Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Alejandro
I left Vita sleeping. I know how emotionally exhausted she must be since she explained the conversation with Salvatore and Sylvia just before she fell asleep.
I’d give anything to spend the night alongside her, but I don’t have that luxury right now.
Instead, I’m sitting in Tío Enrique’s study as his phone connects a call to Maks.
“It’s never a pleasure, Enrique.”
“I’m hardly calling to invite you over for tea.”
“What do you want?”
“So grouchy, Maks. Not getting enough beauty sleep?”
“Don’t fuck around, Enrique. The twins and Laura all have the flu. It’s been a long fucking night.”
Laura grew up next door to Pablo and Juan. We’ve known her since we were all kids. It’s how Javier and Madeline met years ago, long before they got together as a couple. Before Juan fucked it all up, Laura and Madeline considered Tío Enrique their uncle.
The hostilities have dimmed now that Madeline’s part of our family. She’s as close to Tío Enrique as she was as a kid, and Laura’s coming around. She’s no longer threatening to gouge the L and the M out of Tío Enrique’s arm.
They’re two points on a cross with P and J as the other two.
He has a cluster of three stars on the back of his right shoulder, each with a J in the center.
On his opposite shoulder is a sun with an A in the center.
All his sobrinos and his honorary sobrinas are immortalized on him, proof that nothing can separate him from family.
Despite the improvement in his relationship with Laura, Maks still can’t stand him. He’ll forgive none of us for the shit that’s happened ever since he and his brothers and cousins became involved with their wives.
“Maks, we gave you the opportunity to clean house and un-fuck yourself. When things went to shit in Germany, your lazy ass did diddly. We went from a humongous problem to a potentially insurmountable one.”
“What the fuck are you going on about, Enrique? Your hyperbole is annoying.”
“I’m talking about the Volkovs.”
Tío says nothing more, waiting for Maks to speak. However, we all know he won’t admit anything.
“They’re grown-ass men, Enrique. They make their own decisions.”
“And they beg for scraps from your table every morning. You’re losing more and more control by the day, Maks. How much longer do you think you can last?”
Maks’s laugh would terrify a lesser man. None of us flinch.
“The Volkovs are insignificant. They’re like little worker bees. Each has a very short life expectancy. When one falls, there’re plenty more to replace them.”
“I’m glad you think that, Maks, because I’ll happily wipe out all of them and leave you to deal with the Albanians taking their place.”
We all know that chaps his ass, since that’ll be monumentally inconvenient if the balance of power shifts that significantly in Boston.
“Whatever they’ve done isn’t my problem, but I’m certain it’s an unintentional benefit for all the shit your family’s caused mine. Take it on the chin like a man, Enrique.”
I clench my jaw since Maks is only digging himself deeper into this. This isn’t a good time for his machismo. The only thing that can come of it is regret. I’m certain Maks is swearing up a storm in at least two languages, despite no outward sign he’s pissed.
“You’ll be the one taking it, Maks, and you won’t enjoy where I shove it.”
“Enrique, threaten me all you want, but it won’t change what’s already happened.”
“I think you know by now that I don’t make threats.
I merely make promises. So, hear me very well.
I promise I’ll destroy everything in Boston if you don’t get this shit under control right now.
I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt not once, but twice.
Third time better be the fucking charm for you. ”
Tío Enrique ends the call before Maks can respond. Everyone turns toward me. It’s Papá who speaks first.
“How do you want to play this, Alejo?”
They’ll defer to me since this is about my woman. They’d take my input if it was just about me, but they’d only defer to Tío Enrique. However, since Vita’s involved, I take point on this.
I’m our family’s chief strategist to begin with. I learned how to play chess when I was four and have been a master ever since. All those board games people gave me as an only child gave me plenty of time to come up with different ways to play against myself. I spent tons of time strategizing.
“We need to decide what we’re taking from the bratva and how to end this shit in Italy. It’s only going to drag on if we don’t. Retribution on one front, peacekeeper on the other.”
Pablo nods along with what I’m saying. “I agree. Shit’s getting far too out of control in Italy.
They’re going to bring way too much attention to all the syndicates if they keep going the way they are.
That means international law enforcement scrutinizing everything.
The more pressure applied on the leading families, the more it’s going to cost all of us.
The infighting’ll embolden smaller factions to think they can step in.
They can’t, but it’ll cost us time, effort, and money to get rid of them too.
None of this is good for our economies.”
“That’s what I’m thinking too, Pablo. We have the means to pay off all four Mafias. It’ll piss off Salvatore, Dillan, and Maks, which is the cherry on top.”
But what it really does is show the ultimate flex. We have the power to end a war and make four syndicates bow to us. If we position it correctly, then we’ll have the other three families indebted to us.
“Pissed off as they may be, none of them comes out the winner. Only we do. You know that means a trip to Italy, right?” Tío Enrique raises his eyebrows as he stares at me.
It’s moments like this where it’s almost eerie to see myself nearly thirty years in the future.
I glance at Papá. He and I sit exactly the same.
Our left ankle crossed over just above our right knee.
Our hands rest on the seats beside us in exactly the same position.
While I may be the spitting image of Tío Enrique, there’s no doubt I am my father’s son.
“Pablo, can you come with me as my interpreter?”
“Of course.”
“We are coming too.” Tres J’s speak in unison.
If only we were still all bachelors and ten years younger, the trouble we could get in together. Some might think I mean drunken debauchery. I’m thinking gambling and extortion.
We spend the next hour planning the trip, deciding we’ll work our way from north to south, starting with Vita’s family. I’m exhausted by the time I make it home and slip into bed beside a very naked Vita.
“Daddy?”
Her groggy voice is husky and alluring. She’s warm and soft in all the right places. I slide closer to spoon her, but she rolls toward me, drawing her top leg over my hip. Fuck if I don’t feel the heat from her cunt.
It’s an invitation I’d be rude to refuse.
“I didn’t mean to wake you, chica.”
“I’m glad you did. This is far better than sleeping alone.”
I sit up and reach for the bag at the end of the bed. I may have made a pit stop on the way to my tío’s earlier. I rummage in it and pull a few items out.
“What’s all that, Jandro?”
“Presents.”
“It’s not Christmas or my birthday.”
“Presents for both of us.”
She sits up and reaches for the bag, studying what I’ve already pulled out as she does. There’s a clear spark of interest as she assesses the blindfold, crop, and Ben Wa balls I laid out. She peers inside the bag and finds a bevy of implements.
Flogger.
Paddle with holes.
Paddle without holes.
Bullet vibrator.
Vibrator with a clit stimulator.
Butt plug.
Handcuffs.
Wartenberg pinwheel.
Under-the-mattress restraint set.
Nipple and clit clamps.
Shibari rope.
Candle wax.
Ball gag.
Lip spreader gag.
Vaginal spreader.
Lube.
I may have had a field day in the sex shop. I may have been ten minutes late to the meeting at my tío’s. I may have had the most fun shopping ever.
“Did you buy out the store?”
“I left a few things for us to browse together.”
I rip open the packaging of the items I pulled out. I wish I didn’t need to charge the vibrators. I’ll be sure to plug them in when we’re done.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Daddy.”
She grins before leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. I turn my head and snag a kiss on the lips. It tempts me to draw it out and make it a proper kiss. But I want us to begin.
“Lie back, little one.”
She obeys me immediately as I rise from the bed.
She scoots closer. I help her adjust the pillows, so she’s comfortable but can still see everything I’m doing until I put the blindfold on.
I considered the handcuffs, but I want her to touch me this time.
I pick up the crop and hand it to her. She swishes it through the air before landing it across her left breast.
“I know your ass is sore, chiquita. I’ll be careful.”
“I don’t mind you giving me a hot ass.”
I slip my hand beneath her and squeeze her ass cheek. “You already have the hottest ass I’ve ever seen.”
Her skeptical expression has me snatching the crop from her and pulling her right leg wider. I flick her clit, and she yelps.
“If I say it’s the hottest ass I’ve ever seen, then you better damn well believe it’s the hottest ass I’ve ever seen.
I’ll never lie to you about my feelings for you.
I have no interest in hiding my attraction to you.
You will not argue, and you will not convince me otherwise.
Speak poorly of yourself or doubt my feelings, and I’ll punish you.
You might not believe me or agree with me, but you won’t change my mind about how much I crave every inch of you. ”
“Yes, Daddy.”
I grab the velvety bag that contains the Ben Wa balls and drop the small objects into my hand. I roll them on my palm before easing them into her pussy.
“No matter what, keep them inside you until I say you can let them go.”
“Yes, Daddy.”