Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Elian

“Seeing this?” Serano asked, standing in front of the TV in the living room the next morning, drinking some of Elizabeth’s coffee that I imagined he wouldn’t admit—even under torture—that he enjoyed.

She’d still been out cold when I’d come out to start making breakfast, but I figured her internal clock would have her getting up at any moment, so I started to make another cookie batter latte for her.

“What is it?” I asked, glancing over, but only able to make out the face of a female news anchor with her too-perfectly coiffed hair, making it bounce in one big unit as she nodded seriously.

“Senator woke up,” he said.

Almost as if on cue, Elizabeth’s phone started to ring. Going to voicemail. Then starting up again.

I walked over, toggling down the volume switch.

She didn’t need to deal with work stress because the asshole who’d almost gotten her killed multiple times now wanted to hold a goddamn press conference from his hospital bed.

“Good. Then she won’t feel guilty turning his ass in,” I said, shrugging, as I flipped the pancakes to reveal their golden sides. “Turn that off when you’re done. I don’t want that to be the first thing she sees.”

“Yeah, might kill the mood,” Serano said, clicking the TV off to shoot me a smirk, “if you’re planning on a round two this morning.”

“Don’t,” I said, tone a warning.

“Not my fault she’s not quiet. Shoulda told me that earplugs might be something I’d want to protect her privacy,” he said, bringing his empty plate back to the kitchen to set in the sink with his coffee. “You seem happy, though,” he said, looking at me.

“I am,” I said, nodding. “I’m glad she doesn’t have to go back there anymore.”

“Not what I meant.”

“No,” I agreed. “It wasn’t really what I meant either.”

With that, Serano turned and walked back out of the apartment.

I was just plating the last of the pancakes when I heard Elizabeth’s sweet voice cooing at Kevin who’d been in my room waiting for her to wake up.

“Come on, buddy, I think I smell coffee,” she said.

She appeared wearing nothing but one of my shirts. I swear to fuck, I’d never seen a better sight in my whole sorry life.

“Morning,” she said, coming up to me as I held out her latte.

“Morning,” I said, sweeping a quick kiss across her cheek.

“You made pancakes,” she said, sliding onto one of the chairs at the island.

“Pancakes and some egg scramble with bacon, cheese, and pepper.”

Reaching for it, she grabbed her plate and held it out at me with big, pleading eyes.

I loaded up her plate, trying not to let my mind wander to how she had a similar look on her face as she begged for my cock the night before.

“How’d you sleep?” I asked.

“Like the dead,” she admitted, telling the truth. She hadn’t even stirred when I’d slid out from under her and climbed out of the bed. She’d clearly needed that rest after all the stress. First of the campaign itself, then of the constant fear of assassination attempts.

“Any word on the senator?” she asked, pushing her pancakes into a pool of syrup, body going tense just at the thought of that asshole.

“He’s awake,” I told her, watching her head shoot up. “And, judging by how your phone has been ringing, I assume he wants to do some sort of statement or conference.”

Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded. “Yeah, it would be just like him to want to strike while the iron is hot to push his campaign. I’m glad he’s alive,” she said.

“But?” I prompted, hearing it hanging silently in the air.

“But I decided to turn the recording over. I just want to make a few copies of it. I figure if I give it to the press as well, it will force the police to investigate. That way, hopefully, the wheels will really start turning.”

“What about work?” I asked.

“I’m done, obviously. I will draft a resignation letter and send it out to everyone still working on the campaign. I imagine they will all be out of work once the news leaks the recording, though, so no one will care anyway. I’m sure the senator will hire some crisis management team in the hopes that he can keep his position at least until whatever charges he might face.”

“You really think he believes he can still win?”

“He’s had a ton of scandals over the years. Some, people like me managed to sweep under the rug. Others, they got out there. And he still has his seat. I think the world is so crazy lately that people’s memory is really short and their ‘give a damn’ is in short supply.”

“Yeah, honestly, I couldn’t tell you shit about any scandals local politicians have been caught up in unless they involved some sort of criminal organization.”

“Yeah,” she said, polishing off her breakfast. “So, that’s what I’m going to be doing today, I guess. Letter, anonymous emails to a bunch of newspapers and political vloggers. Then, eventually, I need to get to the police station.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “I do have some work today, but Serano or another of my guys will be here to keep an eye on you.”

“Will they be able to take me to the police station, or is that… not somewhere they would want to willingly go?” she asked, smirking at me.

“They can take you. Or you can wait for me. It’s up to you.”

“Okay,” she said, reaching for her coffee. “I’ll wait and see how the day goes and decide.”

“I’ll be home to make dinner,” I told her. “I planned to teach you how to make bolognese before all that mess went down yesterday. I have all the makings, if you’re interested in another cooking lesson.”

“Absolutely,” she agreed.

“It’s a date then,” I said as she came around the counter to bring her plate to the sink.

She shot me a sweet smile over her shoulder.

I meant to be out the door already, having plans to get work done early.

But when you had someone with all that pretty smiling at you while wearing your shirt, you didn’t rush away.

I closed the distance between us, pressing my front against her back, trapping her against the counter.

She leaned back into me, letting out a contented sigh.

“Hi,” she said, voice soft and sweet as she turned her face in toward my neck.

“Hi,” I said, my hands sliding up her thighs, taking the material up with me. “Like how this looks on you,” I said, feeling a little shiver move through her as my fingers caressed over her bare hips.

With her pressed up against me, there was no missing the hitch in her breath, the way she melted into me as my fingers moved up her stomach, stopping only when my hands covered her breasts.

A soft mewling sound escaped her at the touch as my hands squeezed, then as my thumbs and forefingers found her nipples and rolled them until she was wiggling her ass restlessly against my quickly-hardening cock.

One of my hands stayed planted between her breasts. The other tracked back down her belly, then slipped between her thighs.

“You’re so wet for me already,” I murmured as she rocked herself against my palm.

My thumb slid up, finding her clit, drawing a choked moan out of her as I started to work it in slow side-to-side motions that had her breathing going fast and shallow.

At her low whimper, two of my fingers slid down, slipped inside of her, feeling her walls tighten as she moaned and rocked her hips against my hand.

I worked her until her moans were filling the kitchen, until she was rocking her ass against my cock.

My fingers slid from between her thighs as I turned her, backing her up against the counter as my lips crashed down on hers.

Her hands were greedy, sliding down my back to sink into my ass, pulling me against her.

My hand slid into my pocket, tossing my wallet on the counter and digging inside for a condom as Elizabeth’s hands slid around to fumble with my belt, then my button and zipper, until she could reach inside, close her hand around my cock, and free me.

I stood there, foil in hand, letting her stroke me for a moment, until the need to be inside was too strong to deny for another second.

I reached between us, sliding on the protection, then reaching down, grabbing her under the knee and yanking her leg up, spreading her wide for me, then stepping in and sliding inside of her.

Elizabeth threw her head back on a moan as her walls tightened around me.

Her need was as impatient as mine, her hips rolling in small circles before I started to thrust. Long and deep at first, then faster as the need grew, as her fingers clawed at the material of my shirt, and my lips swallowed her deep moans.

Her body tightened right before the orgasm slammed through her, her pussy pulsing around my cock as the waves crashed over and over, her cries muffled by my neck as she leaned into me, holding on tight.

But I wasn’t done with her.

Not yet.

As her body started to go lax, I reached for her, turning her, pressing her flat across the surface of the island, her breath sucking in as the cold of it met her skin as I yanked the shirt up.

I moved inward, hand reaching out to massage her ass cheek with one hand as the other slid between her thighs again, teasing up her slick cleft, working her clit until she was whimpering and writhing again.

Then, holding her hips to keep her in place, I slammed inside of her and started to fuck her.

Hard.

Fast.

Using her hips to slam her back into me as I thrust forward, the sound of our bodies slapping together drowned out by Elizabeth’s cries as she got closer and closer, her pussy tightening around my cock, then spasming hard as she came, this time taking me with her, thrusting deep, and coming so hard I swear I fucking saw white for a second.

We both came back down slowly, our breathing evening out as I finally slid away from her, patting her ass one last time as I moved away.

By the time I tossed the condom and washed my hands, Elizabeth had pulled herself up from the island, and was watching me with heavy-lidded eyes, her cheeks flushed from her orgasms.

I’d be a happy fucking man to see her standing in my kitchen every single morning for the rest of my life.

It wasn’t exactly a startling realization. I wasn’t like some of the other guys in the family. I always knew I wanted to fall in love, wanted a wife and kids.

I’d just never come across the person I wanted to have that kind of future with.

Though, looking at Elizabeth, I had a sneaking suspicion I finally found that woman.

“No,” she said when I turned toward the sink. “I’ll do the dishes,” she added. “I’ll be here most of the day. It’s the least I can do.”

“You don’t need to do chores to feel like you earned your time at home,” I said, watching how her lips curved up at the idea of this being her home too.

Maybe it was about time to revisit the idea of expanding the two condos into one giant one. Construction took forever. Especially in the city.

Interrupting my thoughts, though, was the beep of my phone, likely Rico reminding me that I was supposed to be meeting him at the meat shop.

“You have to get going,” Elizabeth said.

“Yeah,” I said, walking over to press a lingering kiss to her lips. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. If you need anything, just ask Serano or whoever he has relieve him.”

“Okay,” she said, walking with me to the door, then giving me one last kiss before I left.

“Don’t,” I demanded when I walked into the hall to find Serano leaning against the wall to the other condo, a brow raised.

“Wasn’t gonna say anything,” he lied as I made my way to the elevator.

Running late, I rushed over toward the meat shop, finding a surprisingly long line waiting outside of the door with Rico himself holding the door open.

“You giving away something for free?” I asked, looking back at the line.

“Went over the books,” he said. “The old owners were up-charging an unconscionable amount. Decided to slash some prices to something more reasonable. We don’t really need the money,” he said, shrugging. “And the neighborhood has been struggling,” he added, passing the door to someone in the line, then moving inside with me.

Where a woman’s voice called out above the chatter, “Touch me again, and I’ll put your hand in the fucking meat grinder,” she called out. “I’ll make a goddamn sandwich out of you, then feed it to you.”

My brows shot up as I looked over toward where a woman was pushing through the crowd to get back behind the counter after, presumably, restocking something in the snack display.

She was on the shorter side with sleepy eyes, pouty lips, and her deep burgundy colored hair pulled back in a claw clip.

“You gonna let her talk to a paying customer like that?” the man who’d been copping a feel asked when his gaze landed on Rico.

Rico’s brow raised at that.

He might have let it slide, let the woman’s warning be enough.

But if this idiot was going to challenge him, Rico was going to rise to the occasion.

“Not only am I gonna let her talk to you like that,” he said, making the woman glance over, the tension in her shoulders loosening, “I’m gonna tell you to take your grab-assing hands and get the fuck outta my shop.”

“You can’t—“ the man started to object.

“Wanna bet?” Rico asked, taking a single threatening step forward.

Ballsy or not, these people knew who Rico was.

The man broke out of the line and rushed out of the shop, head ducked.

“Asshole,” Rico murmured, then knocked me in the chest with the back of his hand, and nodded toward the back of the building.

“What’s up?” I asked when we were in the back, the noise of the crowd out front muffled.

“The job went off last night,” he told me.

It actually took me a second to remember what the hell he was talking about. I’d been so wrapped up with Elizabeth that I’d lost track of the family business.

“How’d it go?” I asked.

“Successfully, more or less. The job was done. The Lincolns are staking out the Brook Boys. Seems like it’s just a matter of time before shit really starts to blow up.”

“Any idea what the Russians are doing?”

“Thought that was your job,” he said, watching me.

“I was… busy last night.”

“Yeah, heard about that,” he agreed, but there was disapproval in his tone.

“Figure, one day, you might get it, man,” I said, shrugging.

“It’s like that, huh?” he asked.

“Looking like it,” I agreed.

“You guys are dropping like flies,” he said.

“We’re getting older,” I reminded him. “Starting to think about shit like settling down, having families.”

“Not me, man,” he said, shaking his head as he shuffled some papers around his desk.

“Famous last words,” I said, something he promptly ignored. But I had to admit, it would be interesting as hell seeing someone so married to his work like Rico getting knocked on his ass by a woman. “Anyway, does Renzo need anything from me today?”

“Eager to get back to your woman?” he asked.

“I got some shit to handle today, but I wanted to know if there’s something else I should make time for.”

“Nothing that I know of yet. But keep an ear for your phone today. Just in case shit hits the fan with one of the gangs or the Bratva, if they know what we did.”

“Got it,” I agreed.

“Need anything for dinner?” he asked, waving out toward the shop.

“Doesn’t look like you’re gonna have anything left,” I said, making my way out the back door.

My main job at the moment might technically be the Russians. But I had some other things I needed to handle with my small crew. The whole while, all I kept thinking about was how to expand, get more money kicking up to me. I was comfortable. But raising a family was expensive. And my mind was suddenly focused on shit like weddings and babies, college tuitions, all the things that came with adding new branches to your family tree.

I was so distracted that I almost walked right past Serano when I saw him on the street.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

To that, he shrugged.

“Cinna brought your sister by to hang out, told me I could get lost for a bit. Got some food,” he said, waving toward the pizza place he was standing out front of. “‘Bout to head back,” he added.

I was debating whether I should cut my day short and head back with him when my phone started ringing in my pocket.

I reached for it, anticipating Rico.

But it was Cinna’s name on my screen.

I knew before I even swiped to answer and heard her panicked voice on the other end that something had just gone terribly wrong…