Chapter 15
Fifteen
Marchello
“The dealership was hit,” Milo said. “All the cars on the showroom floor were vandalized.”
“Fuck, no!” I clenched my phone.
“We have surveillance footage.”
“You know who did it?” I asked.
“Danny and his men.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“This was a message,” Milo said. “Plain and simple. You have to come home and deal with this.”
“I can deal with it from here.” I glanced at Lissia. “Is there anything else?”
I pushed back the rage brewing inside me. I didn’t like being provoked, especially when it affected my bottom line. The less cars I had in my fleet, the harder it would be to launder money through the business. Gallanti knew this. He was hitting me where it hurt the most.
“He spray-painted a message on one of the cars,” Milo said. “I’d say it was very personal and all the more reason to stop this. You know what happens when we let emotions turn into vendettas.”
“What did it say?”
“Give back what you took.”
“Fuck him.”
“Marchello,” Milo shouted. “You can’t keep splitting your focus.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“You and Lissia need to come home and figure out how you’re going to deal with this. If you don’t want to give her back, so be it. You two can still be together, but I need you on the frontline,” he said.
“I can run things from here.”
“Between this and the cartel shipment, we can’t take another hit. We look weak. No one is going to trust us with anything if we don’t figure this out. Dad would not have let this happen.”
“Don’t you think I’m aware of that?”
The longer my father was off-the-grid, the more I realized I had a lot to learn if I was ever going to run this operation.
“I’m not blaming you,” Milo said. “But we have to regain control.”
“We’ll strike hard,” I assured him. “Get here so we can formulate a plan.”
“Fine.” He sighed. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I ended the call and tossed my phone on the nightstand.
Lissia came up behind me and put her arms around my neck. Her arms were the last place I should seek comfort, but that ship sailed an hour ago when I decided to make her mine.
“What’s wrong? You’re so tense.” She rubbed my shoulders. “I thought by doing what we did, you would relax.”
“I did, but that didn’t last long.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“It’s business.” I didn’t want to get into this with her.
“It sounds serious.”
I guided her onto the bed and situated her on my chest so I could hold her. Indulging in her warmth, I tried to reconcile how she had managed to work her way into my life.
Did I even want her there? Yes, otherwise she wouldn’t be here.
“You don’t want to talk about it?” she asked.
“In the next few hours, that’s all I’ll be talking about.” I held her close, breathing in her sweet scent and twirling a strand of her silky hair around my finger, finding it strangely calming. “The dealership was targeted tonight. A bunch of cars were vandalized.”
My blood boiled. That worm Collins was destroying what was mine—what my family worked so hard to maintain for decades. Knowing I had fucked his intended bride was a small comfort.
“Oh, that’s terrible.” She lifted up on her arm and stared at me. “Do you know who did it?”
“I do.”
“Who would be stupid enough to come after you and let you know it was them? Why would someone taunt you?”
I extended my hand for her and brought her back to my chest because I wanted her close to me.
“This is nothing for you to worry yourself with,” I said. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Was it my father?”
“Lissia.”
“Is it because you took me?”
“Did you hear what I said?” I raised my voice. “We’re not discussing this. I have enough to deal with right now.”
This situation was complicated enough. I didn’t need to confide in her what my next callous move would be.
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” she said.
“You are not responsible for the actions of the arms dealer or your father.”
“They wouldn’t have targeted you if I hadn’t disturbed your life.”
She wasn’t wrong. I had enough going on before she showed up, but now it was ten times worse. I glanced at her perfect naked body and my cock stirred. Maybe not ten times worse.
“I don’t understand why my father is doing this.”
“He sees an advantage and he’s taking it. With my father out of the way, they’ll all come for his territory. I have to put myself in a position where they can’t get it.”
“I can help fix this.” She pushed the soft hair from her face, providing me with the opportunity to appreciate her beauty. “I can help you.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“First of all, this isn’t your problem.” My incessant twisting of her hair that was so calming two minutes ago turned into tugging. “Secondly, there isn’t anything you can do. I’ll handle it.”
“There is something I can do.”
I closed my eyes, trying not to let whatever she was about to suggest anger me to the point I said something I couldn’t take back.
“If I go back to my father, he’ll stop this war,” she said. “You could go back to focusing on your dad and bringing him home.”
“Stop!” I shouted. “Why can’t you listen to me?”
“Hear me out.” She sat up. “I want to help you.”
“No.” I pushed myself into a seated position. “You hear me out. You have no idea what you’re offering. If you go back to your father, that means you go back to Collins. I’ll never let that happen.”
Did she not understand when I said if we had sex, there was no going back?
“I don’t want to go back to Danny, but if it stops what we set in motion and helps you regain control, I would do it. I could sacrifice for you.”
“How can you say that?” Was she so frivolous that she could forget what we did and leave without looking back?
“Sharing what we just did would be enough for me until you could come for me.”
“Are you out of your mind?” I grabbed her arm. “Do you know what a man like Collins would do to you for being with me? You’re my responsibility. My fucking hostage, and you’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m not your hostage.”
Hurting her was easier than having her walk away from me.
“You belong to me.” I pulled her closer. “You don’t get to walk out on me.”
“I’m not walking out on you. If you weren’t so stubborn, you would see what I’m trying to do for you. For us.”
“All you’re doing is infuriating me.” I shoved her onto her back and hovered over her. “You are mine.”
I lowered my face to hers and yanked her hair so that she had to look at me. “It’s not your job to protect me. Do you understand?”
“Why are you so angry?” Her beautiful brown eyes had lost that confident spark I had become accustomed to. “Why can’t you understand that I want to help you?”
“Because that’s not how this works.” I flipped her onto her stomach, gripped her hips, and arched her backside in the air. “I told you I didn’t want to have this conversation. I warned you to stop, but you can’t fucking listen. You’re going to learn to obey me.”
“What are you doing?” She glanced over her shoulder.
“Showing you who is in charge.” I slapped her ass. “My way.”
“Hey!” She scooted away from me, but I was quicker. I wrapped my arm around her waist and brought her back to me, pushing her down on the bed.
“You’re not leaving me.” I raised her hips. “The fact that you would suggest it twenty minutes after I fucked you is insulting.”
“I didn’t mean to insult you. I was trying to help you.”
I smacked her ass again, this time hard enough to sting my palm.
“Stop doing that!” She wiggled beneath me.
“I’ll stop when you learn your lesson.” I struck her again, leaving a pretty pink hue in my wake. I unleashed on her sweet ass a few more times, each strike harder than the last. “I showed mercy on you during your first time. Don’t expect that same courtesy this time.”
I positioned myself behind her and jolted my hips forward, entering her fast and without control.
“Oh!” She propelled forward, but I held her steady as I pounded into her.
She clenched around me, pushing against my forward motion and meeting me thrust for thrust. She stretched her arms out, flailing them as I relentlessly fucked her.
The thought of her leaving to protect me enraged me more than it should have, but there was no way she was abandoning me. Not after all I sacrificed for her. If she wanted to be with me, she would learn her place. I didn’t need her help.
Each time I bumped my pelvis forward, she whimpered, but she never asked me to stop. She took all I gave her. My cock slid in and out of her wet pussy with little effort. My balls ached for release, but I couldn’t get enough of her. I didn’t want this encounter to end. Us to end.
I hadn’t realized the control I had shown during our first encounter or how much I had wanted to let loose on her until right now.
Flipping her over, I reentered her with an unbridled force. She gazed up at me with confusion. Did she expect me to go easy on her?
“I told you being with me wouldn’t be like anything you ever imagined,” I said.
Each breath she drew was short and labored as she looked at me through her tangled hair. Her cheeks were flushed and her brow sweaty, but she didn’t complain as I gave her all of me. My balls slapped against her and begged for relief as I drove into her tight, wet sex.
“Being with me is going to be complicated and harsh.” I lowered myself onto her and pushed on her knees, trapping her legs on either side of me so she couldn’t move.
“I…” She held onto my shoulders, clawing at my skin. “I’m going to…”
The warmth of her climax washed over me, fueling my own desire and sending me into a long, hard orgasm. The release I craved shot out of me and into her, once again marking her as mine.
No matter how many cars Collins vandalized, he would never experience the sheer pleasure I had with this gorgeous woman who had somehow found a way into my world. She could infuriate me and make me want to strangle her, but she also challenged me in ways that no one else ever had.
No way would I ever let her leave me.
Her heart raced fast enough for it to pulse against my chest. The closeness of the moment was unfamiliar but no less satisfying. Could she feel it too?
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“You don’t have to apologize.” I released her from my hold. “You just have to understand that what you suggested is not a solution. Your leaving will never be the solution.”
“Okay,” she said. “I was trying to help.”
“Don’t help.”
I tilted her chin and slowly kissed her, trying to channel my thoughts of anger and frustration into something that would make her understand who I was.
“You should take a relaxing bath,” I said. “You’re going to be sore.”
“Will you join me?”
“I have to work.” I got off the bed and found my pants. “I have a long night ahead of me.”
“You’re going to work now?” She sat up. “After we…”
I pulled on my pants and scooped my shirt off the floor.
“Princess.” I walked back over to the bed and caressed her face. “My associates don’t care that we just fucked.”
My harsh words caused her beautiful lips to curve into a frown, but I couldn’t contain my frustration over the mess I had made with my business.
I needed space tonight. Forgetting it all and just getting lost in her would be so easy, but I had duties and obligations. My family counted on me, and I had already failed them so miserably.
“Marchello…” she began, and already I could feel my demeanor softening in a way I couldn’t afford.
“Not another word or the next time I get into bed with you, I’ll use you in such a way that no shower will ever make you feel clean again.” I pulled on my shirt. “I’ve had enough distractions tonight.”