Desired Too (19 page)

“I was a peaceful person back then. My father made sure that I knew how to protect myself, but I never flaunted it. Actually, there were times when I would walk away from situations. It just wasn’t worth it. But when I looked at that guy, I knew I would have to defend myself. This would be my first fight. I decided not to answer his question. I figured there wasn’t a point anyway. I knew he didn’t care what I said to him. He was there to pick a fight. I will admit that I looked around hoping I would see my brother. And as luck would have it, he suddenly came down the hall.”

“He was talking with a few of his friends when he saw me. I saw him smirk, then head in my direction. I thought,
‘Yeah, this dumb jock is going to get what’s coming to him. You don’t mess with the Leonetti brothers.’
However, I learned that day how my brother really felt about me. He asked the jock that was fucking with me
, ‘What’s going on, Brian? Why do you have my brother in the corner like this?’
And he answers,
‘This freshman, maggot little shit thinks he can talk to my girl, disrespect me in front of my boys.’
I told him that I wasn’t disrespecting him all. Then my brother put a hand up to stop me.”

“From this point, I didn’t have a clue what was going to happen,” Angel continued. “I just assumed that Eddie was about to handle this shit. So, Eddie looked Brian up and down. Brian was much bigger than my brother was. However, it seemed Eddie had some clout in this school. Again, I was relying on that clout to get me out of this shit.
But then Eddie asks me,
‘Were you talking to his girl?’
I looked at Brian, his girl, then at my brother and said,
‘Yeah, she was-’ But
before I could finish, my brother cut me off again with just a hand to silence me. He told me,
‘And you know that’s not allowed. You’re a freshman. You need to stay in your lane as a freshman and that means you don’t talk to anyone unless spoken to.’”

“I was fucking stunned,” Angel said. “Again, Raquel, you have to understand the nature of my family. We protect our own, no matter what. We may have a beef with each other, but we’d never let someone come between us; fuck that. I remembered talks my brother and me had at home, with my father and uncles around, where he would say,
‘We need to stick together. The Leonetti brothers for life. No one comes between us and lives to tell about it.’
So seeing him take someone else’s side was a shock, but what came out of his mouth was worse.”

At this point, I was on the edge of my stool, watching Angel relive what happened to him decades ago. The anger… No, the rage that he was portraying in front of me was so raw, as if this all took place yesterday. The wounds seemed so fresh.

“What happened?” I asked softly.

A cynical laugh escaped his now tight lips as he said bitterly, “My brother looked me in my face and said,
‘It seems you need to be taught a lesson.'
Eddie then looked at Brian, nodded his head, and then walked away.”

My eyes grew wide as saucers. “Are you kidding me? Are you telling me that Eddie signaled that Brian guy to go after you?”

Angel nodded his head. “That’s what I’m saying. Eddie didn’t have my back at all. That’s the moment he and I were no longer brothers.”

“So what happened to you and Brian? Did you two go at it?”

Angel’s face suddenly lit up like a dang Christmas tree. “What do you think happened? I beat his ass.”

I was completely enthralled with this story right now, so much so, that I was leaning on my elbows trying to get closer to Angel as he animatedly told this story.

“Brian thought he would catch me slipping since my focus was on my backstabbing brother, so he threw his punch. He aimed for my head, mind you, but I had already anticipated his throw before he did it. I then answered his swing with one of my own; actually, with more than one. I started wailing on his ass, throwing punch after punch to his face. I aimed for his nose until blood spurted out, then I went in on body shots. I used nothing but my fists and gave him what he wanted: a fight. A few of his buddies tried to jump in. They got a few good hits on me. It was three against one, so it was bound to happen. But I got them. One by one, I got my hits in, until someone heard the commotion and stopped the fight.”

I shook my head and sat back down in the stool. “Wow, that’s crazy. I mean, no matter how many times I was pissed at my brother, I wouldn’t leave him behind like that. Family is family no matter what.”

“Exactly, so you can imagine how my brother’s betrayal affected me. You’re right, though; I changed after that point. My brother had no idea I would be able to take care of myself. Even if I was, Brian had friends. My brother turned his back on me to let three large motherfuckers beat my ass. That added fuel inside of me. It started not only the hatred, but the need for revenge and to dominate at all cost.”

“I can’t imagine what you must’ve felt. That had to feel horrible. Family is family,” I reiterated, shaking my head.

Angel sighed but just stared at me, so I asked, “What?”

He shook his head, saying, “Nothing.”

His eyes remained on me, though, making me feel very self-conscious, so I asked, just to get him focused on something else, “So what did you do after that? I’m sure you were suspended, but did you get up in Eddie’s face? Did you two duke it out?”

Breaking from his trance, he shook his head again and frowned. “Yes, I got suspended, but no, Eddie and I didn’t fight.”

Confused, I asked, “Why not?”

Angel grinned snidely. “I had a better plan. Eddie made his first mistake by underestimating me. He left the fight thinking I would be dealt with. You never do that. People fail you all the time, and you need to be there to finish just in case your people don’t. “So, for a week, every time I would see one of the jocks around my brother, I would walk up to them and knock them the fuck out, look at my brother, and then walk away.”

Skeptically, I twisted my mouth. “One punch and you knocked them out cold?”

“
Bella
, if you catch someone sleeping, and you aim your punch right, you can easily knock someone out.”

“So, you sucker punched them then.”

Angel shook his head again. “I don’t see it that way. In the art of street fighting, it's kill or be kill, beat or get beat. Either way you look at it, if you are at war with someone, you never let your guard down. You keep it up at all times. You walk around with the notion that at any second, someone can come up to you and-”

“Knock you the fuck out,” we both finished in unison.

“Exactly! They started something that they couldn’t handle. They declared war, and I made it my mission to make every last one of them pay,” Angel countered.

“Okay, I get it, but what about Eddie? I mean, he just stood there and watched you knock his friends out in front of him?”

“What did you think he was going to do? He’s a fucking coward, and like all cowards, he just stood there. I exposed him as the fraud he truly was to the entire school. I was waiting for him to step in and do some shit, fucking ‘martial arts king,’ but he didn’t. Therefore, I never stopped. I terrorized those guys. It was the hatred fueling me. I guess you can say Eddie helped me to become the man I am today.”

“I kept getting suspended though, so Pops had to take me out of that school and put me in another. I never told my father what Eddie did, and I didn’t stop fighting those that stood there, watched and participated that day either. No matter where I would see them, I would go on the attack. I didn’t fight my brother, though. I wanted him to learn about me the hard way. By watching me take down everyone that thought my brother was the man.

“Eddie had thought I was weak because he was into fighting, not me. So, I guess he thought I didn’t know how, but I showed him that he was wrong every chance I got. His thing was karate. Mine was street fighting; boxing to be exact. I learned how to fight grimy and dirty. The bruises he usually saw on me, he probably thought were from the sports I played. Some were, but the rest were from fighting, and he didn’t have a clue. When Eddie walked up to us that day, I didn’t need him to fight my battles for me. That wasn’t what I expected. I expected him to come up beside me, to fight next to me, and he didn’t. So I proved what happens when you go against me.”

“My father was a smart man. When I look back at everything, I think he knew what type of man I would become early on. Before I got to high school, I was street fighting and boxing. My father brought in a bruiser to teach me how to fight, and that son of a bitch was as dirty as they came. He taught me how to fight the right way; fists up, blocking and protecting my chin at all costs. Then, he taught me how to survive in the streets. He would attack me anywhere; when I was in the house or when I was outside playing basketball or swimming. He didn’t care what I was doing. His goal was to teach me to be aware of my surroundings at all costs, to never be taken by surprise.”

“It was like your father was preparing you or something?” I offered.

“Yeah, something like that. I don’t know what he saw in me back then. I didn’t want any parts of the family, but as you can see that all changed. I’m grateful for my father and his vision. I needed the hard lessons. It’s made me the person I am today.”

I smiled. “Yeah, a badass Adonis.”

Angel smiled as well and moved around the island to me. His hands accosted my face as he leaned closer to me. The instant his lips touched mine, I went limp. Every plan I had went right out the window as he kissed me. When he pulled back slightly, I closed my eyes and tried to gain my wits back.

Because I needed a minute, I said to him, “I’m sorry how things turned out for you. It’s crazy not to have that brotherhood. I know it’s important.”

“I never said I didn’t have a brother. His stubborn ass isn’t speaking to me for reasons I won’t go into, but I do have someone that’s been a brother to me. He’s way more than a brother to me.”

My brows furrowed. “Who?”

“My cousin, Lincoln. He’s been there for me when no one else has. Besides you, my parents and a couple of others, I trust Lincoln with my life.”

“I’ve never met him.”

“No, you haven’t.” Angel then glanced at my bag, then back at me. “Are you heading out?”

I nodded slowly and swallowed.  The look that abruptly came over him I knew all too well.

He leaned in closer to me and whispered against my lips, “Don’t go,
Bella
.”

“Leo,” was all I could say right before he kissed me into submission.

Okay, change of plans… I’ll make my exit tomorrow… Honest, I will!

Does she realize that I would do anything for her?

I took cleansing breaths, trying to reduce my heart rate as I gently grazed my knuckles along her beautiful face.

Fuck, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.

I felt something deeper, more profound happening between us earlier today in my apartment. We weren’t doing shit but hanging out, listening to music, drinking, and laughing at stories. On the outside, it was nothing to write home about, but as we sat there and talked, I realized I had never done anything like this with any other woman but her. I’ve never thought about doing anything like this with any woman, ever. Shit, I didn’t care to get to know the chicks I was fucking. We had one agenda, or rather, I had one, and that was to get off.

However, being with Raquel, shit, I really wanted more. Yeah, I know that I’ve been telling her that she belongs to me and making her say that she belongs to me, but for some reason, tonight felt like she actually belonged to me. This was something that I’ve never felt before in my life. It felt like she finally letting go and believing that she was mine, and that right there had me feeling all types of shit. Yeah, I was feeling shit so deep in that moment that I suddenly got up from the couch and suggested we go out to eat.

I could feel myself succumbing to this urge to say shit that I didn’t think either one of us was ready to say. Call me what you want, to yourself, of course, but I knew if we stayed in my apartment that night, we would have done just that. I didn’t want to admit that I was ready to say the kind of shit that was floating in my head, and I knew she wasn’t ready to hear it.

It was time for a change in scenery. We ended up at The Capital Grille on Chestnut Avenue in Downtown Philly. The food was fantastic and so was the atmosphere. We were escorted to a small table in the corner of the restaurant. There were candles lit on all the tables and around the restaurant, giving off a very romantic and intimate setting. I sat close to her all night, making sure a part of my body remained close to hers at all times. That was another thing that was starting to happen; I couldn’t get enough of her. It was as if I needed her with me, otherwise I felt incomplete.

After dinner, we took a walk along Penn’s Landing. Not wanting her too far from me, I pulled her closer and wrapped my arm around her waist.

“Leo, can I ask you something?”

I focused back on her, found a place along the pier to look out onto the Delaware River, and leaned back against a hip-leveled, cemented wall, which separated us from the river, bringing her with me. My hands started caressing her hips and thighs.

“Leo,” she called to me, a little frustration laced in her voice.

“Yes,
Cara Mia
?” I answered, leaning into her and kissing her between her breasts.

She shook her head and started smiling as my hands moved to caress her ass.

She reached for my hands behind her. “I have to ask you a question. Can you concentrate, please?”

“All right,
Cara,
what is it that you want to ask me?” I laced my fingers with hers.

She looked down at me, then at my lips. “Jeez, why do you have to be so sexy?”

I grinned and kissed her hand. “Shit,
Bella
, is that your question?”

She shook her head, but continued to stare at me. I said, “If you want me to concentrate on your question, stop looking at me as if you want to eat me.”

She smirked. “I wouldn’t mind doing that.”

“Don’t tease me,
Cara
.”

I moved my hands up her dress, getting to her ass, and she yanked my hands away, laughing. “Stop trying to make me lose focus.”

“Then tell me what’s on your mind. Stop stalling.”

I rose, placing my hands lightly alongside her face. I brought her closer to me, bent down and brought her lips to mine, fondling her mouth with my tongue.

When she pulled back, she looked into my eyes. “What are we doing, Angel?”

I smiled again, amused. “Well, it feels like we’re making out, Raquel.”

Shaking her head, she brought her hands to my chest. “You know what I mean.”

I did know what she meant. However, the question was, was she ready for the answer. Hell, was I ready?

I explained, “
Cara
, what part of ‘you are mine’ don’t you get?”

She smirked. “Oh, I get it, believe me, but usually someone kind of asks the other first before they’re claimed.”

"
Mi
vuoi
?” I asked her, serious as shit.

She was my weakness. I’ve told her this. I didn’t know what else to say to her for her to understand that I was serious about this, about her. I’ve known she’s been what I’ve wanted ever since I first saw her.

I was starting to make her nervous. I could see it in her eyes. It was all over her body, but I refused to turn down the intensity. I wanted her to know. I wanted her to feel it. Again, it was time.
“
Mi vuoi?”
I repeated.

She shook her head, “I don’t…”

“Do you want me? You want me to ask, so I’m asking. Let’s make this shit official.”

Raquel watched me, but only for a second longer before she reached her hands around my neck and in my hair.

“Be sure, Raquel,” I told her.

Her bottom lip disappeared into her mouth, and I moved her closer to my body. My hand instantly went to her ass, not caring at all who walked past. This was my body. She was mine.

She fixed her beautiful mouth to say something when my cell started vibrating on my hip.

Shit.

I tucked her to my side as a reached with my right hand to pull my phone out of its holder. It was my father.

“Yes, Pops?” I replied.

“I need you here now!” his voice boomed.

I looked in Raquel’s eyes as I answered, “Pops, I-”

But he cut me off quick. “That wasn’t a request, Angelo.”

“Yes, sir, I’m on my way.”

I put my phone away and took her hand in mine.

“I’m being summoned to my father’s,” I told her, stating the obvious.

She just smiled, though. “Yeah, I heard. That’s okay. You can just drop me off at my hotel room while you handle things with your dad.”

I was already shaking my head. “No, Raquel, you’re coming with me.”

“Oh, Angel, that’s not happening.”

“
Cara Mia
, you don’t have a choice. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Don’t worry; it’ll be quick, I promise.”

She tried to push away from me, but I gripped her tight.

“Angel, it’s too soon, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t. Look,
Cara
, you’ve already met my father. That’s like more than half the battle. The rest is easy.”

She shook her head, still not giving in. “Why can’t you just drop me off?”

“Because I don’t want to,
Cara
. I want you with me. I’m sure whatever my father has to say won’t take long. Then you and I can continue where we left off.”

She smirked just as I tightened my grip on her waist and brought her flush up against me again.

“And, um, where did we leave off?” she asked.

I gave her a smirk of my own. “You know… You were about to tell me how you can’t live without me.”

“Ha, you wish.”

“You have no idea,” I replied, then quickly kissed her response away.

I took her hand in mine and headed to where I left the car. I didn’t want to hear her say something that would only piss me off and have us fighting again. I’d conceded to her once, agreeing to take things slow. It was something that I never did before, but I did it for her, and now I was paying the fucking price. However, to be blunt, that shit wasn’t fucking working for me anymore. I wanted to say fuck going slow. I wanted the world to know who she was to me. I was fighting this earlier, but now I didn’t want to fight it anymore.

The drive to my parent’s place was quiet, namely because Darrell and Hugo were sitting in the front seats of the Cadillac. It took us about fifteen minutes to get deeper into the southern part of Philly where my father had his place built ten years ago.

When we got to my parent’s home, I had Darrell drop us off in the front. If we had gone around the back of the house, Raquel would have lost her mind. It was a Sunday night, so I knew for a fact this house was packed with family. Shit, she said she wasn’t ready to meet my family, and I knew she really meant she wasn’t prepared to meet my mom. She’d asked on different occasions if I thought my mom would like her. I told her of course she would, but I could tell I hadn’t eased any reservations for her. I was sure my stories of my mother’s horrid temper didn’t help either. If the thought of meeting my mom was the cause of her hesitation, she was going to lose her mind if she knew the majority of my family was in there. I would be lucky to get her out of the car.

My father’s house was a huge two-story home with about six bedrooms, six baths, formal living and dining rooms, a family room and a huge kitchen. A huge enclosed patio that sat off of both the family room and kitchen allowed my parents to use both indoor and outdoor spaces when the family was over. My father went all out when he had this house built. The basement housed a full wine cellar and a state of the art security system manned by someone at all times. You have to be prepared for anything. He lived within the city limits with his house surrounded by a few acres of land. The house sits at the end of a cul-de-sac with a gate that separates the house from the street and the neighbors on either side of him. There’s nothing much in the front of the house but a u-shaped driveway. As I mentioned, everyone usually parked on the side or the back of the house.

I put her hand in mine and stepped out of the car, bringing her along with me. I faced her quietly and she fixed my tie and collar of my shirt. I was in my usual dark colored suit, one of the many Italian suits I owned, so I was properly dressed for dinner at my house. My family loved to make Sunday dinner a spectacle. We dressed for the occasion, as if it was Thanksgiving dinner or something.

The door to my parent’s home opened just as I got to the door, and one of my father’s long-standing guards greeted me. I introduced him to Raquel, just allowing him simply to nod in her direction.

No one touches what belongs to me. I mean that shit
.

I nodded tersely at him and he offered, “Your father is in the dining room with your family. They’re waiting for you.”

“Is anyone else here?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “No, it’s just you.”

I was focused on getting this shit over with so I could take Raquel home and peel her out of her dress. Because of that, I forgot to coach her on what she would find in the dining room.

Hell, you could hear the noise from the formal living room by the front door, so I knew she had to have an idea of what to expect. I felt the slight tremor in her grip on my hand. I looked down at her wide eyes and smiled.  Shit, she wasn’t ready.

From there I should have reacted properly, calmed her now rising fear, but I didn’t. I usually didn’t make many mistakes. I had made some in my lifetime, but, again, they were few and far between. As I mentioned before, Raquel was doing some crazy shit to me. Because of this, I seemed to be slipping because I realized that I was starting to make mistake after mistake throughout the night, beginning with this one.

As I got closer to the dining room, I let her hand go; mistake number one. I honestly didn’t think anything of it until, I came around the corner and my family saw me. My name erupted throughout the house. You would have thought I was a rock star. I smiled at them proudly and reached for Raquel’s hand, expecting her to be beside me. I was ready to introduce her to my family, but my hand was met with nothing but air. I spun around quickly to see her backing up from me, eyes wide as shit, just before she turned and headed quickly for the front door.

Shit!

I turned quickly from a room full of questioning looks and made it to her just outside of the front door.

“
Bella
,” I called to her just as I reached for her arm.

She snatched away from me and turned to face me, the look of terror on her face. “What the hell was that in there, Leo?”

“
Cara Mia
,” I soothed. “It’s just family. That’s all.”

“Family,” she retorted, snorted, and then placed her hands on her hips. “That sounded like all of Italy was in there!”

I chuckled and moved closer to her. “I’m sorry,
Cara
. I should’ve explained to you what you were walking into.”

“Ya think? I mean just a little warning would have been nice.”

“I’m sorry,” I repeated as I closed the gap between us.

I kept my eyes on her, trying to ease the tension, as my hands ran up her arms to her shoulders, neck, then face.

I kissed her softly. Wrapping my arms around her, I kissed her deeper.