Last Stand

Elizabeth

I stayed with Nero that night. He had a spare room in the back of Ray’s, and we lost ourselves in each other for what could have been our last night together.

I had no experience with disputes like this; only what could be heard on the news, read in papers, discussed with friends in a café. But it was very real that Alec Lorenzo had my father. He wanted to kill the man that I had come to care for. I was caught in the middle, in a situation that I had never thought that I would need to prepare for.

We got undressed once everything settled down. I didn’t have any clothes to change into, so it was down to my underwear. I had a feeling of deep apprehension about me, like this was going to be the last time that we would be together. I wish that I could have called them silly fears – but disputes like this ended in bloodshed. I didn’t know how to manage those feelings, the hopelessness.

I went to Nero.

He got into the bed first, and I followed. I lay beside him, quiet for a moment, my heart beating. I didn’t think we would make love. We weren’t lovers, I had to remind myself. But I needed to feel him, I needed him inside me and I wanted to, at least one last time, to have him bring me to the heights of pleasure he had time and time again.

“Take me,” I breathed out, pressing a kiss to his neck. “Please?”

He didn’t deny me, and my body sang out as he laid me back on the bed. He kissed me, starting from my neck and working his way down. My bra was undone, moved out of the way so that his kisses could reach my breasts, his tongue darting out to flick over one teasingly before he suckled on it fully. It sent shocks of pleasure through my body, and my hands pushed into his hair as he made his way lower and lower. His mouth and teeth brushed over my stomach, rising goosebumps on my skin.

When he got between my legs, he moved my panties out of the way, sliding them off my hips and down my legs. I let him between them, keeping my legs spread, bent at the knee. He took me in, bare naked beneath him, sex exposed and wet already, wanting him.

“You’re damn gorgeous, you know?”

My face flushed, and before I could reply to it, his mouth was at my thighs. I gasped, rising my hips up to him in need. He obliged, his tongue coming out to lave between my folds, trail up to the wanting bud that had me moaning when his tongue circled it.

“Oh, Nero… that feels so good.”

His hands kept my thighs spread apart as his mouth loved me, tongue always nestled deep against my womanhood or lips suckling at that pleasurable bud that kept me wet and my insides fluttering. It was so much, so good, and almost became too much when his mouth remained at my pleasure spot, and his fingers slipped inside me.

They weren’t as thick as his length, but they didn’t to be. They were long and reached deep, stroking against intimate spots that had me rolling my hips with him. In and out, spreading, his fingers kept me going and going, until I was panting for him, back arching as I came over his fingers, a flood of pleasure wetting them further.

“Please, Nero, don’t stop…”

It was like a godsend when he pulled his fingers from me, only to replace them with his member. The swollen head pressed eagerly against my open sex, and he slipped in with an ease from how much I wanted him. My arms went around his shoulders, my legs to his waist as he began to thrust inside me. It always felt so full like this, so magnificently full and wonderful and I loved the way he fit inside me just right – thick and long, never painful though and he always reached those deep pleasure spots inside my womanhood that made me moan his name.

It shouldn’t have felt so loving, the way he moved inside me, but it did. I felt loved in his arms as he kissed me, marked my body with his touches. Everything was heightened since I had reached my climax once already, and it was a high to be so close again, this time with what I really wanted.

I pulled his face to mine, kissing him deeply, desperately. Words on the tip of my tongue I dare not say, but I put the feeling into the way I delved my tongue into his mouth, in how I nibbled and sucked on his lip. I hoped he could feel it, too, in how I clung so readily to him, wishing that we could spend the rest of our lives like this, our bodies entwined together.

When we came, it was together. My body arched into his, and he pressed fully into mine. His seed and my satisfaction mixed together, a sweet medley between my thighs that ran out when he slipped from inside me. We lay there together, wrapped in each other. I pressed my lips to his shoulder, nibbling on his skin as I breathed heavily. Perhaps it was greedy of me, but I wanted him again, and again. I hadn’t had nearly enough to be satisfied with him.

Nero had similar ideas, it seemed. His hand trailed between my legs, prying my thighs open. His fingers ran through the evidence of our completion, easily sliding in and out of my sex. He had grown soft, though that didn’t deter me from taking him in my hand, stroking him as he slid in and out of me. With a moan and a hungry growl, he rolled so that he could press me to the bed, kissing me in full once more.

We didn’t sleep anytime soon that night. I wished that it could have stayed that way.

The next day, we began preparations. I had never spent much time at Ray’s, aside from the occasional time that Nero would insist we had drinks there. No one bothered us. I think it was because Nero knew that I didn’t feel comfortable in the beginning. Now though, I didn’t mind being there. Ironically, it felt safe, like it was where I needed to be.

Nero had Ray’s closed, the only people there were of his own crew. The lot was filled with their bikes, and the inside of the bar was filled with them. His right-hand man, Adrien, was organizing everything.

“Make sure families are doubled up so there’s no surprises in case they decide to target innocents. We’ll go on patrols to watch the roads and make sure everything is clear. Fabian, you’re riding with me and Nero. And you.” Adrien looked over at me, smiling even with the seriousness. “Nero said you’re going to ride with him.”

I looked over to Nero in surprise. “I’m going with you?”

“I spoke to Alec earlier. I told him you had informed me that he wanted to meet, and that I would be interested in talking. He seemed to be pleased with that. We set it up on neutral ground, he wants you there – no doubt to be there for the big reveal of betraying me.” He rolled his eyes. “Either way, he wanted you there. You’ll be on my bike with me.”

Though I was terrified, I accepted this. Of course I would need to be present; it was the only way to make this look authentic. I didn’t know what more would need to be done on my part, but those questions were soon answered.

The plan was this. We would ride out, as planned. I would go along with whatever Alec said, and go to his side, as if it were true that I was turning coat from Nero. I didn’t know how good of an actress I would be, but I only needed enough time and to be close enough to distract Alec so that Nero could shoot him. The thought of being a part of a murder should have terrified me, but in a way I found relief. This whole ordeal would be over soon. My father would be released, I would never have to deal with the Lorenzo’s again. The only thing that I worried about was the fact that with the Lorenzo leader gone, what would bind myself to Nero?

Only time would tell.

I clung to Nero from the back of his bike. We zipped along the backroads, heading to the warehouse that would serve as neutral ground for Nero and Alec’s meeting. I had never been on the back of a bike before, and perhaps in another setting, it would have been thrilling or even exciting. Rather, I kept my eyes closed, pressing my face into Nero’s back as we rode. Honestly, I just wanted all of this to be over. My stomach was in knots.

When we got the warehouse, the Lorenzo’s were already there. They had three cars parked out front, with Alec and his small party standing out and waiting for us. He gave me a deep smile as we stood across from each other. There was a silence, before Alec spoke.

“Elizabeth, darling. So good to see you again. Come here.”

I swallowed. There was the urge to look back at Nero, for confirmation. But that would just make Alec suspicious. I did as told, walking forward.

“What are you doing?” Nero asked behind me, bluffing apprehension.

“You can’t have possibly thought after everything that you made her go through, that she would actually remain on your side now, would you? That you would mean more to her than her father? Come on now, boy. I know you’re not that dumb.”

I hated the way that he spoke to Nero. Down to him, like a child. I said nothing though, and tried to keep my anger off my face as I came to stand beside Alec. His arm came across my shoulder, pulling me close to his body.

“What’s this about?” Nero asked. He eyed between Alec and I, a narrowed look at Alec’s arm over me before settling his glare on Alec.

“A set-up,” Alec said. “A ruse. Your girl was in it with me, to save her stupid gambling father and to give me what I wanted. Your life in exchange for freedom. I just needed a meeting with you; we’ve avoided this face-to-face for so long, but now I’ve got you across from me. You have to know that this will end in a fight.”

Nero smirked.

“Do I?”

Suddenly, the two men with Alec pulled out guns. Instead of pulling them on Nero, however, they pointed them to where Alec and I stood. My eyes widened; had this been a part of the plan, too? I didn’t have time to think about it fully before Alec jerked me in front of him, his own gun out, and pressed to my temple.

“You lying little bitch,” he said, though he was oddly not angry; he sounded amused. “No matter. You’re not going to proceed if her life is in danger, are you? I doubt it. Put them down or her life is my retribution and I will have it one way or another today.”

It all happened so fast. One moment, the gun was at my head, my life flashing before my eyes. The next, one of the men beside us had knocked Alec to the side. The sound of a gun went off, and then another. I fell to the ground, covering my head. I didn’t know if I’d been shot. I didn’t know if Alec had been shot. I felt numb, aside from the heavy pounding in my ears that made my head feel like it was going to explode.

I had never felt a fear like that. The gripping kind that had me thinking that maybe today was my last on earth. There was shouting all around, and I thought that I had heard someone call my name. I couldn’t raise my head though – wouldn’t – too afraid to face whatever was waiting for me. I didn’t even notice the tears flowing down my face until I felt them drip down along my chin, and when I did they came out like a waterfall, wetting everything in their path.

Let it be over, just please, let it be over.

I don’t know how long it was. It felt like years and years, like my whole life had existed in that one moment. Boots crunched against the gravel towards me, but still I didn’t look up.

“Hey, Elizabeth. It’s alright. Come on. It’s all over.”

I peeked up to see Nero looking down at me. I sighed, the sound of relief coming out of me easily. I practically launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around him. I didn’t even pay attention to the now-dead body of Alec Lorenzo, bleeding out on the ground beside me.

“I thought the worst. I thought he was going to shoot me, or kill you. I thought –”

My words were silenced as Nero kissed me, sweeter than anything he’d ever given me since I’d come to him. I melted into it easily, clinging to him. The realization that I was alive, and he was alive, that we were free of Alec Lorenzo’s influence and yet still he poured such emotion into his kiss…

I nuzzled my nose against his when he pulled away.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” I said to him.

“Me too,” he said. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you.

After that, word spread quickly of Alec Lorenzo’s death. Most of his men either ransacked his place for valuables, or left town in fear of being next. There was no such retaliation, at least not on Nero’s part; he was done with all of that business; he’d only been trying to keep himself alive. We retrieved my father, who’d been kept at a Lorenzo safe house. Slowly, steadily, the pieces began to fall together.

It was a month after the death of Alec Lorenzo that Nero and I really had time alone. I had gone to Ray’s, deciding to speak with him in the back. He seemed prepared for me, though a bit nervous. To be fair, I was nervous, too.

I sat across from him, like I had all that time ago. I folded my hands in my lap.

“Nero—”

“Stay with me,” he blurted out. I looked at him, puzzled.

“What?”

“Whatever your’ about to say, forget it. I don’t care how we met, or what happened during, or what you were supposed to come to me for. Stay with me. You’re more to me than what this started out as. I know I’m not the idea man you’d have chosen. But Alec is dead. I don’t have to look over my shoulder anymore. You don’t have to pay your father’s debts. All I want in life now is for you to stay with me. I don’t need the bar. I don’t even need the women; I haven’t had another one since I realized I wanted you. So please. Stay with me.”

I smiled.

“Okay.”

Five is a Good Number

Nero

The sound of small feet running on wood had become routine. Fresh-cooked breakfast first thing in the morning, coffee brewing and tea steeping. Things I had only ever thought I would be able to have in my dreams, were reality.

We moved not too long after we got together, officially, Elizabeth and I. I gave run of the bar and the boy for Adrien; he liked all that excitement more than I did, anyway. They were sad to see me go, but I had more important things to think about, and the prospect of a new life ahead of me to look forward to.

It was unconventional, what Elizabeth and I had. But really, when had anything in my life ever been conventional? From my childhood to my adulthood, to meeting Elizabeth. I had lost my way… lost sight of what I knew I wanted in my life, forced to live what my father had left behind. Elizabeth changed that.

We sat on our front porch together. We had a huge front yard, big enough for the kids to play. Kaya, the oldest, Jay, the middle, and Emery the youngest – at least for now. They all ran around the yard, Kaya with her pigtails flowing wildly behind her as the younger two chased her. They were the cops, and she the robber, apparently. It was their favorite iteration of tag and neither Elizabeth or I were inclined to make them stop.

“They’re getting so big,” she said beside me. For a moment I thought she was just referring to the three out in the yard, yelling and playing like the world was theirs. I looked over to her, seeing her hands rested on her swollen stomach. Oh. She meant those ones. I smiled.

I reached over, placing my hand over hers as they rested over our growing children in her womb. Twins, this time, and I had said to her wryly that I had always known that five would be my number – hadn’t mattered how the five had come about. They often left her worn out, and tired, but oh so happy as she thought about bringing another set of our children into the world.

It couldn’t have made me happier, either.

“It’s just a few months now, isn’t it?”

“Thank God. I feel like I’m already ready to burst. They kick like they’re trying to punt a football, only I’m the only thing they’re managing to hit.” I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“Remember how bad Kaya was when she started to kick? You swore it was the worst.”

“Because she always managed to get me while I was trying to sleep, and she was an unrelenting baby.”

We sat, we reminisced. There wasn’t the bustle of the city or the smog of bar smoke. There wasn’t the threat of debts of mafia leaders out to kill. We had what we had always wanted – a family, a simply life, and someone to love deeply.