Johnny leaned back against the wall, quietly listening to his father work the agent over. The gentle scrape, scrape, scrape of his knife against his nails went totally unnoticed. He’d been patiently watching his old man since he was about eight. The man was an interesting piece of work, one of the few remaining true grifters. He intentionally adapted his demeanor to suit each new situation. With the members of his crew, he was stoic and demanding. With business partners, he threw in a little more finesse and flexibility to get a deal done. With the ladies, he played the outgoing mysterious mobster card, with just enough charm to keep them coming back for more. The one constant was his ability to become whatever others wanted to see.

The lady agent was polite and professional. Obviously used to dealing with men in suits having a position of authority over her, she called him sir. Called him sir but didn’t mean it. There was something about the inflection of her voice. When she wasn’t speaking directly to him, stealing away his ability to think, she was much easier to read.

At first he’d thought her rather innocent. Even doubted she’d ever been exposed to very much profanity and violence. The more he observed her, the less he thought that was true.

She was quick, observant, didn’t like to sit with her back to the door. Johnny wasn’t sure if it was her training as an agent but she’d stared at the fire escape schematic for a few seconds as she walked past and noted where the windows were located. What kind of person noticed shit like that?

She didn’t particularly shy away from his father’s goons, who were specifically chosen to be intimidating. Her eyes seemed to scan every person she encountered briefly from head to toe. Being patted down before the meeting, revealed more weapons than he would have guessed but not enough to be strange. She didn’t bat an eye when they stripped her of that protection.

Johnny picked back up with the thread of their conversation.

“It’s unfortunate for you that you got caught spying on my crew.”

“Just doing my job, sir. I wasn’t personal.”

“I can respect that. Still, we can’t let that pass.”

“I can be useful.”

“I can’t imagine how. We have eyes and ears most everywhere.”

With respect, sir. I’m more than eyes and ears. I’m an agent with a security clearance. That gives me access to more sensitive information. I can even make a limited amount of modifications to files. Clerical and other support staff can’t do that.”

“That might be useful. What if I want information on my competitors or local politicians?”

“Yes and no.”

The older man looked up, catching her eye.

“Yes to obtaining intel on other operations but no to giving you information on other civilians.”

Johnny was suddenly fascinated. She called regular people civilians not citizens. That made her seem prior military to him. That might explain a lot about her.

His father’s cold voice cut through the room. “I’m not used to being told no.”

“I doubt that, sir. With all due respect, you have a thriving enterprise. That would not be possible if you surrounded yourself with only yes men. I’m offering to trade certain information for your assistance tracking down my sister. I’m not willing to give you information on innocent civilians or assist you in manipulating politicians. Unless they’re dirty, then all bets are off. Everyone has to have boundaries. My sister would rather suffer than see me drag innocent people down into the gutter looking for her.”

His father’s voice went up an octave. “You consider me in the gutter?”

“We both are, sir. By our own choice. It wasn’t intended as an insult. In my world you are either in the blue or in the black.”

“I beg to differ, Ms. Henson. We seem to have found ourselves in a rather grey area. We both bring something of value to the table. You can gather intel on our competitors and I have the manpower to stomp all over this goddamn planet looking for that sister of yours.”

“I agree.”

“You need to understand that I will expect you to follow through with your commitments in this deal. If not, I can’t guarantee your safety. Understand?”

“I do.”

“There’s no need to say I do, we’re not getting married, Ms. Henson. This is just a simple business deal.”

His father’s gentle teasing seemed to take the edge off the life or death aspect of the transaction. The man always did have a strange sense of humor.

“We’ll begin gathering up all the information we have on the Russians but I need you to get to work securing the information we discussed from both the FBI and Homeland Security.”

“Well, that will be easy. Homeland security isn’t interested in you because you aren’t on any of their watch lists. They honestly can’t imagine why the FBI is so preoccupied with you.”

“Most days, neither can I. Still, we need to conclude this information exchange within the next 72 hours if at all possible.”

“I will need to explain why Johnny and are working together.”

“They’d be pretty stupid to believe my son would hook up with an FBI agent.”

“The only reason they’d buy is if I told them that Johnny had agreed to be my paid informant about the Russians but nothing else.”

Looking at her disbelievingly, he asked ruefully. “You are suggesting that the FBI would be willing to pay us to give you information on our enemies? Hell, no one would even consider that snitching, ‘cause the Russians are outsiders.”

Shrugging, Sarah replied. “If I don’t ask for money they will assume I’m trading favors and we don’t want that.”

“Shit, this feels like taking candy from a baby. Go ahead. Do whatever makes sense. You’re the one who has to sell it.”

Hitting a button on his desk phone, the older man spoke brusquely. “Bring me the file on that vor, Petrov.”

“Yes, Mr. Carlo.”

“I’ll go through it and add some notes. I believe we even have some video footage. You can watch it but none of the information ends up in the hands of law enforcement. It will be ready for you when you finish up on your end.”

There was a moment of awkward silence. “It feels like I’m being dismissed, sir.”

The older man responded stiffly, as he took a file from his assistant. “You’ve got good instincts. You’re more useful out there than in here under our feet.”

“I’ll be as quick as I can.”

Johnny watched his newfound source of feminine fascination shake hands with his father and leave the room with a nervous glance in his direction. Keeping his expression clear, he waited for her to shut the door behind her.

“You did good bringing her to me, son. She’s a pretty little thing. Too bad she’s gotta take a dirt nap after we get done with her.””

“That ain’t gonna happen, pops.” Johnny kept his voice steady and non-confrontational.

His father kept thumbing through the file on the vor. “That’s non-negotiable, and plain common sense, son. Best get what we need as soon as possible and then deal with her. Can’t have a double agent running around loose.”

“She ain’t gonna be running loose and you are going to help her with the sister problem.”

Finally, the older man stood from his seat. “Since when do I take orders from a wet behind the ears whelp like you?”

Johnny could tell his father was getting wound up. They were gonna face off and there was no avoiding it.

“I wouldn’t be much of a man if I let you tell me what to do with my own woman, now would I pops?”

The other man sighed, his ire clicking down a notch.

“Fuck her all you want, but don’t even think about keeping her.”

Gripping his knife tightly in one fist, Johnny spoke coldly. “You know something pops? I keep telling people you’re outliving your usefulness. For some godforsaken reason, they all think I’m joking.”

The older man’s eyes jumped from the knife his son was fisting to his overly serious expression, before he replied blandly. “Then they’re fools. Only an idiot wouldn’t take you at your word.”

Pushing off the wall, Johnny headed for the door as he snapped his knife shut. “Glad we got that sorted, pops. I wasn’t looking forward to stepping into your shoes just yet.”

“We ain’t done talking. Get your ass back here.”

“Maybe, when I’ve had a chance to cool down. If I ever hear you talk that way about any woman sharing my bed, you might get a little surprise you ain’t planning on, old man.”

“She’s just a bitch.”

Slamming his fist through the wall near the door facing, he roared. “She not a bitch. She’s my bitch. That means you keep the fuck off her.”

“Calm the hell down, son. You keep her under control, she stays alive.”

“You’re making me hate you.”

“I’m making you strong.”

“Whatever, pops. I’m outta here. Send someone with the file, ‘cause I ain’t bringin’ her back around here.”

Johnny strolled out of his father’s office, past his henchmen, and out the front door without breaking his stride. Climbing onto his Harley, he fired it up. A nice long drive around the outskirts of town, gave him time to cool off.

Strangely, he wasn’t as upset with his father as he was with himself. Why was he so protective over a bitch who’d treated him like pure garbage? Now he was going up against his own father over her. Knowing that he was acting erratically and lying about her sharing his bed gave him a momentary pause.

Johnny knew his father all too well. He still intended to whack her. It’s why the old man had given him the come to Jesus talk about her. A dark thought crept into the back of Johnny’s mind. If she were carrying his child, the old man wouldn’t touch her. He’d been wanting a grandchild for nice long time. Both of his parents had been pressuring him for a couple of years about it.

Pulling into the club a couple of hours later, he stalked up to his office, ignoring some craziness going on between Gino and Enzo. His two best friends had some strange bromance going on and were way too preoccupied with each other’s personal life in his opinion. Hell, even their women were besties. It was sickening and unnecessarily distracting.

Grabbing a brandy, he fell into the comfortable sofa and must have dozed off. He woke when the door slammed shut. Sitting up with a start, he spilled his drink all over the front of his shirt. Great. Now he could add smelling like an alcoholic to his list of off-putting characteristics.

He became aware that Sarah was standing over him with hands on her hips. Her expression had turned from angry to curious almost instantly.

Pulling off his shirt, he began wiping the brandy from his chest. “Well, Doll. Want to tell me what’s crawled up your ass today?”

“I thought…well.” He looked up to find her hands had dropped from her waist and her eyes were heating as she watched him wiping his chest. No need getting excited, ‘cause she was going to throw any advances he made right back in his face.

“What, pray tell, did you think?”

She blushed and that’s when he knew. Silly little bitch had thought he was upstairs getting serviced and she was mad about it. God help him, he really liked jealous, possessive women. Without thinking he tossed his shirt aside and unbuttoned the top of his pants as she watched.

“You ain’t getting’ a better invitation than that so climb on or get the fuck out, sunshine.” Johnny realized his words were rough and rude compared to his feelings on the matter, but he refused to let her bring his emotions out again. It was simply too much.

Shockingly, she stepped forward and slid face-first into his lap. Pangs of lust and pride collided violently with feelings of utter triumph as he slid his arms around her. She turned her face up to meet his lips.

Cupping her face in one hand, he brushed a thumb across her bottom lip. “So eager. I like that, my pretty little agent.”

Turning her head slightly she sucked his thumb right into the soft wet confines of her mouth, twirling her tongue around it.

He slid it gently back and forth over her tongue as he gazed at her. The woman knew how to turn a man on, that was for certain. His cock hardened instantly. No woman had ever done that to him before. Pulling his thumb back he caught the bottom of her teeth, pulling her forward. When his lips closed hungrily over hers, she melted into him.

Disbelieving, his hands roamed. Her nipples were hard and she moaned quietly into his mouth when he pinched them. Yep, she was as into this as he was. A woman’s mouth might sometimes lie but her body never did. Pulling at her pants, she lifted herself so he could peel them off. Instead of fighting him, she tore her own clothing off, baring herself to his touch.

Johnny wasted no time exploring her soft skin as she worked his pants the rest of the way open. Cupping her breasts in his hands he squeezed. His mouth found the hard points and he took turns sucking and teasing her. Somehow they were both naked and she was straddling his lap again. Just like he fantasized about countless times over the last few days, she was wet and willing.

“Thought about you today.” Her voice was breathless and low like she was sharing a secret with him.

“What was your sexy ass thinkin’?”

“That you deserve a woman who cares about you.”

He slid one finger over her wet slit, fingering her. “Don’t see that happenin’, Doll. Men like me learn to live without it.” Swinging her easily around and on top of him, he laid back as he pulled her up. “Up you go, Sweetness. I want to taste you.”

She allowed him to ease her up and that first taste sent him into a tailspin. She tasted like pure sweet honey and was so responsive to his touch. He tongued her clit as one huge finger slid in and out her heated core, causing her to writhe in pleasure. Wrapping one hand around her back, he slowly moved down to finger her tight little rosette. Sarah went absolutely wild on top him. When she was about to detonate, she jerked back out of his grasp.

Thinking he’d accidently hurt her, he began to sit up. She was still deeply in his thrall, rubbing her face over his chest and kissing her way down his body. Within seconds, her mouth was on his rod and it was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. She was way more excited than any vixen had been to suck him off. Most women were careful not to use their teeth. Sarah was careful all right, except she knew just how and where to nip and the tiny extra jolt of pain pushed him into overdrive. Her tongue and hot mouth were everywhere, teasing his heated flesh, threatening his control. She seemed desperate to give him the kind of pleasure he’d give her. It felt fantastic to be wanted, really wanted. It filled that empty hole he’d always carried with him.

Reaching down he pulled her up to look her in the eyes. He saw such need there.

“Ride me, sugar. No more teasing, I won’t last.”

Smiling, she allowed him to position her over his thick erection.

“Grab me. Show me where you want me.”

Without hesitation, she wrapped her hand around his cock and brought it to her opening. Rubbing him against her, she wetted him. Fuck, it felt good. She began pressing herself down over him, taking him slowly into her snug body.

“God, you’re tight. Don’t get out much do you, Doll?”

“No time for men. You’re my first in a while.”

Thrusting up deeply into her, he murmured roughly. “Then you can just be all mine.”

Seeing her breasts jiggle with each upward thrust, pushed him over the edge. Sitting up he grabbed her, coming to his feet. A few quick steps and he had her backed against the wall. Bringing up one arm under each leg he spread her open in a brazen display of dominance.

Her expression was awe struck and approving. Pulling out, he thrusted into her at his leisure. Slowly at first, making her pant and claw at his chest. She was mewing like a kitten. Each time he slammed home, he rubbed himself against her clit and she loved it. Something about fucking her like this made him feel like he fuckin’ owned her.

If she hadn’t had sex in years, she probably wasn’t on birth control. Looking at her slim flat stomach he thought of it rounded with his child. Without meaning to, he found himself fucking her hard and fast while she whispered the kind of naughty shit men loved to hear in his ear.

She came apart begging him, he wasn’t quite sure for what exactly…to stop…to fuck her harder. He was too lost in the feel of her channel clamping down around him to care. Still chest to chest with her, he emptied his seed inside. The excitement of filling her naked womb was almost too much to bear. Not only had he never taken a woman without protection, but he wanted this with her. For the first time in his life, he wanted something real with a woman. It had to be with her, no other would do. He could feel himself getting way too attached to this women he hardly knew, but he didn’t know how to stop it.

Pulling back he could tell by the look on her face that she had no idea how important she was becoming to him. Did he actually love her? If not, he was definitely getting there.