Mafia Romance

by Aleatha Romig, Skye Warren, Annika Martin, Natasha Knight, Kaye Blue, Michelle St. James, Renee Rose, Parker S. Huntington, Alexis Abbott, Willow Winters

  She rolled her eyes and gave him a laugh, one that was almost normal. Then, after an exaggerated sigh, she picked up her fork.

  * * *

  As Cassandra emerged from the shower, she felt like a totally different person.

  Just an hour ago, she had been stunned, shell-shocked, not certain she’d ever feel all right again, but a good meal and a hot shower had done wonders.

  She smiled, something that hadn’t seemed possible just hours ago, and wondered whether she should admit that to Lucian. Probably not, because doing so would only encourage his bossing her around. Something she surprisingly hadn’t minded, and he had been right. She nodded, deciding she would tell him so.

  He’d had a rough day as well; he hadn’t said anything but she’d seen the weight of his worry when he’d shown up at the café. Then later, she’d seen how hard he worked to stay calm and guide her through the excruciating police process. That had been hard and she’d seen his desire to protest when they’d taken her away for more questioning. But even when they’d been apart, she’d felt him, his presence steady, reassuring, the one thing that had helped her keep it together. She pulled one of his shirts over her head and emerged from the bathroom, not at all feeling shy.

  There was no need for it, and besides, after everything that had happened today, she felt closer to him than she ever had, so a little skin didn’t deserve a second thought. He came into the bedroom a moment later, his hair damp and water-dark, his chest bare.

  When she had first emerged from the interrogation room, she’d wanted to throw herself into his arms, but she’d held back.

  She didn’t now, though.

  Instead, moving before she could talk herself out of it, she went to him and wrapped her arms around him, pressed her body flat against his, holding him with all her might.

  A tear threatened to slip, but she blinked it back and instead hugged him tighter.

  After a moment, he returned the embrace, squeezed her against him, his touch saying more than words ever could. As they stood, time seemed to slow, and Cassandra wished she could stay there forever, wrapped in the bubble of his arms. But eventually, she put just enough space between them so she could look up and meet his eyes. She stared into the dark blue orbs and then stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his lips.

  Then she lowered herself back to the ground, looked into his eyes again, and then lifted again, kissing him, letting her eyes get heavy but not close.

  Today had been awful, but she had survived, and she decided in that moment she wouldn’t waste another single second of her precious life. She’d been given an opportunity and she would take full advantage of it.

  She kissed him again and he let her, not deepening their embrace nor pulling back, but instead standing still, letting her lead.

  What had started as a calm, almost sensitive touch soon turned passionate, and she kissed him more deeply, moving her arms across his strong back, over his collarbones and across his chest.

  He held her waist, fingers clinching tight against her skin, but he still didn’t push or take over. She kissed him harder and then pushed her tongue between his lips and then pulled back. He tightened his hands on her hips when she kissed the corner of his mouth and then trailed a series of kisses down the strong column of his neck, the stubble there prickling against her lips.

  She linked her arms around his neck and let her fingers twine in the hair at the base of his neck and then continued to kiss him, moving her lips against his collarbones, down over the solid slab of his pecs, pausing to quickly snake her tongue out and circle his flat nipple.

  That seemed to spur him, and he loosened his hold on her waist and trailed his fingers up her thighs and over her hip, across her stomach and up to cup her breasts. Lucian’s hands against her bare skin had her body aflame and her sex squeezing tight with need. He explored her tits with his hands, touching her roughly and reverently, the mix of boldness and tenderness only heightening her raging desire.

  “Lucian…” she whispered, needing to say something, needing to somehow expel some of the desire-fueled energy that felt like lightning in her blood.

  “Cassandra…” he replied, his breath against her skin, the little lift in his voice only driving her higher.

  She let her hands fall down his flanks and across the rippled plane of his stomach and then lower into his waistband. Her fingers brushed the rough hair and then his smooth skin at the base of his cock. Lucian’s hitched-out breath had her repeating the process, and she circled his thick base again and again until he broke away.

  Hands now twisted in the hem of her shirt, Lucian pulled it up and over her head and then quickly stepped out of his pants, leaving them both naked. Then, with a wicked smile, he pushed her back until she lay flat on his bed and then immediately spread out atop her.

  Lucian lay there for a moment, resting his weight on her, watching her. Then, in a blink, he moved down and captured the throbbing tip of her breast with his mouth and sucked hard.

  Cassandra arched off the bed, ignoring his low, boastful chuckle and instead grasping his hard biceps with her fingers as he tugged at the tip of her breasts. At the same time, he moved his hand down her stomach and settled it at the apex of her thighs, teasing at her.

  As his fingers stroked in and out of her wetness, he released her nipple and then gently nipped at the plump underside of her breast and then moved lower, brushing his lips against the flesh of her rib cage, down lower, pausing to kiss along the slope of her hip.

  She watched him when he moved lower, his lips tracing the trail between her lower stomach and her mound, the sensation and intention incredible.

  Then he dropped lower. Kissed her slick lips, replacing his fingers with his tongue, thrusting in and out of her. She gripped the short edges of his hair and twisted beneath him, the pleasure building inside her, this man’s touch obliterating every thought in her mind except those of him. Her climax rocked over her in a flash, twisting through her like a small tornado. When she looked at Lucian, his lips wet with her juices, his eyes dark with passion, she knew he wasn’t done with her yet.

  He retrieved a condom from somewhere, but Cassandra was too far gone to think about how and why he had come across it, and instead she sighed impatiently as he sheathed himself.

  When he returned to hover over her, she reached up to capture his lips with hers and kissed him, tasting herself on his lips as she held his shoulders tight. He lined himself up at her entrance and stayed poised there as he settled her legs on either side of his hips.

  They stayed there, on the verge of being connected but not, eyes locked on each other’s, the emotion passing between them unspoken but undeniable. On a deep breath, Lucian pushed inside her slowly, bringing them together with a restrained passion that made her cry out. Her hands roamed his back as she stared up into his eyes, again feeling grounded by the connection that had been there for far longer than she had even realized.

  And when Lucian locked eyes with her and then thrust so hard the air left her lungs, she wondered how she’d ever do without him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next morning she woke and immediately reached for Lucian, and was happy to find him still there beside her.

  She turned, wrapped her arms around his narrow waist, and pressed her lips against his shoulder blade.

  “You’re not sleeping,” she said.

  “No,” he responded, the words rumbling out of his chest.

  “But you’re still here in bed?” she said, not letting herself read anything into that fact, despite how much she wanted to.

  “I thought you’d like that,” he said.

  “I do,” she said, kissing his shoulder blade again and squeezing him just that much tighter.

  “When you’re ready, we should go,” he said, his voice dropping an octave, revealing some of the sorrow that had momentarily been at bay.

  She nodded but didn’t speak, feeling reality come ebbing back in.

  He was ri
ght, though. They’d talked about it last night. Lucian had insisted she take it easy, rest, but nothing seemed worse than the idea of sitting around. Besides, she wanted to know everything she could about Tammy, find out what had driven her to such a sad place.

  “Okay,” she said, though she snuggled closer to him and held him tighter. But then, finally, she pulled herself away, and an hour later, they walked into Silver Industries and headed directly for their offices.

  “Cassandra!” Sloan said not two seconds after they had stepped off the elevator.

  She paused and turned, saw the shorter woman scurrying toward her, a look of concern and relief on her face. When Sloan reached her, she grabbed Cassandra and gave her a strong hug. Then she pulled back and grabbed Cassandra’s hand in hers.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay! If you need anything—”

  “Thanks, Sloan,” Cassandra said, smiling, grateful for the reminder of Sloan’s concern and friendship.

  “Where are Adam and Seth?” Lucian asked.

  Sloan looked at Lucian, her hold on Cassandra not breaking even a little.

  “I set them up in the conference room. All the documents are there, but I can get anything else you might need,” Sloan said.

  She nodded, and then with a final squeeze, Sloan let go and left.

  “You ready?” Lucian asked, reaching for her and stroking his thumb across her cheek. The tenderness in his touch and in his eyes sent a warm tremble through her body, one of comfort, care, and gave her the strength she needed to move.

  “As I’ll ever be,” Cassandra finally said.

  Lucian gave her a soft kiss on her lips, seeming not to care who might see, and then with his hand entwined in hers, he led her to the conference room. When they arrived, she found Adam stationed in front of one of the windows, flipping through one file as Seth paced back and forth reading another.

  “What we got?” Lucian asked.

  “The dearly departed was Tammy Lynn Miller,” Seth said.

  “Sound familiar?” Adam asked, looking up at Cassandra.

  Cassandra nodded. “Her name was definitely Tammy. I’m not certain of the rest, but it sounds right,” she said.

  “Age thirty-five. Born in Portland, grew up in rural Oregon. Her records were sealed, but a little birdie tells me she spent two years in a psychiatric facility in Washington state. Dropped off the map and then popped up again when she enrolled in one of Washington’s universities,” Seth said.

  “The same university I attended, obviously,” Cassandra said.

  Seth nodded. “One and the same.”

  “So I assume my memory of her as a lab partner is correct?” she said.

  “Seems to be the best guess for now,” Adam said.

  “And you don’t remember seeing her after college?” Lucian said.

  Cassandra had considered that question for what felt like forever. “No. I barely remembered she was my lab partner.” Her voice wavered at the end, the reality of having had someone stalking her for years without her knowing it sending a chill through her.

  Lucian, seeming to sense her feelings, came over to her and stroked a warm hand along her hair and then settled it at the small of her back.

  Adam didn’t move, but Cassandra knew he saw. Seth too, but he also didn’t respond and instead handed her a small black-and-white picture.

  It was definitely the same woman she’d seen yesterday. Younger but still her, and the memories came flooding back.

  “I have a hazy recollection of that time,” she said, thinking back to those hard years.

  All three men looked at her quizzically.

  “My mother passed away two weeks before classes started,” Cassandra said.

  She’d been ill for several years, and Cassandra, in her foolish youth, had thought she’d been ready to handle the loss. But nothing in her life had prepared her for the reality of losing her mother. Cassandra had still pressed on, unwilling to take time off, and those weeks and months had been nearly impossible.

  Even now, her heart twisted as she thought of those days, and when she looked up, Seth nodded at her sympathetically. Though Adam maintained his usual demeanor, she knew he felt the same. She didn’t look at Lucian, not wanting to open the door to the emotion she would feel if she looked at him.

  “You were lab partners? Anything else? Maybe lived in the same dorm or whatever?” Adam asked.

  “I didn’t live in a dorm. I stayed in my apartment with my brother and sisters,” Cassandra said.

  “So you and Tammy didn’t have any ties beyond class?” Seth asked.

  “No, and barely any time in it,” Cassandra said.

  “Why?” Lucian asked.

  “Biology 101 sucked. The timing was all wrong. The class was at eight thirty and lab was at six, so it was a very long day for me. I was working, trying to make sure the younger kids had something like a regular life. It was hell trying to schedule around that lab. In fact, I think I dropped that class after about three weeks because it was too much,” she said.

  She began to pace as she searched her mind for more memories of that time.

  “Yeah, I dropped it. I didn’t want to because it was a requirement. But I stayed two extra weeks because I didn’t want to leave Tammy without a partner. I don’t remember really talking to her. What could have made her remember me for all these years?” Cassandra trailed off, tears starting to cloud her vision as the depth of Tammy’s illness began to hit her anew.

  Lucian pulled her into a hug, his warm, big body comforting her. “She was sick, Cassie,” he whispered against her ear. “Don’t torture yourself trying to make sense of it.”

  “But all those years… She did all that, killed herself for nothing…” Cassandra said, the horror of the truth almost overwhelming.

  Lucian stepped back and locked eyes with her and then gripped her face tight. His eyes were dark, his brows knitted tight, his lips set in a completely unyielding line.

  “But she didn’t hurt you. As sad as her life was, as sick as she was, she didn’t get a chance to hurt you. You’re here. And you’re okay.”

  His voice was a rasped, whispered one that buzzed with an emotion Cassandra couldn’t identify. When he wrapped her in an embrace again, she didn’t try to.

  She simply held him back.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lucian turned down the familiar driveway and made his way to the estate that had once been his home, though it was now no better than a living museum, a place for memories, many of which were worth forgetting, and a person he never would.

  He punched in his access code to the gate, surprised it still worked, and then, after the gates had opened, he drove the rest of the way and parked in the circular drive.

  As he got out, he paused for a moment to look at the beautifully manicured lawns and gardens, then turned to face the massive house that still looked fresh and bright.

  The maintenance cost a mint, but Lucian never resented paying. He couldn’t really say why. This place only held a few good memories, almost all of which involved Damien. And keeping the house up was the only thing his brother would allow him to do, so Lucian would, even if lawn care would do nothing to make Damien better.

  He didn’t bother to knock on the door and instead let himself in, and headed straight to the place he knew Damien would be, even though some small part of him held out hope.

  Damien was exactly where Lucian had expected him to be, though, a fact that was confirmed when Lucian pushed open the door to what had once been his father’s study but was now his brother’s lair.

  The two full-time housekeepers clearly didn’t have access to this room. Empty bottles were strewn about, and even if he hadn’t instantly recognized the ornate label, the smell would have given it away.

  Lucian hated the smell of hard liquor, the stench of spirits far too reminiscent of his father and the chaos he had wrought. There had been a time when Damien had hated it, too.

  No longer, though.

  “Early s
tart today?” Lucian said as he looked at his brother, who sat on the floor but had his torso draped across the brown leather sofa. Damien hadn’t reacted when Lucian had opened the door, but he knew his brother had seen him.

  For a moment, Lucian wondered if he’d respond, but he finally said, “Late. But I’m trying to catch up.”

  A sip from the cut-crystal glass he held punctuated the statement.

  Lucian ignored the stench and the drink and just looked at his brother. Damien, who’d always been in top condition, was leaner now than he’d ever been. Not a surprise given the combination of subsisting on alcohol and near-endless exercise, but Lucian felt a seed of worry begin to root in his heart.

  Then he looked at the wrinkled dress shirt and unpressed pants, saw his brother’s scruffy jaw and the bloodshot, unfocused eyes, the dark hair that was similar to Lucian’s but far, far longer than it had ever been, and that worry made his chest seize.

  Lucian knew Damien would have to work through this on his own terms, but he wasn’t getting better. He looked worse now than he had last month when Lucian had come to visit. His stubborn-ass brother wouldn’t listen to him, ever. If things didn’t improve, and soon, Lucian wouldn’t be able to sit on his hands any longer.

  Damien probably knew that, too, which would account for the withering glare he tossed at his brother. There had been a time when that glare would have made him anxious to fix whatever had sparked Damien’s ire. But with his brother sitting on the floor in wrinkled, probably dirty clothes, and more than halfway drunk at noon, the look didn’t have the same effect. Not by a long shot.

  “Told you to send everything via courier,” Damien said, his voice brimming with venom that Lucian had learned to ignore.

  At least his voice wasn’t slurred, but Lucian suspected that had he arrived an hour later, that would be a fifty-fifty proposition. Two, and his brother would have been well on his way to a blackout.