“I’m going to put Lorna somewhere so she doesn’t get hurt.”
“We’re too close. Don’t take off running with her or you’ll get shot. Just stand there. I think her being with you is safer for all of us than putting her somewhere.”
Aidan thought that on the drive over, but the hostility in the air wasn’t going to be healthy for anyone, and he’d hate for the peace loving woman she wanted to be deep in her heart damaged from all the violence. He had time to put his bike against the wall and then secure their helmets. She grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it.
“I can tell that you wanted me to be somewhere safe, but I’m staying with you. All these people are coming together because of us, and no one is going to get hurt if I can help it.” She looked so determined, he hoped her father didn’t disappoint her any more than he has been.
“Just stand behind me. There are a lot of people behind out there I don’t know.”
The smile she gave him matched that billion dollar bracelet, and as much as he’d like the kiss that he knew would accompany that, it wasn’t the time or the place. The gangsters were lined up against the bikers, and Aidan moved to stand in front of his men while Lorna’s father got out of the car with the tinted windows. It was difficult to make Lorna stand back, but she hung on to his hand with both of hers not letting him go.
“This is a fine mess you’ve gotten us all into, Lorna. How about you come back home and everyone can go home?” Antonio stood there like he was over this whole situation, and he was calling back his child like she was a runaway teenager that had gone astray.
“I’m not coming home, Papa. There are things you kept from me. That’s why you were being blackmailed.” Her voice was loud and carried to everyone who was listening.
“Did he tell you that?” The man walked a few steps toward the imaginary line that their divide had made between the two groups, and then his people all drew their weapons, making the biker side do the same.
“No. The person who gave me the DVD told me that. How would he know about all the horrible things you’ve told me about him?” She held up her arm and waved her sparkly bracelet in the air. “Looks like he didn’t sell it after all. Did he tell you he wanted to return it to me personally?”
“I want to talk to both of you privately. Everyone put your guns away. My daughter is out here.” Antonio said as he walked back to the car. His second in command followed him, and when Aidan went to follow him, Maverick stepped behind him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“My guy isn’t going to be the only non-Giovanni in the conversation. I’m the president of this organization, and we take care of our own.” Maverick waited to see if there was going to be a problem. Since the guns had already been drawn and put away, there was no telling what was going to happen.
Antonio didn’t say anything; he just got in the limousine and waited for everyone to follow suit. Aidan got in before Lorna just in case this was some ploy. Then came Maverick and the guy who was now second in command since Lucca died.
“I’m going to address you first, Lorna, because I’m tired of all your dramatics. You shack up with this guy who planned to kill your cousin.” Antonio, who was looking at Lorna, turned to Aidan. “That’s a fact, isn’t it?”
“I told your daughter about that and was trying to get the situation resolved when Lucca was shot.”
“By your own man? Sounds like a set up to me.” The man sat back in the seat like he was on the king’s throne with his arms crossed as if he was waiting for an answer. Aidan didn’t have one for him because he wasn’t involved with that.
“With all due respect, sir. We are independent contractors, for lack of a better name, that handle the dirty work for people who don’t want to get their hands dirty. Aidan was trying to do something that we weren’t aware of, and honestly if he’d have told me what he was doing, I probably would have handled it the same way. I’m sorry for your loss, but it was business. You can understand that.”
“Well aren’t you a piece of work? Sitting there all high and mighty when a man I considered like my son is dead and gone, and it’s just all in a day’s work to you?” The red of the mob boss’s face looked like he was going to stroke over any minute.
“There have been many families that have come to you to ask for mercy when a loved one had done something they couldn’t repay, and how did you treat them, Papa? I know for a fact it has happened at least 4 times because I’ve seen all the family members beg you, and that’s before you took the person’s life.” Lorna’s small voice of reason had the effect that she probably wanted. He was listening and considering what she was saying.
“We’re talking about Lucca.” The gruff man didn’t seem like the drug lord now but more like a hurt man who lost someone close to him.
“I know, but you’ve always told me that when you live by the sword, you’ll die by the sword. I’ve never wanted that for any of us, but I can only make the decision for myself.” Lorna and her father were talking like they were the only two in the car, and Aidan didn’t know about everyone else, but for him that was just fine.
A big, deep sigh filled the car, and Aidan hoped that meant the Giovanni’s were going to let all this go and let Lorna go with it. He was taking his woman home whether that be her bedroom in his house, his apartment, or if they had to run off somewhere.
“Aidan came to me requesting a few moments to speak to you. He said he had your bracelet, but I wasn’t shown the item. I believe he said it wasn’t with him. I was a very distraught man that day, but I didn’t kill your friend, sweetheart. I should get some credit for that.”
“Thanks Papa,” Lorna’s tone bristled with disrespect, but since the man didn’t seem to have a problem with it, he hoped the worst was over.
“Don’t get sassy, young lady. He lived because I’d already seen the tape and how he tried to offer comfort to Lucca at the end before he was threatened with his life. I still don’t know if I want you considering being with someone that’s not Italian,” he said looking Aidan up and down like he could smell the difference and it was making him sick.
“That’s not your decision, Papa. It’s not guaranteed that we’ll be together for the long haul anyway, but we’re working on it.”
“Speak for yourself, Lorna. I’m in it for the long haul.” He put his two cents out there because he meant it, and he could tell that she didn’t want her father to put demands on them.
“If you are going to be taking care of my daughter, I’d like to know more about you, Aidan. What kinds of things do The Devil’s Stepbrothers do? That’s a dumb name by the way.” Antonio was used to saying whatever he wanted — that was a fact — but when Aidan looked over at his friend who was trying to work his way into the Giovannis’ businesses, it didn’t appear that slight had been a problem.
“There are lots of things we can do—”
“This is probably not the best time. How about you and Aidan come by tomorrow around noon? Aidan knows the way.” Antonio actually had a smile on his face like he was impressed that the lone biker could find him and make enough waves to get into see him.
They all got out of the limo, and Antonio yelled out to the men who stood there in parking lot waiting to see if they were going to have to fight or scatter. “You men will all be working together in some capacity, so look around and learn the faces.”
“Papa?” Lorna walked over to her father who gave her a hug. Aidan didn’t go too far away just because it was going to take a long time, if ever, for there to be any kind of trust between Aidan and her father.
“I’ve been being an ass and you were right. I was taking out my hostility on you. There was no reason to keep you out of your job or house. I’ve already had the house freshened up for you and new stock, and clean-up is happening this week for the shop. I already set it up. It was going to be a bargaining chip.”
“I may go back to both places for a while, but I want to be able to call everything my own. I’m going to be w
orking on getting out from under you with the business.”
“Take your time, Lorna. I still wish he’d have been Italian.”
Aidan watched Lorna and her father joke around a bit before the man called him over.
“I want you to be the go between for me with your bikers and what I want done. I don’t mind working with Maverick, but I want all business to go through you. I’ll work on your pay.”
“Are you just wanting to give me a job so you can have more control over your daughter through me? Because if that’s the case, you can count me out of your little plan.” Aidan watched the man frown and knew then that was what he wanted to do.
“I’m possessive and controlling over my loved ones because I want to keep them safe. I know my daughter isn’t a baby anymore, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to treat her as such.” Antonio walked away from Lorna and nodded for Aidan to follow him. “I like that you have heart, son, even when I didn’t want you with Lorna because of what happened with Lucca, I still thought you had some potential.”
“Thank you. I hope to be around a good long while, at least until Lorna is done putting up with me. The job we can talk about tomorrow, but I’d really like to get Lorna something to eat and then relax for the rest of the evening.” Aidan said and was surprised when Antonio’s big meaty hand clapped him on the back and a rough chuckle escaped his mouth. What alternate universe was this?
He looked around the parking lot and saw all the people slightly mingling as much as career criminals could do, but the smile on Maverick’s face couldn’t be denied. His scruffy face rarely looked pleased, but that changed tonight.
“Holy shit, Aidan. You really worked that out for us, and to think I didn’t want to bring your sorry ass with us. Fuckin’ Pacemaker was the one who talked me into it. Call me in the morning to tell me where to meet you.” Maverick was the second person of the night to pat his back in a friendly gesture.
Aidan looked around the parking lot for the woman who’d really saved the day. It was a good thing she wasn’t a wilting flower because the father would have run all over all of them. The head count was three to one based on what he could see quickly, and no one was fighting with fists anymore. He looked to his left and his right and saw Antoine get in his car with a little wave to him. What…The… Fuck? Was this all some elaborate plan to sneak Lorna away while he was filled with the knowledge that he and his crew were not only fine but thriving in this inner city market?
“Hey there,” Lorna said from behind him, and the aggression he’d felt building up dissipated instantly. “You ready to go home?”
“Where is that exactly?”
“I don’t really know. I figured I’d say ‘Let’s go home,’ and you could pick a spot. I will say that if my Papa got the house ready for me, then there is more food at the house than at the apartment.”
He noticed how she said the house and the apartment instead of putting ownership on either of them.
“Then it’s the house with the food and drinks for the win.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The house was lit up like he’d expected it to be when he’d come looking almost a month ago. When they got there, an older woman was walking out.
“It’s all ready for you, Lorna. I’m glad you’re back.” She walked quickly like she’d been waiting for her to return. “The keys are on the front table.” Then she gave a quick wave as she walked to a car that sat waiting for her.
Standing in front of the house, it seemed so surreal, and he remembered the first time he’d been standing here with his balls full and expectations high after he’d had to stop from giving her the bone in the alleyway on their walk over from the bar.
“Are you ready to go in?” He asked her as she looked up to the house like she was checking for something.
“I’m just taking a moment to breathe it all in.”
“Breathe what all in?” He turned to her so he could really capture what her expression was on her face.
“Freedom.”
“Would you like me to carry you over the threshold?” He teased to lighten her spirits. He was happy that they were all alive and had even gotten some business for the fellas. Hopefully, that would make him less of the fuck up he’d been cast as for the last month or so.
“We’ll save that for if all this works out between us,” she said as she walked in the house.
The place looked just like it did the first time he’d been in it, but there was a meal on the table and wine in a bucket of ice.
“As much as I can’t wait to fuck you straight into tomorrow, this food looks tempting.” He was glad that she was already preparing to sit at the table.
Aidan joined her, and they made their plates and poured the wine. Such an elegant meal of lasagna and a hearty red, but the two of them ate it like it was slop and they were fresh out of jail. They hadn’t eaten that day with the stress and tension that had swirled around them like a vortex.
Lorna sat back in her chair with a sigh after her second helping of lasagna with a smile on her face.
“Freedom, right?”
“Yes, freedom. Aidan, there were so many days I wondered what was going to become of me. I was a woman who hated being controlled, but my whole life was under the microscope, and it was my fault.”
“How?” Aidan finished up his meal and scarfed down the wine that probably cost more than the rent on his apartment like an artificial fruit beverage, but he was intrigued about how she felt.
“My father runs this city, and he runs his house too. I accepted money, the boutique, and this house knowing that it would keep me safe but stunted. There are so many things I can’t stand about his business: the drugs, the crime, the loss of lives… I could say more, but I can’t say that I hate the lies. I’ve lied to so many people about who I was, what I did, and what I wanted. It was all to get away from the person I couldn’t shake.”
“Hey. I’ve heard you bashing yourself enough. Sometimes you have to take what you get. I’m not going to tell you that there are people in worse situations because who really gives a fuck about them. We’re talking about you and what you’re going through.” He stood up and helped her out of her seat.
“Where are we going?” She asked as they climbed the steps with his hand on her lower back guiding her higher. “Are you going to fuck me on the stairs again?”
He laughed because the last time she’d requested that he couldn’t even enjoy it because he knew the hammer was going to be coming down on him. He’d just witnessed the killing of her cousin, but she wouldn’t let him get a word in edgewise, and he didn’t want to tell her almost as he didn’t want to know he’d fulfilled her fantasy of being fucked on a staircase in front of a huge picture window, but he didn’t enjoy it as much as he could have.
“How about we save that for another day? This one has been brutal. I just want a shower and bed.”
“No sex?” She stopped and turned to face him. Lorna looked at him like he’d cursed out the priest in the middle of Sunday service.
“I didn’t say that. I said shower and bed. Either of those are optimal places for what you’re talking about.”
She ran up the rest of the stairs, and he chased after her, but she had the advantage of knowing where everything was better than he did. By the time he found her she was naked and waiting in the bathroom with the water running.
“Well this is a great service.” He took off his clothes slowly just because he knew she’d pout about it, and he was right, but she came over and helped him, which he didn’t expect.
“I know all about customer service,” she said sinking to her knees in front of him.
Aidan was actually tired and had planned to finger his sexy woman in the shower before giving her enough to relax her body tonight, and he’d bang her like a ten dollar floosy tomorrow, but seeing her on her knees as she nuzzled his cock was a game changer.
“Open up, Princess.” He loved the way she gasped when he used one of the pet names he’d
given her. “I want to see those pretty lips wrapped around my cock.”
She didn’t do what he’d asked but she gave him sweet pecks all around the area he most wanted attended to, and he knew why. Lorna loved to be directed a little, and she loved when he took control, which was funny since the conversation downstairs was all about how she’d had so little of it in her life.
Cradling the back of her head with one hand and his cock with the other, he rubbed the tip on her lips. She opened easily and looked up at him like she’d been granted her favorite dirty wish.
“You like that, huh?” He stroked his cock only letting her get the head of it in her mouth and pulled back just a little when she tried to get more.
“Let me taste you,” she cooed from the floor.
“Now you don’t want to play? I thought that was one of your favorite things to do. Kiss all around my balls, lick up and down my cock making me wait for your tongue to do all those wicked tricks you know?”
Hitman's Lust: a Dark Mafia Romance Page 39