Chapter 21
Twenty-One
JULIAN
“I’ll meet you back at my building in a few hours, after you’re finished shopping with the girls,” I tell my wife as we ride into the city from the mansion.
“We’ve been talking about this shopping trip for the past three days straight in the group text,” Natasha says with a smile, tapping on the screen of her phone as she types out a message.
“Apparently, there’s a new line at Dior that Lulu’s dying to see.
Until you, I’ve never worn luxury brands.
But I have to admit, they’re nice. The materials feel . . . well, luxurious.”
I smile and reach over to tuck her silky blond hair behind her ear. She’s wearing a blue dress that falls past her knees, the color of her eyes, with brown sandals and a brown Dior saddlebag that matches. She’s fucking beautiful.
Of course, she’s just as stunning when she’s in sweats, with her hair in a wild bun at the top of her head and no makeup.
I’ll take this woman any way I can get her.
“Your card finally came.” I pass her Black Card to her. “There’s no limit, Angel. Buy whatever you want.”
“That’s dangerous,” she whispers, and tucks it into her purse. “I won’t go crazy.”
“I just told you to buy whatever you want.”
“But it’s your money. I’ll get a job, and then—”
I unfasten her seat belt and slide her over to me, then buckle her into the middle strap and tip her face up so I can kiss the fuck out of her.
“What was that for?” Her voice is breathy, the way it gets when she’s turned on, and it makes me want to fuck her, right here in the car. And I don’t give a fuck that we’re not alone.
“You don’t need to get a job, unless you want one. I have more money than we could ever possibly need, Natasha. Have fun today. Go buy out Dior, or Chanel, or wherever the three of you end up. I don’t care in the least about what you spend, I just want you to you enjoy yourself.”
“You’re a good man, Julian Stavros.”
The driver coughs, covering a laugh, and I don’t bother to hide my own chuckle as I brush my thumb over the apple of her cheek.
“Only for you, Angel.” I love that she thinks of me as good. I’m not, not even a little bit, but I’ll always treat her well. “Each of you will have a detail with you today, but just call me if there are any issues.”
“There won’t be,” she says with confidence. Once we’ve dropped her off with the others—and I make sure that all six men of their detail are acceptable, and make it clear that I’ll skin them alive if any of these women get so much as a hangnail—I head to my building.
Jack, waiting for me outside the cell, passes me the chair that I requested before unlocking the door and opening it for me.
I stride in, carrying the metal chair, and resist cringing at the smell in this room.
My son is still sitting in the corner. His clothes are filthy, and he’s listless and has lost even more weight.
Please let him hear me today. I might enjoy torturing men who deserve it, but this makes me sick to my stomach.
I turn the chair backward in front of him and straddle it, resting my forearms on the back as I watch him sleep.
He didn’t even stir when I walked in.
“Elliott.” My voice is hard but not too loud. His eyes flutter open, and he looks up at me, then swallows hard. “Are you ready to talk?”
“Yeah.” He coughs as though his throat is dry, which it likely is. “Yes.”
“Good. You have two choices, and I want you to listen to me very carefully.”
His eyes don’t leave mine.
“The first is, you can stay in a cell like this one for the rest of your natural life. You’ll be fed and watered, but that’s it.”
His eyes well with tears, and I clench my jaw shut. Take the second choice, son.
“The second choice is, I let you out of here, and you start from scratch. No money. No car, nothing. You’ll work as a janitor at one of my buildings, and when I feel that you’ve earned it, you can come back to the organization as a soldier.
You won’t set foot in another casino to gamble ever again.
You’ll also get a handle on your drinking. ”
Elliott swallows hard.
“Neither option is easy. You’ll have to decide which hard you want to take on.”
“I can’t live in here for the rest of my life.” His voice is raspy, but full of conviction. “Where will I live?”
“You’ll have a small apartment. You won’t come to the penthouse or the mansion until you’ve been invited, if ever. I don’t want you anywhere near my wife.”
His eyes flare and then he frowns. “Wife? You got married?”
Ah, that’s right. He doesn’t know.
“I married Natasha.”
I stay still, watching him to see how he reacts to this news. He blows out a breath and then hangs his head.
“She deserved better than me.”
Those words both surprise me and give me hope that my son is actually capable of changing into a man I can respect.
“Yeah, she fucking did. You’re going to toe the goddamn line, Elliott.
You’re twenty-five, not a child. I raised you to be a better man than this.
If you fuck up once, you won’t see the light of day again.
And if you ever so much as lay your pinky finger on my wife, I’ll put a bullet in your skull myself. ”
He presses his lips together, his lower lip quivers, and then he swallows it all down and nods his head.
“Yes, sir. I’ll take that option, please.”
“That’s maybe the smartest thing you’ve ever done. Prove yourself to me, and you’ll earn a place in my organization, but nothing will be handed to you because of your last name, and you’ll never inherit my empire. Do you understand?”
He nods once more, and I call out for Jack. He immediately opens the door of the cell, and three of my men follow him inside.
“Take Elliott to our infirmary and call Dr. Asgood. He’ll need medical attention. Make sure the apartment is ready for him when he’s been released.”
“Yes, boss,” Jack says with a nod. “Come on, kid. Let’s get you fixed up.”
The guys help my son off the floor, and before they can lead him away, I step forward and cup his face in my hand.
“You’re going to be okay,” I tell him.
“Thanks for not killing me,” he replies. “I guess you’re not as soft as I thought.”
“No, I’m not soft. And you won’t make that mistake again.”
He shakes his head, and then he’s led away, and I make my way up to the penthouse.
It’s time to get ready for the next part of my day.
“Hi.” Natasha’s smile is cheerful, with just a little sleepiness added. Which is appropriate, since she spent about a hundred and sixty thousand dollars over the course of three hours this afternoon.
My accountant called me, concerned that the card had been stolen.
I told him to approve every single charge.
She’s just stepped out of the SUV and moves right into my arms, presses her head to my chest, and hugs me close.
“Did you have fun, Angel?”
“More than I should have,” she says with a laugh.
“Those two girls are enablers. Don’t ever ask them if you should get something because the answer is immediately yes, and you should get it in every color.
I have a bag on order at Chanel because I loved the style but not the color, so it’s coming from a store in New York. Should be here in a couple of days.”
“Excellent. I’m glad you had a good time.” I brush her hair behind her ear and lean in to kiss her perfect bee-stung lips. “Now, I need you to come upstairs so I can get your opinion on something.”
With my woman tucked into my side, I lead Natasha to the elevator. When we’re alone inside, I press her against the wall, push my hands in her hair, and kiss the fuck out of her.
She whimpers and clings to me, giving as good as she gets, and when the doors open again, we’re both panting, and I’m wishing I still had a bed in the penthouse.
“Come on, before I boost you up and fuck you in my elevator.”
“Your elevator?” she asks, walking next to me.
“I own the building.” I kiss the back of her hand, and then she looks around, and her blue eyes widen in surprise.
“Julian.”
“This is what I need your advice on.”
“It’s empty. It’s just walls and concrete.”
Nodding, I pull her deeper into the penthouse.
“There were too many bad memories for you in here, so it all had to go. You’ll be meeting with someone named MaryBeth to go over designs.
You’ll make this into whatever pleases you, since you didn’t get the opportunity at the mansion, although we can change anything that you don’t like there too.
I want you to be comfortable wherever we are, and there will be times that we’ll be staying here. ”
“I don’t know anything about decorating a penthouse. This place is massive.”
“It’s actually not that big. Only about five thousand square feet.”
“That sounds pretty big, if you ask me. Wait, how many square feet is the mansion?”
I can’t keep my lips, or my hands, off this woman. I kiss the top of her head and drag my hand down her back.
“About twenty thousand.”
“For two people, Julian? That’s nuts.”
“It won’t always just be the two of us.”
Her gaze whips up to mine and I shrug.
“You want more kids?” she asks, so surprised that it makes me smile.
“I’m not that old, Angel. Men in their forties have kids all the time.”
“It’s not that.” She shakes her head and strolls away from me.
I don’t like that she’s out of reach, but I can see that her mind is whirling, so I give her the space she needs to process.
“I know you’re not too old for children, I’m just surprised because you have Elliott, and I didn’t think you’d want to start all over again.
I had prepared myself to not have any kids. ”
I shove my hands in my pockets so I don’t reach out for her.
“I didn’t think I would ever remarry or have more children,” I reply honestly and watch as her cheeks darken.
I fucking love it when she blushes.
“And I’m not in a rush to start right away, but I also didn’t have you before. So, when and if you’re ready to start a conversation about it, I’m here. Are you on birth control?”
She bites her lip and her cheeks darken. “No.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Baby, we’ve been fucking like rabbits, and I don’t plan to stop or put anything between us when I’m inside you. So if you don’t want babies, you’d better make yourself an appointment with a doctor.”
Her lips roll in, and then she lets out a little laugh. “I’m so stupid. I didn’t even think of it. But it’s never been something I’ve had to consider before.”
I love that she hasn’t been with anyone but me.
I especially love that my son was never inside her. Because then I would have to kill him.
“Call yourself stupid again, and I’ll put you over my knee and make your ass glow.”
Her eyes widen, and she shifts on her feet. She likes that idea.
“You didn’t have to tear all of this out just for me,” she says quietly, spreading her arms wide, and I nod.
“Yeah, I did. I don’t want to see Elliott hitting you every time I walk into the fucking living room, Angel. We’ll change it all and make new memories.”
She licks her lips, looking around. “The view is so amazing up here.”
Ideas are starting to form in that smart-as-fuck mind of hers. And I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.
“The view is why I bought the building,” I tell her and watch as she walks around what used to be the kitchen.
“Can we have a piano there, by the windows?”
“You can have literally anything in the world that you want. How many times do I have to tell you that before you believe me? There’s no limit to what I’ll give you, Angel.”
“Why?” She blinks quickly, surprised at her own question. “I mean, thank you.”
“The why is easy. You’re my wife. Are you hungry?”
Her stomach growls before she can answer, and I nod.
“Me too. I’m taking you out tonight.”
“To the Rapture building?” She pauses, watching me, and I shake my head.
“No. To a restaurant. How do you feel about Mexican food?”
“I’m having a love affair with chips and queso. I’m sorry, I can’t give them up for you,” she says, keeping a straight face. “But we’ll accept a third into our relationship.”
“How generous.” I reach out, offering her my hand, and without hesitation, she slides her palm against mine. “Let’s go get some queso, then.”
“And margaritas?”
“You bet.”
“And carne asada?”
“I’ll get you everything on the menu.”