Page 69 of Spark

She described the two men who were in the little café when she and Tony had been speaking. “The guy with the suit; he could have been recording us with his computer!”

“No, it was the old man,” Aurelio sighed. “I know him.”

“What?”

“Yeah, he has been around before. He does all kinds of dirty work for the boss and the other heads. Well, at least I know how he got it.”

“What did he want to stay quiet?” Mia asked, needing answers before she passed out again from exhaustion.

“I had three more jobs lined up. Big ones. Then, right after you walk at graduation, I would be out. Done.”

Mia nodded, her mental calendar having already circled the date several times.

“Dom wants all three jobs. He wants the money, but if I give him all three, I will need to stay longer, plan more jobs, and then get out.”

“Why can't you just walk away without any more jobs?”

“Boss wants a set amount for me to be able to get out scot-free, and the three jobs together would have satisfied him and give my crew enough to leave as well.” Aurelio leaned forward, reaching out to hold her knee.

She smiled; the connection was a comfort they both needed. “And now?”

“I kept one job. It’s still big, but it won't be enough for the crew to leave.” He moved closer to her, his body half on the edge of the couch.

Mia relented, moving next to him. She let his hands settle around her as they exchanged a couple of quick kisses before pulling back.

“Right, well, the crew will have to join one of the other heads in order to finish off their own debts or whatever they need,” Aurelio continued. “As for me, the job will pay off the boss fully. I will be out.” He ran a finger across Mia's chin. “Free, with you.”

“And Dominick will stay quiet?”

“Yes, we made a blood pact.”

“Blood pact? Are you vampires?” Mia asked.

“No,” Aurelio scoffed. “In my line of work, it's a contract we sign in blood. If one of us breaks it, the other is entitled to kill them.”

“What?! He could kill you?”

“Only if I break the contract.”

“And what is in the contract, exactly?”

“That he can do the jobs with no interference or trouble from me,” Aurelio explained. “And I will walk away without ever coming back once my time is up.”

“Hh,” Mia huffed. “Easy, right?”

Aurelio's hands tightened around her as he chuckled. “Very.”

She let out a laugh, too, releasing the tension. “And his side says he won’t tell anyone about us?”

“Or share any information he has gathered about you. I'm sorry you were put in this situation.” His face moved closer to hers.

“It's okay.” Her lips lingered above his. “You're worth it.” As their lips met, Aurelio laid Mia on the couch. She wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss and making Aurelio release a deep groan. He moved to her bare stomach; the hem of the shirt she wore rode up as his hand roamed her body. As he shifted, he trailed kisses along her flesh. She could feel his want pressed against her legs as he rested on her.

“Aurelio.” His name was like a whispered plea. One he was happy to answer, lifting the shirt off her body to bare her breasts. He leaned down again, his mouth finding her nipple and sucking it.

“Oh God,” Mia moaned, unable to hold still as his hand reached into her panties, thumb finding her clit. He massaged the bundle gently.

“Aurelio. Please.” Her hands went to his waistband, unbuttoning his slacks and pulling his erection free from his boxers.

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