MADDIE POV
I sat next to Justin as we rode towards O'Hare airport in the back of the silver Aston Martin. William was driving and kept his eyes up front. I was more than ready for a couple weeks away. Especially after the grocery store debacle.
I was still a little shaken, but thankfully okay. Justin was going crazy, making sure that I was thoroughly checked by a private doctor when we got home, who assured me that I was physically fine. I wasn't even worried about myself at this point. I just wanted to make sure the baby wasn't harmed. He said that all was well. I had an ultrasound and for the first time, got to see what was growing inside of me.
It wasn't as life-changing as I thought it would be. I couldn't even detect the small bean-like figure on the screen. Justin said he could. I squinted my hardest, but still didn't see. I cried a little, though. Everything was fine.
When the doctor suggested that I might have psychological trauma from the hostage ordeal and needed to see a therapist, I had to stop myself from laughing in his face. I had seen Justin do far worse with a gun in his hand than what I had just been through. A little grocery store holdup was nothing in comparison. Justin wanted to cancel the trip because he was overly worried. I begged him not to. I really did want to go on some sort of honeymoon and now seemed as good a time as any to leave, although we did wait a couple more days.
Justin held a press conference to answer questions that reporters had on his involvement in the robbery. Of course, we had to talk to the police first and gave his statements. He didn't lie about anything. Justin stated exactly what he had done and why. Only one of the gunmen had been killed from his hand, but he claimed self defense and the videos showed that. He would probably have to testify at their trials later.
He made national news for his heroic efforts. I thought there would be more of a backlash for him walking into a grocery store with a semiautomatic weapon, but Justin was praised instead of criticized. He did receive a fine, though, for having a gun without a permit. He hated the attention. I don't even think we were supposed to leave the country right now, but that didn't stop him.
I looked over to my husband, who was reading this morning's paper. He had on his glasses and looked fairly calm. Over the weekend, the doctor had nursed his bullet wound, and Justin promised me that it was just was so strong, but his overconfidence in dangerous situations made me agonize at an unhealthy level. He wouldn't even let me look at the hole in his bicep, saying that I shouldn't worry over it.
We needed this vacation before real life overwhelmed us.
Everyone was coming, but Justin guaranteed me that we would have our alone time for a couple of days. One week in Spain turned into two, just because Justin said so. I wasn't complaining. I didn't know what he said to my boss, but he let me go.
"Sei eccitato per la vacanza?" I asked him if he was excited for our vacation.
"Certo. Ho bisogno di uno," he replied, telling me that he certainly needed one. "We will have fun. I promise."
"Should you be exerting yourself after your...injury?" I pointed to his shoulder, which was still wrapped in gauze, under his shirt.
He ground his teeth together, folding the paper. "I'm not dead, Maddie."
"But you could be."
"So could you. It's just a minor scratch."
"You were shot," I reminded him.
"I'm fine. I don't know how many times I have to say that." He leaned across the seat, bringing his face close to my ear. "You shouldn't worry about me so much."
"I can't help it. It's my job."
"You'll give yourself an ulcer, not to mention added stress for the baby."
"I know."
"I got shot. I lived. We move on, okay?"
I nodded.
"Lo non vado da nessuna parte, il mio amore," he said, low and raspy.
His words made me blush.
"Just don't die on me."
"I promise. Are you alright?"
I nodded.
"Good." He kissed my temple before sitting back up again. "William, how much longer until we reach the airport?"
"A good fifteen minutes, sir. The traffic is atrocious."
"I hate this," he whispered harshly.
One of the conditions that Justin had to abide by when we came back to the States was that he couldn't fly private internationally. It irked him to no end.
"This is just their stupid way of keeping track of me. I don't like it, and I won't stand for it," he mumbled.
"It's not that bad, Justin. It's not like we're getting stuffed into the bottom of the plane with the dogs."
"I haven't flown on a public plane in...ever. This is ridiculous and highly embarrassing."
I rolled my eyes. "It's a small price to pay so that we could come home."
"I suppose." He looked out of the window at the slow moving traffic.
"It's the destination, not the journey," I said. "My grandmother always told me that."
"Nicola told me the opposite. It's always the journey; the destination doesn't matter. You learn more from the voyage."
"That's wrong," I replied matter-of-factually.
"Oh, really?" He chuckled. "Do you have evidence to the contrary?"
"My Grandma Fell was always right. She lived to be one-hundred and three, you know. She had wisdom."
"And Nicola didn't?"
"He had a different kind."
"You're argument isn't very sound, Maddie."
"It doesn't have to be." I shrugged. "I'm your wife. You have to agree with me."
William snickered up front. Justin glared at him.
"I'm not used to losing arguments," he said. "You know that better than anyone."
"I'm just kidding." I shoved him. "Gosh, you're so uptight all the time."
"I have to be nowadays. My wife seems to think it's appropriate to go places without her cellphone, which makes it impossible for her to call me if she's say...in a hostage situation."
The mood turned somber fairly quickly. He was still pissed. On some level, I realized that I was the one who put him in harm. I should have just shot him myself. If I wouldn't have gone grocery shopping, none of this would have happened.
"Are we going to be brining this up for the rest of our lives?" I asked.
"Until I feel like you've learned your lesson, yes." He looked out of the window again.
"I'm not your daughter. You don't have to talk to me like that."
"Well then don't do things that warrant punishment."
The drive was silent after that.
We pulled up the unloading station in front of the airport sometime later. I thought I went to sleep, so I couldn't be sure how much time had passed. William turned off the engine, and Justin exited before he could even come to the door.
My door was ripped open and I was pulled out of the car rather roughly. "I have Mrs. Bieber. Make sure we have a clear path," the burly man said into his phone while holding onto me tightly.
I sighed in frustration.
The old bodyguards who I had become so accustomed to were replaced by large sentinels that were instructed to never leave my side. All forms of secrecy were thrown out of the window. People surely knew I was someone important now because of my entourage.
My personal guard was named Amun. He was an ex Israeli Mossad agent who had to be discharged after a stray bullet caused him some knee problems a couple of years ago. He was perfectly intimidating and scary, but just not fit enough to stay in the army. He could do his job, though.
He was massive, bigger than Keegan, with darkly tanned skin and short black hair. I had met him yesterday when Justin forced him upon me and basically said that he was my new best friend. Along with four other men with similar backgrounds and looks, our security detail was tight. No one was ever going to harm me again.
I glared at Justin.
"You brought this on yourself," he said to me, carrying the one small bag he was bringing as his carry-on.
"Why doesn't Bridget have to have one? Or Olivia?" I pointed behind us as they got out of their own cars.
"Because we're not stupid, Maddie," Olivia replied, and put on her gigantic sunglasses. "You could have been killed."
"I forgot my cellphone...once!" I wiggled free from Amun's grasp, but he didn't step back.
"I won't have you getting hurt again." Justin took over, guiding me forward with his hand.
We didn't have any luggage as we walked through the airport. Justin didn't trust public transportation with his "valuables", so our things were all shipped yesterday. They should be in Spain when we arrived.
People pointed and stared as the eight of us traveled in our caravan, along with the giant bodyguards that we'd brought. Keegan made me feel a little better when he said that they just weren't for me. Justin was beefing up security in every aspect of his life. We all looked like bums, though. There was no way in hell I was making a ten hour flight in a dress. I think everyone else thought the same way. Justin was actually wearing jeans. I almost never saw that.
We didn't have to wait in line for security, and I was tempted to ask why not, but felt it best to just stay quiet. In no time at all, we were through our gate and seated in our seats on the plane. It all happened very quickly and without any barriers.
The whole business-class cabin was ours. We had enough people for it. We were in neat rows and had several TVs around along with those inserted into our seats. I could see the cockpit up front. It was a very comfortable and spacious area.
Amun kept an eye on me from the corner while Justin sat to my left in his pod-looking, sleeper thing. I had never flown like this before. I found it strange. We even had a different entrance from everyone else. I chalked this up to Justin's inability to actually socialize. He would never make a long trip seated next to someone he didn't know.
Olivia was to my right, chatting on about rare Spanish art...I think. I wasn't paying attention. I was trying to get relaxed.
"Is there anything you need?" A stewardess was at my side in an instant with a bright smile and shiny blonde hair, cut in a bob.
"Yes, I was wondering how people got comfortable in these things." I shuffled my body around in the pod. I must have looked like a fool.
"You have it in the sleeping setting, Mrs. Maddie." She pushed a button, and I started to lift into a seating position.
"Oh," I sighed in amazement, feeling the plush leather under my fingers, "This is much better."
"Anything else?"
"No, not right now. Thank you, though."
"Okay, well my name is Jill and I'll be here if you need anything. Just ask."
"She said she didn't need your assistance. Move along." Amun was there to protect, shooing Jill in the opposite direction. "Actually I need to speak with the air marshal. Where is he?"
"I can't reveal that information." Jill clasped her hands in front of her. "Please take you seat."
"I'll find him myself." Amun walked through the aisle towards a different part of the cabin.
"Sir..." She chased after him.
"That man is crazy." I said to Justin. "Why him?"
"He's not afraid to kill people."
I sat back in my seat without another word.
"That was embarrassing for you." Keegan popped his head from around the seat behind me and got incredibly close to my face. "You could have just asked me how to work the chair."
"You could have offered your help."
"But it was so much more fun to watch you struggle." He laughed.
"That's not funny." I crossed my arms.
"Awww. Don't get mad. The baby's going to be born with frown lines." He stared at my stomach. "Does it feel weird?"
"Not right now," I said.
"Did you throw up?"
"I did when I woke up."
"Can you feel it?"
"No, not yet."
"It's so strange to see you with a bump. You're going to be so fat." He snickered.
There was a gasp from behind me. "Keegan Lorenzo Bieber! You can't say that," Bridget barked. "Stop bothering her."
"I was just wondering what I was in for..."
"It's like you have no home training. You're embarrassing us."
"I am not." He sat back and began arguing. I tuned them out.
I looked to Justin who was breathing deeply through his nose. In. Out. In. Out.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
"Have I ever told you that I hate flying?" he replied. I detected a slight quiver in his voice.
"You fly all over the world," I scoffed.
"Yeah, in my plane with my pilots. I don't know those men in the cockpit."
"Or women!" Olivia corrected.
"Yes, thank you, Olivia," Justin said. "I don't know who's flying this thing or what kind of certifications they have."
Keegan popped his head in again. "One time, when we were in high school, we flew on a class trip to New York. Justin passed out before we even took off. They had to call Jeremy to come and get him. He couldn't go with us."
"You never told me that," I commented.
"Because I don't want my shortcomings known to my wife," Justin growled. "And for your information, Keegan, I had a bad feeling about that whole trip, which turned out to be right."
"The same plane we used crashed a couple weeks later. We weren't on it, but it was still kind of scary." Keegan sucked on his teeth as if he were bored. "I guess Justy is right sometimes."
"Idioto." Justin mumbled under his breath. "I still don't like flying."
"I'm sure everything will be fine." I reached across the aisle and took his hand.
"Maybe you just need to get comfortable." Jaxon took of his shoes and put his sock-clad feet on Justin's armrest.
Justin pushed them away. "I'm fine, thank you. Once we're in the air, I'll just sleep."
"Do you remember that time we flew into a storm going to Vancouver?" Finn said to Keegan. "Justin almost shit in his pants."
"Oh, yeah." Keegan laughed. "That was funny."
"Leave him alone." Olivia sat up in her seat. "I'm scared too, Justin."
"I'm not scared! I just don't like it. Airplanes are just gross. Not only are there strange people, who might have some kind of infection, but there are airborne parasites. You don't know what kind of hands areused to cook the food or how often they change the air filters. It's disgusting."
That shut everyone up. He was right.
"What is taking so long?" Justin craned his neck into the aisle.
"They're probably still boarding."
"We were supposed to leave fifteen minutes ago. Something must be wrong." He checked his watch.
"I'm sure it's fine."
Justin stood up and un-tucked his white button-down shirt. He pulled out a gun from behind his back and opened the overhead compartment. He placed it in his bag.
"You can't have that on a plane, Justin!" I whispered. "Are you crazy?"
"How else am I supposed to protect myself?" he said innocently.
"That's why we have bodyguards."
"Yeah, right," he sneered.
"I can't believe you brought a gun on board." I sunk into my seat, embarrassed and ashamed.
"It's not like I'm going to use it." Justin sat back down.
"You could get arrested."
"It's okay, Maddie. Jeremy owns part of this airline. We pay to have certain privileges," Finn said from in front of me.
"The FFA might have something to say about it."
"They can suck my dick," Justin replied, taking out his medicine. He had four different bottles of pills, from which he gathered several in his palm. He swallowed them easily and then shivered as they went down.
"This is going to be some trip." I shook my head.
Jill began to walk up the aisle quickly in preparation for takeoff. Justin stopped her.
"Two things. One, I'm expecting a call in a couple hours."
"Yes, sir. We can receive it from the ground and I'll put you through when necessary."
"Thank you. Two, once we're in the air, I need a basil martini," he said.
"A...basil martini, sir?" she responded, clearly confused.
Justin was already looking frustrated and snapped his mouth shut. He was about to rant.
I interrupted by tapping her on the arm, "Vodka, Vermouth, a dash of balsamic vinegar, and four crushed basil leaves. No ice. Absolutely no ice. He hates ice," I stressed.
She looked at me and nodded. "Shall I place it in the cooler?"
"Yes, and make sure the basil is crushed, not chopped. Just small flakes."
"Would everyone like one?" Jill asked us.
"No, that sounds gross." Finn trembled in disgust.
"The basil calms his nerves," I said to her. "The balsamic vinegar puts him to sleep. It's strange, but it works."
"Oh, that makes sense." She smiled. "Thanks for the tip." She scurried off.
"I miss being a bartender. You have to tell people...calmly what you want." I bit my lip, waiting for his response.
"Well, thank you for that." He sighed. "I was about to have her fired."
"Not everyone knows what a basil martini is. And you shouldn't even be drinking with your medication."
"Sometimes, little things like that escape me," he admitted.
"That's why you have me. I'm truly your better half."
Justin looked at me as realization spread across his face. "I never thought of it like that. Interesting."
"That's what a marriage is for." I leaned back in my seat.
Takeoff was a couple of minutes later. Justin had a hard time with that, but tried not to show it. He was brought his drink and started to doze off soon after. An hour later, the sun was going down and everyone had sunk into the pods to sleep.
Unfortunately, I didn't have that pleasure. I had to get up for the bathroom too frequently. It was torture. I was warned that pregnancy might make you pee more, but I always thought that was in a couple of months when I was bigger. Bridget told me that the prenatal vitamins also add to the added urination.
Every time I got up to go, Amun was there to baby me along.
"Don't you ever sleep?" I asked him on my most recent trip to the fairly large bathroom up front.
"No, ma'am. Never," he answered. I think he was joking. He almost pushed me back into my seat. "Make sure to buckle up."
"Last time I checked, I left my father back in Thorp," I snapped unintentionally.
He grunted in reply before going back to his seat.
This was my fault, but it was going to get old pretty quickly. I didn't think Justin would ever let me out of the house alone again.
Finally, I was able to sleep and what a good sleep it was. I don't think I even came up for air and I wasn't quite sure how long I stayed in slumber, but it must have been a good couple of hours. I was putting this pod thing on my wish list for Christmas. It was magical.
I woke up with a full bladder, but well rested. The cabin was dark as I rushed to the bathroom. When I came back out, Amun was there.
"Should I invite you into the room when I give birth?" I commented.
"I'm not sure Mr. Bieber would allow that, but I will be right outside. Screams don't scare me." He smirked.
I plopped back down in my seat.
Everyone else was still sleeping and looked rather peaceful. I was far too excited to rest again. I was going to Spain! I had never really been anywhere before besides my recent, short trip to Italy and of course Brazil. Justin said that Spain was his favorite European country so I was excited to see what it had to offer. Plus, it was my mock-honeymoon. That brought about a whole new wave of exhilaration.
I stole one of Olivia's gossip magazines and busied myself with its contents for awhile. I then switched to playing one of Finn's Sudoku puzzles. He was a math genius and could complete even the hardest of problems in minutes. I-could not.
Jill rushed over to me. "Mrs. Bieber, can I get you anything? You slept through dinner."
"I am actually hungry." The thought of food made my stomach suddenly rumble. "I'll just have whatever you served."
"You'll be having braised chicken, a large salad, along with some roasted vegetables. Mr. Bieber specified that you were to have the healthy meal."
"Of course he did," I exhaled. "That's fine."
"Okay. Do you think Mr. Bieber would be hungry?"
"Not right now."
"Also, his call came in about an hour ago. We got disconnected, but they're about to call again. Shall I wake him up?"
"No, I'll do it."
"It's not problem, Mrs. Bieber." She reached her hand out towards Justin.
"No!" I said, but she didn't pull back and it was too late.
Big mistake.
Even in his slumber, he was a lethal man. Jill made contact with his shoulder and Justin sprung into action. His hand snapped up and grasped her around the neck. He pulled her down so that her face was on his lap and his fingers dug into her flesh.
"Justin, no!" I jumped out of my seat and ran across the aisle.
Jill whimpered in pain as he grabbed harder. He was muttering something I couldn't hear and looked possessed. Her arm was twisted in an awkward way that was clearly causing massive amounts of pain. It would only be a matter of seconds until I heard the pop of her shoulder.
"Please, don't do this..."
I started to pull on his arm, and with my touch, he easily relinquished his hold. Justin took a breath like he had been submerged under water for hours. Jill was on the floor, a heaping mess of sobs and gasps.
"Justin, it's okay. It was just the stewardess." I cupped his face in my hands, feeling a day's worth of stubble under my palms.
"What the fuck..." He swiveled his head around in confusion.
"She wasn't trying to hurt you, I swear."
He calmed down almost instantly. He blinked a couple of times and that was it. "I don't like being touched, let alone when I'm sleeping."
"I know, I know. I tried to stop her."
"I didn't mean to hurt her." Justin actually looked somewhat remorseful.
"It's okay." I hugged him close to me, and he hugged me back. It was a very intimate moment amongst the chaos that had just erupted in our cabin.
Finn and Keegan had woken up from the noise. They were trying to compose Jill. Amun, who had some sort of medical training, was checking her over. She just wept into Finn's shirt and wouldn't let go. He ended up carrying her down the aisle to her station.
"That was badass." Keegan huffed, taking his seat again. "I thought I was dreaming."
"I didn't mean to hurt her," Justin said again.
"I know. She'll be fine," I assured him. "Do you want me to sit with you?"
He leaned back in the seat, angry and aggravated. "I need another martini."
Since Jill was the only stewardess in our cabin and was currently indisposed of, I took it upon myself to get the drink. She had made a lot of it and just kept the shaker in the small cooler up front. I found a glass and poured him a liberal amount.
"Hey, Maddie, when you have a chance, can you get me another pillow?" Finn re-took his seat.
"She's not your fucking maid," Justin snarled. "Get it yourself."
"Alright, alright." Finn held his hands up in surrender.
I brought Justin his drink.
"Thank you," he said, taking it from me. He gulped it down. "Where is she? Is she alright? What's her name?"
"Jill." I answered. "I think she's okay."
"Why did she have to do that?"
"She was trying to tell you that your phone call came in."
"What?" His head whipped around. "And she didn't wake me?"
"Justin, she tried." I rolled my eyes. "You almost killed her, or did you forget that?"
"Oh, yeah." His brow furrowed. "I'll just write her a check or something."
"And apologize," I scolded.
Justin whined, "Maddie, it was her fault. And I believe I did hear you warn her not to."
"That still doesn't make up for the fact that you strangled our poor stewardess. She could be traumatized."
Jill reappeared with a tear stained face and shaking limbs. Her hair was an absolute mess. "I'm...I'm sorry...I didn't mean...."
Justin just looked at her, his eyes a mixture of pity and annoyance. "That's quite alright."
"They're sending someone else up so that I can take a little break." She smiled sadly, clutching her throat. Deep bruise marks were already starting to appear.
I nudged him. Justin seemed to get the message. "Oh, um...well, thank you for helping us. It was rude of you to wake me up, but I didn't mean to act so irrationally."
"That's okay. It's no big deal." She shook her head. "I'm going to rest now. If you need anything, they'll have another stewardess up in a second."
"Thanks, Jill." Olivia patted her on the back.
"You're a trooper." Keegan slow clapped as she made her exit.
I glared at Justin who was looking pleased with his "apology".
"You didn't say you were sorry."
"I did," Justin argued, "and I am."
That was that.
The rest of the trip ride actually seemed more relaxed. I never saw Jill again. I didn't think I would. I think our tranquility had something to do with the fact that we were nearing our destination, and Justin had a few glasses of alcohol in him, which always loosened his tenseness. None of us really went back to sleep.
Olivia and I watched a couple of movies. Justin disappeared for about an hour to tend to his mystery call. He came back with a smile, but wouldn't tell me why. Keegan, Finn, and Jaxon played several rowdy rounds of poker, which ended in heated debate. Jane and Bridget kept to themselves most of the way there.
"Ladies and gentleman, if you could take your seats, we are making our descent into Barcelona," the captain said over the speaker. "The current temperature is a cool seventy. We will be landing shortly."
I was getting really excited. I leaned over Justin to look out of the window, thinking I might be able to see something, but we were still in the clouds.
"Maddie, you have to put your seatbelt on," Justin told me worriedly. "Sixty percent of airplane crashes occur during takeoff or landing." He actually picked me up and fastened the belt across my stomach.
"I could've done that."
"And argued with me the whole time. It was just easier to do it myself." He smirked, but I wasn't swayed. I was still kind of mad at him for almost killing Jill. He acted like it didn't happen.
Half an hour later, the plane had landed and we were free to leave our seats. We got through customs, getting our passports checked and all the regulatory papers signed.
The May air was perfect; not too hot, but certainly not cold. The sky felt cleaner, the sun shone brighter, and my eyes were opened to a whole new world. We were just in the airport!
"What do we do first?" I asked as Justin held my hand. We were walking briskly, and I could feel Amun nearly on my ass.
"First, you need rest."
"I've had rest. I want to go do something."
"Once we get to the villa, you're taking a long nap. You need to take it easy, especially after this weekend. You're still not recuperated."
"The doctor said I was fine."
"I know what's best. Just trust me."
"Then can we go out later?"
"Yes, Maddie," he chuckled, "I promise."
We all continued to walk and I caught snippets of everyone's conversations. They seemed to be just as excited as I was. This was our first family vacation since...Well, in a long time.
"Those are our cars." Justin pointed across the street where five impressive-looking, black vehicles waited. Drivers were there to hold our doors.
"They look nice," I said. I had never really been into cars that much.
Olivia rushed past us towards. "Oh, Justin got us Maybachs!"
"What's a Maybach?" I asked, looking up him.
He shook his head, ashamed in me. "Maddie, your husband imports international cars and you don't know what a Maybach is?"
"Sorry, no," I said, even though I wasn't.
"It's a beautifully sculpted piece of machinery." We reached the car, and he ran his hands over the smooth, black metal. "The only good thing to come out of Germany since the printing press."
"Okay..." I shrugged to myself.
Amun came running up from behind us, hauling the medium sized dog-carrier. Francis growled from inside, clearly not liking the jerking movements.
"I still don't see why we had to bring him." Justin rolled his eyes.
"Jaxon begged me," I said, reaching out to unlock the crate when Amun put the carrier down. Francis wobbled out, almost as if he was drunk, and his fat legs crossed in front of each other as he tried to walk.
Francis was an obedient dog, and a little afraid of Justin, I think. So he would never run away from us and rarely used a leash. He went pee in a small patch of grass near us and looked very proud of himself while doing so. He must have recognized the change of location because he started to explore when he was done.
Justin ran over and lifted him up. "It's time to go, dog."
I scooted into the backseat and was surprised at how spacious it was. It certainly didn't look this big from the outside. It was roomy and the seats leaned at an angle that made me want to fall asleep again, but I couldn't. I had to stay awake and see the landscape that was passing by as we drove. Francis sat inbetween us, whipping his head back and forth, enjoying the ride.
"I can take you to all these places." Justin pointed out the window to the city. "I spent a year here, studying."
"Did you even go to school in the States? It seems like you were always out of the country for something or other when you were young."
"I didn't like grade schools in Chicago and detested Dartmouth with a passion."
"No one understood you?" I guessed.
"Precisely." He humorlessly laughed, probably making a joke in his head about something I wouldn't understand.
I looked back out of the window. I was overwhelmed. Barcelona seemed like a lively city, but the best part about it was the ocean. It was so close and so blue, but not the kind I was used to seeing in Thorp or even Brazil. This blue looked to be glowing in the sun.
Francis climbed onto Justin so that he could see better out of the larger-than-normal windows that the Maybach provided. Those two were quite the pair. Justin would treat Francis like dirt most of the time, but the dog didn't mind. He loved Justin unconditionally. I think the same could be said the other way around.
The driver weaved through the city. Amun, up front, kept telling him to slow down in Spanish, but I didn't mind the speed as we climbed the hills of Barcelona. I couldn't see much on the trip to our house, though I was already enthralled by the city. It was breathtaking and had a different vibe to it from any other place I had visited. It was bohemian and chic, with a hint of new world neurosis that we were all used to. But the history was everywhere; the streets, churches, buildings, fountains. It was all so old, but I was looking at it through new eyes.
Justin chuckled and I looked at him. "What?"
"Nothing." He shook his head, petting Francis behind the ears.
"No, tell me."
"You just look...so happy." His finger traced over the curve of my lips, memorizing my smile.
"I am happy."
He leaned in close. "I like to see you happy and I hope you have a wonderful time."
"Thank you for bringing me." I could feel my cheeks spread wider.
"Seeing you joyful, makes me feel good." He kissed the corner of my mouth, whispering, "Questo è quelloche vivo per, Madeleine."
This is what I live for.
_____________________________________________________________________________
The villa was...just massive. Too big for the eight of us, but I guessed we now had to accommodate not only an army of bodyguards, but wait staff as well.
"They're necessary, Maddie," Justin told me. "You're not to lift a finger. Is that understood?"
I just nodded.
There were cooks, and cleaners, and even a dog groomer. They all had smiles and looked very pleased to be with us. I'm sure they were saying nasty things in their heads, though. Mr. Bieber, as he liked to be called by the staff, was already being sullen and snapped at a girl who spilled his water when bringing it to him. I would have to be extra nice to make up for his nastiness.
The house's floor plan was open so that all the rooms on the lower level basically stayed connected. High ceilings and grand staircases intimidated me as I looked up. All the floors were covered in expensive rugs or rustic Spanish tiles. There was a courtyard that was teeming with vegetation that I had never seen before. A soft fountain sprayed water, and the breeze flowed through easily so that it wasn't so hot.
The rooms were big and the beds, bigger. Justin had to lift me onto ours when I wanted to test it out. Francis couldn't even jump up. Balconies overlooked the city, and since we were on a large hill, it was easy to see Barcelona in its entirety below us. My nap was forgone because I was too damn excited.
"This is amazing." I sat down at the long table in the courtyard next to Bridget. Small trays of tapas were laid out for our arrival along with tall pitchers of lemonade and sangria.
Olivia was flipping through travel guides. Jane was giggling shamelessly at Jaxon and Francis, who were running around in the grass.
"Two weeks in the Spanish sun. I'm super excited and quite impressed with Justin at the moment," she agreed with me. "Your husband did well. He's thorough about your happiness, if nothing else."
"He does too much for me." I hung my head.
"What you can't give him in material things you can give him in sex." Olivia leaned back in her chair, taking in the rays.
"That makes her sound like a whore," Jane piped in.
"She's having his baby. That's gift enough." Jaxon sat and took a sip of red liquid from Jane's glass. It clearly wasn't lemonade.
"He acts like I'm not." I put my hand over my stomach, which was growing every day. I had already changed out of my travel clothes and was in a dark blue sundress. You couldn't see my belly since it was flowing around me.
Bridget shook her head in disgust. "I just don't get that kid. He's happy for you one second and then he's complaining the next."
"Well, we're all happy," Jane assured me.
"He is so happy," Jaxon argued for his brother. "Justin's just confused. He's never been through this before."
"And Maddie has?" Bridget snapped.
Jaxon and I looked at each other, a silent conversation about Elizabeth playing between us. They all knew about what I went through, but sometimes could be insensitive about the subject. I think they forgot. I would never forget.
Before I could say anything, Justin strode into the courtyard.
"My ears were burning. Who's talking about me?" he joked.
There was a chorus of fake responses. He just raised his eyebrows and sat next to me. "We leave in the morning."
"And where are we going?" I asked.
"To be alone." He grinned.
"But we just got here," Olivia pouted. "We're all supposed to be together. This is a family vacation."
"First and foremost, this is a honeymoon," Justin corrected. "We'll be back, though. I just want to spend a couple of days away with my beautiful, blushing bride."
"Awwwww," Jaxon cooed.
"Shut up," I mumbled and placed my lips on Justin's.
It was late afternoon when we arrived, and as the sun started to go down, I wondered when I was supposed to sleep. I figured I needed rest at some point, but I wasn't really tired. Justin said that 'jet lag' was just a figment of our imagination, and we shouldn't buy into it. He told me to just sleep as I normally would.
That night, we had a traditional Spanish barbeque. A cook brought out a whole pig and roasted it over an open fire for a couple of hours. It was amazing. I didn't really know what all the dishes were, but I trusted Justin to steer me away from anything I shouldn't be eating.
"So, what is the real reason we're here?" Bridget asked as we sat around the table outside, gorging ourselves on delicious cuisine.
"Fun," Justin replied, it sounding more like a question.
"It's never fun with you Justin." Jane giggled, only slightly tipsy from the red wine.
"I can have fun," he argued. "Tell 'em, Maddie."
"He can have fun," I said dryly. Everyone started to laugh.
"We have business. That's all you need to know." Keegan kissed Bridget gently. "Don't worry your pretty little head."
"Worrying is a part of the job description." Olivia poked him with her fork. "We have to worry or we'll go crazy because we aren't worrying. We live a very stressful life being the wives of you three."
I nodded. I knew that better than anyone else.
"I just don't think you should." Finn shrugged. "We know how to take care of ourselves and it's not like we always do dangerous things."
"Every time one of you go out for 'business' and the phone rings, I debate on whether I should get it or not. It could be the police or...the hospital." Bridget looked genuinely conflicted. She loved Keegan, but didn't love what he did. I was similar.
"And I've seen enough cop shows to know what happens to men like you." Olivia nodded. "It's scary."
"Hell, my father is a cop." Of course, everyone knew that already.
"You live completely unrealistic lives. How can you go into a grocery store and shoot the place, but walk away without consequences." Olivia continued.
"I do have consequences to deal with. I just suffer in silence and take it like a man." Justin challenged.
"Still, it's scary. One day, you're luck is going to run out."
"And it's worse when you don't tell us anything." Bridget took a sip of her wine.
I nodded vigorously. "That's physically painful."
I didn't think we had ever had this talk altogether before. They knew we didn't like it when they went off, but Finn, Keegan, Justin, and Jaxon seemed to be taking our words to heart. They were listening to our lecture with interested ears and not scoffing like I thought they would.
"But it's the worst with Maddie." Jane pointed to me. "I know it must be."
"Why?" Justin asked, concerned.
"Because you're such a fucking hothead," Bridget scolded. "I can basically predict what Keegan's going to do and say when conflict arises in a sticky situation. He'll be safe. You, who knows? You could get into a fight with someone over a parking ticket and end up pulling out your gun. It scares her."
"And she broke down crying last week when you went off to talk to Magicavallo. She was terrified. I had to make her tea and we stayed up half the night." Olivia's face fell in sympathy.
I hadn't told him that and could feel his eyes on me, wondering if it was true.
There was silence around the table for awhile. I felt Francis butting his head up against my leg, so I picked him up and held him close to me. I couldn't look at Justin.
Finn cleared his throat. "Okay, enough with the heavy stuff. This is vacation. Let's play a game."
"Oh, a game," Olivia cheered. "A sex game."
We all groaned. Olivia was infamous for her sex games. She was nosy and wanted to know about everything we did under the sheets. Her "games" usually involved some form of embarrassing questioning, and everyone tried to outdo one another. Surprisingly, we were always very open about this kind of thing. No one was embarrassed.
Justin put his arm over the back of my chair, but didn't say anything about the conversation we just had. We wouldn't talk about it later, either. We would never talk about it. The subject of me worrying over him was a forbidden topic in our house.
"Okay, I'll start." Bridget turned to us. "When was the first time each of you had sex? And no one can get mad about the answers. I was thirteen."
"Jesus," I breathed out, mostly to myself.
"Did you even enjoy it?" Olivia's mouth dropped open in shock.
"I was a very sexual girl. I developed early." Bridget had never made excuses for her sexual prowess and wasn't ashamed of it in the slightest. "He was my French teacher and I was a young freshman, finding my way. It was glorious."
"Slut," Justin said, not so quietly.
"My turn." Finn sat up. "I was fifteen. We had a project to do for anatomy class." He waggled his eyebrows.
Jane spoke next, "I was fifteen, too. My brother's best friend."
"We all know shorty over here hasn't done anything." Keegan ruffled Jaxon's hair. "His dick is going to dry up and shrivel off."
"I'm waiting." Jaxon punched him, doing little damage.
Jane blushed; I could see it, even though it was dark outside and the table was only lit in small candles.
"I'll get there when I'm good and ready." Jaxon nodded with finality.
"Cute," Justin said under his breath with a hint of sarcasm.
"I was fourteen," Keegan said. "I don't even remember her name." He tapped his chin.
"That's sad." Olivia pursed her lips. "I was sixteen and had a horrible experience. I didn't know what to do with...it. I just let him stick it wherever and I didn't even feel anything."
We all laughed. Francis looked around like we were all crazy.
"I was seventeen and it was at prom." I bit my lip. "Pretty normal stuff."
Justin was the last to go. Everyone was looking at him.
"What counts as sex?" he asked, trying to beat around the bush. "Because technically..."
"When you stick your penis in a vagina," Bridget said slowly. "Intercourse. Penetration. When you buried your cock into her wet..."
"Alright, alright," I shouted. "We get it."
She shrugged.
Justin exhaled and ran a hand over his hair. I didn't think he was going to answer.
"He was twelve." Keegan did for him. "Nicola took him to a strip club and paid for pussy, but I'm sure Justin could get it anyway. The girls loved him."
Justin never liked talking about this. He blamed many of his problems now on his early sexual experiences. I think it traumatized him a little.
I took his hand under the table. He nodded in conformation.
"I think her name was Stacy or something." He took a pull from his wine, finishing that conversation.
"What a stripper name." Olivia rolled her eyes. "Okay, new question."
"What is one thing your partner won't let you do in the bedroom?" Finn quirked an eyebrow. "Olivia won't let me tie her up."
"I can't do it." She shook her head adamantly. "I don't like being confined. No, it's out of the question."
"Bridget won't do anal." Keegan sipped his beer.
"What?" Jane asked in surprise. "You must not be doing it right."
We all looked at her.
"It can be fun if you do it right." She put her hands up to demonstrate. "First, you just have to stretch because..."
"Stop!" Finn clapped a hand over her mouth. "None of that talk around the table."
"Ask Olivia." Jane tilted her head. "She does it."
"I do not!" Olivia squeaked, "Once. Okay, maybe twice."
Finn held up ten fingers proudly. "At least that many."
She giggled, "He's lying."
Justin and I had never...done that. I hadn't done enough research on that to consider it a possibility. He never asked or pushed and I just didn't find it necessary. Obviously, Jane had experience.
"All I'm saying is that you have to prepare. You can't just stick it up there and expect everything to feel good," Jane told Bridget. "Be adventurous."
"Congratulations." Keegan nodded to Jaxon. I didn't think he understood.
"Justin won't let me give him a blowjob," I said innocently.
There were various forms of protest from around the table-men and women alike. Justin choked on his wine and looked at me with wide eyes. He wasn't mad, though. Just shocked.
"I don't believe that," Finn mocked. "You're lying."
"No, it's true," I affirmed. "I've never been able to give him one. He always stops me."
To be honest, I actually liked giving them, I think. I was told I was good at them in high school from the two guys I had relationships with. Then there was Jimmy, but he was up for anything. I could have stuck his penis in a light socket and his eyes would have been as good as rolled back.
"Look," Justin held his hands up, "it's not like I don't enjoy getting them, but why should we do that kind of stuff? It's degrading for her."
"No, it's not," Keegan jeered.
"Quite the opposite." Olivia's brow crinkled. "It gives us power in the bedroom. It's fun for us. Well, of course, there are some girls who don't like to do it, but that's their choice. Maddie doesn't seem to mind."
I shook my head. "I would do it if he let me."
"This is just sad." Finn tsked. "And here I thought you two were wild sex fiends."
"Do you go down on her?" Jaxon asked him.
Justin nodded, a smirk on his lips. I hit his shoulder.
Cocky bastard.
"So then what's the problem? It's reciprocation."
"I just don't like seeing her down there," Justin said. "It might feel good, sure, but I don't like thinking about it."
"I feel something more." Olivia eyed him with suspicion.
He sighed. "I had sex the first time at twelve, but my first sexual experience was at eleven; another stripper. She gave me a blowjob and said that she hated doing it because she was powerless on her knees. I don't ever want Maddie powerless."
Justin's words were profound and incredibly sweet, even though the context was slightly inappropriate.
"You'll never be powerless." He kissed the side of my face. "Besides, blowjobs are juvenile."
"That's true," Bridget agreed. "Every middle schooler these days knows how to bob their heads up and down, but it's fun."
"Like anal sex can be fun," Jane shot at her.
"That is not what I had in mind! It could hurt."
"That's why you stretch!"
My little blowjob problem was forgotten after that. Justin laughed at the jokes everyone made and how incredibly crazy we were being in our discussion on sex.
All too soon, we were all starting to get sleepy or maybe just drunk. Well, not me, but I could have lied down for a bit.
Justin carried me up the stairs and into our giant bedroom. All our clothes had been unpacked and put away nicely by the staff, who I never saw unless we asked for something.
He gently laid me on the bed and I sunk into the sheets. "I'm going to go take a shower and then come back to show you just how fun sex can be without silly blowjobs."
"Can't I take a shower with you?" I asked, panting since his hands were already creeping up my thighs, making them burn in anticipation.
"No, I need to ravish you in a bed where we have room to...spread out."
"Oh, my," I gasped as his lips descended on my exposed collarbone.
"Would you like to shower first?" he asked, nipping behind my ear, talking slowly and deeply.
"Uh...no. I'll go after you." I threaded my fingers into his hair.
"All that talk about sex downstairs got me very hot." His lips trailed down my cheek until they reached my neck again. "God, your skin is so soft."
"Fuck..." I lifted my hips up for pressure against him.
"Say it again," he mumbled, his face now in between my breasts. He had pulled down my sundress, and I was bare on top.
"Fuck," I screamed when his teeth raked across my nipple.
"I love it when you curse. It's so sexy." He kissed lower, taking my dress down with him. "You're so innocent, but when I get you in my bed, you turn into this...I don't even know. Say more bad stuff."
I giggled as his lips opened, and he breathed hot breath over my upper thighs. My dress was gone completely. I shuddered as the air hit my skin, now wet by his kisses.
"I don't know what to say." I could feel myself blush. I had never been one for dirty talk.
"Say, 'pussy'," he commanded.
"Pussy," I whispered.
"Louder."
"Pussy!"
"Forget the shower." Justin ripped off his shirt, buttons popping over me. I felt his skin against mine when he lied back on top of me. "Will this hurt the baby?"
"No," I gasped again when his hand pressed between my legs, feeling my folds and taking his sweet time pushing a finger into me. I pulled at his hair, an encouragement to go further.
"Get up," he instructed, removing his hand.
"What?" I pouted.
Justin gently picked me up and turned me around. "On all fours, Maddie."
"Oh." I exhaled through my mouth, taken by surprise by his tone. I liked it.
When I didn't move quicklyenough for him, he lifted me until I was on my knees. Justin roughly took my hands and placed them on the headboard in front of us, shoulder-width apart.
"Tenerli lì,"he said.
Keep them there.
I nodded.
His voice and his accent and his tone and his commands...I was so hot, I thought the smoke detectors might go off.
"I don't want you to stay quiet tonight," Justin told me, breaking our usual rule. Jaxon would always complain if we were too loud. "I want you to scream until your lungs burn. Let them know how good I can make you feel. Make everyone know."
"I can do that," I panted.
His hand trailed down my back, pushing me down so that I arched a little. He slinked his long fingers over my skin, creating lanes of pure fire in their wake.
"So soft..." I heard him whisper. His hands were now trailing over my butt and went between my crack. I shuddered. Lower, he went until he was again between my legs. He spread them wide. I clutched the headboard so hard, my nails screamed out in pain.
Justin's tongue was wet and hot all at the same time as he licked me slowly. I was already drenched with my arousal, but he created more of a flood. I couldn't take it. I tried to back up so that his tongue would be inside me, but he kept using the pad, creating slow torturous movements.
"You're always ready for me." His speech was mumbled, but I heard.
"It's a blessing and a curse." I whimpered when he curled his tongue upwards and grazed my clit with the tip. He didn't add fingers, and I was afraid to ask him to. Another clit brushing and I was done.
I shook from pleasure. My whole body was exhausted, and I wanted to collapse, but his hands were suddenly on mine, grasping the headboard. I didn't have any time to recover before he was fully inside of me. He was solid. Pure rock, filling me to capacity, and I screamed out just how good it felt.
"Louder, Maddie," he said in a dominating tone.
I wasn't ashamed or embarrassed to shout. His hands pushed onto mine with each thrust of his hips. He filled me again and again and again...taking me from behind. Justin was deep inside, and each time he entered, I would cry out in ecstasy.
The headboard hit the wall and started to creak. I think he wanted to break it. I wouldn't mind if he did.
Justin spread my legs even wider as we both neared our finish. He knew my body so well that we didn't even have to talk about out impending orgasms. We were always in sync. It took three more thrusts before I was done. I couldn't hold on any longer and quivered my release.
I couldn't scream anymore, so my voice sounded kind of like a bird being strangled as I told him just how much I loved him. He came shortly after, pushing into me one last time. I could feel wetness...everywhere. And I liked it. I wanted more. I craved it.
His hard chest hit my back and he pulled my hair to one side, placing kisses on my neck. "Did I hurt you?"
I shook my head. "Was I loud enough?"
He chuckled darkly. "Yes. I think they now know just how much hard I can fuck you."
"Is that all this was, just to prove your sexual authority to your brothers?"
"Among other things, yes," he replied candidly.
"I don't mind that at all." I knew I should, but I didn't.
Our hands were still on the headboard, because I didn't think I could physically lift them away. We were forever cemented to that spot.
"I want to pull out of you, but...I can't. I refuse to." He pushed his hips deeper. I could feel him reaching as far as he could and it was gloriously painful.
"I think we woke everyone up."
"I hope so, Madeleine. Those lungs of yours could probably wake the dead. I liked hearing that," he said with urgency. "We should rest. We have a long day tomorrow."
With what sounded like pain, he slid out of me. I still couldn't move.
Justin was off of the bed, but came back a couple of seconds later. "I've got you, Maddie." He pried off each of my fingers from the wood, but they still felt stiff.
He cradled me in his arms and turned me over to lie on my back.
"I didn't mean to be so rough." He sounded remorseful.
"Yes you did." I laughed softly. "That's okay, though."
I saw him take a wet washcloth and wipe down my thighs, which were still shakingHe then took the material and placed it between my legs, letting the warmness heat me up. It felt incredibly good. He ran it up and down my slit, not sexually, but caringly.
"I should have constrained myself." Justin continued to rub me clean. His fingers were so light on my sensitive areas, nothing like his touch a couple minutes ago. The heat was incredibly soothing. "You'll be sore in the morning."
"Stop it." I lifted myself up with as much force as I had left. His hand didn't move from between my legs. "I wanted more."
He grinned in the darkness. "Then you shall have it, but not tonight. Right now, we sleep."
Justin kissed my forehead and laid me onto the sheets. I felt him climb in next to me, his chest, once again, hitting my back. His arm draped over me protectively.
"Goodnight, Madeleine." His lips touched my head one last time.