Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
RHETT
I wring the excess water out of the washcloth before gently washing off the dried blood. Francesca’s legs are scraped and bloodied from the two fuckers at the shipyard.
Why was she even there?
Why did they want to kidnap her?
What does she know?
What has Arturo found out about the Rossis?
She leans back against the couch cushions and closes her eyes as I continue to clean her wounds.
We haven’t spoken since the kiss.
After joking with Spencer, the rest of the ride was filled with awkward silence. Joey and Spencer kept glancing in the backseat at Francesca.
I know they wanted to talk about all the shit that happened tonight, but until tonight, we all thought Francesca was still in the dark regarding her family’s affairs.
Clearly, she knows more than she’s letting on, and I need to find out exactly what she knows.
When her legs are clean, I gently apply antibiotic cream to the deeper cuts. I take my time, trying to delay the inevitable conversation that we need to have.
I don’t know where to start this conversation. I don’t know how to bring up my worries, concerns, and faults.
Standing up, I take the medical supplies back to my bathroom and throw the washcloth into the washing machine.
It’s time.
No more excuses. No more half truths. No more lies.
It’s time for me to tell Francesca everything.
I plop down on the opposite end of the couch and face her.
After a few moments, she turns her body to face me. I grab her feet and place them in my lap, breathing a sigh of relief when she doesn’t pull away from me.
Her voice is soft and emotionless, like she’d rather be anywhere else but here. “How long have you been working for my father?”
There’s no reason to lie to her, so I tell her the truth. “Almost two years. It was about a month after you left, but you need to know how it all really started. Let me explain.”
I wait for her to nod before continuing.
“Right before you broke up with me, I asked your father for his permission to propose to you. He didn’t say yes or no, but he said if I proved myself to him over the summer, then I would have his blessing.”
Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. She seems surprised that he would make me prove myself to him. At first, I was too, but I quickly found out what he was referring to .
Without letting my thoughts get too far ahead of my story, I continue.
“Before I could find out what your father meant by that, you broke up with me and moved away. It took several weeks, but eventually he and Joey told me all about your family’s past and asked if I still wanted to be with you.”
She sits up straighter and leans closer to me. “What did you say?”
“I said, of course. My love didn’t disappear just because you moved away, or because of your father’s business. Your father took me under his wings and showed me the ins and outs of the business. Eventually Spencer joined the ranks, too.”
She frowns and glances away, but not before I see the hurt and disappointment in her gaze.
“I’m sorry I never told you. Your father made it clear that you would return on your own, and then we could tell you about everything.”
Her eyebrows furrow as she crosses her arms.
“Chessie, please say something. Anything.”
She shakes her head, causing a tear to fall from the corner of her eye.
“Please Chess. I’m begging.”
Her gaze slowly meets mine. “I’m just thinking about how all of this heartache could have been avoided if we were open and honest with one another from the beginning.”
“I agree, and I promise to be honest with you from here on out. No secrets. No lies. Only the truth. ”
“Me too, Rhett, but first I need to be honest with you about something.”
Here it comes. The information that’s been driving me crazy since I’ve heard it.
“About your boyfriend?”
Her head jerks back as if that was the last thing she expected me to say. “Huh?”
“They guy that was dragging you to the car. The guy I shot. He said he was your boyfriend.”
She leans her head back and laughs. I’d probably join in if I knew what was so funny.
Leaning forward, she lays her hand on top of mine. “Jax wasn’t my boyfriend. Sure, he might have been there for me when I needed to clear you from my mind, but it was never anything serious, and besides, I haven’t talked to him in months.”
My heart beats faster as jealousy fills my veins.
Am I really jealous that he’s touched her? Yes.
I stare at her, unable to contain the growing jealousy. I don’t want to picture another man’s hands on her, or her screaming out in pleasure as another man fucks her.
I squeeze my lips into thin lines as I try to gather the words to convey my feelings. “I want to make my intentions very clear. From here on out, no one, and I mean no one except me, will touch you again. You’re mine. Tonight, tomorrow, forever.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re so bossy.”
I shrug. “Take it or leave it. You’re mine and only mine. ”
“Does that mean you’re mine?” She breaks her gaze from mine.
“Chessie, look at me.”
She immediately returns her gaze to mine.
“I have been yours and only yours since the night you bumped into me.”
A small smile forms on her face. “I loved the surfer innocent you I met years ago, but I have to admit, I love the new darker you even more.”
I raise an eyebrow and give her a smirk. “Oh, so you love me?”
Her smile turns into a grin. “Of course I do.”
“Well, in case you didn’t hear me before at the grocery store, I never stopped loving you, Francesca.”
She removes her feet from my lap, climbs over to my side of the couch, and presses her lips to mine.
Our lips move slowly against each other, trying to savor the calm and quiet moment.
Things will change and life will get crazier before it settles back down, but for now, I just want to take my time tasting my woman.
My tongue snakes out and swipes along her lower lip. She greedily tangles her fingers in my hair as she presses her chest against mine.
My phone chimes with a message, but I ignore it. Whatever they have to tell me, they can tell me later.
After I’m reunited with Francesca.
She grinds her core against my growing erection, letting out the sexiest moan I’ve ever heard.
“Fuck, I miss this. It’s been too long. ”
She chuckles as she kisses along my bearded stubble. “It’s been like a week.”
“A week is too long.” I mumble against her cheek before pressing my lips against hers.
I don’t want to go another week without her in my bed or my life. I don’t want anyone else touching her for the rest of our lives.
She breaks the kiss, sitting back on my legs. “You know, now that we are being completely transparent with one another, I need to tell you something.”
Her tone is serious and her gaze darts away from mine, leading me to believe she’s about to tell me something huge.
“What?”
“Years ago, I hated that Joey and Dad excluded me from everything. I was a part of the family, but always on the outskirts. One day, I got fed up with them and went to my Uncle Tony. He taught me self defense and let me learn the paperwork for his side operations.”
This doesn’t sound good. There’s no way Joey and Arturo know or else they would have told me long ago. How could she have worked for her uncle and no one even knew?
I keep my expression blank to keep my inner turmoil to myself. Oblivious to the thoughts swarming my mind, she continues.
“After I mastered the paperwork side of things, I started going on simple jobs with AJ, like making cash runs to the businesses that wanted our protection. ”
“Who’s AJ?”
“Anthony Junior, my cousin and Uncle Tony’s son.”
“Ah, okay, well, at least you weren’t alone.” I don’t know what else to say, other than I’m surprised she kept it a secret. Especially from me.
She looks down at my chest, avoiding my gaze.
“The last job I went on wasn’t like the others. AJ and I were ambushed while picking up the last payment. I was stabbed in my shoulder while fighting, and I ended up shooting a guy at point blank range. Right in the center of his forehead.”
She shivers and leans closer to me.
I clench my teeth together, not wanting to say something stupid or something I’ll regret. Taking a deep breath, I try to fight the anger building in my veins, but it’s an impossible feat.
I’m fuming. I’m pissed beyond pissed. Arturo needs to know about this. What other trouble has her uncle and cousin thrown her in the middle of? Does she still work for them now that she’s back home?
“When did this happen?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm and steady.
“Right before I went on the spa trip with my cousin Angelica.”
“When she flew down from New York to spend time with you?”
“Yeah. We thought it would be easier to conceal the injury if I wasn’t home, so Angelica flew down to have a girls’ week with me.”
I remember the sudden girls’ trip that seemed to last forever. Francesca didn’t even tell anyone goodbye before leaving. She just disappeared and sent a text hours later when they were already at the spa.
“How did I not know this?”
She shrugs and winces slightly from the movement. “I hid the pain. Hell, I still do sometimes.”
“Yeah, but what about the scar?” It wouldn’t be easy to hide a stabbing scar.
“It’s barely visible.”
“But back then, it probably wasn’t.”
“I used waterproof concealer. When I would sleep over, I would sneak to the bathroom before you woke up and reapply the concealer so you wouldn’t see.”
She closes her eyes as tears fall down her cheeks. She whispers, “I killed a man, Rhett. I’m not a good person, and you shouldn’t want to be with me. I’m selfish for wanting you.”
I lift her chin until her gaze is back on me.
“First off, Francesca, you shot a man in self defense. That doesn’t make you a bad person. I shot a man tonight, but that doesn’t make me a bad person. Hell, I’m pretty sure I would have killed him right then and there if your brother didn’t stop me.”
My hands move to her hips, pulling her closer.
“Second, no matter what you say or do, I will always want you. I didn’t stop wanting you or loving you when you left me, and I won’t stop now that you are telling me your deepest, darkest secrets.”
I wipe her tears away. She shouldn’t be crying for a man that attacked her years ago. He isn’t worth her tears or grief.
“Third.” I pause as I get my words right. “It’s not selfish to want what your heart wants. If that makes you selfish, then I’m the biggest selfish asshole around because you’re mine. For now and forever.”
My phone rings and based on the ringtone, I know it’s Joey. “Ugh, doesn’t he know I’m busy?”
“Who is it?”
“Your brother.”
“Don’t answer it. Or better yet-” She snatches the phone from my pocket. “Hey, big brother. I hate to be rude, but Rhett and I are in the middle of something important. Can he call you back tomorrow morning?”
She rocks her hips against mine and winks.
I don’t hear what Joey says, but based on the grin growing on her face, he assumed I’m fucking her right now.
I wish, but I know I’ll have to leave in a few minutes and deal with the shit that happened tonight.
“Here, let me talk to him so I can get it over with.” I say before taking my phone from Francesca. “What’s going on, Joey?”
He clears his throat. “Are you talking to me right now while fucking my sister?”
I choke on the saliva in my mouth before chuckling. “No. I wouldn’t do that to you. Chessie and I are just talking while sitting on opposite ends of my couch.”
“Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Dad wants you to interview the man you shot. He’s a stubborn one and isn’t answering any of our questions. Dad thinks he’ll talk to you because you’re the one that shot him.”
“I don’t know if it will work, but I’m willing to try. There are several questions I have for him.”
“Finish up with your talk with my sister and head over to the house. We’ll be up trying to get answers from our contacts.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, but it wouldn’t hurt to make the fucker wait a while longer.”
He laughs. “You know how impatient Dad is. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes us work all night and then have to go to practice in the morning.”
I glance at Francesca’s scraped legs. “Let’s hope I can get some answers before he breaks because I don’t know how long I’ll be able to control myself.”
“I can check up on you every once in a while to make sure you don’t take things too far.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.”
As I end the call, Francesca bounces on my lap with a grin on her face.
“What’s got you so excited? Not that I mind the change in attitude, but you’re ten seconds from getting fucked right here and right now.”
She rolls her eyes and wiggles her hip. “Do you still have the ring?”
It’s still in its original box. In my closet on the top shelf.
“Maybe. Why? ”
“I’m just making sure there’s hope for us in the future.”
“You’d want the original ring and not a new one? A bigger one?”
She vigorously shakes her head. “No. I want the one that you picked out for the first proposal. If it was the perfect ring to propose to me back then, then it’s the perfect ring now.”
I will propose to her, but not right now.
The timing has to be perfect.
“One more question.” She says.
“Just one?” I tease, which earns me a playful smack on my chest.
“Just one before I beg you to carry me into your room and do delicious, dirty things to me.”
I move my hands down to her ass, giving it a squeeze. “Make it quick.”
“When did you become captain of the team?”
“When Reilly retired.”
I stand up with her still in my arms.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Stepping around the coffee table, I head straight to my bedroom. “I answered your question. Now I’m carrying you into my bedroom to do delicious, dirty things to you.”
She leans forward and licks my neck. “I want it like last time- rough, hard, and dominating. I want all of you. The dark and dangerous mixed with the very generous lover that you used to be. And then, I want you to fill me so full I’ll be soaking my panties for days. ”
“Fuck.” She’s going to make me come in my pants if she keeps talking like that.
I let out a growl and throw her over my shoulder to give my dick some space and time to calm the fuck down.