12. Axel
I headed downstairs and found Aldo in his bedroom. There were two suitcases, meticulously organized to hold all of his things. The rest of his clothing was on hangers across the bed. His entire life had been reduced to his meager belongings. “Aldo.”
He stilled when he heard my voice and turned around in a rush, his eyes guarded like he expected me to scream at him. “I’m almost done, sir. I’ll be out of your hair in a second?—”
“Why did you lie to her?”
He blinked several times, trying to come up with the right thing to explain his heinous actions. “I had no other way to stop her. I knew you would be angrier if I tried to grab her or restrain her.”
“So you said I was sleeping around?”
“Actually, she assumed you had a woman in your bedroom, and I confirmed that belief so she would leave. I like Scarlett very much, but I knew it wouldn’t be in her best interest to see you tonight when you’ve been so…upset.”
Angry. The word was angry. “Unpack your things, Aldo.”
“You—you aren’t dismissing me?”
“Not tonight,” I said. “But if you ever do that again, your ass will be on the street.”
Theo joined me in the parlor, taking a seat in the armchair and firing up a cigar. He was always more interested in booze and smokes than he was in me. “I didn’t expect to hear from you for a while.”
“Trust me, your company is a great displeasure.”
He smirked, like this was all a fucking game. “Still mad at me about that Dante thing?”
I gave him a scowl, feeling burning hatred for a man I once trusted. “What gave me away?”
“You know I had your best interests at heart.”
“You deceived me.”
“But it was for your own good.”
“And what good did it do me?” I snapped.
He took his time pulling smoke into his mouth and releasing it from between his lips. “I don’t like this new Axel. He’s bitter like an old man who looks back on his life with regret. Even when you got out of prison, you weren’t this bitter.”
“Don’t ever pull that shit again.”
“Scarlett wants you. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
“Under very different circumstances.”
“We don’t get to choose circumstances, asshole. We take what we get, roll with the punches. You know this.”
I slouched in the chair. “I don’t want to talk about her.”
“Then why am I here?”
“Because I have more important shit to say.” I stabbed the cigar into the ashtray, even though I’d just lit it a few minutes ago. “Dante is about to cross us.”
He let the cigar rest between his fingertips, the smoke rising to the ceiling. There was little change to his expression, but it was clear he’d turned angry. “Is that so?”
“Scarlett overheard him talking to some French guy. He’s already promised the Colombians a higher fee to work with him instead of us. And then this French asshole is supposed to take us out. They partner together and use all the arrangements you’ve already settled.”
“And he thinks the Skull Kings would just allow this?” he asked incredulously.
“That’s all the information Scarlett gave me. She left shortly afterward so she wouldn’t be caught.”
His eyes shifted away as he brought the cigar to his lips, pulling in the smoke as his mind became heavy with his thoughts. His eyes went still, and he considered this treason in silence. “What was Scarlett’s reaction to this?” His eyes flicked back to mine.
“She finally believes me.”
“Then you got what you wanted in the end.”
I looked at the fire again. “Not really.”
He gave a quiet sigh. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“She left me.”
“It’s not like she fucked another dick.” He shook his head. “You love this woman, so why are you acting like a fucking lunatic?—”
“Because I’m pissed off. That man ruined my life, and she took his side over mine.”
“She didn’t take sides?—”
“She left, didn’t she?” I snapped. “I gave her an ultimatum—she made her decision. She has to live with it now.”
Theo studied me across the coffee table, judgment in his eyes. “Axel, let it go.”
“No.”
“I get you’re pissed off, but this stubbornness will lead you down a dangerous road.”
I shook my head. “I’m done.” I crossed my arms over my chest and rested my ankle on the opposite knee. “I’m tired of bending over backward for that woman. I’m tired of busting my ass to be with her when she’s never busted her ass for me. She has the divorce papers. All she has to do is sign them, and it’s done.”
Theo went quiet, and he was quiet for so long it seemed like he had nothing more to say.
I’d finally taken off my wedding ring. It was stashed in my nightstand drawer. I was tired of people staring at it and assuming it meant something when it meant nothing at all. I continued to look at my brother and waited for him to say something, to tell me I was an idiot, that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.
“So, you’re certain?” Acceptance was in his voice.
“Yes.” The conversation finally came to an end. I’d no longer have to defend myself.
“Then you wouldn’t have a problem if I asked her out.”
I felt all the muscles in my body stiffen simultaneously. A rock dropped into my stomach, and a cloud of dread suddenly blocked the sun. With narrowed eyes and a guarded stare, I regarded Theo with a subdued rage. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“You just said you were certain?—”
“So your first instinct is to ask her out?”
“We both know she won’t be single for long.”
“Asshole, I know what you’re doing. You’re so full of it.”
He took another puff of the cigar, let it absorb onto the surface of his tongue for the taste, and then released it. “What am I doing?”
“Trying to piss me off so I go back to her. It’s not going to work.”
He gave a slight shrug. “So, are you cool with it or not?”
I’d known Theo for a long time, and he was never one to bluff or bullshit. He seemed genuine as he sat across from me, and that started to make me uncomfortable. “Cut the shit.”
“I’m being serious, Axel. I would never infringe on your territory without your permission, but if you really despise this woman so much, then I don’t see why you would care?—”
“I never said I despise her.”
“Whatever. Yes or no?”
“She’s my wife.”
“And about to be your ex-wife because you sent her divorce papers.”
“Why would you even want to see her?—”
“Because she’s sexy. I never told you this because you lose your shit every time it comes up, but the chemistry was there. There was fire, and it burned. I kept my distance because she was your woman, but she made it very clear she wanted to fuck my brains out, no strings attached, and use me like a fuckboy. So, if she really means nothing to you?—”
“I never said she meant nothing.”
“Yes or no,” he said bluntly. “Just answer the damn question.”
I looked away, feeling the rage burn underneath my flesh, feeling a mix of jealousy and raw pain. The thought of the two of them together, Theo pounding into her flesh and making her come, her nails deep in his back, made me want to vomit into my ashtray. “I still don’t believe you. I tell you I’m about to get divorced, and the first thing you say is you want to fuck my wife?”
“Ex-wife,” he said. “And based on everything you’ve said, you’ve treated her like shit. It doesn’t seem like you would care if I was between her legs or not.” He smashed the cigar into the glass bottom of the ashtray. “Or am I wrong?” He propped his chin on his closed knuckles and stared me down.
“Go for it. I don’t give a fuck.”
His stare remained glued to my face, observing me with eyes that were like a lens to a microscope. Then he reached for his glass and took a drink. “So, what’s the plan with Dante?” He brushed past the awkward topic and moved on. There was no follow-up. No interrogation. He just accepted my blessing without question. “We’ve got to figure out who this new partner is before he makes his move. Any ideas?”
Maybe he wasn’t bluffing.
“This time, we put this motherfucker in the ground.”
I knocked on the door and waited.
A couple minutes went by, and there was no answer.
I raised my fist to knock again, but the door cracked.
Her pale face was masked in defeat. Her eyes were devoid of emotion, like she hadn’t checked the peephole before she’d opened the door. When she saw me, her eyes narrowed, and a quick flash of shock hit her face, like lightning on a dark night.
I stared at her, seeing her messy bun and baggy clothes fitting poorly.
She stared back, one hand still on the door, keeping it barely cracked to bar me entry. Minutes passed, and she continued to look at me like a wild animal that had been caught by a hunter. If she didn’t move, she wouldn’t be noticed.
“May I come in?”
She hesitated before she gave a slight nod. Then she opened the door wide and stepped aside, her arms immediately covering her body.
I shut the door behind me then faced her.
It’d been a few days since our last conversation, and it was obvious she hadn’t left the apartment or showered or probably eaten. The sight of her made my heart squeeze in pain because I knew I’d caused it and then left it to fester. “I’m sorry for being an asshole.”
She tightened her arms as she took a noticeable breath.
“I just…” I had no words to describe my turmoil. It was like an avalanche that hit me all at once. It started as snowballs then turned into boulders, and then there was more than I could handle, and I was buried deep and left to suffocate. “I’m sorry for everything.”
Her eyes started to water. “I’m sorry…”
She wasn’t in a tight skirt and a low-cut blouse with her long hair down in curls, but she was still beautiful to me, even at her lowest. Her eyes shone with her sincerity, and I knew she felt only love for me in her heart. “I just lost it…lost my mind.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I forgive you.”
My eyes flicked back and forth between hers. “I forgive you.”
She inhaled a deep breath, the kind that made her eyes water to the point of tears. “I love you.”
I finally accepted those words for the first time, let them echo in the silence as I absorbed them. When she’d said them before, I wasn’t ready to hear them, but now I savored them like honey. “I love you too, baby.”
This was no kiss. Not even an embrace. She was so self-conscious about not showering for three days or even brushing her teeth that she asked for time to get ready and present herself in a better light.
After all this time apart, all this heartache, I hardly noticed her disarray. But I wanted her to be comfortable, so I left the apartment, headed down to the pizzeria where we’d gone out together for the first time, and grabbed a pizza before I headed back.
By the time I walked back into the apartment, she was ready. Her hair was shiny and bouncy, and her pale face now had some color after she applied her blush. Her eyelashes were thick with dark makeup. In just an hour, she’d turned into a smokeshow. She glanced down at the pizza box in my hand and gave a smirk. “Some things never change.”
“Nope.” I set it on the counter and walked toward her, taking my time because my heart raced like a Maserati on the track. She was in a blouse and jeans, but she might as well have come out naked because I was just going to rip everything off. When we got close, I felt the rush of blood to my head, felt the tingle of excitement that she gave me the first time I saw her. There was something about this woman that made butterflies swarm in my stomach. No one else had ever made me feel that way.
As I came closer, I noticed the breath she took, the way her nerves made her eyes shift back and forth much quicker than they normally did. Her excitement was bottled, and the pressure was about to make the glass crack.
I moved into her, my arms circling her tiny waist and bringing her in close to me. I’d wanted to kiss her when I first saw her, but now that I had her in my arms, all I wanted to do was squeeze.
So I squeezed her hard.
I squeezed her against me, my chin on her head, my eyes closed. A wave of pain rushed through me as I accepted how much I’d missed her, how miserable I’d been since she’d walked out on me. She’d believed my innocence without question, but when she didn’t believe my story about her father the same way, it broke me.
Her face rested against my chest, and she gripped me around the torso, her hands barely able to meet in the middle of my spine because of my bulkiness. Her quick breaths turned slow and even as the peace and joy swept through her.
I smelled her hair. Memorized the feel of her familiar body in my hands. Inhaled her perfume of roses and lavender. I wanted to stay like that forever, to have this moment last an eternity. I loved passion and excitement, but I also loved peace.
She was the first one to give it to me.
I pulled away and cupped her face, forcing her beautiful eyes on me. “It’s you and me from this moment forward. Alright?”
Her eyes were locked on mine, intense in their desire but rigid in their confidence. “Yes.”
“We’re a family.”
“I know.” Her palm moved to my face, cupping my cheek. “Us versus everyone else.”
My thumb brushed her bottom lip before I dipped my head and kissed her, felt those plump lips that had left invisible tattoos all over my body. Soft and full, they were exactly as I remembered…but they were even more than before.
Because now everything was different.
For the first time, there were no barriers between us, nothing keeping us apart, no threats or lies. She saw all of me, the truth in my heart, the loyalty that I’d been unable to prove.
That slow kiss intensified into something more within seconds, and soon, I was taking her entire mouth with my anxious kiss, claiming those lips the way I’d wanted to on our wedding day. My fingers slid through her soft hair that I fisted as reins. My grip was tight—and this time, I wouldn’t let go.
My arms lifted her into my body, and I held her against me, our mouths still crushing together in fiery passion. My hands clutched her ass as I carried her to the unmade bed in her bedroom, and I held her there and kissed her a little longer, not wanting to break our kiss even for a few seconds when I dropped her on the bed.
I eventually rolled her to the mattress then yanked her jeans hard over her hips, tugging so hard that the fabric would have ripped if it were anything but denim. My fingers hooked into her panties too, tugging those down along with everything else. A perfectly groomed pussy was on display for me, and the sight of her glistening sex immediately made my mouth water like I was about to feast. “Forgot how pretty that pussy is…” My knees dropped to the rug underneath her bed, and my arms hooked behind her knees, spreading her open like a buffet. My lips pressed to her folds, and I was reunited with paradise, sweet and soft, the smell exactly as I remembered.
She gave a sound that was a mixture of a moan and a whimper, but it was quickly followed by the sound of my name on her eager lips. “God, Axel.”
My mouth sealed around her entirely, and I gave her a hard kiss before I sucked on that little nub. I sucked harder, making her hips buck automatically, and then I swirled my tongue around her nub. Harder and harder, I pressed, cranking up the pressure, making her thighs tremble in my arms.
Her breaths deepened and quickened, and her nails started to sink into the flesh of my forearms like a spade into the dirt. Her hips began to grind, rocking into my face as those breaths turned into deep pants. “God…”
Her soft thighs squeezed my head, and she locked her ankles together around my neck before she burst, grinding into my face and moaning until her pleasure-filled cries turned into screams.
I knew there were tears without seeing her face.
I barely let her finish before I got to my feet and snapped the buttons of my jeans. I yanked everything down then pulled my shirt off quicker than I ever had. My dick was so hard, so desperate, so anxious to be inside my wife that it made my head pound.
With my boots still on my feet and my pants at my ankles, I positioned her perfectly at the edge of the bed and guided my dick inside. My cock and her pussy were like magnets, and I sank through her wetness with the speed of a bullet leaving a barrel. When I was mostly sheathed, I pushed even farther, sliding into her until there was nowhere else to go.
She gave a whimper in pain and rolled her head back, but her little hands still dug into my forearms, her nails sharp as knives.
“You like it when it hurts, baby?” I pulled back and thrust hard, hitting her deep.
She whimpered again. “Yes…”
My arms gripped the backs of her thighs and kept her legs back as I thrust, deep inside the best pussy I’d ever had, the pussy that belonged to me. At the first touch of her flesh, I was ready to go, already scorching from head to toe, already anxious to fill her pot with my seed. There’d been no one else in my bed while she was gone. There’s been no other woman on my arm. My hand didn’t even pay me a visit because I was either too depressed or pissed off to feel desire. So the second I was fully buried in that slit…fuck.
“Come inside me…” Her nails gripped me, her lithe body folded up like a fresh pretzel, her little pussy taking my big dick like she was an adult film star who had all the practice to handle it.
My dick gave a throb so strong, I could feel it shift inside her as I continued to slide through her sticky desire. My hips worked harder, and I pounded into her ruthlessly, making her whimper in pain and moan in pleasure, back and forth, all the way until I finished. My palms switched to the tops of her thighs, and I dragged her onto my length, buried as deep as I could go as I gave her a moan of desire.
Fuck, it felt good. So good that the world spun for a moment, that the heat inside my body broke through the surface and burned my flesh off the bone. My ass was tight and my thighs gave a tremble because the pleasure was everywhere all at once. “Baby…”
The makeup she’d just put on was a mess, the tears causing her mascara to drip from the corners of her eyes toward her ears. The foundation that masked her skin was smeared, showing the blotchiness of her cheeks. She was a crumpled mess underneath me, and she hadn’t even moved a muscle—that was how good I fucked her.
I scooted her up the bed until she was in the center, several inches below where her pillows lay. My hips moved between her fleshy thighs, and they immediately squeezed me, her ankles locking together at my back.
My head dipped and I kissed her. A kiss that was slow and patient, not desperate like it’d been minutes ago. Desperation had been satisfied, and now it was time for the slow connection of our bodies, our souls.
It was time for me to make love to her.
I’d wanted to ever since she’d become my wife, but with her walls up higher than the ramparts of a castle, I could never scale them. But now, her beautiful eyes locked on mine with a sheen of vulnerability and love. Like I’d stepped back into the past, she looked at me the way she did before, like I would never hurt her. There was trust, affection, love…beauty.
I sank inside her without taking my eyes away. Instead of pushing until I felt resistance, I stopped when it felt right. I watched her inhale a deep breath when she felt me, and then her fingers buried in the back of my hair as she held my gaze.
I rocked into her, my face close to hers, my eyes mesmerized by the light in her eyes. “I love you.”
Her thighs squeezed me, and her ankles tugged on me, wanting me back inside her the moment I started to pull away. Her hands moved up my chest before they cupped my face, her eyes still watery from the climax, but now wetter from the emotion. “I love you too.”