Kiss & Control: A Mafia Romance Page 24

  “Was,” Barbara corrects, dusting crumbs off her top. “He smacked me around and told everyone I was the problem. He kept bragging about some big payday coming. I think he got it. Just not the kind he wanted.”

  I’d love to know where Nole thought he’d get cash to pay the man, or what good he thought would come out of a Lombardi feud. I’ll never know, and I’ll never care, either.

  Antonio stuffs his gun back in the holster under his suit jacket, his eyes darting between Eva and I. Admittedly, we’re standing a little close for comfort. His comfort. He likely doesn’t have much of it since she ran away and went straight to my apartment earlier. “You protected her.”

  “And I’d do it again.”

  “Why?” He pulls out his phone, probably calling the same cleaner we use to dispose of Sal. It doesn’t seem like Barbara will mind, either.

  “Because she deserves to walk out of here in one piece. She’s not part of this. They dragged her in as an innocent bystander.”

  All for some vanity project of Nolan’s. He couldn’t be better than Aidan himself, so he had to destroy him. Maybe he thought killing me and turning Lombardi on the family would take care of the rest of his problems.

  Eva’s silent for once, her bark finally muted as the top dogs circle one another.

  Antonio isn’t buying it. He knows. “What do you want? Her fucking virginity? You can have it.”

  Her virginity? I glance at Eva, who’s still uncharacteristically quiet.

  That explains a lot. The blood. The constant staring at my dick like it was going to bite her.

  Pushing aside the desire to punch him in the mouth for talking about her like that and offering her pussy on a platter, I give him my answer, “Her freedom.”

  He flinches. “What?”

  “She can do whatever she wants. She can go to school, date whoever, marry whoever. None of this archaic daddy knows best shit.”

  Eva’s desperately trying to hide tears, her eyes blinking so fast that it must look like strobe lights are going off on her end. I want to smooth her hair, but I think her freedom’s enough to ask for one day. Touching might take him over the edge.

  Antonio looks at me like I’m speaking gibberish. “You want her?”

  More than anything.

  I let out a low breath. “I want her to do what she wants.”

  Antonio extends a hand. “You have a deal.”

  I shake his hand and turn on my heel to head outside. I can’t get out of this place fast enough, and if it weren’t for letting Eva choose, I’d drag her with me.

  I don’t have to.

  She follows me outside, the tears flowing freely while she struggles to keep up on the way to my SUV. “Why didn’t you say yes?”

  “To what?”

  “He offered me to you!” she hisses, grabbing my arm when I reach the driver’s side. “You told him no! Why don’t you want me?”

  I lean against the door. “I never said I didn’t want you.”

  I want her. The jabs. The smart mouth. All of her.

  She shakes her head, rubbing at a frustrated tear. “Then why didn’t you say yes?”

  “Because it isn’t my choice to make. You aren’t his to give away. You decide what you want.” She can take on anything if she wants. No one’s here to stop her. No one has ever been able to. Antonio might’ve given his blessing in there, but that’s all it really was. Eva’s always done what she wants since the first time I laid eyes on her in that raunchy little dress that we need to replace as soon as possible.

  “I want you.” She pulls her cardigan close, shielding her body from the cold.

  “What was that?”

  “I want you,” she repeats, a little pissier this time around.

  I grin. “Doesn’t sound like it.”

  She pushes against my chest, but I catch her wrists and pull her in for a kiss. What’s intended as a peck turns into something Antonio may shoot me for, so I pull away.

  “You’re asking for trouble,” she accuses.

  I raise a brow. “I am?”

  “Yeah, you’re pushing my buttons.”

  Clutching her wrists in one hand, I tug her over to the passenger door. “Let’s go. I’ll show you new ways to push those buttons.”

  Eva

  Seven Years Later

  Fallon Tully is a no-good, lying worm of a man.

  He’s also my husband, and the father of our two-year-old daughter, Pearl, but those are unrelated to his current status in the doghouse.

  He promised he wouldn’t do anything over-the-top for my graduation, and he didn’t at the ceremony, at least, watching from the audience with Pearl, Papa, and Mama while I crossed the stage to accept my MBA. He behaved at dinner afterward, too, entertaining Pearl so I could eat my filet in peace without her demanding I dice her nuggets into smaller and small bits until they were nothing but unidentifiable mush. Even the ride home was smooth sailing.

  But now, in front of our home and daughter, I’m contemplating all the ways I can inflict bodily harm on him. Nothing scarring, maiming, or otherwise terrible, but he’s earned for a killer case of blue balls for this.

  Cars line the horseshoe driveway, a dead giveaway to the surprise party inside. There must be at least fifty of them, flooding our drive and lining the street. Nikki’s Mercedes. Papa’s new Aston Martin. Shea’s Rover. It looks like a good, old-fashioned blood money gathering, though we paid for our new home using cold, hard cash we earned taking no lives. It’s amazing what a small tax-preparation business can rake in, especially while also going to school and raising a little girl who’s inherited her daddy’s daredevil ways.

  I don’t know when he found the time to plan all this without me knowing. Between the docks, the car lot, and Pearl, he’s practically running on fumes most days. It’s been a few years since he took over for Shea entirely, and life is still busier on that front than I ever imagined.

  But I’m not surprised that he pulled this off. He always makes things happen, whether it’s a minor miracle or a last-minute stocking stuffer for the baby. He’s my loudest cheerleader when it comes to doing what I want, but if he can take the lead on something, he does without hesitating, and does it better than anyone I know.

  I turn to the lying scoundrel, speaking through tight lips so our precious baby girl doesn’t overhear and repeat anything in front of anyone that’ll pitch a fit, “You’re going to pay for this in the bedroom, Mr. Tully.”

  He’s spinning his black wedding band around his finger in the driver’s seat, grinning. “You’ve been saying that since the tyrant in the car seat popped out of you.”

  I pat my stomach, deciding now’s the perfect time to reveal that bombshell, though my surprise is a little more life-altering than his party. “Get used to it. There’s another one right around the corner.”

  He freezes mid-spin, eyeing me with a horrified expression. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?”

  “Don’t say fuck, Daddy!” Pearl gripes, adding her two-cents at the perfect time.

  My poor husband looks like he might shit a brick, his blue eyes wide with panic. He rakes his hands through his hair, sending it wild. “How did it happen so fast this time?”

  “Well, let’s see, Fal, I can only get pregnant one way, and you’re an eager participant in that activity.”

  Very eager. It’s a wonder I can walk some days. Actually, it’s a wonder we don’t have a carload of kids already. We’ve been married just shy of four years, but we’ve been together for over seven, and we aren’t always safe.

  He slides his ring back into place before leaning over to give me a soft kiss that Pearl immediately shrieks at like he’s got his whole tongue in my mouth. He doesn’t, but at her outrage he does, possessing me with that same hunger as all those nights ago.

  “I love you, Eva Tully,” he says, pulling away. “And I love our little family. Now let’s go see the rest of those crazy bastards.”

  My husband may be a no-good, lying, worm of a ma
n that plans parties I don’t want, but he also eats pussy like a man battling off starvation. That talent, along with his beautiful auburn hair that he passed down to our daughter, is why I tolerate such crap.

  My fingers thread through the strands when he takes me over that last stretch of mountain and I explode, crying out so loudly I worry that Pearl will wake on the other side of the house.

  He’s not done with me, letting his tongue torture me until I come a second and then a third time, so exhausted from the back-to-back-to-back orgasms I’m practically limp when he slips between my thighs, ready to prove why he’s the best lover I’ve ever had. The only lover, yeah, but every time is a competition with himself to outdo the last time, so there’s never a dull romp.

  “You’re still in trouble for earlier,” I remind him, trying not to fall for the neck kisses he’s showering me with, sliding his lips along my throat with just enough pressure and heat to make me gasp and question why we ever leave this bed.

  His teeth find the curve of my shoulder as he pushes inside of me, filling me up in the best way possible. “I think I can reason with the judge.”

  “Cocky. I like it.”

  “You love it,” he corrects, trailing kisses across my neck before he takes a nipple in his mouth and sucks hard.

  Pregnancy leaves my breasts ultra sensitive, and it’s too much. I cry out, overwhelmed with the hot pull.

  “What else do you love?” He whispers it against my skin, running his tongue around the rising peak.

  “You. I love you, Fallon.”

  I do with everything in me, but if he ever throws a surprise party for me—with in-laws, no less—I might need to revisit the topic with his mouth between my legs to be sure.

  Actually, so we don’t take any chances, we should practice regularly.

  Coming Soon

  Torin

  Sweet, delicate Masha.

  So beautiful.

  So breakable.

  So mine.

  I saved her from the jaws of a beast, not knowing the army of monsters that would follow.

  All dead-set on destroying what’s mine.

  One act kicked off a war no one saw coming.

  A war with Masha at its center.

  I’d take a bullet for my brothers.

  And I’d use my body as her shield.

  Now I’m faced with an impossible choice.

  Protect the empire I spilled blood to build.

  Or save the woman I love.

  Welcome to my nightmare.

  Thank you

  I hope you loved Fallon and Eva as much as I do.

  Fallon has been in my head for ages, and it feels amazing to have him running free in the world.

  Thank you so much for reading.

  If you have a moment, please rate and review on Amazon and Goodreads.

  Every review helps.

  You can also follow my Facebook page for updates and memes between books.

  About the Author

  Karina Light is a New Jersey native with a penchant for criminals and badass women. She lives with her husband, small zoo of fur children, and two armored amphibians. When she’s not writing about the voices in her head, you can find her making everyone laugh or sniffing out tiramisu.

  Speaking of laughs, if they’re your thing, check out her other pen name for some hahas. You can check out her romcom side over at KB Cinder.