Chapter 46
AMELIA
“We lost Frankie and Asher!”
“They’ll catch up, don’t worry. Knowing them, they’re probably back there fucking.” Blade puts his arm around me and guides me forward along the trail.
It’s March, and we finally have a break from the winter chill, the weather is absolutely beautiful this time of year in Albuquerque.
Asher’s birthday is today, and he insisted on taking a birthday hike, saying it’s a tradition he had with his father before he passed. I’m trying my best, but I probably look like a worn out donkey right now with how much I’m sweating. And people do this for fun? Even in the summer?
Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful. The red mountainous cliff views, the early signs of spring flowers peeking through the cracks, the birds singing overhead. I just wish I had some kind of overhead air conditioner as well.
“So,” I begin, breaking the comfortable silence only otherwise disrupted by the sounds of twigs crunching under our feet. “I have another question now.”
“Yes, my love?”
“Oh my God, stop!” My cheeks heat up, just like every other time he catches me off guard with something romantic. I bend over so I can grab a small rock and playfully throw it at him, but before I can stand back up, he grabs the top of my skirt and pulls me back to him. Now I’m bent over, and my ass is nestled right on his dick. Which is growing, by the way.
He leans over and gently grabs my neck, bringing my head up a little. “You’re lucky we’re on a public hiking trail or I would throw you on top of this big rock, spread your legs wide, and fuck you so hard you’d have the rock imprints on your ass for weeks.”
My breathing becomes heavier, and I go to clench my thighs shut but he puts his leg in between them, rubbing his knee against my panties. Curse me for wearing a tennis skirt.
“Ask your question.”
“But you’re…” Torturing me with your knee.
“Ask it.”
“I want you to tell me all about the group. I mean, if you still want to be with me after you… get promoted.”
He grabs ahold of my hair and turns my head to look back at him. “It wouldn’t matter if I was the president of the whole world, you’d still be by my side as the First Lady.”
I let out a breath and nod, biting my bottom lip, holding in a smile. I just know if he lets me, I’ll follow him anywhere, in any position he takes.
I yelp when his knee strums against my clit. I’m not facing him, but I don’t need to be to know the smug bastard has some kind of smirk on his face. He takes his knee away and my body involuntarily arches back towards him, causing him to chuckle. I hate him right now .
He puts his arm back around me and continues the walk, like nothing happened. Like he didn’t just rub over my clit and ignite a need within me.
That’s okay, I’ll get him back eventually. Just focus on the hike.
“Continue asking your questions.”
“Hmm… what is my dad’s involvement?” I ask.
“A secretary.”
“Really? I never imagined him being a secretary. What other types of jobs are there?”
“Hacking, drug trafficking, hitmen, extortion, gambling bookies, crime scene cleanup, employees of businesses that launder the money, there’s also people on the payroll like police officers, DA’s, politicians. Politicians and CEOs also pay for services, mainly hitmen and hacking. And uh…” He clears his throat. “The one thing I never agreed with, that I’m getting rid of immediately. Human trafficking.”
My mouth hangs open. “John was sick. He… trafficked girls?” I shake as a chill goes down my spine, I couldn’t imagine. At least he is going to be working towards getting rid of it. “So, how does the power structure work?”
“There’s a basic ranking. Lower, middle, higher, and elite. Based on different things like your job, how good you are at your job, how much money you bring in, your father’s ranking, and working your way up. I was gonna be a hacker, probably work my way to middle ranking and plateau there. But, as you heard, since he was married to my mom and have no current sons, John picked me to take over his position.”
I hum, thinking about the conversation with John I had while in Frankie’s dorm. But I decide not to tell him about it. “Why didn’t he pick Jacob or the other son? I mean, he lived with them at one point.”
“Eli never wanted to be in the group, he wanted to go to art school. I recently found out that he was stealing money from the group to run away to Europe and make an art career. So John wanted him dead. It could’ve been between me or Jacob and he just chose me. Probably to have an excuse to torture me whenever he wanted because of what Jackie did to his son.”
“Torture you? Now I’m glad the bastard’s gone!”
“Yup. For about a year and a half. We had sessions at least three days a week so he could ‘prepare me to be a leader’. That was just code word for torturing me. Honestly, I don’t think he expected me to last past the first few weeks.”
“How many people have you killed?”
He rolls up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo on his right arm. It’s a gravestone with tally marks inside of it and a skull with crossbones on top. “Count yourself.”
My eyes trace over the tallies. “You’ve killed over two dozen people?! You must like slitting people’s throats, Jesus.”
His dick jumps in his pants, I can tell because, well for one it’s really big—you can’t miss it—and for two, he’s wearing grey sweatpants that show everything.
“Oh my God, are you getting hard talking about killing people?”
He chuckles. “Like I was saying earlier, I’ll officially become president next week. John left half of his estate to me, so I can continue to maintain the group. And the other half split between Frankie and Cindy. But the house is the headquarters, property of the group, so that’ll be mine.”
“So, it’ll be like, your house after you graduate?”
“You mean our house.” He stops walking, blocking my path, and kisses me on the forehead. “Anything I have is yours, baby.”
“What about the people who live there? And Frankie?”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t mind living in the same house with Frankie until she graduates, she’s practically never there anyway. The master suite has its own entire level, on the middle floor. That dickhead Rowan that rode with us to the border and most of everyone else has to go live somewhere else. But the maids, the chef, and the guards will probably stay, you can bring Julie if you want.”
“Of course, I have to bring Julie. She’s the only one who knows how to make my favorite meals just right. She’ll probably need a raise for agreeing.”
“Do you think she’ll actually need a raise for agreeing or you just want to give her a raise?”
“What? I like her.”
“Then we’ll give her a raise.” He takes his hand in mind. “I like how you care about other people and look out for them.”
“Really? I always thought the way I cared about other people too much was a bad thing.”
“As long as you don’t neglect yourself in the process and put yourself last, I don’t see why it’d be a bad thing. But you don’t have to worry about that because I’d never let you neglect yourself.”
I remove my hand out of his. “I like the gesture but it’s hot, I’m sweaty, and it feels icky. Here—” I loop my arm into his. “That’s better and it’s like we’re almost holding hands.” I swear he thinks there’s some kind of magnet pulling us together the way he always has to be touching me. “Wait, you said the guards will stay, that means my mom can move in and have protection from my dad?”
“Anyone you want can move in. And just imagine a little us running around, a whole bunch of space in the backyard. They can be the cool friend in their friend group with a hot ass mom and a big house that everyone can hang out at.”
I bite my lip, my heart skipping a beat at the thought. But then reality crashes in, reminding me that I’m not in some fairytale world where everything is roses and sunshine. I’m dating a freaking serial killer. A hot serial killer, but a serial killer nonetheless. “About that,” I begin, hesitating. I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “Are you sure this is the ideal situation for kids? I mean, it scares me… What if you get hurt or another Jacob situation happens?”
He stops walking, and as he turns to me, his expression shifts to something serious. “You don’t have to worry about any of those things. As president, I won’t be out in the field anymore. I’ll have other, more low-key, executive duties.”
“What if you get bored? Last time you were talking about killing, you got… hard.”
He chuckles.
“I’m serious!”
He grabs my ass with a firm grip, pulling me closer until our bodies are pressed together. “A certain somebody was on top of me at the time.” His lips brush against mine in a fleeting kiss and he keeps his face close, our breath mingling. “I won’t need the adrenaline-inducing life, I promise. All I’ll need is you, and any kids you decide you want,” he whispers, his eyes filled with a sincerity that melts away my doubts and fears.
“So, it’s my decision?” I ask, glancing in his direction as we continue up the trail.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Hmm, well, there are some other things you don’t let me decide,” I tease.
“Yeah, like going to a club without me. Not pregnancy. Any kids we have is one hundred percent your choice. And besides, you like when I decide things for you.” He smacks my ass.
“So, if I wanted a surrogate, you wouldn’t mind?”
“Why, do you want one?”
“Well, I do have a banging body,” I joke. “So, just keeping my options open.”
He bites his lip, and his eyes trail over my body with a desire that makes my heart race. “That you do,” he murmurs, his voice thick with passion. “But I’d love your body even if you grew ten kids inside of it. Even if you gained one hundred pounds. Even if you cut your hair all off and died it grey. So don’t think you have to get one to preserve your body for me.”
As his words sink in, I feel a rush of warmth and a fire in my belly. The way he looks at me, with such unwavering love, makes me feel like I’m dreaming. But I don’t want to be pinched to be woken up anytime soon. I can see in his eyes that the love goes beyond the physical, reaching deep into my soul.
He loves me for… me . The concept is so simple yet the feeling is so foreign. He knows every single thing about me and he still loves me. Not for my looks or my personality or how good I am in bed, for me.
We find a nearby bench to rest on and I lean my head on his shoulder. “I was just joking, mainly to see what you’d say. But you always know what to say to make me feel special,” I murmur.
“That’s because you are special.”
I close my eyes, savoring the warmth of his embrace and the promise of a future that, despite its uncertainties, actually feels bright. We’ll have kids, and I won’t have to worry about them being hurt or kidnapped or stabbed by a deranged man in the middle of the night looking for revenge for his neph—okay, maybe I’m going too far with the imagining.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure walking by and look up to see Frankie with Asher trailing not too far behind.
“Where have you guys been?” I call out.
“Birthday blowjob. The spit got messy so he had to change clothes.” Frankie smiles and walks ahead.
I shake my head and cover my mouth with my hand. That’s Frankie for you.