I’m awoken by Beggar screaming, my head pounding. The bed dips as I turn to grab her by the waist, she obviously fights me but I easily pull her to my chest.
“Stay still,” I snap.
She listens, whimpering as her body stills.
“Sleep Beauty,” and she does.
It’s the first night I sleep with Beggar in my arms. And though I feel her closeness, I know she’s safe, there’s nothing but a painful ache in my chest at the thought of her going back to that man.
He did this to her, yet she’s prepared to relive his torture to protect two girls who would never do the same for her.
She hasn’t said it, but her eyes say more.
I know she’s going to leave.
I feel it.
She might’ve been a beggar when she walked into this Clubhouse but now, she’s a beggar stealing pieces of me that I’d never knew existed.
She’s stealing my heart and I want her to take it. Take it all. The rest will come later.
It’s hours later when I get up. Beggar is still fast asleep and I have tons of shit to do besides going to tell the entire club that my woman is the reason Falon and Jade are missing.
I should get out of bed and get on the road. Instead I just watch her sleep. And I notice things I’ve never noticed before, the faint dust of freckles on her nose, the tiny scar on her temple from an old wound, the light crinkles under her eyes from lack of sleep.
I see how her hair fans out on the pillow. The downward tilt of her lips.
She’s beautiful, and so strong.
When she told me about the pregnancy, it was too much. I couldn’t fucking deal. I couldn’t do it.
I told her I was going to take a piss, but I fucking hurled my guts out.
How did she survive a life like hers? Living on the streets had to be hard, but being subjected to some sick bastard with a fetish of raping women?
Getting raped by numerous men on top of that. Then getting left in a ditch while you’re pregnant.
It’s almost impossible to believe. Yet, she has the scars, brands and these gut wrenching, mind fucking nightmares to prove it.
Lord knows what other fucked up shit happened to her. At least she’s safe now, in my clutches.
I won’t let her go now, no way.
“Then he called yesterday sayin’ she’s his, the guy is a sick fuck and that girl has already gone through more shit than all of us put together. There’s no way I’m letting her near that fucker.” Storm’s grim eyes dare any fucker to challenge him.
All the brothers are sitting around the table eating breakfast.
Rounder is at the head of the table, not much better than yesterday, and now his girl is gone.
It is my job to protect her and I failed.
I know I should’ve taken her to Barfa but fuck, I can’t regret that time I spent with Beggar.
And the fact that I’m not losing my shit just confirms what I already knew. My nameless beggar is it for me.
When I took her again last night, fuck, it was something.
I feel a hard-on coming just from the thought of her rolled back eyes and parted lips as her body convulsed in the pleasure, I fed her.
A real fucking siren, shit.
I was reluctant to leave her with the women and Prospects who were all ordered to eat in the lounge, so the brothers can discuss the situation.
Venus already agreed to stay with the women and catch up during church later. The two other full members, After and Mercy are on the way with the rest of the women and children from Houston.
Storm just about finishes with a quick rundown of his plan when Den rushes in.
“Sorry, Prez but you guys gotta come see this.” His bug eyes tell me I’m not going to like whatever ‘this’ is.
I’m the first one out my chair, slipping my cut on as I follow the Prospect to the front door. The sun hits me full in the face.
I step out onto the porch spotting the black Bentley and three Mercedes parked outside the gates.
The first person comes to mind is Lucca, he has come for my woman but that thought is squashed when I see an unmistakable face.
All the brothers come join me outside on the porch. Our eyes trained on the cages.
So, I don’t spot Beggar until I see her ass climbing down the stairs.
I naturally go after her.
My arm snaps open and I grab her around the waist,
“Where the fuck do you think you going? That’s Deno Catelli,” I growl into her ear.
“They here for me, I won’t be long.” She says matter of factly.
“That’s the future head of the Mafia..” I remind her, in case she thinks it’s Lucca.
“She already knows that, Deno is her family,” Killer says from beside her.
I hear the men behind me swear and curse.
My woman just keeps bringing on the surprises, but it answers one question.
Why she chose to be a beggar when she got older. It has been nagging me since last night.
She’s protecting her family like she’s protecting us.
Everybody knows the New Orleans Outfit is the biggest enemy of the Famiglia.
One of the brothers opens the gates for the cars to drive inside.
They park in a straight line, not too close to the porch.
They lucky we got a big yard.
The sleek two hundred grand cars are completely out of place with the vast number of bikes lined up to the sides.
First the driver and the soldiers step out of the cars.
Three from the back Mercedes and four from the front. All the men are wearing black from the sun glasses, to the suits they are straightening.
It’s the men that step out from the two cars in the middle that got my attention.
The blonde headed guy with the light beige suit and white shirt is a familiar. Vincent Stone. He is Killers half-brother from his father’s short affair with Vincent’s Italian mother.
Beggar struggles to leave my warmth.
And I don’t want to let her go as I release her from the safety of my arms.
I follow behind her, but not too close. No way am I letting her get near them alone, family or not.
Killer goes straight to the man in the beige suit and punches him solid in the stomach. The guy barely flinches.
It’s those seconds when I take my eyes off Beggar, does she run into Deno’s arms.
I walk closer to the Mafia sizing him up.
He has on a dark charcoal suit with a light blue shirt. Out of all the guys in his circle, he is the most underdressed. The deadliest too.
Deno has a reputation that’s simple, no one fucks with him and lives to speak his name.
I watch his hazel eyes crinkle as he tugs on Beggar’s hair. She swats him away like a naughty child.
Why is she so carefree with him?!
Jealousy has many ugly heads, men fought wars, lost their lives, killed their brothers because of that one feeling. The fucked-up part about it is, you just can’t fucking help it.
I tell myself he is her damn family. I shouldn’t be getting pissed off. But I can’t help it as I feel myself losing control.
I hardly had any time with Beggar, we’ve barely spoken. Normally people get to know each other before things progress, with us it’s the opposite.