Victorious Vice (Bellamy Brothers #6)

30. Vinnie

30

VINNIE

B ellamy walks toward me but I hold up a hand. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not going near her tonight.”

“That’s not what I was going to say. I just want you to know that I mean it when I say that I love my daughter.” He runs his hand through his hair, sighing. “I love all of my children.”

“Did I say otherwise?”

“No, but I see it in your eyes. You wonder how I could let them be in danger like this. All I can tell you is that there are things at work that you don’t know about.”

I swear to God, this guy needs to learn a new tune. If I hear one more time that there are “things at work” with no further context, I may collapse in on myself.

“I know everything my grandfather knows.”

“You don’t, Vinnie.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “But you will.”

“Because you’re going to tell me?”

“Because I won’t have to.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

But Bellamy says nothing more. He simply leaves, shows Jared where to bunk down, and then he returns.

Without continuing our conversation, he shows me to Raven’s old bedroom.

I peel off my tux, lay the garments on a chair, strip myself of the rest of my clothing, and head into the en suite bathroom for a shower.

Once I’m clean and dry, I put my boxer briefs back on and slide between the sheets.

Will I sleep?

Doubtful.

But at least I know Raven is safe several doors down the hallway with both her father and Jared looking out for her.

It should be me, but it can’t be me.

I have a wife. Sure, she’s my wife in name only, but she is someone else I am responsible for. She’s been great through all of this. She left the gala pretty early to go home and take care of Serena. I brought in a discrete staff when we got home, but Daniela has taken the role of caretaker seriously, and Serena seems to adore her.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow I go to my grandfather.

I bring him to the house. And I give him Serena. His lost love.

In exchange for all his power—and the control I need to do what must be done.

I have no doubt that he will meet my demands.

And I?—

The door cracks open, interrupting my thoughts.

“Who’s there?” I whisper.

“Who do you think?”

Raven.

Sweet Raven.

“You need to go back to bed.”

“I’m not asking you to fuck me, Vinnie. I’m not asking for anything. I just want to lie next to you, sleep with your arms around me. Because that’s the only place I truly feel safe.”

Her words haunt me. Slice into me like a dagger. Because though I want more than anything to be her safe place, I’m anything but.

“I’m glad I make you feel safe, Raven. But if that were truly the case, we would be together.”

“That’s what I want, Vinnie. And don’t try to tell me it’s not what you want.”

“I’m married.”

“And I never thought I’d say this,” she says, “but I don’t care. I don’t care that you’re married. Because I know you don’t love her. I know you love me.”

She speaks the truth, and she knows it.

I sigh, and I hold the sheet up, beckoning her to me.

We already made love, or rather a quick hard fuck, in the dark conference room at the hotel.

She’s wearing nothing but a large T-shirt that probably belongs to one of her brothers.

Her hair is damp, and she smells like soap and almond shampoo.

Like Raven.

Like love and light and perfection.

She crawls into my arms, and I pull her against me, spooning her.

Of course my cock responds.

It hardens immediately, pressing against the curve of her soft backside. I grit my teeth and close my eyes, fighting off the primal urge to claim her right then and there.

I remind myself that this isn’t about desire, at least not in that way.

Raven is more than a want. She’s a need. An addiction. A love so powerful it hurts to breathe when she’s around.

I feel every curve, every inch of her body against mine, and it’s like fire coursing through my veins. The ache for her grows deeper with every beat of my heart.

She sighs contentedly as she nuzzles into my chest, tracing patterns on my bare skin.

She’s so small compared to me. So fragile and delicate, yet incredibly resilient and strong. It’s a contrast that never fails to mesmerize me.

“Vinnie,” she says softly, breaking the silence, her voice a mere whisper in the dark. “Promise me you won’t let go.”

“I can’t promise that, Raven,” I reply, my voice choked with suppressed emotions. “I can’t promise anything anymore.”

She faces me, her brown eyes piercing in the dim light. They are filled with a sadness that matches mine, but there’s also something else. Determination? Resolve?

“Then promise me this,” she says as she places her small hand over my heart. “Even if you let me go physically, don’t ever let go here.”

Her words are like a punch to the gut. A crushing wave of love and loss and longing hits me all at once.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes but I blink them back. “You have my word,” I say quietly.

It’s a promise I intend to keep. Even if it shatters my soul into a million shards.

Silence settles in between us once again, one that is comfortable and full of understanding. She sighs softly, wrapping her arms tighter around me.

“I wish we had met under different circumstances,” she whispers after a while, her voice thick with unshed tears.

Her confession unravels something in me. A longing to step back in time and do things differently. To meet her when there were no complications, no promises made to other people. But that isn’t the life I was born into.

“I wish for the same, Raven.” I kiss the top of her head.

We lie there, tangled up in each other under the covers. The world outside our cocoon doesn’t exist. The only thing that matters is the here and now. The rhythm of her heartbeat against my chest, the warmth coming from her body, the scent of her hair and skin.

“We can’t keep doing this,” I whisper, even though I know we both want nothing else.

“I know,” she says, barely audible. She tightens her hold on me.

“But we have tonight.” I bring my lips to hers.

“And tonight, I’m yours,” she whispers.

The taste of her is enough to drown in. Enough to forget time, place, circumstance. Her breath hitting my face is like a reminder of everything I’ve ever wanted and everything I must let go.

Yet beneath the desire, there is a melancholy shadowing every stolen kiss, every gentle caress. The realization that each interaction might be our last. It’s a sorrow that lingers heavily between us.

I slide my hand between her legs.

“Vinnie,” she gasps, her breath hitching at my touch. She melts against me. The delicate lace of her panties is damp.

She reaches down to grasp me. I groan, shuddering at her touch.

The longing within me peaks, the need to connect with her on a deeper level overwhelms every sense in me.

Gently, I slide her underwear aside and dip my fingers into her. Her breath catches as I brush my thumb over her clit.

Even though we were intimate just hours before, the electrifying charge between us now is overwhelming. As if our bodies are recognizing each other for the first time.

I remove her panties and slide into her.

The room is filled with our heavy breathing and soft sighs as we move in sync with one another. This is slow and gentle, so unlike us, but it’s what feels necessary in this moment.

She grips my shoulders as she arches her back. I feel the heat building within her, the clenching of her inner muscles compelling me to quicken my pace.

“Vinnie…” she sighs.

I bury my face in her neck, nibbling on the sensitive skin there as she trembles beneath me.

“I love you.” I whisper it into her ear as my own climax approaches. The words come out desperate, raw—more of a prayer than a declaration of feelings we both know already exist.

“I love you too,” she echoes.

And I thrust hard into her, releasing.

I grip her tighter, riding out the aftershocks of pleasure that ripple through me and into her.

Her body slackens beneath mine as she continues her own release. The rhythms of our breaths gradually slow to match each other’s until we’re left in silence once again.

We lie there, our bodies entwined, the sweat beginning to cool on our skin. Everything in me screams against the idea of letting her go, but I know I must. This is our reality—stolen moments in the darkness, whispers of love that will never see the light of day.

Reluctantly, I pull away from her and prop myself on my elbow to look at her face. Her eyes are still closed, lips slightly parted as she struggles to catch her breath. She appears blissful, a soft smile playing on her lips. It’s a sight that makes my heart ache with longing.

She falls asleep in my arms.

And for the rest of the night, I allow myself to hold her.

Until I untangle myself from her at the break of dawn, leaving her sleeping peacefully.