Chapter 23
NIC
ONE WEEK LATER
“ W hy is your stupid sister so obsessed with throwing parties?” Lorna moans once she’s done smiling at the latest guest to arrive.
“Maybe this one was my idea,” I confess, knowing it will only add to her frustration. She looks so damn hot when she’s angry that I can’t help myself.
“Nic, we aren’t fucking royalty, we don’t need an engagement party, especially since we’ve been engaged for two months now and it’s obvious why we’re getting married.” She quickly pastes on another smile when the Leones step through the entrance and head straight for us.
“Nic, this must be the lovely Lorna.” Vincenzo Leone holds out his hand for hers, and when she offers it, he takes his time and kisses it. I smile too, while I visualize the marble step from the staircase behind us, between his teeth and my boot in the back of his head.
“I see you are wasting no time in getting started on a family.” When his other hand starts to reach out like he’s going to touch her perfect, round bump, I block it and move him along.
“Why the fuck do people think they can do that?” I angle her body into mine and whisper into her ear.
“Beats me.” She shrugs.
Vincenzo moves on to find a waiter with the champagne tray, while Lorna tugs at the bottom of her dress in frustration.
“What’s wrong? You keep fidgeting.” Everything she does lately has me on edge. She still has eleven weeks left of being pregnant and I’m already a nervous wreck.
“What’s wrong? Can you not see what's wrong here, Nic?” She looks down at her huge, swollen middle. “I swear this dress had plenty of room in it last week when this stupid idea was sprung on me, now it looks like it’s been sprayed on, and don’t even get me started on how I’m going to use the bathroom.” She shakes her head and stops the waiter with the canapés as he passes, loading herself with one in each hand.
“Well, you look beautiful,” I assure her, sliding my arm around her waist and tugging her closer.
“You have to say that, you're the one who did this to me,” she snarls before popping one of the canapés into her mouth.
“Lorna, I don’t have to say anything. And take a look around you, most of the guys in this room can’t keep their eyes off you.” I can be sure of that fact because I’ve planned at least six fucking murders in my head in the past half an hour.
“They can’t keep their eyes off me because there's so much of me to see. This dress makes me look like a beached whale and I swear I’ve started putting weight on my ass.” She looks back over her shoulder.
“I love your ass.” I squeeze it and she throws me a look that could kill before she finishes her last canapé. My girl’s been in one of her delicate moods all day so I stroke her back and kiss her temple.
“Lorna.” We both look to the door when we hear her name and her face lights up when her mom and Kevin step through it. “My goodness, look at you.” Patsy’s eyes stretch wide as she looks down at her daughter's swollen stomach, “You’re glowing, sweetheart.”
“See what I mean? That's the polite way of saying I’m fat.” Lorna turns her head and tells me under her breath.
“I can’t believe it, how many weeks do I have to wait now?” Her mom takes a firm grip on Lorna’s belly and almost gives me a heart attack when she shakes it.
“Eleven weeks but I could go over, Madalina did.” Lorna smiles and looks down at her ever-growing bump. I can’t even imagine how hot she’s going to look after eleven more weeks of growing my child, and I’m better off not thinking too much about it, considering her mom and stepdad are right in front of me.
“It seems so far away but it will fly by,” Patsy assures her. “I must find Serena, she sent me a text about a baby shower. I’m going to make a cake.” She kisses Lorna's cheek before dragging a silent Kevin away with her.
“She’s excited.” I see her spot Serena and wave her hand in the air enthusiastically.
“She has been emailing me baby names every day since we told her. I don’t know what planet she thinks I’m going to be giving birth on, but people give their kids some weird names.” Lorna screws up her face and slides her hand across the side of her stomach.
“Is he giving you shit in there?” I check.
“Yep, right under the ribs” She turns her frown into a smile when Cass and the boys show up, all of them taking in their surroundings and looking shocked by Dario and Madalina’s impressive mansion.
“Guys, over here.” She calls them over and I make an effort by greeting the guys with a handshake, and Cass with a kiss to her cheek.
This is the first time I’ve seen them since the night at the beach house. I’ve spoken plenty to Cass on the phone and although they aren’t my kind of people, I appreciate what they did to keep things controlled. Lorna’s had Cass round to the apartment a few times while I’ve been to work but it’s the first time she’s seen the boys, and I really hope it’s not going to be triggering for her.
“Wow, Lor… you almost look ready to pop!” I scowl at Wes when he opens his big mouth, and he quickly shakes his head when he realizes his error. “I…I mean, you're glowing.” He levels it up from bad to worse and it makes Lorna side-glance me, sternly.
“She looks incredible, doesn’t she, Jonah?” Cass elbows him, but he’s far too busy helping himself to a glass of champagne and looking around the room. I guess being here is making them all a little nervous, last time we were together there was a man's head in pieces all over the floor. He’s probably very aware that, right now, he is in a room with New York's most dangerous men.
Leaders from all the districts are here tonight, all of those except Bruno who, of course, sent his nephew with his apologies. I can see now why Dario was so insistent that we have the party here, we would never have fitted all these people into my apartment and it would have been nowhere near as luxurious. Dario, throwing this party for us, is sending out a message, one that tells the districts that this isn’t a one-man race.
“You armed Conte?” Wes leans in and asks under his breath.
“This is my sister's home, her children are sleeping upstairs, and we are among friends tonight,” I assure him, trying to hide the smirk from my lips, Wes strikes me as the kind of guy who watches far too many Al Pacino films.
“Friends…is that what you think? Come on, I’ve seen enough episodes of The Sopranos to know you must trust no one.” He makes a loud, obnoxious laugh and I humor him, merely for the fact he makes Lorna so happy. She needs as many people in her life who do that as possible.
“Is that a chocolate fountain…Ohhhh, Jonah, let's do the chocolate fountain.” Cass leaves the guy with no choice when she takes his arm and drags him towards it.
“You don’t fancy the chocolate fountain, Wes?” Lorna asks sarcastically, while we all watch Cass attempt to feed Jonah a chocolate-covered strawberry.
“I think I’ll leave them to it.”
“Come on, let's get you a drink.” Lorna takes her friend's arm and drags him over to the bar, and as soon as Amanté Greco spots that I’m alone he makes his way over to me.
“Amanté.” I nod my head respectfully. He’s going to be pissed at me, I’m prepared for that. In his opinion, I should have gotten him the name of the person who killed his daughter, and killed the gun supplier while I had the chance. I’m assuming he is unaware that the supplier was my fiancée's father but there's truth in Wes’s words, with these people there are never any guarantees.
“Congratulations,” he tells me in a stiff voice, his eyes dark from grief and hate, combined.
“Appreciated.” I can sense the tension between us and when his wife comes to stand beside him, she manages a smile through her own sadness. “Nic, your father would be very proud of you. You have found yourself a charming wife. Serena speaks very highly of her,” she tells me.
“I’m very lucky.” I smile, looking over to where Lorna is talking with Wes and her mother.
“Let us hope that luck doesn’t run out.” I hear the threat in Amanté’s tone as he takes his wife's hand and leads her toward Vincenzo Leone.
“I’m surprised to see him here.” I turn my head when I hear a voice come from the steps behind me.
“I’m sure him being here is a statement. He wants to show Gio his support while at the same time, making me feel like a failure,” I tell Vito, Dario’s guard. He and Vito grew up together, he trusts him with his life, and with the life of my sister and their children, which says a lot for the man.
“Anyone in your situation would have done the same,” he assures me, then silences when Madalina and Dario finally manage to drag themselves away from the Sandaco sisters to join me.
“Where is your bride?” Madalina’s eyes search around the room.
“She’s with Wes and her mother.”
“Is she having fun? Does she like the chocolate fountain…I knew she would love it.” Madalina claps her hands.
“She loves it, why don’t you go see if she wants it for the baby shower too?” I suggest, narrowing my eyes at Dario so he knows to stay behind. He kisses his wife and sends her on her way with a tap on her ass, and I ignore the fact she’s my sister as I lead Dario into a more private corner of the room.
“Amanté… Do you think he might know who Doyle was to Lorna?” I check.
“I don’t think so but who can tell? All men in this room have their spies.” Dario keeps a smile on his face as he nods his head at Vincenzo.
“He’s mad at me, and I understand that but there's something not right, there was a threat in his voice, and the way he was looking at Lorna… I don’t fucking like it, Dario,” I voice my opinion and wait for him to come back at me.
“No harm will come to Lorna, she is family now. An attack on her would be an attack on me.” He glances over to my sister and fiancée, both of them look infectiously happy, and to know that he’ll want to keep it that way as much as I do, brings me some relief.
“That worry you’re feeling, it never goes away, Nic. If anything, it gets worse. You have to learn to live with fear. It’s hard for men like you and I. Men who have never been scared before,” he tells me, keeping his eyes focused on the room.
“I never thought I'd hear you compare us,” I snigger.
“Nor did I, but it is true. I read you wrong, just as you made the wrong judgment on me. That is rectified now. What you must do is stay smart, stay vigilant, and protect what's important to you.”
“I just can’t believe that the thing that’s important turned out to be her.” I stare across the room at the woman wearing my ring, and beautifully bearing my child. How is it possible for someone to make you feel strong, and yet so powerless at the same time?
“Some things are meant to be, look how much your sister detested me when we first married.” Dario laughs to himself. “Don’t let fear destroy what you have, Nic. You have the money to take care of her, and the skills to protect her.”
“It seems I’ve got it all, yet I haven’t got a district,” I point out. The last thing I want to do is add more pressure to his shoulders, but Dario needs to know how important this is to me.
“A district isn’t everything, at times it can be a burden.” I can’t decide if Dario is giving me words of wisdom or softening the blow of what's to come. Hard as I try, I can’t see him going against his faction leaders, not this soon after taking over from his father.
“Just be happy with what you have, it’s what most men would kill for.” Dario pats me on the shoulder before mingling back into the crowd.
“Do you think there's something going on between Cass and Jonah?” Lorna asks me as I help her into the back of our car and close the partition between us and the front seats. I’d like whatever conversation we have on the way home to remain private.
“Who knows?” I shrug. In all honesty, I couldn’t give a fuck. All I want to do, right now, is get Lorna home and out of that dress she’s wearing.
“They would be a cute couple though, don’t you think?” she questions, kicking off her heels and resting her head back with relief.
“You know, my face is actually aching from all the smiling I’ve had to do tonight. I’m exhausted,” she yawns
“You're allowed to be exhausted, you're growing a person.” I rub her tummy proudly.
“He loves it when you do that,” she tells me, closing her eyes and sounding all dreamy.
“I think you like it too.” I kiss her neck and continue to rub her belly. I can’t get enough of the little mewls she makes, they’re so fucking cute.
“Are you sleepy, baby?” I ask, sliding my hand lower and slipping the tight fabric of her dress up her thigh.
“Nic Conte, are you trying to get frisky with me in the back of a car?” She opens her eyes and stares at me accusingly.
“I mean, if it’s what you want I will, but?—”
She doesn’t give me a chance to finish when she tugs on my tie and drags me to her lips.
“I want it,” she tells me as I stroke her through her panties; they’re soaking through, for me.
“I’ve wanted this all night,” she whispers as I slide into the side of them and edge a finger into her tight, drenched pussy.
“Oh fuck!” she gasps when I gift her with another. Her hand reaches up, gripping the handle above the door and lifting her hips from the seat.
“You’ve had that needy, little look in your eyes all night like you’ve been desperate for attention. Did you want me all to yourself?” In my opinion, the party went on too long. I could see that Lorna was done being sociable hours ago.
“Of course. I always want you to myself.”
I swear the more pregnant she gets the more needy she becomes. She doesn't even try to hide it from me, anymore.
“You weren’t the only one suffering,” I assure her, fucking her with my fingers and kneading the heel of my palm against her clit. “I had to watch all those men staring at you, getting hard fucking dicks over how good you look in this condition I’ve put you in.” I rest my other hand on the top of her belly while I continue to stroke inside her pussy.
“Now you're talking crazy.” She giggles. “Not all men think like you, Nic.”
“Baby, I’m not talking crazy, this is the kind of shit that drives us wild. How do you not see that you are hot-as-fuck, right now? Because I’ll keep telling you until you believe it.” I take my cock out of my slacks and since we’re so limited for space back here, there's only one way I can see this going down.
“Come here, pretty girl.” I tap my lap.
“You want me to…in here?” She looks stunned.
“I need you to hop on this dick, right now, so I can feel like I fucking own you,” I tell her, helping her shift position and lose her panties before she climbs on top of me. Her dress sits around her hips as she straddles me and with her stomach now blocking my view, I reach for my cock and guide it toward her entrance.
“Fuck, that feels good.” I close my eyes as she slowly eases herself down on me, and framing her belly in both my hands, I hold it firm as she starts to bounce on my cock.
“That’s a good girl, you take this dick, take it like it belongs to you.” Being in a room full of men who value the beauty of a fertile woman has me feeling predatory, right now. I swear I could read every filthy thought in those sick fuckers’ heads, some of them weren’t even being sly about how they looked at her. In a world where blood has to run thick, men will always be appreciative of a woman who can carry heirs well, and the way my girl is looking right now surpasses all expectations.
“It does belong to me,” Lorna reminds me, touching the roof of the car with the palm of her hands and making her tits bounce as she fucks me harder.
“It feels so deep like this,” she manages to whisper.
“You like it deep?” I want to lean forward and kiss her, but the tight space and the barrier her belly puts between us makes it impossible.
“Yes. I’m going to come.” She smiles and I don’t know if it’s from her pleasure or if it’s because the baby kicks hard against my hand. Either way, I’ve never seen a person look so happy before. The thought of me being the maker of that makes my chest feel like it’s going to explode.
“Come with me, Nic. I like it when we come together.” She lowers one of her hands to grip my shoulder.
“Ask for it then, princess. Tell me you want this pregnant pussy filled with my cum.”
“Please.” She’s getting the same flustered look she always does when she’s about to peak. “I want you to come,” she whispers. “I want it all, in my pregnant pussy.” She just manages to get the words out before her orgasm takes over, and just like she’s flicked a fucking switch, my cock pulses and spills inside her
“There it is, pretty girl. Right where it belongs.” I watch her head fall back as she takes me, and wonder if there's anything more satisfying than this. Lorna James, the girl I thought I detested, round and fertile with my child, with a pussy crammed full of my cum.
“Wow, that was…” She blows out a breath and repositions herself to get more comfortable and I can’t help but laugh at the effort it takes her.
“Quit laughing, I’m very fucking pregnant here.” I can tell she’s not too mad, by the way she laughs, herself.
“Here, let me help you.” I aid her back into her seat and slide her dress back down her legs.
“These kicks are getting even stronger.” She rubs the side of her tummy and winces as she takes another.
“I know, that one I felt a minute ago was huge.” I smile proudly and when we both notice a hard lump sticking out from under her dress we stare at it in shock.
“Is that…a foot?” I stroke over it with my fingertips.
“I don’t know, I guess it could be anything.” She looks concerned as she looks down at her body.
“Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?” It sure looks like it does.
“No, it’s just a little weird. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.” She looks back up at me and smiles.
“Nic, I’m sorry for being grouchy before. I actually really enjoyed tonight,” she tells me, in that sweet, little voice that I never tire of hearing.
“Really?” I check I’m hearing her right because I know how much she was dreading being sociable, tonight.
“Well, at least I enjoyed the car ride home.” She shrugs.