Page 18 of Hostile Bond
I stare at her, aware of a rising wave of guilt. A pointless emotion that hasn’t lived within me since I was a teen. Even then Papá had taught me to stamp it out with a few kills. Banishing it didn’t happen overnight, but as I got older, the feeling faded when I had no one to answer to, other than Mama. She had tried to keep that part of me alive, but when I was old enough to take over Miami, I became the man I wanted to be—free from other people's expectations. And now my wife has activated that very emotion and hit me with it.
Sinéad pushes her shoulders back in rebellion of my silent inspection and elevates her chin. Her chest expands in the movement, drawing my sole attention to her plump tits hidden behind her skimpy top.
She traps her bottom lip between brilliant white teeth and dents the soft flesh. I imagine her glistening pink lips sliding up and down my boner, and subconsciously step into her.
“I didn’t want you to worry. He won’t have an opportunity to speak to you. I promise. In fact, the fucker won’t get as far as the villa.” I assure her. “I’ll set up the meeting on the terrace by the shore.”
I stiffen when she mutters under her breath. “You still don’t get it, do you? He threatened to murder you, André. You’re not just bringing a mafia godfather to your doorstep; you’re inviting the devil to dine on your entire family.” Apprehension flashes behind her eyes, masking her fear of him. Her delicate shoulders drop. “What if he tries to kill you—or shoots one of your brothers instead?”
My lips pull back into a sneer. “He won’t. And if he does get a lucky shot at me, Gio will only need one bullet to blow his brains out. Plus, you have the Kingpin of Colombia and our whole security team here to protect you. The ocean surrounding us is monitored day and night. Sapori has a collective audience with all four Souza brothers. He should be honored to sit at the table and drink in our company. The old fucker knows better than to come here with a plan to assassinate any of us.”
Reaching out, I pluck the strap snug to her shoulder and slowly run my fingers beneath it. Her pale skin visibly prickles and her chest rises. With the jersey fabric still hiding her tits, I tug it a little lower to reveal a juicy nipple.
Christ, this is going to feel good.
If I make it obvious and look down, I’ll undoubtedly see a glistening pearl of pre-cum on the end of my dick. That’s what this woman does to me.
I cup her chin and force her enchanting turquoise gaze to meet mine. She blinks slowly. Her tongue skates between her lips, a daring act for such a tempting woman next to a hot-blooded, naked male. For one uninterrupted moment, we continue to stand face to face, locked in an interlude of sexual tension, and then her raspy voice kick starts my demons.
Her nipples poke out as her skin bristles. “Bringing him here is the sort of shit that will make me hate you, Dré.”
“Oh really? That’s a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?” I snap back, my heartache diminishing under the need for something far more rewarding. Lust and truth.
She swallows a gulp. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve asked me to tell youeverything…which I’ve done. Even when I knew you’d be pissed about it. But you…” My fingers move to her cheeks, hollowing them out of frustration and a belly coiling need. “You still have your secrets.”
Her eyebrows snap together. “I—I—”
I laugh darkly. She can’t hide from this anymore. “How about you give me the name of the fucker who beat the shit out of you at Hennessy house and forced you to leave me?” She turns deathly still. “Well, Little Miss Fucking Open And Honest… who was it?”
“Dré…” her voice lowers as if she’s wrapping my anger with warmth and sunshine. “It’s complicated…”
“Really?” I bare my teeth. “You want me to give you everything. But in return, you think you can hide important details from me.”
She breathes hard, her panic pouring out with every word as she speaks. “Look… I will tell you… I promise.”
I squeeze harder in a rush of jittery displeasure. “Or should I find other ways to extract the secret from my wife’s dirty mouth?” I groan, lowering my face to hers, feeling our immeasurable magnetism work its way through me.
A riot of adrenaline and dopamine whip up an unstoppable tornado, teasing me with the hit I’m hunting—the rush of being close to her and the all-time high of driving balls deep inside of her.
Sinéad’s chest rises as she inhales a shaky breath. “I’ll tell you once Mammy is safe. When she gets here we’ll tell you together. Okay?”
My voice slips into darkness. The mystery of it all only hurts because it matters. My younger self had made a promise to end the fucker’s life, and if he’s not already dead, I’d be the one to send that cabron to a shallow grave.
“I can’t wait that long. You want all or nothing. Well, the same applies for me.”
Her eyes flare. “You’ve waited years, Dré. A few more days won’t make a difference. Once this situation with Frankie is over, I’ll tell you.” She pushes away from me, uncertainty darkening the magical hue of her eyes. “There’s so much going on right now. We don’t need to add to it. Not yet.”
My arousal gets caught up in a web of violent impulses, entwining the two. Frustration at this woman’s secrets has my muscles braced for a fight and my heart thumping.
In one stride, our chests bump. I seize her wrists, wanting to fuck her. Christ, I need to fuck her. And as much as I’d enjoy offering her pleasure, I also want to punish her for having the audacity to keep such a monumental secret from me.
Her pulse skips and flutters beneath my fingertips as I stop her from wriggling free.
“Full transparency, Wifey. That’s what we agreed to, right here under the Cuban sun. The second your mother lands on this island, you’ll tell me the truth. No more secrets.Comprendes?”
She nods, taking a sip of oxygen. Her tongue pokes free of her lips and skates along the seam. That simple act revs my engine from idling to flat out.
