For Adriano (32 page)

CHAPTER 41

Adriano

She retreats into herself, as always, so I choose to get Cam out of here; what’s about to happen might be a little much for her.

“I’ll be right back,” I say to Cam and release her hand to go to Luca. “We’re leaving.” And I lean in close to his ear. “Kill everyone from Sal’s team that’s still alive, except Santino. I trust no one from Sal’s club, and the patrons have witnessed too much. Then let a crew clean up and lock this floor.”

Luca rewards me with a pleased expression and nods.

It’s going to take a while to get used to our new positions.

And I stroll out the same way I came in, only with Cam beside me in a quiet, dazed state. People clear our path, and our soldiers bow slightly on each side while we proceed to the exit with an entirely different prospective future than when we came in.

As we wait in the hallway for the elevator, I’m impatient to find out what happened during those minutes she was away from me. “Cam, why did I lose you when the lights went out? And what exactly happened?” I’m holding her hand in a tight clutch.

“I got knocked into the wall and was completely disoriented. When a gun fired, Santino saw me and dragged me to another hall. The earpiece was gone from my pocket, so we just tried to find the fight club.”

“Why was your bracelet off?”

She raises her wrist to inspect it and drops her arm. “I guess I lost it; I didn’t even notice during the chaos.”

That’s careless, but I don’t reprimand her now.

***

Once we’re alone in the car that’s waiting for us outside, Cam fires the questions at me at rapid speed.

“You really became
Capo crimine
to be with me?” she asks, staring at me with wide eyes.

I became
Capo crimine only
to be with her. “Yes.”

“Since when have you been planning this?”

The streets are deserted as I maneuver us to the Astoria Tower. “Since Wednesday night.”

“Was this Luca’s plan? Did you know Luca didn’t want to become
Capo crimine
?”

“Yes, Luca initiated this plan. I knew Luca was resistant about being promoted; however, I didn’t know he had already informed James that he would never be boss. After I told Luca about us, he advised me to rethink on declining the highest ranking position – Luca was always supposed to become
Capo crimine
; I never wanted that job. It’s an immense responsibility. Luca then discussed his plan with James. When James came to take you to stay with him, it was actually a test, but not for you, for me. James wanted to know if I would risk my life for you and come to him or if I would let you down. I passed the test, and only four of us knew about it.”

“Okay…”

I glance at her, and I think she’s starting to get that we can be together out in the open because through her puzzled expression, she’s gradually starting to relax, so I rest my palm on her thigh.

I have other plans for Cam when we get home, so I explain it all to her now, “The morning after James took you away from me, James, Luca, and I deliberated the possibility of my taking over the Syndicate. But he was extremely pissed to hear about us, Cam.”

“And now that you’re boss, it’s suddenly okay? I don’t get it.”

“You’ll understand it better the longer you’re in our organization. The hierarchy is like our religion. The highest boss can never be undermined or else you’ll have a weak reputation, and reputation is most important in the
Cosa Nostra
. Look, I’m not jumping at the opportunity to become
Capo crimine
. But I was suddenly offered a chance for us, and I took it; it was my only option for keeping you
and
my family safe. It won’t be easy; a lot will change again.”

What Cam doesn’t understand is that it isn’t a covetous position once you’ve seen up close and personal what the job entails. It’s constant politics and mind games with other Mafia. It’s a damn rough job, but for Cam, I’ll do it.

I continue, “After Luca and I talked to James, he saw that this was his way out – something he was planning to do last year. But then Luca decided not to become boss when he met Fallon. We agreed not to tell the soldiers until tonight, and I honestly thought it was best not to put more on your plate. Since I’m not opposed to taking over Club 7 and making it a thriving business again – Luca and I need a new venture to launder our money anyway – our entire plan simplified, which made it easy to convince James. Salvatore and Wade can legalize all the papers, and I’ll be the official owner of Club 7 by Monday.”

Her head whips to me. “Wade?”

“Yes, he has powerful connections and has proven to be a good ally tonight.” To dispel that last hint of stiffness between us, I add, “While I want to shoot him in the balls for ever touching you, I must admit, he’s an okay guy.”

And mission accomplished; she sends me that smile I love to see as I’m pulling into the parking garage.

What I don’t tell Cam is that I wasn’t originally planning on killing Damian, especially not in front of her. I was only going to use him as an example, since I still had so much rage toward him, but I was incensed because I’d lost her in the corridors, and then Santino was being a bit too possessive of her. And the second Damian claimed that she came on to him, I decided that I didn’t want him near us anymore.

I put the car in ‘park’ and catch her eyes. “I did this all for you.”

She doesn’t waver under my gaze, and then she says in her husky voice, “I know,” before we head up to my loft in silence.

***

As soon as I toss my keys onto the table in my apartment, I lead Cam upstairs to the master suite.

I comb back the strands of hair that are plastered to her temples as we stand in the middle of the room by my bed.

I can tell she’s battling her shifting emotions, trying to cope, so I’ll take her mind off things the only way I know how. I refuse to let her break down when she’s been irrepressible so far.

We can talk more tomorrow. Tonight, she needs me, and I definitely need her. I’m a selfish man at heart. And she owns mine, like I own hers. I can make her forget and think only of me.

“Cam, I need you. I want to hear you say the words. Are you going to be by my side? Unconditionally? Indisputably, forever? I have many men below me now,
but
I want you beside me.” I cradle her head in my hands. “I love you, Cam. I love all that you are and all that you’ll be.”

Her pupils dilate, but suddenly, she frowns when she sees the rips in my shirt. She pulls the hem up, making me wince from the dried blood that’s sticking to the fabric on my side.

“Oh my god, you
are
hurt!” she accuses. “You said you weren’t.”

“No, I said I wasn’t shot; I was grazed by a bullet. But it’s just a superficial cut; it’s fine. Focus, Cam.”

She carefully considers her answer. “I love you too, and I promise to stay by your side.” I’m rewarded with a playful smirk tainted with some incredulity.

Her words breathe life into my murderer’s soul. I seal them with a hard kiss as she unfastens my pants, and then I kick off my shoes. My body is aching for Cam.

The adrenaline rush from tonight is also unbridled within her at the same moment, and we move across the room while wildly attempting to undress one another. I’m walking her backwards, yanking her zipper down as she loses her shoes while our teeth clash and I frantically flick my tongue over hers.

Cam bangs against the nightstand, and the lamp knocks to the floor with a loud crash. 

I pull back and bend down to shimmy the fabric of her suit and her panties down her hips.

Rising again while she flings off my shirt, I graze my fingers over her pussy to find her soaking wet.

Cam jerks my boxer briefs down, and then I pick her up by her legs, and she locks them around my middle as I stride to the bathroom while kneading her ass and capturing her mouth.

We slam into the glass panel, then through the door, but my intention to reach the shower is negated by an incontrollable longing to bury myself inside her now, so I practically throw her onto the floor beside the tub. 

As I’m kneeling down, she sits up quickly and pushes me onto my back with strength.

“Any way you want me, baby.” I wink and lie back when she smiles lasciviously with half-lidded eyes. 

“God, I need you too,” she whispers as she sits astride me and glides onto my cock.

Again, her words soothe the anarchy of this night.

The cut on my side hurts like a motherfucker, but the pain’s alleviated by watching Cam accepting all I give her. I cover her breasts with my palms and thrust up, filling her entirely in one motion and making her moan. I fuck her unrelentingly as she bounces on my cock, and I never lose my grip on her breasts as I worship her body.

“Fuck!” I’m almost coming but hold back, determined to mark her.

My fingers stroke down her sides, and I clutch her curvaceous hips and push up hard, causing her to fall forward. She bites her lip and places both hands beside my head on the floor.

“Suck my cock while I lick your pussy, sweetheart,” I order against her lips.

And she eagerly obeys, turning and planting her sweet ass right on my face as she hungrily takes my dick into her hot, wet mouth and massages my balls in her hands, making me growl in carnal desire. I lock my lips between her legs and hook my arms around her hips. She writhes above me while I lick and lap at her: her taste now so familiar and addictive. 

She licks the pre-cum from the tip of my cock, and I groan when her teeth scrape down. I suck her clit as I slide a finger inside in search of her g-spot. Her moans grow louder, and her thighs begin to shudder, so I circle her with my tongue and pump my finger until she arches her back, then I remove my finger and replace it with my tongue. She throws her head back in ecstasy and shouts out an intense orgasm while smothering my face with her pussy and scraping her nails up my stomach.

Desperate for my own release, I guide her up, and she shrieks when I toss her over the edge of the tub. With her knees on the floor and her ass in the air, both of her hands fly to the opposite edge of the tub so she can hold herself steady. She turns her head and gazes at me with adoration, making my cock twitch, then I bend down behind her. I lick her from pussy to ass once and slip my finger past the rim, using her own juices to prepare her for me. Then I spank the swell of her ass hard, making her groan. And I spank her again, twice, until her skin turns red.

“That’s for leaving my side tonight.” And then one more time.

“Stop it,” she spits around a moan.

“No, you are never leaving my side again.”

“Just fuck me!”

I smirk and swat her one last time. She doesn’t speak now, but I detect the corner of her lip curving up. I fist my cock and cover her back with my chest, my knees beside hers on the floor.

Positioning myself at her tight entrance, I whisper, “As you wish. Hold on tight, Cam.” And plunge inside, inflexible.

My hands move up her bowing spine while I thrust in and out slowly, allowing her to adjust. Her back bends in that tempting arch, driving me mad with hunger. Then I grip her shoulders and neck, and I piston into her at a deafening pace. The rousing passion surging through me while I sink into her ass erases any doubt of my choice to become boss of the Syndicate.

She’s mine, forever. 

And when she whimpers, I release into her with a low groan, fingers digging into her skin and pulling her back onto my cock over and over until we’re both thoroughly spent.

Our harsh breathing is all I hear while I lie on top of her with a hand on her hip, clinging to her as our heart rates slow down. Minutes pass in complete stillness.

Then I pull out, ready to rinse this night off our bodies, and help up a fatigued Cam, who awes me with a satisfied grin that slams my heart into my chest.

I pick Cam up again, and she loops her arms and legs around me as I step into the shower. She turns on the faucet while I press her against the tiles, and we stand under the hot stream of water in a tight embrace.

The scalding water washes blood and sweat off our skin. It washes murder and havoc off our bodies.

“
Mi piace tutto quello che sarete.
I love all that you’ll be.”

“I love you,” she whispers against my hair when I nuzzle her throat.

As we both drown in our thoughts, I can feel that she’s now unequivocally bound to me.

I’ve never claimed that I’m a good man. Even a killer needs the strength of a good woman behind him. I have my woman.

And I own the Chicago Syndicate.

I took what I wanted without losing anything.

In the end, I always get what I want. Never make the mistake of forgetting that little known fact.

Adriano and Cam’s story continues in
For Cam (Chicago Syndicate, #4)