Page 12 of Merciless Attraction

I have to change the visual in my head before I burst into laughter, leaning down to kiss him immediately takes the levity out of the moment. His hand runs up the back of my neck into my hair gripping it just tight enough to pull my focus back to us.

The way Antonio’s presence swarms around me makes me feel safe. I’m able to lose myself in our togetherness as we continue to move our bodies in unison. The enthralling intensity of our passion follows us as we change positions again. With me on my back, he’s no longer pushing inside of both entrances.

Antonio’s face bears a cocky grin as he pushes my thighs apart, using his palms to keep them spread as he thrusts in and out of me with power and precision. We don’t last much longer as we both climax and he collapses onto the bed beside me.

“That was incredible.” Antonio breathes heavily and pulls me in close to him. I lie on his chest, listening to the soft beats of his heart while he runs his fingers through my hair.

“That’s exactly how I expect my fiancé to feel.”

He chuckles. “I’d enjoy starting every morning like this. I have to head into the hospital today. We should stop by your place first, or a shop, to get you a change of clothes.”

“You can go to work Antonio. I can go home. I’m sure it’s fine. I also have a job at this place, Booked and Boozy.”

Antonio sits up. “That brunch spot on Pier 39 where theinfluencerstake up space to crowd out the locals?”

I laugh. “It’s more than a social media hotspot, Antonio. But that doesn’t matter. I still have to go to work. I can probably call out today until we get this situation with my brothers handled, but what if Frankie—”

Before I can finish, Antonio’s phone rings, pulling him away from me to answer it. I can hear the anxiousness of the caller and immediately move around the room to get dressed. There’s no sense in lying around when that call will likely have us dashing out of the door.

There’s a ton of light flooding into the condo. The exposed white-brick walls contrast beautifully with his dark furniture and light beige hardwood floors. But just outside these walls, is a world where Antonio came to my rescue and his life is in danger because of me.

I hate that it’s come to this, and we’re being sucked this life I wanted to get away from. Antonio returns to the bedroom where dread etches into every line of his face.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him.

“We have to go back to the clinic. Bash was shot last night.”

My pulse races with fear as Antonio scrambles around his bedroom to get dressed. We hurry out of his condo, and to the car where we speed through the early morning traffic to get back to the clinic.

My knee bounces as Antonio makes calls to move his shift at the hospital to ensure he can work on Bash without interruption. I call Natalie to calm myself.

“Where are you?” I whisper into my phone to avoid.

“Uh, why?” she asks. She’s being cagey but I don’t have time to deal with that.

“I need clothes. I’m still in these fuckin heels from last night. I look crazy right now in Antonio’s sweatpants with a pair of Louboutin’s. Go in my apartment, grab a bag for me and bring it to the clinic for me please?”

“I can be there in about an hour, I’m not at our place,” she says.

“You slut,” I giggle and tease her. “Where did you go after Damian brought you home? You know that asshole Frankie came back after you guys left and started shooting at us? We’re on our way to the clinic, now. Bash got shot a little while ago.”

“Wait a minute, Gem,” she says. “You’re telling me too many things. I’ll grab you a change of clothes and meet you there. Love you.”

Natalie doesn’t typically withhold information about her conquests, but there are other things to focus on as she abruptly ends our call. I turn to Antonio and ask him, “How bad is he?”

“It doesn’t sound life-threatening, but I won’t know for sure until we see him,” Antonio replies with his jaw clenching as we drive back to the clinic.

Once we arrive, Antonio rushes into the clinic where puddles of blood leave a trail from the double door entrance, beyond the small waiting room which is just big enough to seat a dozen people at the most. There’s a short hallway with two doors on each side and one at the back.

My heart continues to thump against my chest as we rush in to see Bash groaning in pain. There’s so much blood and Bash looks pale. Ronan’s standing there with his hands in the air as Bash holds a gun with one hand and his wound with the other.

“Where’s Casper?” I ask him.

“Clean up.” Bash replies with his eyes darting at me and Antonio. It’s a realization in his face, the knowing I’m a woman to Antonio even though in my brother’s eyes, I’m still his little sister.

“Put that shit away,” Antonio huffs as he approaches Bash.

“Not until he leaves. He works for Verducci,” Bash groans.

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