Lie, page 20
“Because I want to.” I grabbed onto her body and forced her into my lap, her legs straddling my hips as she sat on me. “Why wouldn’t I? Look at you.” My hands slid under her shirt as I grabbed onto her hips.
Her hands went to my chest, and she watched me with her chin slightly tilted down, her makeup a mess because she hadn’t washed her face yet. We’d screwed the second we got home, and then she went straight to sleep. “Want to know a secret?”
“Always.” My fingers moved to her chin and forced her to lift her gaze.
She looked into my eyes as she gave her answer. “Yours is the only name I’ve ever said in bed…” She was slightly embarrassed by the admission but had enough strength to get it out. “I’ve never done that before, but with you…it just comes out.”
That turned me on like crazy, but I didn’t say that. I just stared at her, feeling more possessive than before. This sexy woman was mine, and I had her in ways men could only dream about. An unconquerable woman who allowed me to conquer her. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever called baby.”
“Yeah?” she whispered.
My fingers stroked down her neck. “Yeah.”
Her arms moved around my neck, and she scooted closer to me, her body sitting right on my hard dick. She placed her forehead against mine and closed her eyes, like just being with me was exactly what she wanted. She sacrificed her principles for me because I was the only man she wanted. She was annoyed when I burst into her apartment, showed up at the bar, demanded affection in front of everyone she knew, but she put up with it because I was worth it.
She was worth it.
We finished our lunch at the table, both tired because we didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Sleep came and went, depending on our mood. My sleep cycle had always been all over the place, but I usually went to sleep before sunrise and woke up sometime in the middle of the day. But I wasn’t like other men.
I didn’t need sleep.
When I was finished with my sandwich and chips, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at the time. “I should go.”
She didn’t object, probably because it was daylight, and the nighttime was what she feared. “Alright.”
I left my dirty dish behind and headed to the door.
She came up behind me, wearing her little pajama shorts and a white t-shirt. She never wore lingerie for me, but she didn’t need to. Her little shorts were enough for me, especially when they contrasted against her tanned skin like that.
I turned to her before I walked out the door. “See you later, baby.” My arm rested in the deep arch of her back, and I pulled her close to kiss her goodbye.
She never asked when she would see me again. Never texted me and demanded attention. She was either playing it cool, or she really wasn’t the kind that got attached. But she did kiss me like she usually did, like she could take me to bed any second. When she pulled away, her hands gripped the fabric of my shirt. “I’m gonna be busy for a while…”
I didn’t like that. “Busy doing what?”
“I haven’t spent much time with my dad, so I should visit with him. Damien also needs me to help him with something.”
“And that’s gonna take up all your time?” I asked sarcastically. Fuck, I was the clingy one.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “And I’m the jealous one?”
“I’m not jealous. Just don’t want you to blow me off.”
“I’m not blowing you off. I have other people in life besides you. I’m sure you do too.”
Not really. I had my brother, but the other people in my circle were in the Skull Kings. Not exactly friends, not exactly coworkers either. It was lonely at the top. “I don’t see why I can’t be the man in your bed when you get home.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how late I’ll be, and I’m a bit exhausted by our sleeping hours.”
“Would you rather me leave instead?” I snapped.
“Okay, you need to chill.” She raised her palm. “All I said was I would be busy for the next few days, and you’re acting like a lunatic.”
Why was I acting like a lunatic?
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed me goodbye. “I’ll see you later.”
A part of me wanted to argue, but I knew my anger was unfounded. I had shit to do anyway, so it wasn’t like I had much time to spare. I squeezed her ass before I walked out.
I sat at the table in the Underground, Steel across from me. He was on his third beer, but the reason he continued to order was because he enjoyed the attention of the new busty bartender. “Hey, sweetheart.” He grabbed his mug and tapped it against the table obnoxiously. “I’m running on empty over here.”
She didn’t display any attitude, but the look in her eye showed her displeasure. She served him another.
He watched her ass as she walked away.
I wasn’t impressed. Both her tits and ass weren’t all that great, not when I had a woman who had the whole fucking package.
“Fuck, she’s hot.” He drank from his glass then looked at me. “Where did you find her?”
“I didn’t. She’s a friend of one of the girls. Needed a job.”
“Good. I’m glad our girls have hot friends.” He slouched on the bench, his fingers around his frosted glass. “You don’t seem impressed.”
“Because I’m not.”
“Why is that?” he asked. “Did it work out with your lady friend?”
I didn’t talk about my personal life much. “We’re seeing each other.”
“Glad she came around.”
And I was glad she came around my dick all the time. “Anything new I should know about?”
Steel was about to answer when his eyes quickly darted to a different part of the room, somewhere behind me. The look lingered for a few seconds before he turned back to me, choosing to drink his beer instead of answering the question.
I knew something was up.
Then Vox approached, walking slowly with his eyes on Steel. He was a burly guy with midnight-black hair and a noticeable scar over his left eyebrow. He stopped next to Steel and stared down at him, silently commanding him to vacate his seat so he could speak to me in private.
Steel took the hint. “I just remembered I have to do something…” He grabbed his beer and walked away.
Vox watched him go before he lowered himself into the seat, his heavy body making the bench creak slightly because the wood was worn out from our weight over the years. With his arms crossed on the table, he stared at me with two wide eyes, his brown gaze vicious.
I ignored his display of intimidation by drinking from my beer. “Yes?” Vox had been a member of the Skull Kings long before I was. I was relatively new, only initiated when my brother brought me in. But I’d proved my worth in a short amount of time, and I was the only man Balto thought could handle the job in the current climate. Clearly, Vox was still pissed off about it.
“I don’t like the changes you’re making around here.”
“Oh.” I took another drink. “That’s too bad.” My voice remained sarcastic because I refused to care about what he wanted. I took the opinions of my men into consideration for everything that I did, but not this man.
His expression was hard like the face of a cliff, his grimace etched years ago in a permanent setting. “They aren’t going to work, and you know it.”
“If I knew they weren’t going to work, why would I do it?” I asked in a bored voice.
“I don’t know.” He leaned forward a little farther. “But I’m going to find out.” He held my stare, letting heartbeats pass. The rest of the men who were in the hall excused themselves so we could have complete privacy. Vox could be a good leader if he weren’t so cruel. He saw the world in black and white, couldn’t think about more complicated issues. Maybe that made him a better leader, but he seemed more ignorant to me. “You should work every minute of every day like someone’s trying to take your job away from you. Because there is.”
Thirteen
Catalina
My father stared at the chessboard, his fingers gliding across his lips as he tried to think of the best move to take me down.
I’d been kicking his ass so much lately that I’d decided to throw the game, so whatever move he made, it didn’t matter.
He finally grabbed his piece and made his move.
I forced a concentrated expression before I moved my piece, effectively setting me up for failure.
But he didn’t seem to notice and took a different route.
Wait, was he throwing the game on purpose?
“You seem distracted, sweetheart.”
“Me?” I asked in surprise. “No. I’m fine.”
It was his turn, so he looked at the board as he thought to himself. “So, Damien is gonna ask Anna to marry him.”
“Yep. I’m very excited.” I’d thought my brother would never settle down, let alone with a cool chick. He was so obnoxious that he seemed like someone who would pick a crazy-ass bitch, but thankfully, he’d fallen for someone I liked. “What do you think about her?”
“Anna?” he asked. “She’s lovely.”
“Yeah, I like her too.” We kept playing.
“What about you?”
“I said I like her.”
“No,” he said firmly. “Anyone special in your life?”
I kept my eyes on the board so I wouldn’t have to hide my reaction. “No.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, sweetheart. That surprises me.”
My dad never asked about my personal life, but since Damien was about to get engaged, he’d probably started to wonder if I was next. “Just taking my time finding the right guy…” I tried not to think about the Heath, the beautiful man in my bed who was definitely not the right guy. He was my dirty secret, the man who gave me what I wanted for the time being. But one day, he would be a good memory.
“There’s no rush,” he said. “You’re beautiful, smart, successful…don’t settle unless the guy is perfect.”
I gave a slight smile. “Alright, Dad.”
“You deserve the best.”
My eyes softened, and I tried not to stare at him. It was hard to control my emotions when I looked at him, was forced to look at his deep wrinkles and fading color. Seventy was too young to pass away, but my father seemed to struggle with cognitive problems, simple tasks, and it made me wonder if he wouldn’t be around much longer…or at least, his mind wouldn’t. I didn’t want to get married for five years, and I worried he wouldn’t be alive for that.
I wanted him to walk me down the aisle.
“Thanks.”
“You want to have children, yes?”
When he phrased it like that, he didn’t give me much room to disagree with him. “Yes.”
“Good. Damien told me Anna may not be able to have children.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. One miscarriage doesn’t mean she’s infertile. And even if she is, they’ll figure out a way. Damien is rich.”
“True.” Now he moved his pawn to set himself up for failure again.
He was throwing the game.
I narrowed my eyes on his face. “Okay, that’s the second time you’ve done that.”
“Done what?” he asked, acting innocent.
“You’re throwing the game.”
“How would you know unless you were doing the same?” He lifted his gaze, and despite his elderly appearance, he looked me hard in the eye like the leader he used to be, successfully intimidating me. “I may be old, but I’m not stupid, sweetheart. Never let a man win to make him feel good about himself. Never hide your intelligence and your success to make him feel better—that includes your father.”
A soft smile came over my lips because I’d underestimated my father. “Alright.”
“I mean it.” He raised his finger like he was scolding me. “If a man can’t handle your shine, he doesn’t deserve your sunlight at all.”
Summer was fading.
And I was devastated.
I sat on the patio with Anna and Damien, drinking wine while sharing a cheese board covered with dried fruits and nuts. “Ugh, I’m so mad.” I grabbed another bottle of my favorite Barsetti wine and refilled my glass.
“Why?” Anna asked, sitting close to Damien.
“I know,” Damien said with a bored look. “Because summer is almost over.”
Anna chuckled.
“My brother knows me so well.” I raised my glass then took a long drink. “That means in two months I won’t be able to wear my sundresses and my shorts…” I hated wearing jeans and sweaters. I hated being cold. I hated not going outside.
“Two months?” Damien asked with an eyebrow raised. “It’ll be November by then—”
“Shh!” I raised my finger and hushed him.
Damien rolled his eyes.
Anna kissed him on the cheek before she rose from her chair. “I’m gonna use the bathroom. Don’t fight with your sister while I’m gone.”
“That’s all we ever do,” he said as he watched her walk away.
She moved past the window and disappeared.
Damien grabbed his glass and took a drink.
“So…?” I leaned forward and swirled my glass.
“So…?” he asked sarcastically.
“When are you going to ask her?”
He glanced at the window to make sure she wasn’t around. “Can we not talk about that now?”
“She’s not a bat that can hear a mile away.”
He gave me a glare. “I know my woman is not a bat.”
“Come on, tell me. Are you gonna take her out to dinner? Take her on a trip?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“What?” I snapped. “You haven’t given it any thought at all?”
“She’s already been proposed to—twice.”
“So?” I snapped. “Not by you.”
“I don’t know…I can’t see myself getting on one knee in a restaurant.”
“Then don’t. Do it here.”
He shrugged again.
“Can you be romantic for like two seconds?”
“I am romantic,” he snapped.
“Then think of something—”
“Shut up, she’s coming.”
I took a big drink of wine and tried not to act suspicious.
Anna came back to the table and cut into her cheese like she didn’t notice anything. “I could eat cheese all day.”
“Girl, me too.” I cut off a fat slice and dropped it onto my plate along with some honey.
Damien turned back to the window when he saw Hades step inside. Hades looked out the window at us, then gave Damien a slight nod, like he wanted to talk in private. “Excuse me.” He left the table and headed inside.
I turned to the window and watched him walk up to Hades, the two of them looking serious like they were having an intense conversation. Hades was still in his suit as if he’d just come from the bank. He crossed his arms over his chest as he listened to Damien talk. “What do you think they’re saying?”
She shrugged. “No idea.”
“They look mad.”
“They always look mad.” She kept eating. “It’s probably something to do with business.”
Maybe I was just paranoid, but I feared they were talking about Heath…and me. But there was no way for Damien to figure that out unless he was trailing Heath…and there didn’t seem to be a reason to do that.
“Why are you so worried about it?” Anna must have recognized the unease on my face because she studied me as she smeared her cheese onto her slice of baguette.
I made up an excuse. “You know me… I always worry.”
Her expression became confused. “No. You’re the exact opposite.”
“Well, I’m maturing.” I excused myself from the table. “I’m going to go to the bathroom.”
“Alright…”
I stepped inside, and the second the men heard the door, they turned quiet, like they were discussing something they didn’t want to be overheard. They stood near the dining table, close together like they were plotting.
I pretended like I didn’t notice. “Damn, I’ve got to piss after chugging all that wine.” I walked to the bathroom and stepped inside, shutting the door loudly so they would think I was oblivious to them. But I quickly cracked it so I could overhear them if they spoke loudly enough.
They resumed their conversation like they believed my ploy.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea, Damien.” Hades moved his hands into his pockets, his head slightly bowed as he looked at my brother. “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you.”
“No. He needs to go.” He kept his voice low, but the rage was obvious in his tone.
Why did I feel like they were talking about Heath?
“So, what’s your plan? It has to be solid because if it backfires, you’ll be out of chances.”
Damien crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his voice a whisper just in case I could hear him across the room in the bathroom. “We put snipers on the roof. He’ll come to get the money on Friday night, and when he walks out with the money, the second he steps foot on the sidewalk, they pull the trigger.”
Shit, they were talking about him.
“If you kill him, you’re going to anger the rest of the Skull Kings. Then they’ll come after you to avenge their leader.”
“No. That won’t be a problem.”
Hades cocked his head slightly, confused by the statement.
“One of his guys came to me and assured me that wouldn’t happen. He’s been wanting to get rid of him since he came into power in the first place. He’ll take advantage of the situation and take over, get me off the hook. Win-win.”
Hades was quiet for a while, like he didn’t see any problems with that plan. “Then you have to make sure his men don’t see the snipers. And the snipers have to get that shot. Because if they miss and he’s in that armored truck, it’ll be over.”
“I know. I’ve got four of my best guys.”
Hades gave a slight nod and pulled his hands out of his pockets. “Then it should work.”
“Fuck yes, it’ll work. And that fucking piece of shit will finally get what’s coming to him.”
