The Captive Series (8 page)

The next day I woke to a pounding on my door. I was groggy and went to it with only my robe on and my hair all disheveled. I was barely wiping the sleep out of my eyes when I opened it to see none other than Luciano.

“Amber.” He said my name in a whisper, as though it was precious. I looked at the man before me, and it wasn’t the same strapping man I knew. He was haggard and so much thinner. I was surprised, considering he dumped me cold.

“Luciano.” I said it with no feeling, letting him know that he could not break me. I was full of it. I had to be strong. I couldn’t break down and beg him. Why did he have to come now? He signed the papers. What else could he want? I was coping. Okay, not very well, but I was trying.

“You look beautiful, Amber.” He looked down at my swollen belly. He tried to hide his look from me, but I caught it before he fixed it, and I knew he felt the agony of that night. It was something that would live with me forever.

“Why are you here? I haven’t heard from or seen you since you abandoned me at the hospital,” I snarled.

He walked right by me and into my house. He looked at me like I slapped him. “Abandoned you? You are the one who asked for a divorce. I had no choice but to walk away. What the hell was I supposed to do? Just pretend that the woman I love didn’t get brutalized in front of me?”

I interrupted whatever he was going to say because he was just going to spit out more bullshit. “You could have fought for me. You didn’t love me. If you did, you wouldn’t have walked away. The thought that I had been ruined was too much for you,” I challenged.

Luciano started pacing the room and running his strong hands through his messy hair. “Damn right it was too much for me. I sat by and watched that bastard steal the light from your eyes, and I couldn’t even protect you. I didn’t deserve you. You deserve someone who wouldn’t put you in harm’s way. I tried to do what was right and give you what I took, and that was your freedom.”

“Since when did you start to care about that? You got mad when I wanted to leave our first night together, and yet this happens and you didn’t fight for me. What? You didn’t want damaged goods?”

“Who the fuck said that? I never did, Amber. You think that it was easy? Do you think that I wanted to lose the only person who meant the world to me? I almost lost you that night. You being my wife put you in that position.”

“Luciano, you don’t want to be with me. You say that, but I heard you. I know you don’t want damaged goods and in your eyes, that’s all I am. Please leave.”

He looked at me with a sense of hopeless. His beautiful blue eyes were glazed with unshed tears. “I can’t. I tried to stay away, but I need you, Cara.”

He got down on his knees and kissed my hands and looked into my eyes. His pain was there, and I wanted to believe him.

“You have to come back to me. I have missed you so much. I know you do not love me, but I have loved you since the moment we met. I don’t care if you are having his baby. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we teach him or her right, and I’ll raise the baby as my own if you come back. Please. I shouldn’t be here because you deserve better than a man who can’t protect you, but I can’t stay away.” He got up from his knees, gazing into my eyes before lightly caressing my hands with his strong ones.

“Cara, I am trying to go straight and clean to be the man you can respect and one day love. Rosa told me about seeing you yesterday, and I hoped that what she had told me had been true, but I guess it was just her wishful thinking.”

“What did she tell you?” I asked.

“She said that you thought the papers I asked her to take to the law offices were our divorce papers, and to her you seemed to be very upset, saying ‘he signed them’ and leaving so abruptly. Since you asked for the divorce, I thought you would be jumping up and down, impatiently waiting for them to be finalized. So when she told me about your encounter, I had to know. I hoped that you cared enough to try again, something I didn’t think was possible.”

“Luciano, you left me in the hospital after telling your father you were letting me leave you because Enzo raped me. What the hell else was I supposed to do? Watch you hate me because I could be carrying another man’s child inside of me? Live with your inability to touch me because someone else had?” I pulled out of his grasp, and I walked back to the couch and turned to face him. He looked so big in my apartment, and I wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, but it wasn’t something I could do. I’d been so lost without him, but I didn’t trust his motives.

“I loved you so much. I fought for you when he was violating me. I didn’t want you to see me ruined.”

“You were never ruined, Cara. I thought he broke you, and I didn’t know how I could make it better. Don’t you blame me for what he did to you? I should have taken him out long before then. He was right. It was my fault. I lost you because of my weakness for my family, but you were my family. You were supposed to be my number one priority.” He leaned against the wall next to the window and pressed his head to the glass before looking back up at me.

His tears were nearly my undoing. “I fucked up so bad, I didn’t know how to make it right. He hurt you to hurt me. You cannot understand the guilt I feel about it. You were mine to protect, and I failed you.” I watched a man who took no prisoners, a straight thug, one of the most dangerous men break down and cry. He tried to hide the tears by pretending to look out the window, but I could see them glistening on his cheek.

So he took my resignation that night to be his fault. Guilt made him want to set me free. So when I asked for a divorce, he gave it to me. My heart started pounding in my chest with hope. “No, Luciano, it wasn’t your fault. He had it planned out so well. If you say you loved me, why did it take you so long to come to me?”

“I was trying to do right by you. I stayed away from you because it was easier to stay away than to watch you move on. I may have sent my men to look after you, but I never asked for a report. The only time they were to contact me was if you were in trouble. Rosa’s words led me to believe that maybe you missed me, too. I finally contacted them for a report, and I have to say I wasn’t happy about a lot of it, especially the other men, but that’s what I get for letting you go.”

“I did go out with the girls and some of the guys flirted with me, but I never did more than dance with them. I thought you were probably out looking for the new Mrs. Rossi. I was afraid to see you with another woman when I was out, but Rosa said you didn’t go out.”

He shook his head at me and stated, “You are irreplaceable. No one could even compare, and I sure as hell didn’t want to even try.”

I wanted to forgive him, but I needed more. “How come you never told me you loved me before?”

My tears rested in my eyes, ready to break free, and right on cue he took me into his arms. The feelings that rushed through me were too much to bear, and my tears fell.

“Ti amo, amoré mia. I love you so much, my Amber,” he said reverently as he looked into my eyes and wiped my tears.

“Cara, I have told you I loved you so many times, but I couldn’t say ‘I love you’ in English because I didn’t think you loved me and truthfully, I was scared. A big part of me was grateful that you hadn’t learned Italian yet.” I was shocked that he was telling me the truth. I remembered he had told me those words so often. The first time was at our wedding. Rachel had been right all along.

“The first time I told you was on our wedding day. Then you asked me what it meant, and I avoided answering you. As I danced with my mom, I became very jealous because you were dancing and smiling with my father. She warned me of the danger my love for you could cause you and that I needed to be careful how much affection I show you in public.”

“I remember. I am so sorry. If I had tried harder to learn the language, I would have never told you I wanted a divorce until you told me yourself that you no longer wanted me.”

“I’ll never stop wanting you. You’re all I need.” I got even closer to her; it was getting harder to stay away from my Amber. I wanted to own her lips again. Our lips were mere inches from each other, and I looked at them several times as I held her. What I felt for her couldn’t be described. I ached in my very soul these last two months. I tried to drown my sorrows in a bottle, but that didn’t work. Being with her was the only thing that would make me right again. Knowing that she cared was everything I ever wanted to hear.

“In the hospital I heard you tell your father that you were going to let me go, that he broke me, and well, I wanted to do it before you broke my heart. I didn’t want a divorce. I still don’t.” When she looked at me so sad, I captured her lips. Our kiss was one that could set the house on fire. I put all my love into that kiss as our lips meshed together and our tongues caressed each other. I wanted her to know that I missed her with everything in me. Amber touched my soul, and nothing could remove the feel of it.

My arms were wrapped tightly around her, caressing her body. “I need you, Cara. I need to make everything up to you. I’ve missed you so much,” I growled as I carried her to the nearest bedroom. I needed to be in my wife. I tore off the robe she was wearing. I looked at her slightly swollen belly, and all I thought of was that she was sexy as hell pregnant. Next time it would be our child in there. I’d let him win, but never again would I let him hold the power over us. Nothing would come between us again.

My wife was with me all the way, tearing at my clothes. The buttons on my shirt were strewn about the floor. I had to push her hands away from my pants. I would be done before we even got started if she touched it. I took the rest of my clothes off myself. I laid her on the bed and followed her down. I opened her legs wide and tested her desire with my cock. As I rubbed her folds, she coated my cock with her heated need. I looked into her eyes and had to tell her what was in my heart.

“You are so perfect, Amber. I’ll never let you go again. I love you.” Her look was all I needed. She believed me, and my heart did a flip. I smiled, and she smiled back. I would do all I could to make it better from now on.

I took her lips, and I entered her slowly, taking care not to touch the small mound. I didn’t want to harm her or the little one. I needed to talk to the doctor about sex and the baby because I didn’t think I could make it until after she had the baby to be in her.

“Ahh!” she cried out, clenching her thighs against my hips. I wrapped them around my waist and pushed a little more into her. Her walls were as tight as I remembered as her body hugged and caressed my cock. We hadn’t lost that perfect magic we had every time we made love. Our interlude didn’t last long, and we came in record time.

I quickly pulled off and rolled her on top of me to protect the baby. It had been a long time for me; I was surprised I made it long enough for her to finish. I could not even jerk off because she was all I could think about, and my broken heart outweighed my desire.

“Cara, please come home,” I begged as I caressed her face. I needed her to be by my side, to sleep in my arms, and to stay with me always.

“I have waited forever to hear those words,” Amber said happily. She hugged me tight, then got off the bed in a hurry and wrapped the robe back around herself. I looked at her curvaceous body and felt sad that I had lost these two months with her. Her belly was large for being two months. I hoped there wasn’t two in there. There was only so much I could take. I was already trying to be man enough to accept that the bastard impregnated my wife.

I guessed my look of sadness had been visible on my face because she paused and said, “By the way, I am three months pregnant.” She giggled as my jaw dropped and my eyes widened. The bastard didn’t win. My wife was carrying my baby.

“Hey, what’s up, Niko?” I said as my brother-in-law walked into my office.

“Nothing, man, I just came to see how Amber was doing.” I was still jealous of their bond even though I knew I had no reason for it. My wife loved me as much as I worshipped her.

“Why wouldn’t you just call the house? What gives?” I knew there was something up. He wouldn’t have come all this way just to ask about Amber.

“Okay, I came home yesterday to see that Amber wasn’t feeling good and hiding in my bathroom,” he sighed.

I growled and snapped, asking, “And you didn’t think to mention this to me yesterday?”

“What the fuck do I look like, your fucking bitch? I don’t have to tell you shit,” he snarled back and just shook his head.

“Was she throwing up?” My concern wasn’t just because she wasn’t feeling well. I knew it had to be more if he came all the way here.

“Yep,” he said with a nod.

“Shit…she’s pregnant.” I released the breath I had been holding.

He knew I loved her and my boys, so he was confused and asked, “That’s a bad thing?”

“Not really. It’s a blessing to have her give birth to my babies, but Anthony is only six months. I should have taken some precautions. Shit. I just assumed since Luciano and Lorenzo were over two years apart that she wouldn’t get pregnant right away. What an idiot!”

“Is the little one two much to handle? You could hire more help?”

“No, but you remember this last pregnancy was rough on her. She was sick all the time and lost so much weight until the last few months.”

“Well, next time be more careful.” He chuckled.

“Says the guy who managed to get my sister pregnant four times already. Isn’t Bee due any day now?”

“Yes, and that’s another reason I’m here. I was wondering if you would still keep the kids for us, or should I take them to your parents?”

“I’ll let you know. If she’s still feeling sick, it may not be a good idea. I’m sure Mom would love to have the babies there. They should be finished with the playroom remodel by tomorrow.” My parents were thrilled with all the grandbabies and practically invaded our houses daily. With all the kids, they had expanded the playroom and built a massive outdoor playset. All of our boys were spoiled.

“Well…talk to her first before I call them because I don’t want to offend any of these temperamental women of ours.”

I chuckled and reassured him. “I will, especially if she is pregnant. She’s been known to fly off the handle on me when she’s carrying one of my babies.”

I left the office early because I wanted to know what was going on with her, and I didn’t like that she didn’t tell me.

I walked into the house to hear shouting. “Ti ho detto di smettere di colpire il vostro fratello. Luciano, sai che non ha fatto male.”

If I didn’t know that voice to the depths of my soul, I could have sworn that was my mama. Bianca used to whack me all the time, and my mother would tell me that “Luciano, it didn’t really hurt,” too. I walked into the living room and surprised them all.

“Amore mia, I’m home, and you have been keeping a big secret from me.” Amber’s face was priceless as she realized I caught her. Then I turned to my two little boys and warned, “Boys, I told you not to fight, besides, your mama isn’t feeling well.” She didn’t miss the look on my face that said I knew she was sick.

“Papa, Luc took toy,” my almost three-year-old pleaded his case.

“Lorenzo, I don’t care. You do not hit him. He is much bigger and can’t hit you back.” Then I turned to my eldest, who was five. “Luciano, why would you take his toy? You should know better.”

“Papa, he was riding his truck over my homework,” my mini-me said seriously.

“Lorenzo, don’t do that again. I want you two to behave. You boys understand me?”

“Yes, Papa!” they said in unison. Now it was time to have a talk with their mother.

“Amber, where is my other troublemaker?” I didn’t see the little one in the playpen in the room. I was hoping my mother wasn’t here.

“He’s down for a nap,” she said. Good. I wanted some alone time with her.

“Buona, come into my office,” I commanded.

“But the boys!” She looked at me fearfully. She had good reason to fear. Her ass was sick and didn’t tell me about it. I had to find out from my brother-in-law. She might even be pregnant.

“They will be fine on their own. I’ll not be, amore.” I took her hand in mine and started to escort her to my study.

We saw Rosa as we reached the hallway. “Rosa, can you keep an eye on the little ruffians?”

“They are good boys. Of course I will,” she said mockingly. They were in trouble all the time. Last week they woke up early one morning and decided they wanted to help Rosa in the kitchen and climbed up to get the dish soap. They poured it all over before we walked into the kitchen, nearly slipping on all the slick wet and soapy floors. We spent almost all morning cleaning it up.

I walked my lovely wife into the office, closing and locking the door for some added privacy. Then I took her into my arms and kissed her like I hadn’t seen her all week. I loved that stunned, flushed look she got when I kissed her like that.

“So, now that I got my ‘I’m home’ kiss out of the way, do you have anything to tell me?”

“Why would you think I had something to tell you?” she questioned suspiciously.

I looked at her pointedly and explained, “I had a talk with Nikolai today.”

“Fucking trick!” she growled as she crossed her arms.

“Language, amore. So what is it that you need to tell me?” Somebody was moody. Yep, I was about to be a father again.

She played with her fingers like she always did when she was nervous. She sighed and said, “I hope you’re not mad, but I saw my father yesterday.”

“What?! I thought you were going to tell me you’re pregnant! What the fuck did he say to you?” I roared. My thoughts were going nuts.

“I thought that’s what Nikolai told you.” She told him first? I was really pissed, this time at her.

I huffed and growled, “You told Nikolai, but you didn’t tell me?”

“No. I told Bianca, and I thought she told him. It was just an accidental meeting. I was on my way to the doctor’s,” she explained. I guessed that wasn’t as bad.

“Again, cara mia, what did he say to you?” I needed to know if I would just send him back to prison or end him for good.

“He was pissed that you ruined him. He told me that I was a whore, and I deserved what happened to me with…” Oh, hell, no. I was heated. How dare he? He was a dead man. No playing around this time.

“You should have told me, when it happened. Damn it, Amber. That’s the last time I let you out of the house without security.”

“You know I hate them following me.” She pouted.

“Yes. Well, he wouldn’t have had a chance to come near you if they were there.”

“Who cares what he said? I don’t.” She tried to defend her case.

“I do. I warned him to never come back, and he did.” I was going to have to deal with this fuck tomorrow. I wouldn’t have another Enzo on my hands. I would deal with this bastard. He got lucky that he went to prison or he would have met the same fate six years ago.

“I don’t want to argue about this anymore, Luciano,” she said as she took a seat behind my desk.

I started undoing my cuffs, and I rolled up my sleeves. “I just figured you’d tell me as your husband, but enough of these little surprises. I came home early to see how you were doing, not argue with you.”

“I didn’t want to tell you because I knew how you would react.”

“Damn right. Now, I’ve had a long day, and I really need you to put your mouth to better use.”

As I looked at my wife of six years, she was busy admiring my forearms.

“Wife, do you like what you see?” I smirked as I gave her a wink and slowly approached.

“You know I do, very much. There’s something about the way a man rolls up his sleeves....”

“Amber, let me stop you there. A man?” I said as I gave her a look that said she’d better fix that statement.

“My man.” I nodded my head in approval and walked up to her. She turned my desk chair so that my covered cock was inches from her face.

She slowly, torturously unbuckled my belt. Her manicured nails pulled down my zipper gently, intentionally teasing me. It felt like forever before she slid my pants and boxers down.

I bit my tongue to keep from taking over, and like a good boy, I was rewarded. She took me into her hot mouth and almost made my knees buckle as she sucked me off. I was jerking, shaking, and emptying in no time, but I wasn’t going to leave her hanging. After she licked her lips and wiped her chin, I lifted her little ass onto my desk, lifted her skirt, tore off her panties, parted her thighs wide, and dove right in.

She was heated and ready for me, and she wasted no time crying out my name. I stood up and wrapped her in my arms. “I love you, Amber. I can’t let anything happen to you. I waited last time, and it almost cost me everything.”

“I know,” she said sadly. It was still hard for her to think about that time, and it was brutal for me too. It had been six years since I got my wife back, and there wasn’t a day that went by that I wasn’t grateful for the second chance I was given.

“Then you understand that I can’t let this continue, right?” I pulled her chin up to look at me.

“Yes,” she murmured. I kissed her lightly, letting her know that I wasn’t upset with her at all.

“Let’s go clean up and see our boys. I missed all of you today,” I said as I helped her off my desk.

She started toward the door, turned, and said, “By the way, Luciano. I am pregnant too.”

“Are you serious? Are you okay?”

“Yes and yes. That’s why I wanted to go to the doctor’s alone yesterday. My bodyguards are a bunch of snitches. I’m already about six weeks.”

“That’s their job. Six weeks? So was it when we went on our little getaway for the weekend without the boys?”

“Yep.” She smiled at me so happily. I knew it was a really good weekend. I just didn’t realize how good of a weekend.

“Is it as bad as it was last time?”

“No. Not at all. I was only upset when I’d gotten sick at Bianca’s. I don’t really feel bad at all this time.”

“Is it because you are finally going to give me a daughter?” I asked with a grin.

“I thought you told my body over and over again, ‘No little girls.’ I swear you mumbled into my belly on several occasions.”

“Well, maybe I changed my mind, and maybe I want a little princess to spoil.”

She started to laugh at me. “It’s B.S. You just don’t want another wild boy running around the house destroying everything and breaking bones.”

“You got me, babe.” I winked, but I was actually considering it. I would love to have another little Amber running around.

“Babe, go rinse up and check on our baby. I’ll be right there. I have some matters I left hanging.”

“Okay, but don’t stay in here working all day,” she admonished. I’d spent a lot of time working hard in my home office, so I guessed her demand was reasonable.

“Give me another kiss, and I promise I won’t stay in here more than ten minutes.” She had no idea that I really didn’t need that long.

She kissed me softly, and I could feel her breasts hard against my chest. Her milk was full. “Amore, it looks like it’s feeding time for my boy.”

“Yes, it’s about that time.” She kissed me one more time before she went to go check on my boy.

The instant she closed the door, I made the call.

“Vito, I need it done,” I requested. He knew exactly what I needed. We learned about his release a while ago, but he was supposed to be checking in with his PO every two days and had been warned to stay away. Somebody needed to be fired.

“He crossed the line already?” I could hear his anger. As the new mob boss, he didn’t tolerate anyone messing with me or my family. Especially after all we’d been through.

“Yep, first day he got into town, it seems,” I growled.

“Fine, it will be done.”

“Great.” We hung up, and I didn’t feel one bit of remorse for his fate. He didn’t care about hers and dared to hurt her more the first chance he got.

After rinsing off I went to check on the baby and my wife. She was just fixing her blouse, and my little buddy, who was just learning to sit up by himself, was in his crib. He had a chew toy in his mouth and was freaking cute. My wife and I made some gorgeous kids. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Babe, I changed my mind; no girls allowed,” I said frantically as I took her in my arms and rubbed her belly.

“Ha. That changed fast. Why?” she asked with a giggle.

“I was just thinking that we make gorgeous babies. Nope, most father’s joke about it, but you know damn well I’m not in the least bit afraid to put a bullet in a boy.” Of course, she just giggled.

The End