Thirst a dark stalker ro.., p.15
Thirst : A Dark Stalker Romance, page 15
Derick laughs while I kiss the man I’ve fallen in love with. The father of my beautiful son, and he’s gone. My tears fall freely while I press my lips to his. After a beat I feel him devouring me, his tongue pushing against mine. Claiming my mouth, his right hand travels into my hair, while he groans my name. I pull back with a gasp, watching while he opens his eyes giving me a smug satisfied grin.
It falls when we both hear Derick say, “If I can’t have her, you never will.” He aims the gun at me and pulls the trigger. Sal turns me onto my side and shields me from the bullet. His body shakes, the impact slamming me to the concrete. With a roar Sal aims his gun at Derick’s head and fires, but instead of one, two shots vibrate through the air. One strikes Derick in the chest, the other between his eyes while more follow from the other guys. Two hard shots ring out shattering the windows of the car, and Derick’s guys raise their arms in surrender.
We both look back and watch as Iggy raises his gun in Sal’s direction. “Get away from my mom,” he yells, while Sal stands, clutching his side. He probably broke a couple of ribs. The fucker was wearing a bulletproof vest. He places his own gun on the ground holding up his hands. “Easy there, cowboy.”
Sal’s guys stand back and secure their weapons before Mick and Nathan arrest Derick’s two men who are still alive. Vasily says something, holding his hand to the piece in his ear. I can make out my brother’s name, and the Russian smiles, turning to the direction of where I spotted the reflection on top of the containers, and salutes.
“Son,” Sal says, taking a step toward him.
They keep staring at each other, the men I love, while I wipe at my tear-streaked face.
“It’s okay, son,” Sal repeats, pride shining through his deep voice.
“I’m not your son,” Iggy growls, still aiming the gun at Sal’s blood-soaked chest. It was all a ruse, the fake blood, the betrayal, everything. Sal did it all to protect us.
“And nice shot, kid,” Sal chuckles, looking at Derick’s lifeless form.
Iggy’s eyes turn ice cold, and the corner of his mouth hikes up like he’s proud. Fuck.
“But you can never do it again,” Sal warns, lowering his hands.
“Iggy,” I begin but Sal shakes his head.
“This is between us,” he warns, his voice low.
“Don’t talk to Mom like that,” Iggy bites out.
“Your mother told me she loves me, so I think I’m good,” he laughs, and the smile which follows is naughty and loving at the same time. He winks at me and swipes his thumb over his bottom lip. Fuck, the asshole looks even better with blood on his shirt. But I still want to slap him for not making me part of the plan.
“What did I miss?” I hear my brother Billy ask while he jogs up to us, the military sniper rifle strapped to his back. Vasily flashes him a grin and they lock eyes for a beat.
“Let’s take a walk, kid,” Sal says, motioning to the dock.
Iggy’s shoulders slump, and he nods, not letting go of the gun.
“Sal,” I begin, looking at my son with tears in my eyes. Iggy turns his face away and the pain I see in his eyes tears me in two. This was what I was afraid of.
“We’ll be fine,” Sal promises. He looks over his shoulder at Derick’s lifeless form. “Mick, Alex, Nathan, you guys clean up.”
“On it, boss,” Alex says, and with the help of the others they start hauling him away.
I watch the loves of my life walking along the dock, a couple feet between them and I hug myself for protection. Billy stands next to me. “They’ll be all right, sis,” he says, kissing my temple, before following Vasily to help with the cleanup.
“In nome del Padre, I hope so,” I whisper, watching them go.
Salvatore
I push my hands in my pockets watching my son process what happened. Any twelve-year-old kid would be hysterical, but not him. He reminds me of myself at his age. The strong, set jaw, the way his blue eyes are both on fire and lifeless. He’s a natural born killer.
“You can shoot me later, but I think you want to ask me some questions first,” I grunt.
He stops and stares at me. “You’re my father, aren’t you?” he asks, a soft Southern twang shining through his young voice. He’s still a boy, but I can already see parts of the man he’s becoming taking form.
“Yes, I am. Does that scare you?”
He looks out over the water not saying anything for a while. “No, should it?” he bites out still clutching the gun, sounding so much like his mother.
When I think about what she told me when she thought I was dead, my chest flushes with warmth. I chuckle, at least Iggy put the safety back on—can’t have him shoot me like his mother threatened thirteen years ago. “Fuck,” I scrub a hand over my stubble, we’ve come full circle.
Iggy gives me curious eyes, and bites on his bottom lip.
“Ask me anything, kid.”
He doesn’t cringe from the nickname, instead he takes a deep shuddering breath trying to appear bigger than he is.
“Are you going to hurt Mom?” he asks, locking eyes with me, and it’s like a punch in the gut. I’m looking at myself. The better version of me, because he has her strength, her heart, the one I don’t possess. But when she told me she loved me something slashed through my chest letting the light through my father talked about.
“Only if she asks me to,” slips out, and I want to punch myself in the face. I have no idea how to talk to kids.
His eyes narrow and his nostrils flare. “She can fight you know, and shoot,” he adds.
I chuckle. “I know, she fought me once. Still got the scars to prove it.”
“Did she win?” he asks, pride shining through his voice. He loves his mother.
“Yes,” I tell him, meaning it. “She got me in the end.”
He nods, like he understands what I’m telling him while we look out over the water.
“Am I like you?” he asks, staring at the gun then at me.
“Yes, a part of you is mine, but the other is your mother’s. And she’s much stronger than I ever was.”
“I would never hurt people who didn’t deserve it,” he says after a while, his voice cracks a little.
“I know, kid,” I tell him, laying my hand on his shoulder.
“Are you an assassin like in the John Wick movies?”
I start to laugh. “I am, but I also work for one of the most secret organizations in the world.”
“The CIA,” he says, and I nod.
He bites on his trembling bottom lip and looks up at me. “Was it true what that guy said? Did you hurt Mom to get me?” I can barely hear the last couple of words.
“No, son,” I tell him, kneeling on my knees in front of him. A single tear escapes down his cheek, and I wipe it away with my thumb. “I…” my voice hitches in the back of my throat. “I love your mother. I have loved her since I laid eyes on her.” The moment the sentence leaves my mouth I know I’m telling the truth. The words don’t taste bitter like I thought they would. The edge I feared would leave my body when I let her in doesn’t fade but dulls slightly until I’m ready to let the darkness in again. I don’t know if I can ever let it, now I know what it means to be loved. “She is my heart,” I tell my son caressing his cheek. Our eyes lock and I add, “You are my life. I’m not letting you guys go again. You’re mine.”
He stares at the gun before handing it back to me. “I didn’t mean to kill him, but when he aimed the gun at Mom something took over,” he tells me, breathing hard through his nose he balls his small fists. I push the gun in the back of my slacks, and place my other hand on his tiny shoulder.
“I’m proud of you for protecting her now, and all those years when I wasn’t in your life.”
His blue eyes flash with pride and I smile. “So you’re a baseball player?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood. We still have many things to talk about, but for now this is enough.
“I’m a pitcher,” he says, the corner of his mouth turning up.
“My dad can play ball. Your grandpa is one of the best I’ve seen.”
“I have another grandfather?” he asks, those blue eyes hopeful.
“Yeah, he lives in Italy, but I know he would love to meet you both.”
“I would like that,” he says, beaming. “Did mom tell you we used to live in Rome?”
“She did,” I say, my voice hoarse while I look in her direction. She’s watching us with tears in her eyes, but a smile on her beautiful face. I can’t believe my son is here with me. I can’t believe they’re both mine.
Without warning, he hugs me, and I let him. I hold my boy close to my chest. “Thanks, Dad,” he says after his body stops trembling.
I have to clear my throat through the lump I feel. “Why, son?” I whisper, my voice hoarse and low.
“For not letting us go.”
Three years later
Salvatore
“Bye, Dad!” Iggy yells, dashing down the porch steps of the house Paxton made into a home for us. It’s right along the water, situated on a hill so the seasonal floods can’t reach us.
“Have fun, kid,” I tell him, watching him run across the lawn to the parked truck. After Derick became dust, I had a meeting with the Company and made sure no one could mess with my family or my guys ever again. Our mercenary operation is still thriving with Mick, Alex, Levi, and Nathan running an op in Mexico, me and Vasily will join in two weeks.
“Have you got everything?” I ask. “And please be careful.”
“Yes, Dad,” he says exasperated, showing me his backpack, and I smile.
The first night together at her parent’s place Paxton grilled me about what happened, and why I didn’t trust her enough to let her in on my plan. I explained to her, her anger and pain needed to be genuine for it to work.
I hear to porch screen open behind me and I grin. “He’s so excited to go to the game with his uncles, amore. They spoil him too much.” She laughs.
She hugs me from behind and I cover her hands with mine. “You know what that means, Sal?”
“What?” I ask, tugging her against my side.
“We can be as loud as we want,” she whispers, standing on the tips of her toes to nip at my earlobe. My cock twitches in my slacks, and I have to adjust myself running all the dirty scenarios I can try with her through my head.
“Hey, sis,” Billy says in greeting as he exits the truck. Vasily is right behind him. We lock eyes and he grins. I knew Vasily had a thing for long-haired guys, and after the night at the dock he and Billy hit it off. They’ve been together ever since.
“He’ll be home tomorrow after dinner,” Billy says holding the door open for my son to jump in. He loves to stay over at his uncles’ place down the road from us. They’ve got a dirt bike track in the woods behind the house, and enough ammo to shoot at the range Billy put together. “What time are you back from parent teacher night?” Vasily asks.
I chuckle remembering the look on that fucker Kyle’s face when I went with Pax to the first meeting, and she threatened to kick his ass. She made sure he didn’t fail Iggy for math class, and after Pax walked back to the truck fuming with anger, I explained to him no one messes with my woman and son. And with the dirt I had Vasily dig up on him, the bribes from parents to let their kids pass a class, combined with the underage hookers he fucked on the side, he left town the next day and his wife took over the school. She made it mandatory for kids to volunteer after Iggy got every single kid to sign a petition to help veterans and the animals at the local shelter. The kid has his mother’s heart, and my psychopathic trades that are under control for now. We still talk about his tendencies to do harm to anyone who deserves it, he’s his father’s son after all. I don’t know which path he’ll choose later in life, but I know it will be one to protect those who are less fortunate.
“What’s that smile, Sal,” Paxxie asks, giving me curious eyes.
“Nothing,” I say, kissing her. Vasily honks and we wave them goodbye, watching the truck disappear down the drive.
“Are you done for the day?” I ask, turning her in my arms.
She looks up into my eyes, a sly smile forming on those plump lips. “Finished my last email. I’m wide open, babe,” she tells me, laying her head against my chest while I hold her and I press my lips to her forehead. Pax is still working with her parents and brothers, but she has also started volunteering for a non-profit to end the bail bond system. I’m proud of my woman, she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants, or tell me when I’m behaving like an asshole. But lately there’s been a change, she’s tired, fuck maybe I’m demanding too much from her when we’re in bed. Or it’s because I keep eating her pussy while she sleeps. I’m still the same psychopath stalker when it comes to her. She’s mine. I even asked her parents and brothers for her hand last week, the ring burning a hole in my pocket the moment they gave me their blessings. I can’t believe they said yes. They know what I am, and still want me to be part of the family. The family I never had but always dreamed about.
I chuckle and she looks up. “What?” she asks, her smile growing.
“Nothing, just thinking about last night,” I say, waggling my brows.
She hits me in the chest and grins. “Shut up,” she jokes, her cheeks flush as she pushes her curves against my pecs.
My straining cock pulses against the zipper of my jeans when I think about what I did to her. I tied Pax to the bed and slowly fucked her from behind while stifling her moans by pressing my hand to her mouth. I even sucked on her tits, and she came moaning my name.
I clasp the back of her head and angle her face up to mine. “I’m going to kiss you,” I growl, capturing her full lips. She gasps as I push in deep, claiming her, playing with her tongue. Her tiny hands travel into my hair pulling on the longer strands. She groans and shivers in my arms while I hold her. Savoring her moans, the way she trembles, Paxxie’s thrumming heartbeat, I lose myself in her.
She pulls back and I growl in protest. Smiling, her eyes are glazed but there is something else, is she keeping secrets from me? I turn her around and press her hard against the porch railing, lifting her ass on the wood.
“Tell me what the fuck is going on,” I grunt.
She hugs her legs around my waist, and pushes her heels in my ass, pressing me against her. Her hips shift restlessly against my growing bulge. The corner of her lips turns up slightly.
“Such a bossy asshole,” she breathes, sliding herself against my growing erection.
“You want me, amore?” I growl, staring into her eyes.
“Babe, I always want you,” she whispers, her big eyes capturing mine. I grip her waist, dig my fingers in her flesh under her shirt. She trembles and laces her fingers against the back of my neck. I start kissing her, tasting her as I run my tongue over her goosebump covered skin. She leans away from me and I growl while I hold her.
“Salvatore, I need to tell you something,” she says, her voice husky.
“My full name, babe, I’m so fucking scared,” I joke, grinning as I run my tongue over her cheek.
“You will be. I’m pregnant, Sal,” she says, a smile in her beautiful voice.
Paxton
He stops kissing me, and freezes in place, his fingers leaving indents on my waist.
“Babe, you okay?” I chuckle, nibbling on his bottom lip.
“You, we are, you’re having a b-b-baby,” he stutters, his Italian accent thick, and his eyes wide with what I’m guessing is fear.
“Yes,” I tell him, running my fingers through his hair. He relaxes into my touch and I caress his face, the stubble on his chin tickles my palm. He closes his eyes and the muscle in his jaw ticks. A knot gets stuck in my throat. I know we didn’t plan this, but he’s been a great father to Iggy, and an amazing partner in crime. He’s still the same psychopathic stalker I fell in love with sixteen years ago, the man who gets every dirty part of me.
“Amore,” I whisper, kissing the corner of his mouth, my hands roaming down his back to his ass.
With a sly smile he opens his eyes and they darken. “I love you, babe, have I told you that lately?” he asks, his big hand sliding into my hair.
I nod, watching as he reaches out and caresses my stomach with his scarred hand. He sets me down and drops to one knee before placing his ear against my bellybutton. “Are you in there, baby?” he rasps, and I start to giggle.
“Sal, it’s still the size of a bean,” I chuckle, as I run my thumb over the scar on his eye.
He lifts my shirt and places his lips on the C-section scar. “Are you in there?” he whispers. “I’m going to protect you little bean.” He reaches into his back pocket and my heart stops when he pulls out a black diamond ring.
“Amore,” he begins while tears start to pool in my eyes. “I love you. I know I told you once I could never give my heart to you because I haven’t got one to give. You get my dark depraved ways, and you take me as the man I am. You never asked me to be someone I can never be, but with you I want to be a better man, a better father. You are my heart, amore. Will you be my wife? I promise to keep making you as happy as you’ve made me. You gave me a home, let me give you every broken part of me.”
I clutch at my heart and nod while my tears spill over. Watching him slide the ring over my finger and tattoo, he stands and kisses my palm and places it against his chest. I can feel his heartbeat there. “Will you be my wife?” he asks, his smile a little shy.
“Yes,” I cry, standing on the tips of my toes to press my lips to his. He takes me into his arms and carries me over the threshold while we keep our lips glued to each other. “You’re supposed to do that after we’re married.” I laugh, my fingers pressing against the base of his neck while he carries me up the stairs into the master bedroom.
Sal drops me on the bed and stares at me, while I look at the black diamond the size of a small rock. “It’s beautiful, Sal.”
