Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
NICO
One minute I’m surrounded by women and then I’m told Serenity’s knocking back drinks like they’re water.
I may hate her for what she’d done to me, but I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Not by anyone else, anyway. I saw the concern and fear in her eyes at dinner with our parents.
I’d never seen her like that. I promised myself I’d find out what happened to her.
A helicopter is kept on standby because of this woman. Climbing aboard, I ground my teeth damn near to dust. If he fucked Serenity, I’d kill him.
Imagine my surprise when I walk into the bedroom and see Serenity ready to plunge a knife into his throat.
I hated knowing we couldn’t kill him tonight.
My hand caresses Serenity’s hair as she lays in my lap shivering.
If we’d been somewhere with a lot less people, he’d be dead right now.
Unfortunately, there were too many witnesses.
After all, Serenity was at a frat party.
Chris’s location saved his life. For the time being.
I made a mental note to add him to my short murder list. His name had moved to the top above Rods.
Serenity tugs my hand, squeezing it tightly.
Miff comes to a halt outside the condo I barely stay at off campus.
“Where are we?” Serenity asks, sitting up, peeking out the window.
“At my condo. Not far from Penn State.”
“I want to shower.”
Miff opens my door. Serenity climbs over me, stands tall and says, “Alone.”
After what she’d gone through tonight, I wouldn’t try to have sex with her.
Once we’re inside my condo, Serenity and I wait near the door while my bodyguards perform their sweep.
“Where’s the bathroom?” Serenity arms cross her chest.
“Calm down. You’ll be in the shower before you know it.”
She ignores my statement and paces back and forth while we wait.
“Nico, all clear,” Miff says.
I grab Serenity’s hand.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To the bathroom.” We enter my bedroom. I grab a t-shirt from the drawer and place it in her hand.
“Thank you,” she mutters.
I cup her face and peer down into her eyes. “This isn’t about sex, Serenity. If you want my help, I’m here.”
Her hand flies to her breast.
My brows lift. “He hurt you there?”
Her gray eyes well with tears.
She doesn’t have to verbally answer me. Her silence confirms that he hurt her.
Rage burns from within. I want to leave and kill him tonight.
“I need to see the damage alone and take pictures.”
“But you’re not alone, Serenity. I can see the red welts around your neck. I believe you think if I see what he’s done I’ll want to kill him even more.”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“Serenity, he dies either way. Unfortunately, I have to wait to kill him.”
“Nico, fine. Take the pictures, then leave me so I can shower by myself.”
She raises a finger. “And don’t let me fixate too long, or tonight won’t end well.”
What the fuck does she mean?
I release her face. “I got it.”
After we kick off our shoes, we walk into the bathroom. She places her phone in my hand, then removes her clothes.
Her fists curl at her sides as she stares into the mirror, taking in the bruises on her neck and breast.
I want to mention aloud the damage I see, but it will only make matters worse. Her nipple is swollen and looks like it might snap in half. Instead of revealing my rage, I take pictures of the bruises.
“I can send Miff to pick up an ointment of some kind.”
“I’m not sure what I need. I’ll look it up.” She grazes her fingertip across the nipple.
“That asshole tried to bite my nipple off.”
I’m barely holding on by a thread. “I’ve taken the pictures you need. Get in the shower.”
She turns to me and plants a kiss on my cheek. “I know you hate me. But thank you for showing me kindness in my time of need.” Her lower lip quivers like she’s on the verge of tears.
“Serenity, you don’t have to thank me. Just remember I’m the only man who can hurt you. No one else.”
She forces a laugh, shaking her head.
I pull the door shut behind me and head straight to the center of the room. The urge to hurl furniture against the walls pulses through me.
Inside, I’m screaming in silence, desperate to understand why he would bite her so mercilessly.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
Tomorrow, someone’s going to die. I pull my phone from my pocket and search for medicine to heal her bruised body. Once I find what I need, I text Miff with instructions on what to buy.
I stride down the hall to shower in the second bathroom. It stings knowing Serenity believed I brought her here to sleep with her. All I want is to shield her from every bastard who thinks he can claim the woman who’s mine.
Under the scalding shower, I stew over that jerk insinuating Serenity was desperate.
I despise anyone who fat-shames her. She’s a thick woman.
I love her body just the way it is. So many men love stick figures.
I’ve wanted Serenity since the first day I saw her and her thick frame didn’t deter me.
To her, it might look like I favor skinny girls since they’re the only ones around me, but that’s far from the truth.
My forehead crashes against the cold tile wall followed by my fists.
“Fuck,” I roar, my voice echoing through the bathroom.
That asshole strangled her. Serenity’s bodyguards will report to her father what happened. I have to get to him before he does.
Tonight, I need to focus on taking care of Serenity, even though she’s been a very bad girl. She went up to the bedroom with Chris planning to fuck him.
I tuck the towel around my waist and mosey down the hallway back to my bedroom.
She steps out of the bathroom wearing my black t-shirt. Her fingers work quickly braiding one side of her wavy hair.
“Wait to braid it?” I slide my fingers through her wavy hair.
“Those are girlfriend perks. Not fuck you every blue moon perks.”
“I just rescued you from your situation tonight, I’d say you can give me this one girlfriend perk.”
She smirks. “Fine.” Her fingers work to unfasten the braid.
“I got it,” I tell her.
I love the feel of her hair on my hands and skin. So soft. She doesn’t need to know that. Her eyes roam my chest as I unbraid her hair.
She arches a brow. “Not shaving tonight?”
“Nope. Why should I? You know I’m a very hairy man. You told the entire lacrosse team and cheer squad I looked like Wolfman Jack.”
She chuckles. “You do.”
Her hand curls at her side like she’s trying to keep from touching my hairy chest. I grab her hand and slide her fingers over the fine hair.
“Secretly, you love how hairy I am.”
Silence.
The love she still has for me is evident in her gray eyes. I better fix that before she runs out the door.
I tug her strands and inch closer. “How do you think you should be punished for attempting to give that asshole pussy that’s meant for my dick only?” I growl into her ear.
“You can’t expect me to only fuck you. I will meet other men. I will get married to another mafia man.”
A growl rumbles in my chest.
“No, the fuck you won’t,” I bite out.
“That pussy is mine, Serenity. You shouldn’t have gone to that room with him.”
She snatches away from me. “I wanted to kiss him and see if I could have sex with him.”
I glare down at her like a man possessed. “We had sex last week Serenity.”
“So what? Like you didn’t fuck one of your many women.”
“Serenity, I didn’t.”
She stares at me for a beat. “Well, that’s a ‘you’ problem. I’m not ready to have unprotected sex with another man for a very long time. Are you happy?”
My eyes hone in on the marks on her neck. “I don’t want you to have sex with another man. At all. If you try this shit again.” I curl my hand around her neck, and a shiver sweeps through her.
“You know I’d never choke you to cause you pain. Only pleasure.”
Her breasts rise and fall between us.
She doesn’t reply.
“No matter how much I hate you, Serenity, I’d never do this to you.” I stroke the marks on her neck. She falls against my massive chest. Releasing her neck, my hand sways her back.
“Stop chasing dick,” I whisper.
“Nico,” she warns.
There’s a knock on the open door.
I glance at Miff. “Yes?”
“I have the items you requested.”
“You can leave the bags on the floor. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Nico.”
I don’t miss the concern on my bodyguard’s face. Does he feel responsible for what happened to her? He shouldn’t. Miff had no idea what went on behind that door.
She pulls her face from my chest. “What’s in the bags?” Serenity walks across the room, grabs the bags, and rummages through them.
“Chicken parmesan, Nico. You’re trying to make me hate you less.”
“No, you drank a lot tonight and didn’t eat. I’m surprised you’re not sick.”
She climbs onto the bed and places the box of food and bottle of soda beside her. Her mouth drops open as she pulls the items from the other bag needed to treat her neck and nipple. Her glassy eyes meet mine. “I didn’t tell you what I needed.”
I close the bedroom door. “You needed the items right away. So I researched what to purchase.”
“Thank you,” she says.
I move to my dresser and retrieve a pair of boxers. The second I remove the towel; her eyes fly to my hard dick. Such a naughty girl. Grant it my dick shouldn’t be hard for her right now. But it is.
“I don’t want to have sex. Not today. When I’m around you, my cock gets hard. I’ll think of something else to get him to calm down. Before you eat, I’ll put the medicine on your nipple and neck.”
She doesn’t object.
I drop to my knees before her and pick up the small tube. “Lift the shirt.”
She pulls it over her breasts.
I take my time coating the medication on the cracked skin.
She winces and flinches.
“I can’t wait to cut his nipple off,” I grit out as I cover her nipple with two band-aids.
I pull the shirt down.
Serenity opens the box, stabs the meat, and feeds me a sliver. I chew slowly, savoring the perfectly seasoned, breaded meat covered in melted parmesan cheese.
“It’s good,” I affirm.
I open the container and shove my fingers into the smooth butter. I slather it all over her neck.
“I wish you hadn’t destroyed us,” she mutters.
What can I say to that? She’s right. I destroyed us.
After I get the butter evenly distributed, I close the lid and stand to my feet.
“Here’s the remote,” I say, placing it beside her.
I sit the container on the nightstand, then climb under the blanket.
Serenity turns on the sports channel.
“Good night, Serenity.”
“Don’t go to sleep yet. There’s enough food for two people. Eat with me.”
I rest my head against the headboard and stare at her as she moves up the bed and sits beside me.
We take turns eating with one fork. I know there’s extra silverware in the bag, but I think Serenity wants to share this meal with me in this manner. I glance at the screen.
“Shit, Luca’s going to love this.”
Her eyes dart between me and the TV curiously. “What?”
“He told me if I bet the Jets would be up by three points in the fourth quarter, I’d be down bad, losing a lot of money.”
“And?” she arches a brow.
“I didn’t go through with the bet. “Luckily.”
She nods. “Good thing you listened.”
“Yeah, tomorrow afternoon I have to go into the betting hall and enter bets.”
“Why can’t you enter them on your laptop?” she asks.
“I didn’t pick up the info in advance. But that’s a good idea. I’ll create a coded system that allows bets to upload to the black web. That way I can enter the bets from anywhere in the world.”
A huge smile lifts her cheeks. “I’d like to help. That’s the least I can do. You know, after you rescued me tonight.”
I grip her chin. “I was able to rescue you because I have people who pay attention and report back to me. I can’t have anyone tasting what belongs to me.”
She tries to yank away but fails.
“You deserve a spanking for what you did. Letting him kiss you and touch you.”
“I don’t care how many men you have follow me. I’ll do what the fuck I want.”
“Princess, you do that and you’ll get a lot of men killed.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
“Yup.” I release her and snatch a sliver of parmesan chicken out of the box.
About fifteen minutes later, Serenity has fallen asleep next to me, her head resting on my shoulder.
I gently take the box from her hand and set it on the nightstand.
Turning off the light, I tuck her head comfortably onto the pillow.
I lie down beside her, turn toward her, and press my nose into her thick, wavy brown hair.
My arm wraps around her waist, a touch too intimate, I know, but I don’t care.
My eyes grow heavy as I savor the comfort of having her back in my bed, safe under my protection.