Page 77 of Captivated

“How does one bring that kind of thing up?”

“I know. But still… Everything I know and remember about my dad is a lie. I thought he wanted to keep his family together and was doing what he could to make that happen. I thought he loved us.”

“He did, Cassie,” I assure her. “He just fell into the trap of greed and power the life we live puts so tauntingly in front of us. It can make even the strongest succumb to it more often than not.”

“Does that mean you’ll fall into that trap? Or someone else in your family? How do you know when someone is genuine or not?”

“There are men who work for us that have tried to be greedy, but we shut them down when we find out. And we always find out. They don’t pose much of a threat because only the immediate family holds the power positions, and we all know our roles in the family and businesses. We’ve been through some tough shit together since we were kids and we respect each other too much to think one is better than the other. We get paid the same, too, so there’s no greed to chase.”

“Okay.”

“I told you we’re not the same as the McLaughlins, or even any of the other three families?”

“Three?”

“Yes. There were five, including us, until recently. Now, there’s only four.”

“Did you have something to do with that?” she asks bravely.

“Yes,” I tell her honestly. “They deserved to be wiped out. They were behind my father and uncle’s deaths, and ruined Angela’s life. She’s with my cousin, Luca. Her story isn’t mine to share, though.”

“Oh,” Cassie says softly. “Then they deserved it,” she concludes.

“Trust me, they did.”

“I trust you.”

“Do you trust me to help you out of the situation you’re in?”

“Yes.” Her eyes water again. “Sean owed $85,000 originally. I sold my car and he gave them $5,000. Then when he got beaten up, he told me they wanted an extra $20,000 for the inconvenience of having to find him because they thought he fled. So, I had to find a way to come up with $100,000. Because you insisted on tricking me, I was lucky enough to have $88,000 to give them. Now, they’re keeping him until I can pay another twenty. Interest again, of course.

“That’s why I had to find another job, and that’s why I agreed to go to that room tonight. I didn’t want to last night when I was first asked, and I didn’t want to tonight either. But I thought I had no other choice, and that stupid manager said all I had to do was talk to the guy. I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want. But it escaladed pretty quickly and I…”

Cassie’s breathing comes quicker and I pull her closer. “I’ve got you now.”

She takes in a deep, shaky breath. “I know.”

“And I’ll get your brother back for you. I don’t want you to worry about it anymore.” I rub small circles up and down her back, and she relaxes further under my touch.

“Only if you let me pay you back somehow.”

“You can pay me back by being mine. You’re all I need.”

“Nico,” she says softly, raking her fingers through my wet hair. “No one’s chosen me like you before. I’ve never been first.”

“Get used to being first,piccante.” I tilt her chin up and give her a slow kiss that grows into more pretty damn quickly when she pushes me onto my back and straddles me.

Her hips rock against me, and with the only thing separating us being our towels, I rip hers away from her body and roll us back over so I can pull mine free and line myself right up to her waiting pussy.

I thrust inside her, all the way to the hilt in one motion, and her mouth tears away from mine to let out a moan that has my dick so hard, I could pound nails into wood.

I fuck her hard so I can hear that throaty moan again.

I fuck her hard so she knows she’s mine.

I want her to know this is how it’ll be for the rest of her life.

Her orgasm comes on fast and without warning, and her pussy seizes around me, flooding my cock with her come.

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