Page 38

She crosses her arms over her chest with a satisfied look. Her confidence is gorgeous and sexy as fuck. “Cash. You can’t track cash.”

“Good girl. Cash is King.” I wink at her.

She presses her lips to mine and says, “No. You are.” Damn my blood spikes. No time right now.

I continue, “He knew she was in New Orleans, but he didn’t know where. She was still hidden until Hurricane Tabi touched down in NOLA. Enzo was tracking the Five while you were tracking him. I didn’t think he was that smart. It was only when Tabitha called her Poppy, and Boomer sent her picture to me that I found out she was in town. Lou, Boomer, and I had to figure out a way to get Tabi home, mi amore out of there, and me undead pretty fucking quick. Granted, I’m still deceased to all that matter, so I’d appreciate no selfies at this time.”

They all laugh a little, but it’s strained. This whole fucking life is strained, and I feel a bit adrift not knowing where Lou is. I’ll give him until tomorrow to get here and then I’ll mourn the son of a bitch. Jesus, what else can this life take?

I did all the good I could. I never looked back on the shit I can’t change, but all the stuff that’s got to be clean. If I were a better man, I would have stayed dead. But I’m a selfish prick and there’s no way I could stay away from her for one more second. Tabi or not, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer.

Brick clears his throat, “I’m right, sorry. But with you dead and all, and everyone back home in Sonoma hurting something awful, I couldn’t sit around and do nothing. I only spoke with Tabi so she could cover for me, but then she informed me she was the only one who could pull her back. And apparently she’s bad with the word ‘no’ as well.”

“Brother. You know as well as I do, that this shit was going to pop off sometime. We couldn’t put off the inevitable. Bygones,” I say.

Poppy sips the twisted tea in front of her and nods. “That’s probably true. She might not be a hand holding friend, but no one has your back like that girl.”

Becca agrees and then takes Poppy’s hand. They smile to a reference from long ago before they knew how a mercenary with a crack shot would fit into our puzzle or there were chess pieces being played without consent, a white hat hacker watching over all of us, with the mafia laid out at their feet. Not to mention a boogey man hunting us from the fucking shadows.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Poppy

Being kidnapped, finding out your soul mate is still alive, forced across state lines, plotting the demise of both the LA mafioso and an international terrorist, because that’s what Cady is, is exhausting. Oh, and I drank way too much spiked sweet tea.

Sal’s finishing up business and wanted to get with Boomer. I finally peel off my beer and sweat-soaked disgusting club clothes, tossing them into the garbage. Boomer ran to Target to grab new clothes for me, plus clarifying shampoo and toothpaste. I thought I was so clever and damned careful, but a litany of people have found me because of my damn skylark and poppy tattoo. It was inspired by Brick’s tattoo of the hummingbird he has for my cousin. I liked the idea of having my love with me the way he pined for her. And now I’m not sure how I feel about the thing.

I shower and it feels so freaking good. I scrub the crap out of my hair to rinse out a lot of the black/purple gloss. I want to be red again, and it’s been a while since I let that color out. Things have been shades of gray in my life since the moment Becca sat me down to tell me he was gone.

I’m overwhelmed and can’t stop the tears, so I let them come in waves of release. I let go of the sorrow, the joy, the loss, and possibly my sanity. I have no fear anymore or a desire to hide. I sob out the jealousy that everyone gets to walk around hand in hand with the loves of their life and I have to hide. I get to be seen and released from this love limbo we’ve lived in for almost five years now. I have a hand on the wall as I bend over and keen. My body is wracked with sobs and I can’t stop them. The water sluices over my back and I watch as the darkish purple gloss swirls down the drain.

I don’t hear him, I only feel him as he gets in the shower behind me and pulls me to him. My knees give out at the warmth and care. He says nothing as he sits down on the tiled bench seat and pulls me onto his lap and his giant arms gather me to him. My hands go to his heart and my nails slide through his dark chest hair as I lay my head against him to listen to his heart. I don’t know how long I cry, or if there are any tears actually coming down my face anymore. But he takes it all. He absorbs it all as if he’s stronger than me and can handle anything. He always says that I’m stronger than him, he’s just better at hiding his weaknesses and humanity. But right now, I have nothing. Thank God he’s strong enough to hold us both upright.

Eventually, my breath returns to normal. The shower fills with steam and his arms stay steady and sure. He kisses my forehead and whispers, “Gingersnap.” And I almost shatter again at how much I need to hear affection from him. And then I realize we’re both naked. And I haven’t been with my husband in months. I turn my face up to his and kiss his jaw. He looks down at me, his gorgeous chiseled face wet with the spray of water. His eyes hold all the pain and joy in the world. They’re mine and I need to remind him of that.

He brushes his lips softly over mine, testing me, seeing my state of mind. I lean into the kiss. He quietly groans as I nip at his bottom lip, begging for entry.

He mutters as he kisses all around my mouth and jaw, peppering and talking. And I feel him hardening underneath me. “Red, Gingersnap, my beautiful, Poppy. I love you so much, like more than any fucking thing that can or ever will be. Mia Moglie. My wife. You’re my everything.” I sit up and wiggle a little.

“Careful there,” he chides and I slide myself around his waist, tucking my knees down to the tile as I straddle him and lower myself near his thickening cock.

I feel it slide through my slit, and I groan. “Done being careful.”

He pushes my hair from my face. “I want you so badly, but you know how I like to tell you what to do? It doesn’t feel right. Here, after you’ve cried your soul out, I think maybe it’s your show, my love.” I kneel up, putting my hands on his face, and pull him toward me.

“I need you. Us. Now. Fill me up, Sal. I want to feel you everywhere. However, you want me. I need to be closer to you than anyone in the world. Remind me what it’s like to be possessed and owned by you. I want to be everything but mostly I want you inside of me, sharing my body, sharing yours with mine.”

He grins his crooked smile and says, “What you’re saying is, you want me to fuck your brains out?” I grind down on his now heavy cock and gasp.

“Yes. Fuck me. Own me. Wreck me. Then heal me.”

“I never want to disappoint my wife.”

His hands snake around my ass as he pulls me to him. My chest eye level. He sucks my nipple into his mouth and grazes it with his teeth. I moan and punch my hips forward. One of his hands finds its way to my slit, and his thumb slowly circles my clit in rhythm with his tongue on my tit. He’s so strong. I’m held in place and I’m all his. Helpless with desire.

Then his thick blunt fingers thrust into me, and I am fucking gone. He leans me back for a better angle, then spreads his legs, opening me up on top of him. Stretching me and exposing us. Unexpectedly, I release with a scream.