Buttons and Blame Page 8

  Now I was the one to bow my head.

  “I don’t know how to explain it…”

  “I know exactly what you mean. I like it too.”

  “And not just because I’m used to being a prisoner. This place feels like home…away from home.”

  I lost my appetite as I listened to the sound of her pain. I walked around the counter until I was at her side, seeing the tears up close. My arms circled her waist, and I stood behind her, my face resting against the back of her neck. “I’m so sorry, Bellissima. I wish you could stay…”

  “Me too.”

  I kissed her neck and squeezed her gently.

  Her arms covered mine, and she rested her face against my chest, her scent sweeping over me. She was petite in my arms despite the weight she’d gained. She was heavier in the stomach and the thighs, but I loved her curves. I wanted her to be thick, to be prepared before she went back into that hellhole.

  I wished I could fatten her up forever.

  I was pressed between her legs, my arms pinned behind her knees. My hips thrust slowly into her, sliding through her wetness. My eyes were fixated on her, and I slowly made love to her like I wasn’t in a hurry to finish. I didn’t take her roughly from behind. I didn’t tie her up and pin her down. I didn’t fulfill all the dark desires I had deep inside my chest. When it came to this woman, I only wanted to be slow and gentle.

  I only wanted to be good to her.

  Every time she took a deep breath, her tits swelled upward toward me. Dark and pink, her hard nipples were erect like tiny bullets. She had the plumpest tits, round and firm. I loved kissing them when she was on top of me, giving it to me slow just the way I did with her. Her small hands gripped my biceps, squeezing the powerful muscles as they flexed. I held my heavy body on top of hers easily, my core strong and my frame straight. Every time I moved inside her, I relished how wet and tight she was. It was a slice of heaven, a beautiful place that I got to enjoy exclusively.

  Making love was for fools. But I guess I was a fool now.

  “Cane…I’m gonna come.” She bit her bottom lip as I pushed myself entirely inside her.

  “I know, Bellissima. You always come.”

  She panted loudly, her moans escalating into full screams. Her fingers dug into my skin and her thighs tried to come together, but my body wouldn’t allow her to move. She arched her back, her beautiful rack reaching for the sky. More incoherent moans followed, and she screamed my name several times.

  Now it was my favorite part. I loved the entire process, from the very beginning to the end, but nothing made me feel more masculine than dumping my desire inside her, stuffing her full of my seed. I gave a few more pumps before I sheathed myself to the hilt and released, giving her all of my come. My forehead pressed to hers, and I moaned. “Bellissima…” This connection was something I craved, something I loved. It felt so good, better than any other lover I’d ever enjoyed.

  She grabbed my hips and tugged on me even though there was no more of me to fit. Her eagerness made me enjoy it more. She wanted my come as much as I loved giving it to her.

  I pressed a kiss to her forehead before I slowly pulled out, my come shifting to her entrance. My cock slowly softened as it hit the air, still covered in her exquisite juices. I kissed her inner thighs before I walked into the bathroom and hit the shower. I was in a slight daze, not really thinking about anything. Now I was utterly relaxed, satisfied in a carnal way. I stood under the water and closed my eyes.

  Adelina joined me a moment later, her beautiful body looking even more amazing when it was wet. Her dark hair stuck to her wet skin, and her makeup immediately smeared as it was washed away. She stood under the water and tilted her head back, letting her hair move down the center of her shoulder blades.

  I stared at her, mesmerized even though I’d been staring at her all night. My affection for her had quickly escalated since the first time I set eyes on her. I could have raped her then, but I didn’t. I could have forced her to do what I wanted, but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure if I was truly a good man, or she just made me into one.

  In either scenario, I respected her. And I knew she didn’t deserve this. A woman as beautiful and warm as she was didn’t deserve to suffer like this, to appreciate my niceness when I wasn’t even a nice person.

  It frustrated me.

  I wished there was a solution. I wished there was a way I could save her without risking myself and my family. Now that I had a serious opponent on a different frontier, there was even less I could do for her.

  Besides helping her commit suicide.

  “What?” She must have noticed that I’d been staring at her for nearly five minutes straight without speaking.

  “Just thinking.”

  “What are you thinking about?”

  Things I’d rather not say. “Nothing that matters.”

  “Why don’t I believe that?” She wore a slight smile, teasing me.

  I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a solution to this problem, that the Barsetti brothers couldn’t figure out a way to save this innocent woman. I succeeded at whatever I put my mind to. “Have you ever used a gun?”

  She flinched at the sudden question, her smile disappearing. “What?”

  “Have you ever handled a gun? Like a pistol?”

  “Uh…no.” She squirted shampoo into her palm then slowly massaged it into her scalp. “The first time I’d ever seen one was when I was captured…but I’ve never touched one.”

  I had an idea—even though it wasn’t great. “What if I taught you?”

  “What good would that do?”

  “What if I trained you to use one, and when I return you to Tristan, you take one with you? Hidden under your clothes somewhere. Then when you’re inside, when you have the opportunity, shoot him between the eyes.”

  “What good would that do? He has twenty men in that complex at all times.”

  “Kill as many of them as you can. If you kill them all, you can escape.”

  “And Lizzie?”

  “Make Tristan tell you exactly where she is. If you have a gun pointed to his skull, he’ll talk.”

  She rinsed the shampoo out of her hair with a defeated look in her expression. “Cane, I’m not you. I could never pull that off. You’re sending me back in a week. To pull off secret-agent stuff like that, I’d have to train for months.”

  Time definitely wasn’t on our side.

  “Even if I kill Tristan, they’re going to kill me anyway. Then I won’t know if Lizzie was ever spared or not. At least if I die of natural causes, they’ll forget about me.”

  “Lizzie will suffer anyway, even if she hasn’t been killed.”

  Adelina’s eyes filled with sadness.

  “I respect your loyalty to her, but I bet she would want you to save yourself.”

  “We’re in this together,” she whispered.

  “But you shouldn’t be in this together,” I said. “She would want you to run. If Crow and I were in this situation, I would want him to run too. That’s the only victory we would have. I could arrange your escape and make it look legitimate. I could even have Crow shoot me in the arm to make it look credible to Tristan. We could leave traces of your escape so they’ll have a scent to follow—”

  “No. I already said no.”

  I sighed in frustration. “I just want to help you, Bellissima.”

  “I know you do. But you can’t. You’ve done enough.”

  “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

  “Yes, it does…” She turned around and faced the faucet, hiding her face from me. The water glided down the slender muscles of her back, a few strands of hair clinging to the center of her shoulder blades. “I’ve made my peace with it, Cane. We need to let it go.”

  “You told me you don’t want to leave.” My hands moved to her petite shoulders, and I gave them a gentle squeeze. “And honestly…I don’t want you to leave either.”

  “But we can’t have what we want. Life isn’t fair. I’
m just grateful my life was so wonderful before I was taken. And you’ve been so good to me too.”

  My arms circled her waist, and I kissed her shoulder. My kindness was only in her perception. I took her as a bargaining chip, treated her like livestock rather than a human. I pumped her with my come before I sent her back to where she came from. The only true kindness I showed her was hot meals and a place to sleep.

  “I have a lot to be grateful for. That’s what makes it so much harder.”

  How she could see the good when there was only bad was beyond me. It took a special person to see the light when there was only darkness. “I wish there were something I could do. I’m not just saying that.”

  “I know that, Cane.” She slowly turned around and faced me again, still wearing a sad expression but looking a little more optimistic. “Did you get those pills?”

  I’d had them for a while, but I didn’t want to mention it. Even now, I didn’t want to say the words out loud. I only gave a slight nod.

  “How many do I need?”

  “Just one. But I’ll give you a few. Just in case.”

  “What will happen?”

  The last minutes of her life would be painful. Letting her know the details would only make the wait worse. “Doesn’t matter. When you’re ready, just pop one in and swallow. It’ll be over in less than five minutes.” When I pictured her going through with it, it brought me a profound sense of heartbreak.

  She nodded. “Okay…less than five minutes. I can do that.”

  A bullet to the brain would be kinder, but she didn’t have that luxury. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault, Cane. It’s not my fault either.”

  “No, it’s not…”

  “If anything, I should be thanking you. You’ve been kind to me since the first time we looked at each other. You’ve been a blessing in disguise. A light in all this darkness. Crow and Pearl too. I’m very lucky to have met all of you.”

  “No.” I rested my lips against her forehead. “I’m the lucky one.”

  I sat at my desk at the base when my phone rang.

  It didn’t have a name.

  It didn’t have a number.

  In fact, it didn’t say anything at all. All identification was completely hidden. It wasn’t a person calling at all. It was the kind of screening only someone with something to hide employed.

  I didn’t have a clue who I was dealing with.

  That didn’t stop me from answering with the same confidence. “Cane Barsetti. What can I do for you?”

  A long pause ensued for nearly thirty seconds.

  But I wasn’t gonna say another word. I addressed the person casually. I wasn’t going to fall for any more bait.

  Finally, something was said. “It’s been a long time, Cane.” Masculine, deep, profound, his voice sounded exactly the same as it used to. I’d been given orders from him enough times not to forget that tone. Constantine still exuded his calm patience, his silent authority. I hadn’t spoken to him in seven years, since the day I left his cult. “How are things in the arms dealership?”

  The rumors Bran had heard were true. Constantine wasn’t making his intentions subtle. But that was how he played the game—he didn’t play the game. “No complaints.” I wasn’t going to give away more than I had to. After all, this conversation wasn’t meant to be deep. He would make his point soon enough. “How are things in the skull business?”

  “Never better. Wiped out an entire family last night—every single generation. Now they’re just names in a historical book—if anyone cares enough to look them up.”

  I hadn’t suspected his ruthlessness changed. If someone paid a high enough price, Constantine would do whatever they asked. He didn’t understand compassion, remorse, anything at all. People said the Barsettis were heartless. We were saints compared to this guy and his crew. “Then you must be tired.”

  “Not really. Haven’t gone to sleep yet. You know how the adrenaline is, Cane.”

  I joined the Skull Kings a long time ago. I needed the money when I was in debt. I followed orders without asking questions. Once I did my time, I left the organization and never spoke of it to anyone—except Crow. “I remember.”

  “Gives you the jitters…but in a good way.”

  I sat in silence, waiting for him to make the next move. I knew exactly why he was calling, but I wasn’t going to make any exceptions.

  “I’m calling to share my gratitude. Once you and your brother removed Bones, taking over his affairs has been fairly easy. We have a warehouse full of product, schematics of new designs, and a crew of men who are eager for jobs. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t move in when you had the chance.”

  I handled my response carefully, but I didn’t take too long to figure out what to say. Pauses were good, but pauses that were too long hinted at incompetence. “My brother and I have all the business we need. No interest in monopolizing the market.”

  “You know who says that?”

  I waited for the insult.

  “Idiots. When there’s money on the table, and you still walk away…that’s idiocy.”

  “Money isn’t everything, Constantine.”

  “I guess I can see why Crow would say that…since he just took a wife. But what’s your excuse?”

  An image of Adelina came into my mind. “I have hobbies, Con. Maybe you should look into getting a few.”

  He chuckled into the phone, sounding like a robot. It wasn’t genuine at all. A little terrifying, actually. “All my hobbies are about money—and power.”

  “I have all the money and power I need.”

  “Is that so?” he asked. “Then you wouldn’t have a problem stepping down and leaving all the business to us, right?”

  It was exactly what I feared. I didn’t let the silence stretch on for long. “I think there’s too much business for one person. Your eyes are too big for your stomach, Con. If you eat too much, you’re gonna get sick.”

  He chuckled at my analogy. “You were always good with words, Cane. But I was always good with actions.”

  Before he could issue some kind of threat, I took control of the conversation. “It would be easy for both of us to overrun the market. Bones did a great job running his business, but even his influence only reached so far. You always need another set of eyes watching your back. You can watch mine, and I can watch yours.”

  Constantine chuckled. “You want to do business together.”

  “Not together,” I said. “But if I can’t take on a client, I’ll refer him to you. If I know of anyone else who’s dealing, we can take them down together. I understand your confidence, but you’re coming into a brand-new business. I’m the veteran here. You’re just a rookie.”

  Silence.

  Maybe I’d said too much. “We coexist peacefully. I just killed Bones. I would hate to kill anyone else…” Issuing threats needed to be avoided at all costs, but if I didn’t show strength, he might doubt my power. It was best to remind him that I was a formidable enemy even if he thought he had a greater advantage. Crow was ready to fold the second things got difficult, but I didn’t want to take that route. This business was all I had. I could retire and spend the rest of my life drinking wine. But I needed something to get me out of bed every morning. I wouldn’t have a wife, so I needed something else.

  “I would hate to kill someone too, Cane,” Constantine finally said. “Especially someone I actually like…”

  7

  Crow

  I sat at my desk at the winery, but my mind wasn’t on orders, reports, or clients. Button had just gone into the fields in a white blouse. She picked a few grapes and checked the line as she ran her fingers through her hair, looking like a vision under the sunlight. A small amount of sweat collected around her neck, and I wanted to lick it away.

  I could stare at her all day.

  She’d walked back into the warehouse where the barrels of wine were stored fifteen minutes ago, but I hadn’t stopped thinking about he
r. Adelina was with her, probably talking about wine or Cane.

  I eventually abandoned what I was doing and walked to the warehouse just outside the main office. I walked down the cobblestone path and stepped inside the shadow cast by the building. Button was opening a box full of brand-new wine while Adelina was washing dishes on the other side of the room.

  I walked up to Button, and it took her a few seconds before she realized I was there. The indifferent look in her gaze immediately faded away, hardening into an affectionate look mixed with a hint of excitement. She set down the bottle she was examining and gave me her full focus. “Hey.”

  I rested my arm against the bar and gently crowded her, looking down at her as property rather than a person. I had a distinct reaction to my wife that no one else ever received. It wasn’t the kisses or the embraces. It was the harsh way I stared at her, the way I took her space without asking for permission. I said more words to Lars and Cane on a daily basis, but I communicated with her far more. Right now, my intentions were abundantly clear. I wasn’t in the mood to talk because I’d never been a conversationalist. I wanted her legs spread, her wet pussy full of my enormous length. I wanted her to bite her bottom lip so she would stay quiet until I was finished. Call me old-fashioned, but that’s what I’d come to expect from my wife. I worked and provided for her—her job was to fuck me.

  “What?” She set the bottle on the counter and met my intense gaze.

  All I did was nod to the office.

  “That’s it?” she asked. “I don’t get a single word out of you?”

  I narrowed my eyes in hostility then walked away. I should have just called her, but that would have required me to say words. I would have texted her, but even that was too much work. I’d rather just stare at her and tell her what I wanted.

  I headed back to my office, knowing she would eventually follow.

  When I was back inside, I’d already dropped my jacket and tie. I’d just reached the bottom button of my collared shirt when she walked in, pretending to be annoyed, even though she was nothing of the sort. “You can’t boss me around—”