5. Von
B ack at the apartment, I kicked off my shoes and immediately started to undo my corset. By the time I reached the stairs, I had the damn thing off and dropped it on the floor before heading up. There was never a more freeing feeling than when you take off your bra at the end of a day.
It was glorious.
The sound of someone choking had me glancing over my shoulder to see Bear smacking Erik on the back with a smirk. Bear must have felt my gaze because he raised his eyes to meet mine. The heat and possessiveness in those obsidian eyes had my pussy clenching. Twisting so my bare chest was in plain view, I gave a little shimmy shake, then blew a kiss to my grumpy Bear before heading up and out of sight. While I didn’t know the first thing about being anyone’s girlfriend, it sure was fun to tease the man I was in an odd, twisted relationship with.
Once in my room, I peeled off the rest of my clothes and pulled on an oversized T-shirt that had once been Bear’s. Flopping onto the bed, cell phone in hand, I texted my brothers.
Von:
Hey, either of you awake?
I wasn’t expecting an answer right away, but not a minute later, Lazzaro’s name popped up.
Thing 1:
What’s up sister from the same mister?
Thing 2:
Bro, that died years ago, stop trying to bring it back.
It would appear both Lazzaro and Matteo were awake.
Von:
Did you guys recently bring in any new blood?
Thing 2:
Actually yeah, a few weeks ago, or was it a month ago? Either way, the answer is yes. Why, what’s up?
Von:
Have any of those grunts been bled in?
Thing 1:
Vonnie, you’re fishing, just ask what you want to know.
Thing 2:
Don’t be a dick, Laz, and the answer is no, none of them have been bled in. We only have about fifteen left of the thirty-five we started with. It’s damn hard to find good help these days.
Von:
I’m not trying to be cagy, numb nuts. I just wanted to check some information I was given before making a big deal out of it.
Thing 2:
Are one of the sponsors trying to get you to back their offering?
For anyone outside the family to be considered they needed a sponsor who would vouch for them. Dad and my brothers kept track of who sponsored who, and if they made it through to becoming a soldier. Sponsors who brought in good offerings to the family would be rewarded. Likewise, if every offering failed and it became a noticeable problem the sponsor wouldn’t be allowed to suggest offerings. However, if it was discovered the sponsor lied or allowed a mole to infiltrate the family they’d be killed on the spot. We trusted family would look out for family, but it was human nature to get greedy or make a deal to save their own ass.
Von:
No it’s not a sponsor, and that’s all I’m gonna say on the phone. Let Mom and Dad know I’m coming home, but no one else can know. I’ve got a bounty on my head.
Thing 1:
The fuck!
Thing 2:
What the hell, Evonnia!
Thing 1:
Who would be stupid enough to do that? Wait, never mind, don’t say anything more over text. I know our phones are encrypted but nothing is guaranteed.
Von:
Which is why we’re gonna talk about this face to face. I can’t wait to stuff my face with some home-cooked pot roast.
Thing 2:
Don’t forget about the garlic mashed potatoes.
Thing 1:
Fuck now I’m hungry.
Von:
Go get something to eat and I’ll see you guys soon.
I dropped my phone on the bed and rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling with a grin. After I saved myself and took over Master’s company, I was wary of returning home after leaving without a word. It had been years of radio silence when I appeared on their doorstep one random Friday night. I’d planned specifically to come that day because it was pot roast night, my dad’s favorite meal. Luckily, they were overjoyed to see me and didn’t question why I had taken so long to make any kind of contact.
Since then, things had been hella rocky with my dad, but it was easy to reconnect with my brothers. They never pressured me into telling them a damn thing I wasn’t ready to. Lazzaro and Matteo had a special bond being twins, but the three of us had always been tight. Which was how I knew they’d understand my secret message.
It might be learned paranoia or simply the world my brothers and I grew up in, but we always considered the fact someone might be listening in. Now they knew I had a bounty on my head, it was logical to assume people would stake out the family home in hopes I might hide out there. Too bad for them, the mafia is known for having many escape routes which can also be used to enter without anyone being the wiser.
A rap on the door pulled my attention and I found Bear standing in the doorway wearing only sweatpants. “ Erik filled me in. You talk to your family yet? ”
“Yeah, I was just texting with the twins,” I shared. “Told them I’d be coming home.”
Bear nodded, stepped into my room, closed the door, and locked it. I gave him a questioning look but he didn’t answer. Instead, he climbed onto my bed and straddled me with his large body. The moment his lips found mine, I cupped his face deepening the kiss. My tongue brushed along his bottom lip, causing him to growl and nip my tongue, telling me to knock it off. Switching tactics, I sucked in his lower lip and tugged on it playfully. Bear pulled back and looked down at me, clearly frustrated.
“Don’t you dare give me that look,” I scolded. “Do you really think I give a flying fuck that your tongue is missing? News flash, I helped you during the healing process, this isn’t new information. It didn’t matter then, it doesn’t matter now, and it never will.”
A flicker of what I might consider to be insecurity appeared in his eyes. It happened so fast I couldn’t be sure if I was right. Slowly, I pulled him down until I was close enough to kiss him again. This time, when I pushed for the kiss to deepen he gave in. Bear had saved my life in more ways than I could count, the least I could do was be honest about how much I craved every part of him.
Bear’s hands pushed my shirt up until my breasts were exposed, then broke our kiss to tease my nipples with his teeth. In all the times we’d fucked over the years, not once had I been left wanting simply because he didn’t have a tongue. Bear had become a master with his fingers, lips, teeth, and that goddamn studded dick of his. What I wasn’t used to was his softer side. The new way he took his time and worshiped every inch of my body.
I imagined this is what people would say was the difference between fucking and getting fucked. Even though I might not be sold on this gentle version of sex, I would never refuse Bear something he needed. For a long time, this man let me use his body as my own personal jungle gym, it was my turn to return the favor.
As he sucked on my nipples, Bear slipped a hand between my legs and plunged two fingers into my pussy. I gasped and arched loving the slight burn as he forced my body to take what he was giving me. With a slow sweep of his fingers, in a come-hither motion, Bear stroked my G-spot sending sparks of pleasure through my veins.
“Fuck yes, don’t stop, keep going,” I begged, my nails biting into his shoulders as I thrashed.
Bear brought me right to the point until I teetered on the edge, then stopped. Quickly, he pulled his hand from between my legs causing me to snarl in frustration.
“What the hell are you doing?” I screamed as I shot upright. “You put your goddamn fingers, or whatever fucking body part you want, back in my pussy right now .”
Ignoring me, Bear got off the bed, stood with his arms crossed looking down at me with a smirk, and shook his head. He waited a beat, proving he wasn’t fucking around then gave his demands. “ First you have to answer a question. ”
“Fine, yes, ask whatever you want,” I urged, waving my hand to get Bear to speak faster. “Hurry up my lady bits feel like they're about to shrivel up and die from neglect.”
“ Are you planning on keeping him? ” Bear demanded as he stared me down with the full force of his dominating personality.
“What?” Confused, I scrunched my face. “Keep who?”
“ Apollo. ”
My jaw dropped at his question. “This, this is why you left me with blue lips?”
Bear nodded and crossed his arms proving he wasn’t going to do a damn thing until I answered.
“Why the fuck would you ask me that?” I demanded. “The one job Astin gave me was to kill the son of a bitch and his twin. Once I get the information I need to keep my family safe I’ll slit his throat, simple as that.”
“ Von, he’s a con artist. What if it’s never over? ” Bear argued with a low growl. “ Men like him know how to easily manipulate people with the smallest sliver of truth to get what they want. Don’t let him play you, you’re smarter than that. ”
Yanking my shirt down, I sat up. It was clear the orgasm I’d been teased with wasn’t going to happen. “Are you telling me you think I’m being manipulated? That I can’t see past the game he’s playing?” I scoffed, raking my hand through my hair. “I thought you knew me, Bear.”
He stepped forward, grabbed my ankle, and dragged me to the edge of the bed. He was pissed and I can’t say I was all that upset about bringing him down to my level.
“ I do know you, ” Bear shot back. “ Which is why I know you’re stalling. The Wolf I know doesn’t make deals or second guess herself before killing the target. So tell me, Von, why is he still fucking alive? ”
Shoving Bear back with my feet, I stood and started to jab him in the chest as I answered. “How do you know he’s alive? Hmm? Maybe Mamba killed the cocky bastard for insulting him. It was my job to clean up the scraps of the Accardi Family, and that’s what I’m doing. Astin never said I had to be the one to kill them.”
“ Listen to yourself,” Bear argued. “The only time I’ve heard you lie to yourself this much is when talking about your feelings for me. Think, my goddess. How has he been able to get his claws into you? I know about all the men you’ve fucked, and not once have you remembered the bastard two years later, ” Bear pressed.
The bastard kept pushing and pushing until I finally snapped. “So what if I remember him? Do you really want me to tell you that he’s the only other person who made me come as hard as you do? Or would you rather hear how I pretend it’s him while I finger fuck myself? You know what, none of that matters. Apollo was a world-class fuck, and I’ll always remember that night, but he’s an Accardi . Even if there was a fly’s fart of a chance, a Zuccaro would never get in bed with an Accardi.”
“Good thing it happened on my desk then,” Apollo interjected.
Whipping my head toward his voice, I found Apollo leaning against the bedroom wall casually polishing an apple on his sleeve before biting into it. “How the?—”
“Treasure, you’re simply going to need to accept the fact I will always find a way to get to you, no matter where you are,” Apollo explained, cutting me off. “Also, I would like to clarify something. I am not an Accardi. Poseidon and I were never given the family name, not even on our birth certificates. We were given our mother’s last name, Rossi.”
Apollo took another bite and chewed as Bear and I stood there gawking at him.
“Fun fact,” he mumbled before swallowing. “Did you know Rossi is the number one most common last name in Nepreea. Guess that’s why he picked my mom huh.”
“This doesn’t change anything,” I shouted, snapping out of my shock. “Your father was Gian Accardi and you’re the second to last surviving heir to your father’s estate.”
He took another bite of apple and tossed it in the air as he contemplated my words. “Let me see if I’ve got this right. If I gave up everything relating to my father and signed over my fortune to you, then there wouldn’t be an Accardi Family anymore, right?”
He didn’t wait for me to agree before pushing off the wall and stepping closer with a wide grin. “Now tell me, treasure, how would your family feel about you getting in bed with a Rossi?”
“Why the hell would you give it to me?” I demanded, raking a hand through my hair. “What use would I have for it? Plus, aren’t you forgetting your twin would also need to agree for this plan of yours to work.”
Apollo shrugged. “Trust me, once Passy meets you he’ll agree.”
“ What does that mean? ” Bear questioned, stepping up beside me.
“Look, we might not be identical in looks, but our taste in women has always been exactly the same,” Apollo explained. “If I’m a lost cause for you then Passy will be too. You are exactly the type of woman the uptight priss needs, he is way too tightly wound. A big ol’ dash of chaos is just the thing to set him free.”
I raised a skeptical brow. “Yeah, uptight people and I don’t really mix.”
“Passy wasn’t always uptight, but he wanted to impress our father. He believed someday he might become an official part of the family if he became the perfect son. Once I helped him realize it wasn’t going to happen, we moved forward with my plan to break out on our own,” Apollo elaborated.
“Wait, are you saying you know exactly where he is,” I challenged, latching onto that bit of information.
“Did I say that?” Apollo asked, more to himself than us as he tossed the apple absentmindedly. “You know I’m not sure, exactly, is the right word. About two years ago we limited our communication since Serena started to sniff around looking for us. As you pointed out, for anyone to gain full control of the Accardi estate they’d need to make sure both of us were either alive or dead.”
“There’s no way you’d cut off all communication,” I reasoned. “You forget I have twin brothers, and whether identical or not, the bond between twins isn’t easy to break. He must have done something unforgivable if you’re willing to abandon him.”
Apollo didn’t say anything, but I caught a flicker of something in his expression which told me I’d found the lie. Gotcha.
“Huh, it seems I had it all wrong,” I shared, walking up to the cocky bastard and stealing the apple. “Doesn’t happen often, but no one is perfect.”
Slowly, I started to circle Apollo, searching for any tell I could find as I mused aloud. “You see, I thought for sure you two hated each other and that’s what drove you apart. Yet all I’m hearing is you realized Poseidon was the weak link between you. So you split up not because you hated him, but because you wanted to keep him safe.” I stopped to look Apollo in the face. “I’ve found when it comes to people who are rule followers, and desperate for validation, they tend to be an easy nut to crack, don’t you think?”
As I waited for his answer, I bit into the apple munching on the sweet juicy fruit. It wasn’t often fresh produce made its way into my safe houses since I sucked at cooking. Bear wasn’t great either, so we preferred to either eat at a restaurant or order takeout. Once my stomach realized I was eating something, it rumbled with joy at being fed.
“Treasure, when did you last eat?” Apollo asked, looking concerned.
It took a second to remember since so much had happened. “Um… Erik made food before we got ready for the club.”
“I see, and was the meal at the cafe this morning the only other food you’ve eaten?” he pressed.
“Hold up,” I snapped, pointing a finger in his face. “Have you been stalking me all day?”
“Oh, my darling treasure, haven’t you been paying attention?” Apollo chuckled as he grasped my finger and pulled my hand down to kiss the back of it. “I’ve been stalking you since the moment you walked out of my office and stole my heart. Even in death, I know my spirit will haunt you until we can meet again in the afterlife.”
A loud gagging sound from Bear had me whirling to see what was going on. Panic surged through my veins at the mere thought of something being wrong. However, my concern vanished the instant I saw Bear pretending to choke on Apollo’s sappy words.
“ Save that type of shit for when I’m not forced to listen to it, ” Bear said, after his miraculous recovery.
“Let me guess, that was your oh-so-subtle way of telling me to shut the fuck up since you’re always around,” Apollo grumbled.
“ Didn’t mean for it to be subtle, but you do have quite the ego to get past.” Bear shot back. “Von isn’t a woman who will fall for your pretty words and adoring lover routine. The only reason you’re still alive is because we need information and I haven’t been given permission to kill you. However, if I decide you pose a real threat to Von, I’ll end you and suffer the repercussions. ”
“Thank you so much for sharing your feelings with me, Bear. This is a wonderful step in the right direction to make our harem work. I hear your concerns about my past relationships and challenges when it comes to trust because of my line of work. However, I would like to point out we do have one thing in common…” Apollo paused, leaned forward, and whispered. “The only reason I haven’t killed you, and saved myself some trouble is because then I’d lose Von forever.”
Bear growled as he lunged for Apollo, but he darted out of the way and back out the bedroom door.
“Good talk, Bear. I feel like we’re making some real progress. Now I’m going to see what food you have in this place and try to make something edible. Oh yes, one last thing, I just want to make sure I can walk across the alley and get meat from the butcher, right? Or is free meat not part of your arrangement with them?”
I seriously needed to stop being surprised by how much Apollo knew about my life and business. It was slowing my reaction time and that could get me killed. “Yeah, I can get whatever meat I want from them, but they won’t give it to you.”
Apollo let out a bark of laughter. “You expected me to ask for it? Treasure, I was simply going to walk over and take what I needed. See, people can’t tell you no if you never ask.”
Leaving me bewildered with his incredibly sound logic, Apollo left, leaving the bedroom door open.
A second later, Erik’s face appeared in the doorway with a smirk. “Wow, I wonder if the expression on your face right now is the same one I had when we talked about your view on morals. Any chance you might have been a misplaced triplet because that guy is practically your male doppelganger.” Erik paused as a shiver ran through his body. “Not gonna lie that thought terrifies me just a little.”
“Why?” I asked, rubbing my temples feeling a headache building.
“Ah… maybe because you’d only need one of you to take over the world and now there’s two. What happens when world domination isn’t “fun” anymore?” Erik questioned, making air quotes with his fingers. “You said it yourself, being bored is the worst thing that could happen to you.”
Erik had a point. I abso-fucking-lutly hated to be bored and realized I hadn’t been since the moment I got the first clue. Apollo was turning out to be a form of kryptonite I hadn’t expected. While Bear was right about me not falling for any kind of sappy, bleeding-heart routine, that wasn’t the angle Apollo was playing. No, this bastard was feeding my love of winning challenges and the need for a good hunt.
“ Fuck ,” I swore and hurled the apple I still held across the apartment until it hit the glass wall with a thud.
Not getting the satisfaction I wanted out of throwing the apple, I grabbed the bedroom door and slammed it as hard as I could. The loud boom it made was exactly what I’d been hoping for. I huffed, then spun on my heel, charged for the bed, and flopped face-first on the mattress.
Not a minute later I felt the mattress dip as one of the guys joined me. A strong hand massaged my head and the back of my neck, which caused me to melt further into the bed. “Little siren, any chance you care to share with the class what’s ticked you off?”
“No,” I mumbled, not caring if they could understand me.
“You never know, we might be able to help,” Erik urged.
I raised a hand and flipped him the bird. “Fuck no.”
A pair of arms scooped me up and shifted their hold until I was cradled like a baby. Erik pulled down the blankets so Bear could settle me in the middle of the bed. Then the bastard had the balls to tuck me in with the sheet and kiss my forehead.
“ Go to sleep, ” he ordered.
“I’m sorry, at what point did you become my father? Just so we’re clear if this is a ploy to get me to call you daddy, it’s never gonna happen,” I informed Bear.
“ You can call me whatever you like, my goddess, but when you start acting like a toddler it’s because you’re beyond tired and won’t admit it, ” Bear pointed out. “ Erik will stay with you so you don’t have nightmares, and I’m going to make sure that silver-tongued bastard doesn’t kill us in our sleep. ”
“Why do you get the fun job,” I grumbled.
Bear gave me a scolding look before kissing me soundly as Erik crawled in beside me. “Don’t worry, Alpha Bear, I’ll make sure our girl is looked after,” Erik said with a salute.
Bear grunted, gave me one more pointed look, and left, closing the door behind him. I sighed and rolled to my side, putting my back to Erik. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve been sleeping on my own just fine, Bear’s making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Woman, do you think I’m in your bed because Bear made me?” Erik scoffed, molding himself to my back. “Why would I choose to sleep on the couch or worse, share a bed with the god of poetry? Nah, this is exactly where I want to sleep, next to the sexiest and most lethal woman to ever exist.”
I snorted. “The god of poetry?”
“Kinda fitting for him, isn’t it? Apollo was the god of music, dance, poetry, and of course, archery. All things a con artist would use to get whatever they wanted from their marks,” Erik elaborated, stroking my hair.
“Huh, what do you know,” I mumbled as Erik’s soothing touch put me to sleep faster than any drug I’d tried before.
Erik pressed a kiss to my shoulder as he pulled me tighter against him. “Sleep, little siren, I’ll make sure nothing fun happens while you rest.”
“Fucking better,” I muttered before giving in to sleep.