Chapter 32 Jasper
THIRTY-TWO
JASPER
Business first, then we play.
Admittedly, I was ready to throw in the towel, just fucking hop on a plane and run away to an unknown private island with nothing but a suitcase, but that would mean accepting defeat, and I refuse to bow down to my father.
His betrayal isn’t surprising in the slightest, but for some reason, it still stings.
I’ve done nothing but what he’s asked since I was old enough to walk, and the first time he saw something worth taking from me, he jumped at the chance.
Now, after some serious recon, Tyson, Carter and I are meeting with the Corazza’s, the family that had a hand in weakening the Ricci’s more than once in the past.
This is make or break, the exact push from behind that we need to swing for the fences, and I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve ever taken something dead seriously.
The stakes are at an all-time high, but with Carter and Tyson walking into battle with me, I feel unstoppable.
After we strike a deal with the Corazza’s, the rest of the weekend is dedicated to spoiling Carter, and we’ve gone all out with dinner reservations, a fancy hotel, and a planned club night.
She’s been sheltered, only visiting Manhattan once as a child, but Tyson is a meticulous planner, and no stop is too small, in his eyes.
She’s getting the full tour, even risking our lives by taking the subway, but it’s good for him to have something to focus on, besides our plan, and he thrives off a schedule.
“So, tell me more about Rocco Corazza? What should I know?” Carter asks, her head resting on my chest while her feet lay in Tyson’s lap, both of us sparing no expense to bring her into the City in style, choosing a sleek black limo and hiring the driver for the weekend.
Of course, there was no way she’d just hang back at the hotel, and she’s just as much a part of this as we are, so the more knowledge we all have, the better.
“He’s only been at the head of the table for a few years.
His parents ran the Family when he was little, but disappeared until right around the time he took over.
He has a wife, sister, and two nephews, but they live out of state,” I explain, refreshing myself with the research bullet points Tyson has provided since we started looking into this potential alliance.
“Reilly, right? She’s the reason why Ricci ordered his son to be murdered?” Carter questions, clearly proving that she pays attention during our planning sessions.
“Seems to be the case, yes. When I dug deeper, Reilly and the Ricci kid went to college together, but that’s the extent of their mutual friends and acquaintances.” Tyson butts in, adding the level of clarity that he specializes in.
“Okay, well at least we know there’s bad blood there. What about the wife, any lady bonding I should try?”
“Usually, no. Most wives are expected to keep quiet, look pretty, and act like they have no idea who their husbands really are. However, they’re both young, so if you see an opening, take it, Principessina,” I tell her, and she sits up slightly, turning until her beautiful eyes are locked into mine.
“You know this is all too much, right? I don’t need fancy limos, hotels, or shopping trips in order to comply.” She pokes her lip out, furrowing her eyebrows in an attempt to be taken seriously, but deep down, I know she loves this shit.
Tyson was persistent at first, breaking her down enough to allow us to care for her in ways she’s never been before, and now, it’s so much like second nature, she barely rolls an eye when we do little things like buy dinner, or wash her hair.
“Nobodies going to think you’re some uppity bitch just because you pull up in a limo,” I argue, pinching her nose ever so slightly, watching as she folds her arms across her chest in a huff.
“Do I strike you as someone who gives a fuck about what people think?” She snarks, completely sitting up in her seat, reaching for the glass of champagne we poured.
“Relax, baby girl. We know you don’t need these things to enjoy a weekend with us, but we like to do it. Anything to bring a smile to that pretty face,” Tyson says, immediately swooning her with his tender side, and like always, she eats it right up.
Their dynamic interests me, solely because he doesn’t have to do anything to earn her love.
It’s like their connection runs deep into their minds, so much so, that sometimes I’m convinced they share thoughts.
It’s been evident since the moment they met that she holds power over him, infecting him like no other woman has, but that’s just the spell she casts without even trying.
Watching them together warms something inside me, like I’m witnessing a grand love story, often forgetting that I’m also apart of it, but that’s because of how well we all work together, without a shred of jealousy or possession, and we just fall more in love each day, the rest of the world be damned.
Love.
A word I never truly understood the definition of, having seen so many men step out on their wives growing up, but now that I have Carter, and used that small but mighty four letter word, I finally know what it means to fully devote yourself to another person.
Confessing my feelings, though, was the easy part.
Now, I have to live up to the things I poured directly from my heart, into her waiting hands, and that thought alone is terrifying.
Luckily, we’re all figuring out this confusing new territory together, and it’d be a cold fucking day in hell before I screwed up the best thing that’s ever stumbled into my path.
Carter is everything to me, and somehow, my whole world managed to be stuffed into a petite brunette with a raging attitude, and an insatiable craving for violence.
“What’re you thinking about, all quiet and reflective over there?” Carter pulls my chin until our eyes meet, and I can’t help the smile creeping across my face, the sappy romantic in me never having a choice but to show itself when it comes to her.
“How fucking perfect you are,” I say softly, my lips hovering just above hers, waiting until she takes the bait.
“Oh Jasper Masseria, you know the right ways to make a girl smile,” she laughs, trailing her fingers along my jawline, her soft touch sending me into a frenzy.
“Not any girl, my little ice princess, only you.” I pull her in for a kiss, feeling the moans as they leave her chest, our bodies naturally gravitating toward each other, her ass perfectly planted on my lap, even in the confines of the backseat.
“Business first,” she groans, cupping my cheeks as she pulls away, her eyes slowly opening into mine.
“You’re beyond my darkest nightmares,” I breathe, wondering how I got so damn lucky that this woman exists, let alone chose me to be hers.
“Mr. Kelly, we’ve arrived,” the driver says over the intercom, the car coming to a stop as Carter climbs off of me, my body immediately reeling from the loss of her warmth.
Business first.
Sparing no expense, Tyson booked us a suite at the Plaza, one of the nicest hotels in Midtown, thanks to a few loopholes he created in the Masseria family finances.
By the time they’ve discovered the charges, we’ll be long gone, our plan fully in motion before they can even trace it back to us.
Tyson handles the check-in process, the bellhop taking our bags to the suite while Carter marvels at the lobby, her eyes sparkling while she takes in just how far we’d go to shower her with the things she doesn’t think she deserves.
“Not a word, baby girl.” Tyson reads her mind once the elevator doors shut behind us, her lips pursed as his words effectively shut her up.
“Can I at least thank you for booking the fucking Vanderbilt suite, Mr. Moneybags?” She taunts, pressing his large frame against the metal wall, reaching on her tiptoes with her hands around his neck.
“I’d never say no to that,” he answers, lifting her off the ground and pinning her back against the wall in a swift motion, his palm wrapping around her throat.
In a stark contrast from the way I ferally devour Carter like my last meal, Tyson tenderly kisses her, their lips slowly moving together like they’ve perfected their own symphony.
Her legs lock around his waist, but even as the elevator dings, she refuses to let go, forcing him to carry her down the hall while he fumbles with the keys to our suite.
“I’m not useless, you know. Give me those.” I snatch the ring from his hand, unlocking our door while they whisper and giggle behind me.
“Aw, is someone a little jealous?” Carter teases, smacking my ass as I push the door open, but before I can say another word, we freeze in place, the sheer luxury paralyzing us where we stand.
The suite is enormous, larger than both floors of the frat house combined, with a layout that mirrors a three bedroom apartment, and I haven’t even stepped two feet inside.
Each of us looks in a different direction, soaking in the palace that we’ve stumbled upon, and Carter’s cheeks are flushed pink, her jaw slightly open as Tyson drops her back on the floor.
“Holy. Shit. Can I say something now?” She snarks, her eyes meeting Tyson’s through her lashes, a playful smile plastered on her face.
“Yeah, baby girl. You can,” he laughs, taking gentle steps through the common area as if his monstrous frame will collapse the floor beneath him if he stomps too hard.
“This place is fucking beautiful,” she breathes, walking straight to the bedroom, flopping onto quite literally the largest mattress I’ve ever seen.
“Come on, Principessina, let’s get you a little more comfortable,” I tease, tugging at her leggings while she squirms beneath my grasp.
“Jasper! I have to get ready, we don’t have much time,” she giggles, but I overpower her, stripping the fabric off her body, tossing them into a pile on the floor, followed by her panties.
“You look perfect like this,” I breathe, kissing my way up her thighs, nipping at her skin while she claws the sheets, the fight in her never ceasing.
“I cannot go to one of the nicest restaurants in Manhattan naked,” she whimpers, her breaths hitched as I tease her clit with one finger, giving her much less than I know she can take.
“Massi. Leave her to get ready, this meeting is important,” Tyson’s loud voice booms, this specific brand of bossy beginning to get on my nerves.
“Oh, come on. A little dessert before dinner never hurt anyone,” I groan, but he stalks toward the bathroom, turning the water on, his way of telling me to back off.
“You’re in for it tonight,” I whisper against her clit, looking up at her from between her legs, watching as she bites her lower lip in response.
“Now. Carter,” Tyson orders, and she contemplates misbehaving with me, but chooses to obey instead, hauling ass off the bed in record time.
“No need to be such a party pooper, Ty. This meeting is important to all of us.” I adjust the raging hard-on in my sweats, pulling my suit out of the garment bag delivered to our suite.
“Trust me, what I have planned for tonight, you’ll want to wait. Fucking get dressed, we’re leaving in thirty,” he says, the no-bullshit tone in his voice forcing me to comply, almost like I’m under his thumb just as much as Carter is.
He does have a point, though, so I put on my best business face, knowing that this dinner decides our fate, puts the future into our own hands, and will be the deciding factor in how we take down my father, for good.
If this doesn’t pan out, we’re out of options, forced to fight alone, and that dark, grim reality is a place I want nothing to do with.
It’s the three of us, putting on a united front, but with the two best people in my corner, I don’t think I could ever lose.