Chapter 6 | Nick
Nick
Ifell into a comfortable pattern with Alexis, thankful we’d moved from snapping at each other on a daily basis to existing with a sense of normalcy.
In fact, I found her presence quite calming.
I wasn’t a man of many words and preferred silence to talking.
With Alexis, I found that we settled into comfortable silence as we scrolled the daily footage or as she cooked dinner, and there was something cozy about that I’d never felt before.
It was hard for me to imagine someone as confident and brash as her as an outcast in school, but I also understood that being yourself was hard as a teenager. Knowing that she’d faced some of the same ostracism I had made me feel connected to her in ways that I’d rarely connected with others.
In a world where we both had learned to exist on our own, we were now learning to exist together.
And surprisingly, I didn’t hate it. I’d lived alone since I joined Michael’s organization at twenty-four, but living with Alexis just seemed to.
..fit. It was a bit perplexing to me, but I much preferred it to auguring with her, so I decided to roll with it.
And then, one day in November, a call came that changed everything.
“Hey, Michael,” I said, lifting my cell to my ear as I sat on the bench in the gym. “Everything okay?”
“I’m at the hospital. Bianca’s been in an accident.”
“Is she okay?”
Michael sighed. “She’s badly hurt and in surgery, but they say her surgeon is one of the best, so I’m hopeful.”
“Jesus, Michael,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “What happened?”
“She convinced Joaquin and Chris to take her to get me a birthday present. Stubborn fucking woman...” He fell silent and I could almost feel his pain through the phone. “I told her not to leave the house.”
“I’m so sorry, Michael,” I said, rubbing my chest over my heart. “If she’s anything like Alexis, she’s not very good at taking orders.”
Michael breathed a laugh. “She’s definitely not. I just wanted her to be safe...”
Realization swept over me. “You’re really in love with her.”
Silence stretched as Michael’s slow breaths echoed over the phone. “I’ve been in love with her since the first moment I met her. I can’t lose her, Nick.”
“Let the surgeon do his job, zio,” I said, my tone comforting. “I know she’s going to be fine.”
“There’s more,” Michael said as his tone grew angrier. “She was attacked by Simon and some of Victor’s men. She somehow wrangled a gun from someone and shot Simon. He’s dead.”
“Fuck,” I whispered, harshly rubbing my eyes.
“The police report says that Joaquin shot him, but everyone in the families knows the truth. It’s going to make the target on her and Alexis’s back that much bigger.
Simon was John’s partner in his effort to take over Victor’s organization, and now, he’s going to stop at nothing in order to ensure I don’t bring anymore of his men under my fold. ”
“I’ll ratchet up security here,” I said, rubbing my chin. “Should we move to another safehouse? Maybe one upstate or in Central Jersey until this dies down?”
“I don’t think so. This is going to accelerate things to a much faster pace, and I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.
I’m going to put out the call that Victor’s men have one week to join me or they’ll be put on my hit list. I’m done building bridges and trying to do this without bloodshed.
Blood has spilled, and there’s no reason to wait anymore. ”
Sighing, I nodded. “I’ll tell Alexis. She’s going to want to see Bianca.”
“Absolutely not,” Michael said, his tone firm.
“She’s in even more danger now. Extracting the information in her head was valuable, but killing Rossi’s daughter will send a stark message.
Stay in the Massapequa safehouse for now while I accelerate things.
If I foresee any danger, I’ll move you. And tell Alexis she can be as pissed at me as she wants, but she’s not to leave the safehouse. ”
“She’s more likely to be pissed at me,” I muttered.
“I thought you two were getting along?” Michael asked.
“Actually, we are, but this is going to rattle her, understandably.”
“Then do your best to console her and let her know that her mother’s recovery is my utmost priority. I’ll set up a video chat with Bianca as soon as she’s home and able to do so. That’s the best I can do.”
“Okay. Please tell Bianca I’m thinking about her. She’s tough, Michael. I know she’ll pull through.”
Michael blew out a breath. “I hope so. I’ll call you when I have an update.”
The phone went dead, and my eyes drifted to the ceiling as I wondered how to break the news to Alexis. In my experience, ripping off the band-aid was the best course of action in situations like this, so I figured I’d break the news quickly.
I found her buried in her laptop as usual, sitting on the living room couch. She beamed at me as I approached, and I almost mourned that gorgeous smile, knowing I was going to douse it.
“How was your workout?”
I took the laptop from her and closed it before setting it on the coffee table.
“Um, excuse me? I was working on something—”
“I have news,” I said, hating to bring her even one once of pain.
“Okay.” She shifted and lifted her eyebrows. “Shoot.”
I updated her on the situation, my heart breaking as she began to cry. I slid my arm around her shoulders, hugging her into my side as I gave her the awful news.
“How long is the surgery?” she asked, her lips trembling as tears slid down her cheeks. “When can I see her?”
Sighing, I gently cupped her chin. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous. I’ve talked it over with Michael—”
“Wait, what?” She withdrew from my embrace and stared at me incredulously. “Of course, I’m going to see her. She’s my mother and she’s hurt. She needs me—”
“She needs you to be alive, Alexis,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm in the face of her agitation. “You can video chat with her in a few days when she’s home.”
Her expression crumpled as she buried her face in her hands. “Damnit, this is all my fault. I should’ve never made that stupid flash drive. Now I’m stuck here and I can’t hug her when she’s hurt...oh, God...I’ll never forgive myself...”
“Hey,” I said, gliding my arm behind her back and drawing her into my body. She pressed her face to my chest, her tears soaking into my black t-shirt as I soothed her. “This isn’t your fault, Alexis. It’s just a shitty situation that no one can control. Shhh...”
She sobbed into my chest as I realized I would do anything to absorb her pain. Somewhere along the way, she’d become a bright spot in my dark world, and I hated the agony in her deep sobs.
“Sweetheart, I need you to stop crying,” I said, smoothing my hand over her soft hair. “Please. You’re breaking my heart. She’s going to be fine, and this won’t help her.”
She sipped in tiny gulps of air before lifting her head. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and her eyes were puffy and red. Lifting my hands to cup her face, I slowly swiped away her tears.
“Good girl,” I whispered, my thumbs moving in a slow caress over her wet skin. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
Her leaf-green eyes gazed into mine, filled with so much fear and a simmering desire that I couldn’t unsee.
“Nick...” she whispered, nuzzling into my hands.
I released a slow breath, powerless to look away from those stunning wet eyes.
“I’ve got you, princess,” I whispered, my throat closing with the insane urge to press my lips to hers and show her how much she meant to me...how ardently I would protect her and help her through this.
Her chin trembled as she glided her palms over my jaw. “I’m scared,” she said softly. “For me and for Mom. They’re going to try and kill us.”
I swallowed the lump of emotion in my throat, and slowly drew her toward me.
Resting my forehead against hers, I nuzzled her nose.
“Don’t you know I would never let anyone hurt you?
” I grazed my lips over hers, so softly I barely felt it, yet the tender touch set my body on fire.
“Never, Alexis. No one will ever touch you...”
Her choppy breaths fanned across my lips as she lifted her chin. Her tongue darted out to lick those sinful lips, and my breath caught in my throat as the wet tip grazed my lower lip...
“Fuck, I’m going to hell for this,” I muttered before pressing my lips to hers and drawing her into a torrid kiss.
She breathed my name into my mouth, the sound heaven as I groaned and slid my hand to her hair. I tightened my fingers in the thick tresses, clutching on for dear life as I tilted her head to fully consume her.
I thrust my tongue in her wet mouth, searching...tasting...loving how she mewled as her body strained toward mine. She glided her arms around my shoulders before sliding her leg over my thighs.
Needing to feel her against me, I slid my free hand to her plump ass, grabbing one globe and dragging her to straddle me atop the couch. Her ass felt so perfect in my hand, and I massaged the flesh through her yoga pants as my other hand held tight to her gorgeous hair.
She shimmied over my erection, the heat from her core enveloping my rock-hard cock through my sweatpants. She purred with pleasure as her body undulated against mine, the movements driving me insane with lust as my tongue swept her mouth.
Her tongue tentatively touched mine, causing my body to surge against her. Pressing my cock against her hot core, I imagined fucking her as she clung to me like this...gorgeous and open as I made her come over and over...
Our tongues slid over each other, tangling in a heated game neither of us wanted to lose.
Knowing I was playing with fire, I surged my tongue inside one last time, hating to deny us the pleasure, but also reminding myself that I was her protector and I’d vowed not to fuck her.
She deserved someone young and full of hope; someone outside of the world she longed to leave, which was miles apart from my violence-driven world.
Sighing, I withdrew my tongue and nibbled her lower lip before pressing my forehead to hers.
She panted atop me, our chests rising and falling in tandem as we stared into each other’s eyes.
“You kiss much better than my gay boyfriend,” she teased.
Laughing, I playfully nipped her lips.
She nuzzled her nose against mine as she gazed into my soul. “You don’t have to stop...I mean, if you don’t want to...”
Sighing, I ran the backs of my fingers over her still-wet cheek.
“I don’t want to, but I have to. I’m here to protect you, princess, not fuck you.
You’re too young for me, and we’d both regret it,” I lied, knowing I’d never regret burying myself deep into her gorgeous body, but that she’d regret it in the future, once we weren’t stuck together by no choice of our own.
Her swollen lips formed a pout. “I wouldn’t regret it,” she said softly.
Reminding myself that I was a man of honor, I gently gripped her hips and lifted her, setting her on the couch so I could regain what was left of my wits. Having her balanced atop my body wasn’t conducive to me having any sort of intelligible conversation.
She drew one leg under the other and faced me. Leaning her temple on the couch, she eyed me as she gnawed her lip. “Did we just fuck everything up?”
“No,” I said, trying to calm my rampant heartbeat after engaging in the most passionate, encompassing kiss of my life. “We’re good. Let’s just vow to be normal again.”
Her lips curved. “I’m not sure either of us are normal.”
I slid my hand over her thigh and gently squeezed. “We’ll call Michael later and check on your mom’s progress, okay? I don’t want you to worry...well, more than you already will. I’m here for you, Alexis. You can lean on me, okay?”
She nodded, her eyes swirling with questions and emotions I didn’t have the capacity to decipher at the moment.
Glancing at my phone, I sighed. “I need to go outside and do the daily camera and security check.”
Her tongue darted out to bathe her lips, sending a whole new rush of blood to my dick. “Okay. I’m going to make a drink. I think it might help calm my nerves. You want one?”
I didn’t usually drink on duty, but today had been eventful so I nodded. “A small one. There’s some Jack and some vodka in the kitchen. Jack and Coke for me. I’ll drink it when I get back.”
“Yes, sir,” she said with a mock salute.
A muscle clenched in my jaw, and I saw the tiny flare of recognition in her eyes. The little minx somehow knew what those words did to me, especially coming from her swollen lips.
“Be back in bit.”
I rose, conscious of the erection that tented beneath my sweatpants. Striding to the kitchen, I exited the back door, deciding I didn’t need a coat since my body was still on fire. Walking to the middle of the small back yard, I lifted my face to the sky and closed my eyes.
“Holy shit. I’m in fucking trouble.”