Page 26 of Fixate
Pharrell Lyon.
As if he didn’t know how deadly I could be when provoked. He’d stood by my side as we slaughtered Domenico’s men. I was ruthless to no end.
And yet he was smiling and laughing.
That sexy mouth of his was curved, a teasing edge to it. His eyes practically sparkled with challenge. I wanted to fuck the sass right out of him.
He had no clue how much he tempted me. Had no clue about the torment that came from being close to him. I’d hidden it far too well over the years.
Ricardo was my kryptonite.
I wanted to bend him to my will, make him see what good that mouth of his could do when wrapped around my cock. I ached to bend him over, spread his cheeks and delve my tongue into his body.
“Why didn’t you answer me?”
His voice pulled me from the daydream. I was still pressed against him, his back to the wall. We were touching more than we ever had before, my anger having stolen my rational thought.
I pulled back immediately. My cock was straining to be let free, to chase after what I wanted. If he’d been paying attention, I’m sure Ricardo likely felt what effect he had on me. His face didn’t show any change though, so I had to guess he was still clueless.
“There have been things I needed to handle. Replying to you wasn’t a priority,” I answered harshly.
Distance.
I needed to put distance between us.
Turning, I took off to the dining room. I’d been eating when he arrived. Or rather, trying to eat. It was a chore these days given how my mind wandered to all the issues at hand.
Stasia’s uncle had basically declared war on my people. He wasn’t killing us outright yet, though the tensions were high, and several shipments have been intercepted. Money was the backbone of this business. If it weren’t for the casinos filtering funds into the illegal activities, we’d be fucked.
As it stood, the process should have been going in the opposite direction. The plan was always to use the legit businesses to funnel cash from the illegal ones. It should have been a seamless process.
With the Bratva breathing down my neck, it had become a chore.
On top of all that, I was still unsure about the men surrounding me. Henri, Pip, and Jean were the only ones I knew who would have my back completely. Since Jean had taken on a side project for me recently, I only had two to trust.
It would be several weeks before Jean came back. The work I needed him to do required a deep focus, and he had to be cutoff from all things related toLa Famigliain order to immerse himself in the tasks ahead.
Ricardo scoffed. “I should have been a priority. Whatever is happening here, I can help. You didn’t have to do this alone.”
Alone.
Such a simple word, yet so powerful. I loved and hated it in equal measure.
“Dante needs you.” My words didn’t sound as confident as they had before.
“No, he doesn’t. He has Preacher now. They’ve got everything under control. Besides, I just quit, and he wished me well.”
“You quit?!”
That was… interesting news. Why in the world would he quit his role after all these years? Part of me knew the reason immediately. It was the same word he’d just used.
Ricardo was alone. Not physically. Neither of us went without someone around us pretty much at all times.
He was alone in the same way I was. The kind where you didn’t have a reliable partner or lover. Where the people you depended on were part of your payroll rather than being a friend. It made all the difference when you couldn’t look to someone for help. Doing things alone was a powerful feeling, yes, but the empty moment after accomplishing something and having no one to celebrate with was horrible.
“I did quit, yeah. It wasn’t for me anymore. I knew it was time to move on. Figured I could come out here to help you. Now you’re stuck with me.” His grin had my hands balling into fists so I wouldn’t accidentally punch him. Or worse, grab his face and kiss him with everything I had.
This crush of mine, this longing, was fine when he was halfway across the country. It was fine when he wasn’t this close. A fantasy wasn’t dangerous because it wasn’t real.
