26. Mario
26
MARIO
A lice practically climbs on top of me. I wince and grunt against the pain as she wraps her arms around my chest and lays her head on me. They gave me a shot for the pain, but it's still awful. I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head as she sobs and her tears roll across my skin.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm safe. I told you everything would be okay, and it is." My words do little to calm her shaking body, and I gesture for the emergency techs to leave the back of the ambulance. When they're gone, I nudge Allice off my chest. I need to get out of this bus before they force me to go with them to the hospital.
"My God, Mario. I saw the fire at the church. I didn't know it was a bomb. Are you okay?" I'm not surprised she's seen it already. The news helicopters have been circling overhead since the first police sirens were heard. The sheer number of gunshots fired told everyone around for several city blocks that something huge was going down.
"I'm fine, okay? We need to get out of here." I sit upright and wince as a stabbing pain shoots through my stomach. I know I'll need to take it easier for the next few days, but the war is over. Paolo is in the back of a police cruiser now, and there is no way he's getting out.
"Shouldn't you stay here? They will want to get you treatment." She looks worried, but I keep moving. The EMTs took my shirt, but I'm still wearing my pants, blood stain and all. The new bandage they put on the surgery wound is clean and dry. The bleeding has stopped for now, too.
"I don't want to stay here. I want to go inside with you and talk. I can rest inside, and I promise you if something else goes wrong, I will drive to the hospital myself." Again, I wince as I slide off the gurney and take her hand, but the pain meds are really kicking in now.
Alice follows behind me obediently, holding my hand as I weave through the cop cars and investigators on scene. I've given my statement already too, to a blond-haired man with a thick mustache. The hundred-dollar bill I slipped him to secure his silence as to a few matters I need handled discreetly was just a promise of more to come when he delivers, a lot more.
I pass a slew of reporters who shout after me and Alice, trying to get our attention, but we ignore them. The fire in the church following the explosion is out. Firefighters are still on the scene making sure there are no residual hot spots, and while I haven't seen the inside of the church, I know in a few months, the remodeling will be complete and they will be hosting services here again. I promised Father Thomas I would help in any way I could, even if it meant emptying Paolo's bank accounts to fund the entire renovation.
"Mario, we can't go back here. They said there was an?—"
"Shh," I hush her, passing around the police barricade and walking up the path between the church and the neighboring fabric store. The sidewalk winds toward the rectory, where the only damage is the busted out windows in back and a door that will need replaced. Every step I take is still labored. I'm physically exhausted from all of this, but I press on .
"Mario, please. I want to take you to the hospital." She still protests, but wisely, she doesn't resist me physically. At this point, I know I can't do much to restrain her.
I say nothing to her in protest but notice she has no shoes on. Those bare feet will be cut to shreds on the broken glass around back, and there isn't any way we can get to the front door. "Stay here." I bark out my order and leave her just outside the blast radius where the glass shards pepper the sidewalk, and I head into the rectory. The broom is tucked into the closet, and I grab it and bring it back out to clear the walk. This would be far easier if I could just lift her over the debris, but there isn’t a chance in hell my abs are strong enough after having been sliced open only two days ago.
Alice continues to protest, but I have to speak to her about things without the fear that someone will overhear our conversation.
When the glass is off the sidewalk and stairs, I gesture for her to follow me, and she does. I sweep a clear path through the kitchen, my boots crunching on the glass the entire time, until we are in the hallway, past the mess, finally alone.
"Mario, please stop and talk to me."
I lead her down the hall into the bedroom where I shut the door, finally safe to speak my mind. There are no investigators here, no firemen or emergency workers. The chaos is still going on outside, but in here, tucked away from the noise, flashing lights, and smoke, it is quiet. I pull her into my arms carefully and squeeze her. She's frail, trembling with adrenaline from whatever she went through to get to me in this moment.
The room is dark and she looks up at me. "What went down? Like, what happened?" she asks, and it's a valid question. I kept her in the dark about my plan the entire time for a number of reasons, mostly because I knew she'd try to stop me. Also, I knew there was a chance my brother would get to her before I did, and if she had any reason to be tormented for information regarding me and my plot against Paolo, I'd never forgive myself.
"Let's sit," I tell her, and we perch on the foot of the bed. I lace my fingers through hers and kiss her knuckles lightly. "It's over, Alice. Paolo is going to jail for a very long time. With the evidence Ervine has on him, and the forty-plus men who are willing to cut a deal with the district attorney for their freedom in exchange for testifying against Paolo, he'll never see the light of day again."
A soft whimper of a sigh escapes her lips. I see more tears brimming in her eyes. It looks like she's been crying for weeks, but she's still just as beautiful as the day I met her. She leans on my shoulder, resting her head, and says, "What will you do now? Will you be a priest? Will you go back to the life of being in the Mafia?"
Her thumb brushes over the back of my hand, and I pause for a moment to think about it. I've given a lot of thought to this very question. I don’t know my answer yet. What I do know is that whatever I do, I want her with me.
"I'm not sure, Alice." I kiss her temple and say, "You are free to go, though. Wherever you want, for as long as you want." She looks up at me with pain in her eyes again, and I say to her, "But I want you to stay."
"Oh, Mario." Alice turns and wraps her arms around my shoulders, not touching my wound, and then kisses me hard. Her lips are rough, chapped from dehydration, but it's the sweetest taste in my mouth. "I can't even think of leaving. I don’t even know what I'd do without you."
The words are music to my ears. I allow her to kiss me again, and she climbs on my lap, straddling me. Her fingers rake through my hair as my hands slide up her back, beneath the shirt she wears that is slightly too large. My body aches, but this moment is too precious to pull away from her .
"I am so in love with you, Mario. I thought I lost you forever, and I would have died. I would have just died. I can't lose you like that. You have to promise me you will never do anything so stupid again." Her soft scolding between kisses makes me smile.
"You mean, like have sex with you forty-eight hours after surgery and risk an infection or worse?" I say playfully as I lie down on the bed. Alice sits across my hips and rests her hands on my stomach, looking down at the bandage.
"If you're careful and let me do all the work, I might be able to work something out." Her hips begin to move, grinding her pelvis over my swelling bulge, and I smirk.
"Have your way with me, then. But be gentle. I'm a wimp."
She chuckles and tears the shirt off, exposing her perfect, creamy tits to me. When she stands to remove the too-tight jeans, I unbuckle my soiled pants and shed them, my shoes, and my boxers, then climb into bed and lie down. She is on me in a matter of seconds again, kissing my chest and stomach, lightly touching my bandage and then lowering herself until her lips press against the head of my swollen cock.
"Don't think I've ever been so excited to suck a dick before," she moans, and when she takes me into her mouth and sucks, I growl and claw at the bed.
One hand rests on the back of her head, guiding her, but I want more than this. I want to feel myself inside her heat, to slide into her and know the comfort of coming home. I grab her hair and pull, gently guiding her mouth away from my cock. She looks up at me with curiosity as I continue to pull her hair and say, “Sit on my face.”
She grins, and very carefully, she climbs upward and straddles me, her delicious pussy just within reach of my waiting mouth. I can smell her arousal, and it fuels the fire in my loins. I lick her clit, swirling my tongue around it before plunging inside her wetness. She tastes better than I remember tonight, and the thought of being able to have this forever makes me ache, even as her hips begin to grind on my face. Alice moans, her hands grabbing my hair as she drips into my mouth. She tastes like honey and coconut, and I moan into her. Her taste explodes across my senses, making my dick throb in need. I want to be inside her, to plunge in and possess her.
I cup her cheeks, pulling her down harder and straining my abs. It’s painful, but I want this. I want to make her feel like she’s the only woman in this world. I suckle on her clit, my tongue dancing around the hard nub as she rocks herself against my face. I plunge two fingers inside her and feast on her clit with renewed vigor, wanting to make this last forever but at the same time, aching for release myself.
“Mario…” Alice moans my name as she climaxes, her pussy throbbing around my fingers, juices coating them and leaking onto my chin. I lazily lick up every bit as I watch her ride out the spasms and convulsions. She grips the headboard and throws her head back. Soft pants and groans fill the room as her hips continue to gyrate and rub her pussy on my face, and I inhale her scent. I always love the way she smells when she's aroused, like sex and honey, like the nectar of the gods.
Finally, she returns to Earth and looks down at me with a satisfied grin. "Your turn," she breathes as I try to catch my breath. Alice tumbles off me, avoiding my wound, and then comes back to straddle my hips.
Slowly, she sinks down on my cock, inch by inch, as her walls stretch around me. I groan in bliss as she grinds against me, taking her time. I reach up to cup her breasts, teasing the hardened nipples between my fingers. She moans and bites her lower lip as she rocks back and forth. Slowly at first, getting used to me filling her, but soon enough, she's bouncing on my cock with a hunger that matches mine.
"Baby," I groan, thrusting up into her and realizing the pain in my gut is too much. I have to let her do it all. It’s torture, so much so that I smack her ass hard and she shudders.
Alice moans and leans forward, pressing her breasts against my chest as she kisses me fiercely, tongues intertwining and grinding our hips together. Her body rolls across mine in a serpentine dance, shaking me but not making it hurt too badly. Even when she’s wild, she’s gentle. So, I smack her again, this time gripping her ass hard when I’m done. She clenches around me tightly and moans into my mouth, so I push a finger into her ass and make her shudder again.
"Oh, fuck," she pants, kissing down my jaw to my chin and then to my neck. Her teeth graze my Adam's apple as she suckles and bites, hard enough to sting but not enough to draw blood. "I love you," she breathes.
The words make my heart swell, and I pull her to me for more intense kisses. "I love you too, Alice. So fucking much," I pant as she continues to grind against me. Every thrust of her hips makes me need her more. I want to feel her come on my cock, so I slam my hips upward, driving into her depths, and the restraints on the bed rattle with our movements.
"God, baby, fuck yes. Make me come, fuck me until I see stars." Alice’s body finds the perfect rhythm against mine, even as she rises up, taking the pressure off my stomach. I watch her tits bouncing, perfect, perky nipples swaying and dancing for me. I grip them hard, both at once, squeezing and kneading, twisting her nipples between my fingers until she’s coming undone again.
"Oh, holy fuck," I growl as another wave of pleasure washes over me. It spirals up from my toes, up my cock and into my brain, making me see stars. I can’t help it. I’m not sure if it's the pain or her, but it's too much. Tension builds in my balls, and I explode inside her, filling her with my seed.
Alice comes too, arching her back and biting her lip as she shudders on top of me, her body tightening and tensing around me, her inner muscles clenching like a vise grip. Every movement sends shivers down my spine, and I can't help but groan in pleasure. The sensation is intense, like I'm being held captive by her powerful grasp. As we move together in perfect harmony, I feel every part of her responding to my touch, her moans filling the air with an intoxicating melody. It's a moment of pure ecstasy, one that I never want to end.
When her orgasms subside, she collapses onto the bed, panting for air and covered in a sheen of sweat. Despite the pain in my stomach, I can't help but smile. I roll to my side and rest my head on my folded arm. I watch her lying there with her eyes shut, chest still heaving. She’s gorgeous, and she’s mine. “I love you, Alice.”
She snuggles into my side, pressing her naked body against mine, and sighs contentedly. "I love you too, Mario."
My eyes are heavy, but I manage to pull a blanket over our naked forms, tangled together. I kiss her forehead and hold her against me, feeling sleep tug at me. She smells like heaven on Earth, and I want to stay here forever with her.
"Do you think you'll go back?" she asks, reiterating her earlier question, but this time she goes on, giving context to her insecurity. "Tom was only in surface-level stuff, Mario. I swore to myself I'd never get involved with another Mafia man. That'd make sure whoever I fell in love with wasn't a part of it."
I can hear the uncertainty in her tone, and I know she's serious. I don’t blame her, either. This is a scary life, and it's not for everyone. But she was dealing with a very unjust man who had very evil motives behind things. And he's gone now.
"If I do, I won’t be a follower. I will be the leader." I brush hair out of her eyes and try to calm her fears. "Things like what happened to you will never happen again, because you’ll be mine, and no one will even think of laying a hand on you." There isn't much more I can tell her other than that she'll have to trust me, but that trust may be hard-earned now that she's been traumatized by so much violence .
"I'm scared," she mutters, and I feel her body tense in my grasp. She's right to be scared of this, and she's right to question it. I don't want her to stay with me if she's feeling any hint of doubt.
"I give you my word, I can and will protect you. I've done it so far, haven't I?" Another kiss on her forehead comes just as the door swings open. I look up to see Father Thomas standing in the doorway. He instantly looks down at his feet when he sees Alice lying in my arms.
"Mario, there are a few men who need to speak with you." Father Thomas is a good man, and I owe him my life.
"I'll be there in a second," I tell him, and he retreats out the door into the hallway. "I have to go, but I want you to stay here, okay?" I kiss Alice again, leaving a smearing of her moisture on her chin, and then pull away.
She should never feel pressured to stay with me when the option remains for her to leave. She doesn't know it yet, but the money Tom stole from my brother is in an offshore account in his name, which she can access through online banking. Ervine had a tech look it up. As I dress, I think of telling her, but I want her to make the choice to stay or leave only on whether what we have is real, not on any other factors.
"Stay," I remind her when I'm dressed, but then I slip out to find Father Thomas and my men. I only hope I've proven to her that I can be trusted. I hope that's enough to make her stay.