Life Begins (16 page)

              She stayed open for him, receiving everything he had to give her. He didn’t have to move fast to take her hard. Fire licked through her veins, the pleasure firing her every synapsis. She came, right when he changed the angle of his stroke, rubbing against her g-spot before strike hard against her end. It hurt so good, for the first time making her cry out, even if softly to keep the children from hearing.

              “You really are a good girl, coming for your husband like this.” His own breath appeared barely affected, but Josie knew him. That slight intake of breath was all that she needed to hear to know that he was almost ready for his own orgasm. Even though she felt weak, her body was primed to feel his cum inside her. She was almost desperate for it.

              She tightened and released her internal muscles against him, adding to both of their pleasure, enticing him to come inside of her, knowing that this is what he wanted. For her to make him give her what she wanted.

              He rolled her over to her back. His movements strengthened against her, becoming rapid enough that her sensitive body found another orgasm, this time her husband coming with her. He collapsed above her, his weighted body giving her the pleasure of feeling all of him as spurt after spurt of his sperm filled her sex. She felt like he had become almost a part of her, merging their bodies and souls together until she had a hard time differentiating where she ended and she began.

              She felt his chest move in a sigh against her breasts, even as he tucked his hips to enjoy the last few moments that he could inside of her. She didn’t mind it, even cupping her hands against his ass to help him along, just because it helped her burning clit that last bit of pleasure. He helped her along by rocking against her. “Maybe you should give me regular lessons on why I should be good husband by not going to jail.”

              Josie did a combination of a moan and chuckle. “You keep doing that to my clit and I’ll teach you as many time as you want.”

              “You will make me hard again.” But, it didn’t stop her from giving her exactly what she asked for, which naturally led to a fast and furious second round of fucking. Her sex felt so greedy and insatiable. She kept her legs spread wide to receive everything that she could. Hell, even her pussy was stretched to its complete limit and she couldn’t be happier about it.

              When they came this time, Josie felt like she could barely close her legs. Her thighs were a mess of bodily fluid and she felt like a porn star after a long day’s work, but it was so satisfying.

              “You look so good after love making,” her husband said. “I could take you again, but baby Juljiana is crying.”

              Josie groaned. “I think you killed me. My poor pussy.”

              “Still looks like it needs attention from husband,” he told her, before pulling her to the end of the bed. “Come. You clean up while I go get the baby.” Žarko rolled his neck before pulling on the nearest pair of pants. He managed to wash his hands before she could even fully stand in an attempt to make it to the bathroom.

Chapter 16

              Žarko and Juljiana were waiting for her as soon as she entered the bedroom again. The moment he saw her, he passed her the baby, so that he could handle getting cleaned up himself. With her daughter in her arms, Josie allowed herself one moment to enjoy the softness of her baby’s cheek. Even better was the experience of receiving a baby kiss in between the fussing.

              “You don’t seem very hungry,” Josie said to her daughter, which probably meant that her little girl just wanted some attention and maybe wanted a little swig of milk to go along with it. “I guess I can let you stay up for a little bit, but you don’t have much time to play because mommy needs you to get some sleep.” She brought them back to the bed, where she got comfortable enough to begin feeding her baby.

              Žarko arrived soon after to take his place beside her. He turned on the television across from them, so that he could turn off the bedside lamps. “I would have left her if she did not hold her hands up while crying, because she obviously is not very hungry.”

              Josie nodded, “That’s what I figured.” They were trying to train Juljiana to self soothe, but at the same time, they didn’t want her thinking that if she really needed her parents that they wouldn’t be there, and so had decided to teach her to hold her hands out as a sign that she was desperately in need of something from her parents.

              Juljiana didn’t spend too much time on the breast before Josie passed her to her
tata
. Žarko happily took her and sat her on his knees. Those big bright eyes of baby Juljiana stared at him, and her smile soon followed. Josie had to groan. “She’s so spoiled. It’s the middle of the night and she should be sleep, but no, of course, she’s got to be awake so she can smile at her
tata
and hope for the chance to watch television.”

              “She is tired.” He cuddled the baby to his chest, where she immediately snuggled in and started to rub at her eyes. “See, she is soon to fall asleep.”

              “At least until you try to lay her down.”

              He didn’t seem to care.  He patted her back, letting her fall asleep on his chest. Watching him reminded her of why she loved having him around. He was such a good dad, so patient and calm in everything he did involving the kids. Even when he had to be firm, somehow no one doubted that he loved his children.

              She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes for a moment, hoping to get a moment of rest.

              “She is finally getting hungry,” she heard Žarko say. She opened her arms for the baby to be set into them. Once Juljiana truly latched on, Josie couldn’t help, but watch her daughter, even as her little girl stared at her.

              “She is so beautiful,” Josie had to say. She didn’t know who her daughter looked like, because she couldn’t see her ex-husband in her, nor could she see any of her features. Instead, somehow, Juljiana was a beautiful blend with her own unique look.

              She shifted the baby to her shoulder in order to get that good burp, so that the baby can get herself together. She didn’t get a chance to go far because Žarko was already reaching for the baby. “I will lay her down. You rest.”

              She did exactly as he suggested, allowing her tired body the opportunity to relax. She rolled over to her stomach and had almost fallen asleep before the door reopened and her husband joined her in bed. "She rolled right over and went to sleep.”

              That was good. It meant she’d gotten exactly what she wanted out of her parents. Hopefully, it would keep her out for the rest of the night. Josie waited for her husband to settle himself into bed, before she moved and allowed herself to drape over him. “I love you,” she whispered in his ear.

              “I know you do. That’s why I’m here with you.”

              She waited for a moment to see if he would say anything else. “That’s it? You aren’t going to say it in return?”

              “Josie,” he said with a soft groan. “You know I love you.”

              She patted her hand against his heart. “I just wanted to make sure. I’m taking a real chance by staying here with you, knowing what you do.” He didn’t say anything in response, and though she wasn’t sure if he went to sleep, she felt her body begin relax as she slipped into dreamland herself.

              “I’m not sure who this guy’s lawyer is, considering they really don’t have a case, but apparently, there is some judge out there willing to listen. We have a court date.”

              Žarko hated hearing that, but he wasn’t exactly surprised. Josie’s ex seemed determined to ruin whatever happiness she tried to find, making him wish he could simply put a bullet in the man’s head to stop all this. He would have if he hadn’t promised Josie that they would do this legally. At first.

              It didn’t stop him from making plans for vengeance, just because the ex-husband put Josie through such hardship. Everything his men had been witnessing just recommitted the desire to end the man’s life. Žarko was even starting to dream about it.

              “When will we have to appear?” he asked.

              His lawyer, Harrison, flipped through the pages in front of him. “He’s looking for a date in July, claiming it’s because of the baby.”

              Žarko climbed to his feet, ignoring everything in the posh office, even though he’d always admired the dark colors the third generation Serbian American utilized. “Keep me updated, Harrison. I want to make sure that the children stay mine.”

              “Understood. I may still need to interview your wife so that I have her side of things. I know you wish to keep her out of this, but, she is still one of the co-defendants. Besides, she is the actual mother and is the one that has the most information.”

              Žarko couldn’t hide his irritation at bringing Josie into this, even if he actually understood why she would need to be included. “I will bring her by on Thursday.”

              “Thank you,” the slightly older man said before he returned to tapping on his keyboard. “Just let Carla know that you’re coming back so she could put in the scheduler.”

              Žarko didn’t waste time leaving the office. His phone buzzed in his pocket just as he exited into the ultra-luxurious front office where the assistant was supposed to sit. He was glad to have peace on his exiting, because personally, he was so tired of the woman’s low cut tops. This time it hand been royal blue, a pleasant color for a woman of Josie’s skin color, but maybe not for a woman this pale. It made her look a little sickly.

              He didn’t bother to wait for the girl’s return either, choosing instead to leave her a note that he would be returning on a certain date and time before he moved to the elevator so that he could get out of the building and back home to his wife and his children. It had been much too long of a day and all he wanted to do was to sit back and have a
pivo
. Too bad he had some business getting in the way of his plans.

              He kept his composure until he made it to the parking structure where he left his car. Then, in the safety of his tinted windows, he allowed the snarl to come out as he dialed the number of his associate. “What the fuck do you mean he won’t pay?”

              “He wants to renegotiate the terms of agreement.” Srecko’s raspy voice said over the phone. “I’ve already explained that you don’t give extensions.”

              Žarko started the car and tore out of the spot, barely being patient enough to pay the exorbitant price for downtown Chicago parking. “Where are you?” he demanded, as he waded through the heavy traffic.

              “The warehouse. Do you want me to wait for you?”

              He growled as he merged into the proper lane to get onto the change way, just so he could get to the right expressway. “No. Family business had me downtown.” It would take him about an hour to get where he needed. “Call Viktor and tell him to pick up this piece of shit. I want him prepped by the time I get there.”

              “Got it.”

              Žarko turned off the phone and quickly called Josie so that she wouldn’t worry about him. “Hi,
tata
,” Desa sang on the second ring.

              “Why are you answering the phone? Where is your
majka
?”

              He had to smile at the little girl’s sigh of aggravation. “Josif spilled paint all over himself, so now he’s all green.
Majka
is chasing him around the house now.”

              Žarko released his own sigh and had to rub out the tension building behind his eyes. This day just kept getting better and better. “Fine. Tell your
majka
that I will be late for dinner. You make sure that you and your
sestra
help out, okay.”

              “Okay,
tata
.” She hung up, before he could say anything else. He bit back a curse.

              He’d almost made it to the exit for the warehouse industry district when his phone rang again.  He answered it only because it was Josie. “
Zdravo
.”

              “Hey, you. Desa told me you weren’t coming home right away.”

              “
Da
. I have work.” He wasn’t surprised by her intake of breath. “It should not take me long.”

              “Okay. Well, I’ll make sure to put aside your plate. Don’t do anything that will get you in trouble, please and really try to get back so that I don’t have to kill our son. I’m sure Desa told you about the paint incident.”

              “Briefly.”

              “Yeah, well, the boy thinks he’s Pablo Picasso or something because he got it everywhere. I still have to clean the paint out of the den and get dinner done.”

              He pulled off to the right exit and slowed his pace through the large buildings. “I am almost where I need to be. Leave the paint and I will get it when I come back.”

              “You sure? It’s going to be really dry and crusty in a little bit.”

              “Let me worry about it.” He would need to do something to relax after all of this. She parked the car just out of sight of the main streets. He turned it off and wasted a few moments to hide his wallet and other identifying documentations, before getting out of the car. He saw his second in command running toward him, a pair of gloves already on his hands.

              Žarko couldn’t help but to pull out a cigarette and light it. He really couldn’t help it. He could still hear Josie trying to argue with him about cleaning up the paint and it was such a mundane moment that he had to fight a laugh. “Josie. Relax. Take care of dinner, put the kids to work getting themselves ready for bed. And when I get home, I will make sure that the paint gets cleaned up. I don’t mind.”

              “Okay. You don’t sound like you’re driving anymore so I’ll let you go. Don’t get in trouble.”

              “You said that already.”

              “Well, I’ll keep saying it until it really sticks inside your spirit. It’s always going to be my job to worry. Now hang up so you can do what you need to do and get back here and –
Josif
, you get out of that paint right now little mister.” She hung up the phone and obviously went to take care of situation.

              Srecko shook his head, his dark hair and stocky build appearing amused. “The mundane life of a family man. I never thought you would ever remarry.”

              Žarko shrugged. “I would have been a fool to let a good woman go.” Together, they headed toward the empty warehouse. “He’s waiting?”

              “Yes, just arrived ten minutes ago.” Srecko passed him a pair of dark gloves. “How do you want to handle this?”

              “He has to be alive to pay, but that’s all that I need from him.” It didn’t matter what he looked like before or after he paid it. They entered through the large side door, allowing Juri to close the door behind him. In the near dark, he could just make out the tied up image of his old friend, “Mr. Babić.”

              The man jumped, but could not see with his eyes covered by cloth. “Mr. Knežević…Žarko, what is the meaning of this? Why am I here?”

              Žarko didn’t both with tricks, like walking around the room to intimidate the man. Instead, he simply stood before him, letting the bass in his voice and his reputation do the bulk of the work. “Where is my payment? You have passed your due date and I have been more than patient with you.”

              “But that’s why I wanted to talk to you. I need more time to get that kind of money. My daughter’s going to college. That’s going to cost money.”

              Žarko tugged his gloves tighter against his wrist. He frowned at his old friend, wanting nothing more than to wrap his hands around the man’s throat to strangle him for his stupidity. “Then you should have thought about that before taking money out of the mouths of my children. Are they supposed to starve and go uneducated because you have not ordered your affairs?”

              “But your children have time.”