28. From The Grave
28
FROM THE GRAVE
TYLER
The events of the evening had been mentally draining yet exhilarating. As we made our way inside, I couldn’t wait to have Giovanna all to myself. In a moment of relief, I ordered all of Ian’s appointed security to leave the premises now that the war was over. I watched as they departed, leaving us alone in the house. Even Angelo, Frankie, and Bruno were told to give Giovanna and I a night to ourselves and to return to New York, preparing to get those damn bodies off our property.
It was weird and different knowing she and I were completely alone in the house. I set the alarm on the way upstairs, turning on the shower the minute we were in the bathroom. While waiting for the water to heat up, I grabbed her hips. Whirling her around to face me, I held them tighter as I pulled her to my lips with a grin.
“Seeing you in that ring was hot as fuck,” I admitted.
“Was it the fighting that turned you on, or seeing me in this?” she teased, her voice low and sultry. Standing on her toes, she leaned in closer, her lips brushing against my ear. “Seeing you rush into the ring shirtless looking sexy was hot as fuck too, ya know. Had I not been so pissed off about Ivan, I would’ve stopped that fight and fucked you right there in front of everyone.”
I let out a low laugh, tugging her shirt and bra over her head and tossing them over my shoulder. We took turns removing one another’s clothes while I backed her into the oversized shower. The water cascaded over our bodies, steam filling the room as we washed one another. I was careful not to hurt her, gently cleaning her face.
Though the fight turned me on, seeing Ivan pummeling her caused my blood to boil, and I wanted to bring him back from the grave and torture him. I know my blows to his face caused a lot of damage, but it didn’t compare to the damage he inflicted on the woman I loved. Rage swelled in me all over again as I examined her eyes, knowing I could’ve gotten her out of Penthouse L.A. much faster had I just?—
“Ty, stop.” Her voice broke through my thoughts as she cupped my cheek, tilting her head.
“I should’ve saved you so long ago.” I furrowed my brows.
Pressing her thumbs to my forehead, she smoothed them out. “It was always about the timing. Back then, you would’ve only saved me, but tonight, you saved everyone in both our families. Because of you, our children, nieces, and nephews will never have to go through what anyone else did.” She pressed her fingertips to my lips. “It happened how it was supposed to. Everything about you is perfect but the words that exit your lips should never again be anything you should’ve done. It should only ever be about what you will do.”
She never ceased to amaze me. I pushed her hair off her shoulders, unable to take my eyes off hers. They sparkled in the lighting, beckoning me and causing me to instantly calm.
She dragged her nails up my arms, pressing them into my shoulders as she stood on her toes. Fingers slipping into my hair, she pulled my head toward her, our lips crashing into one another. Her kiss tasted of adrenaline and desire, turning violent. Our tongues twisted together as our bodies pressed closer.
She scraped her nails down my abs, and I seized her neck in my mouth, sucking and kissing her hungrily. Tilting her head, she gave me easier access as she held onto my biceps. One hand on her side, I lowered the other between her legs. Slipping a finger between her slit, I stroked up and down.
Pressing herself into my hand, she begged, “Stretch my tight hole.”
Grinning against her skin, I withdrew my hand, and she groaned. I curled my fingers around her wrist, spinning her to face the wall, her cheek flat against the surface. Stretching my arm out, I took the lube off the shelf in the corner, opened the top, and squeezed a bit into my hand.
“Oh fuck,” she breathed, knowing what was coming.
Reaching between her ass cheeks, I stroked her asshole, sliding a finger inside. She pushed back into my hand, panting. I slipped a second finger in after giving her a chance to get used to the intrusion. Her moans echoed against the shower walls.
“You can be as loud as you want tonight, princess,” I muttered as I squeezed more lube into my hand and stroked my hard cock. Setting the container back on the shelf, I held her hip again, lining myself up with her entrance.
“Go slow,” she pleaded. “You’re too fucking big for that hole, and it kills me every time.”
“Killing you is the last thing I want,” I taunted, “but I do love it when you cry out in pain.”
“You know I love pain.” She exhaled a shaky breath.
Inch by inch, I entered her, and she pushed back against my body. “That’s it, baby, take it all,” I coaxed her, and she continued pushing backward.
She let out a loud guttural moan as she relaxed, taking me entirely deep inside her until I bottomed out. “Oh, fuck fuck fuck,” she cried out.
Picking up the pace, I held her hips in a tight grip, fucking her as hard as I could. The sound of our bodies slapping together, mixed with our sounds, echoed through the room. Reaching around, I massaged her clit hard while squeezing her tit in my other hand.
“I want you to cum hard and loud for me, princess,” I ordered.
“Yes… sir,” she whimpered back over her shoulder between grunts.
Shaking, she instantly came hard; her legs wobbled, but I held her tight. Her ass clenched and unclenched around me, coaxing every drop of seed from my body. I moaned softly, running my fingers through her drenched hair as we both panted. She turned her head back, kissing me with hunger as we caught our breath.
Last night, after cleaning ourselves again, we ended up having sex three more times before we passed out from physical exhaustion. This morning, I woke up before her, allowing her to sleep in while I worked out and showered, then cooked breakfast. As I was turned toward the stove, making scrambled eggs, I felt arms slither around me and lips press into my bare back.
“You’re lucky I heard you coming,” I chuckled, setting the wooden spoon down on a nearby spoon rest and turning to face her, only to find her completely naked.
“Would you have resisted me, Mr. Sexy?”
Picking her up, I set her on the edge of the kitchen island. “Maybe I should spank your hot little pussy for that instead.”
She reclined against the counter, her palms pressing firmly into its surface as she spread her legs open. Her voice was a low, sultry whisper as she beckoned to me, “Spank me, then.”
I reached for one of the clean, wooden spoons stored in the gold metal container on the counter. I lightly tapped it against her mound, and she let out small gasps and moans with each strike. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, and her eyes were fixated on my movements as I slowly increased the intensity.
Lowering my face, I traced my tongue along her slick slit before returning to finish making the eggs.
“I need youuu,” she whined as I set the spoon down next to her. “I need your dick inside my pussy right now, pleaseee.”
The aroma of breakfast filled the air as I stirred the eggs a final time and removed them from the heat.
“First you have to eat.” I pulled open the oven, taking the simple French toast bake from the rack and setting it on the marbled countertop.
“Maybe you should eat first,” she countered playfully, causing me to turn back around and face her. Her hand was between her legs, spreading herself open for me with her fingers.
“Gladly,” I replied, unable to resist the tempting offer. With one arm supporting her thigh, I lowered my face between her legs, exploring every inch of her sweet center with my tongue. She let out a loud moan, the sound filling the room as I slipped my fingers inside her wetness.
“God, I’m so close already,” she murmured. “I played with myself before I came down here.”
My phone vibrated across the counter, but I didn’t want to stop. Her moans and gasps were all that mattered in that moment.
“It’s Ian,” she panted, moving her hips up and down against my mouth.
“Answer it,” I growled, determined to continue pleasuring her despite the interruption.
“What? No!” she whimpered, her words turning into a high-pitched cry as I flicked my tongue over her sensitive spot. “Oh shit, Ty, I’m going to cum.” She bucked against me as her climax rushed through her body.
Replacing my mouth with my hand, I continued stroking, playing with her clit while fingering her. With my other hand, I answered the phone.
I’m kinda busy right ? —
The piercing sound of Jenna’s screams echoed in the background, sending shudders through me. Meanwhile, Giovanna’s body trembled against mine as she released her juices onto my hand, her attempts to muffle her pleasure failing.
What’s wrong?! I spat.
Get your asses to our house right now! It’s an emergency! he commanded in an angry and alarming tone. It was a tone I’d never heard from him and that worried me.
Ripping my hand away from Giovanna, I said, “Go get dressed and hurry. We have to go.”
She hopped off the counter, sprinting out of the room and upstairs without questioning me.
Placing the phone back to my ear, I demanded. Tell me what’s going on.
You’ll see. Just get here as soon as possible. The line went dead.
When we arrived at Ian and Jenna’s house, nothing outside seemed out of the ordinary. We slammed the car doors, and I took her hand in mine, jogging to the front porch. I pushed open the entrance, letting her in ahead of me. The moment I shut it, I froze at the sound of a familiar laugh, followed by a sweet voice I’d recognize anywhere.
“Oh my God, he interrupted our breakfast for home movies,” I whispered as we made our way to the den to see what they were watching. When we entered the doorway, my heart pounded, and I squeezed Giovanna’s hand deathly hard. “Mom?!” I barked, and the room fell silent with all eyes turning toward us. “Dad?!”
Between our dead parents on the couch sat Jenna, blotting her eyes as she tried to compose herself. The three of them leaped up from their seats, and I stumbled backward, feeling Giovanna’s gentle hand caressing my back for support.
My father had aged, his hair completely white now, his eyes slightly hooded. He was what I imagined myself to be in the next twenty-seven years from all the stress. My mother, however, still kept her chocolate brown hair with hints of grey; though it’d been cut to her chin. She looked like my sister, but only slightly older than she looked before she… died ? They were both sun kissed and dressed like they’d just arrived home from a senior citizen cruise. Both were in floral shirts, my father in green shorts, my mother in khaki shorts, and both wore slip on shoes.
“How?” I managed to choke out, my heart pounding in my chest as I struggled to make sense of the scene before me. My mother sprinted toward me, throwing her arms around my neck and sobbing into my shoulder. I could feel my father’s presence behind her as he approached to hug me tightly.
I glared between them at Jenna, who was watching with tears in her eyes and a tissue clutched in her hand. Across the room, Allen Ringfield and Ian stood together by the fireplace, their expressions filled with concern.
Above the sound of children playing somewhere else in the house, I finally found my voice again. “What happened? How did this all happen?”
My parents took a step back, still holding onto me as my mother cupped her hand on my cheek, tears spilling down her face. “Oh Tyler,” she whispered, “what did they do to you?”
“How is this even possible?” I uttered under my breath, my voice filled with disbelief. It felt like a dream, one that would fade away any moment now.
But then my father spoke, and his words confirmed that this was indeed reality. “Now that you’re here, we can tell everyone together,” he said, a hint of turmoil in his voice.
My mother’s face lit up with a warm smile as she turned to Giovanna. “You must be the lovely woman we’ve heard so much about.” I automatically pulled her closer to my side, feeling a surge of protectiveness over her in the midst of all the uncertainty.
For years, I had believed my parents to be dead. But now, here they were, alive and well. Giovanna smiled sincerely at them, reaching out her hand in a greeting.
“I’m very pleased to be able to meet the people who brought such a wonderful man into this world,” she said graciously and calmly, as if nothing happened.
My heart swelled with emotion at the sight of my parents and the woman I loved together. I wanted to love the moment more than anything. But I couldn’t shake off the need for answers.
“I want to know everything,” I stated firmly. “Right now.”
“Of course,” my father replied, his expression serious but understanding.
Giovanna and I sat side by side on the couch with Jenna and Ian. Allen settled himself in a chair in the corner. My parents perched on the loveseat facing us all.
My father cleared his throat, something he always did before he started a story. “Oh boy, okay.” He took a deep breath. “I want to start by saying we had no choice but to disappear for a while.”
I clenched my jaw as Giovanna’s hand rested on my thigh, her head leaning on my shoulder. To keep myself calm, I laced my fingers together with hers.
“After Gino died in surgery, the Mussolini family insisted I turn myself over to them. That night, I took your mother out on a date and told you in the video that I was turning myself over to them. It was all true.” He paused for a few moments before glancing at my mother, and she nodded, giving him the courage to press on. “We didn’t get that far. Several weeks before the accident, I had a visit from Allen.” He nodded at his friend. “Allen is an old friend of mine from the CIA.”
Jenna and I turned to one another with wide eyes, and she took my other hand, holding it tightly as we turned back to our father.
“Allen informed me the government needed a favor from me, and in return they’d protect your mother and me and always keep an eye out on you both. What we didn’t account for is you,” he nodded at Jenna, “ending up with someone like Ian Knight.” He looked at me, “And you ending up with an Aggio. Those were both very pleasant surprises.”
“I don’t get it,” I finally said. “Why?”
“I’ll never be able to reveal what the government needed from me. Gino was never a part of that plan, however, it just so happened, we were at war with them too. But the night that happened, the CIA swooped in, using that as an opportunity to get us out of the country until they fixed everything.”
“Fixed everything?!” I snapped. “You were gone from our lives for years, and we assumed you were dead!”
Jenna and Giovanna both squeezed my hands.
“I know,” my mother replied, tears falling from her cheeks. “It killed us to be away from you both.”
“Why did you come back now?” Jenna croaked out. “After so long, I mean?”
“Because your brother took out our sole reason for having to flee. We were able to safely return.”
Ian shifted in his seat. “I’m assuming the Russians?”
Allen lifted a hand. “We’ve been after that family for years now. I can’t tell you why they were wanted, but Tyler,” Allen met my gaze, “you not only saved your family. You saved your entire country.”
I let out a skeptical laugh before it finally settled in, and I became serious. “So, then you know I’m now in charge of the Aggio family.”
Allen nodded. “And if you work with us, we can be sure your family,” he said, lifting his chin to Ian, “and your family, stay out of legal trouble for the rest of your lives.
“And if I don’t?” I asked.
Allen and my father exchanged smiles before turning back to me. “I think we can turn a blind eye to your business anyway.”
“Wait!” Jenna snapped. “Are Jade and Kieran really related to us?!”
The three of them nodded, but my father replied, “Yes, and we’d like to meet them soon too.”
“We’re just happy to finally be back,” my mother cried. “We’ve missed you both so much.”
“What about the public?” I asked. “You were… are both well known.”
Allen nodded. “I’m handling that for them with a cover so they can return to society soon.”
“What about the Mussolini’s killing you?”
“It wasn’t them,” Allen interjected. “They only thought it was.”
In that moment, my heart opened up. It was no dream, but it was a dream come true. I’d missed my parents, and for so long, I wanted my mom to meet Giovanna because I knew she would’ve loved her.
Standing, I sauntered across the room, and my parents stood. I brought my mother into my arms in a tight hug. “Welcome home… both of you.”
I took a step back, holding my hand out and Giovanna waltzed over. I took her left hand in mine, holding it up to my parents. “We’re getting married, so?—”
My mother pushed me out of the way, throwing her arms around Giovanna, sobbing into her shoulder. “I’m so excited to see at least one of my kids get married in person!”
“—you should come.” I shrugged.
Jenna snickered. “You always were the favorite,” she said before her breath hitched. “Wait, what do you mean, in person ?”
She pulled away from Giovanna finally, smiling at Jenna. “Allen wore a little button camera during your wedding, and we got to watch you and Ian marry too.”
She beamed. “Oh my God! You were there.”
“We were in spirit,” our father replied.
“Now,” our mother said, putting her hands on her hips, “can we please meet our five amazing grandchildren or are you going to keep them from us?”
“Kids!” Ian called out. “Come downstairs!”
As our kids descended the staircase, followed by the nanny, Zoe, their grandparents sat down, loving every minute of meeting the kids and hugging them. They pulled out a bag, giving everyone multiple gifts. I slipped my arm around my sister, kissing the top of her head.
“I can’t believe they’re alive,” she sniffled.
“I know,” I replied, trying my best to convince myself that the scene before me was real.
“Excuse us for a second,” I said, taking Giovanna’s hand in mine, leading her through the house into the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” she asked when we were alone.
I nodded, roaming the room. “Yeah, I just need some time to process that it’s all real. Everything just seems too perfect. Them, returning, us… all of it.”
Grinning, she took a few steps over, coming to a stop in front of me, sliding her arms around my shoulders. I held her sides firmly. Standing on her toes, she pressed her lips to mine.
“What can I do to convince you, it’s real?”
“Promise me something,” I said, and she nodded, “if this is part of my coma and I’m still in the hospital, and you’re really some hot nurse taking care of me or something, please, for the love of God put me back in my coma if I wake up. I never want to lose you.”
She burst into laughter, crashing her lips to mine, then leaned back. “Sir, I assure you I’m never leaving you. You’re stuck with me.”
The business phone Frankie had given me rang loudly in my pocket, and I slipped it out, checking the screen. “I can’t get one fucking day of peace,” I muttered, placing it to my ear.
I’m dealing with some family stuff today . I spat into the phone before he could speak. We’ll talk later.
Ending the call, I clenched my jaw, marching to the back door and wrenching it open. Giovanna followed behind as I stepped outside.
“What are you doing?” She called out, and I came to a stop by the pool.
“Spending the day uninterrupted with my family in case everyone disappears tomorrow.” I dropped the phone into the water.