Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Angelo
“Mr. Bennett, thank you for coming on such short notice.”
Maks rips off the tape from my lawyer’s mouth, and he sputters, “Mr. Calvani, what is the meaning of this?”
“I’ll give you three guesses, and two of them can be wrong.” I mock.
“I have no idea.”
“Shall I refresh your recollection?” I snap my fingers, and Maks pulls out a laptop and sets it up on the dinette. Hitting play, the footage from the necklace Remi was wearing last night appears on the screen.
Mr. Bennett’s face blanches, realizing he’s been caught. “It’s not what you think!”
“That you didn’t want me looking through the mayor’s phone, so much so that you’d risk murder? Oh, it’s exactly what I think. The question is why?”
He remains silent.
“You will answer that question, Mr. Bennett. The easy way or the hard way. It makes no difference to me.”
Maks shoves Mr. Bennett out of his seat and drags him to the edge of the boat.
“No, wait!”
“You wanted to drown my woman?” The words are out, and I don’t regret them. “Let’s give you a little taste of your own medicine.”
Mr. Bennett’s head is shoved under the surface of the water, his muffled cries music to my ears.
Maks pulls my lawyer’s head out of the water, the pathetic man coughing and fighting for a breath.
“I’ve got all day, Mr. Bennett. Again,” I order.
His head is forced underwater.
Over and over and over again.
“Wait,” Mr. Bennett’s chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath.
“I’m waiting with bated breath .”
“Go fuck yourself.” He wheezes.
My head tips back with laughter. “Oh, Mr. Bennett. I didn’t realize you had balls. A shame they’re about to be cut off. Knife.” I rise and hold out my hand, and one’s placed in my palm. Strolling across the boat, I squat down next to Mr. Bennett.
“Wait, I’ll tell you! But only if you swear to kill me quickly.”
Twirling the knife in my hand, I consider for a moment. “I swear it.”
He breathes a sigh of relief. “I didn’t want you to see the texts I sent to the mayor, because I’ve been sabotaging your relationship with him.”
“To what end?” I demand.
“Fabien Calvani’s end.”
Rage blurs my vision.
“The hit Fabien took out on you obviously didn’t pan out, so plan B was to take you out the legal way—by starting a war between you and the new mayor.”
“You never gave the mayor the $50,000 and my message,” I say, realization hitting me over the head like a sledgehammer.
“Ding. Ding. Ding. Told the mayor you weren’t interested in playing ball. He responded accordingly.”
“And Laurie?”
He snorts. “Your lady friend wants a ring so bad she can’t stand it.
I had no problem manipulating her into giving me information about you.
When she was bitching about this mysterious houseguest of yours, and then the ‘piano teacher’ with the big tits, I had a hunch it was the pickpocket.
Seeing her on stage at the party with the mayor, I knew she had to be working for you. And here we are.”
I turn to address Maks. “What was it you told me the other day? Some vows aren’t worth keeping?”
“No!” Mr. Bennett squeals as I stab him in the left ballsack.
Oh, but I’m only getting started.
Angelo
Having washed away all traces of Mr. Bennett, I enter my bedroom to find Remi and Nola napping, with Al engrossed in…oh God, another serial killer documentary.
“Really, Al?” I whisper to my sister, grabbing the remote and turning the television off. “Couldn’t you have chosen something less macabre after Remi’s ordeal?”
“What? You told me to keep her company, and I did. You’re welcome, by the way,” she whispers back with attitude, walking out.
Nola arches her back in a dramatic stretch before hopping down and crossing the room. She purrs and nudges my leg, and I reach down and give her head a little scratch. “Sorry, I don’t have any treats on me.”
It takes me convincing her with the show of my empty hand, which rewards me with a swat of Nola’s paw on my ankle before she saunters out.
“Anyone else like to take a shot at me?” I mutter, closing the door.
Stripping out of my clothes, I crawl into bed next to Remi.
While Maks is working with our IT whiz to get into Bennett’s phone, I’m in desperate need of a few hours’ sleep.
I’ve been awake…hell, I don’t know how long I’ve been awake.
Remi tries to scoot out of bed, but I grab her, yanking her body close to mine.
“Since you’ve offered up a free shot, I’ll take it.” Her body stiffens. “Shouldn’t you be cuddling with your girlfriend? I haven’t forgotten the trench coat incident before the party.”
“That’s it. I’m killing Laurie just so that I don’t have to hear that goddamn word again!” I fumble for my phone on the nightstand, but Remi grabs my wrist.
“How long have you been awake?” she asks gently.
“Too damn long,” I admit. My voice sounds like I have a mouth full of gravel.
“Sleep.” She releases my wrist and attempts to scoot to the other side of the bed, but I band my arms around her tightly.
“Don’t leave,” I say against the back of her head.
She wiggles around to where we’re facing each other, and I tell her, “This is the last time we will discuss Laurie, or any other woman, for that matter. Nothing. Happened. Yes, she had it in her mind to seduce me. No, I was not interested in being seduced.”
“Why?” Remi breathes.
“Why?” I shout incredulously, wanting to bang my head against the fucking wall. “Because a little pickpocket has stolen my heart!”
“You don’t have to sound so happy about it,” she says, disgruntled.
I bark out a laugh.
“I’m scared you’ll break mine,” Remi admits quietly.
My hands cup her cheeks, cradling them gently. “You belong to me now, and I assure you, I take care of my belongings.”
Challenge in her eyes, she declares, “I’m like Nola. I decide if you’re my human.”
“I’ve already got Nola’s number.” It’s more like fifty-fifty with the cat, but I continue making my case. “I think I can win over her human.”
She purses her lips. “We’ll see about that. Did you find out why Bennett tried to kill me?”
“My brother.” The words burn my throat as I drop my hands. “‘Family above all else.’ What a fucking joke.” Some silly little part of me hoped Fabien would prove me wrong about him.
“I’m sorry,” she says gently. “Nothing’s worse than betrayal by your own flesh and blood.”
“Is that what happened to you?” I ask.
“Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine,” Remi challenges.
Not ready to open up that wound, I roll over onto my back and tuck my hands behind my head, staring at the ceiling. “Your record’s been cleared.”
“What?” Remi raises onto her elbows.
“I made it happen after we shook on our deal.”
Her jaw falls open. “But you had no idea if I’d be able to deliver.”
Closing my eyes, I tell her, “I bet on you; still am. But we’ll discuss business later. Right now I need?—”
Her soft tongue moves along the crown of my now extremely interested cock.
“That.” My voice is strangled as my eyes snap open. “I need more of that.”
Remi
No man has ever taken care of me, it’s true. But I suspect no woman has ever taken care of Angelo Calvani, only because he’d never allow it. The fact that he’s letting me now, it also does things to my ovaries.
He watches me with hooded eyes as I kiss and lick and play with his beautiful cock. It’s long and thick, soft and yet hard at the same time. Again, no cock expert here, but damn, it’s pretty.
“Something on your mind, Remi?” Heat and amusement flicker in his dangerous eyes.
I answer by opening wide and taking him into my mouth as far as I can.
Oh, shit. I gag, my eyes watering.
“Fu-ck.” His eyes roll back in his head.
I’m likewise not a blowjob expert, but Angelo doesn’t seem to mind my technique, based on the feral sounds coming from him. Unable to take him in my throat any deeper, I rise off from him, tonguing along the slit in his head. “Should’ve warmed up my jaw,” I mumble around his crown.
“Practice as much as you need.” He gently nudges my head down, his fingers threading through my hair.
“Generous of you.” Smiling, I hold onto his thighs as I bob up and down on him.
“Practice does make perfect.” He groans when my tongue runs along the underside of his cock, licking the pulsating vein.
“Enough play,” Angelo says, his voice a rough growl that goes straight to the pulsating between my thighs. “I need to come in your mouth.” He takes control, thrusting up into my mouth over and over.
My jaw protests, but I take what he’s giving me.
A beautiful string of Italian words serenades the room before he switches over to English, his body tense, his breath labored. “Remi, I’m close. Be a good girl and swallow every last drop.”
I suck Angelo’s cock harder, grabbing his balls and giving them a gentle tug.
That’s his undoing.
“Fuck, Remi!” He groans, hot spurts of cum filling my mouth.
My eyes wide with alarm, I don’t see any other option but to swallow every last drop.
“Not that I would object to more practice, but that was already perfect.” His voice is lazy as he pulls me up and into his arms. With a satiated look, Angelo goes to kiss me, but I place a finger over his lips, blocking him.
“Sleep.”
I squeal when he nips at my finger.
“There you go again, with this hidden playful side.”
“Only for you,” he murmurs, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around me.
Ugh, I knew it! Knew the man was hell bent on making me fall in love with him. The question is whether it’s still a colossal mistake, and whether I’m vulnerable enough to find out. Actually, that’s two separate questions…
“Remi?”
“Yes.”
“Stop thinking.”
I stick my tongue out at him before snuggling in close.