Page 25 of Love & Power

I’m sure Renato was going to discover that truth for himself rather shortly. Powerful people don’t like to be used.

“Okay, fine, you win, but I’m going to change first,” Astin relented. “If we head out there soon, we can check out the businesses too. You never know what you can find in a small town.”

“That’s the spirit,” I cheered, reaching out my hands to her. “Come on, gorgeous, I’ll help you pick what to wear.”

“You just want to watch me take my clothes off,” she shot back with a smirk.

Unable to deny it, I just shrugged my shoulders and wiggled my fingers for her to hurry. Grabbing her hands, I pulled her up, but she surprised me as she continued her forward motion until her lips met mine. Fuck, I loved how she tasted normally, but with the added flavor of scotch, it just made it all that more decadent.

“Damn, what did I do to earn that?” I asked. “You know, so I can do it again.”

Astin laughed, which was always a goal I had to accomplish every day. “Just for being you and reminding me to have some fun. I know I get caught up and lost in my head, but thankfully, I have the perfect pet to look after me.”

I would never have called myself a sentimental person, but hearing Astin say that to me had my heart melting. This is what I’d been craving in all those pointless relationships that I supplemented with things. It was as simple as a genuine appreciation for what I brought to the relationship. Yeah, Jace loved and appreciated me, but it wasn’t the same—he didn’t need my support. In fact, I was the one who depended on him for support and keeping me grounded when I tended to spiral. However, when it came to Astin, I was able to make her life better in a manner none of the others could.

Some might look down on me for being a man who wanted to serve a woman, to be owned by her. Personally, I think it takes greater confidence and security for a man to submit and find fulfillment from it. Just because I would get on my knees for this woman in a heartbeat didn’t mean I lost all power. With one word, I could end the whole thing—tell me that isn’t power.

Lifting Astin’s hand, I kissed it, holding her gaze and trying to pour all my feelings into these next words. “Thank you, Mistress.”

While I helped Astin pick out her attire for the evening, I looked up what restaurants there were in the small town of Torma. We decided on a wine bar that offered a wide selection of seafood and an extensive amount of options for a make-your-own charcuterie board. What sold me was the fact the restaurant was situated on a cliffside with a patio that overlooked a lake. It seemed like the perfect place for a little wine, romance, and distance from all that happened today.

We piled into two SUVs and headed out. It was nice to see the landscape around us since we arrived in the middle of the night. This part of Nepreea was rolling hills of pasture lands broken up by stretches of wooded areas and homesteads. Everything was lush, green, and quiet compared to back home in Springmont. It was a lovely change of pace, but I knew I was a city guy and soon I would miss the hustle and bustle.

I’d called ahead to make a reservation, and thankfully, the woman spoke better English than I did Nepreeian. When Colmazio first brought us on as lieutenants, he required us to take a course in basic Nepreeian. Some of the others, like Luca, Ryker, Liu, and Jace, who dealt with contacts in Nepreea regularly continued their education. I, however, did not, which I regret wholeheartedly. As they always say, hindsight is twenty-twenty and not all of us can be Atticus who learns shit after reading it once. Thankfully, I had Hound struggling alongside me to catch up to the others.

The town of Torma had roughly fifteen thousand people living there, but it was a tourist destination with a few historic sites and, of course, the beautiful view of Vetri Lake that was so large you couldn’t see the other side of it. The homes we passed were narrow but tall, three to four stories clustered together, all painted in a color scheme that made me think of a sunset. Cobblestone roads made it impossible for anyone to sneak around this town, but it just added to the overall feel of Torma.

Since we wanted to check out the place, our drivers dropped us off at the town’s center circle, near the shopping area. Hopping out of the vehicle, I waited for the others to join me, along with Gemma and Beatrice who’d changed into street clothes to blend it. Jace came up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close.

“Have I told you how sexy those pants make your ass look?” Jace murmured, nipping at my ear.

“If I say no, will you say it again?” I teased.

Jace laughed and kissed my cheek. “Always such a brat. Just take the compliment.”

Grinning, I leaned my head back to kiss him, feeling like we hadn’t had a moment together, even though I slept in his bed last night. “You know, it’s really kind of nice that we don’t have to hide this anymore.”

“Brax, you sucked at keeping what was going on between us a secret,” Jace pointed out. “But I know what you mean, and I have to agree, especially since you’re officially mine.”

“Half yours,” I corrected.

“Half, whole, doesn’t matter because I can now tell anyone who dares to make a move on you to fuck off,” he explained, kissing me soundly before pulling back and taking my hand. “Come on, let’s enjoy this family outing with our girl.”

Slightly disoriented by how fucking turned on I was hearing him say that kind of possessive shit, I let him lead me to the others. How I managed to pull myself together and not beg Jace to find a place he could bend me over and fuck my brains out, I’ll never know. But I deserved a damn gold star for doing it.

We wandered in and out of shops, most of them full of tourist trinkets. Then we stumbled upon a men’s clothing store that had sharp-looking suits and pieces that screamed mafia. The shop also caught Luca’s attention, giving me the leverage I needed to convince everyone to check out the place. Hound and Ryker complained the most, but they changed their tune when they saw how excited Astin was helping to pick things out with Atticus. None of us would deny our woman anything that made her smile after seeing it vanish for a time after her father’s death.

I spotted a rack of rather bold colors and prints for a suit that I had to check out. “Hound,” I called across the shop. “You need to come look at these.”

Looking like a sullen child, Hound wandered over. “Look, I know you all wear suits, and it’s the unofficial dress code, but I’m not…” His words trailed off the moment he saw the jacket I held up. “Holy shit, it has skulls all over it.”

“Yeah, there’s one here that also has computer code that looks like plaid,” I pointed out. “Are you sure there’s no way to convince you to dress up a little? What about switching out the studded leather jacket and hoodies for these?”

Hound clicked his tongue ring against his teeth as he considered my proposal. “I suppose I could do that, and it would help me blend in a little more.”

“Yeah…” I agreed hesitantly.

There were many skills Hound had, but blending in was absolutely not one of them. Together, we picked out a few for him to try on, and I grabbed Astin to help. If she liked it on him, he’d buy it in every fucking color. The dressing rooms and the one-eighty mirror were in the back of the shop, down a short hall. As far as I could tell, we were the only people in the place, and the others were keeping the owner rather busy helping with sizing and fit.