106. Gabriel
ONE HUNDRED SIX
My heart”s pounding.There could only be three possibilities for a knock on Riley”s door.
One of my bodyguards.
That little shitweasel who lives in the building.
Someone evil.
I move quietly to my pants, then my jacket and gun. Picking up the latter and taking the safety off, I make my way to the door and peer out the peephole.
It”s my bodyguard, looking relaxed. I call out his name.
”Boss? Yeah, I knocked,” he says. ”There”s something you need to know.”
I flip the little lever on my gun so the safety is back on, and slide it into the back of my pants. Then I open the door.
”Sorry to bother you. But this came over from Andre. It”s an alert, and he insisted I tell you.”
The guy, who is easily fifty pounds heavier and six inches taller than me, thrusts his phone into my hands.
My eyes go to the headline in a national newspaper.
Russian Mafia crackdown: Florida Feds Arrest 22
”What the fuck,” I mutter, then scan the story.
Twenty individuals with alleged ties to Russian organized crime were apprehended in Miami today on charges related to Mafia activities, according to authorities. The arrests were part of a joint operation between local law enforcement agencies and federal agents.
Details regarding the charges remain limited, but sources indicate that the suspects are facing accusations of racketeering, money laundering, and conspiracy. The arrests come after months of investigation into the alleged criminal activities.
The individuals taken into custody are believed to have connections to prominent Russian crime families, raising concerns about the influence of international organized crime in the city. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to unravel the extent of the alleged Mafia network.
Sources say the arrests stem from the recent mass shooting in a restaurant in Tampa that killed six and wounded several others.
The case is poised to shed light on the intricate web of connections that led to these arrests and the potential impact on the business climate of several Florida cities. The matter has garnered attention from both local and national media, highlighting the broader implications of international organized crime in the urban landscape.
The article listed the names. I recognized every one. ”Thank you,” I say to my bodyguard, handing the phone back to him.
I shut and lock the door then put my weapon back in my jacket pocket, aware that Riley will likely lose her shit if she sees me walking around her place with a weapon.
”Everything okay?” She pokes her head out the bedroom door. There”s fear in her eyes.
”Everything”s perfect, Blondie. Gotta make a quick call. Give me five minutes.”
She returns to the bedroom and I pull up Alessandro Bianchi”s contact and tap the screen.
He answers on the first ring. ”Did you hear the good news?”
I grin. ”I did.”
”They got what was coming to them,” he says.
”Was it our friend who went to the casino?” I ask. We have two FBI agents on our payroll. Only Alessandro and I know their identities, and we have some code words for them.
”Mmm-hmm.”
”Excellent.” I can”t stop grinning. ”Bahamas in a couple of weeks?”
”Anytime you want.”
”Fuck, yeah,” I whisper after I hang up.
I take a deep breath before entering the bedroom, composing myself. I don”t want Riley to sense the intensity of my emotions over this news. But make no mistake: it”s amazing news.
I push the door open slowly. Riley is sitting up in bed, blanket wrapped around her, eyes searching mine.
”Are you okay?” she asks softly.
I nod, a little smile tugging at my lips. ”Yeah, just one of my guys. He needed to tell me some important news. Andre couldn”t reach me because I was getting the best sleep of my life.”
Her eyes flicker with interest. ”News?”
I sit on the edge of the bed and brush a strand of hair from her face. God, I missed this woman.
”Those Russians who have been causing problems? The ones who shot up the restaurant? Every single one of them.”
Riley”s eyes go wide. ”What? How? Where?”
”The feds finally got enough evidence to take them down. Racketeering, money laundering. It”s over.” I take her hand, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. ”We”re safe now, Riley. Both of us.”
I”m safe to go about my business. To make money. To live a perfect life with Riley.
Her body sags with relief and she lets out a long breath. ”Oh my God. I don”t know what to say.”
”You don”t have to say anything. I know it”s been weighing on you, feeling like you could be in danger because of my business. Because of me. But that threat is gone now. And I”m glad. It means you”re safe, and that”s all I care about.”
I kiss her forehead gently, and she wraps her arms around me. I sit against the headboard and pull her into my lap.
”No more looking over our shoulders. We can relax. Focus on each other and the future.”
I wrap her tight in my embrace, savoring the feel of her. She”s warm and safe in my arms, and that”s where she”s staying from now on.
”Thank you for telling me,” she whispers. ”I appreciate you being open and honest.”
I just hold her close, relief washing over me. With the Russians out of the way, my family”s territory is secure. And more importantly, the woman I love is protected.
We stay like this for several long minutes.
”You feel so good,” I murmur into her ear.
”You feel good, too,” she says, planting a sensual kiss on my neck that makes every nerve ending stand at attention.
She twists and turns so she”s sitting on my lap, facing me. Although she”s wearing flannel pajamas with a little cartoon character on them, I can”t resist skimming my hands over her thighs and ass.
”You”ve lost weight,” I observe.
She grins. ”I”ve been exercising a lot in the past few weeks. Trying to work out my frustrations. You like?”
I shrug, squeezing a handful of her ass. ”I loved you before, love you now. Weight doesn”t matter, babe. You”re sexy as fuck to me.”
She looks at me, her eyes wide and innocent — yet her tone is pure seduction. ”Can we do something?”
I raise an eyebrow. ”Maybe. What do you want to do?”
”Make out like teenagers.” Her lips form a wicked grin.
”Make out.” I caress her ass. ”As in, kiss for a long time while you sit and grind on my hard dick? I thought we were taking it slow.”
”Mmm-hmm. This is slow.” She presses her mouth to mine, soft and pliant. ”Can you make out with me and not fuck me?”
This is going to be pure, exquisite torture, and I am ready for every beautiful second. ”I”m not sure, but I”m going to love finding out.”
RILEY
Gabriel flipsme onto my back, his strong body pressing against mine. Our mouths meet again, soft and seeking. The familiar scent of his skin surrounds me as his tongue probes past my lips.
”I missed this.” I let out a sigh.
I slide my hands up his muscular arms, reveling in the feel of him. It”s been so long since we were this close, this intimate. A flood of memories rush through me—late nights talking and laughing, weekend getaways filled with sensual days, tender moments curled in each other”s arms.
He feels like home. No matter how complicated his life is, he”ll always feel perfect to me.
His mouth trails hot kisses along my jaw and down my neck. I arch into him, fingers digging into his shoulders.
”Missed you,” I breathe.
He nuzzles my throat, stubble grazing my sensitive skin. ”I missed you too, baby. So damn much.”
Gabriel”s hands slide under my pajama top, caressing the curve of my waist, the swell of my breasts. I tremble at his touch, heat pooling low in my belly.
We kiss again, deep and hungry. The tip of his tongue teases mine.
”No sex,” he teases, tweaking my nipple.
”No sex,” I repeat.
By now he”s shed his shirt and my nails rake down his back.
I can feel him hard and ready through the thin fabric separating us. I want him, need him, but I know we should take this slow.
”I could kiss you all fucking day and night, Riley. I”ve missed the taste of you.”
His words send a shiver through me. I frame his face in my hands, studying the rugged lines I know so well. His five o”clock shadow scratches deliciously against my palms.
”Just kissing then?” I say with a smile.
Gabriel”s eyes twinkle. ”Can I kiss every part of you?”
He brushes his lips over mine, light as a feather. I sigh into his mouth as the kiss deepens, our tongues dancing lazily.
”Yes. Every part.” My resolve for taking it slow is crumbling.
We spend endless minutes exploring each other, hands roaming as our mouths meet again and again. Playful nips and teasing licks.
As much as my body craves more, this intimacy is exactly what I need. A reminder of what we once had, and what we”re rebuilding.
I trail kisses along his jaw as he nuzzles my hair. Our limbs tangle together, heartbeats in sync.
”I want this forever, Riley,” he murmurs into my ear. ”Just you and me.”
Big, sloppy emotion swells in my chest and I feel like I”m about to sob. ”Me too.”
He props himself on his hands and stares down into my very soul. The rain pounds against the window, and it seems as though time itself has stopped for Gabriel and me.
”Marry me. Marry me soon. Please?”