by Evie Adams
That would be a torture too, but worth it.
In the books and the ledgers, after I was done daydreaming, I found her note.
The deed, the promise, the end.
She wasn't coming back..
My stomach twisted at the thought. She couldn't bear that daydream life anymore than I could.
If I had to watch her daily with someone else see all those things that I wanted it would drive me crazy.
She was absolutely right to leave. The best thing I could do for her was send her away, not let her leave with nothing. It took courage for her to leave. She had seen all of this before I did. She had moved first, willing to walk away with nothing.
I had to show her what I was worth.
I had no idea where she would go, but I knew where I would go to think and say my goodbye's if she wasn't there, then her apartment, Benny, somewhere else.
I went to the house, and in the alley on the side, through the path, by the fountain that should have been torn down and replaced with asphalt, there she was.
Contemplative. Beautiful. She threw a penny into the fountain, and it clinked along the stones and fell silent at the bottom. I watched the moonlight making her hair glow.
“I'm not sure it works for wishes.” I said. “I've tried.”
“I don't ever expect them to come true, but I still wish.” She returned.
“I found your note and decided to give the club and this decrepit house, to you. You can do more with it than I ever could.”
She smiled a calm, quiet smile and looked at me as if I was the only thing in the world. I had to look away. “I can have my lawyer prepare the documents right away. You don't even have to sign them, I can do it all.”
“That's very generous, but you don't have to do that.”
“I don't have to but I want to. Whatever debt you had is paid in full and this is back pay. And everything I put you through. This is what I can do for an apology. I can offer you more. Friendship, love. You can run away with me we can keep running we can fight them. I'll give up everything. I'll go talk to Jenny right now and call this whole thing off. She's at Marcelo’s, I know it.”
“I love you for offering. But this isn't something you retire from. This is your life. It's in your blood.”
“So are you.”
“Just promise you won't do anything stupid. Nothing rash.” She said and looked deep into my eyes.
“I promise.”
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CHAPTER 21 - MINA
I'm glad he promised to not do anything stupid or rash, because it was my turn to do something stupid and rash.
I knew he meant his offer to run away with me, but I knew he couldn't do it. For a week, or a month, or a year he could, but not forever and I needed him forever.
I didn't rush off into something stupid.
I wandered around, trying to make sense of it. The same thing I was thinking over at the fountain, but it hadn't crystallized there yet, not until Nico showed up.
I wanted to enjoy that feeling, just in case it was the last one I would ever have.
I was a lovely full feeling I had, it seemed like it was love, it had to be love.
It was sad and sweet and a lingering pain, but lovely too. The whole world seemed mournful, from the moon to the stars to the streets and buildings.
What use was any of it without him?
That realization struck me. There was no future with him, there was life, but only this sort of mournful one.
Was my life really too precious? Did I place it above those things that made life worth while?
Those things that set me on fire?
To replace the colors themselves with dull grays?
Replace passion and flame with warmth and comfort?
That was no way to live.
Benny was right. I could wait forever to find it again. Or I could risk everything.
I found my car and drove to Marcelo's Club.
The bouncers let me by without a word and I scanned the place.
I didn't see Jenny, or Marcelo, so I walked to the stairs that had the VIP and the velvet rope up top.
The guard standing there asked me what I wanted, “Jenny Markov.” I told him.
“Who are you?”
“Her competition.” I told him.
“Does she want to see you?”
“I doubt it, but she will one way or the other.”
The way I said it, confident, self-assured surprised me almost as much as it did him.
“Wait here,” he said and talked to another guard who looked me over and went up stairs.
“Mina,” came the musical voice, floating down to me. “Come on up.”
My legs wobbled, but I wasn't going to let it show, she sat at a large table, alone for now. There were people behind her, in the shadows, but I couldn't see them very well. I sat across from her and we stared at each other in silence for a few moments. She stared, amused at my presence, but didn't speak.
“We have a problem,” I told her.
“We are each others problem it seems.”
“You're not my problem,” I corrected her. She raised an eyebrow, but was still amused with all of this, with me. “I'm in love with Nico and he's in love with me. You would come second, and not even my death would change that.” It tumbled out, but I didn't waver or think twice or apologize. It was the truth.
“And you think this protects you from me?” She asked calmly.
“No. I know it doesn't. But I also know you understand this. You betrayed yourself when you talked about Marcelo to Nico. He didn't pick up on it but I did.”
The silvery terror, the act cracked for a moment, just for a moment, then she recovered, “If what you think is true, why not just tell Nico yourself?”
“It doesn't involve him. This is between us.”
“You are a smart girl. I was right in that.” She looked to the side of her, into the shadows that I couldn't see from my seat.
After a few moments, she turned around smiling, “If it stays between us, then I'll allow you to walk out of here. You can't tell anyone about your wild imagination, not Nico, not anyone. There are plans being laid right now that could still be upset.”
“What now?”
“Now, you walk out of here. And I promise it won't be me or anyone here who will break our truce. Do what you want but be discreet. No one should find out about you and Nico, no one should find out about me and you.”
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CHAPTER 22 - NICO
There was one more chance. If I could find Tess perhaps the alliance with Jenny would not need to happen. It was a long shot. But it was the only thing I could hold out hope for.
If Tess came back she would be the stabilizing influence again. Perhaps we wouldn't even need to marry to stabilize the situation. It was her disappearance that led to all our problems. She was the first domino to fall. With her gone my family was unstable. When I went to look for her and was taken my family was vulnerable and Marcelo did what he had to.
If she came back we could roll back the clock to before the instability. At least I hoped we could. I had hope. But the hope was predicated on finding Tess. The thought that I would be looking for a body, not a living, breathing Tess was one I wouldn’t let myself think about for now.
Since Mina had left there wasn't much point in me staying around. She told me to not be stupid and not take foolish risks. I couldn't trust myself to think correctly so I had Aldo, Tess was his sister after all, and he was my most loyal man.
“You found nothing from Tess? No contact, no anything?” I asked him.
“Nothing.”
“Anyone you suspect? Besides her?”
“I suspect everyone,” he said. He seemed irritated, more than usual. Tess had been gone 6 months now. Whatever hope he still had for her safe return was probably razor thin by now. And it showed.
“For now
, Tess is the most important thing. Once we find her then we will fix the internal problems.”
He nodded in agreement. “So what's our first move?”
“We take Marcelo. If she didn't leave on her own. Which is still possible, but you would think she would have contacted someone by now. Me, you, someone. So it had to be Marcelo. He's really the only one with so much to gain from the instability. We torture him if we have to.”
“Finally Nico. I wanted to do this months ago.” He said, the mood breaking, his eyes lighting up.
“I know. But it's never too late.” I didn't really care if I succeed or failed at the moment. I just had to get moving.
“What about Mina?” he asked.
“This is her home now and the club too. She stays, she has no part in this anymore.”
“Still I'd like to talk to her before we go.”
“You won't find her here she is staying her handyman.”
“But I saw her just now.” He said.
“With him?” I asked, trying not to think about it.
“No, alone. In back of the house.”
“That can't be.” The hope rose in my chest again. I thought she would far away by now. “Wait here.” I told Aldo.
If she was here, I needed to see her. Especially in case something happened. I went to the fountain.
She was alone. I watched her from the shadows while she walked around and threw a coin in. Her hair fell around her shoulders and she looked very peaceful and content. She looked beautiful. I felt two things at the same time watching her. I felt peaceful and happy that she looked content. And I felt very mournful and very disappointed and sad that she was all of this without me.
But even feeling these two competing feelings I felt soothed in her presence and the turmoil that was racking me went away, replaced by this new, softer turmoil.
“I've been in love with you as long as I can remember,” she said.
She didn't look up at me, she knew I was there. I walked over towards her and didn't want to fuck anything up by opening my mouth.
“All my life really. It was always you.” She looked up at me now, happy and content, and in her eyes I could see she was happy and content because of me, not in spite of me. My heart cracked open.
“I thought I'd lost you.” I told her.
I wanted to grab her and kiss her, but she turned around again, looking at the fountain. “Never. But I am afraid I did something stupid and reckless earlier. Something I would've screamed at you for doing.”
“What?”
“I went to see Jenny and perhaps solved our problems.”
“How?”
“That I can't tell you. I promised her to keep it a secret, even from you.”
“Why then?”
“Because I was free to do whatever I wanted. And I realized how little freedom I really had. From you. And how little I wanted freedom at all.”
I stood there wishing she would turn around and look at me but I stayed patient, listening to her words. Still trying not to fuck it up.
“I don't know what will happen. I don't know if or when we'll lose each other again. But for now we can have this.” Finally she turned to me and her face was as happy as I've ever seen it.
My turmoil washed away. I took her hand and kissed it and grabbed her and pulled her toward me.
I buried my face in her hair, felt her fingers running through my hair. I lifted her into my arms and took her inside to the bedroom.
I set her down on the bed, I never wanted to fuck her more, but I took it slow. I kissed down her neck
“I want you, I need you.” She said lightly. The greatest words I've ever heard.
“Want to feel how badly I want you?” she offered, guiding my hand down between her legs. She nudged her panties aside and let me feel the swollen lips, the way they parted for my finger as I dipped inside, was enough to make me crazy.
I yanked her panties down and Mina lifted willingly enough at my insistence, spreading her thighs for me.
I feathered kisses up her slender, silky thighs, moving slowly toward the thing I wanted most. I made myself go slow. I wanted her so badly I wouldn't last a minute if I didn't go slow.
She squirmed on the bed. She was begging me, pleading, the sound of her cries only making me go slower, savoring it more. I snaked my tongue up the groove of her thigh, hearing her moan, her head thrown back and thrashing on the bed. Her hands kneaded her own breasts, her palms rubbing her nipples, her thighs thrown wide. She moaned and lifted her hips in encouragement.
My cock throbbed at the thought of being inside of her. It had been starving for too long.
My tongue slipped lower between her lips, trailing down to really taste her. “Ah,” she moaned, rolling her hips from side to side. I couldn’t tell if she wanted more of my tongue or was trying to get away from it. “Nico, please, I want you. I have to have you.”
I moved up to her, my body over her, I let my weight fall on her. She sucked at my tongue, her hand moved to take hold of my cock. I waited for her to guide me inside but she turned me over and scurried away from me.
Her eyes brightened as she slid out of my arms, kneeling between my thighs. “Oh Nico, you're so hard.”
“You have no idea. Come up here, I want you.”
“You will, but I want you right now, like this.”
I reached out to touch her hair, just as silky and soft as her skin, my cock throbbed against her cheek.
She breathed on me, hot and wet, her eyes lighting up as she took me in her hand. “It’s gorgeous.”
“No one's ever said that before.” She was gorgeous. I had an almost pang of embarrassment, and felt I should blush or something, but that wasn't me, and I was too busy watching her take me into her mouth, smiling as she did it.
Her tongue darted out to lick the tip, then took the length of me into the hot pocket of her mouth.
My eyes closed in pleasure, but I opened them, I didn't want to not look at her. Watch her stroke and suck me. I reached down for her breast and she leaned forward, to help me grasp her. Her nipples were perfection and the one against my thumb was so hard I could flick it back and forth, making her suck me even deeper.
“Easy,” I begged, but she wasn’t having any of it. Her mouth was latched on me, sucking hard, her hand working up and down. I wanted to hold on, to wait, to come inside her, but she was making that so hard to do. All of my senses from my eyes to my ears to my skin and even taste, my mouth still with her taste in it conspired against me. If she kept on I was going to fill her mouth and there was nothing I could do stop it, “Mina, easy, I want you,”
She made a low growl in her throat, her tongue felt like heaven, and there was no holding back anymore. Her greedy mouth would not let go, her breast still in my hand, her warm skin on mine, my toes curling and thighs tensing. Her hand pumping fast, I grunted and thrust my hips up, squeezing her breast in one hand, my fingers curling her hair in the other.
“I can't stop it,” I warned her, she moaned and the vibrations went through me to my very core until I exploded in her. She swallowed that blast, her throat working silently, her eyes connected to mine. As she worked and her eyes smiled and it kept coming. I could feel it pool in her mouth before she swallowed all of me.
“I wanted,” I groaned and tried to breath, my hand moving in her hair, “I wanted,”
“You will,” she said as I shrank in her hands. “We have all the time in the world.”
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CHAPTER 23 - MINA
Aldo wasn't happy when he was sent away. I didn't hear what was said, only the silent pantomime as they talked and I watched from the bedroom. But by his body language he seemed furious.
As Aldo left, he looked up at me and I could see his fury wasn't limited to Nico, he included me in it.
I went down to talk to Nico when he came in the house.
“How did that go?”
He pretended to laugh, “How do you think?”
“What did you say to him?”
“Nothing. Just that I'm not coming with him to search for Tess. And that he's not allowed to go after Marcelo for her.”
“It must be hard on him, she's been missing for so long.”
“Yes but he's taking it harder than he has to. He'll be fine. Now, where were we?” He put his arm around my waist and grabbed me for a slow, wet kiss.
“Are you ready for more?” I asked, hoping for the right answer.
“I've been ready since I laid eyes on you.”
“Come with me.” I lead him to the bathroom and undressed him slowly for a shower while he undressed me as quickly as he could.
I kissed him as his cock jumped in my hand and I felt his mouth opening to mine with a low growl, his hands finding my ass and pulling me in close.
He groped my breasts, my nipples hard and aching, welcoming the lap of his tongue. I arched and moaned as he made his way down my body, kneeling before me in the shower, hands cupping my breasts, tonguing my navel first, teasing me, telegraphing me what he was about to do further down. He buried his face between my thighs.
The sensation was heaven and I wanted more, sliding my hand around the back of his neck and pulling him in further. Nico moaned against my flesh, pressing me back against the tiles.
He looked up, “I should have replaced this with a larger shower,”
I laughed, but this was no time for jokes, “You will,” and twisted my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer.
I had very little to hold onto, and he again paused, and lifted me up, way up high, I yelped at the surprise, but I was safe in his arms, his arms had me as my back balanced itself against the wall. He managed to swing my legs over his shoulders and dive back into me.
I couldn’t help the circles my hips began to make, searching for more of his mouth and tongue and fingers. I looked down to see his eyes on mine, dark with lust, his mouth covering my pussy, his tongue working furiously against the sensitive nub of my clit.
“Nico,” I moaned, my thighs quivering against his shoulders, trying to push me up and away from him, when they really wanted to stay. He held me down on his mouth, and I whispered to him, “Make me come in your mouth,”