Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
NAOMI
Idebate what to do next, lying very still.
When I feel a slight brush across my nose, I snap out to snag his hand, but he catches mine around the wrist. I open my eyes and fight a slight smile.
It’s not only about what Paxton is doing but also that he’s been getting along with my brothers and is now participating in the sneaking-up-on-me game.
“That’s not fair,” I tell him.
I sleep deeper when he’s with me. I’m sure it’s because it gives me comfort or a sense of protection. But it also has to be the orgasms. The man is far too good at giving them. The orgasms are always so intense that the rest of the world tends to fall away, leaving only Paxton and the pleasure.
“I didn’t even manage to get it.” I take the sticker from his finger and put it on his nose.
“You know they want to hunt today.”
“I do.” He leans down and presses his mouth to mine. “Don’t love the idea of a game around three boys hunting you down.”
“It’s fun.” I’m sure it’s not a game other families play, but we enjoy it. As they get older, it gets more challenging, and a few rules have to be adjusted.
“If you say so.” He kisses my neck, nuzzling me there. Paxton’s mouth is always soft and sweet on me. I try to do the same, but I have this strange habit of biting him. It’s not hard, but it’s like a compulsion.
It’s been a couple of days since we had sex for the first time, and I find myself wanting it all the time. I have gone from never thinking about sex to it now popping into my mind often and during times it shouldn’t.
“You have to be less distracting today.”
“If you say so.” His mouth is trailing farther down my body.
“I do.” A moan leaves me when he sucks my nipple into his mouth. If it were up to me, I swear I would never leave this bed.
My fingers sink into Paxton’s hair when his mouth reaches my sex. It doesn’t take him long to have me coming for him. He picks me up like I’m a doll, carrying me into the bathroom where we shower, and he takes me against the shower wall.
I love oral sex, but I need this. I’m not one for affection, but with Paxton, it’s different. I find that I crave it more than I ever thought was possible for me. The feel of his body pressed to mine, him inside of me. It’s a deep connection that I didn’t know I needed and longed for.
“I have to have a talk with Mac,” I tell Paxton as I get dressed.
We don’t have plans to go anywhere. In fact, we haven’t since we arrived. The past two days have been a crash course on all the information that Paxton and I pulled together over the years.
There is a lot, and it’s not about what other families are up to in business.
No, he has whole dossiers on them. Everything in their lives.
The man takes stalking to a whole new level.
It’s not only about knowing the information; it’s about putting it to use.
Paxton can read anything once and know it. It’s branded into his brain.
Mac has been putting a bunch of it into some computer program.
I don’t understand the program she is working on, but she assures me that once it’s completed, it will simplify certain areas.
She’s been in and out of here but during times everyone is discussing things.
I haven’t gotten a moment alone with her, and she’s doing it on purpose.
Paxton only nods, putting on a white shirt before pulling on slacks. I wear a sports bra, activewear leggings, a fitted jacket, and sneakers.
“She’s off.” I feel a tension between us, and it can’t go on.
“Okay.”
“That’s all you have to say?” I’m not sure what I am looking for him to say.
“I agree with you. It’s good that you notice when a person is off and you’re going out of your way to confront it. It’s your place.”
Shit. He’s in agreement and approves. That’s what I was searching for from him. He must read this on me or hell, with him he’s simply inside my head. Which is both terrifying and freeing; it makes me feel seen in a way no one else ever has.
“Hey.” He tugs me closer, his hand tangling in my curls that I have not yet pulled back.
When I’m in the bedroom with Paxton, I leave my hair down, enjoying the attention he gives it.
“I’m with you, and there isn’t anything wrong with that.
Being a leader is about questioning even yourself.
That’s why you have people in your inner circle you trust to have your back and help guide you. ”
“I trust you.”
“I know, but it’s still strange for you. You haven’t known me long. And hey.” He shrugs a shoulder. “I get it if you don’t. We’ll get there.” Paxton is more than willing to work for anything.
“I trust you,” I say again, not wanting him to think I doubt him. Paxton gives my ass a squeeze. “You always know where my mind goes.”
“Good, it’s what I strive to do.” A low chuckle leaves him.
“We’re going to be a good team,” I say with confidence. “Now kiss me, and let’s go see what everyone is up to and share a few of the ideas we came up with last night.”
When we make it downstairs, I head for the library, where everyone has been coming and going. When I enter, I see Mac, alone, her attention on the laptop in front of her. I feel Paxton step back, leaving us.
“Morning.”
“Hey.” Mac gives me a smile.
“Are you going to keep avoiding me?”
“I’m not avoiding you. I’m here.” She grabs a folder from the stack next to her.
“You don’t want to talk about it.”
“What’s there to talk about?” I make my way over to her, placing my hand on the desk she’s at. There are a handful in here now.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. It was my mistake.” I should have had a man on her. She’s always watching our backs. There should be someone watching hers, whether she is in the field or not. I know she’s feeling guilty over a situation that wasn’t her fault.
Believe me, if I thought for a second she did anything wrong, I would be upfront with her.
You can’t lead a family if you’re not honest with them.
There’s no room in a lot of the situations our family finds itself to feel bad for someone if they mess up.
One mistake can cost a life. I would hold any one of my family members accountable. That’s not the case here, though.
“What!” I finally get a real reaction from her. “You had to come and save me.”
“And…”
“And?! Jesus, Naomi. How do you not get this? If anyone should, it’s you.”
“Because I’m female.”
“A girl.” She’s snippy. I ignore it. Mac and I could have been twins with how closely we’d been raised.
“We’re different,” I tell her. “This”—I tap the back of her laptop—“is where you excel. You spend your time mastering it. I spend my time perfecting what I’m good at. We all have our roles. If anyone should get that, it’s you. Unless you think I’m not capable.”
“I didn’t say that.” She stares up at me.
“This will not change,” I say honestly. “I must show up and lead. To show and prove to everyone—”
“You don’t need to prove anything.” Mac gets defensive for me.
“I do, and now more than ever.” I lean down, partly to be closer to her.
“The steps we are making for change are going to be thrusting me into a far bigger and more powerful role. We can see from these other families what power can do to a man. If you want to know a man’s character, give them power. ”
“You’re not a man.” A half grin forms. That’s what everyone keeps telling me, except it always comes out as a compliment. It gives the saying a completely different perspective.
“You might be upset with yourself, but I was proud of us. We worked together, and you trusted me. That trust is unique, and I don’t want you questioning it. You have nothing to feel bad about.”
“I’m not questioning it.” Mac’s shoulders drop, and she leans back in her chair. “I should be able to take cover myself. I was hiding in a fucking closet.”
“Okay, then we train. That way we’ll be more prepared next time.
” Mac does know how to handle herself, but these men were in full gear with guns.
Both of us were outmanned and overpowered.
When that happens, all you have is each other and your skill set.
“We do whatever makes you feel more confident, and we learn from this. That’s all we can do, and we do it together. ”
“All right.” Her smile grows, and I lean over and hug her, resting my chin on her head.
“Together.”
“Together,” she agrees. “You know, that man of yours is right. I do think this is possible with you at the center. It reminds me of what my mom and dad always tell me. Things change, and we can’t fight that.
It’s the way of things, and you learn and adapt.
That is what is going to be the other families’ fall. ”
“It is.” I couldn’t agree more. They’re stuck in a different time. Even within each of their core families, they don’t have full respect or trust for each other. Women and men are still separated, and it’s going to be one of the key factors to taking a lot of them down.
Their own bravado and chest pounding will be their demise.
They believe they are smarter and stronger than everyone else.
If you think you’re the wisest, most powerful person in the room, you’re already failing as a leader.
These men don’t care for the idea of anyone being better than them at anything. It’s ignorant.
“Am I interrupting?” Eros asks to enter the library.
“No, how is Bonte?” I ask.
“Good, in the kitchen.” He walks over, grabbing one of the folders. “This shit is crazy. Are you sure Paxton’s not in the CIA?” he teases.
“I wanted to go over a few things with both of you before the others get here.” I hop up on the table and sit down with my legs crossed, shuffling through a few items Paxton and I had reviewed last night.
“I think we should start with a test run. The easier one.” I toss one of the folders down. “The Biviano family.”
“They’re really scattered across the interlocked states,” Eros says, scanning over what I’d given him.
“Yes, you can see where they have split up. The tension within the family is the reason for the breakage. It won’t take much to push them over since the bond between them is weak.
We have come up with four plots. We go to Kansas City, Missouri, Cover Fort Utah, Columbus, Ohio, and North Denver.
No one is going to think it’s us. We’d fly totally under the radar because they’d never imagine we would bother with them, but they are slowly losing control of their interest rate,” I inform them.
They’re locked in and require the cost to support them in their trades. They haven’t much cared for how we’re doing things, and they have branched out to the cartel, getting drugs from Mexico. Their immediate reaction would be to point the finger in that direction if they start getting taken out.
“They only hold Kansas City because they have some sheriffs in their pockets. Without them, it would all fall through. That is straightforward enough to deal with. Now Utah.” I glance over to Eros.
“We are going to send out small cells of people, but we’ll need a handful, and I think I know who can handle Utah and easily make it look like a gang hit.
There will be no clue-up needed there either. The Feds will be happy they’re gone.”
“Who are you thinking of? Me?” I shake my head no.
“I’m sending you to Ohio because I will need someone grabbed and interrogated.
Mac will be handling North Denver. There is a wife there that wants out, and Paxton’s sister will help with that.
” Voicing these plans out loud has everything coming together in my mind.
“The doctor?” Mac asks.
“Yes.” I smirk. “You’re going to fake a murder.”
“Oh shit, this is getting fun.” Mac rubs her hands together.
“So who do you have in mind for Utah?” Eros asks.
“You think Bonte’s father might want to come out of retirement for a few days?” I need someone highly specialized. Silas really is the only one that I think could handle Utah.
Eros chuckles. “You want to send in a serial killer?”
“Yes, he knows how to make a crime scene to his liking.” They both stare at me.
“You already got it figured out then?” Mac asks.
“These are merely the ideas. Like the wife wanting out and these three sheriffs, each with their own vices, we can close in on them. They are the weakest links, and it makes sense we start there. These are the idea outlines with the numbers.” I can feel Paxton’s presence before I see him. He comes to stand next to me.
“Yeah, the wife that wants out.” Mac flips through a few of the pages. “You have a 93.5 percent chance that she wants out and would want a new identity to do so.”
“Yes, I think the percent is that,” Paxton answers her.
“93.5?” A small laugh leaves her. “How did you come up with that .5?”
“I just did. It’s hard to explain, but I tried to, on the second to last page because I knew there was a ninety percent chance you would ask me that question.” Mac stares at him and then flips to the page. “I was fucking with you.”
“Oh my God.” Mac laughs. He might have been teasing her about it being on that page, but the number was very real to Paxton. He’s one of the most calculated people I’ve ever met in my life. If it’s real to him, then it is to me too.