I made my way back home after dropping her off. The rain was hitting the road so hard. I couldn't see a thing, and I couldn't think of anything else, other than her.
I regretted kissing her. Because now, I was unsure how I'd ever be able to live with out it. But God, if she wasn't the best fucking thing I've ever tasted. Her wet hair in my hands, her body arching against mine and the taste of her tongue was enough to knock me the fuck out.
I could feel her lips every time I raised my bruised hands to mine. All I had was greed when I kissed her. I don't know I managed to wait this fucking long.
I got to my house, in soaking wet clothes. The house was cold, empty. I barely had a chance to speak to anyone the whole night because she was giving me such a hard fucking time. Dancing around that club like she owned the damn place.
Every man's eyes were fixed on only her. She ran her hands over her body and even though she'd never admit it, she was dancing for me. And I enjoyed the show. But the thought of the fuckers in this bar ogling at what's mine didn't sit right with me. In fact, it made me want to pull out my pistol and make them scram out of there. But I pushed that thought aside, felt my cock strain against my zipper and decided to do the rational thing and pull her off the dance floor.
She'd be a real handful when we got married.
I removed my gun holster from my belt and got into the shower.
Damn those lips of hers.
She was the only thing on my mind. It was late, I had meetings later on today.
I pulled out my phone and texted her.
'Are you thinking of me too?'
'Just for a second.' she responded.
'I hope you got rid of that dress.'
'I was too busy being interrogated about where I was.'
'you're a grown woman, you don't have to answer to anyone.'
'that's very easy for you to say.'
'it's none of their business.'
'you're a pretty good kisser, Kingston.'
That knocked me out of focus for a second.
'you're not too bad yourself, for a first time'
'I've seen movies.'
'I have meetings later today. Any advice to keep sane?'
'I would say think about our kiss but that would just be distracting.'
'we can't have that.'
'no we can't. I'd suggest chamomile.'
'the fuck is that?'
'nevermind. I'm going to see Lo later. If you come to see my papa and I'm not there, don't hulk out.'
Fucking hell. She's so loyal to him and I hate it.
'you shouldn't go alone. I don't trust him with you.'
'you have to let that go, Axe.'
'you know that'll never fucking happen.'
'I'm serious. You can't be on the outs with my brother'
'the hell I can't.'
'I'm totally healed. James is gone. There's literally no need for a grudge anymore.'
'I obey every thing you say Katerina, but I'll forgive Lo on my own time.'
'I'm the one who was hurt, and I forgave him.'
'that's because he's your brother. And I warned him not to get you in trouble before, so I have every right to be pissed.'
'whatever. The papers for the Harold's deal are with Jax. Papa signed them earlier.'
'that's good. I'll be meeting him tomorrow I believe.'
'are you prepped? Do you need a binder? I can make one quickly.'
I smiled at my screen.
'I think I'm good.'
'fine, but just an FYI, I make very informative binders.'
'I don't doubt that at all. Will I see you later?'
'I'm not sure. I'll be with Lo till maybe 3 then I'll come home. Why?'
'just wondering when I can kiss you again.'
'that would be highly inappropriate. You need to control yourself.'
'shut up. Don't act like you don't want to, either.'
'you're too old to be acting like a love-sick teenager.'
'I am not old. You are old.'
'I'm going to ignore that for your own safety.'
'you looked beautiful tonight my Katerina.'
'thank you. You looked beautiful too.'
'you made a mess in my car.'
'I did no such thing.'
'you can't eat a cheeseburger like a normal human being.'
'I'm a very messy eater.'
'you'd better consider all this before you decide to put a ring on it. I don't want you stuck with me.'
'you're perfect.'
'ew, shut up.'
I grinned at my phone.
'you're annoying me now. Fuck off.'
'you texted me, dumbass.'
'can't believe I kissed a girl with such a foul mouth.'
'you're not funny.'
'I'll swing by tomorrow evening, prep for meeting Harolds with your papa.'
'I'll try to be around when you get here.'
'Just as desperate for that kiss as I am, aren't you?'
'I hate you.'
'liar.'
'goodnight Mr Kingston.'
'goodnight Ms Hayes.'
I sighed, heavily. I looked out the window into the intense darkness of the New York sky.
God, Katerina would be the death of me.
Around 9am I was ready for my meetings.
I got a call from Harolds.
"Mr Kingston, glad to be in the same cell range." he said, sounding overly excited.
"can I help you with something?"
"I want to meet you. In person."
I grit my teeth. Hard. I didn't like all this, it's not common. When a meeting is planned, we fucking stick to it, there's no arrangements beforehand.
"I'm meeting you tomorrow, with my partner."
"I know. I know. But I want to meet you, alone. Is that possible?"
I cursed filthy Italian words.
"fine. Meet me at 2pm, sharp. Around Benittos pub, 8th street. You come late, I shoot you."
I ended the call and drove off to my warehouse.
Once I wrapped up berating my employees for being worthless, I made my way to Benittos.
I called Benny after speaking to Harold's and asked him to keep the place empty.
It was around 2pm now, I was the one who was late.
I walked in and he was already there. He was a tall guy, sharp suit, expensive watch.
"the Don of the Cosa Nostra. What an honor." he said, in a thick English accent.
I shook his hand and sat down.
"what do you want?"
"do you guys have quarts here?"
"what the fuck do you want?" I said, getting closer to him.
He looked at me and then looked away.
"I have a proposition for you."
"I'm at the edge of my seat."
He called the waiter and ordered 2 beers.
"I assume you're more of a whisky man." he said.
"you're rich but even you couldn't afford the whisky I drink."
I saw him swallow. He shot his gaze elsewhere.
"right. Well. I have a daughter, Axle."
"I'm so fucking happy for you. And if you address me by my name, I'll slit your throat in front of your daughter." I said, my tone unnerving and rough. This is who I am. This is the way I am. At least before her. But this is business. And I have to keep her off my mind.
"I'm very sorry Mr Kingston. It must be mentioned that I am not particularly familiar with this sort of... arrangements."
I pulled his collar. He whimpered.
"listen to me carefully. I don't work with men like you. You don't know what the fuck you are doing and it's pissing me off. I don't think you fully understand who I am. So let me show you."
I pulled out my knife from my waistband and shoved it in his hand that was spread on the table. He yelped, loudly. I pulled it out.
"I'm warning you Harolds, I am not to be fucked with. Now, you called me here for something. Get on with it. Or I'll kill you without a second thought."
I tossed him a rag to tie around his hand.
He sniffled. The bitch was crying.
"my daughter. Alita. She's fit for marriage. You marry her and we work together. We move and transport contraband together. You take her and half the profits."
"I think you have the wrong idea here Harolds. Moving speedball isn't my source of income. I'm not involved with it. I'm simply providing you passageway. And I'm sure as hell not interested in your daughter." I said, and scoffed.
"well Mr Kingston, this is simply business. She would just be a transaction. Think about it. If you marry a complete no body like Alita, it'll be easier for us to work together. I'll have a good reason to visit New York more regularly. It's an investment. Nothing more. "
Fuck.
"I want someone else. Your daughter won't do." I said, bitterly. Though it was the truth.
"at least make it seem that way. Put on a show, let people think you're interested in some useless girl from Dale End. No one would suspect a thing."
I'll never do this. Not to her.
"I'm not agreeing to this. I won't marry your daughter Harold's. Let me be crystal fucking clear about that."
"understood."
"but it's not a terrible plan. I'm going to discuss it with my partner and my girl, and then I'll get back to you at tomorrow's meeting."
"okay. That's great. I'll bring her along. We're meeting at the Hayes house correct?"
Katerina and this girl in the same room sounds like a bad idea.
"yeah. Take care of that hand." I said and buttoned up my coat.
I threw a hundred dollar bill on the table next to my untouched beer.
Katerina would never agree to this.
I made my way to their house. It was just after 4pm.
Hayes was outside on the phone, calling a man a succhiacazzi. I smiled and he gave me a nod. I walked past him and shook his hand.
There was no way Hayes was oblivious to all the times I walked out of Katerina's room. When Trey was alive I paid him five thousand dollars not to say anything.
I made my way upstairs and pushed the door open.
She was about to get undressed. The zip of her dress was stuck. She was in a long sleeve, skin tight dress. She looked fucking beautiful.
I leaned against the doorframe and she turned to me in shock.
"please, don't stop on my account." I said, and smiled at her.
"what are you doing here? My papa is downstairs." she whisper yelled.
"I know, he's speaking to a succhiacazzi on the phone."
She smiled slightly and shook her head.
"you're going to get caught here. Someone will see you. Then they'll shoot you." she said, nervously.
"relax my darling. You want me to help you out of that dress? It'd be my pleasure." I said, and smirked at her.
She rolled her eyes.
"let me change and I'll come down. We'll talk there."
"I need to talk to you about something in private first."
Her eyes opened wide.
"oh my God, oh my God. You're going to jail. They know you killed James. You're going to jail. It's all my fault it's all my faul-"
I put my hand over her mouth to stop her from rambling. She was whisper yelling, pulling at her hair.
"Relax, angel."
She looked wide eyed into my eyes and then shut them tightly.
"Axle what happened?"
"long story short, Harold's met me today. He thinks it's a good idea if I... bond, with his daughter."
Her eyebrow shot up. Her cheeks were turning red. She was mad.
"bond, how?"
"make it look like we're becoming a thing. There's too many specifics Kat but it's a business deal."
"Axle you make a bajillion dollars profit a year. You don't need this stupid 3 million deal." she said, her eyes pleading with mine.
"I know. I know baby, but your papa would think something is wrong. He'd see this as a good opportunity, a simple deal. That's all it is."
"do you want to do it?"
"no. Not at all. I made it clear to Harold's that I won't marry her."
She took a deep breath, then let it go.
"you should do it. The extra money would help with your more expensive hotels all around the world. It'll be good." she said, nodding. As if convincing herself.
I walked to her and put both my hands on her face.
"it doesn't mean anything to me Kat. If you want me to call it off you know I will."
She shook her head and met my gaze.
"no. It's business. And my papa needs a project. Working with you will be good. Just, promise me nothing will happen."
I tucked her hair behind her ears and kicked the door shut with my foot.
I pressed my lips against hers and felt her body fucking press against mine. She put her hands on my belt, and I became harder than I ever have before. She turned me on with a single touch.
She leaned in to me, giving me more of her mouth to kiss. For a virgin, this girl sure knows how to drive me insane. She pushed my waist closer into hers and my hard cock rubbed against her body.
"you're pretty happy to see me huh." she said, against my mouth.
"see what you do to me" I muttered.
She pulled away from me and kissed on my neck. I groaned and held her against the door. God I hope her father is still on the fucking phone. I gripped onto her breasts, making her yelp, I slid my hand up her dress and felt the fabric of her lacy bra.
She made her way to my collar and I grabbed her head and stuck my tongue in her mouth. She tasted like Redbull. She moaned against my lips and I gripped her thighs. She dug her nails into my shoulder and I heard the front door opening. Her father was coming back inside.
She pulled away. I did the same. We both caught our breath and sighed.
I gripped her chin.
"when you're finally mine, I'm going to fuck you till your legs are shaking, and you beg me to stop." I grazed her ear with my teeth.
She was still collecting herself.
"focus up darling, we need to talk business." I said, and kissed her temple.
"do you have any idea how crazy this is?" she said, and I could hear her father step inside his office. He would've expected me to be there already. He would never expect me to be in his daughter's bedroom with the intent to fuck her senseless.
"I do. I'll see you downstairs in 5." I said and stroked the little indentation of her chin.
I made my way down and saw her papa in his office.
"I was looking for you. What's up with the Harold's?" her papa asked.
"I was having a cigarette in the back. He's trying to cut a deal." I said, and he nodded.
"Kat would know if he's fucking with us. Katerina come downstairs please bella." he screamed out.
She made her way in, avoiding my eye. Her face looked flushed and she looked so hot and bothered.
"mija, Kingston was about to tell us about a meeting with Harold's. Sit with us." he said, and she nodded.
While her father had his head down reading papers, I was telling him about Alita and she signaled me.
I couldn't tell what she wanted.
She started rubbing her neck and pointing to mine.
"fuck." I muttered, under my breath. Her lipstick was all over my neck. She licked it clean off my lips but her bright red lipstick stained my neck and collar lightly. I rubbed as much of it out as I could and rushed up my explanation to Hayes.
"well Kingston if you're game then I don't see the issue. It's just messing around with his daughter, sounds harmless. Maybe he's just looking to put down roots here in New York, hoping you knock up his daughter."
There was a loud snap and Hayes and I both turned to Katerina who had snapped an HB pencil in half.
"sorry. These pencils are... so that's settled then? You make it seem like you're interested in Alita. Are we still meeting him tomorrow?" she asked. Her voice was tense, and passive-aggressive.
"yes. But they're both coming."
She just smiled fakely.
"perfect." she muttered.
"okay. Everything sounds good Kinston, let's make some money yeah?" Hayes said and I smiled. As if he needed more money.
I stood up to leave and shook Hayes' hand.
Katerina left the office first.
I caught her hand when she walked to the steps.
"remember what I said Katerina. This is just business."
She smiled.
"I know. I'm just going to find out what she looks like so I know if I need to go shopping tomorrow."
I scoffed.
"as if anyone could upstage you. Don't overthink things, cara mia. I'll see you tomorrow."
"goodnight Mr Kingston." she said, and touched my hand.
"goodnight Ms Hayes."