Chapter 25 Rafael
The fuck was that?
Sweat slicked my spine as my heart pounded against my rib cage. I was breathing, but it felt like there wasn’t enough air in the world to fill my lungs. My head was a mess, and any time I tried to concentrate on something all I could see and hear were the gunshots and glass shattering.
“Are you okay?” My voice scraped over my vocal cords. I wasn’t sure if it was because of fear or due to the fact that Cesare had fucked me hoarse.
The thought of his cock buried deep inside of me, owning me, settled some fucked part of my psyche. I took in another breath slower and more controlled.
“You’re asking me if I’m okay?” Cesare asked.
I turned, really taking him in. He’d shielded me from the bullets and the glass. He’d used his body to cover mine.
If I wasn’t in love with him already, I was certainly falling for him all over again.
“Cesare, are you hurt anywhere?”
He glanced at me, his brows furrowed in confusion.
He looked away in favor of the road, but his hand never left mine.
What if there was a cut on the other side of his face?
I sat up a little more and leaned forward to check.
Glass rained down onto the floor and it took everything in me to ignore it.
If they hurt him… My chest felt hollow as fear and rage turned in my stomach.
I'd hunt them down myself and give them a death that would make the worst serial killers seem like school teachers.
"Cesare." Getting his name out felt close to a plea as much as it was a snarl.
“I’m fine, stop squeezing so damn hard. And sit your ass back.”
My fingertips tingled, and I loosened my hold slightly.
I didn’t realize I was clutching onto him with a death grip.
I knew this life was dangerous, that the man who had my heart lived amongst murders, thieves, and scum.
Cesare being at the top of all of it didn't mean that he was immune to any of the ugly.
“Good,” I blew out a breath as something unfurled in the middle of my chest.
He’s okay.
We both were. He jammed his finger on the call button again, cursing as the ringing went to voicemail for the second time. Who was he trying to call?
The air from the busted windshield had more glass sliding off the dashboard and over my legs. There was so much of it I didn’t dare move too much. My ears still rang from the sounds of the guns going off. It wasn’t my first time hearing it, and I doubted it would be my last.
I needed to get my shit together. I chose him. I knew what being with Cesare meant.
“Yeah?” a familiar gruff voice came over the car speaker. It was slightly breathless.
“Took you long enough to answer. Meet me with a car and get some men out here.”
“Shit, what happened?”
Cesare glanced at me, his calloused fingers curled over mine as he turned down another street. The sights were becoming less familiar the more he drove. He was exuding an eerier calm that oddly made me feel safe.
I’m always safe with Cesare.
"Some shit. Get here and make sure you're not followed." There was commotion over the car speakers before Cesare spoke again. “Rocky, this is serious. Tell Alexis I’ll get her the newest tennis bracelet next week. I need you. Now.”
I let my eyes close for a second as I centered myself further. I didn't need to worry. All I needed to do was trust Cesare. He had me. No one was going to touch me. No one would hurt me as long as I was by his side.
The smell of fish and salt hit me before I was ready.
My eyes opened as the sounds of water slowly crept past the blood rushing in my ears.
The car slowed down to a stop. There wasn't shit around besides a few buildings and shipping crates.
I knew I'd been in my own head for a second there, but I hadn't noticed shit.
"I'll get you home in a second." Cesare's voice was like a rope around my neck; it tugged and I was helpless not to follow.
Our eyes locked and it felt like paragraphs passed between us even without our mouths moving. There was so much said and so many things left unsaid.
I love you.
You're mine, like I'm yours.
I want you so fucking badly.
You've claimed another piece of my heart I didn't even know I was holding back.
"Come on," Cesare said, breaking my silent confessions.
I wanted to desperately unbuckle and climb into his lap.
Fuck everything else. I wanted to be as close as possible to him.
It was with reluctance that I let his hand go.
Cold seemed to seep into my flesh the moment I lost contact.
It took everything in me to keep from spilling out of the car and over back to him.
My ass ached, a beautiful reminder of who I belonged to. I got out of the car and rounded the front at a pace that was too slow for my liking. I stopped next to Cesare. My gaze dropped to his hand, and I licked my lips nervously.
"What?" Cesare had an unlit cigarette between his fingers. He stared at me like I was an anomaly, and maybe I was.
"I want to hold your hand."
He huffed out a dry laugh. "You never care about appearances. You always hang all over me. Why are you self-conscious now? Because we got shot at?"
No. Out in public, it was always a toss-up when it came to Cesare. He probably thought I didn't notice that every time I got too handsy with him he stiffened. At home it didn't matter. There were no masks, no pretenses to be something else.
He offered me his hand. "Don't talk and stay next to me, am I clear?"
I nodded. "Yes."
"Good." I brought the cigarette to his mouth, and I pulled the spare lighter from my back pocket. Thank fuck it hadn't slipped out.
The glow of the fire lit up Cesare's face for a few seconds. The sight took my breath away. He let out a billow of smoke and it curled around us. For a short second, everything else around me ceased to exist, and I was left with Cesare.
Tires screeched, and my entire body locked up. Ice crept up my spine and into my lungs.
"Breathe,” Cesare ordered. “I'm right here."
Air wooshed out of my lips as I blinked a few times. Gunshots didn't follow, but the sound of the car doors opening and closing followed instead. My stomach clenched, but I decided to put my trust in Cesare.
"Cugino, you good?" A man I hadn't seen before came around the car, strolling toward us. His steps were confident, and his lips were downcast in a frown. He had dark brown eyes and his facial features were slightly similar to Cesare's.
"Pietro." Cesare moved me more behind him as he spoke with the man. They fluidly slipped into Italian. I caught words here and there but not enough to understand.
Another car stopped a few feet away, and Rocky's hulking form came charging toward us.
His face was flushed as he stopped short.
He joined the other men's conversation with ease.
His anger was a lot easier to read than the other two.
Another one joined, looking a lot more flustered.
His gaze skipped to me for a split second, widening in shock.
Cesare snapped something in Italian, and his focus was off me.
There were more men about but they stayed back with their hands behind their back or weapons at the ready.
"Look, I'll figure out who it was. There's not a lot of people in this city willing to go against you like this." Pietro’s words were met with an eerie silence that had the fine hairs on my arms standing up.
The last guy to join shook his head. “Are we putting our families on lockdown?”
Rocky sighed. “Santiago, what the fuck do you think?”
Santiago groaned and shrugged.
"Once we know it is, let me know. I personally will be dealing with them.
Whoever it was is dead." Cesare tugged me along, and I followed as he led us to the car Rocky arrived in.
It wasn't the luxury car that he normally drove around when he was chauffeuring Cesare places.
He opened the car door, and I slipped in. "Stay, I'm almost done."
I held on even tighter. "Then we're going home?"
Cesare looked at me, his gaze studying as if he was looking for something. "Yeah."
I let him go and sat back against the plush leather seats. It didn't smell like Cesare, making it impossible for me to settle. The car door didn't close. Instead, Cesare stood there, staring down at me with an unreadable expression.
"Rocky, let's go. Santiago, clean this shit up. Pietro, I want men scouring the streets. I got a few rounds off. I'll send the details once I get home."
"Cesare, this is serious, maybe your giocattolo should be dropped back off.
" He wiped a hand over his face, stepping closer, lowering his voice.
"Cousin, you're distracted. This isn't how we were raised. I’m all for fun but—" Pietro’s gaze cut to me before leveling Cesare with a disapproving gaze.
He took a small step back, raising his hands up in surrender, and I wondered what face Cesare was making right now.
Rocky stepped closer. "This is serious; a threat against you is a threat against the familia. Maybe I should take Rafael home and we can discuss everything."
“Exactly, no one gets away with this shit,” Santiago chimed in.
Cesare flicked his lit cigarette at his feet, forcing the men to take a step back.
His voice was calm, not a single infliction to be heard.
"When the fuck did I make the choice of running this family into a group project? I didn’t ask for your thoughts.
I gave you what I needed done. Either do it or get the fuck out of my way.
" I waved him off. "Now if you got an issue with my leadership and think you can do better, let me know now.” Cesare had his gun in his hand. His shoulders were relaxed as he stood there. The tension in the air skyrocketed to new levels. The threat of death hung overhead with a sweet promise of darkness. “Anyone?” He put his weapon away and got into the car. “Didn’t fucking think so.” His hand rested on the door. “Rocky, let's go."