Power (Mafia Ties: Brandon & Carly Book 2) (6 page)

“No, no fucking way,” I declared, then yelped when I received a hard pinch on the arm from my mother.

“Brandon!” she scolded.

I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Mamma. But, Carly will not be sleeping anywhere but our bed tonight. I don’t care about traditions and shi—stuff.”

Ma put her hands on her hips and glared at me. Despite being twenty-three-years-old, a mafia enforcer, and a soon–to-be husband (and father?), I shrank back from her anger. I gave her my best smile, but she just shook her head.

“Smiles and puppy-dog eyes won’t change my mind, Brandon. You are already living in sin”—her eyes narrowed suspiciously—“and likely put your baby in her belly, out of wedlock. You will keep to the tradition of spending the night before your wedding apart.”

I looked to Carly for some support, only to find her trying to smother her laughter with her hands over her mouth. I lifted my brow, silently asking for her agreement, but she shrugged and dropped her hands, revealing a wide smile. There was a sassy sparkle in her eyes that did not bode well for my poor, neglected cock.

My mind ran through every excuse while they packed Carly a bag, and I even tried a few out loud but was promptly shut down by my mamma, who had apparently become immune to my charms.

In a last ditch effort, I asked for a few minutes alone with my fiancée, knowing she couldn’t resist me. The next thing I knew, the front door slammed shut in my face as my mother dragged Carly away from our home.

I stomped into the kitchen and started making breakfast. My irritation notched up another level when my door opened again and my brothers poured through it.

“Don’t you jackasses ever knock?” I snapped.

“What’s got your balls in a twist?” Luca asked as he walked to the fridge and started rummaging around.

Christian laughed and gave me a sympathetic glance. “Mom really did it, huh?”

I scowled at him, trying to decide just how much trouble I’d be in if I gave one of my groomsmen a black eye. “You knew and you didn’t warn me?” I growled.

Christian raised his hands in surrender. “I overheard her talking to Papà about it, but I didn’t think she would actually go through with it.”

“Well, she did, stronzo. I don’t suppose any of you dipshits know where she’ll be staying?”

Christian shrugged, but Gavin piped up, “No, but I bet you know someone who could convince Mamma to have her stay with them.”

I perked up at his suggestion and pulled my cell phone from my pocket where I’d stuffed it earlier. I dialed Nic’s number and he picked up on the first ring.

“I was just about to call you. I have some—”

“Wait,” I interrupted, “I need a favor. My ma decided to steal my woman for the night”—Nic snickered and I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for patience—“I need you to have Anna call and convince Ma that Carly should stay with you tonight.”

“Actually,” Nic said, his tone serious, “that’s why I was about to call. Sean was spotted at one of the pubs and in your neighborhood as well. So, it’s probably best she stays with us if she’s not with you.”

Fuck!
Rage ripped through me at the thought of that motherfucker anywhere near my girl. “Oh, she’ll be with me. I’ll pick her up at nine and have her back in the morning.”

Adam, in all his seventeen-year-old maturity, made a crude gesture. I gave Luca a look, and pointed to our younger brother who was standing beside him. Adam grinned until Luca punched him in the stomach. “Ouch! Motherfucker!” he wheezed. I rolled my eyes at his bellyaching, knowing Luca hadn’t hit him hard.

I talked with Nic for a few more minutes, discussing safety options for the wedding. I left the room when the conversation turned to other business matters, then hung up with the promise to be there to collect Carly that evening.

Walking back into the kitchen, I found my brothers all helping themselves. I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation. “What are you guys doing here? Besides eating all of my food. If you touch that chocolate cake,” I warned Tristan, who had just pulled the lid off of the cake display, “Carly will have your ass.”

He smirked. “Nah, she loves me,” he said cockily, but he gently set the glass lid back down.

“We’re here to take you out, do bachelor stuff,” Luca announced with a wide smile.

I frowned. “Bachelor parties are for men mourning the loss of bachelorhood. I can’t get rid of it fast enough, so that is unnecessary.”

Gavin and Tristan sighed at the same time, a weird twin thing they tended to do. “Mom instructed us to keep you busy,” Tristan explained.

“And, you know,” Gavin said hopefully, “we figured it was a good time for our first trip to a strip club.”

I seared them both with an angry stare. “Even if you were old enough to get into one, which you two and Adam
are not
. I still wouldn’t take you. Have you seen my woman? Why the fuck would I want to look anywhere but at her?”

Luca shook his head and laughed. “Told you he wouldn’t go for it.” He looked back to me. “We have to pick up our tuxes anyway, how about we take you to lunch?”

I raised a brow. “You buying?” Luca nodded. “Let’s go.”

***

I
rolled onto my back and lifted Carly up before slamming her down onto my cock, both of us groaning at the feeling of completeness.

“Ride me, kitten,” I demanded roughly.

She’d been waiting for me when I arrived at Nic’s and I’d whisked her away quickly, half expecting my mamma to jump out of nowhere and demand to have my bride back. It was this fear that had me driving to a hotel, instead of our apartment.

We’d barely made it out of the elevator with our clothes on. We didn’t quite make it to the bed, falling to the floor where I made her come twice in my mouth.

She began to move and I loved watching her small, perfect tits bounce as she rode me. “Fuck, baby, your tight little pussy feels amazing. I’ll never get used to how you milk my cock.” Like always, my dirty talk built her into a frenzy and she sped up.

“Harder, Bran!” she cried out.

“You want it rough, kitten?” I croaked, my voice gritty with desire and the strain it was taking to keep from coming. “You want me to pound your sweet pussy?”

“Yes! Oh-ah!”

Gripping her hips, I waited for her to rise again, then bucked up violently as I slammed her back down. She screamed in ecstasy and it only took a few more thrusts for her walls to start pulsing and holding my dick in a death-grip. With a roar, I let go and poured my seed into her, my body quaking with the force of my orgasm.

Later, after another round of wall-banging sex (I couldn’t help hoping the people in the next room heard my woman’s screams of satisfaction) I held her close, running my fingers through her silky hair.

“I love you, kitten,” I whispered. “Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.”

She lifted her head off of my chest and kissed me softly. “I love you too, Brandon.”

We slept for a few hours before making love again, then I reluctantly dropped her off at Nic’s house around six in the morning.

The day dragged by until finally, I was standing at the end of the church aisle watching anxiously for my bride. Anna and Meagan made their way to the front, then Sophia pranced down the aisle tossing little flower petals. At long last, a vision stood at the door and my heart stopped. If there was any piece she hadn’t already owned, in that moment, it became hers.

I
was trying not to giggle at the sight of Sophia grabbing clumps of rose petals from her ivory basket and tossing them up in the air while she walked towards her mom and dad. Anna was on my side of the priest with Meagan, while Nic and Christian were beside Brandon. She was so entertaining that I didn’t even notice the shift in music from “Glasgow Love Theme” to the “Bridal Chorus” until Tommy gave me a little nudge.

“If you don’t let me get you down there and fast, your man is gonna have my ass.”

I tore my eyes away from Sophia to look up at my childhood friend. “Thank you.”

My words were softly spoken, but my gratitude was huge—and it was for more than his offer to walk me down the aisle. I’d spent the day surrounded by Brandon’s mom, Anna, and Meagan. They were all incredibly sweet, but I’d acutely felt the absence of my own family on this special day. Surrounded by Brandon’s family as they showered me with their love, I’d felt guilty for being sad about not having one of my own. I was about to marry a man I loved who adored me in return. His family was going to be my family. We were going to build our own family, too. I was going to have everything I’d ever wanted, but I still felt the lack.

When Tommy had knocked on the door to the bridal dressing room bearing four gifts, I’d assumed they were all from Brandon. It wasn’t until I’d already opened the first three—a pair of antique diamond earrings, a pale blue garter belt and a sparkling diamond tennis bracelet—that I noticed the wrapping on the fourth gift was different.

As I stared down at a sterling silver Tara brooch with gold beading, Tommy had hurried to explain that the earrings belonged to Brandon’s mom and could serve as both my something borrowed and something old. But, he’d brought the brooch because it had been a gift from my mother to his many years ago. He’d thought I might like to have it as my something old instead, and he was right. It meant the world to know a piece of my mom was going to be with me on my wedding day.

My fingers trembled as they brushed against the silver circle and traced the golden pin crossing through the center. “I’m ready now.”

“And none too soon since your groom looks like he’s about ready to storm down here to get you himself.”

Sliding my arm through his, I turned and looked towards the end of the aisle to where Brandon stood waiting for me. Well, waiting was exaggerating it a bit since he’d moved to the bottom of the steps and looked like he was about to come drag me down the aisle.

“I guess we’d better get moving then.”

Some of the tension in Brandon’s body left as we moved towards him, but it wasn’t until Tommy placed my hand in his that he truly relaxed.

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled.

“Were you worried I was going to change my mind?”

He flashed me a sexy grin before leading me up the steps towards the priest. “It wouldn’t have mattered if you did. We’re getting married today come hell or high water.”

The priest cleared his throat, giving us a stern look when we finally stood directly in front of him.

“I don’t think he liked your choice of words,” I murmured underneath my breath.

Brandon returned the priest’s stare, not the least bit intimidated. “As long as he pronounces us man and wife in the next ten to fifteen minutes, I don’t really care what he likes or doesn’t like. I’ve waited long enough already.”

“The Italian Catholics must work differently than the Irish ones since I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to boss your priest around.”

The sound coming from the priest’s throat sounded like strangled laughter at this point, and his face was turning red.

“He’s known me since I was born. My bossiness isn’t a surprise to him.”

Apparently the priest was more than used to Brandon’s domineering ways because he somehow managed to perform our ceremony in fourteen minutes flat. Brandon’s mouth crashed against mine before the priest had finished telling him he could kiss the bride.

“Finally,” he sighed before lifting me into his arms and carrying me back down the aisle to the waiting limo.

“Finally?” I giggled. “That was the shortest wedding in the history of the Catholic church.”

“It felt like it took forever to me,” he growled, climbing into the back of the car after settling me inside.

“I don’t think so,” his mom chided just as he tried to shut the door behind us. “We still have pictures to take, and there’s no way Carly’s makeup and hair will survive the ride to the reception hall if you’re alone back here.”

Brandon groaned as his brothers piled in with us.

“Hey, if you want to muss her up a bit with us watching, that’s certainly your prerogative,” Gavin joked.

“You’re lucky I don’t knock you all out so I can get a moment alone with my wife.”

“Sounds a little extreme, bro,” Tristan chimed in.

“Enough,” Luca interrupted, pulling earbuds out of his pockets and tossing a pair to each of his brothers before using one set himself. He closed his eyes and everyone else followed suit.

“It’s not exactly what I was hoping for since I won’t be able to get you to myself again until late tonight, but I’ll take it.” And take it he did, kissing away every trace of my lipstick by the time we made it to the reception hall. Those stolen kisses had to tide us over through an hour of picture taking, a dinner where we barely had the chance to eat anything as everyone came to our table to offer their congratulations, and through the cake-cutting where we smashed the chocolate concoction onto each other’s faces.

We barely cleaned up before they announced the first dance. Brandon led me to the dance floor just as “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole began to play. He’d asked me to leave the song selection to him, and I was surprised by his choice.

“I didn’t take you for a jazz man,” I murmured as he pulled me into his arms and we began to sway together.

“It seemed like the obvious choice since you’ve been unforgettable from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

My eyes teared up at his admission. “I thought you couldn’t stand me back then.”

With one long finger, he tilted my head up to stare into my eyes. “Then I must have done a damn good job hiding how you made me feel. I tried to fight it, but I was a goner from the beginning.”

We moved together, eyes locked, for another minute before his father interrupted us.

“Out of my way, boy,” he ordered. “I want to dance with my new daughter.”

“Only for you, Papà,” Brandon grumbled, stepping aside.

“Go make your mamma happy and dance with her instead.”

I giggled at how my tough man hurried to follow his father’s command.

“Music to my ears, being able to make my son’s girl laugh.”

“You’ll have to teach me how to make him jump at my commands like that someday.”