Chapter 32 – Elias
I t’s been a few months since Sage killed her ex.
She’s handling it better than I expected. I should have known because Sage has always surprised me with her strength and determination.
Tonight is the fundraiser and the unofficial introduction of The Five Boroughs Alliance.
The news of Gio Lenetti’s death spread fast across New York City. Some knew about his life of crime, but he was mostly known as a prominent businessman. He owned some of the best restaurants and nightclubs in Manhattan and the Bronx.
His death was reported as natural causes, a favor I cashed in for my new soon-to-be sister-in-law.
Lenetti left all his money to Noah, but she gave it away to charity organizations and sold his businesses for pennies either to staff or to those Gio wronged over the years.
The Lords and the Empire are gone .
The QBM is dead along with Percy’s pathetic legacy. We kept his fake death a secret, only letting a few we trusted know what really went down in Fresh Meadows. I didn’t want him to have any more undeserved attention.
I’m sitting in the living room when Sage walks out, ready for tonight’s event.
Fuck me. She looks amazing.
My eyes scan her body from the black stiletto heels, up her tanned legs and the side split of her red dress. The fabric clings to her body, draping down to the ground. The top is a corset with sheer sleeves that hang off her shoulders and pushes up her plush breasts fantastically.
“My wife,” I nearly growl, standing.
She smiles as she walks to the kitchen while putting on her gold hoop earrings. Her blonde hair is styled in a half updo with wavy strands falling down her back.
“My husband,” she echoes.
I reach the kitchen island and grab my wallet sitting on the counter, placing it in my back pocket. After putting on the holster holding my EpiPen, inhaler, and Benadryl, I pick up my guns and knives. Sage watches me place them in holsters all over my body: shoulders, waist, shins.
My Reine’s eyes fill with desire as I roll my sleeves down, covering the ink along my forearms. I grab my suit jacket draped over a chair and slip it on .
“You better stop looking at me like that, Ma Chérie, before I throw you on this counter and feast on your sweet pussy.”
She smiles and rolls her eyes. “You’re insatiable.”
“I’m not the one who was eye-fucking my forearms.”
She shrugs. “I couldn’t help it. They’re sexy.”
I lean in to give her a kiss, but she turns her head and taps on her cheek.
Right.
Can’t mess up the lipstick.
It matches her dress, and I’m already counting the hours until I ruin the beautiful color with kisses and face fucking.
“Shall we?” I say and hold out my arm for her.
The drive to the Wyndock Hotel in Midtown Manhattan takes about forty-five minutes because of traffic. The moment Noah and Lance told me Lenetti was dead, I knew I wanted to hold my party announcing the Alliance there. It was always a favorite party location for Gio.
Now it’s all mine.
We never found out who invited me to Lenetti’s Christmas party all those months ago. We assumed it was Matt since he was playing both sides. My father knew I’d jump at the opportunity to attend to make connections and possibly steal some of Lenetti’s contacts. Inviting me was smart, but also risky.
It ended up being one of the best nights of my life because I was reunited with Sage. I have no doubt we would have found each other again through Noah, but it wouldn’t have been the same.
A team of my men lead us through the doors and into the lobby where people stop and watch us like we’re two celebrities walking the red carpet.
They’re likely all staring at Sage because it took all my willpower not to ravage her in the SUV on the way here.
It helped that we picked up her parents on the way.
They’ve been back for a month, and they’re already talking about selling their house and moving to my island permanently.
I’m all for it, but Sage is throwing a fit.
She doesn’t want to be far away from her parents, but I think I’ve convinced her that we could visit them often.
Blue water, white sand, fun in the sun.
She knows I’ll always have guards there watching over them. They’ll always be safe no matter who my enemies are.
When we enter the grand ballroom, heads turn our way, and I can already see excited faces wanting to approach and start conversations.
Thankfully, we’re saved by Lance and Noah.
The two turned their fake engagement into a real one but before tying the knot, they want to travel.
The women squeal as they assess their outfits. Noah is wearing a sparkling black gown to match her black hair.
Lance is dressed in all black: suit, shirt, tie .
He smiles, watching Noah and Sage fangirl over each other.
“You look... happy,” I say to him. “Is this what the suburbs do to you?”
Last month, Noah and Lance moved to Westchester County. They’ve got a normal looking home with a white picket fence, and even a cute little corgi named Kevin.
They’ve stepped back from New York City’s crime underworld to travel, fuck, and kill.
It actually sounds amazing.
“This is what it means to find your soulmate,” Lance says, barely taking his eyes off Noah. “You’ve got the same goofy look, brother.”
He takes a sip of his whiskey, watching for my reaction over the top of his glass.
He’s right. I’ve never been happier to have the woman who now owns my heart and soul by my side.
“I need to see the ring,” Noah says, greedily grabbing Sage’s hand.
“Wait, you two are engaged?” Lance asks.
Sage giggles. “We’re married. ”
“Seriously? Before us? Rainbow Bright, why didn’t you tell me?”
Noah scoffs, possibly at the weird nickname or because Lance is clueless.
“I figured you knew. Don’t you and your brother talk? ”
I wince. I’m still working on that. Lance knows that I’m trying. He pretends to hate talking to me but anytime I miss a text or phone call, he chews me out.
I didn’t tell him that we got married because that’s something to reveal in person. Plus, I honestly thought Noah would tell him.
I roll my eyes. She’s just as stubborn as Sage.
“No, he didn’t,” Lance whines. “We’ve both been a bit preoccupied with asshole traitors.”
“And starting new crime syndicates,” I add.
“Yeah... You two should work on that,” Noah says, goading us both.
I’m not taking the bait.
“They really should,” Sage says and elbows me in the side.
I narrow my eyes at her. She also knows I’m trying.
“Are your parents here? I want to meet them,” Noah asks Sage, thankfully changing the subject.
“Yeah, they’ve already found people to chat with at the bar. They’re both extroverted like me, and by the end of the night, they’ll probably have a dozen new friends.”
“Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter,” a man says approaching our group.
The mayor of New York City.
Lance and Noah use the interruption to slink away, and I narrow my eyes at my brother when he catches my glare. He waggles his brows at me .
He’s totally planning to find a place to fuck Noah.
Except, she drags him unwillingly to the bar where they find Sage’s parents... who proceed to give the two contract killers the most enthusiastic hugs I’ve ever witnessed.
My poor brother stiffens and blanches, as if the man and woman have the plague.
I chuckle and return my attention to the mayor and his wife.
Time to network.
Next month, Sage is launching her new event planning business, and I will be making sure everyone here knows she’s the one who organized tonight’s festivities.
“Mayor Quam, nice to officially meet you,” Sage says, going heavy on the charm.
She’s holding my hand, and I squeeze it not so gently.
The mayor is a handsome man. Tall, dark skinned, mesmerizing dark brown eyes—Sage’s words, not mine that I totally didn’t get jealous over—and a smile worth a million bucks.
He came to me for help when his father got mixed up with the Lords, and in exchange, we used his budding popularity in community activism and fast-rising political career to claim the city.
He’s believed in what I’ve been working hard for years to do: clean up crime and corruption across the five boroughs.
“Please, call me Enzi,” he says to Sage, giving her a wink .
Sage brings my hand up to her lips and kisses the knuckles, as if anticipating my jealousy.
She knows me well.
“Congratulations on your new... business,” Enzi says, giving me a nod. It’s as if he knew not to shake my hand after that wink. Smart man. I might have broken it if he had. “The city thanks you for bringing down the Moonlight trafficking ring.”
Still a stupid fucking name.
“It was the least I could do,” I say, lost for words.
I hate networking, but it’s a necessity. I always feel awkward, but tonight’s a little bit easier with my wife by my side.
Sage is speaking with Enzi’s wife, Nia. The two are laughing, and my woman is absolutely glowing. I can’t help smiling, an ache forming behind my eyes and in the back of my throat at how normal this all feels.
I mean, sure, I still lead a crime syndicate, but it’s one that aims to do good. One that has to be the bad guy sometimes to take down the bad guys. I’m hoping that someday, I can leave it all behind and live the rest of my years with the woman I fell in love with.
“Are you ready for your speech?” Enzi asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
I nod, and we enter small talk for the next few minutes, talking about our honeymoon, which we delayed while dealing with the aftermath of the trafficking ring bust. Next month I’m taking Sage to Aruba.
The mayor is eventually called away by a prominent businessman whose name I can’t remember. I breathe a sigh of relief when Enzi and his wife excuse themselves and walk off.
Sage and I make our way to the stage at the back of the room. It takes us about thirty minutes because we’re being stopped every few steps by people I know either through legal business connections or others who know who I truly am and want to be part of my trusted few.
Right before we get on stage, Sage turns to me.
“I want to tell you something. It’s kinda important so you can’t freak out.”
“And you feel right now is the best time to tell me?”
“Yes.”
She bites her lip, nearly jumping with anticipation.
“Go on then, brat.”
She giggles and takes my hands in hers.
“Remember all those times we fucked without a condom?”
“Yeah...”
“Well... I kept forgetting to take my birth control, and you can’t really blame me because things have been really fucking stressful, and the way you kept talking about marriage and babies and how you’d always put your cum back in me... well... ”
My heart stops beating. The noise in the room fades, and all I hear and see is my wife.
“You’re pregnant?”
That’s what she’s trying to tell me?
She beams and nods enthusiastically.
I scoop her up in my arms and spin her around.
She squeals and laughs, slapping my back. “Put me down, I’m going to puke!”
I gasp and immediately set her feet on the ground.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
I kneel and place my hands on her stomach. She covers my knuckles with her palms.
“How far along are you?”
“Ten weeks.”
I do the math in my head then smirk.
“Are you telling me that when we fucked in front of your ex...”
She bites her bottom lip and nods.
“Isn’t that some karma bullshit?” I say and laugh.
I stand, and Sage reaches up to lock her fingers around the back of my neck. Lifting on her tiptoes, she nuzzles my nose before kissing me. It’s a consuming kiss that has me wanting to devour her.
Sage is better than me, and she’s the first to pull away. Our guests are waiting.
The chatter in the room comes to an end once the music stops playing and people notice us on stage .
“Good evening,” I begin, pausing to scan the room. “My name is Elias Carter, though, some of you might know me as Johnny Goode, businessman.”
I glance at Sage, and she gives me a wink that somehow settles my nerves. I’ve always hated speaking in front of strangers.
“Tonight is more than a fundraiser. It’s a party to celebrate my marriage. I’d like to introduce you to my beautiful wife, Sage.”
Applause erupts from the room, and Sage waves like the beauty queen she is. She’s a natural.
Once the noise in the room dies down, I continue.
“I also wanted to share a new venture of mine. One that will ensure the days of corrupt politicians and dangerous criminals are over.”
There are a few nods across the crowd, some shocked faces, but mostly those who are eager for what I’m going to say next.
“The Lords are gone, the Empire has fallen, and the QBM is no more. The Five Boroughs are now united. Together, we will work to ensure humans are no longer sold for sex, and drug dealers aren’t targeting children.
I know it’s impossible to rid the world of these lowlifes completely, but you are now part of the New York City syndicate that will make sure those responsible will not get away with it. ”
I pause, letting the words sink in .
The silence in the room as the crowd hangs on my every word sends chills throughout my body.
Sage squeezes my hand and urges me to finish.
I’m just a mafia king with his queen by his side.
A man who went from obsessing over this woman to having the honor of calling her mine.
And now she’s here as I start this new chapter of my life.
“Welcome to the Alliance.”