9. Urzo
9
Urzo
I feel like a dog on a leash.
Eliza tells me to stay, and I listen. What do I expect, a treat for being obedient?
Despite rolling onto my stomach and weakly pressing my face into her pillow, sleep didn’t come. Instead, I counted the seconds she stayed away. They didn’t linger on the other side of the door to talk, no, Santino’s woman stole mine away.
Mine . What a hell of a word to describe Eliza.
Sighing heavily, I move to sit up. Squinting at the door, a part of me expects for it to swing back open.
I am like a fucking dog.
Eliza would have a good laugh at that. Seeing me in this state, she would laugh if she found me waiting.
Throwing the blanket away, I get up. Telling myself that I don’t wait for anyone, I get ready for the day. Fresh clothes, a quick shave, and a long hard stare at my reflection are all I need before I’m slipping out of our room.
I don’t hunt her down. Even if I want to see her, I don’t dare.
Knocking on the door belonging to Santino’s office, I open the door and scowl when seeing the room is empty.
Seems like we’re both distracted by the women in our lives. Hell, I haven’t asked for a report in what feels like days. I don’t even know where we’re standing with any of the opposing forces.
Has Rocco Parada stolen any other clients from us? The last I checked, they were caught dealing on our land, stealing our profits. What about the Marino family? They were the ones trying to pair up with the Parada assholes.
Shutting the door, I keep moving.
I need to find Tommy. He’ll have the answers I need.
Turns out, he’s beneath the house. I should’ve guessed. Down below is his domain. His playground when he isn’t too busy getting dragged around by my mother as her current favorite member of the family.
When I find him, he’s got his four fingers wrapped around someone’s throat, squeezing tight enough that I’m surprised the guy tied down is still conscious.
The smell of blood clings to the walls, and the concrete floor is stained from years of questioning people we find suspicious.
“Am I interrupting?”
Tommy looks my way, not even bothering to stop what he’s doing. No, we’ve both seen enough death and torture in our days that I’m sure he’d be happy to have a full conversation with me.
Thankfully, he releases his grip at the fleeting sound that leaves his target before slumping forward, left passed out for a few minutes. Enough time to ask a question or two.
He curls his upper lip at me, surprised by my state. It’s not usual for me to take more than a hit to the face. Instead of asking about what happened, he tears his eyes away.
“If you’re here to ask about the documents, they’re taken care of.” He’s coasting across the room, leaning down to scoop up a bottle of water. Knocking back a mouthful, he wipes his chin with the back of his wrist, spreading the specs of blood on his skin. “Santino has me running across the state. Now I can return to my work.”
“I don’t care about that.” A lie . “Haven’t seen Santino. Figured you’d know what’s going on around here.”
His frown seems to grow. “He had us running around Parada territory to go on a shopping spree. Fun, isn’t it?” His brows lower deep and I can see the agitation rolling off of him in waves. “While you two are playing house, someone has to keep things going.”
Hence, the guy in the chair. Right.
Tommy is a Bertelli, but not by blood. He joined our family under my father’s reign. Back then, he was a quiet kid. Kept to himself mostly, watched over my sister, and he didn’t bother no one.
Now look at him, happy to do whatever to repay his debts to the family.
Despite all the years in passing, I feel like he’s still trying to make up for what happened to my sister. Then again, back then, Valeria had planned on running for months. As her personal bodyguard, he knew one day she’d bolt. Can’t help it he let her slip under his nose..
There won’t be any number of jobs, or however much information he can torture out of people to make him forgive himself.
“I’m back,” I reassure him, knowing I can’t keep hovering in Eliza’s shadow. “So, do me a favor and fill me in with what I’ve missed out in the last week.”
He nods and throws a thumb over his shoulder. “Found him snooping around the docks. Don’t know if he was trying to plant something or meet someone he shouldn’t. Either way, I’ll figure out who he’s with once he’s finished with his nap.”
I don’t need to ask what’ll happen to the guy once Tommy’s finished with him. If I have to guess, he’ll end up back at the docks, except he’ll have a cinder block attached to his ankle.
Assuming watching this scene play out is better than sitting around and waiting for my wife to return, I grab one of the metal chairs by the door and spin it around. Taking a seat, I motion for him to continue.
“Please, pretend I’m not here.” Knowing that it won’t be long before he’s coming back to, I watch Tommy move over to his tray of tools and hope I get something out of this.
* * *
By the time I’m above ground, it’s heading into dinner time. I’ve already skipped one meal, I shouldn’t skip another.
Tommy doesn’t follow me, busying himself with something else work related. That’s fine. I don’t need company.
Except, maybe I do. There’s something about finding Eliza sitting all by her lonesome that makes the tension in my shoulders melt, and my cock firm up all at once.
She’s wearing a summer dress. Must’ve been from that shopping trip Tommy mentioned. It’s a little big on her, so she probably borrowed it from her sister.
I should take her out sometime. Do the very same. What kind of wardrobe does she wear when she gets to pick out her clothes? She’s got the body of a fucking model, I’m sure anything she puts on must look good.
If we go out in public, anyone who looks our way will know something is wrong. Beautiful women like her aren’t found with scarred up men like me. They’ll call the cops and try to take her away from me.
“Are you going to stand there staring at me, or come sit?” She doesn’t bother looking my way, jerking her chin toward the empty seat across from her.
“You’re alone.” I feel stupid pointing it out, but I feel like with all this space I’ve given her, she’d be far up her sister’s ass. That, or my mother would try to steal her away.
She shrugs, eating a bite of her food. She’s got a bowl of fruit at her side, and her attention is on a book. Looks like another one of the ones I found her with in the library.
“Not like I’ve got friends here. Until Camellia gets out of this honeymoon phase of hers, I might as well get used to it.”
Honeymoon .
Without a wedding, are we expected to go on one? Does she want to go somewhere for a week, no distractions or disruptions?
One little thought is all it takes to push me right back into dog mode. Back to wanting to please her. What in the hell is happening to me?
Grunting in agreement, I move across from her and sit. I’ve got chicken on my plate and some vegetables. Nothing too appetizing. Not more than the woman across from me.
Fuck .
“You stink,” she murmurs before sinking her teeth into another sliced fruit. Its juices coat her lips, and my eyes linger.
“I was working.”
Or, rather, I hid down below until the stale air sunk into the weaves of fabric of my clothes. I haven’t let a single drop of blood get on my skin.
Beneath the table, my knee bounces as her nose crinkles. “Better get used to it. It’s normal.”
“It’s making me lose my appetite.” To prove herself, she doesn’t bother taking another bite. Rather, she lets her fork hit her bowl, and she glares at her book.
What in the hell is her problem now? I hoped both of us would appreciate the space I provided.
Instead of asking her what is wrong, I shove a bite of chicken into my mouth. God knows the last thing I want to talk about is feelings. If I start asking about hers, then that’s going to force me to talk about mine.
That’s the last thing I want to do.
Hell, I’d be better off just eating elsewhere. Though, not even that would be enough to bring a smile to her face. No, Eliza is impossible to please.
Last night was a fluke, that’s all. Having her pressed to my chest and getting the best sleep a man can get, all by chance. It’s something that won’t happen twice, I’m sure of it.
She flips a page to her book, sighing softly under her breath. I chew harder.
Her eyes flick up, meet mine for all but a second before flickering back.
I can’t tell if the crunch against my teeth is a piece of cartilage in the chicken, or my teeth cracking. Once more, this woman is testing my patience.
“Say what’s on your mind.” The words come out harsh, an order with a mix of frustration and demand behind it.
Finally, she snaps her book shut.
“You stink,” she repeats. Instead of coming out like an insult, there’s some hesitance. She’s chewing on her damn lip and showing me something I’ve never seen before. Nerves .
Who is this woman and what has she done with my bull-headed wife?
“I do,” I agree slowly, trying to understand where she’s going with this.
She taps her fingers against the cover of the book, her eyes finally meeting mine. “You should shower.”
This doesn’t feel like an invitation for an argument. No, she’s leading somewhere with this. While I might not have the slightest clue of where, I bite my tongue to avoid interrupting her.
Eliza moves to stand, happy to abandon both her book and her fruit. As she meets my gaze, she teases me with that pink tongue, carefully swiping it against her bottom lip.
“We can kill two birds with one stone and clean up together. I’ve seen your shower, so I know it can fit two. If not, then you’ll just have to wait until I’m finished.”
Not giving even a second to let her words settle, she’s turning on her heel, drifting away from the table.
She wants me to join her…?
I straighten in my seat, staring at her. My cock, it’s jumping in joy with what she’s suggesting. I’ll admit that I don’t understand women, so maybe I’m misunderstanding.
Just as she reaches the entrance, she pauses to look back at me. Her cheeks are pink. She’s blushing… for me.
The legs of my chair scrape harshly against the tile below as I move to stand. Completely forgetting all about my meal, about all the convincing I did to tell myself that I’m not a dog to this woman, I follow behind her like I’m in a trance.
She’s memorized the path to our room, not stopping once. Keeping ten feet between us, I’m walking faster, slowly cutting the space between us with each step. By the time she reaches the door, I’m right behind her.
I feel the entire shiver that rolls through her as I reach out to ghost my fingertips over her knuckles to be the one to open the door instead. As my excuse to touch her and move this along, I fight the craving to use my other hand to touch her as well.
I’d squeeze her hip, maybe drag up the hem of the dress up her stomach and tuck my hand between her thighs to see if she’s wet.
She has to be. Every time I touch her, her body confesses everything to me. She loves my touch, even if she doesn’t love me.
There’s that word again. Love. It’s bothering me more and more the longer I think about it. It’s like I want Eliza to love me.
Giving me her body willingly is one thing, but deep down, I want her to give me her heart, too.
I want the happiness Santino has. Hell, even Lazaro, my other brother has a wife. I want what they both have.
Instead of stepping inside immediately, she looks back at me. Up this close, her beauty is like another punch to the face. While thoughts of weakness try to slip in, the hunger I feel for her drowns it all out.
When my fingers find her face, she doesn’t flinch away. No, she leans into my touch. Her flushed cheek burns my palm and the unfamiliar thump in my chest is very telling.
This beauty coaxed me here for a reason. She either plans on distracting me to the point of killing me, or she wants me.
Tilting her chin up, I lift my gaze from her lips and linger on her eyes. If there was any murderous intent, I’d be able to see it. Many people have tried to kill me in the past, I’m familiar with it.
“Are you going to kiss me, or stare at me?” she asks, her voice low and sultry, just the way my cock loves it.
Fuck me. I’m walking into a grave. I must be. However, I can’t help myself.
Swooping down, my mouth is on hers. Opening up with no demand, her tongue meets mine and I swallow down the sigh rolling out of her. One that is full of relief, like she needs this kiss as much as I do, she melts against the door frame as I press her against it.
At this point, I’m ready to fuck her in the hallway. Any witnesses be damned.
Thankfully, the smell of death clinging to my body helps ground me from just doing that. I don’t want to ruin this perfect dress by rubbing myself against her. My cock is already digging into her thigh, and I can bet I’m leaking enough to soak through the layers of fabric containing my arousal.
Pulling away and leaving her panting, I jerk my chin in the direction of the bedroom.
Thankfully, she catches the hint. However, the sly smile that forms on her lips is going to haunt me. She looks so happy, so pleased with herself. She’s got me crazy for her, just the way she wants.
I bet she thinks she can order me around now. Hell, maybe she can. If she wants to test out her control, her first order better involve getting her off or else I’m going to go mad.
Entering the room behind her, I’ve got blinders on. All I can focus on is Eliza. Fuck everything else.
Just like that, I’m realizing that she’s got me hooked. Like cocaine to an addict, I need my fix.
I want this woman. I want my wife. No point in lying to myself anymore.
Hardly waiting for the door to shut behind me, I almost cave and flatten her on the bed. Ready to get my hands on her, I force myself to remain still. This is a first for us, and I know she’ll spook if I don’t let her be the one to come to me. Even if she’s feeling victorious now, all that can change if I come at her too quickly.
Turning toward me, she curls her fingers at her side. Slowly, she lifts her hands toward her shoulders. Dragging those thick straps down, my lungs burn as I’ve completely forgotten how to breathe.
I’ve never seen her fully naked before, now that I think about it. And now, here she is, willingly letting me watch.
“What changed?” While I still have some sense to myself, I take a step toward her. “Is this some trick?”
Staring at the middle of my chest, she shakes her head. That damn blush of hers is growing darker, teasing me. “You became my husband, and now, everything is different. You’ve ruined me.”
One push, and that’s all it takes for the fabric to hit her ankles. One push and I’m gone.