32. Zeke

32

ZEKE

W hile Vito was getting his X-rays, I’d stood in the hallway waiting. Dom had dropped off some sweatpants and a T-shirt, and I’d quickly changed out of my sweaty workout gear. Now that Vito was resting, I was back out in the hallway preparing to call Coach Martin. I checked the score of our game. We’d won 2-0, thank God. I wished I’d been there. Maybe I could’ve helped to make the score higher, but at least I didn’t fuck us over by leaving. That was what really mattered. It would’ve been a more difficult conversation with Coach if we’d lost.

A small part of me was hoping he wouldn’t answer, that I could just leave him a message, but it only took a few rings before his gruff voice came on the line. “Where the fuck are you?”

“I’m with my fiancé. He fell down a flight of stairs into the basement at a friend’s house and?—”

“Damn. Is he okay?”

“Yes, he’s got a sprained wrist and a whole lot of bruises. He needs rest, but he’s going to be all right.”

“That’s good, but the way you handled the situation was not. And what the fuck do you mean fiancé?”

“We’ve been keeping things pretty private, but?—”

“You haven’t even been in Boston that long. How the hell are you engaged already?”

“It happened fast, but I feel good about this. He’s the one.”

“Don’t you ever walk out of the arena again without talking to me. I ought to fucking suspend you.”

“If you need proof that?—”

Coach snarled. “I don’t need fucking proof. I need to know where my players are, and I should be told in person when an emergency happens, especially when it’s right as we’re about to go out on the ice.”

“I’m sorry. I fucked up. I know I did.” I wanted to plead with him not to suspend me, but I was ready to take whatever punishment I deserved.

“I need you in the game next week and it sounds like you had a legitimate emergency. You break the rules again, and I will put you on the bench. If I have to, I’ll kick you right off this team, no matter how damn good you’ve been playing lately.”

I smiled, glad he couldn’t see me. It meant so much for him to say that.

“When do I get to meet this fiancé?”

“Soon.”

“You’re a damn good addition to this team as long as you have your head in the game. If you’d left after I’d turned in the lineup, we’d be having a different conversation. I’m giving you a pass on this one screwup, but if you pull a stunt like this again?—”

“I swear nothing like this will happen again. I’ll find you first if some other emergency ever comes up. Hopefully it won’t.” I doubted that, knowing Vito’s lifestyle, but I couldn’t tell that to Coach.

“You’d better not be even one second late to our next practice and be prepared for an extra hard workout.”

“You got it, Coach.”

“Good night.” He ended the call, and I blew out a long breath. I walked back into the bedroom.

“Everything okay?” Vito asked.

“Yes. He’s not even going to punish me. I thought I’d at least have to miss the next game, but Coach said he was giving me this one screwup as a freebie since I left before he’d turned in the lineup. If I’d made them play a man down, things would have been worse, but I’d still have left.”

Vito frowned. “But your career is so important to you.”

I sat on the bed next to him. “Not as important as you. When Liam called and said Benito had you, it was clear to me. You mattered more than the game, more than anything. I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.”

“I’m supposed to be the one protecting you.”

“I think it works a lot better if we protect each other. Plus, I’m the one who started this whole mess. I wasn’t going to let my mistakes end up causing you to get hurt or….”

“I was such a fucking idiot. I should’ve waited for everyone, but I just felt like I had to make sure Benito was going to show up when he was supposed to. Then I ended up wrecking the plan.”

“He’s dead. That’s what matters.”

“Damn right it is,” Dom said as he walked into the room. Why had I left the fucking door open?

“What about everyone else?” Vito asked.

“Val is taking care of them with Devil and Angelo for backup.”

“I could have done that.”

Dom raised his brows. “You’re injured, you don’t have to do anything but heal. There’s plenty of stuff you do that Val could do and vice versa. You’re a good team.”

“Really?” Vito looked stunned.

Dom ran a hand over his hair. “I know I’m hard on you, but that’s because I know what this life is like and what it takes to survive. Jesus, if you’d ever met my father….”

“I’ve heard plenty about him.” Vito’s tone let me know none of it was good.

Dom nodded. “I don’t think he ever said anything nice to me my entire life.”

“Then you’ve already done a lot better than he did,” Vito said.

“Maybe I have. I love you, Vito, just like I love your brother. You are a part of this family, and you matter. We’ve got your back. You don’t have to do anything on your own.”

“So I’ve proven myself by doing exactly what I wasn’t supposed to do?”

Dom rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t say that exactly, but you’ve shown me a lot. I’ve learned from you and from Val, so that’s good.”

Vito held out his arms for a hug and his father embraced him. Tears stung my eyes as I watched the two of them. I wasn’t sure they’d ever hugged like that before.

When Dom pulled back, he turned away and brushed at his eyes.

“I need to catch Lucien up on the last of the men Val tracked down.”

“No one gave you any trouble?”

“They didn’t have a fucking chance after Val found out what happened to you. Did you think he was going to let any of them have time to get off a shot?”

Vito smiled. “No fucking way.”

“He might’ve been almost as fast as Zeke was with Benito.”

He rushed to my face, and I was sure my cheeks were turning red. “You heard about that?”

“I always get a very detailed report on what happens in an incident like this. Good job by the way. I think we’ll make a true Marchesi out of you.”

“Are you going to start coming to more games?”

Dom looked away for a moment, then he turned and faced me fully, even letting me see the scarred side of his face.

“I can’t promise to be there all the time, but I’d like to come see you play again.”

“I asked Zeke to marry me,” Vito said.

Dom’s eyes widened. “I guess when you know what you want you really don’t hesitate.”

“It was really because?—”

Vito held up a hand, stopping me. “It was because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and if now is the best time for us to get engaged, then it is.”

Dom gave me a questioning look.

“I told my coach I had a family emergency, and a fiancé counts as family.”

“You are part of this family. If your coach he gives you any trouble you, send him to me.”

I stared in shock as he walked out the door.

“Did he really just….”

“Yes.” Vito reached out and pulled me against him. I lay down, resting my head on his chest, careful to avoid his sore ribs.

“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”

“Yes. When you were on your own with no one but your distant grandparents and I was on the street with my brother, who would have thought we’d ever be where we are right now?”

“I never would have, but I’m so fucking lucky.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m the lucky one.”

I shifted position so I could and look down at him. I brushed my thumb across his lips. “I don’t suppose I could take you home now?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” His smile made heat run through me.

I drove across town almost as quickly as Vito would have. He kept teasing me, running his hand up and down my thigh, barely brushing my cock that was already hard and ready for him, then going back to a slow teasing caress along my neck.

“That’s enough, or you’re going to make us have a wreck.”

He chuckled. “I love getting you all flustered like this.”

“At least I know you really are feeling okay.”

“I feel fucking fine. I feel better than I have in a really long time.”

“I know you’re sore and your arm and ribs need to heal.”

“I’m still going to fuck you.”

“Actually, you’re going to lay down and keep your arm still, and I’m going to ride your cock until you’re so desperate to come you can’t hold back.”

He made a strangled noise, and I grinned. “Now who’s got who flustered?” I slid into my parking space in the garage, threw the SUV into park, and cut the engine. “Wait for me to help you.”

“You don’t—” I cut him off with a glare, then circled the car, opened his door, and helped him out.”

He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Thanks.”

“Any time.” I motioned for him to follow me to the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, I crowded him into the back wall and kissed him thoroughly. I didn’t even notice we’d stopped until the doors opened on the lobby level. An older woman stepped on and gave us an amused glance.

We both laughed, then looked away. Finally, we reached my floor and hurried down the hall to my apartment. I got the door open as fast as I could and pulled Vito inside.

He started to reach for me, then realized his arm was still in the sling. When he started to take it off, I shook my head. “I won’t let you make your injury worse. Let me take care of you, you’ve done that enough for me.”

“You fucking shot a man for me today, Zeke. I think that’s a whole fucking lot.”

“Then trust me. I think I can manage to undress you.”

He grinned. “You really think so?”

“I do. Now, get in the bedroom.”

Vito did as he was told, and I followed him. I removed his sling, lifting it over his good arm, then his head, before easing it down his injured arm, then carefully pulled off his shirt. “That’s better. Are you going to hold your arm still against you or do I need to put the sling back on?”

Vito glared at me. “Do you think you’re taking control today?”

“For now. If you want a chance to fuck me, you’re going to have to do what I say.”

“Zeke.”

“Relax. I want this, but I don’t want to hurt you. Please promise me you won’t do anything to injure your arm more. It’s going to take long enough for it to heal as it is, I don’t need to listen to you whine about the sling for even longer.”

“Asshole.”

“You love me.”

“Yes, I fucking do.”

I undid his jeans and pushed them down, taking time to cup his ass cheeks and tease my fingers into his crack.

“If you don’t want me to take over, you better get on with this,” he said.

I just rolled my eyes and finished shoving his pants and boxers to the floor. He toed out of his shoes and stepped free of his pants. I pulled off his socks, then rose back to my feet.

“Go and lay down on the bed. I want you to rest your arm by your head, and I expect you to keep it still.”

“I’ll get you back for this.”

“I have no doubt you will, and I’ll enjoy that very much, but right now you’re going to do what I say.”

Despite his protest, Vito’s cock was hard, and precum dripped from the tip. After scowling at me for another moment, he did as he was told. I moved around the side of the bed, took a pillow, and placed it under his arm. “How does that feel?”

“It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“I want you to be more than fine. I want you happy, and I want your arm as comfortable as it can be.”

“In a few minutes, I’m not even going to feel it. Once you’re riding my cock, you could probably cut it off and I wouldn’t know.”

I scowled at him. “Vito.”

“My arm is comfortable. Thank you.”

“You’re fucking welcome.”

“Good. Now get your damn clothes off.”

“I’m working on it.”

As he watched, Vito said, “I can’t believe you left the tracker in your jacket.”

“After everything that happened, I’m not sure I’ll ever take it out, and I think you should have one too. What made you decide to wear my jacket?”

“It smelled like you. I already missed you, even though we’d only been apart for a little while.”

I grinned. “You’re so cute.”

“Shut up.”

I pulled my T-shirt over my head and quickly got out of my sweatpants. Once I was fully naked, I climbed on the bed, positioning myself between his legs.

He smiled up at me. “You mentioned riding my cock.”

“And you’d like me to get on with that?”

“I would.”

“I think I’m going to enjoy this chance to have you at my mercy.”

“I’m not?—”

“Shut up and enjoy it.” I pushed his legs up. “Does that hurt your knee?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt my fucking knee, just get on with it.”

“So impatient.” I swiped my tongue across this hole, and he gasped.

“Yeah, definitely get right on with that….”

I laughed, letting him feel my warm breath, then I flicked my tongue back and forth, teasing him before pushing it inside as I toyed with his balls and teased his cock. I loved the way he lifted his hips, trying to get my tongue deeper as I opened him up.