Endings & Beginnings (New Mafia Trilogy #3) (31 page)

   “Oh my God! Keep it up and I’m going to kidnap
you and make you my kitchen slave.”

   “Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I teased
and she laughed.

The rest of the day we relaxed by the pool then
around three we went back to her apartment so I could start cooking. I opened a
bottle of red wine and poured two glasses. Natalie helped with prep and we
worked side by side, talking and laughing. Once the dish was in the oven
baking, we sat on the futon and finished the rest of the bottle.

   “Do you have to leave?” Natalie asked. She
shifted so her body leaned against my side and I put an arm around her
shoulders, curling her in closer. “I’ve missed you.”

   “I’ve missed you too, babe. More than you know. I
wish I didn’t have to go back.” I kissed the top of her head.

We sat there in silence, both lost in our thoughts,
which were disrupted when my burner phone started ringing. Natalie moved so I
could get up to answer it.

   “Dante, this better be important,” I said.

   “Yeah, it fucking is. Special Agent Phillips is
dead.”

   “WHAT?”

   “He was shot while stopped at a light. I don’t
know who the fuck did it, but the blowback is on us right now. Please tell me
you’re still in L.A.?”

   “Yeah, I’m still here.”

   “Good. This gives you a solid alibi. I know it
wasn’t us. You gave the order not to put the drop on Phillips. You should stay
out there a few days until the fucking shit storm dies down.”

I was pacing the length of the apartment at this
point, from the tiled entry way by the front door down the hall to Natalie’s
bedroom and back again. “Yeah, I’ll lay low, but you need to keep me up to date
on everything. I want all eyes and ears on this. We can’t afford any blowback
and need to find out if Phillips’ death is connected in any way to us. Grill Demetrius.
Egan, Chan and Ji. Do Grant and Miranda know what happened?”

   “Yeah, Grant has already called all of the
soldiers in for an emergency meeting.”

   “Okay, good. I’ll call my dad and have him hang
here for a few days too. He was flying back with me tonight.”

   “Good. Don’t worry, Dom, we’ll handle this.”

I continued to pace after the call ended. I was
tempted to throw my phone against the wall, but knew that would be
counterproductive.

   “Dom, what the hell is going on?” Natalie asked,
coming to stand in front of me, stopping me from pacing. I told her and she
visibly paled. “Agent Phillips is dead? Holy shit!”

   “Yeah, I know.” I walked into the kitchen and
opened another bottle of wine. “Is it okay if I crash here for a few more
days?”

   “Of course,” she said, taking a deep gulp of
wine. “This is crazy.”

   “That it is.” The timer went off on the oven so I
pulled the steaming tray of chicken parmesan out and set in on a trivet.
Natalie moved behind me and grabbed two plates out of the cabinet before
retrieving the tossed salad out of the refrigerator.

   “Are you in trouble, Dom?” she asked as we sat
down at the breakfast bar with our plates of food.

   “No. This wasn’t on me. I don’t know who pulled
the trigger.”

After dinner, Natalie put in Insidious and we
settled in to watch the movie, but I had to keep getting up to take calls. Long
after Natalie went to bed, I was on the phone with Dante as he reported in with
any developments. Our associates claimed zero involvement which led me to
believe that maybe Phillips murder had something to do with one of his other
cases. Either way, it was decided I’d stay in L.A. through the weekend. At
least this gave me more time with Natalie.

The next day she had to work, but I had a car and
didn’t need to be dependent on her. I spent the day with my dad. We visited Gio
again and filled him in on the situation with the Feds. He had some contacts on
the inside with the L.A. field office and offered to reach out for any
information.

   “Thanks, Gio. It’s fucking frustrating not being
there to take care of shit myself.”

   “I bet. The timing really sucks.”

   “Yeah, I know.”

We were sitting in his office; my dad and I
occupying the same chairs as the day before. Gio leaned forward and refilled
our glasses with scotch. The amber liquid looked as warm as it felt going down
my throat.

   “I won’t say anything about this to Miguel, but I
suspect he’s already heard. That guy has more connections than anyone I know,”
Gio said. “If you didn’t order the hit this should blow over in a few days. If
you need anything while you’re here, don’t hesitate. Call Victor and he’ll take
care of you.”

   “Appreciate it,” I said and stood up, setting my
empty glass on the desk. My dad and I were escorted out to our cars in the
driveway where we parted ways. Dad had managed to schedule a last minute dinner
meeting that night with the architect and Natalie was only working the lunch
shift. I was anxious to get home to her.

She had given me a spare key and when I entered the
apartment, saw her bag hanging on the back of one of the bar stools. Water was
rushing through the pipes indicating she was in the shower. I set my keys on
the counter and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge before walking down
the hall. I knocked on the bathroom door and heard her drop something followed
up by a loud curse.

   “Hey Nat, just letting you know I’m home.”

   “Okay!” she called out.

While she finished, I called Dante to check in. He
didn’t have anything new to report except that the FBI had reinforced the
firewall on their network that Johnny was having a hard time hacking. He was
keeping at it thought. Dante also mentioned that two FBI agents had stopped by
the Grabano Enterprises office and asked about my whereabouts. Estelle informed
them that I was out of the city for business.

   “I’m sure the Feds are going to track you down to
verify you’re in L.A. and confirm you were not in Philly when Agent Phillips
was shot.”

   “Alright, thanks for the heads up. Are you sure
you got everything handled?”

   “Yeah, you go have fun with Natalie,” Dante said,
following up with kissy sounds.

   “Fuck off.” I hung up the phone, cutting off his
obnoxious chuckle.

That night I took Natalie to a seafood restaurant
that Gio had recommended. He was friends with the owner and had made us
reservations. From the moment we arrived we were treated like royalty. The chef
even came out to meet us. I noticed some of the other patrons looking over at
our table.

   “Sorry about all of the attention, Nat. I know
you’re not big on it. I had no idea.”

   “It’s okay. Those people are trying to figure out
who we are – like if we’re celebrities. I see it all of the time, but haven’t
been on the receiving end before.”

Not even ten minutes later, a real celebrity couple
showed up and drew all of the attention away from us so we were able to enjoy
our meal without public scrutiny. After dinner, we drove to a spot where there
was public beach access and walked along the water. Natalie slipped off her
heels, carrying them with one hand as she touched the ocean with her toes. I
reached for her other hand and held it mine. At first she tensed up, but she
didn’t pull away and eventually relaxed. We walked along the beach for a while
before turning back towards the car. She held onto my shoulder for balance when
we reached the pavement and dusted the sand off of her feet before putting her
shoes back on.

   “Thanks, Dom, this is the nicest evening I’ve had
in a while.”

   “You know I want to spoil you,” I teased, winking
at her and flashing my dimples.

She laughed and shook her head before sliding into
the passenger seat. Once her legs were tucked safely inside, I shut the door.
As I walked around the car to the driver’s side, I thought to myself that this
was one of the nicest nights ever and it had everything to do with the woman I
wanted by my side for the rest of my life; if she’d have me.

Natalie

Having Dominic in my apartment was pure torture. He
hardly wore a shirt, giving me plenty of opportunities to check him out. The
tattoo that covered his shoulder plus part of his back and chest had a
magnificent canvas. He kept wanting to feed me too and my refrigerator was
packed with more food I’d had in weeks. When he asked if he could stay longer I
was happier than I let on because I didn’t want him to leave. It was amazing
how quickly we fell into our pattern of when we lived together.

Over the following week, I worked doubles and Dom
spent his days with his dad or at Gio’s. He went shopping to buy more clothes
since he didn’t pack enough and I showed him where the laundry room for the
apartment complex was located. When I had a break, I’d come home to a clean
apartment and a meal waiting for me.

   “You make a good housewife, you know,” I teased
as I bit into a BLT with avocado.

   “I like taking care of you,” he said and gently
caressed my cheek. Aside from the first night, Dom didn’t kiss me again, but he
always touched me in some way, whether he held my hand or tucked stray hair
behind my ear. I wanted to do more, but was afraid of taking that step. What I
needed was to talk things out with Chelsea, but our schedules didn’t allow for
any time.

   “Oh shit - I just remembered!” I exclaimed,
setting my sandwich down. “Chelsea and Derek are having a barbecue on Sunday.
Are you still going to be here?”

   “Yeah, things haven’t settled in Philly yet.”

   “Will you go with me? Jason is going to be there
and I really don’t want to go alone.”

Dom stiffened at the mention of my ex-boyfriend’s
name. “You don’t even have to ask, babe. Is he being an asshole? Do I have to
kick his ass?”

   “No. Chill out,” I did have second thoughts
because if Dominic found out Jason had tried to broker me a WITSEC deal through
Agent Phillips, in exchange for information, he’d kill him. “He doesn’t even
talk to me. I haven’t seen him since I broke up with him. Chelsea said she’d
run interference, but it’s her party.”

   “No problem,” he said and took my hand. We were
sitting next to each other at the breakfast bar and I had two hours before
having to leave for a shift at Dirty. Friday and Saturday nights were the big
money makers. Dom pivoted my stool so I was facing him, our legs interlocked. “I
have your back and will be your shield. Always.”

   “I know.” I squeezed his hand and got lost in the
green of his eyes, perfectly framed by thick, dark lashes. It was more than
physical attraction I felt for Dom. I did trust him. I wouldn’t have given him
a key to my apartment if I didn’t. His attentiveness was addicting, but this
wasn’t new because when we lived together before he was like that. I liked
coming home to him, smelling his cologne when I walked in the door. I had
missed Dom, but didn’t realize how much until he was back in my life. Leaning
forward, I tentatively kissed him as if testing the waters. He seized onto the
moment and deepened the kiss while at the same time lifting me onto his lap so
I was straddling him. With that one move and with our bodies crushed against
each other, all of the carefully constructed walls I’d erected came tumbling
down.

Sensing my lack of resistance, Dom gripped my hips
and thrust upwards, grinding his erection between my legs. Although we were wearing
clothes, the friction still managed to set every nerve ending on fire. My skin
felt hot and my nipples beaded to hard points. Dom stood up, supporting me by
placing his hands under my ass. I wrapped my legs around his hips and continued
kissing him. He groaned into my mouth and moved his lips along my neck, sucking
at the base by my collarbone, raising goose bumps and making my nipples even
harder.

   “My bed, now,” I panted.

We didn’t get that far.

I landed on my back on the futon with Dom hovering
over me, his arms on either side. He tugged at my shirt and I sat up enough for
him to pull it over my head. My bra was next. Once I was bare beneath him, he
slowed down, licking and kissing a burning trail down my body, pausing at my
breasts to nip and suckle my nipples. I writhed beneath him and he pinned me
down with his hips. Releasing a nipple with a pop, he continued teasing me,
pausing briefly to circle the diamond stud in my belly button, before reaching
my shorts. He peeled these off, taking my panties with them so I was completely
naked.

   “You’re beautiful,” he whispered and lowered his
head to kiss the inside of each thigh, before settling his mouth on my clit. I
gasped and thrust against his face when he increased the pressure. Grabbing his
thick hair in my hands, I held him in place. He hummed with amusement that vibrated
against the sensitive nub and I cried out. The sounds of him licking and
sucking combined with the deep strokes of his tongue, which he replaced with
his fingers, sent me racing over the cliff and within minutes I was freefalling
into an orgasm. It had been far too long since he touched my like that.

He lifted his head from between my thighs and smiled
up at me. His hair was a mess and his lips glistened with my juices. I could
barely breathe let alone say anything which made him smile even more, his
dimples on full display. My legs opened wider and he crawled up so he was
hovering over me again, our eyes never breaking contact. “I love you,” he said
and lowered his mouth to mine. I tasted myself and moaned, wrapping my arms
around the back of his head, pulling him closer so his entire weight pressed
down on me.

The material of his shorts was rough against my sensitive
skin, but it felt good and I moved against his erection. Suddenly he broke the
kiss and raised his body so he was kneeling before me.

   “I need you,” I begged and was relieved when he
quickly stripped off his shorts. I stroked his length a few times, but we were
both ready. We looked at each other, our eyes locking again as Dom pushed
inside of me. “Oh!” I cried out and closed my eyes.

   “Look at me, Nat,” Dom ordered. “I want you to
see what you do to me.” He thrust again and again and my hips matched his
movements. We stared at each other and I was only aware of Dom; the way he laid
me bare and exposed me with one touch, one look. His movements sped up and he
drove in deeper. Pressure built deep in my womb and I felt it unravel as
another orgasm shook me to the core. I threw my head back and arched against
him with a loud shout. My hands squeezed his ass, drawing him closer, my nails
digging into his skin. Dom stilled then grunted and bit his lower lip before
coming a few seconds after me with a surge of pulsing heat.

We lay there tangled up in each other trying to
catch our breath. A layer of sweat covered our bodies despite the air
conditioning. I kept Dom inside of me as long as possible, feeling a sense of
loss when he shifted and slipped out.

   “I love you, Dom. I never stopped loving you – I
want you to know that.”

   “I don’t think I can ever stop loving you, baby,”
he said and kissed me. This was slow and luxurious. Sated, this time we went
slower exploring and reacquainting ourselves. Afterwards I was completely
spent. Drowsiness swept over me and I snuggled up close against Dom’s chest.
His heartbeat was steady and strong. Everything about him was. I felt secure in
his arms and closed my eyes, drifting off.

   “Baby,” Dom said in my ear and gently shook me
awake. “What time do you have to be at work?”

   “Hmmmm?” I mumbled and tried to burrow into his
chest which tickled him and he laughed. The rumble felt nice and my nipples
beaded up against his skin.

   “Focus, Nat. You have to work tonight. What
time?”

I finally processed his question and my eyes snapped
open. “Oh my God. What time is it?” I sprang up off of the futon, looking for
my phone, which I found on the kitchen counter. It was 3:30 which meant I had
half an hour to get cleaned up, dressed and arrive at Dirty. “Shit!” I ran down
the hall to my bedroom and grabbed my towel.

   “Eeek!” I shrieked when I saw the state of my
hair. I definitely had mastered the “just fucked” look.

Dom appeared in the bathroom doorway distracting me
with his nakedness. “Go away, I need to get ready,” I said. He laughed and left
me alone. I took a speed shower, combed the tangles out of my hair and threw it
back in a ponytail. By the time I was done, I had fifteen minutes left to get
to work.  When I walked into the living room, Dominic was waiting for me,
dressed and with my car keys in his hand.

   “Let’s go. I’ll drive you.”

With him behind the wheel, I was able to relax and
get my head in work mode. We arrived at Dirty with two minutes to spare. I
don’t even want to know how fast he was driving. Before I got out of the car,
Dom gave me a knee weakening kiss. “I’ll be back later for a drink and to give
you a ride home.”

   “Okay. Thanks, love you!” I said then hurried
inside the bar.

Callie was signing off on a delivery of several kegs
when I walked in. “Wow! I haven’t seen you smile like that in a long time,” she
commented when I passed by. This just made me smile even more and my good mood
lasted long into the night. Dirty was slammed and I hurried to get my drink orders
filled. It was close to midnight when I approached the bar and recognized three
men sitting near Collin’s side. Dom smiled at me and pulled in for a kiss while
Victor smirked at me, raising his pierced eyebrow. Jimmy’s mouth twitched in
acknowledgment of the PDA.

   “Looks like you two patched things up,” Victor
said.

   “We did,” I confirmed, leaning into Dom and
giving him another kiss. “I have to work, babe, I’m so busy!” He released my
hips and smacked me on the ass as I walked away. Collin scowled at me, but I
ignored him and his scowl quickly disappeared when I saw Dom glare at him. I
shook my head and chuckled underneath my breath. Dom, Victor and Jimmy all wore
black tee shirts and gave off a menacing vibe. Jimmy was the only one shorter
than 6 feet, but he was built like a tank. They sat in a row, perched like dark
vultures observing everything around them.

It was just after last call and the crowd had
thinned out a bit when Dom approached. “I’ll be out in the parking lot waiting
for you.”

   “Okay.”

   “Good seeing you, Princess,” Victor said and
pecked me on the cheek. Jimmy surprised me when he kissed my cheek too.

   “Good night, Jimmy. How’s your wife doing?” I
asked.

   “She’s due any day,” he said with a grin that
transformed his scarred face. He lit up from within at the thought of becoming
a father soon.

   “Well good luck. I want to hear all about it and
pictures, I want to see pictures!”

   “Stick around long enough and you can see her in
person.”

   “Her? So you’re having a daughter?”

He grinned again. Someone walked past and stared. I
narrowed my eyes at them and they quickly turned away. Sure Jimmy’s scarred
face took some getting used to, same with his lopsided smile, but he was a
freakin’ war hero. He could also kill anyone with his pinkie. People could be
so shallow, especially in L.A. where looks were commerce.

The guys left and I finished closing out. I was
counting out my tips at the bar when Collin passed by, wiping down the counter
with a bleach saturated rag. “So you are back together with that guy,” he said.

   “Yes, I am. You know his name is Dominic.”

   “Does Jason know?”

   “No because we don’t speak and it isn’t any of
his business anyway.”

   “Are you bringing Dominic to Chelsea and Derek’s
party on Sunday?”

I folded up the stack of bills and tucked them in
the front pocket of my shorts when I stood up. “That’s none of your business
either,” I said and left. Collin’s presence really made working at Dirty an
unpleasant experience. It was also a reminder that I didn’t want to be a server
for the rest of my life. I needed to make a change.

Dominic was leaning against my car when I stepped
outside. “Hey beautiful,” he drew me in for a deep kiss. “Ready to go home?” he
asked when he released my lips. That’s when it hit me. I never referred to it
as my home. It was always my apartment or my place. Dom had been calling it
home all week, but it hadn’t felt like it until he had arrived.

That night, Dominic fell asleep next to me in my bed.
We curled up together, my back flush with his chest, and his arm draped over so
his hand splayed against my hip. 

In the morning the smells of bacon and coffee woke
me up. I was alone in bed and knew Dom was in the kitchen making breakfast. I
stretched out, pleasantly sore from making love. The air was cool on my bare
skin when I slid out of bed. One of Dom’s shirts was on the floor so I scooped
it up and put it on, breathing in his scent. I wandered into the kitchen to
find Dom flipping pancakes. He only wore his briefs and I sat down to watch him
cook, admiring the dimples at the small of his back, right above his tight ass.
Looking over his shoulder, he caught me checking him out and winked.

   “Breakfast is almost ready,” he said, placing a
steaming mug of coffee on the counter in front of me. He remembered I liked it
with Splenda and cream. I took a sip and sighed.