Chapter 24
Tatum
One week…
This past week has been filled with tension, everyone around here is on edge and waiting for the Cosa Nostra to attack. Alex is gone nearly every day, meeting with people and securing deals. I have no idea what that means but that’s what Omen tells me. Every night he comes home, waking me by sliding inside me and making me see stars.
Fuck, he’s an addiction I don’t want to kick.
I’m catching up on work. It’s hard working remotely. I tried to talk to Alex about me leaving to check on Lividica and the builds in New York and Miami but he flat out said no, then walked off. I’ve been trying to calm myself down for the past hour but it’s not working. Who the fuck does he think he is to tell me I can’t leave? I can’t even yell at him because he left right after he denied me. I called Omen and tried to get him on my side, but the bastard just laughed and said helping me wasn’t worth the beating. Apparently Alex is too pussy whipped according to Omen, so he wouldn’t take it well if they dropped me at the airport for the second time.
To my utter dismay Vat, Omen, Pope and Halo have gone with Alex today, leaving me alone with Carnage. I could go back to Alex’s house and wallow in my misery there but I’m too intrigued by Carnage and his pacing. I sit here and watch him for a while, wondering what has him so worked up that he can’t even sit still for a second. I know out of all of the guys, he’s been the one who is taking this whole thing harder. I can see the tension between him and the others, it’s clear he is the outcast and he’s struggling with that,
“Stop staring at me!” I jerk in fright. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and face Carnage. His eyes are narrowed and his upper lip is lifted in a sneer.
“Stop pacing then I’ll stop watching,” I fire back.
“Fuck off back to Alex’s house,” he snaps.
“Make me, asshole,” I clap back. When he takes a step toward me I slink further into the sofa, ready to kick him if he even tries to touch me.
“You have a bad mouth, anyone ever tell you that?”
I roll my eyes. “Have you missed the hundred million times Alex has told me to watch my vulgar mouth? ” I say in a mocking tone. To my surprise Carnage cracks a smile, the sight of it on his face is strange to see.
“You know what, keep cussing, I love seeing the defeated look on his face every time you say fuck .” Without consent, laughter breaks free of me. I’ve never cussed as much before in my life, but the fact I know it pisses Alex off, I try to do it as often as I can. Like yesterday, I just walked around the house saying fucking ass for the fun of it. I watched him grow tense every time the word left my mouth, until he finally snapped and oh sweet baby Jesus he fucked me into submission and had me promising to never say fuck again… but clearly I lied, because I called him a fucking prick just before he left.
“You like fucking with him, don’t you?” I ask.
A sly smile works its way onto his face. “Yeah. It used to be one of my favorite things to do.” I hear the nostalgia in his tone.
“Why didn’t you go with them?” I find myself asking.
He sighs then rubs the back of his neck. “Apparently you can’t be trusted to be on your own, so someone has to babysit you.” My jaw slackens.
“That son of a bitch,” I hiss.
Carnage smirks. “He cares about you, he just wants to make sure you’re safe.”
“And you volunteered for the job today?”
He purses his lips. “Not exactly.”
I narrow my eyes skeptically. “Why didn’t you really go?”
“Because they are meeting with the Vatel family and let’s just say Carlito doesn't exactly like me.” I cock my head to the side and raise my brows, he rolls his eyes then adds, “I slept with his daughter, then I fucked his family over. There, happy now?” I just pinch my lips closed and nod.
“Yeah. That was exactly what I was expecting,” I admit.
“What the hell's that supposed to mean?” he growls.
I shrug. “Every male is always getting in trouble over a female.”
“You’re a female,” he points out.
“Duh, but this war isn’t over me.”
“It’s still over a female,” he counters.
“She isn’t just some female he fucked, that girl was his everything,” I hiss with an edge to my tone.
“You didn’t even know her.”
“I don’t need to know her. I know him and that’s enough for me.”
“Your life is on the line because of him, his need for revenge for the death of his sister has put a target on your back, Tatum. My sister is a jealous bitch and won’t let you walk away with Alex. She may have wanted to use him so she could rule the family, but I think some sick twisted part of her really does love him.” My brows pinch as I mull over his words.
“She can come after me… she can do her worst and kill me, but she still won’t win him. Alex isn’t a prize, he isn’t a man who wants to be won or tamed. To love him is to love both sides of him.”
“How so?” he counters.
I shrug. “Alexander Denver is two people. One side of him is sweet and attentive, slightly overbearing and a possessive asshole… but the other side, that’s the side of him that the world gets to see. The Butcher. The monster he has lurking just beneath the surface. The one that thirsts for vengeance for the sister who was stolen from him. To truly control the beast he needs to be fed and it cuts me up inside to say this aloud, but the only way to truly satisfy that beast inside him is to… kill my brother. Only then will the demons of his past set him free.”
“I can’t say I have ever heard anyone refer to that dick as sweet before.” I shoot him a look.
“That’s just because you don’t know that side of him like I do.”
His eyes turn serious and I tense. “I don’t think anyone alive has ever seen that side of him, Tatum.” His words hang heavy between us for a brief moment before he continues on. “He’s a good man, he’s one of the best I have ever known. I wasn’t jealous of Alex because he had my father’s attention.” His admission shocks me. “I was jealous because I envied him, I wanted to be just like him. Leading comes easy to him, he can garner the respect of every man within a few minutes. After my father was killed, all his men turned to Alex for guidance. If he took control, the men would have followed him without question. I’m torn much like you because I know my sister won’t survive The Butcher. Our men will never rise against their true don.”
“You mean Alex?” I whisper.
He nods. “He’s the one who should have led the family, it was always his destiny to be the head of the De Santis family.” I hear no bitterness or jealousy in his tone, just respect and understanding.
* * *
“You want me to butcher you? Is that it?” I scream as I hurl the fork in my hand at him. He ducks just in time and it sails over him. He stands to his full height and glares at me. I scowl right back because fuck this Aztec god looking motherfucker. I spy Pope, Halo, Vat, Omen and Carnage all peaking their heads around the corner to watch the show.
“What the fuck have I told you about throwing shit at me, Tatum?” Alex roars.
I snort and flip him off. “Suck a dick, asshole!” I scream as I reach for the cup, but before I throw it at his asshole-ish head, he rushes me and grips my wrist. He applies enough pressure to my joint, forcing me to drop it back to the counter. I try to shove him off but he’s too damn big. He grips my waist and lifts me, placing my ass on the edge of the counter. He forces his way between my legs. “I’ll bite your damn nose off if you try to kiss me,” I seethe, the bastard just smirks which fuels my anger more.
The cocky fuck wraps an arm around my waist and uses his other hand to cup my cheek. To anyone else this move would look loving but the firmness of his hold betrays him. “Throw something at me again and you won’t like the punishment,” he forces out.
“Tell me some mafia fuck wants you to marry their daughter again and I’ll burn your damn house down with you in it,” I clap back.
He rolls his eyes. “I already told you, I refused his offer!” he snaps. I shove against his chest, forcing him to drop his hold on my face but he doesn’t step back.
“I don’t care!” I cross my arms over my chest and can’t stop the pout from working its way to my face.
“How is it that you can piss me the hell off and instead of wanting to kill you, all I want to do is fuck you.” I tilt my head and bat my lashes.
“Probably because I’m not some mafia princess like you’re used to fucking?” My tone is thick with sarcasm. Alex groans and cranes his neck back to stare up at the ceiling. His hands cover the tops of my thighs. He leans forward until his forehead touches mine, I can see the anger slowly dissipating from his eyes but I can’t say the same for my own.
“I fucked one mafia heiress?—”
“Only one?” I mock.
His grip on my thighs tighten until I wince, “I am not going to stand here and argue with you?—”
“Good, fuck off then, because I’m not staying with you tonight,” I fire back.
“Oh fuck no, she is not staying here,” Pope shouts. Alex snaps his head toward the five of them and frowns. All of their eyes widen, those pussies just got caught eavesdropping.
“Would you fucking idiots piss off and start arranging the shit we need done?” Alex hisses.
Halo groans. “But it was just getting good and you haven't even told her about?—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Alex snaps, cutting him off. Omen grabs the scruff of Halo’s shirt and drags him away while the others follow close behind. When Alex turns back to me, I eye him skeptically.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I push, his eyes darken and I know without a doubt me finding out he was offered the Vatel’s little bitches hand in marriage isn’t the only bomb he is going to drop on me.
“Devon has found us a way in.” My brows raise.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
He nods. “Yes, but you won’t like how it has to happen.”
I uncross my arms and skate my fingers through his beard. He smiles sexually and I allow him to relax slightly, then I yank on the strands pulling him to me. He growls and tries to break free but it is futile, I just tighten my hold.
“Tatum, I’ll fucking?—”
“You won’t do shit because you enjoy fucking me too much. You and I both know you like me way too much to get rid of me, so shut the hell up.” He grinds his teeth so hard I can hear it. “Start telling me the whole story or I’m going to start acting like a real fucking brat.”
“Watch your vulgar mouth!” he warns. “You always act like a brat unless my cock is inside you, then you suddenly become compliant.”
I release him and shoot him a bitchy look. “Not my fault the dick is good,” I mutter which just has him smiling. This time when he presses forward and rests his hands on either side of me, I sigh and wrap my arms around his neck and hug him. Just the contact from him has my anxiety and some of my worry over him leaving me for some rich princess easing. “Don’t choose her over me,” I whisper. His arms band tighter around me.
“Bambi, I feel like I can’t breathe when you’re not around. My whole fucking focus these days is you. You take the air out of my lungs every time you walk in the room. There is no chance of me choosing anyone over you.” He pushes me back and cups my face between his hands, then bends so we are eye level. “I’m going to need you to trust me, baby. Can you do that?”
I don’t even hesitate, “I can do that,” I whisper. He smiles then places a chaste kiss on my lips.
“Good. I need you to hear me out before you start shouting and cursing me out, okay?” I blow out a breath and nod. “I have to go to Chicago and you can’t come.” I roll my lips over my teeth and keep my anger in check.
“And why do I have to stay back?” I ask in a strained tone, fighting to keep my composer.
Alex exhales and his eyes take on a pleading look that has me turning rigid. The look in his eyes is putting me on edge and I don’t like it. It’s surreal how in such a short span of time I can read him and the worst of it, he has a power over me that I never gave him. He took it without me even knowing and it's scary as hell. He told me I had the power to destroy him but what he doesn’t realize is he now holds the same power over me.
“I’m meeting with Desire alone.”
He’s starting to huff and puff, he’s about to blow my house down, I can feel it.