so glad after the case with Gary, that she’d thought the feeling would continue, but now, she wondered if she would ever feel safe.
She didn’t like that. Not one bit.
~*~
The drive to the safe house took two hours in driving time, which made sense considering the only place to hide someone would be well outside of the city and into the country part of Illinois. Srecko pulling into the long driveway of a worn farmhouse. There was only one other SUV, dark, with tinted windows. Flashy, too, as only a young man could get away with.
Danijel appeared at the front door as soon as they pulled up and parked. “It’s about time I got a replacement, Srecko,” the young man shouted until he saw Žarko exiting from the passenger’s seat. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t realize it was you.”
Žarko waved it off. He entered the house, finding minimum furniture, but a lot of banging happening. He turned to Danijel who rolled his eyes and mimicked choking himself. “She’s been like that since she arrived. I’d have shot her if I had permission.”
“What is she breaking?” Srecko asked. “There’s practically nothing here in the first place for that reason.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Žarko said, pulling out his gun from behind his back. “Did you ask her what it would take to keep her mouth shut about what happened?” He’d decided on the ride over to send a text and get an initial reaction.
Danijel nodded, before responding, “That’s what set her off. Apparently, she’s the type of whore that has standards.”
Žarko sighed, before pulling out a silencer from his jacket pocket. “Then, she must fully be taken care of.” Josie wasn’t going to live in fear that he would be sent to prison and he had a duty to protect his organization from the police to the best of his ability.