Page 50 of Tango

“You were with me the entire time I was there,” I said with honesty. “Whenever I felt my mind drift off, there you were. In your silk blouse, tight skirt, heels, and that smile that makes me weak in the knees.” I picked up the pace a little as I lost my mind in how good she felt.

“Tell me more.” She was breathless as her hands moved to get a better grip. She gave herself to me to do whatever I wanted, and I let out a growl from deep down in my throat.

“Last night, I was so hard for you that I needed two showers just to calm myself down.”

“Oh, yeah? Did it work?” Her back bowed when I changed angles.

“No.” I closed my eyes and tried to control myself. “Nothing works but this.”

“Then take me.”

I folded over her, grabbed the edge of the desk, and used all my strength to go deeper, harder, rougher, until all she could do was hold on. Her lips puffed hot air over my ear as I repeated how much I loved her. Over and over, I uttered the words until she shook beneath me, and I released everything I had inside her.

All that could be heard was the sound of our heavy breathing, but my words were still there hanging in the air to remind us of what we had.

“God, it’s good to be home,” I whispered. “This is my home.” I kissed her chest above her heart and sealed my words inside it.

Paul

For days, I stayed glued to the cameras that showed my house in Mexico. I watched and listened for anything I could bring to Blackstone. I knew Frank had a few men on this in Washington, but I knew this life better than any of them, and I needed to help.

With the camera footage projected onto a massive screen, I poured myself some coffee. Abby had brought a whole pot down for me earlier along with some sweets. I snagged a sticky pastry from the plate, and as I sank my teeth into its deliciousness, I was struck by how much the people in this house cared for one another. I’d almost forgotten how much these simple acts of kindness made this place a home to all who were lucky enough to live here.

I knew Ty was back. I’d heard Moore mention he’d gone right up to see Ivy. Lucky guy. Talya’s face immediately popped up in my head, but even as I shook away the memory of her face, my subconscious defied me. I could hear the sounds she’d made in the back room of that bar as clearly as if it were in the here and now. I closed my eyes and indulged for a moment. The temptation was just too much. The scent of her brought memories of fresh laundry and a hint of sweet perfume. It made my chest ache as I thought of her long, smooth legs. I sighed deeply, then my eyes flew open as I heard Alejandro’s voice.

“Are you slipping?” The memory of Talya shattered, and I shot forward to look at the camera feed. Alejandro was in the library. “Get your shit together.” He snickered at Filippo. “They’re talking about you out there. You’re drawing attention to yourself—no, to us.”

“Shut up,” Filippo barked.

“What’s going on?” Alejandro demanded with crossed arms. Filippo rubbed his head, and I tossed my pastry on the table and moved closer to the screen.

“Castillo’s called for a party.” Filippo pulled at his hair. “Hijo de puta, I think he knows that we know.”

“Settle down! Do you think we’d be standing here if Martin Castillo knew the truth?” Alejandro stepped closer to Filippo. “Do you think this place would still be here at all if that were true? We’d be dead and this house would be burned to the ground just to make a statement to everyone he knew.” He reached back and pulled out his gun and pointed it at Filippo’s chest. “We’re in this together, mi amigo, but if you can’t handle it, then I will.”

“Fuck off.” Filippo pushed his arm away. “The fucking safety’s still on.”

I smirked as I remembered Ale’s fear of blowing off his own junk. He always kept the safety on and always forgot about it. Real hardcore Cartel member, right there.

As the evening went on, I felt my eyes grow heavy, so I lay down and watched the screen from the comfort of the couch. The sound of the sliding glass door woke me, and I jerked upright. A blurry Savannah stared down at me as I sat there, and it took a moment to remember where I was. Her kind smile eased my mind as I fumbled to clear my head.

“Paul, I know you want to help the team, but please take a break. Come and join us in the living room upstairs.” She nodded toward the door.

“Yeah, sure, okay.” I swung my legs and let my feet hit the floor heavily. “I think I need a shower first.”

“You said it, not me.” She winked. “The new team’s here. They just arrived, so you should come up and meet them.” She gathered my plate and mug and put them on the tray. “I’ll take this for you while you get ready.” She smiled and whisked out of the room.

“Right.” I dreaded the idea of meeting new people, especially the way I felt in that moment. I left the office and eased into the entertainment room then flipped down the panel in the wall and slipped through into the hidden stairways. I was pleased the Logans hadn’t changed the passcodes. Only Blackstone would know about them, anyway, I reasoned, and of course Savannah. I was pleased I remembered the way to my room without having to engage with anyone on the way. The Logans hand-built an entire back way to move about the house unseen so we could move prisoners, move to different rooms, or flee to the escape room if, God forbid, anything was to happen. I climbed the stairs and smiled at Sue’s private room that Savannah used as a quiet place to hide from the boys in the house. I stopped to admire Sue’s, Savi’s, and now Oliva’s names carved into the wood showing generations of women who used this little oasis, and the water ring of Aloof’s fishbowl. The memories the house held were truly amazing.

I kept moving then punched in the code to open the wall door to my bedroom. Once inside and the door was flush with the wall again, I dropped my clothes and headed for a much-needed shower. It was nice that they kept everything the same. They had no idea what that meant and how I wasn’t just a picture on the wall.

The living room was full of energy as I entered, and I walked toward the others, glad I felt more like myself. I chuckled when I spotted Aloof’s bowl on the mantel of the fireplace, another secret Olivia let me in on as she had seen Mike return one night with a new goldfish. I wondered what number they were on to keep him alive for the kids. Ty had begun to introduce the new team members who arrived early this morning to everyone, and when he spotted me, he hesitated. I realized he was unsure as to how to introduce me.

“Hi, I’m Paul. I work for Frank,” I called and moved closer with a smile and a nod.

“Lee. Nice to meet you.” One of the guys stepped up and shook my hand. Mark suddenly cracked a joke, and the attention went immediately to him. I silently thanked him. Everyone stood around and chatted, and the sound of ice cubes and laughter soon made me feel at home again. I enjoyed these times with the family, and I appreciated Savannah’s effort to bring me back to the fold.

“Hey, Perez,” Lee called, “you gotta work on your dismount.” The new guys laughed at that, and I knew there was an inside joke there as Ty joined in. “Gain will kick your ass next time.”

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