GIO
As the clock ticked past two in the early hours of the morning, we found ourselves slipping into the car, setting off on a journey to the designated meeting point that Karsen had disclosed in his letter. The surroundings were hushed, and the darkness outside only amplified the weight of our mission. Millie, my companion on this endeavor, sat beside me in silence. A fleeting gesture brought our hands together, and in response, she offered me a thankful smile.
Though the circumstances were tense, there was a determination about Millie that caught my attention. Her demeanor did not reflect the shattered heart I had feared would accompany her. Beside her wrist, a bracelet caught my eye one I had never seen before. Usually, she adorned only the bracelet I had given her, making this unfamiliar piece stand out. Parking the car on a quiet side street, I turned to Millie, my curiosity prompting me to inquire about the new accessory. Her gaze met mine, and she noticed my interest in her wrist. In response, she offered an explanation, “It was my mother’s. I want to give it to Karsen.”
However, I understood the complexities of Karsen’s position better than most. As the Enforcer of the De Fiore, he was entangled in a world where compassion was a dangerous luxury. Seeking to enlighten Millie, I cautioned, “Millie, I understand your hope to appeal to his emotions, but remember, as an enforcer, Karsen cannot afford a tender heart.”
A cryptic smile graced her lips, and her response carried an air of conviction, “I am surrounded by men like him. They are my family. I am married to one.”
The implications of her words resonated deeply within me, and I couldn’t help but tighten my grip on the steering wheel.
“Are you suggesting Karsen’s actions are worse than mine?” The truth was, Karsen’s deeds were uncertain to me, but my own past was riddled with countless transgressions. There was, however, one defining distinction between the Famiglia and the De Fiore, a line I hadn’t crossed.
“They spare no mercy for women, Millie,” I warned her, my words laden with the grim reality.
She swallowed audibly, her response steady despite her evident unease, “I am aware. But I must believe that goodness still resides within him.” Her touch found its way to my chest, where the emblem of my Famiglia was inked. “I reached you. Perhaps I can reach him.”
If anyone held the power to accomplish such a feat, it was undoubtedly Millie. She had, after all, captured my heart.
The atmosphere shifted as snowflakes began to dance from the sky upon our exit from the car. I brandished my Beretta cautiously, attuned to any sign of danger in the quiet surroundings. Millie’s slight shiver drew my attention, and her plea struck a chord, “Promise me you won’t kill him.”
Silence lingered as I grappled with her request. It was a pledge that lay beyond my capacity to offer. If Karsen posed a threat, I would not hesitate to eliminate it, safeguarding Millie.
Avoiding eye contact, I directed my gaze ahead. “Don’t mention Maria or Amo.”
Her expression contorted with frustration, yet her resolve remained unwavering. “Gio, I cherish my brother, but I would brave the flames for my children and you. I won’t jeopardize their safety. We’ve fought relentlessly to shield them from our adversaries. I won’t compromise that for Karsen or anyone else.”
The secrecy of our children’s existence was becoming increasingly precarious as they grew older. We had withdrawn from the public eye, thwarting journalists’ attempts to expose us. So far, our efforts had succeeded. Mathias had taken similar precautions, and without Romeo’s treachery, I remained uninformed about his own offspring.
With a nod, I motioned for Millie to lead the way. My gun remained at the ready as I held back, surveying the scene. As we rounded the corner, my eyes fixed on Karsen. He leaned nonchalantly against the wall, seemingly at ease. His attention immediately honed in on Millie, oblivious to my presence. My aim remained fixed on his head.
“Hello, Karsen,” Millie greeted, presenting him with the letter. “You indicated that you wished to speak with me privately, seeking my assistance?”
Stepping closer, Karsen’s countenance bore a disconcerting expression, one that raised my suspicions. Millie allowed him to approach far closer than we had agreed upon, although his hand still rested languidly on his gun.
Then, unexpectedly, his gaze shifted, locking onto mine, and he smirked, recognizing my presence.
“It seems you’re showing some sense at last, Millie,” he remarked, a fleeting emotion crossing his face, its nature eluding me.
“I’ve gleaned a few things about the world of organized crime,” Millie replied, her voice unwavering. She tilted her head upward, her eyes meeting his. “Aren’t you concerned for your life?”
A trace of incredulity tinted his response, “Why would I be?”
In his demeanor, I detected a man who had stared death in the face multiple times, a man unafraid of its grasp. With little left to lose, he was a formidable adversary.
The bracelet in Millie’s hand dangled as she took a step closer to Karsen, revealing it to him. “This belonged to my mother. She gave it to me shortly before she passed. I want you to have it.”
“Why?” His question dripped with skepticism, his gaze flitting between the bracelet and Millie’s eyes.
“Because I want you to remember.”
“The family that abandoned me?”
“No, the boy you once were, and the man you could still become.”
In this moment, Millie’s compassion shone brilliantly, a beacon of light in a shadowed world.
Karsen’s voice lowered as he posed another query, “And who’s to say I wish to remember?”
Leaning in, he brought his face dangerously close to Millie’s, causing me to tighten my grip on the Beretta.
Karsen straightened, his gaze shifting between Millie and me. “You desire me to transform into a better man? Why don’t you begin with the man who has a gun pointed at my head?”
Undeterred, Millie pressed the bracelet into his chest, and he accepted it.
“Perhaps someday, you’ll find someone who will love you despite the darkness you’ve embraced. Someone who will kindle the desire for change within you.” Stepping away, Millie’s farewell hung in the air, her final words ringing with a warning. “Farewell, Karsen. Gio wants you to know that should you return to New York, your life will be the price.”
Though my gun remained raised, Millie approached me, and Karsen made no effort to follow. His attention remained affixed to the bracelet, and in that moment, he reminded me of myself in my youth, before Millie. She was the catalyst that had transformed me, shaping the man I had become. Without her, I would have tread a different path, one perhaps more akin to my father’s.
Millie reached my side, and I enveloped her in my embrace before leading her away. While the notion of eliminating Karsen crossed my mind, I dismissed it. A war with the De Fiore loomed ominously on the horizon, a battle I could ill afford at this juncture.
~*~
As the drive home wore on, a heavy silence enveloped Millie, and the weight of it persisted even after we stepped through the doors of our penthouse in the early hours of the morning. Understanding the gravity of the situation, I allowed her the space and time to grapple with the harsh realities that had unfolded. The emptiness of the penthouse echoed our unspoken thoughts.
Finally settling into bed, Millie stretched out on her back while I positioned myself on my side, facing her. The silence was thick, almost suffocating, but I knew it was time to break it. Gazing into her eyes, which held a mixture of sorrow and contemplation, I spoke gently, my words cutting through the quietude.
“Will you find a way to be alright? Please don’t burden yourself with blame. Karsen charted his own course, and that wasn’t a result of your actions.”
My worry was undeniable. Millie’s tendencies to take drastic measures for the sake of her brother were concerning.
Her gaze, a profound blue, held mine with solemnity. “I’m managing,” she replied, her voice soft but resolute. “Truly, I am. Karsen is his own man now, firmly entrenched in his role as an Enforcer of the De Fiore. The boy I once knew has been eclipsed by this reality. I can’t shield him anymore; it’s not my role. My focus, my responsibility, rests with you, Maria, and Amo. You are the ones I need to safeguard.”
I could sense her sincerity, yet I knew she carried a latent hope that someday Karsen might reclaim his humanity. Perhaps her belief would prove to be prescient. Millie had managed to soften my heart, a heart that had once been unrelentingly cruel. Who was to say that her influence wouldn’t work a similar magic on Karsen?
With a gentle stroke of my hand against her cheek, her eyelashes fluttered in response. She appeared weary and tense, and yet, undeniably stunning.
“my princess,” I murmured, my tone carrying an unmistakable command. She complied wordlessly, shifting onto her stomach. I settled beside her on the bed, my hands venturing onto her velvety skin, my touch aimed at unraveling the knots of tension. A soft sigh escaped her lips as her body eased beneath my ministrations. My eyes traced the curve of her spine, lingering on the graceful contours, before descending to admire her perfectly sculpted rear. I cupped the rounded flesh, playfully nipping at its softness before soothing the spot with my tongue. Her response was a quiver that resonated through her frame, accompanied by a soft, alluring moan. As I kneaded her buttocks, my lips left a trail of open-mouthed kisses along her spine.
Gently sweeping her hair aside, I pressed delicate nibbles to the sensitive juncture of her neck, my fingers tracing a sensual path between her folds, finding her drenched with desire. Her head angled to the side, teeth catching her lower lip as I entered her unhurriedly. Pleasure caused her to close her eyes, and I remained captivated by the expressions that danced across her features as I continued to stimulate her. Her hips arched in harmony with my rhythmic thrusts, each motion driving my fingers deeper.
As my own arousal grew painfully intense, I positioned myself over her, sliding my tip into her warmth. I indulged in the sensation for a moment, allowing the heat to sear through me before fully immersing myself. Her body arched against mine, and I braced myself on my elbows, creating a cocoon around her. My thrusts began leisurely, a deliberate cadence that quickened in pace and intensity. I trailed fervent kisses along her neck, occasionally bestowing nips that left their mark, evidence of our shared ardor. Her inner muscles clamped around me as her release engulfed her, a guttural cry escaping her lips. I eased the tempo of my thrusts, granting her a moment to catch her breath before surging forward once more. Tonight, the penthouse was a canvas for our unrestrained passion, and I aimed to elicit a symphony of pleasure from her.
Shifting my hand beneath her body, I manipulated her clit while thrusting fervently. Millie shattered again, trembling and gasping, and as my own climax surged through me, she cascaded into ecstasy once more.
Remaining poised above her, I adjusted my weight, ensuring I didn’t overwhelm her, and I trailed kisses along her neck and throat before capturing her lips in a hungry kiss.
“You still bear my mark,” she observed, a trace of amusement coloring her words as she rolled onto her back. “Is there anyone left who doesn’t recognize that I’m yours?”
My fingers brushed against the faint bruise on her throat. “You are unequivocally mine,” I asserted in a husky tone. “And it’s not for them that I leave these marks; it’s for me. Even after eleven years, there are moments when it’s difficult to fathom that I have you, that I love you and that you love me.”
Millie’s touch wandered to the tattoo on my shoulder blade, her gaze fierce yet filled with warmth. “I will stand beside you, no matter how dark the path ahead.”
Gently, I captured her wrist, the same wrist adorned with the bracelet I had given her years ago, and brought it to my lips, bestowing a kiss. “Even in the bleakest hours, you remain my guiding light.”