11. Tommaso
TOMMASO
“They need to be taken care of,” I tell my brothers. We’re convened in the board room, and the tension in the air is thick. “The Carvels have caused enough trouble. They’ll partner up with any of our enemies that they can.”
“They’ve certainly made it clear they’re not willing to settle with us,” Tiberi agrees.
“Have we tried talking to them?” Cassian asks.
Carmine’s face contorts slightly, brows furrowing and mouth twisting.
“I don’t think they’re open to conversation,” he tells all of us.
We all know something happened between him and Jackson Calver several months ago, but we have no idea what exactly.
Only Soren, who saved him, knows. He doesn’t talk about it with the rest of us.
Frankly, I don’t care what he did. He deserved to be taken out no matter what. You mess with one of the Dresvannis, you mess with all of us.
“So, you agree then. We should take them out before they’re fully integrated with the Bianchis?” I ask him as I stand my ground on the opposite side of the table.
“Not quite,” Carmine answers. “I’m not ready to take them down. Perhaps letting them get involved with the Bianchis and think they’re almighty and powerful will be good for us.”
I scoff. “How so?”
Carmine looks to Soren for a moment.
“It will give them a false sense of security,” Soren explains. “Of course, we need more information from Aleksandr about this arms deal that the Calvers arranged and what deal they’re arranging with the Calvers before we can make our own decisions.”
I growl under my breath. “I’m sick of this shit. Always waiting to hear from someone else. We need to make moves, Carmine. We need to take them down while they’re unguarded and at their lowest numbers yet.”
Alessio hums out his response. “He might be right, Carmine,” he says. “Once they’ve mingled their way into the Bianchi estate, they’ll be more power than they are now. We could get them while they’re in waiting.”
“Who’s to say they aren’t already making a deal with the Bianchis and their estate won’t be littered with them by the morning?” Carmine asks us. “What is the plan then, burst in and attack as many as we can without a thought for our lives?”
“Of course not!” I step around the table, closer to him. Closer to the rest of my brothers, and their partners. Damien stands in the back corner, watching curiously, but saying nothing.
“What are your thoughts on this?” I ask him.
He tilts his head to the side and looks at Alessio then to Carmine then back to me.
“I think if it were up to me, we’d be hitting the Bianchis house right now. Not just the Calvers,” he replies.
I smirk at him. “See, now that’s someone who knows what’s up,” I say while pointing at him. “I knew you were my favorite.”
“Tommy,” Carmine tries to reel me in. “We need to think carefully. We can’t act without a plan.”
“So, let’s make a fucking plan then!” I say, exasperated, waving my arms out to my sides. “We just keep talking about it and not doing anything.”
“We’re doing,” Carmine insists. “It’s just not at the pace you want so you’re trying to push things forward.”
I sigh. “Yes. Aren’t you all tired of this shit? We have enough enemies to deal with, the Bianchi actively trying to kidnap you should result in a bigger consequence than a slap on the wrist!”
Carmine shakes his head. “Right now, I want you working with Aleksandr, find out more about the Calvers and that bomb the Bianchis were going to plant but apparently never did. Find out why.”
My hands ball into fists. “I’ll get more information when I get it. If you can work slow as hell, so can I,” I spit back at him and then look around at everyone else in the room. “I can’t deal with you anymore.” I slam my fist down on the table. “You don’t listen to a thing I say.”
I turn around and storm out of the room, hearing my name called the entire time, but I ignore it and head for the front door. I’m done with all of this. I need…well, frankly I need Aleksandr, but I can’t call him. Text him. I need to forget about him.
I can’t go running to him every time something doesn’t go right. Yet, I find myself desperate for release, relief, at his hands. The way he tied me up in that hotel room… I haven’t felt so alive and satisfied in months, maybe even years.
For the first time, someone really understood what I needed, wanted…
Knowing what he can give me makes it difficult not to contact him and ask him to meet me somewhere. Somewhere dark and private. Somewhere we can be alone.
For whatever reason, the last time we fucked I’d told myself it would be the last time. There were more important things to focus on, and I wasn’t going to get myself involved with a man who could very well be killed in the whole process. If Aleksandr was caught by the Bianchis, he was a dead man.
It was a risk meeting with him to talk business, much less meeting for carnal needs. I could have been caught outside his hotel room and then never saw him again.
For some reason, I’m not willing to put him in danger tonight.
I’ve been to the Scarlet Night more times in the last month than I’ve been in a while.
I enter through the back of the club so I don’t draw too much attention, but it doesn’t really matter.
The second I’m at the bar ordering a drink, there’s eyes on me.
Strong, tattooed, and brooding waves of energy rolling off me. It’s hard not to be noticed.
The bartender smiles at me and pours me the rum and coke I ordered before sliding it over. I down it in two gulps and ask for another one.
I just want to forget about everything going on. Including Aleksander. I can still feel the sting of his knife along my back and thigh. The cuts are still healing. Scabbing over and likely leaving small scars that will remind me of him for years to come.
If I could get someone here to do the same thing, it’ll be a miracle. Especially if the last guy who tried to hook up with here is any sign…
I look around the club at all of the young, hot bodies dancing and I try to scope someone out. Someone that might actually want to have fun with me. Maybe I can find someone who gets my blood boiling. Just like him…
It never used to be so difficult.
I take my drink and sip at this second one while I watch the crowd dance and grind against each other.
A group of young women pulling a clearly gay guy over to the bar while giggling catch my attention.
I watch as they shove him in my direction and he chuckles softly while turning his head to glare at them.
“What’s up?” I ask him. I have no problem with his obvious femineity, if anything I find it kind of hot. The long hair, the lithe build.
He looks similar to…
No, no. I’m not going to go there.
I take a bigger gulp of my drink and wait for him to respond.
“My friends insisted I talk to you,” he explains. His voice is deeper than I expected, but I smirk at him regardless.
“Yeah?” I say. “Wonder how they’d feel if I whisked you away to the alley out back.” I’m being very forward; I know it, but I don’t care. If he’s the type I’m looking for, he won’t care. If not, he’ll make himself scarce.
His face flushes only lightly and his eyes glimmer with excitement. “I think they’d piss themselves,” he tells me. “You wouldn’t really do that, would you?”
He’s teasing me now, challenging me almost.
I down the rest of my drink and glance over at his friends at the other end of the bar that are trying to act like they’re not watching us.
“Oh, you have no idea who I am, do you?” I ask him.
He chuckles under his breath. “Does it matter? You’re fine as fuck, and clearly looking for a good time.” He steps in closer and seems to get more confident. It’s a vibe I’m definitely interested in. He’s not being shy at all, and I bet he’d be less submissive than the previous guy.
Still he’s not… No, I’m not going to think about Alek. I’m going to think about right here and right here.
Get myself plowed beyond reason and forget about him, forget about my family. Forget about how sick of this shit I am.
“Let’s go then, yeah?” I ask him.
He smiles at me and I set my glass on the bar before grabbing him by the side of his shirt and pulling him along.
I can hear his girlfriends giggling as we pass them, and one of them looks absolutely shocked. None of them try to stop us though.
As we get closer to the door, the guy grabs me by the front of my shirt instead and pushes me against the door to get it open. The second we’re out in the chilly spring air, he pushes his mouth against mine.
For a moment or two, I’m enjoying it. I let my brain turn off and just kiss him back deeply. Letting him claim my mouth, and he does. Oh, hell he does. It’s nothing like the first guy. Instead, he pushes me against the brick wall and forces his tongue into my mouth.
Just like…
No, fuck no, stop!
I’m struggling not to think of Alek as this stranger begins to grope me like he can’t wait to get every inch of me under his hands.
I should be more excited, but I’m barely half-hard. Even when he reaches down and grabs at my crotch.
All I can think about is how Alek pressed me to the brick wall in that alley…how his mouth tastes, feels… This is not the same.
This man is not the same.
I try to get into it. Rock myself against his hand, trying to make myself feel more.
It’s not working.
I pull back from the kiss, looking at his face, he only gives me a moment though before his mouth is on my neck. He bites and licks at my skin, and rather than causing goosebumps to form on my skin, it makes my stomach ache uncomfortably.
“Ah,” I mumble, trying to get my head together.
“You like that?” he asks me. “Big boy.”
His words don’t turn me on. Nothing about this is getting me anywhere, and I’m not interested in continuing when all I want is the very man I shouldn’t.
It’s practically betraying my family. Wanting the man who could put us in the most danger whether he wants to or not.
I pull back from the man and push him away from me slightly.