That trailing response tells me she’s close. Too close. I pull back, nibbling her inner thighs, licking the creamy skin.

“No! Fuck!” She yanks on her restraints. “Don’t leave me hanging like this…”

I move up to the juncture between her thighs, hovering, breathing.

“Ezio, please. Make me come.”

I inch past her pussy, making my way to her stomach, planting gentle kisses.

She tugs against the restraint. “At least let me touch myself.”

“That would be cheating.” I lean in and kiss her. She moans as she tastes herself. “Are you a cheater, Nicki?”

“I’m a step away from losing my mind if I don’t come, that’s what,” she grumbles.

Ready to release her from the misery, I slip two fingers inside her, gently stroking. Nicki’s eyes roll back.

“Yes, yes. Oh…. Yes—”

A sudden thump against the window makes my head shoot up. There’s something outside.

Or someone.

Nicki groans as I ease my fingers out. Yet, there’s no cursing as I dash toward the window. Good girl. She understands that something’s up. Pulling the gun from my waist, I peer through the window. It’s dark out, but the motion sensor lights are on. Yes, there’s definitely movement out there. Is it a critter or a human being?

My grip slackens on my gun as I spot a blur of black and white. The creature scutters back to the forest.Goddamn racoons. I rest the gun on the side table and move back to the bed.

“Now, where were we?”

“You were about to make up for cutting my climax short,” she supplies with a smirk.

I unzip my pants and step from my boxers, then settle between her thighs. “I’ll make it up to you and more, sweetheart.”

Our moans sound in unison as I fill her. Our bodies move in sync, too. Tonight, our love making feels different. More passionate. Desperate. Which is weird, considering we’ve been screwing like rabbits for weeks now. Yet, it’s like we haven’t touched each other in years.

I bury my neck in her shoulder, growling her name as I come. She locks her legs around my waist, not allowing me to pull out. She wants my essence inside of her. With hard thrusts of my hips, I oblige, filling her as she explodes for me. When we’re finally empty, I release her from the headboard and pull her exhausted body to me.

She quickly drifts off to sleep. Yet, I can’t do the same. Anxiety swirls in my gut, telling me that something’s not right. Whatever it is, I need to nip it in the bud.

Before it destroys us.

***

The hike ruined his leather shoes, but Alessandro reminds himself that it’s worth it. He’ll curse at his brother later. As he lights a cigarette, he hides himself between the trees and watches the parked Maserati just beneath the cabin stairs. There’s no doubt about it. It’s Ezio’s car.

Over the past few weeks, Alessandro has been doing his father’s bidding like the dutiful son that he is. Every time Ezio sneaks away, he follows him in an inconspicuous sedan, putting just enough distance so that his brother doesn’t realize that he’s tailing him. However, it seems like Ezio is a paranoid one. No matter how many times Alessandro tries to follow him, Ezio always manages to shake him off. This time, he’s determined not to let his brother out of his sight. He still has no idea what his brother is hiding, but he can bet that it’s something big. He can’t wait until their father discovers his terrible deeds.

A few days ago, Alessandro received a tip from an old flame that the Maserati has been spotted on several occasions in this town. This piqued his interest, and he’d been scouring the location ever since. Imagine his luck when it cruised past him earlier tonight. With his old flame and her sister on board, he followed at a safe distance. There was only one destination, the scenic view at the top. He followed the trail and got there just in time to see Ezio hustle a woman in the car. He’d bet his fortune that it was Nicoletta, but for the sake of his plan, he had to be sure. Stefano would kill him for wasting his time.

He parked the car halfway down the mountains and made the sisters get out. Ezio was smart. A tinted car would arouse his suspicion. Satisfied that he’d thrown his brother off the scent, Alessandro kept going. According to his old flame, there was only one cabin in the mountains.

Confident that he was on the right track, and not wanting to test his luck, Alessandro left the car with the girls and continued the journey on foot. He walked for more than an hour, most of it probably because he was lost and it was too dark, but he finally reached a cabin.

At last, they’re finally within his grasp.

They’re surely going at it.Fucking traitors.

Alessandro scoffs as he blows the smoke into the cold air. He can hear the woman’s moans coming from the cabin. A peek through the bedroom window confirm he was right — it’sher. A million questions run through Alessandro’s head. How long has his brother been keeping her here? Why the fuck would Ezio pull a stunt like this?