“My balls are as big as the next guy’s,” Avie says with a shrug. He smiles and shakes his head at her.
“Follow me,” he says. “But before you do, I assume you aren’t coming in unarmed?” I swallow. God, I wasn’t made for this life. But Avie stays sturdy.
“Considering the last time I saw Mr. Dexter, he tried to kill me, it would be irresponsible of us to come unprotected, don’t you think?” she says. He smiles again.
“Just know that whatever you’re packing, we’ve got a lot more,” he says with a shrug.
“Noted,” Avie tells him.
We follow him to the back of the restaurant where he pulls a red velvet curtain back and leads us down a narrow hallway. A sign above us has an arrow pointing left for the restrooms, but we go right.
He turns the knob of the last door and opens it up, letting us in.
“It’s really her, boss,” he says as a leather chair swivels around behind a huge mahogany desk.
And then I see him.
Dark-gray hair streaked with lighter gray on the sides, combed back neatly. Tan skin under a perfectly tailored suit. And ice-blue eyes. He leans back in his chair, hands folded on the desk. His eyes jump from Avie, to Leo, to me, and then his lips break into a smile.
“Do my eyes deceive me?” he asks, and his voice is as smooth as a shot of whiskey. “Avianna Castiano has come to pay me a visit. And she brought a friend. Hello, Miss Melucci.”
I swallow when he says my name, my mouth going dry immediately.
As vile and stomach-turning as he should be, there’s something kind of mesmerizing about Johnny Dexter. How fucked up is that?
“Mr. Dexter,” I say with a head nod. He smiles again.
“‘Mr. Dexter,’” he says with a chuckle. “So formal. So, to what do I owe this pleasure? Must be, uh, worth the visit, seeing as things are a little rocky between us, eh, Avie?”
“Avianna,” she corrects him, “and you don’t have to remind me. I’m here as more of a wingman to my friend, whom I see you already know.”
“We don’t know each other,” he says, turning to me and sending a chill down my spine. “But I know her father.”
I step toward him, a sudden boldness coming out of nowhere.
“That’s actually why I’m here,” I tell him.
He raises an eyebrow.
“Is that so?”
I nod.
He leans forward on the desk.
“I don’t discuss my business with people I’m not in business with,” he says. “The Castianos and I are no longer partners, haven’t been for quite some time. In fact, I’d say we’re pretty much direct competitors. Wouldn’t ya say, Avianna?”
She doesn’t answer him, just purses her lips and narrows her eyes. Leo moves in closer to her, and I see him reach a hand around his pants.
“I need to talk to you, Mr. Dexter,” I say again. “About my father’s business with you. I have his last name. That has to get me somewhere, right?”
He looks me up and down then leans back against the leather of his chair.
“I’ll talk with you, Miss Melucci,” he says. His eyes dart from Leo to Avie and back to me. “Alone.”
“No fucking way,” Avie growls as Leo moves in closer. “Where she goes, we go.”
But Johnny doesn’t take his eyes off me. He doesn’t flinch at her tone, doesn’t acknowledge her words. And I know if I want any information, I have to do what he says.
“It’s okay, Avie,” I tell her. She scoffs.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember asking you for permission,” she says, turning to me.
“Avie,” I say, turning to look at her. “Please. Just wait outside. I’ll be right out. Please.”
She looks at me, her eyes wide as her chest heaves up and down with tortured, heavy breaths.
“Ave, this is a bad––” Leo starts, but she holds her hand up to him.
She looks from me to Johnny.
“You have five minutes. And if I sense that anything is off, I’ll end you right here, today,
Johnny Dexter.”
He smiles at her and nods, and Avie walks past us with Leo in tow, closing the door behind them.
I turn back to him, and he motions to the chair across from his desk. I sit down slowly and look at him, his chin resting on his hand, his pointer finger rubbing his lips.
“Look, Mr. Dexter––”
“Let’s drop the formalities, Scarlett,” he says, and the sound of my name coming from his voice makes my body tense up.
“Okay, Johnny,” I say, taking in a shuddered breath. “I need to know why you haven’t killed my father.”
My bluntness surprises both of us. The smile slowly disappears from his face as he leans forward across the desk.
“You want to know why...why your father is still alive?” he asks just above a whisper. I nod slowly.
“I know he owes you. I know he probably won’t ever be able to pay it all back. And I know your reputation. So it’s not making sense to me. And to be honest, it’s torture, Johnny. It’s starting to affect everyone in my life. Everyone that I care about. So I need to know. I need to know what I can do to fix it. And if I can’t fix it, I need to know how much time we have.”
He nods slowly as he listens to me.
“Well,” he finally says, “you’re right that your father has found himself in a bit of a pickle because of the amount of money he owes me. And that’s not even including interest.”
I nod.
“And it’s true that I’m not usually one to, uh, wait,” he says. “Scarlett, do you know the origin of your family? Your mother’s side, specifically?”
My eyebrows knit together, and I think for a moment. And I shake my head, because of all the things I talked to my mom about, life in the homeland wasn’t one of them. I guess I was just a self-centered teenager, more concerned with life in my immediate surroundings than where my roots were.
“Your mom was a Delano,” he says. I nod. “The Delanos can trace their lineage back hundreds of years in Italy. One of the wealthiest families in the country. And your mother was one, which means, by blood, so are you.”
My eyes are wide.
“Honey, in this business that we’re in, it’s about connection. It’s about having roots everywhere that you can. It’s about building bridges, sinking our teeth into all we can. Your bloodline ties you to centuries worth of land and money, both in Italy and here, all across the country. And it ties you to the trust that was set up for you by her family when you were born, that your father is the guarantor for.”
I swallow. I don’t even know anything about a trust.
“Trust?” I ask. He smiles.
“I figured you didn’t know much about it,” he says. “I don’t know the full amount, but I know that it should pay your father’s debts to me tenfold. You’re supposed to get it when you’re thirty.”
I swallow again, but my throat is dry. It’s strange, being told your whole life story by someone who’s a complete stranger.
“So, you see, darling, your father owes me more than he’s worth. But he still has something that can fix it all. He has a key to more than we could dream of. He’s got the bridge.”
I narrow my eyes on him, and then they spring wide as I realize what he’s saying.
“Am I...the bridge?” I whisper. He nods slowly.
“You are what could connect our outfit to a lifetime of security,” he says. “I have a nephew around your age. Tying our two families together would guarantee that Dexters and Delanos stay on top of the world for the next few hundred years.”
I can hear my heart beating in my ears.
“Does my father...know about this plan of yours?”
He nods.
“I’ve brought it up to him a few times,” he says. “Suggested he, uh, look into it. But he begged for more time to try and pay me back the original amount he owed me. He didn’t want to bring you into it. I was giving him until the end of the month before we took it into our o
wn hands. I was going to seek you out myself. But lo and behold, you fell right into my hands.”
I lean back in my chair, clasping my hands together. My palms are clammy. My head is swirling. My mouth is dry.
“If I...if I marry your nephew,” I whisper, “then my father and the Castianos…they’re––”
“Consider my business with both families done. All debts repaid. All bad blood laid to rest.”
I lift my eyes to him slowly. I reach a hand up to hold the seashell around my neck.
We can do hard.
“I’ll do it,” I tell him. “I’ll be the bridge.”
18
Dominic - Present
I look down at my watch as I walk around the house. I was out for a few hours, collecting on some past jobs, trying to get some intel on Johnny and Sal and whatever the fuck their deal is. But I’ve been home now for twenty minutes, and there’s no sign of Scarlett or my sister.
She’s answered every text I’ve sent today, except for within the last hour. I scroll back through my messages. Avie hasn’t answered either.
I scroll back to Scarlett’s contact and press the call button.
It rings a few times, but nothing.
I hang it up and then call my sister.
Nothing.
I feel my chest tighten as I walk across the foyer and grab for my keys.
Goddammit, Avie.
Just as I reach for the front door, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
“Ave?” I answer.
“Hey,” she says nonchalantly.
“Where are you guys? What’s going on? Why has no one answered me?”
“Jesus, calm down,” she says, and I grit my teeth. “We were at the paint store, and there was no service. We’re back home now. Just finishing up putting up the painter’s tape, and then I’ll bring her home.”
I narrow my eyes. Something feels off.
“Why didn’t Scarlett answer me?”
“Didn’t you hear me? She’s putting up the tape. Relax. I’ll have your precious package home shortly.”
I grit my teeth again.
“Fine,” I say. “Hurry up.”
I let my keys go and turn to head up the stairs. I walk back into my room, unbuttoning my shirt as I move, and I stop when I see her t-shirt in a ball on the corner of my bed. I can’t help but smile when I see it, her things all over my house as if...as if she was meant to be here. As if she was always a part of this household. As if she didn’t disappear for all that time.
We have so much to make up for still, and I can’t wait to get started.
I undress and turn my shower on as hot as it will go. I let the water cascade over me, droplets dripping off my nose and eyelashes as I run my hands through my hair.
Every thought I have is consumed by her. Every move I make is to secure something for our future. The longer I’m with her, the more I’m starting to realize that I don’t think I can be without her. I cannot lose her, because if I lose her, I lose me.
I close my eyes and picture her face, her smile, her long blonde hair that curls up just under her perfect breasts. Just as I feel all the blood in my body rush to my dick, I hear the glass door of the shower slide open, and I jump.
And like she could feel me summoning her, she’s standing in front of me, naked, hair down her body, nipples pointed in my direction. I can see the fire behind her eyes––it’s the same one I have for her––but her eyes are also holding something else. Something heavy. I smile when I see her and reach out a hand. She takes it and brings it to her lips, kissing the tips of my fingers as her eyes close. I interlock my fingers with hers, pulling her into the shower and into me. I wrap my arms around her back, pressing our bodies against each other so that my warmth covers her. The feeling of her skin on mine is complete ecstasy, and as I bend down to kiss her, I feel myself growing weaker. My grip around her waist tightens, and she wraps her arms around my neck as she pulls me into her harder. My dick is pressing up against her groin, and I grind it against her lightly, letting her know just what she does to me in a matter of seconds. She moans against my lips, and I tug on her bottom lip with my teeth as she presses up onto her toes. I slide an arm under her ass and hoist her up so that she’s wrapped around me, spinning us around so that we’re up against the shower wall.
We break apart so that I can kiss her neck and chest, taking one nipple into my mouth as I hold us steady against the tile.
She moans again, tightening her legs around my body as she slides her pussy up and down my body.
“Fuck, Scar,” I whisper, reaching my hand up to tug on her hair so I can have better access to her neck.
“Dom,” she whispers, “I need you inside of me. Now.”
I smile against her skin, and I kiss and suck her collarbone.
“You want to get out––”
“No. Here. Now,” she commands, and I pull back to look into her eyes again. There’s still something there, something more than just the pure lust between us.
“You okay?” I ask her. She looks at me for a brief moment, but she doesn’t answer. Instead, she just pulls me into her, closer, tighter, as she kisses my neck.
“Now,” she demands. I nod as I hold her, coming apart just enough so that I can slide myself inside of her. She moans my name as she clutches onto the back of my head, dropping hers back against the wall as she claws at my shoulder.
“Oh, baby,” I whisper as I start to move back and forth inside of her, her body clenched so tightly around me that I feel like I’m going to bust. She clutches onto me even tighter now, like she’s afraid I’m going to slip away, and while my head is spinning from how fucking good it feels to be inside of her, I can feel the desperation in her grasp. She didn’t just want to fuck me; she needed this. She needed me. And I don’t know why. But I will be whatever she needs, whenever she needs it.
“Dom,” she whispers as we move, me pumping in and out of her as she bites her bottom lip.
“Yeah, baby,” I whisper back, slapping my hand against the tile above her head for grip as I feel myself about to blow.
“I love you,” she says as she wraps her arms around me tighter, pulling my lips into hers. I kiss her hard as I thrust deeper into her.
“I love you, baby,” I tell her. “And I am yours.”
She digs her nails into my shoulders as I press her harder against the wall, moaning and grinding until I can’t hold back any longer. I explode, collapsing against her, and a moment later, she cries out, pressing her forehead against my shoulder as we both pant under the hot water. I slowly slide her down my body, bending down to kiss her forehead, her shoulder, her lips. She curls into my body as I hold her against my chest, the water still pounding down on us.
After a few moments, I spin her around and reach for the soap, washing her back. We wash each other’s hair, rinse off, and get out. I give her my towel as I tiptoe across the slick floor to grab another from the closet. We dry off and walk back into the bedroom. Without bothering to put on any clothes, we lift the covers of my bed and slide under, folding into each other as we pull them up around us.
I breathe her in for a few minutes, just letting our heart rates come down.
“Scar?” I ask.
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay?”
She wriggles a little bit in my arms then tugs my arms tighter around her.
“I will be,” she says.
“You thinking about your dad?” I ask her. I hate leaving her in the dark. I hate that I don’t have more answers for her. I want to take all her hurt. I’d feel it, carry it, for the rest of my life if it meant she never had to hurt for anything ever again.
She nods slowly.
“Yeah,” she says.
I tighten my grip and kiss the back of her head.
“I’m going to take care of it,” I tell her. “I’m going to take care of you. Always.”
19
Scarlett - Present
“I’m going to take care of it,” h
e tells me, and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying like hell to keep the tears in. “I’m going to take care of you. Always.”
I don’t respond with words. I just push myself back into him, pulling him around me tighter. I slow my breathing down so he relaxes enough to fall asleep. I breathe in these moments. I breathe in his scent, the feel of his arms around me, his skin on mine. I take in the feel of his pillowcase beneath me. I memorize every inch of his bedroom.
Because I know this will be the last time I lie with him here. The last time he’ll make love to me. The last night we will have together. And I can’t even tell him.
I wait until I feel his even breaths, until he’s completely calm and still, before I try and sneak out from under his arm. I grab a t-shirt from on top of his dresser and slip it on, then I creep across the floor and out the door. I tiptoe to my room and slowly open and close the door behind me. I walk to the desk in the corner of the room and grab a piece of paper from the notepad that’s on the desk and a pen.
And then I start to write what I know will be the hardest letter I’ve ever written. Even harder than the first one.
Dear Dominic,
I never thought that I’d have to write you another one of these letters. I thought, after the first time, I’d never go through that same heartache again. I never thought that, after the first time, I’d have to put you through this again.
But I was wrong.
I can’t tell you everything. In fact, there’s not a lot I can tell you. I spoke with Johnny Dexter in person. I know how I can save my father from his mistakes. And most importantly, I know how I can save you. I can end the feud between Johnny’s family and yours. I can give you and your family the peace you have deserved for so long.
And most importantly, I can know that you are safe. Free from all of this. And that’s what I really need.
The only thing harder than walking away from you would be knowing that I could have kept you safe and didn’t.
A long time ago, you told me that we could do hard things together.
You were right.
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