What Jorge shares stuns me. The elegant woman who teased her son and made me feel so at home has a violent streak I never could’ve imagined. It should shock the shit out of me and scare the piss out of me. Instead, I respect her even more, and it relieves me to know she’s like that if I’m to stay with her when Jorge’s not around.
“Liesel, you need to know all of the syndicate mothers are like that. In the O’Rourke family, Breda, Saoirse, and Siobhan arenotto be underestimated. Before Siobhan’s son, Dillan, became the boss, it was the sisters’ older brother who led their family, and before that it was their father. When their brother, Donovan, tried to make their sons go on a mission younger than they agreed to, Breda ordered a hit on one of Donovan’s men. She made sure the guy was in intensive care for weeks. She didn’t have him killed, but he was never the same afterwards. She did it to remind her brother and everyone else that he might have been the head of the family, but his sisters’ hands were the ones who turned it. Galina, Alina, and Svetlana are the bratva mothers. They survived growing up in Russia, and their husbands were all KGB before becoming bratva.”
That last bit isn’t as descriptive, but it tells me all I need to know about the bratva mothers.
“The Mancinelli women are like the O’Rourkes. They all grew up in Mafia families and married Mafia men. Maria Mancinelli is close to my age. Her uncle’s the don. Her father’s hisconsigliere, or chief advisor. Her oldest brother is the underboss, and her second oldest brother is thecapo dei capi, or captain of captains. Her husband’s one of the senior mostcaposalong with her third brother and their cousin. The best shooters out of all four families, untilTíaElle joined ours, were in that family.”
I’m not certain what to say at the end of that story. I mull over what he’s just shared, and I’m struck by a realization that fills me all the way to the marrow of my bones.
“Jorge, you need to know that even though I don’t have the history your mom has or the mob, Mafia, and bratva women, I’m no different from them. If we have children, I won’t think twice about protecting them the same way. You say there are no limits to what you’d do to keep me safe, and I don’t doubt for a moment that would extend to any children we have. I feel the same way about you, but I admit the thought of anyone harming our children creates such a visceral rage in me even you wouldn’t talk me out of whatever I’d want to do.”
He stares at me for a long moment before he nods. “Chiquita, the one thing I would ask of you, God forbid that situation should ever happen, is that you speak to me first. Not because I’ll try to talk you out of it, but to ensure your safety. Let me work alongside you. If our children were ever in danger, I couldn’t bear risking you too.”
“That’s fair, Daddy.”
I can live with that. I’m standing by the closet, and he walks over to me. He slides his arms around my waist, pulling my back to his chest as he kisses my neck.
“I love seeing your clothes hanging beside mine,chiquita. It looks so natural to have them there.”
“And I love knowing you made space for me to share your dresser too. It really makes this feel like home rather than just a place I’m visiting.”
“I think I need to show you just how at home you are in our bed, little one.”
I turn toward him, and he takes my hands loosely in his. He walks backward to the bed as he draws me with him.
“Daddy, can we be more adventurous tonight?”
Chapter Thirty
Jorge
I stare at Liesel for a moment. “What kind of adventurous?”
“You know I like it when you spank me. Can we use something besides your hand?”
“We can, but I’ve never brought a woman here, Liesel. I don’t have toys or implements I recycle on women. I don’t have any paddles, crops, or whips.”
I’m adamant she knows I wouldn’t use anything on her that I’ve shared with another woman. I think it reassures her, and I’m certain she prefers it, even if it’s inconvenient.
“You have belts.”
“No, absolutely not. I will not lash you with a belt the first time you receive a spanking with something more than my hand. We will build up to that unless you do something that risks your safety or someone else’s. Then it’ll be a punishment, and you won’t enjoy anything about it. I’d rather not associate your first memories of a toy or implement with a punishment, but I will if I have to.”
I feel the shiver running along her spine. She could shy away from the dominance in my voice and the threat of corporalpunishment. Instead, she leans into it. I don’t know that she wants to test my promise, but it arouses her to think of me commanding her like that.
I tug her closer and inhale. I yank her t-shirt over her head and shove her bra out of the way. I latch onto her nipple and suck so hard she yelps. When I pull back, I slap it.
“You like the idea of me punishing you. You want it even more than you did the spankings I gave you in the hotel. I smell your arousal, Liesel. It makes me want to lick your cunt until you come on my tongue.”
“I’d be embarrassed by the first half of what you said, Daddy, if the second half didn’t set my pussy ablaze.”
“Iwill undress you.”
Because I have control of this situation and of her. But we both recognize it’s because she allows it. She doesn’t doubt for a moment that I’d stop the instant she told me to. I’m only doing this because she consents. Oh, how she consents. I can practically hear her thoughts since her face is so expressive.
Yes, please. Right this fucking moment, please.
I unfasten her jeans and push them down her hips. We both took our shoes off at the door when we came back from the greenhouse. She steps out of her pants before I toe the jeans and fling them aside.
