Mafia Crown: Standalone Enemies to Lovers Romance, page 30
"I am not sure I am going back."
"No?" He scowls, "Why not?"
I turn away, head toward one of the kitchen shelves and pull down a bottle of ibuprofen. I shake out two and swallow them with some tap water. Then reach for the spare bottle of whiskey—one of the few things I managed to stock up on. It seemed more of a priority than furnishing the place. I grab two glasses, pour out the whiskey and walk back to offer one to him.
"Not good to mix alcohol with painkillers," he points out.
"Fuck that," I toss back the alcohol, then pour more into my glass.
Christian takes a sip, then nurses his glass. "That’s how I used to think, before I got married. It changed everything," he laughs.
"You love her?"
"Love her?" He chuckles, "I can’t live without her. Even now, as I am talking to you, my mind is on her. I can’t wait to get back to her."
"I know how you feel," the words are out before I can stop myself. Fuck. I raise my glass to my mouth and drain it. The liquor burns its way down and the harshness of the world seems to recede a little. I sway as I slam my glass back onto the counter. "Uh, I think it’s time you left," I blurt out.
"Hold on, back up," he shakes his head, "did you just say what I think you did?"
"Yeah, I told you to fuck off," I reach for the bottle, and this time, he snatches it away before I get to it.
"You want to fight again?" I growl, then reach for the bottle, but he evades me.
"You can’t change the topic of conversation, fratello," he mutters. "I know you miss her."
"You don’t know anything," I growl.
"That may be the case," his lips kick up, "but I do know what it is to stay away from the woman you love because your ego doesn’t allow you to return to her."
"I am doing the right thing." I grip the edges of the counter. "She deserves better than me."
"No argument there from me," he smirks, "but for some inexplicable reason, Theresa is in love with you."
"Not after how I treated her," I rub the back of my head, "I broke her heart and sent her away."
"Nothing that a bout of groveling won’t fix."
"You don’t understand." I squeeze the bridge of my nose. "She can do better than me. It’s best if I start divorce proceedings and set her free to pursue a future different from mine."
"Oh?" He tilts this head, "So you’ll be fine if she decides to fuck someone else? If she meets someone else and decides to share her life with him. If she—"
I lurch forward, grab his collar.
He chuckles, "That’s what I thought."
I glare at him, and the motherfucker laughs in my face. "You’re a goner, man. You’re so fucking pussy-whipped that you are standing here in the darkness thinking about her instead of manning up to your mistake and returning to her and asking her to take you back."
"Fuck," I tighten my grip on his collar, "fucking fuck."
"You know I am right." He brings his glass up to his mouth and takes a sip.
"Bloody fucking hell." I release him and lower my chin to my chest, "I am so fucked."
"Welcome to the real world, brother," he agrees.
"What the hell am I going to do?"
"You are going to clean yourself up and put on a fresh set of clothes, then you are going to return with me to Palermo and throw yourself at her mercy."
"I can’t do that," I push away from the counter and begin to pace, "I am a cop. I don’t think you realize what that means. I’m a cop and you guys are—"
"The Mafia? Thanks for pointing that out." He smirks,
"Though I may not be one a few weeks from now," I raise a shoulder, "maybe that will make things easier."
"What do you mean?"
"I am going to resign from my job."
"Why would you do that?" He scowls.
"Because we are on the opposite sides of the law?"
"So?"
"So?" I turn on him, "Aren’t you listening to me? I can’t remain a cop and be part of only the most notorious criminal family in all of Europe?"
"Why not?"
"Jesus, fuck," I glare at him, "are you listening to yourself? I’d never be trusted if it came out that my brother was the head of the Cosa Nostra."
"Why not? A lot of the fagmilia are in law enforcement, as well as in the judicial and political system."
I stare at him, "So you want me to become a spy for the Cosa Nostra and tell on my friends inside the workforce?"
"It's an opportunity, though I'd never force that on you, of course," he says seriously.
"Thanks," I retort.
"Of course, even if you stay on in the workforce you can't continue to be undercover. There’d be a conflict of interest."
"I won't be able to turn on my colleagues," I snap.
"You were ready to turn on your family," he points out.
"I was undercover then. Also, I was hellbent on revenge." I rub at my temple.
"And now?"
"Now, I have accepted that my ties to the Sovranos can't be broken that easily. Especially not, since my wife considers you assholes as being like her brothers."
"We are your brothers by blood; nothing changes that," he says in a soft voice.
"Which still doesn't change the fact that I am going to have to resign." I rock back on the heels of my feet.
"Perhaps this is a chance to do something totally different," he offers.
"You mean, like start my own security company, or maybe go private?" It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately. I drum my fingers on my chest. "That way, there is no conflict of interest or any such bullshit. I could spend time between London and Palermo, spend time with you guys, while also growing my own business."
"It would pay much better, of course. Not to mention the fact that you are one of the Sovranos, which is going to attract clients who know that you mean business," he adds.
I drag my fingers through my hair, "It could work."
"It will work." He slaps his palms on his hips.
"I'll have to give up being a cop," I say, almost to myself. Of course, I had already considered it when I had offered to resign. But talking about it and realizing that it’s imminent, that it’s the only way out, to give up the way of life that has defined me so far… Well, it’s sobering.
"How do you feel about that?"
I crack my neck, grateful that the ibuprofen has kicked in and my headache is almost bearable now.
"Axel," he prompts, "how does the thought of quitting the police force make you feel?"
"Good," I blow out a breath, "It’s the right thing to do."
"Fucking finally." He drains his glass, places it on the counter, then jerks his chin toward my bedroom, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go pack; we have a plane to catch."
48
Theresa
The thud-thud-thud of the beat pours over me, sinks into my blood. For someone who rarely went out on weekends, I have certainly become at home in nightclubs. I'd blame it on Elsa, except really, it was my idea to come here again tonight. In fact, if she knew why, she would have argued to go somewhere else. Somehow, being here reminds me of the day Axel barged in and dragged me to the restroom and had his way with me. My cheeks warm. Heat flushes my skin. Will I see him again? Will he return to me?
I close my eyes and let the music of the night club wash over me. The noise in my head fades away to be replaced by the voices of BTS—my guilty pleasure. A remixed versions of BTS’ Life Goes On fills the space. It’s true what they say. You find BTS when you most need it. I raise my arms above my head and grind my hips in tune with the rhythm. I move sensuously to the music, bump and grind, widen my stance and dirty dance all the way down until I am squatting with my thighs spread wide, then I straighten my legs, jut out butt with my torso almost parallel to the floor before I snap myself up.
Someone slides over to stand behind me; he begins moving his body in tandem with mine. I turn, glance over my shoulder at dark brown eyes—not blue, not eyes fringed with eyelashes so dark they make his blue irises pop in comparison, not cheekbones so high that they could cut into my skin, not a hooked nose or a jaw that’s normally set in disapproving lines. And he's blond.
Still, he’s cute, I suppose, in a boy-next-door kind of way. And he’s tall…not as tall as Axel, but tall enough to be attractive. Younger though, closer to my own age. The music ratchets up in tempo and he begins to shake his body in earnest.
He shoots me a wicked grin and I can’t stop the laugh that spills from my lips. I increase my own tempo and we move in synchronicity, our actions mirroring each other’s steps. When I move left, he slides right and vice-versa. I laugh again as I let the sheer joy of the dancing overwhelm me. He grips my wrist, turns me around, then pushes me back before pulling me to him. A surprised laugh spills from my lips. The man can dance, all right. He twirls me around then draws me to him, close enough for our bodies to touch.
That’s when someone steps in behind him. I tilt my head back, and further back, to meet blazing blue eyes. Angry eyes that bore into me. His features wear a grim expression, his lips set in lines of disapproval. Something blooms to life inside me. Axel. He’s here.
I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, he’s grabbed my partner by his shoulder and yanked him back so he stumbles away from me. Then, Axel turns him around and buries his fist in his face. That’s when all hell breaks loose. Blondie falls over and onto another couple, who back away. He turns with his fists raised. Axel lands an uppercut and the man reels back. He shakes his head, then lunges toward Axel, who steps aside. The man smashes into another couple, who spring apart. Another man throws a punch at Axel, who ducks, kicks the legs out from under him, when the first man throws himself at Axel again. Seemingly out of nowhere, Massimo steps in and knocks the guy out cold. A third, and a fourth guy join the fray as Adrian and Seb wade in to help him.
That’s when Axel tosses a guy aside and marches over to me.
"What are you—" I gasp as he grabs my hand. The crowd parts before him as he drags me in his wake. When we reach the end of the dance floor I refuse to move. I slow him down enough that he turns to me.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I yell at him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He roars back. "You let that man touch you. You let him put his hands on you. You were grinding your hips while he held your waist."
"It’s called dancing," I point out.
His features contort. He drops my hand then brushes past me and onto the dance floor. I blink, then jump forward to stand in front of him. "Where are you going?" I pant.
"To kill him."
"You can’t just go around killing people."
"Is that right?" He growls, "Asshole touched you. I am going to rip him apart from limb to limb for that."
He begins to plow past me and I throw myself at him, "Oh, for heaven’s sake, seriously, enough with that caveman approach."
His jaw tics. "I am going to grind his body into the ground, then throw you down and fuck you in his blood."
"Oh," I gasp. A ripple of heat runs down my spine. My nipples harden. That was bloodthirsty and macabre, and hell, if that didn’t turn me on even more.
"Let him go," I clutch at his hand, "he doesn’t mean anything, I promise. I was dancing, that’s all."
He lowers his head and peers into my face, "From now on, you dance with no one else but me."
He’s so close now, I can see the lines that radiate out from the corners of his gorgeous eyes. The heat of his body flows around me, envelops me. That clean-man scent of his, spiked with his edgy essence, teases my nostrils. I swallow, "It’s a little difficult to do that when you are not around, you know?" At least, he is standing so close that I don’t need to yell to be heard.
"Well, I am back now." He grips my arm, and this time, I don’t protest as he hauls me off the dance floor.
We walk past the bar and I spot Elsa, "I need to tell Elsa that I am leaving." I have to yell again to be heard over the music.
"We’ll text her from the car," he retorts.
"I need to grab my coat and purse from the cloakroom."
"I’ll get it delivered home."
"Home? What do you mean home?"
"I mean," he yanks me out of the door and looks up and down the road, "our home."
"Isn’t your home in London? That’s where we were when you told me you wanted a divorce, remember?"
A car drives up and comes to a stop in front of me. Christian gets out of the driver’s seat and tosses the keys at Axel.
"Thanks," Axel jerks his chin.
"Remember what I told you?" He glances between us, then narrows his gaze on Axel, "Don’t fuck this up."
"Hold on, so now you guys are on speaking terms?"
"A lot has changed," he pulls open the door on the passenger’s side.
I hesitate. A wind blows over me and I shiver.
"Why don’t we get back home and then we can talk?"
I fold my arms around my waist and scowl up at him.
"You’re freezing." His tone softens, "Don’t be stubborn, baby, just let me get us home and then we’ll speak, okay?"
Damn it, why did he have to use that endearment?
I glare up at him and he blows out a breath, "Please, get in the car, Sunshine?"
Maybe it’s the fact that he calls me Sunshine, or the fact that he says please, or that his tone is soft and the look in his eyes sends a frisson of awareness over my skin. Whatever the case, I find myself obeying him. I slide inside the car. He shuts the door, walks around to the driver’s side and gets in. He shuts his door, turns on the car and the warm air from the heater instantly circulates around my ankles. I shiver, this time, because my body is warming up.
"Still cold?" He shrugs out of his jacket and hands it over to me.
I slide my arms into the sleeves and it’s like I am enveloped by him. Goddam it, I’ve missed him. And now that I am seeing him again, I can’t stop my body from leaning toward him. I turn away, glance out the window, as he eases the car onto the road.
"Here’s my phone."
I turn to find him holding it out to me.
"You wanted to call Elsa?" he reminds me.
"Ah, of course." I snatch up his phone and dial Elsa’s number. It rings, then goes to voice mail, of course. "Ah, Elsa, it’s me, Theresa. I am calling you on Axel’s phone because I left my phone back in the cloak room. Yeah, long story." I turn my face away and place my hand over the mouthpiece, "Yeah, he’s back and uh, he’s driving me home. I am fine. don’t worry… Uh, we’ll talk later."
I hang up, then place the phone in the cupholder.
We drive in silence until we reach Xander’s home. He turns into the driveway, comes to a stop. Why am I not surprised that this is what he meant by home? It’s the only home I have ever known. More of a home than my parents place ever was, and that was because he’d been here with me. Somehow, it seems appropriate that it was Xander’s home before ours… Wait, am I already giving in to him? Am I accepting that this is the home I am going to share with him? Am I already forgiving him for hurting me like that?
I shove the car door open and walk up the steps of the house. He follows me, draws abreast then pulls out a key from his pocket and opens the door. Of course, he’d have the key. Ultimately, he’s a Sovrano and the brothers will always have each other’s backs. They had taken me under their protection, but who’s going to protect my heart from being crushed again by him?
I walk ahead of him, and head into the living room. I turn to find him heading for the bar and pouring himself a drink. He turns to me and we gaze at each other across the length of the room.
I kick off my heels, because damn it, my feet ache, then sit down on the sofa.
He walks over and sinks into a chair on the other side of the coffee table.
The silence stretches, broken only by the ticking of the clock in the corner of the room. I glance away, then back at him, to find he’s still watching me closely. Goosebumps pop on my skin. He brings the glass of whisky to his mouth and takes a sip. The tendons of his throat move as he swallows. A flutter of heat ignites in my lower belly. Jesus, this man is sex on a stick. I can’t look at him without wanting to jump him. I knot my fingers tighter, then fix my gaze on a spot over his shoulder.
"Why are you here, Axel?" I burst out. "Why did you come back?"
He places his drink on the coffee table, then leans forward. "I’ve missed you," he says in a low voice. "Every single moment that we’ve been apart has been agonizing. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Sunshine. Couldn’t get you out of my mind. You were my last thought at night and the first in the morning. And in between, I dreamt about your mouth, your skin, the scent of your hair, the little noises you make as you come, the texture of your pussy when I fuck you with my tongue, the way your cunt trembles around my dick when I bury myself inside you. The way you feel like home. The way nothing and nobody else will ever measure up to you. The way I fell for you so quickly, so hard, that I lost all perception of myself. The way I cannot live without you, not for a second more."
His words pour over me, sink into my blood, crawl into every nook and crevice of my body, into my heart, entwining with my soul. Tears prick the backs of my eyes and I squeeze my fingers even more firmly together.
"You hurt me, Axel. You shattered my heart. You left me without looking back once, like I never mattered to you at all."
"Not true." He leans forward, his hands clasped between his thighs, "It ripped my heart out to do that. It fucking killed me to leave you, Sunshine."
"Yet you did. You didn’t even give us a chance to work things out. You simply told the Sovranos to bring me back here and walked away from me."
"I’m so sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing by you. I thought it would give you a chance to try to move on and find a life without me."
"You told me you’d divorce me."
"I wanted to," he admits, "but every time I thought of it, I felt sick to my stomach. It was like my body, physically, wouldn’t allow me to do it."
"Is that why you are here?" I finally glance up at him, "Because you couldn’t bring yourself to take that step."
