Rushed: A Second Chance Sports Romance (34 page)

Jake lay on the ground, still pleading.

“Maybe you’re right. I am a little soft. Maybe I'm not hard enough for this yet," I said, lowering my gun. "You have one minute. Get up off the floor, get the fuck out of this diner, and get out of Washington. In fact, your privileges west of the Rockies are fucking revoked. Don’t come back until you’re invited—if that day ever comes.”

"Tommy . . .” Jake said, sitting up. "Come on, man."

"Fifty-five seconds. If you're not out of my sight by then, Luisa and I will both shoot you. Fifty seconds."

Jake was on his feet in a flash, running into the night, clutching at his bleeding shoulder and looking back, hatred, fear and hurt in his eyes. I noticed as he went through the door that a light rain was starting to fall, the drops matching what I felt in my heart. I holstered my gun and looked at Pietro, who nodded his thanks. "I owe you, Mr. Bertoli."

"Tomasso, Pietro. I'm just Tomasso, remember?"

He shook his head and wiped the tear away from his face. "No sir. You're Mr. Bertoli. I'll speak about this with the Godfather after you have a chance as well. In the meantime, I need to make sure your orders are carried out and to get some cleaners over here. I'll explain this to my wife later."

"Thank you, Pietro."

He left, and I looked at Luisa, who walked back to the booth she'd been sitting in and got her purse, tucking the pistol back inside and tapping her phone. I heard another soft double beep in my ear, and I realized that until that moment, her phone had been recording everything we both had said or heard. I sighed and looked out the glass window to the rain that could be seen highlighted against the streetlights. "How'd I do?"

She came over and kissed me softly on the lips, then rested her head against my chest. "Let's go home."

The whole ride back to the house, she said nothing, driving with care, parking and going inside to get an umbrella before coming back out and holding it open for me. There were a few other people up as I came in, and I could tell from the way they looked at me as I crutched toward the front door that word had already gotten around. Aunt Margaret was waiting for me inside, her face proud. "Welcome home."

I nodded, the strain starting to overcome me. With a glance, she dismissed the other members of the staff who’d greeted me, and she and Luisa helped me to the downstairs study. I collapsed into the chair, my hand trembling as I wiped at my face. "I just banished my best friend for life."

"You showed mercy as well as strength," Margaret said, pouring me a glass of water. "You let Pietro have his honor, you protected your family, and you defended Luisa's honor. I couldn’t have expected better."

It was all I could do to keep tears at bay as I felt a little bit of my innocence slip away. It wasn't play time any longer—I was in this for life. I would have to become the man I'd always meant to become. My shoulders shook, and I felt soft hands rub at them. "What am I to do?"

"Be guided by your conscience and your honor," Luisa whispered in my ear. I looked up and saw her looking at me with an emotion in her eyes that I wanted more than anything else. "Come, let's get you to bed. You've had a long day."

My aunt looked at up approvingly as I got my crutches under my armpits. Instead of heading to the stairs, however, Luisa led me to the end of the hallway, turning right and toward the room she'd been staying in. I followed her inside, where she closed the door behind me. Going to the bed, she climbed on, patting the mattress next to her.

I was nervous sitting down, and we looked at each other in the soft room lights. "Luisa, I wanted to shoot him for what he did to you," I whispered, reaching up and stroking her face. “I almost did it.”

"You did the right thing," she said softly, taking my fingers and kissing them. "You returned an eye for an eye plus some. I’m proud of how you handled it.”

Getting to her knees, she reached for the first button on her blouse, undoing them one by one until she was able to shrug it off, leaving her in just a bra. "I know. For days now, I've known. I know how you feel, and I know how I feel. We won't say it, maybe because we're both too scared, or maybe because it’s just too soon to know for sure. It doesn't matter, does it? Because we know that in two days, you're going to the doctor, he's going to say that your leg is coming along fine, and that you're to start putting it on the ground again while you crutch around. And I'm going to have to go back to Brazil, back to my father and my family. Our honor gets in the way, even when it helps us."

I nodded, unable to form words as I fought to keep tears from forming in my eyes again, and I watched as Luisa got off the bed. "It's not fair. It's not fair, and I hate this part of our lives. But I'm going to do the right thing, even if it's only for the next few days, or even if it's just for tonight. I want you, Tomasso Bertoli. I want you as a woman wants a man, and not with the anger of last time."

"I want you too," I rasped, my throat going dry as Luisa slid her slacks off. In just her lingerie, she walked to me, taking me by the hand and helping me stand up. "For as long as I can have you.”

"Then kiss me," she whispered, leaning in. Her lips were warm, and the feeling of her skin under my hands was like God himself had granted me an angel for just that night. Her tongue traced my lips, and I met it with my own, our kiss deepening until we were joined, sharing one breath.

Breaking apart, she crinkled her nose cutely at my clothes. "We're getting this hobo suit off you. Come, lay down. Let me serve you."

I sat down but took her hands. "You're too precious to be subservient to any man, including me."

Luisa smiled and stroked my face with her hand before reaching down and helping me off with my hooded shirt. Reaching for the belt of my filthy pants, she kissed my chin and shook her head. "You're right, no man will
command
me. But I
choose
you."

She tugged, and my dirty pants fell, leaving me in some track pants that I'd worn underneath and my brace. She helped me into her bed, then slowly undid the straps on my brace, taking it off and laying my lower leg on the bed cover.

Luisa smiled and reached behind her back, finding the catch on her bra and undoing it, shrugging off the lacy cups. I was stunned at the vision before me, the large, perfect half-globes standing proud on her chest as she stood before me, her hands clasped behind my back. The twin perfect orbs were capped with crinkled tanned nipples. She smiled at me devilishly, waiting for a response.

"I've never seen anything more perfect in all my life," I whispered.

“My American man can be so romantic," Luisa replied, reaching down and pushing her panties down. "And I haven't even shown him everything."

I chuckled and lay back as she came back to the bed, her body swaying hypnotically from side to side, her hair swaying in a perfect counterpoint to her walk. Reaching the bed, she stopped, grabbing the waistband of my pants, which were already tented and painfully full.

“Now this is what I want tonight," she said, cupping my cock through my pants.

Slipping her hand inside my pants, she found my cock and wrapped her fingers around it, smiling as I pushed my pants down and freed myself from the nylon confines. "I can't let you do everything," I joked as I lifted my hips up slightly to push them down further. "I'm not a lazy slob."

Luisa nodded and licked her lips. "Let me show you what I can do."

Leaning down, her pink tongue came out as she licked around the head of my cock, tracing the underside with the tip of her tongue before tracing back up and swirling. My eyes rolled back in pleasure as she opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around the head, sucking me in slowly. She bobbed up and down, tasting me and sending electric tingles through my body. My cock was trembling, full and heavy, ready to come, and she'd barely begun. "Luisa . . .”

"Shh. No talking tonight. Lay back. Let me take care of you."

I looked into her eyes and nodded, lying back against the pillow as she sucked and licked my cock, her hand massaging my balls the whole time. I was in heaven, and I only had one more wish. "Luisa?"

"Yes?"

"Bring yourself up here with me," I said, reaching out and caressing her hip.

Her smile was worth the temporary pause in my pleasure as she climbed up, carefully swinging her long leg over my head and lowering her perfectly smooth pussy lips toward my face. I wrapped my arms around her hips and raised my head, tracing the silky lips with my tongue even as she found my cock again.

I quested deeper, finding the delicious nectar inside, gathering it on my tongue. She was sweet and tangy, with a hint of exotic spiciness that swirled around my head, more intoxicating that any liquor I'd ever had. I gathered her juices, drinking and sucking on her lips as she began to ride my tongue, her hips jerking as I found the tiny button of her clit and licked around it. She gasped, sucking all of my cock into her mouth and increasing her pace as I nibbled and licked around her clit faster and faster. I was about to come, and I didn't care as long as she bathed my face in her essence.

Suddenly, Luisa couldn't take any more and sat up, grinding her pussy into my face as she cried out, her voice full of desperate need. "Oh . . . that's it. Oh
Dios Mio
, that's so good."

Her cries devolved into guttural, staccato Portuguese as I licked as quickly as I could on her button until she totally covered my face in her hips. In the darkness, I could only go by touch, muffled sound, and most of all, the taste and smell of her on top of me. It was blind ecstasy, and I loved every shudder as I flicked my tongue over her clit, faster and faster, hoping to show her how much she meant to me, even if I only had this one chance. Luisa shuddered, and suddenly, her legs clamped around my ears, cutting off almost all sound as she cried out, her fingernails raking over my chest and stomach as she came. Quivering, she stayed on top of me for long seconds before sliding off and wiggling her way next to me.

She smiled and reached down, taking my cock in her hand again. Quickly climbing on top of me, she carefully positioned herself over my cock, holding me at her entrance. "I need you."

She sank down, my cock disappearing inside her and swallowing me with heavenly pleasure. Her eyes widened and she whispered in Portuguese again, her hips riding me even before I was all the way inside her. Leaning forward, her lips sought out mine as she shifted back and forth, slipping me in and out of her. I brought my hand up to find her nipple as we kissed, my cock sliding in and out, both of us gasping.

I don't know how long she rode me, as too quickly, my mind failed me. The world turned into snapshots and sensations. Her lips on mine, the feeling of her heartbeat thundering in her chest and through her breast that was squashed in my fingers, the arc of her hair as she threw her head back, both of us giving over to the torrent of passion rising within us.

Too soon, my cock was swelling, my orgasm trembling within me. I reached up, cupping both of her breasts as she plunged up and down on me, her eyes slitted in a haze of pleasure and joy. "Luisa . . . I'm going to come."

“
Yes, yes, yes . . .”
she whispered, squeezing with her pussy even more in rapid, pulsating clenches that rippled through both of us. I felt myself break over, and I thrust up as best I could with my one leg as I felt an explosion rip through me. Luisa's eyes flew open and she cried out again, her voice hoarse as she came as well, her eyes finding mine and our hearts meeting in a way that I'd never felt before. We stayed there, frozen in time for what felt like an eternity, until our climaxes passed and she collapsed into my chest. We were both sweaty and panting, smiling stupidly at each other.

We held each other in the soft light of her room, and Luisa laid her head on my chest. "My angel,” I whispered.

I
expected
the next day to wake up alone, like I had the morning after the first time Tomasso and I had sex. Instead, I woke up at about noon, after the two of us had made love twice more, warm and content in his arms. “Good morning."

"Good afternoon," Tomasso chuckled, looking at the clock next to my bed. "Even for a night shift Mafia man, that's pushing it. I keep this up, and they're going to think I'm Batman."

"After last night, more like the Man of Steel," I joked, wiggling my hips against his cock. "How'd you pull that off three times?"

“I had a lot built up, it seems."

I laughed and sighed. "Can't we just stay in bed all day?"

He shook his head regretfully and kissed the nape of my neck, earning a soft sigh from me. "As tempting as that is, no. I have to talk with my father and make sure things are clear with Pietro after last night, and besides, this bed is a little small. How about we try my bed tonight?”

“I don’t know. I think I like being snuggled up against you.”

He kissed the back of my neck again, then gave me a squeeze. "Come on. Let's get some food. Can you help me with my brace?"

I rolled out of bed and swung my feet to the floor. I found Tomasso's leg brace, underwear and track pants and handed them to him, watching in slight regret as he put them on. "I was hoping to do that."

"Well, tonight in my room, you can take them off me. How’s that?”

I grinned and walked over to my temporary chest of drawers and took out my sexiest set of lingerie that I’d brought with me. With a bit of show, I put them on for him, watching as he swallowed lightly and a bulge began to form in his pants again. Groaning, he sat up, grabbing his brace and tearing his eyes off me. "You're a witch, that's all there is to it," he grumbled. "I can't take my eyes off you without doing something painful."

"It's magic, for sure. But I'd say the enchantment is mutual," I replied as Tomasso tightened the straps. "Because you have put thoughts in my head that I've never had before."

Tomasso stopped and looked up, his eyes full of pain. "Like you said last night, maybe it’s safer if we don’t give words to those thoughts. Safer for both of us."

I gulped and nodded, a cold dose of reality crashing in on our fantasy. I nodded and went back to my drawers, dressing quietly while he found his clean t-shirt. We left the disguise he'd worn the night before on the floor to be disposed of later, unneeded any longer. I found his crutches and picked them up, bringing them to him. He looked at me with pain in his eyes as he took them from me.

I smiled at him and shook my head. "Just promise me, for the time until I leave—no regrets? I want to have a happy memory of my time in Seattle. It’ll give me a reason to try to come back."

Tomasso smiled and got to his feet, setting his crutches aside to pull me close and kiss me. "That I promise. Now, let's go deal with the fallout from last night."

We left my room, finding Margaret working on a laptop out by the pool. "Good afternoon, you two," she greeted with a smirk. "Sleep well?"

"Best I've had in my entire life," I said honestly, chuckling when Tomasso blushed. "And you?"

“I’ve had better,” Margaret replied, laughing quietly as she knew exactly what we were talking about. "Well, your timing is perfect. I just got off the phone with Carlo, and he'd like to talk with you both when he gets home. After last night, he’s cutting his business trip short and coming home, so he's flying into King County Airport in a few hours. Chartered flight."

"Still not getting that Dreamliner flight he told me he wanted," I commented as I sat down. "Although a chartered flight is also a luxury. I hope he isn't put out by it."

"Oh no, Carlo does that about half the time anyway, and almost all the time when he flies internationally," Margaret said. "As you know, it sometimes helps to not have to file enormous amounts of paperwork with the FAA about destinations—things like that."

I nodded in agreement as Tomasso reappeared with two Tupperware containers in a bag, one of which he set in front of me. "Here, it was what was still hot on the stove. When is Dad getting back?"

"He said his plane is scheduled to arrive at four, so you two have a few hours to make sure you've got all your information lined up," Margaret said. "I don't think he's angry, but you never can tell with him. After all, Pietro did just shoot his own son, then there's the diner staff to shut up and some other stuff to deal with. How about you two walk me through your thought processes in all of this?"

Tomasso did, and Margaret nodded, asking few questions. "Why'd you go to Daniel and not Carlo or me?" she asked at one point, when that came into the conversation. "Didn't trust us?"

"I didn't know who I could trust," Tomasso said simply. "Daniel’s separated from this situation. He's also one of the best I know at quickly hacking out information, and I knew he could get me what I wanted."

Margaret nodded. "Okay. I should be hurt, but I'm not. You acted the way you should have. I'm impressed you thought to bring in Daniel. He's the perfect person to bring in."

We finished our story, with me adding in a few details until the point when we left the diner the night before. “Well, I can't find any fault in what you did. You were caught in a Catch-22, and you did what you felt was right. Now, if you two don't mind, I have some work that I need to finish up before Carlo gets back. Tomasso, if you have a chance, check in with Pietro before you get ready to go to the airport. He did just shoot his son, regardless of what his words were."

* * *

W
e found
Mr. Marconi at Bertoli Pizza's offices, cleaning out his son's desk. He looked older, like a man nearing sixty instead of the well-composed early fifties that I'd seen earlier. "Pietro, I hope I'm not interrupting."

He looked up, his face grave, and shook his head. "No, not at all. What can I do for you, Mr. Bertoli, Miss Mendosa?"

So we were still with the formal titling. Like Tomasso, I detested it with someone who I'd formed a closer relationship with, but I understood it at least. Most of my father's men called me
Señorita Mendosa
—I tolerated it.

Tomasso rested his butt on the edge of the desk, looking down at him. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. And how cleanup and everything else went this morning."

"The late night diners were a bit put off by the place being closed, but the staff were happy enough with their little bonus, and they know that the same could come to them if they open their mouths," Pietro replied. “There’s little else to worry about. I retrieved the shell from my pistol. There's no evidence of anything left at the diner. They reopened by four thirty this morning to catch the early work crowd."

Tomasso nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "And Jake?"

"He went home to say goodbye to his mother and get a quick bandage," Pietro said. "When I checked his apartment this morning, nobody was home and a lot of his things were gone. I checked with some of the doctors and clinics that we use, but there was no report. The word's out, though—he's on the DOA list."

Tomasso swallowed and looked up, controlling his emotions while I rubbed my chin. "Pietro," I said after a moment of silence. "What about you?"

“I’ll do my duty as I’ve always done,” he said softly, going back to cleaning out the desk. "After that . . . maybe I'll talk with the Don. It's been years since I took a decent vacation."

Tomasso looked back at the older man and searched for the words. “Can I ask you to do something as well, then?"

"Maybe, Mr. Bertoli. If I can."

Tomasso nodded, then propped his hands on the edge of the desk. "I'm not ready yet. I still need your guidance, your teaching. Even if you do want to step back, take a vacation, whatever . . . I'd still like the privilege of working with you."

Pietro nodded, thinking. "I can't give you an answer right now, Mr. Bertoli. It wouldn't be fair to do so. But thank you. I’ll think about it."

We left, and in the car back to the mansion, I looked at Tomasso. "Why’d you ask him to stay on?"

"I was being honest," Tomasso said simply, looking out the window and speaking softly. I knew he was struggling to control his emotions, and I knew also how much it all had affected him. "I need his wisdom and guidance. He's never done anything wrong, and I wouldn't have my family lose such a man if it could be helped."

We drove back to the mansion, where Margaret was waiting for us. "Come on. Carlo's expected to touch down in less than an hour," she said. "I'm driving."

It was nice to once again be a passenger in a car, especially in one as luxurious as Margaret's Maserati. We went to the charter terminal, where we could actually go onto the taxiway as the small Learjet pulled up. The ground crew opened the door and Carlo Bertoli got out, looking confident and powerful in his suit with sunglasses over his eyes. He looked like a man who was lord of all he surveyed, and I guess in quite a few ways, he was. Seeing us, he waved casually while the three of us made our way to the foot of the stairs.

"It's good to see you," Carlo said, his voice not as warm as his words. He was reserved. After all, there was a situation that had to be dealt with, but he was glad to see his family again. His smile to me was only polite, though, and I felt a small chill travel down my spine as I felt a bit of fear. I knew what Margaret had told me that afternoon, but to see Carlo's somewhat predatory glance, I knew I was still in danger. It also reassured me that Carlo Bertoli, despite his friendly demeanor with his family and warmth when he was in a good mood, was still the Godfather of the Seattle area.

In the car, I sat in the back next to Carlo while Margaret drove and Tomasso sat next to her. Carlo broached the subject first, only moments after the car had started up. “Before I say anything, let me hear the recording."

I handed my phone up, and Tomasso cued up the conversation, which was remarkably short when listening to it again. I had to blush at some of my flirtatious comments, but I shivered again in fear and nervousness when I confronted Jake in the audio.

When the final words came out and the file ended, Carlo sat quietly, considering. He looked over at me, then at his son. "Why didn’t you confront Jake by yourself, Tomasso?"

"I'm on one leg. If he tried something, I probably wouldn’t have fared too well," Tomasso answered, keeping his voice calm and controlled. "I needed a way to put my enemy off guard. Besides, Luisa was the target and deserved to be involved."

Carlo nodded, then sighed. "You did the right thing. There is a time to be up front, and there is a time to be smart. You didn't let your ego get in the way. All right, let's head home. We can discuss the fallout from this later. Miss Mendosa, I feel I should apologize. You were supposed to be my guest, and it seems someone in my household put you in danger.”

I shook my head, knowing it was time to be gracious and understanding. It wasn't that hard, really—I didn't have any hurt feelings, and in fact, it had been sort of fun working with Tomasso. "Don Bertoli, your family has treated me with respect, and regardless of what my father says about this, you have my friendship."

"Good. Then let's go talk with your father. Maybe some good can be salvaged from all of this."