Learning to Forgive (The Learning Series) (23 page)

When I’m back at Lyric’s, I get a shower and crawl in bed to cry and mourn for a loss that hasn’t happened yet. I toss and turn as my emotions take over. Lyric hasn’t made it home yet, and loneliness sets in, so I let Sissy crawl in bed with me. But even with her warmth and sweet kisses, the tears won’t stop. I’m scared for the friend who’s more like mother to me. And selfishly, I’m terrified for myself. Deep down, I always knew she was somewhere willing to help me. She always took care of me. Even when I fuck up, she’s there. Who’s going to be there for her?

“Face reality as it is, not as it was

or as you wish it to be.”

~Jack Welch

Lyric

I got the call earlier today and went straight to the meeting place. Someone supposedly has an in to Polesky. So here I am, sitting in an old diner in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the informant. Whoever it is. Hyde wanted to come, but I told him to stay and keep his eye on Blaire. Something has been bothering her, and I noticed it after her first night back at Jay’s. I don’t want to pressure her though, and possibly push her away in the process. But I hate seeing her upset. So I decide that if she’s still upset, I’m going to ask her what’s going on.

After ten minutes, I hear the jingle of the door. Looking up, I see a woman walk in wearing a hoodie and sunglasses with her dark hair pulled back neatly. I can’t see her eyes behind the tint of her shades, but I know they are on me. My left hand hovers over my Glock waiting for her next move. Then she raises her hands before she slides in a seat across from me.

“Mr. Young. I’m Anya.” She uses my alias in case someone’s listening. Then she removes her sunglasses and stares at me with pale cerulean eyes.

“Anya. Can I get you anything?” I ask as the waitress passes.

“Yes. But what I want isn’t here.” I see the coldness as she stares me down. “You and I have something in common,
Lyric
, I mean, Mr. Young,” she says in fake apology.

My hand hovers over my gun because this chick obviously knows more than what she’s letting on.

Her eyes lower, and I know she’s aware of my actions. “I’m not here to hurt you. I need your help. I also know you won’t pull out a loaded gun with all these innocent people around. Not your style. So go ahead and move your hands on top of the table. Because I will not flinch when it comes to killing any of these people.” Her eyes taper to a slit as she waits for my response. My gut tells me this chick isn’t bluffing so I do what she says and move both my hands to the handle of my hot coffee where she can see them. If she pulls any shit, she won’t leave without a mark.

“Now that I have your attention, let’s get down to business. We both want retribution for our losses. Someone who took away someone we loved.” She reaches in her bag, pulls out a folder, and hands it to me.

I open it up and see images that I’ve tried to erase for nine fucking years. Carly dead in the alley. Blood covering her body from where her throat was slashed. Her swollen belly unmoving. Her dead eyes staring at nothing. Rage fills me as I stare at this bitch across from me. “How the fuck did you get these?” I ask through clenched teeth.

She arches a black brow. “I found them. And believe me, I have plenty others.” She tilts her head and smirks. “My uncle loves to keep souvenirs of his work.”

“Uncle?”

“Oh yes. Didn’t I tell you my full name? How very rude of me.” She smiles and even though her features are strikingly beautiful, I see pure evil. “I’m Anya Polesky and I believe you want to kill my father, Nicholas.”

This has got to be a fucking joke. “Anya Polesky? You’re supposed to be dead.” I heard about her body being found a few years back in the Nevada desert. She’s heir to Polesky’s fortune as his oldest child. She was on her honeymoon in Vegas when her husband was found dead in their hotel room and she was found miles away from the crime scene.

“I’m alive and well.” She calls the waitress over as I let her words sink in as she orders. I’m sure The Reform is goin to have a fuckin’ field day with this new info… if it’s true. When she’s done, her attention is once again on me.

“How is it possible when they found your body? And your uncle never left that alley.” I wave the file, wondering how these pictures came to be.

“It’s called technology, Lyric. He had them emailed to his personal address. I actually have some of the actual act if you’d like to see them.” She smirks in my direction. “Now, as for the other question, it wasn’t my body. It was a random showgirl.” She leans in and her voice goes to a whisper. “Do you really want me to relive that night? Because I can make you relive yours if you want to play that game.” She taps the folder that holds confirmation of my worst nightmare.

“You know I need proof,
Anya
. And doll, I relive that fucking night every damn time I close my eyes.”

After a minute of studying me, she concedes. “Touché, Mr. Devereux. Touché. I’ll tell you.” The waitress interrupts us at that time and brings her food. “After I eat, of course.”

I’m headed back to Mobile with information that will change every fucking thing. Anya Polesky is alive and out to put a cap in her father’s ass. I only hope I get to make him suffer first. It’s pretty fucked up to want to kill your own father, but the chick has warrant. She wants to avenge her deceased husband who she married for love. Polesky didn’t think he was good enough for his business and knew whoever she married would get his fortune. He said he was weak, but she defied her father’s wishes and married him anyway in Vegas behind her father’s back. Polesky, being the selfish asshole he is, didn’t like not getting his way and made other plans. His thugs interrupted their newly wedded bliss with a torturous hit. She wasn’t supposed to be killed, but when they tried to leave with her, she ended up stealing one of their guns and killing the sonofabitch before escaping. She’s been on the run ever since. When I asked her about the body they found, she said she did what needed to be done so they couldn’t find her. And with that last sentence, she became quiet and said no more about it.

According to her, the bastard is still in Atlanta. Figures the chicken shit is too scared to come on my turf. But he does have eyes watching, and she believes that if they see her, it will get him in Mobile sooner. She promises, if I help her, she’ll give me a file with names to all his trafficking partners from all over the world.

But I don’t need to worry about that right now. More important things need to be handled this week back in New Orleans. I have another shipment coming in the port in a few nights and it’s a big one. Not only am I expecting the finest heroine from the South Pacific, but also enough weapons to utilize a few hundred men. I’m talking military issued M9 Berettas and AK47. My buyers are well known in this business because they don’t fuck around when it comes to their money. The Knight family is a close-knit mafia crew from up north. I dealt with them last year with a similar shipment and it went smooth with no fuckups.

They bring in their trucks, load them up, and leave. Of course, this is after compensation. Even though they’ve never given me shit before, you never know what will go down. I’ve met Cole Knight for the first time last year. He’s a cocky motherfucker but runs his crew and takes no shit. Even though he’s younger than most, and even me, I respect him and he returns that respect. Trusting is a different issue. Trust is something earned and not given. I can only hope this shipment goes as smooth as the last one. But my gut is telling me something different and I’ve learned to trust it over the years.

As far as this Anya shit goes, Massey will give me orders before long. Now I want to enjoy my time with the redhead at my house. I know Red can’t be a part of it or whatever is going to happen in the future with Polesky. What I don’t know is if I should push her away or protect her the best way possible? But that’s a stupid question because after what happened to Carly I know her distance from me is best. Shit just became fucking real and my hands are tied. Luckily, I have some time to get everything figured out. And I plan on taking full advantage of every fucking second I have with her. I shoot a quick text to Hyde to see where he is.

Me:
You headed home?

Hyde:
No. Friends.

Me:
Don’t come home for the night. Tell everyone Blaire and I went out of town. And I know I’m fucked either way so don’t give me your lip.

Hyde:
Fine, but Ryan’s gonna be pissed for canceling another gig.

Me:
Fuck the gig.

I can picture him shaking his head and telling me again how being with Red is a bad idea. We’re convinced now that she was just an innocent bystander and not part of Polesky’s team. But Hyde doesn’t like her so close to us. And I don’t blame him. I just can’t turn her away even if dragging an innocent person into this shit isn’t right. I plan on walking away. Eventually. But I haven’t had enough of her yet.

When I enter the living area, she’s sitting on the couch with the dog watching TV. “Hey you,” she says and smiles. She’s really opened up the past few weeks. She’s healed more than just her physical bruises. We spent Thanksgiving at Janet’s and I think she’s had time to accept the fact that Janet is sick. Hopefully her next upset in life won’t cause too much emotional damage and she remains strong because there’s a little girl she still needs to meet.

When I don’t return a smile, hers disappears. But I have no reason to smile after today because in my mind it’s one day closer to letting her go. Instead, I walk over to her, bend down, and kiss her, ready to fall into her depths as far as she’ll allow. I don’t just kiss her. I own her with it, exploring and memorizing the taste of buttery popcorn and something that’s all her.

My blood heats up as I envision her under me, over me, and beside me. My cock sliding in and out of her heat. “I want you.” Her fingers take hold of the base of my skull to pull me closer, and soon, I’ve pinned her to the couch.

She helps me lift my shirt over my head before my mouth attacks her slender neck.

“What if Hyde comes in?”

“He won’t.” I reach for her tank top and push it up to expose just a tiny amount of skin. Bit by bit I unveil her, taking my time to savor her reactions. I unwrap her like a gift. Something precious, because that’s exactly how I see her. My gift. The first thing I’ve wanted for myself in a long time. But I know I can’t keep her and she’s only a temporary happiness. I just thought I could enjoy it for a while longer.

I kiss her stomach and hipbones, loving the laugh that erupts from her. Before I can go lower and finish unwrapping her, she scoots her body out from under me and sits up to remove her top, revealing her beautiful breasts to me. My mouth is drawn to them and I can’t help but suckle them one at a time. I blow warm air against her pink skin to watch in amazement how they tighten and pucker in reaction. Her breathing is lusty and erratic, and when I look up at her beautiful face, she’s watching me with hooded eyes. I lick my way up to her collarbone, throat, chin, until finally I’m letting my tongue once again invade her mouth’s warmth.

She climbs on my lap in only her soft, cotton pants. I grip her ass and push her down to feel her heat. But it’s not enough and I’m desperate for more. My thumbs hook in her pants to push them down as far as I can. She stands and discards them the rest of the way. After I unzip my jeans and expose myself to her, she hits her knees and grips me in her hands before her mouth descends on my dick. But I need to taste her first. “Not yet.”

She stands up with a confused look upon her flushed face. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to taste you.” I stand and let my jeans drop to the floor before picking her up to make my way down the hallway and to my room. After placing her feet on the floor, I lay back. “Come here.” She smiles seductively and climbs above me, once again straddling my naked body. I kiss her. “Now turn around.” She smiles slyly before she turns and places her sweet, wet heat in my face to devour. I lick her folds and suckle her clit over and over. Then I feel her mouth once again wrap around my dick and about lose my shit. But I hold out. I will not come until she does. Blaire always has a way of getting me off faster than I’m used to.