The Absolution of Aidan (The Syndicate Series Book 3) (16 page)

AIDAN

Thank god my hand wasn’t fucked up too bad after beating who I now know was some worthless piece of shit who works—or should I say worked—for Ryan Senior. A fucking car dealer who thought he could take me down. The minute I gave Roan his description, he was on it. Found out who the guy was. Mark Jacobs. Single. No children. Thank Christ for that. He’s gone now. No questions asked. Simple as that. I have no idea who took him out, don’t give a shit either. As long as it sends a message to Ryan to let him know he’s messed with the wrong people, then hell, it makes me sleep better at night.

And now I’m here wondering how the hell an entire week has gone by since Deidre literally stormed her way back into my life. It beats the shit out of me. Every day since seemed shorter than the day before. I fucking hate it.

I remember my grandfather telling me time and time again, “Jesus, boy, you get any taller and I’m going to have to put my old bottle cap glasses on just to be able to look up and see your face.” At the time, I would laugh at the old man. Now, I understand exactly what he meant.

In this short time since I’ve known about my boy, I’ve mastered this shit. Again, literally. I can change his diaper. Feed him. Bathe him. And I fucking love it.

My kid is a motherfucking rock star. Decked out to the hilt in a tiny Black Moods rock band shirt. Fucking love that band.

There’s no better feeling in the world than this right here. Having him kicking his feet to the beat of the music, not a care in the world for him at all.

“We better turn that down before your mom gets back and chews my ass out.” I filter my voice over the music. With a flick of my wrist on the remote, the tunes are down low enough, yet he still jams to them.

Deidre should be back anytime. The girls, meaning her, Calla, and Alina, all went to visit Anna and Grace, who are staying at another home owned on Long Island by Roan’s dad Salvatore Diamond. Of course, they’re not alone. Dilan seems to have taken some kind of liking to Anna, which I don’t particularly care for. The woman is innocent. You can see it in the way she carries herself. She may be a feisty little thing, but this lifestyle will cut her up and spit her right back out. But I’m staying the fuck out of it. Not my business. I just hope the fucker knows what the hell he’s doing.

Deidre flipped her shit the night I came back from finding Anna. I’ve never seen her more pissed off, not even the night when we got into a fight. Her motherly instincts have kicked in, and Christ, I love her for that. Her protectiveness over someone she barely knows shows the true woman she is.

Fuck all if I know the bullshit she went through has a part in her strength and courage. I won’t re-hash that with her. Ever. We made amends. Said what we had to say and moved on, and god, have we moved on. This relationship between the two of us is growing stronger by each speedily passing day.

Hell, I’m getting hard sitting here thinking about her when I really should be thinking about the offer both Salvatore and Ivan laid at my feet the other day.

“You know with one phone call the two of them will disappear forever?” Salvatore said. I knew he meant he would have someone kill them, meaning my mother and Junior. Make their bodies dissolve into thin air, as if they never existed. I told him I needed time. I may be a bastard by birth and hate the bitch, but fuck, man, I don’t have it in me to have someone off her. Him? Yes. Her? No.

I left the Salvatore Diamond’s office grateful for his loyalty to me. An outsider. The world turns their noses down on the mafia. Stereotypically thinking, all we do is kill, deal drugs, and act like we own the goddamn world. In a way we do. But we do not fuck with you unless you fuck with us. Plain and simple, cut and motherfucking dry. Unless we want to steal your guns. Then we mess with you. But not in ways people think we do. We take what we want. It’s wrong. But that is what we do.

“Honey, I’m home,” Deidre calls out from the foyer. God, I love it when she calls me that. I’ve never truly felt at home, until her. Hits me square in the chest every damn time. Sure, my buddies are my family. They’ve never once shunned me, treated me any different than the brother I know I am. But nothing compares to the sensation so deep in my heart than being with these two. That’s why when the days fly by, it pisses me the hell off.

“Shh.” I shift Diesel a little higher up onto my lap. We wait in silence for her to see us. She is going to be pissed. I love putting a hair up her ass. Watch sparks go off in her stunning hazel eyes. Once she calms down, which doesn’t take much, especially when she knows I let it go in one ear and out the other when her sweet little tarty mouth starts spewing out shit, I’m turned the fuck on.

The little temptress does it on purpose. I swear she does.

“What the hell have you done to his hair?” She looks at him like he’s grown horns. He hasn’t really grown them, but he sure looks like it.

“We’re rocking out here, babe. Had to make him play the part.” Her eyes flare, and I wait for it. Bring it, baby. Just like you did on the kitchen floor last week. Once I finished telling her all about my encounter with Anna and her mother, how they found out who I was and wanted to help them, we lay there discussing her day. How she was angry about me sending Dilan to her. And then she went into a raging tangent about the Detroit Tigers shirt I left on him. I knew that would spark a fire under her ass. I threw her shit with Diesel getting beat up back in her face some more.

You see, Deidre may get pissed and throw her little temper tantrums, and that night I let her, for all of about five seconds. Then I reached up and grabbed her bowl of brownie mix, which was going to be tossed away anyway. Couldn’t let it go to waste. She shut her mouth the minute I swiped that chocolate across her pussy and ate her, along with her damn good mixture. When I had her begging for me to fuck her, I lifted her off the floor, bent her over the kitchen table, and fucked her until she was ready to scream. I had to stifle her screams by placing my hand over her mouth, for fear she would wake the baby. Fuck, she’s sexy. How I would love to sink inside her right the fuck now.

I’ll have her later when I return from my meeting with Cain and Roan. She’ll still be pissed when I return. But she’s going to love what I have planned for her tonight. At least I pray she does. I want inside her virginal ass, the ass she seduces me with every fucking day. The way she bends over with those tight jeans on that cover up her plump cheeks. The way they peak out of the bottom of her short shorts. Fuck, I’m stone hard. I lift up and adjust my uncomfortable cock that’s straining against my jeans. It’s fucking painful.

She begins to pace the floor in front of us. Her beady, little eyes stay locked on our boy as she does. He’s watching her every move. I dig this kid. Every time he hears her voice, he perks up like the queen just entered the room, and she has, really. The queen of this realm. The queen who is slowly capturing my heart.

“He does kind of look cute.” My jaw hits the damn floor. I pick it right back up. “Come again?” I say.

“Oh, for god’s sake. You heard me. I know what kind of game you’re playing here, Aidan. You want to ruffle my feathers. Get me mad. Just so you can—” she stops mid-sentence. I challenge her to continue when I quirk up the corner of my mouth. Lift my brows.

“So I can what?” My voice is low and gruff.

“Have your way with me,” she squeaks out. I see the wind storm brewing in her hazel orbs. They’re whipping back and forth between me and my little chick magnet, like the tops of the trees thrashing about, anticipating a downpour ready to approach. There’s only one chick for me, though, and she knows it. There hasn’t been one day that’s gone by when I haven’t told her, tried in some way to show her exactly what she means to me. Like I’ve said, I’m no romantic, but Christ, when you sense you’ve found the one person you want to be with, you’ll do anything to make them happy. To feel cherished and loved. Christ. Maybe I better run to the fucking bathroom and see if my cock has shriveled up inside of me. I sound like a woman. Internally, I shrug. Who gives a fuck? I feel what I goddamn feel.

“You don’t seem to mind when I have my way with you. In fact, you love it.”

“I do. And the more I look at him, the more I adore his hair all spiked up. And his outfit, too. It screams badass.” Yeah, I got her right where I want her. I smirk.

“Don’t think for one second your fine ass is changing the subject.” My enquiring eyes take in her tight, pale green tank top. Her breasts are splendidly perfect. Her nipples harden under my stare, leaving me smirking.

“You’re staring,” she says.

“So,” I shrug, bringing my eyes up to her. “I love what I see. Your breasts don’t seem to mind.” I raise my free hand to tweak one of her nipples.

“Aidan. You’re unbelievable.”

“So you’ve said. Many times,” I add in. “Are you wet?” I ask, then cross my leg over my knee to conceal my hard-on.

“Nope. I’m drier than that crap you drink,” she says sarcastically.

“Woman. Don’t even start on my Jim Beam. That’s some good shit right there.”

“You know…” She bends down over me. Her god for sakes tits are right there. I could reach out and bite one, that’s how close my little cock tease vixen has them to my face. “We both better watch what we say. Quit swearing. My mom will kick both our butts if his first word really is a swear word.” I hear her. I just pretend I don’t. I snatch ahold of the scooped collar of her tank and pull that bitch down so I can get a better look at those tasty tits. Goddamn, she’s fucking hot with her tits spilling out over the top of the pink, satiny bra.

“You are an animal.” Laughing, she brings her face to mine. Her lips graze my mouth. I devour her. Mark her with my tongue on hers, slipping it deep inside of her glorious mouth. Her lips open wide. She consumes my mouth right back. Tasting me, tempting me with her succulent, little tongue. She pulls away too quickly for my liking. My cock is harder than he was moments before.

“Can I have him now?” Sitting down next to us, she holds out her arms to take him.

I should tease her more. Tell her no. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time. My ass needs to get going. The minute she takes him from my lap and starts talking to him, the doorbell rings.

“Got it.” I stand and make my way to the door, adjusting my cock as I go. Fuck, he’s in pain.

“Hey, you two.” Or more like three. Deidre’s parents have arrived along with their bodyguard. We haven’t had a need to find someone to take over being Deidre’s bodyguard since I’ve taken some time off of work. This is one thing we need to talk about today. Roan suggested his buddy Jackson, who is one big man. I’m up for it. I want to talk to him first, though, make sure the man knows that under no circumstances is he to let these two out of his sight, which I’m sure he won’t, but this is my family we’re protecting. When it comes to them, I need to make sure whoever spends time with them understands that this is my entire life here.

“There’s our handsome boy.” Deidre’s dad stalks over and plucks him right out from her arms.

“I hate to run, guys, but I’ve got shit to do.” Closing the door, I roam back over to my woman, kiss her chastely on the lips, and place another one on top of my boy’s spiky hair, dismissing myself.

“Be safe. And this time, please call me so I don’t worry.” Deidre’s eyes plead with mine.

I wink at her. “You got it.” Then for the first time in a week, I leave my family to prepare to take down another.

***

Veering my bike into the parking lot of one of the warehouses where we hold meetings, strategize, and package up the guns to ship, I’m not surprised to see Cain and Roan’s bikes parked behind back, along with Salvatore’s black Escalade.

These motherfuckers breathe, eat, and shit this lifestyle. I’m quickly becoming accustomed to it. There’s a hell of a lot to learn. Hell, I thought I knew how to slip in, steal what I needed, and get my ass out. Back in Michigan, the items I stole, the buildings I broke into, are like stealing a pack of fucking gum, walking out the front door unnoticed versus trying to stuff a giant television into your back pocket and thinking you’re going to make it out the goddamn door. New York is full of thieves, full of crime like you would not believe, but fuck me, man, the specialty guns we’re looking for are locked up so tight it takes an expert to get to them.

It’s a crime, I know it, but I’m learning from the best. Cain can break into anything. That man knows his shit.

“It’s about time,” Cain barks out.

I lift my chin at him. “Yeah, what the fuck ever, dude. I felt your bike when I walked by it. It’s nice and warm. Besides, I know you, there is no way in hell you left your daughter with anyone while the girls visited Anna.” His eyes light up at the mere mention of the word daughter. He’s pulled into the happy baby daddy syndrome as much as I am.

“Fuck off. Get over here so we can get this done. Seems like your little punk of a brother slipped past our guy. We’ve lost him.” I start speeding toward them, disbelieving what I’m hearing. There is no way. This guy is a weasel. Smacks around women. How in the hell could he have slithered his slimy self out from under our guys?

Anna and Grace told us everything. It was Junior who showed up and slapped Grace around. He deserves the same treatment he instilled on them, only a lot worse. We all intended to deliver it. That is, until now.

“Calm down, Aidan.” Salvatore places his hand on my chest as soon as I get to them. “I’m going to kill someone,” I seethe.

“Good. You can borrow my gun,” Cain retorts.

“Listen. After the bullshit that went down with Royal, I do not allow second chances anymore. You fuck up once with me and you’re done. You know this,” Salvatore looks to all three of us.

“I know this won’t lead us to finding Junior. However, the men who lost him have been taken care of. We will find him.” He then stares me in the eye. This man is a leader. True to his word. I believe him. Does not mean I like it one damn bit nonetheless.

“And my mother?” I question.

“That bitch doesn’t know shit. She was on a plane to the Caribbean the day after she left your place,” Roan answers.