Page 43 of Mafia Handbook

Chapter Nineteen

Bash stared hard at the screen of his computer, tipping back his bottle of beer and draining it. Glancing at the security monitor, he made sure Milena was still enjoying her movie, blissfully unaware he was about to shatter her world with what he’d discovered.

Using his mouse, Bash clicked the icon at the bottom of the screen, his leg bouncing as he waited for Slate to respond.

“I was just about to call you.”

“Why?”

“Received a message from your Uncle Kevin. Says he needs to speak with you immediately.”

Fear gripped Bash’s chest, the thought of something happening to his Aunt Cora flooding his mind. “Did he say what?”

“Just that it was urgent, and it wasn't about your aunt.” A sliver of relief washed over Bash, enough to still the bouncing leg, but not enough to quiet the storm raging inside his head.

“All right, when can we expect you?”

It was an unwritten rule for the team when a code yellow was activated all outside communications halted, messages were collected, and information verified before anything was passed to the intended receiver.

“I'm meeting him later today; I can be at The Cliffs first thing in the morning.”

Bash nodded but remained silent.

“Mind telling me why you called?”

“It’ll keep until you arrive.” Reaching over, Bash ended the call before Slate could argue. Standing to his full height, he took a final look at the pages covering his screen before tapping the keyboard, securing the information for the night.

Milena snuggled further into the pillow as she watched the love scene play out on the television. A contented sigh spilled from her throat as she thought back to how she used to find the soft porn cheesy and unrealistic. Now, after the last few weeks with Bash, she knew it was nothing compared to the way he brought her body to life.

Bash swallowed thick as he stepped over the threshold, the urgency to be close to Milena consuming him. Climbing in behind her, Bash wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck and taking a deep breath.

“Hey.” Reaching behind her, Milena wrapped her arm around Bash’s neck, relishing the feel of his body against her. Something deep inside her wished he’d never figure out who Gridlock was so they could stay hidden away forever.

Stroking the skin of Milena’s arm, Bash remained silent, turning his attention to the actors on television. He was never one to watch the sappy romance, however, being close to her was more important than being entertained.

As the movie played on, Milena expected Bash to grow bored with the plot. Either poking fun at the characters while trying to convince her to turn her attention to something he had waiting for her, grinding his cock into her backside until she relented.

Bash waited until he was certain Milena was asleep before pointing the remote at the television and turning it off. He lost track of how long he’d watched her sleep, moving to pick her up when his watch vibrated, alerting him to Slate’s arrival. Laying her on the bed they’d shared for the past few weeks, Bash kissed her lips before covering her with the comforter. Crossing the room, he looked at a sleeping Milena one final time, hoping the words to lessen the sting of the news he had to give her would come to him.

* * *

Milena woke with a start,searching the room through confused eyes. She distinctly remembered falling asleep in the theater room, yet here she was, in Bash’s bedroom. Checking the time, Milena pulled back the comforter, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she padded the short distance to the security monitor. Scrolling through the rooms, a gasp left her throat as she took in Slate and Bash standing inside the maintenance room. Moving to close the program, Milena tapped the screen. Instead of a blank screen, the sounds of a heated argument filled the room.

“Are you ever going to admit the truth, Bash?”

Milena considered walking away, giving the two men privacy, but her inner voyeur wouldn't let her.

“I mean it's one thing to lie to yourself, but—”

“Fine, I admit it. I did all this because I can’t fucking stand to lose.”

Pain like she’d never felt ripped through her chest as Bash’s words echoed around her. Covering her mouth, Milena spun on her heels, stumbling over her own feet, barely making it to the bathroom before emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Dropping to the marble tiled floor, Milena pulled down the towel hanging beside her, taking a deep breath before raising it to her mouth and screaming into it.

Hooking his hands on his hips, his breathing labored, Bash raised his gaze to Slate’s. “But one fucking look was all it took to toss my egotistic bullshit out the window.” Tipping his head back, Bash allowed himself to test the words he’d longed to tell Milena. “I fucking love her, man.”

Slate held in the smirk dying to commandeer his lips, allowing his best friend and partner to hear what his heart knew all along. Slate had been convinced from the start of their friendship it would take a special woman to open Bash’s eyes, allowing him to see through the superficial bullshit, and into the depths of true love.

“Then you know what you have to do?” Crossing the space, Slate laid his hand on Bash’s shoulder, squeezing the muscle.

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