Page 85 of Maddest Temptation

“It won’t take long,” I said and kissed her lightly on the lips.

As I closed the door to my room, something shifted inside of me, my heart was melting all of the ice caps that had formed a protective barrier around itself. There was no denying it any longer, I wanted Francesca, I wanted her bad. Enough that I was ready to throw all reason out the window.

The two men that had followed Francesca and given her a scare hadn’t been hard to find. In an attempt to save his skin, Vince had hunted them down. It helped that the cameras in Francesca’s building had captured their faces.

They were already waiting for me when I arrived at the club. Both were tied to metal chairs in the center of the torture room in the basement.

Vitelli had already started with the interrogation when I walked inside the room and removed my jacket. Once he saw me, he came my way. “How is she?” The concern in his voice warmed me.

“Shaken, but she’ll be all right. Luciano is with her,” I told him. “What did you find out?”

“Bratva.” One word was enough.

“What did they want with her?” I began rolling the sleeves of my shirt.

“That one there said it was just a little game. They were supposed to scare her and leave.” Vitelli pointed toward one of the men who was missing his front teeth.

“Who sent them?” I asked as I stopped before the tray where all our toys were displayed for me. I picked the brass knuckles and fitted them on my fist.

“The order came from high up in the food chain, they don’t know.”

I headed toward both men and stopped before them. It didn’t matter who the order came from or what their end goal was. The only thing that mattered was their sorry asses wouldn’t leave this room alive. They would pay with their lives for scaring Francesca. The only reason they wouldn’t suffer more than they already had was because they hadn’t touched her.

“I bet you had a fucking great time scaring her,” I said to the man before me, and threw the first punch. “Watching her run and hide.” I punched him again and then again. I kept on punching him until I heard a loud crack of a bone giving way.

When I stepped back, the Russian had stopped breathing. I looked at his companion whose eyes were wide and overflowing with fear. I dropped the brass knuckles on the tray behind me and picked up a sharp knife. That’s when to thrash and twist trying to escape, and the begging began.

“You hurt my girl,” I reminded him, “You deserve nothing but pain.” I shoved the knife into his guts and twisted it.

I turned around and left it there as the Russian bled to death. Vitelli, who was watching me, looked slightly surprised by my lack of control, but he did the right thing and kept quiet.

The Russian Pakhan could threaten me all he liked, steal and alter my cargo as he pleased, but he committed the worst mistake of his life. He messed with my girl and now he was going to pay for it with his blood.

When I arrived at my apartment, I headed into my room desperate to be with Francesca. She was lying on my bed, golden hair spilled over my pillowcase. Her hands were tucked under her cheeks and her lips slightly parted. My cock strained to life begging for attention. I ignored it and headed toward the bathroom, to remove all the blood and sweat.

After a quick shower, I returned to my room to find her sitting crossed legged at the edge of the bed. She wore one of my shirts and it had hiked up to her hips. I wiped my hair with a small towel and then threw it on the floor.

Francesca watched me attentively and swallowed when I let go of the towel wrapped around my waist, baring myself to her. She proceeded to take in every inch of me, but not in a sexual way.

“I’m fine,” I assured her, it was strange having someone worry about me this way. I sat beside her and removed a wild strand of hair from her face. “I’m alright Francesca. See. “I patted myself and she stared at the scar on my abdomen, and her eyes darkened.

“Are they dead?” The hatred in her voice made me proud.

I nodded, wishing I could tell she was safe now, but I didn’t want to lie, as long as she remained with me, by my side she would be, but if they had gotten to her once… I didn’t want to think about that now.

Exhaustion pulled at me, and I knew Francesca must be as well, so I pulled her back into the bed and wrapped my arms around her tucking her tight against me. She turned around in my arms and rested a hand on my chest, she looked up with those sapphire eyes and I became hard instantly.

Slowly she pushed me back into bed and climbed and straddled my hips. “Francesca,” I warned, but she didn’t listen, she removed my shirt and threw it aside.

“I need you, Cassio, please.” She pleaded.

I really wanted to be a better man but when she begged like that. I wrapped my arm around her waist and flipped her, so she was lying down on the bed. “You need to rest.” I said as I settled in between her legs. “I’m trying really hard to do the right thing over here, to be a good man.”

“Don’t,” she pulled me down and whispered against my lips. “Fuck me, Cassio.”

Shit.

I slipped my hand in between her legs and was surprised to find her wet and ready for me. I reached into the nightstand and grabbed a condom, and quickly rolled it down my shaft.

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