Chapter Twenty-Six
Austin
Andreas glares and I glare back. “Someday you’ll act like a boss, boss.”
“And someday you’ll stay out of things that don’t concern you, fuck head.”
“Name calling, I’m impressed.”
“Fuck you!”
He only laughs.
“Why the hell do I make other men shake in their boots but you have no fear?” I ask.
Andreas looks down at his feet for a moment and then meets my gaze again. “You’re loyal. You protected Victor with your life and earned my respect. You’re straight up and I respect that too. Victor thought of you as a son. He knew what he was doing when he left you his territory. The other men feel the same. I’m ready to take over your old job and serve you or help the person you choose to do it. You just need to step in and fill the right shoes. They’re not too big for you.”
He’s pegged the entire problem in a few short sentences. I don’t feel I can fill Victor’s shoes because no one can. “You know I’d kill you if I had to.”
He shakes his head and smiles. “That I’ve never doubted. What the hell are we going to do about your woman?”
I don’t hesitate. “I’ll be paying her a visit this evening and you won’t be tagging along.”
“Moon has the best security I’ve seen and Victor’s was up there. You could take a few lessons while you’re inside. That is, if they allow you to leave.”
“I’ll be leaving and have Melina with me. You can count on it.”
We leave the hotel at midnight and I have Andreas drop me off a mile from Moon’s property. I leave my weapons with him, which he doesn’t like. I don’t think Melina would appreciate it if I kill one of her new friends. With a gun, that’s possible. My head isn’t working right or I wouldn’t be attempting this foolhardy mission. Andreas is staying back, but it took a few threats to gain his cooperation. He likes his cojones right where they are. That threat finally sank in.
I jog through the brush and approach the iron fence. Even after midnight the desert is fucking hot. I thought southern Cal. was bad. I wipe my hands on my pants legs before I begin to climb the fence. I make it over and leap to the ground. I know Moon has dogs, but I don’t see them. So far so good. I don’t want to kill one of his animals, but I’ll do it if forced. Andreas gave me his small pocketknife, which the guard returned before we left.
My fight with Gomez was eye-opening. If Moon hadn’t stopped it, one of us would be in the hospital or dead. It felt good. I rub my sore jaw. I’ve wanted to tangle with Gomez for years. Hopefully we’ll have another chance. Right now I expect a bullet in my back from one of the guards. It’s actually disappointing that Moon’s security doesn’t see me. I approach the house and stop cold when a voice comes from the shadows.
“Second floor, third window,” Moon says quietly.
“Fuck, you had to do it this way?”
“Your woman, your problem. You just need to figure out how to make it right.”
“Don’t suppose I can enter through the front?”
“Don’t suppose.”
Fucking Moon. He has an uncanny knack for knowing what the hell I’m thinking. I can’t be that obvious.
There are few handholds, but I manage to gain the second floor after a lot of effort. I check the window and find that it’s unlocked. I slide it up and hoist my legs through followed by the rest of me. There’s enough moonlight to see Melina in the bed. She’s kicked off the covers, and the nightshirt she has on rides up her thigh and stops at her ass, which is what’s facing me. She doesn’t stir when I crawl into bed beside her.
I just look for several minutes and admire the shadows of ink on her exposed shoulder. I’ll never apologize for tattooing her because she’s mine and it’s time she knows it. I lean over and gently kiss her shoulder. She stirs but doesn’t come fully awake. I raise the nightshirt a bit more, running my fingers over silky skin, and gently bite her shoulder. I cover her mouth before she screams.
“Making noise is not advised right now. Shake your head if you’ll be quiet. I only want to talk.” That’s a fucking lie but I need an in. Moon isn’t likely to let me take her and I won’t place her in danger. She needs to come willingly. Her head moves slightly up and down and I release her mouth. My fingers move farther up her thigh.
“I want you,” I tell her.
“No,” she whispers back. “You want to beat me or piss on me. That’s not about want, it’s about control.”
“You want me too,” I breathe and move my hand to her inner thigh and trail upward until my fingers slide across the crotch of her panties.
“I don’t want you to beat me or piss on me. That’s the difference.”
“What do you want?” I run my bearded stubble across her cheek and push her panties aside and find my target. Her skin shivers beneath my other hand and I know she’s turned on.
“Honestly?”
“Always,” I say without really hearing her. I have one goal and it intensifies when my fingers discover how wet she is.
“I want time. I want a man who won’t use me for revenge. I want a man who doesn’t need to claim me to know I’m his.”
I slide one finger through her wet heat. “You want me to fuck you. You want me to beat you. Pissing on you will only happen if you want it.”
“I’ll never want that,” she moans as another finger strokes inside. “I don’t want you to beat me with a belt either.”
She’s such a delightful little liar. “I don’t need to use a belt and I won’t beat you tonight.” This time her moan is so loud I cover her mouth again. I move back suddenly, flip her completely to her stomach, and push the pillow closer to her head. “Bite the pillow if you need to scream.”
“Moon will kill you for coming here,” she groans and buries her face in the pillow when I add a third finger. I release her and quickly pull her panties off and relieve myself of my pants, taking my boxers down with them. I push her legs apart and enter her in one clean stroke. Her tight, wet pussy welcomes me. She’s so fucking hot. I’ve never needed a woman like I need her. Beating her is not on my mind now. Fucking her to death is a worry.
She cries out when I pull back and slam inside her again. My hand wraps around her throat as I increase my pace and the force of my thrusts. She makes a strangled sound when I apply the pressure, but she keeps her ass up so I have better leverage. I pound her tight hole as the ache builds in my balls. She’s the only woman to get me off without pain. She’s the only woman I even want to try with.
My thoughts turn to pure animal need. I drive in and out, releasing the pressure on her throat and then tightening it again. I could easily lose myself and forget she needs to breathe, so I work hard at making sure she has enough oxygen.
I finally rise to my knees and lift her ass higher as I pound harder and faster. My fingers will leave bruises and I don’t fucking care. She might think she doesn’t want a man to claim her but that’s too damn bad. She’s part of me and I’m part of her.
Her pussy clenches around me and she cries out. She pulls the pillow tighter to her face and screams into it. I’m no longer holding her throat and can’t control her shout. Good girl, I think to myself and then completely stop thinking as the tide of my orgasm takes me.
We lay entwined while catching our breath. I run my hand over her back along the ink I can barely see.
“Am I yours?” she asks a few minutes later.
“Yes,” I breathe into her hair.
She wiggles a bit and looks at me in the dark. “What does that mean?”
I run my palm over her cheek until I’m cupping the side of her head. “It means I’ll come get you after I kill your brother. We’ll be married in Vegas the next day. It means you’ll be safe and by my side forever.” I lean in and kiss her. We make out like teenagers for the next hour and then make love again. Now that I know what that is, I can’t get enough.
She falls asleep in my arms and though I don’t want to leave her, I climb out the window.
Gomez waits for me this time. “You plan on returning anytime soon?”
“After Fernandez is dead. Take care of her for me.”
“If you hurt her, I’ll kick your ass again.”
“You’ll try and one of us will end up dead.”
“I have a good woman to live for, so it won’t be me.”
“I feel you.”