Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
ALISON
“ T his better be good, Max. You just pussy-blocked me,” I hissed in annoyance as soon as Jackson shut the door to my apartment.
“Okay, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, as well as see everything I just saw. Your brother has too much on his plate already for me to be adding this on top of everything else, so I’ll just wash my eyes with bleach when I get home. Maybe a lobotomy wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.” I wasn’t sure if he meant it as a joke, but his features were as hard as ever.
“Haha, very funny. The clock is ticking, Maxy Max. What are you doing on my doorstep?”
“Your brother has been trying to get a hold of you for hours now, Miss Battaglia .” He replied, clearly forcing himself to keep up with the formalities, even after what he just witnessed.
“ Alison , Max. My name is Alison. I’ve told you that!”
Max had always tried to keep this formal distance between us. I knew it was a reflection of what happened between us. His way of letting me know that nothing had changed even though he’d climbed the ranks through the years – he was still the loyal soldier while I was nothing but his boss’s little sister.
As he so humbly put it, he was ‘ nothing but the help.’ But those were his words, never mine. Maybe it was there to cast a shadow over the mistake of sleeping together.
Max had been there in one of the most devastating moments of my life. He was behind me, literally catching me as I crumbled when Matt told me about our grandfather’s death. And even after that fateful day, he was there helping me slowly pick up the pieces of my shattered self.
That’s when he came back into my life. Other than that, he’d been a ghost these last few years.
He came by to check on me every now and again but never stayed for too long. At the time, and after the fog of pain cleared a little, I no longer needed him to lift me, but he still came anyway, and I enjoyed every one of his small visits. But they were nothing more than him doing his job.
I thought we had shared something. Something deeper than just the weakness of a painful moment. Something unrelated to all the rest around us. Just something about the two of us. Just like we had that first time, but then he stopped showing up.
I wanted to talk to him about it, be honest, and tell him exactly what he had made me feel. How much I wanted to feel it again. As days went by, Max had yet again disappeared, showing me it was just another one of my brother’s assignments for him. Take care of the little broken girl until her tears dry.
Fuck them!
I replayed that in my head each time my thoughts wandered back to him .
That happened months ago, so I was not about to let him mess with me again.
Shaking my head, I got rid of those buried thoughts, gathering my composure to deal with him as best I could without flashing that little chip on my shoulder. He had no business seeing it.
“Did you come here just to spy on me and waste my time, or does this visit actually have a purpose?”
“Do you have any idea of the havoc you’ve caused? Don Battaglia has everyone searching for you, thinking someone’s gotten their hands on you.”
“What? Why?”
“He’s been trying to get a hold of you for hours. Your phone is off, and your car is abandoned at AD. What the hell should we think?”
I simply shrugged as he continued his little rant.
“So, here I am, making sure you are unharmed. We are not going through peaceful times right now, so you might just want to think about keeping your phone on. You know… be responsible and not lose it over five miserable minutes in the mud.” He finished, motioning towards the closed door to my apartment where Jackson was waiting for me on the other side.
Of course my brother’s hatred for Jackson would rub off on his men. It was only natural. But this time, this remark was all Max. I could feel the disdain dripping from his words, venom on a hissing tongue.
“I was busy!” I pointed out, opening my arms, revealing my messy clothes and undone buttons. I saw him linger a second too long on me, his eyes taking in as much as he could.
“Unfortunately, it was hard to miss,” He bluntly grunted with a disgusted expression on his face before taking in a sharp breath as if he was steadying himself. “ Cazzo, Alison! He’s your brother’s enemy! What are you doing? This isn’t you!”
“We’ve had this conversation before, Max. Jackson is only Matt’s enemy in my brother’s head. Besides, I can date whoever I want. I’m a free woman, remember? And I especially don’t owe you any explanations,” I snarled, not liking the way Max was pushing me into this corner, trying to make me feel ashamed of my options.
But his observation was still burning into my skull, and I found myself nervously tapping my foot, wanting nothing but for him to be gone.
“You’re right, Miss Battaglia . I was clearly out of line. I apologize.”
Miss Battaglia . There’s the canyon again, growing wider, wedging a distance between us that seems impossible to overcome.
Once again, Max had let his guard down, showing me he was bothered to see me with Jackson, only to backtrack to safety a second later. This was what he did, confusing me beyond explanation. He would let me in only to shut me out just as quickly.
“As you can see, I am fine! Anything else you need? Or can I resume my previous activities?” I snapped. I was now growing a new nerve I needed to ease.
“Your brother asked for you to call Francesca as soon as possible. She’ll be arriving in two days for The Commission’s meeting. He was wondering if you could keep an eye on her while she’s in town.”
I wasn’t fluent in Mafia, but I knew a thing or two. The Commission was sort of a syndicate composed of five Dons of the most prestigious Mafiosi families, each of them representing other families and their Capi. They had the power to decide upon critical matters, keeping the peace and order in an otherwise naturally conflictive organization. They were the law inside a lawless world.
“No problem. Anything else?”
Max shook his head no as he started to leave, stopping right by my side, so close I could feel the heat that radiated from his body, even through the thin layer of my shirt. He looked down into my eyes, leaning in to whisper in my ear.
“ Non è l'uomo per te !” He’s not the man for you. His lips grazed my ear, making sure his words were breathed into me, as close to my brain and heart as possible.
I was rooted to my spot, hearing his footsteps fade away, giving place to the loud thumping of my heart as I stood there, those words echoing in my mind repeatedly.
After the shivers that had rebelliously spread down my spine, I felt my body loaded with so many contradicting emotions that I couldn’t settle on what exactly I was feeling. I couldn’t decipher if my heaving chest and flaring nose were from the anger and resentment his words stirred in me or from the faint notion that he might just be right.
Either way, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t on a quest to find my Prince Charming anyway.
Jackson was hot, available like me, and we had extremely good chemistry. He was the perfect match for what I needed right now. Just some fun and games. A good time without any strings attached. Right?
I decided to dispose of whatever I was feeling from this unsolicited intrusion of my privacy. I took deep, settling breaths, steadying myself before walking into my apartment, finding Jackson sitting on the couch in nothing but his jeans.
As soon as I set my eyes on him, I understood Max’s game. He was trying to throw me off, trying to permanently interrupt what we were doing .
The joke’s on you, Maxy Max. My hunger just turned into starvation.
“Are you okay?” Jackson asked as soon as I walked in, before standing and making his way over to me. “Any troubles?”
“No, not at all. My brother was just trying to get a hold of me, but my phone is off, and he got worried,” I replied, leaving out what was bothering me, allowing myself to progressively calm down.
Jackson’s hands started wrapping around me, pulling me closer to him, feeling every inch of my skin, easing my tension with soft kisses on my neck.
“Good. We can pick up right where we stopped,” He whispered into my ear before nibbling on my earlobe.
I let go of my previous constrictions, wrapping my arms around him, too, as Jackson’s kisses grew more urgent, wet, sensual. My head fell to the side, giving him better access to the soft spot that drove me crazy. I was trying as hard as I could to focus, to bring back the fire I was feeling before, but I was struggling more than I would like to admit.
Jackson’s hands slid over my ass, continuing further down to my thighs before he picked me up. My legs instinctively wrapped around his fit torso as he took us to the bedroom.
His mouth devoured mine while he fumbled with the buttons of my shirt for the second time today, managing to undo them and taking it off. He laid me on the bed, taking his jeans off together with his underwear before opening the metallic wrapper of a condom. While he put it on his already hard cock, I shimmied out of my skirt and panties.
Jackson was all game already, with just a couple of kisses, and I was barely starting to get warm. He took his place between my legs, kissing me all over, his hard and free erection rubbing against my skin, hungrily looking for its fitting nook.
“Nah-ha. I’m on top. Remember, Officer ?” The way I was feeling, I definitely needed to take control of this situation. Otherwise, Jackson would be erupting like an active volcano before I had secured my happy ending.
I straddled him, slowly sliding down onto him until my clit hit his skin, grinding onto him in circles, running after my own pleasure. Jackson set his hands on my hips, helping with the movements as they got progressively more enthusiastic.
I started to feel the build of my increasing pleasure as I thrust harder, always rubbing my sensitive nerve on him. I took one of his hands, placing it on my breast and squeezing a little, wanting to feel his touch harsher. I needed more than what he normally gave me to focus. I needed rage, or hunger, or whatever the hell it was that made men manhandle you.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the feeling between my legs, trying to coerce my mind into making it build. If my ears were registering right, Jackson was writhing in delight beneath me, his grasp becoming stronger around my hip, the roughness enticing me further.
“Oh fuck, Jackson…” I exhaled, my eyes tightly shut as I concentrated on reaching my goal, but it was so far away that I wasn’t sure I would get there at all at this pace.
“Come, Alison. I’m close, too.”
I placed my hand over his, making him squeeze my boob tighter as I rode him harder, but having to coach him wasn’t doing it for me. Not this time.
But Jackson was lost. His movements were erratic enough to show me he was too close to stop.
“Fuck…Alison. That was… that was good!” Jackson exclaimed between ragged breaths as I climbed off him, lying beside him, my mind immediately wandering off .
Jesus fuck, he did manage to pussy block me.
“Alison.”
“Uh? Yeah, good. I know, right?” I answered, sporting the most honest smile I could fake while Jackson stood up and started to get dressed. “I think I’m going to take a shower and relax. You’re heading off to work, right?”
“Yeah, I have to be there in less than an hour,” He replied, pulling his underwear and pants back on.
I sat in the middle of the bed, bringing my knees to my chest, my mind being bugged by the poison Max had managed to soil it with.
“Are you okay?” Jackson asked, sitting back on the bed, his hand resting on my knee.
“Yeah, just tired. You know how work has been tearing me to pieces.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine, trust me.” I smiled, hoping it reached my eyes and convinced him enough to drop it. “Will you let yourself out?”
“Sure, I know the way. I’ll call you later if you have your phone on,” He teased before stretching towards me and placing a kiss on my cheek.
“Jackson,” I called out just as he crossed the threshold of my bedroom door. “What happened between my grandfather and your father?”
He walked back over to me in silence, releasing a low sigh as he sat beside me again, his weight denting the mattress and drawing me closer to him. He curled his arm over my shoulders, but for some odd reason, it felt awkward, as if we were total strangers.
I didn’t even exactly know why I was picking at this bone.
“There’s no place for two roosters in a small hen house.” I could hear a hint of sadness and resentment in his voice. This was a conversation he definitely didn’t want to have. “Unfortunately, with the inflated egos men in their line of business tend to have – no offense,”
“None taken.”
“That means death more often than not. There can only be one king in their jungle.”
I sat there in silence, letting his words sink in, perfectly aware that it was his father who had ordered my grandfather’s death. That was the reason my brother was so affected, trying to hunt down a man that he inherited as an enemy from our grandfather.
“Why are you asking me this now? Did Max come to warn you away from me? Point out the obvious enemy?”
“Does it matter? It’s not like it was you making that call.”
“Your perception is clearer than mine was… than your brother’s is.” He said as he got up again, our conversation draining all the fun from the sheets we had just been on. “Will you be okay?”
I gave him a small smile and nod in return, watching as he placed another kiss on my forehead and left. This was the first time we had ever talked about something more meaningful. Booty calls were always just that – a blockage from real life as we gave in to nothing more than physical needs. A good time with no space for connection.
As soon as I heard the door close, I let my body fall back onto the bed, admonishing myself for what I was feeling. I wanted to feel more for him. I wanted to have a deeper connection, but was that something that naturally happened, or did I have to work for it?
Fuck!
I had never longed for anything after a one-night stand besides the happy ending. And today, I didn’t even get that much. What the hell was I still after? I had never minded being alone afterward. I had gotten what I needed from Jax every time, but today. Why did I have this nagging feeling that something was missing?
“Non è l'uomo per te!” He’s not the man for you.
Was there even such a thing?