Epilogue
Tommy
It’s around five in the afternoon when I pick up Alek from the Rose’s underground base.
I know he’s telling them that he’s going on a job, not wanting them to think he’s spending all his time with me, but I doubt that they’ll believe him.
Frankly, I don’t care what they believe.
After everything Alek did for them with the Bianchis, they damn well better not keep him from me.
Maybe it’s just Alek’s paranoid mind that makes him lie to them, but either way, I park a block down the road and smile as I watch him walk up the street with a duffel bag over his shoulder.
It’s been two weeks since the showdown at the Bianchi estate. Two weeks since I was kidnapped and tortured in their basement. I’m healed up pretty good, but my leg is still tender and aches when I walk. I’ve taken worse, so it doesn’t slow me down none.
“There you are,” I say as Alek opens the passenger side door and slides into the seat. He stuffs his bag near his feet and pulls his seatbelt on.
“When I said park discreetly, I didn’t mean a mile down the road,” he complains.
“It isn’t a mile,” I insist with a roll of my eyes.
I start the car and head down the road in the opposite direction of the Rose’s base.
“Any news on Tiberi?” Alek asks me.
I shake my head. “Not really, he’s still in the coma, but he is recovering well. I’m hoping he’ll be able to be woken up in another week.” I sigh. I’m worried about my brother, but I don’t want it to get in the way of me enjoying my time with Alek.
“I hope so too,” he replies as I pull onto a side road heading away from Tessari.
“Where are we going anyway?” Alek asks.
I smile and turn down another road. “Where do you think?” I look over and see the narrowed and dark eyed look on his face.
“If you’re planning on taking me to a dungeon, I didn’t pack the right attire,” he croons at me.
My face and neck go hot, the heat flushing down into my stomach. It’s been way too long since Alek dominated me, and now I’m thinking about all of the things he could do to me in a dungeon—and not the kind where medieval criminals are held.
“Damn, I should’ve thought of that,” I mumble. “No, just a beach house about an hour away from here. I figured we could use some time away from home.”
“That does sound nice,” Alek agrees.
He reaches a hand over and places it on my thigh, which only sends an electric pulse up my hip into my spine. I exhale slowly and tighten my hands on the wheels.
“You can still do plenty of dungeon-like activities to me in the beach house,” I remind him.
He chuckles lowly. “That I can. What did you have in mind exactly?” he asks me.
I struggle to keep my eyes on the road and not on him. If I want us to get there safely, I need to behave myself. This doesn’t stop me from going about ten over the speed limit.
“Well, I brought rope,” I say.
“Good to know,” he practically purrs at me.
My cock throbs in my jeans and I try to ignore it. Alek’s hand squeezes my thigh and my breath catches in my throat.
“You’re going to get us in an accident,” I accuse him.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asks.
I swallow the saliva that’s pooling in my mouth and speed up even more.
“No,” I whisper.
Alek proceeds to rub and squeeze my thigh the entire way to the beach house.
I unlock the door and then let Alek go in first with his bag before stepping inside with my own.
The beach house is one level with two bedrooms and a spacious living room that the front door opens up to.
A light scent of dust kicks up from the floor as we walk in and the spring sunlight shines in through the curtained windows to the left.
“How often do you use this place?” Alek asks.
“Not often…at least, not until the summer, but I’m pretty sure Carmine and Soren are going to lay claim over it as soon as it gets hotter. So, I thought we’d better take it while we can.” I smile at him and reach out to grab his bag.
Alek hands it to me, then closes and locks the door. He steps to the side like he expects me to carry the bags to one of the bedrooms, but instead I set them down to the side of the entryway and remove the distance between us.
I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him in close before kissing him.
His breath catches in his throat in surprise, but he kisses me back deeply.
I groan as I press my body up against his and feel his belt buckle clink against my own.
Alek starts to chuckle into the kiss and pulls back from me slightly breathless. “Not yet,” he says.
“What?” I ask, desperation in my voice.
“We need to eat first,” he insists. “And you’re going to cook me dinner.”
I growl under my breath and nip at his lips. “You’re torturing me,” I whisper.
“Get used to it,” Alek teases. He pulls back from me and grabs both of our bags off the floor.
“Good thing I ordered food to be delivered,” I said as I looked out the window. “They should be here soon.”
Just as Alek walked our bags back to one of the bedrooms, I hear the sound of tires on the gravel. At first, it puts me on edge, and my shoulders tense as I make my way back to the door.
All anxiety is eased when I see a skinny twenty-something woman carrying a few paper grocery bags up the walkway with a smile on her face.
“Dresvanni?” she asks.
“Yup,” I reply and take them from her. “Have a good day.” I turn around and use my foot to close the door behind me. I take my boots off afterward and carry the groceries into the kitchen.
“I wonder what I’m cooking,” I mumble as I unload the bags. It becomes clear very quickly that I’ll be making pasta with chicken and broccoli.
I turn around and get started finding the right pots and pans, as well as preheating the oven for the broccoli.
Alek steps over and leans against one of the counters with a smirk on his face as he watches me prepare everything.
“How long do you imagine me cooking for you?” I ask him curiously as I fill a pot with water.
Alek tilts his head to the side. “As long as you want,” he replies.
I frown. “I’m serious,” I mumble.
“Are you…asking me about our future?” he asks me.
My face flushes and my heart picks up in my chest as I turn the burner on under the pot. I look at the floor and shove my hands into my jean pockets.
“Maybe,” I reply quietly. “Is that so bad?”
“No,” Alek says in a similar tone. It’s quiet between us for a moment.
“Forget I asked,” I say quickly and continue making dinner.
“No, it’s okay,” Alek says quickly. “I was just…teasing you, I guess.”
I shake my head, suddenly feeling a heaviness in my chest that I don’t like. Maybe I’m scared about what he’s going to say. Maybe Alek doesn’t want this to be serious. Maybe a future is just…out of the scope of what we can have together.
I quickly focus myself on cooking, and even when Alek moves closer to me, I ignore him.
“Hey, you can talk to me,” Alek insists.
“Maybe later, I should focus on cooking,” I say.
Alek slides his hand onto my back for a second, and I feel the heat of his skin against mine.
“Okay,” he says simply, and then steps back. “I’ll be in the living room.”
He leaves me alone and I get to cooking. My sour mood starts to settle as I finish up dinner about thirty minutes later and I realize part of it may be because I’m hungry.
“Dinner is ready!” I call out into the living room as I plate our food, giving us both a hefty portion.
Alek comes in and inhales slowly. “Wow, that smells delicious. Thank you,” he says with a soft smile.
I smile back at him and step closer. “All for you,” I whisper and kiss him on the cheek.
He gives me a curious and perhaps uncertain look. “You’re not upset with me?”
I shrug. “I was a little bit earlier, but it’s fine. I just want to have a good time with you and eat.”
Alek leans in and presses his lips to mine once. “We’ll talk while we eat.”
I nod, and carry our plates to the dining room table while Alek carries our silverware. I sit out plates down next to each other, and slide into my chair.
Alek sits down next to me, and we both dig in rather quickly. Clearly hungry.
“This is delicious,” he says after two or three bites.
I hum out in response because my mouth is full.
After another bite Alek looks up at me. “I wasn’t trying to avoid talking about our future,” he tells me.
“Okay,” I say slowly. “So, you do see a future with me?”
He blinks. “Of course I do,” he smiles, his face flushes softly and there’s something different in his eyes. Something anxious. It makes me feel a bit anxious.
“You seem awfully nervous about it,” I tell him as I continue eating.
Alek chuckles. “Maybe I am,” he admits. “I haven’t seen a future with anyone since…Felicia.”
I nod slowly. “You’re scared of losing me?” I ask him.
Alek looks at his plate. “That’s part of it,” he admits. “I’m also scared of it being my fault.”
I turn toward him and place my hand on his arm. “You could never do anything to push my away. You could try to kill me, and I’d stick around.”
Alek laughs. “Well, I suppose that’s good to know, but that’s not what I mean,” he tells me. “I’m worried that my work will get you killed, Tommy.”
“My own work could get me killed. It could get you killed. I’m a Dresvanni, Aleksandr. I’m used to the danger,” I remind him.
“I know,” he mumbles. “I’m still worried about it.”
It’s quiet between us after that. We finish our meals, and I pick our plates up to take them to the sink. Alek follows me, and I feel him lingering behind me as I rinse the plates off.
When I turn around, Alek steps in close to me and places his hands on my scarred and scabbed face.
“I need you to know something, Tommy,” he whispers. “I cannot imagine my future without you. I don’t want a future without you.”
My heart jumps up into my throat. “Alek…”
He leans in close and presses his lips to mine. “I see all of my future, with you…”
I close my eyes and kiss him back softly before whispering into the kiss. “You are my future.”