From my past, p.12
From My Past, page 12
“No, stay.” She muttered. Talia’s head fell back against my shoulder as I stood. I swear, my heart was trying to beat out of my chest. As she moved I could smell her sweet vanilla and lavender scent. It was intoxicating.
“I have to get some things prepared for today. But I’ll be here until you fall asleep.”
“Promise?” She whispered. I carried her back into her bedroom and let her slide under the covers before I climbed in after her.
“Promise.” I whisper and hear her sigh happily.
The standard issue sheets that the clan put in all of the apartments were sterile and overly starched, but the duvet was heavy and crisp as I lifted it to cover us both.
But none of those things mattered. The only thing that mattered was the woman who turned into my warmth and put her forehead to my chest.
“Thank you.” She muttered sleepily.
“Anytime.” I kissed the top of her head. I felt her breathing even out after a few moments of silence and her body relaxed.
I couldn’t fall asleep, I had to get the troops ready and figure out how my father wanted to handle this. I knew how I wanted to handle it, but as Second-In-Command, I still needed to defer judgement to the Skipper.
I just didn’t want to leave this bed.
For the first time, in a very long time, I too felt at peace and whole.
Unfortunately, life especially in the mafia doesn’t work like that. It’s eat or be eaten, be smarter than your competition or die. So, I pulled her in tighter, savored the moment of Talia in my arms and then slid out of bed, replacing my body with one of the pillows.
She looked beautiful. Her long blonde hair wrapped around her like a glow coming from within. Her face was soft and she looked every bit like the girl who stole my heart all those years ago.
My heart clenched as I knew I had to leave her alone but I forced myself to turn away from her and walk out of the bedroom, slowly and quietly closing the door. My forehead rested against the white wood of the door as I pulled myself together.
One deep breath and I turned to the front door, walking with purpose so I could go be the leader I was.
This war was just starting and I was going to fucking win.
* * *
I slammed the door to my office closed after taking a quick shower and changing into my usual black jeans, fitted tee and my motorcycle boots with my black leather jacket over top. Stomping over to my desk; a dark, heavy wooden thing that I barely used if I’m honest, but sometimes its usefulness had its moments. I looked over the piles of paperwork that I refused to touch where in the middle of the desk was one solitary file with ‘Garzino’ labelled across it. At least not all of my men were incompetent.
Before I even opened the file, I pressed the intercom button and waited for Marcellie, the assistant we have for the clan, to pick up.
“It’s a little early for mafia thug business, don’t you think?” Marcellie’s hoarse voice sounded fuzzy through the receiver. She was the kind of lady who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, every day since I’d known her. And she’d been working for my family since I was a baby.
“Oh, shut it. I know you’re awake, have smoked three cigarettes, and on the clock already, so don’t be harping on me for calling you at 6 in the morning.” I rolled my eyes. “I need you to get Sion and have him here in thirty minutes.”
“That’s asking a lot, boy.” She rasped; muffled coughing sounded from the other end of the receiver. “Fine. Anything else?”
“Not at the moment, you old bat.”
“Love you too.” She said with a wet laugh and hung up the phone.
The very first thing I had to do today was sort out the bullshit with Sion because something wasn’t sitting right.
I opened the file that had surveillance for Luca that I’d ordered once he left our building. I needed to know exactly where he went, who he met up with, what he did, in order to take him down. Inside were pictures of Luca, black and white, zoomed in photos obviously taken from a far-range lens. I had a perfect picture of every moment of his night from when he left to about an hour ago.
Flipping through the pictures, it was mostly as I had expected. Luca was a fucking asshole who had been rejected when he thought that he held all the cards. The first few photos were of him stalking out of the building, pushing bystanders and storming through downtown. He’d gone straight to the bar about a block away, the next few photos were of Luca power drinking and screaming into a cell phone. I was sure that he was going to go to some strip club or go start a fight, but the rest of the photos were of him sitting at the bar, getting sloppier and sloppier the more he drank.
He did hit on some bystanders, even taking one into the bathroom by the looks of it. Thank fuck there are no pictures of that. But he didn’t leave the bar until about four in the morning based on the timestamp at the bottom of the photo. The next one, and the last one, was of Luca unlocking the front door to their apartment.
No. Not theirs. Not anymore.
Talia wouldn’t go back there ever again.
A knock sounded on my office door interrupting my thoughts and Sion walked in. Sion was an older gentleman. He was a short man who took care of his body and even though everyone knew he was greying, Sion continued to color his hair and his beard brown like when he was younger. He had an impressive talent of being able to blend in anywhere, which is what made him such a good investigator.
Except for this time. When I was counting on him.
“You wanted to speak to me, boss?” His old Irish accent came through very strongly and still laced with sleep.
“I do. Come take a seat.” I gestured to the chair in front of my desk. Unlike my dad, my office was really only for show. The walls and bookshelves were bare, I didn’t have a comfortable seating area or personal touches. But in this instance, I don’t think it really mattered.
“How can I help you?”
“I had some questions for you regarding my…outstanding project.” I leaned my elbows over onto my desk and clasped my hands in front of me, looking over them at Sion.
“Yes?” Sion asked, picking an imaginary piece of lint off of his black slacks.
“The girl, Talia. There seem to be quite a few things that you left out of your reports.”
“Kieron, I assure you that everything I discovered, aside from the details you specifically specified that you didn’t want, was given to you.”
“I can assure you,” I said pointedly, his lack of ownership was going to cost him. “That that is not the case. Can you tell me again what details I told you I didn’t want to know?”
“Place of residence, place of work, any lovers or repeated hook-ups unless in a relationship.” Sion recited immediately.
“I believe I asked you to tell me anything else. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Then why don’t you tell me how the fuck this goddamn asshole got away with beating and raping her for months before some twist of fate put her back into my life!” I bellowed, throwing the photos of Luca’s surveillance at him.
“Kieron, I can-”
“Explain? Yes, please, fucking try.” I yelled at him, cutting him off.
“You didn’t want to know about lovers! She had been living with him for a while and it started out as if it could be a kink, you know? I didn’t think much of it!” Sion stood up and backed away with his hands in the air. As if that would stop me from beating his ass.
“You ‘didn’t think much of it’?” My anger and rage were growing in my chest, my fists were begging me to fly out and knock him out, and I couldn’t think of anything except the bruises on her face, the marks he left on her and how I could have interceded long before now. I could hear myself snarl at him as my voice lowered dangerously.
“You must be getting complacent in your old age. Consider this your retirement.” I said strongly. I couldn’t kill him, no matter how much I wanted to. The bastard knew too much and if I killed him, there would be hell to pay from my father. And I needed to keep Kellan happy right now. “Do not ever come near Talia or myself again.”
“Kieron, let’s talk about this.” Sion started; his body language reeked of desperation. “I didn’t do anything wrong! I followed your orders for years! I did what you asked!”
“Do you honestly and truly believe that? You were meant to warn me if she was in any danger. You were meant to keep an eye on her safety. And what did you do? You did nothing. You sat and watched her get beaten and broken and you thought that was okay. For a man to abuse his woman like that. I can’t believe you, you piece of shit. Get out of my face!” I yelled at him.
“You can’t fire me, you fucker! I work for your father.” Sion’s true colors were showing through the façade he’d built with me. I’d been patient, I’d asked my questions and had given him a way out peacefully, but he refused.
So, an ass-kicking it was.
I shot over the desk and tackled him to the ground, my fist flying out and connecting with his jaw. I must have surprised him because once he realized what happened, he was trying to block each of my blows. My fists continued to rain down on him, one after the other, over and over, and all I could see was Talia’s lifeless expression in the elevator after I’d kissed her.
“You fucking piece of shit.” I hit him “You sad excuse for a man” I hit him again.
“Stop this!” He roared from underneath and one of his fists flew up and hit my jaw. Sion was in the Irish mafia as an investigator and a spy so he made sure he knew how to fight and he made sure to keep his punches strong.
I brought down two more punches in quick succession and then sat back, satisfied with how bloody and how in pain he looked.
“Do you understand me now?” I snarled in his face and got up. I wiped my knuckles, a few had opened on each hand and I knew I was going to have deeper bruising on the hand I’d punched through the drywall.
Sion wheezed as he rolled over and tried to stand up.
“I expect any and all information for your current cases, including mine, to be handed over. Originals and copies. If you do not comply you know what will happen to you. To your family.” I said, standing tall and confident behind my desk. “You are dismissed.”
Sion looked at me with disbelief, betrayal, and revenge heavy in his eyes.
“I will be speaking to your father about this.” His last attempt to get me to quiver. I barely contained my eye roll.
“Go right the fuck ahead. He doesn’t take too kindly to assholes who think abusing women is okay.” I snapped back.
I knew my expression must have been near murderous because as the blood from his nose ran down his face, his mouth dropped and disbelief filled his eyes.
“Is she worth this? I’ve been working for your family for decades.”
I put both of my bruised, crimson-stained hands flat on the top of my desk with a slap.
“Absolutely.” I answered without hesitation. “Now get the fuck out.”
Chapter Fourteen
Talia
The sheets were warm against my cheek and I cuddled into the pillow a little more. It had been such a long time since I’d actually gotten a deep sleep that wasn’t induced by alcohol. I wanted to savor the feeling before I had to get up and face the day.
Today, sometime soon, the deadline that Luca had given Kieron and I was going to expire. I needed to know what that really meant and what Kieron and Kellan were thinking of doing about it.
I wasn’t going to claim that I knew more than the head of the Irish mafia or his second, but if there was any way to not go into a bloody war, I wanted to try.
I rolled over and opened my eyes slowly, letting the filtered sunlight warm my skin and the silence wake me up softly. My arm reached over to the other side of the bed and even though I knew I was going to find it empty, it still stung to not have Kieron here.
I threw the covers off of me and swung my feet off the side of the bed so my feet could touch the plush carpet. What was I meant to do? No one told me anything really except for how I was safe here.
I reached my arms up overhead to stretch and I went off in search of coffee. I really wasn’t sure what I was doing; should I wait for Kieron to come back? Should I get dressed and go off exploring? That’s what I wanted to do, but I don’t think I should. It scared me a bit, just being free to do whatever. Like I would get in trouble for doing something wrong or not doing something.
Making my way back into the kitchen, I located a French press and some expensive, fancy-ass coffee grounds and got to work making the liquid of life. I didn’t take off Kieron’s clothes, they were beyond comfortable and really, I didn’t have any other clothes except for my work uniform. As the microwave dinged and I turned to pull the boiling cup of water out, I heard the front door open quietly.
It had to be Kieron, but that didn’t stop the terror that sprang to life.
“Hello?” I forced my dry throat to call out.
“Oh good, you’re awake!” Kieron said with a smile and he came to give me a hug. He must have seen the scared expression on my face because he stopped mid-stride and looked around. He was on guard, his hand started to go for the back of his pants and I was sure there would be a gun there.
“Are you okay?” He said softly after a few moments of surveillance, deciding there wasn’t an imposing threat.
“Yes, I’m okay.” I said, putting my hand on his forearm. “You just gave me a fright when you opened the door like that.”
Understanding dawned on him.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t want to make a lot of noise if you were still sleeping. You were dead to the world when I left and I wanted to make sure you got some sleep.”
“I know, thank you.”
“I have one of my assistants bringing you up some clothes, just enough to get you through the week, but I wanted to see if you had any requests.”
My heart fluttered, how was this man so thoughtful? I didn’t deserve his attention.
“No, anything you think will be fine with me.” I said honestly. I know that I should have been worried and having flashbacks or panic attacks about my clothing being picked out for me again, but this was different. Kieron was different. He wasn’t doing this out of a need to control me, he was doing it to help me. To take one more stressor off my plate. To take care of me.
“Are you sure?” He asked me, his eyes boring into mine in search of any hidden feelings about it.
“Yes,” I smiled brightly at him and took both of his hands in mine. “I’m sure. Now, do you want some of this extremely over-priced coffee I’m making?”
Kieron just chuckled and sat at one of the bar stools adjoining the small kitchen island.
“You pay for what you get. I get good, smooth, rich coffee.” He explained with a smile and a shrug.
“Folgers is pretty decent, you know. And it won’t make you take out a second mortgage on you house to afford it every morning.”
A good night’s sleep was bringing me back to life. A good night’s sleep, a full stomach and a feeling of safety.
“Try it. If you try this and you don’t think it’s any better than your Folgers,” he said with a grimace, “I’ll never buy it again. But, if it’s the best coffee you’ve ever had, I win.”
“And what do you win?” I asked, my heart beating quicker at his deep melodic tone.
“A kiss.” He said, standing up and walking over to stand right in front of me. I couldn’t help but notice that even in the face of our intense tension, he still made sure not to crowd me, not to make me feel like I couldn’t escape if I needed to.
“That’s all?” I asked him.
“That’s all.” He smirked down at me and he was so close that I could smell his cologne, his shower gel and his crisp leather scent on him.
“Well, you drive a hard bargain.” I teased. “But I accept.”
“Great. Now, pour me a cup please and let’s see who wins.”
I opened a few of the dark grey cupboards before I was able to locate the coffee mugs, but I found two and poured us each a cup.
I lifted the white mug to my lips and saw Kieron smile a knowing smile at me as I took a sip.
Fuck.
It was the best coffee I’d ever had. Even better than the coffee I had tried at Luca’s father’s restaurant which, before now, I thought was the best. I set the mug down and tried to school my face to reveal nothing.
“Well?” Kieron prodded, taking a drink from his own cup.
Instead of answering him, I walked over to where he had sat back down on the bar stool and rested one hand on his chest. I could feel his heart beat pick up and beat faster as I got closer to him. I tried not to smirk too much. I slid my other hand up and pushed my fingers through the back of his hair where it was tight from being pulled up, his gorgeous curls were still slightly damp from the shower he must have taken this morning. Now that he was sitting, there wasn’t such a big height difference so I leaned in and pressed my lips strongly against his.
Kieron was still for a moment, then his lips were returning my kiss with fervor.
I groped at him trying to touch and caress as much of his body as I could reach. I loved the black leather on his torso, but I wanted to feel his warm chest against me and feel the strong cords of muscle that laced his back beneath my hands.
Kieron was letting me set the pace while also showing me that he liked what I was doing by nipping my lower lip softly, by his hands wrapping around my waist and holding me lightly. Not to mention the groans and heavy breaths that were leaving my mouth that made my core start to heat even more. At this rate he was going to be able to tell just how much he affected me by a wet spot on my borrowed grey sweats.
Kieron’s hand lightly twisted the white shirt and his other hand slid up my back, his warm hand spanning my entire lower back. He simultaneously pulled away while keeping my body close. He was so gentle, so hesitant but at the same time, I knew he wanted more and he wasn’t going to pressure me for it.
“I won, yes?” He said, his voice was husky and low and I couldn’t get enough.
