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Storm taunted, “Hey, I’m sorry you’re not as close to your family as I am to mine, and you can cut your feelings off and on like a fucking machine.” She folded her arms and spit out, “Sorry, your brother decided power was more important than family.”
Blinding hurt assailed me, and as I jumped to my feet, I wanted to cut her down and shout that her precious little brother also wanted her dead. Although Storm stood her ground and didn’t flinch, I saw fear flicker in her eyes, and my anger deflated like a burst helium balloon. I quietly responded, “I hate when you say you lost your whole family because you didn’t lose me.”
Her face immediately fell, and I turned and stalked to bed, mad that I still fucked up her joy. Mad that our reconciliation started off in drama and trauma. Mad that she still didn’t trust that I wouldn’t hurt her after I sexually unleashed on her, and she gladly received me. Mad that I may not be able to retain my Don status. As much as I didn’t want it, I never wanted it to be snatched from me. Especially from my own brother, who, in the words of Storm, decided power was more important than family. Lastly, I was afraid that Storm would leave me once she knew Pastor never made it to the courthouse.
Chapter 15
Storm
Gavin didn’t understand that my family meant everything to me. My parents would probably never return to the States. Pierre may never return, and Xavier and Cain are gone. My brothers and I have been inseparable for as long as I can remember. They never treated me as an outsider or dismissed me because I was a girl. We were close in age, and whatever mischief they were involved in as children, I was right there. They protected me, especially Xavier, who was the oldest. In some ways, I was closer to him than my father, who treated me like a girl who didn’t have the same intelligence and gifts as his sons. I might have been closer to Pierre because we were the babies. In contrast, Cain and Xavier were the older ones, making shit happen as we grew older, but I loved Xavier to his core.
He would’ve been most proud of me yesterday. Xavier would have hugged me for slicing our soldier and putting him in place. If Xavier was there, he would’ve killed him on the spot. Then again, I doubt Butch would’ve dared utter a word against St. James or Xavier in his presence. Despite my victory, I knew they would take time to fully accept me as their leader. Xavier and Pierre had been fierce leaders even as my father ruled. I still had Pierre, though he wouldn’t share his location with me. He was supportive of my decision to take the lead, and he would focus on using his money to find new business and drug connections while he traveled. Pierre didn’t have a steady woman or children, so he could flow like the wind through different countries until we determined it was safe to return. I just prayed that day would come sooner rather than never.
Gavin’s ice and rage thrilled me in ways I couldn’t describe. The pain he inflicted on me didn’t impact how I felt about him. I trusted he wouldn’t hurt me no matter how far he pushed me, but I feared that he would lose it and go on a rampage that would ultimately end in his death. When he killed Brazino, he didn’t care who saw him. I wondered if he would care about killing innocent people if they tried to interfere with his plans. My family didn’t believe in killing anyone who wasn’t in the game. I’d heard of his reputation during the years we weren’t together and knew he’d become a boss that many feared. What Gavin didn’t understand was that I remained fearful that his fire and ice would end in his death. When he spoke about understanding Romeo’s desire to die once he thought he had lost Juliet, I understood him. I barely functioned for almost three years, throwing myself into the hotel to grieve the loss of my brother and my heart.
After being with him as his wife for the past month, I'd become more dependent on him, especially because no one existed but he and I. We made love on the beach almost every night and talked for hours about our future. We discussed our respective family business and our individual interests. We were aligned while we were in Virginia. After one day back, we were at odds again.
I grimaced as I trudged to the bathroom. My body bore the marks of his savagery, and seeing the evidence of our sexual aggression only excited me. I opened the drawer and pulled out the peppermint oil. I walked to our bedroom, where he lay sprawled on his stomach, his long length taking up most of the bed. I slid into the small space he’d barely left for me and nudged him. He looked over his shoulder, and I gave him the massaging peppermint oil. Gavin sighed and took the bottle out of my hand.
I laid on my back and watched him gingerly press the oil against my body. “I don’t care if I had the best day in my fucking life. You tell me what happened to you, do you hear me? We’re in this together.”
His lips curved into a smile. “I hear you, Queen.” He then pressed his lips against the redness on my mound. “Does that feel better?”
I lifted his head. “Un...huh...you’re not about to make me hot again. I’m already wet, but my body needs a moment.”
Gavin only moved lower to lick my slick lips. “I can make your pussy feel better.”
I opened my legs and closed my eyes, and he did make me feel better.
THE NEXT MORNING, AS we prepared for the day. I made us smoothies while I told him how everything went down yesterday and that I felt confident that the St. James family business would be as strong as ever in time. He agreed and seemed proud as I relayed what happened, as I had expected him to react last night.
“So, what did you find out yesterday that had you wanting to attack me?” She smirked as she sipped on her peach smoothie.
I listened intently as he told me about the conversation with Big Tony. “They can strip you of what your father and family in Italy wanted? They can strip you of your legacy?”
“They can as long as I have a backstabbing brother dropping seeds to the commission that I’m a fucking coward and not fit to be a boss. I have to defend myself and change the narrative. Killing my brother won’t change how they see me, especially if he’s coming across as the strong one.”
“When do you want to go to the commission and confess?”
“I want to do it tonight. I need to talk to Enzo first and get his advice. My confession may shake up the commission in far-reaching ways.”
“Brazino tried to kill you, isn’t that enough?”
“Even though Brazino attacked first, I still didn’t have the right to kill another Don without the commission's permission, which never happens. Most Dons are taken out, and no one ever confesses. We still don’t know who killed my father. In their eyes, once I confess, I killed Brazino and ran like a coward.”
“Why did you want to leave the city after you killed him?”
“Because my first priority was protecting you. I would've stayed if Brazino had not confessed to my brother’s involvement. Brocco’s treachery knows no bounds, and I needed to get you to safety before deciding on my next move. And that’s exactly what I plan to tell them. First is Enzo. See how much damage my brother has already done.” He kissed my forehead. “You understand that I need to be alone when speaking with him.”
“Say less.” I pushed his smoothie toward him. His handsome face scrunched with worry. “Drink up.”
He stared at the smoothie, and I knew he had something else to say. Like the morning after we married, when we were cruelly interrupted.
“Gavin?”
Gavin looked at me, his attention back on me. “Yeah?”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
