16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE COMMISSION
Aaliyah
I’d spent endless hours trying to uncover what the hell was going on and who was behind it. I immersed myself in the dark web until I came across an encrypted site known as Soldier of Fortune. It was there I uncovered most of the information we needed.
I agreed Dante Messina had a hand in the shipment being seized, but he was not behind the plot to get rid of me, and some of the wives of some of the highest-ranking men in the criminal underworld. He doesn’t have the power or the balls, and not the brains although I couldn’t confirm his hands were totally clean in the plot.
What are the connections between Antonio and these other men? And what the hell does it mean I have to pay for the sins of the father?
Somebody had a death wish going after me and the wives of the heads of the Yakuza, the Bratva, and the Irish mob. It was unheard of. This person was either crazy, had a serious bone to pick with these men, or both. That made whoever it was very unpredictable and dangerous, which made the situation more dire and made me extremely uncomfortable. I hadn’t even revealed the information to Antonio in hopes I could tell him who was behind the plot when I did. My time had run out. There was a contract on my life, as well as three other women.
“How much longer are you planning to work on this Aaliyah?” he asked. “It’s fucking cold in here.”
“The cold helps me think,” I mumbled, continuing to scour the dark web trying to find the person behind the attack on the Rizzo family and the contract on my life.
I had no idea why, but the colder the room, the more info just flowed through me. It had been that way since I was a child. Antonio always complained when I worked in near-freezing temperatures like now.
I glanced at him. “I’m planning on working on this however long it takes, Tony. Someone is threatening you. I’d love to know who and why so I can cut their balls off and shove them down their throats before I put a bullet through their head.”
With a roar of laughter, he threw his head back. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn’t help but smile. This was the first time since Papa Rizzo’s death the old Antonio made an appearance. I missed his laugh and his smile. It had become a rare occurrence to see.
“I know it’s important Aaliyah.” He took my laptop out of my hands then sat it on the bedside table. “All I’m saying is you need to take a break. You’ve been working on this shit since we found out about the shipments and the note.”
My best work was done from the comforts of my bedroom. Whenever some deep digging needed to be done, or breaking into a couple of encrypted mainframes, or hours upon hours of hacking, I liked to be comfortable. And no other place was more comfortable than our bed.
“Antonio, it’s important,” I whined.
“I know, Bella . But we need to take a break and have some time to ourselves before all hell breaks loose.” With a smile, he ran his fingers through my hair and softly kissed my earlobe. “We’ll have a lot more eyes on this thing in a few more hours, so you can afford to take a break for an hour or two. And right now, I want my wife. I need my wife.”
With every lingering, trembling kiss on my collarbone, he drew some of my flesh into his mouth. How could I say no? We’d been so focused on the mess within the Family, as well as running numerous legal and illegal businesses, we hadn’t had much time for ourselves. I missed my husband as much as he missed me.
“Antonio,” I moaned as he laid me back, situating his muscular frame in between my thighs.
“Yes, my love?” He kissed my forehead, then my eyes, and finally my lips. “What do you want? You are my heart, the very air I breathe. If you asked me for the moon, I’d give it to you.”
How do you reply to something like that? Antonio always had a way with words. If there was a such thing as an ice queen, he could melt the ice around her heart instantly. However, nothing was more special than the look in his eyes right now. One of lust and most of all, love.
Unable to speak, all I could do was surrender to him. Antonio knew he already had my heart and my soul, but now he needed my body. Something he never had to ask for. I was his.
Always.
I softly nudged him, and he ended up on his knees. I hoisted my tank top above my head, exposing my breasts to him. A deep growl resonated from his chest as he caressed my breasts and sensually kissed my perky nipples.
With my husband’s warm breath on my chilled skin, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and lean my head back in delight. Softly, he laid me back down and then kissed me fervently, transitioning from my breasts to my lips.
“I know I’ve been distracted with everything this past few months, but I want you to know how much I love you and how happy you make me Aaliyah.”
Our eyes locked in a gaze. I held his face and smiled back. “I know, Tony. And I love you too.”
He reclaimed my lips shattering our tender moment. His tongue sent shivers of lust racing through me as he explored every inch of my body. His hands moved downward, tracing a gentle path along my stomach and thighs. A deep, satisfied sigh escaped my lips. We had been so engrossed in grief and the threats surrounding us, we hadn’t taken the time to reconnect with one another.
He pushed himself inside me completely, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, matching his every movement. This was when I felt the connection between us the most. The loved we shared was tangible when we were intimate. We breathed in each other, with every caress of skin, and with every intake of air, we existed as one. Nothing or anyone could come between us. Not even Death himself. We were one until we both took our final breaths.
Antonio’s slow and deep thrusts had every emotion flowing from him to me and vice versa. We knew something big was coming but continued to deny the inevitable. Our time couldn’t be wasted.
“I love you Aaliyah. Forever and always.”
“I love you, too, my love. Forever and always.”
His face was nestled in the crook of my neck, his warm breath caressed my skin. Antonio strokes brought me to the edge. A moan of ecstasy slipped from between my lips as his thick fingers slid down my stomach until he reached my pussy. He rubbed my swollen nub until I exploded over his cock, his name tumbling from my lips.
“That’s it, Bella . Choke my cock,” he grunted, his thrusts increasing. “You are my everything. I’d die for you. I’d kill for you.”
His words and touch had me entranced with waves of bliss crashing over me one after another.
“Tony!” I screamed, not caring who in the house heard.
As he pounded into me, he pulled my legs up higher around his waist, intensifying the sensation. Long gone was the gentle lovemaking as he chased his orgasm. The large open space echoed with grunts of pleasure, intertwining with the intoxicating scent of our lovemaking. With one last thrust, he pulled his head back and released, filling me with his warm cum until he was spent.
Beautiful.
After catching his breath, he slid out of me, and I nestled against his damp body. Despite the chill of the room, his warmth seeped into my skin and bones.
As we intertwined our legs, a sense of contentment washed over me, and I let out a satisfied sigh. Right now, this was the most peace we’d had in months. However, the feeling of doom suddenly settled in my stomach. Something was coming and coming soon.
He kissed my forehead. “Are you alright?”
“No.” A heavy feeling of dread consumed my chest, causing a sense of unease and discomfort. “Something’s coming.”
“Well let’s not worry about it right now. Chan and Razor will be here tomorrow. Abasi’s due to land,” he looked at his watch, “in about two hours. We can hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Are you ready to tell me what you’ve found out?”
“No, but it’s time. There’s nothing more I can do on my end, but don’t be pissed I haven’t told you. I’ve been trying to gather as much information as I could.”
“Okay.”
“Well, I’ve found out that a contract has been taken out on my life.””
He suddenly sat up. “What the fuck, Aaliyah? Why the hell are you just now telling me?”
“Because I’d knew you’d start planning without having all the facts.”
“No fucking excuse, Bella .” He ran his hand through his hair. “You should have told me everything the minute you found out. I want to know everything.”
“I took precautions, Tony. I’m not new to this world.”
No matter how long we’d been together he always forgot I’d been a part of the same world as him since I was young. Growing up as the adopted daughter and protégé of one of the world’s most notorious criminals, danger was always lurking in the shadows. And I was always prepared.
“I know baby, but you can’t keep me in the dark, especially about shit like this.”
“I won’t apologize. I did what was best. If I told you what was happening before having most of the facts, you would have started unnecessary wars.”
“There are no unnecessary wars when you’re involved.” He sighed. “Well, tell me what you’ve found, so I can kill whoever needs to be killed.”
“I’ve ruled out the other families.” I propped up on my elbow and faced him. “It’s someone from your father’s past.
“Papa?”
“Yes.” My fingertips traced the defined contours of his chest, feeling the strength beneath my touch. “Have you heard of the Commission?”
“Should I have?”
“Well, I know how close you and your father were, I didn’t know if he’d spoken to you about it.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“From what I could find out, your father started something called the Commission over thirty years ago. It involved all the heads of all the major crime families.”
“All of them?”
I responded with a nod. “The Mafia, the Camorra, the Irish Mob, Yakuza, and the Bratva.”
“What the hell was he thinking?” He ran his hand through his thick dark strands. “And why didn’t he tell me about it?”
“I don’t know, but...”
FBI! Search warrant! Everybody put your hands up!
“Shit!” Tony’s voice echoed as we heard the shouts from downstairs and the thudding of footsteps on the grand staircase. We scrambled out of the bed. “Get dressed.”
I locked down my computer, entering security measures in case it was seized by the FBI. It was impossible for anyone to bypass the firewalls and traps securing my information. Information no one needed to see. It would not only comprise my husband, but Abasi as well. If by chance anyone could get past the firewalls, then everything would automatically be wiped clean.
“FBI!” someone yelled, banging on our bedroom door. “We have a search warrant! Open the fucking door or we’re going to break it down!”
“Don’t say anything,” Tony ordered.
“Like I would,” I snapped.
I knew the drill. I wouldn’t be stupid enough to talk to anyone. Just as he pulled up his boxer briefs and slacks, the door swung open and slammed into the wall, denting the drywall.
While slipping into my skinny jeans, I caught Agent Grasso’s intense gaze on me.
“Could you please give my wife some goddamn privacy!” Tony screamed while trying to stop Agent Grasso from perusing my body. Of course, he wouldn’t give me any privacy. He enjoyed the view too much and getting a rise out of Tony.
“We could... but no.” With a smirk, Agent Grasso took a deep breath and exhaled. “I quite like the view and the smell.”
As he licked his lips, I hastily covered my chest with my tank top and grabbed Tony’s arm to prevent him from approaching the agent.
“You, motherfucker!” Tony shouted.
“Let it go, my love.” I embraced him, and he drew me closer, kissing my temple. “He’s not worth it.”
“Warrant?” Tony shouted, his eyes fixed on the agents who were rummaging through our bedroom, taking away random items, including my laptop.
Agent Grasso sauntered up to Antonio and pushed the folded piece of paper into Tony’s chest. “You wanted your search warrant.” He leaned in, only inches separating the two. “Now you’ve got it, plus an arrest warrant to add to it.”
Tony’s gaze never wavered from Agent Grasso even as another agent pulled his hands behind his back and cuffed him.
“I’m going to bring you and your entire family down motherfucker,” he growled at Tony.
Alessandro came into the room, anger marring his face. While maintaining eye contact with Agent Grasso, he walked up to Tony and whispered in his ear. Tony grunted.
Alessandro stood next to me, and Tony looked over his shoulder. With a small smile, I mouthed that I was fine to ease his worries. Even while being arrested, he was still worried about me. After nodding, he was pushed out the door by the agent.
“I’ve called Chan and Mr. Donaldson. He can handle everything until she gets here,” Alessandro said.
“I want to go to the police station,” I said.
“Let’s wait until they clear out then we’ll go.” Despite my intentions to protest, Alessandro expressed his disagreement by shaking his head. “There’s nothing you can do there, Aaliyah. We need to keep an eye on what they’re doing here.”
I sighed. “You’re right.”
“Of course, I am,” he replied with a smile although it didn’t reach his eyes.
I couldn’t find a single thing in this situation that could bring even the slightest hint of a smile to my face. But I did give him credit for trying.