The Absolution of Aidan (The Syndicate Series Book 3) (22 page)

“We are. I cannot believe how nice all of you have been to mom and me. Besides, with dad gone now, it would be a good time for a fresh start.” Oh, yeah. He’s flapping now. He may get up and fly. I listen with rapt attention as Anna carries on about their plans to move here. She even tells me a little bit about her relationship with her father, too, which I tuck away to tell Aidan about whenever her gets his ass home.

“Do you know much about Dilan?” I look at her with a questioning stare. How stupid I must look when she’s the one asking the question. I blink. Oh, how I could have fun with this, especially with him sitting in the chair not moving at all. Maybe all of his cells have left his body and he’s no longer a living thing. Ha! Well, Anna sure does know how to take a lady’s mind off of her worries, doesn’t she?

“What do you want to know?” I play dumb and start to clean up the counter. Anna makes herself right at home by propping a hip against the counter with her back still facing Dilan.

“Well, I know he’s a bodyguard, a thief, and a member of the mafia,” she rattles off.

“Yup. Does any of that bother you?” I ask jokingly.

“Not at all. I mean, I may not have a lot of experience with men, but after the shady shit my dad did before he died, I have no room to judge. Besides, I’m not a judgmental person anyway.”

God. I want to shift my eyes in Dilan’s direction. I don’t though. I love Anna and even though this is cracking me up inside, I would never do anything to purposely embarrass her. Now, Dilan on the other hand… I’m high fiving myself right now.

“I think Dilan is a wonderful man. He has a nice ass too, and don’t even get me started on those tattoos of his.” I fan myself.

“Oh, God. I know. We were working out together the other day, and I shit you not, my panties were completely soaked when he took off his shirt and the tattoo across his back flexed with every pull-up he did.” When I look her way, I notice her eyes are closed as if she’s in deep thought or remembering the way he looked. I shoo him with my hand. I’ve never seen a man move as fast as he does. Just in time, too. Because what she hits me with next would have definitely gotten him spotted. He would have crumbled to the fucking floor.

“When I said I didn’t have much experience with men, I really should have said none at all. I’m a virgin, right down to I’ve never even been kissed.”

“Oh, Anna. I think that’s wonderful.” I mean what am I supposed to say?

“I just feel like I’m, I don’t know, a tom boy or something. I mean, all through high school, sports were my life. Then I went to Hygienist School. Guys were never in the picture,” she says rather sheepishly. She reminds me of what it would be like if I had a younger sister to share these kind of stories with. Kind of like the relationship Alina and I have, where you can tell your girlfriend anything, and they will never judge you.

I dry my hands off on a dishtowel and pull her into my arms. “You’re not a tom boy, that’s for damn sure. You’re beautiful, Anna, and any man, including Dilan, would want you. I’m not talking strictly sexually, either. You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. As long as you continue to be you, then the right man will come along and sweep you away. You will have fallen before you even realize it.” I glance over her shoulder because I feel like someone is watching us. And shit. Dilan is right there. Oh, shit. He heard her. He knows everything.

***

“All right, goddamn it. I’m not waiting for his ass to get here any longer. I want some of my daughter’s cake.” My dad showed up about a half hour ago, looking mighty worn. I know he met with Aidan and Calla earlier today. He claims he hasn’t seen him since. That his mother went to stay with John and Cecily for her own protection, and that was all he would tell me. Now, he’s sitting here trying to butter me up with his comment about indulging in my cake.

“We need ice cream,” Grace pipes in.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have any. I could go get some,” I say, knowing damn well I will not be leaving.

“We can go get some,” Anna says while observing Dilan.

“Sure. Let’s go.” He gives me a weary smile, and even though I feel like I want to pull my hair out of my head and I’ve killed everyone in this room at least twenty times, I’m panicking, freaking the hell out. And I want Aidan home.

“You need a drink, honey.” Mom hands me a glass of wine.

“Thanks.” I take a sip of the crisp sweet Riesling and let it flow through my system. I stare at the door Anna and Dilan just walked through. My mom’s bodyguard is still perched outside like a fucking tool. God, why me? I want to scream. Throw a pissy ass fit and ask everyone to leave.

“He’s fine, sweetheart. I promise.” Dad hovers over me.

“You don’t know that.” I swallow back my tears.

“I do know, Deidre. The man I saw today was anxious to get the hell out of that office and back to the two of you.” My dad’s tone seems very convincing, but I will not settle down until he walks through that door.

“I’m going to go cut the cake.” Even though I don’t want to cut the goddamn cake. I ease up out of my chair, snag my glass of wine, and lean up against the wall in the kitchen. My hands start to shake, leaving me no choice but to set my glass on the table. My chest feels impossibly tight. I close my eyes, taking deep breaths and letting them out. I have no idea how long I stand this way until my eyelids flutter open from the hot breath I feel against them, the warm body I feel pressed up against mine.

Those anger reflexes inside of me diminish with every breath of his I inhale. I’m still shaking, but somehow I manage to look deeply into big, blue eyes. They sparkle with mischief, while I’m sure mine are wet with the tears I feel streaming down my face.

“Baby. No. Why are you crying?” His voice is low and matter-of-factly. He knows why.

“I’ve been worried about you.” I may sound a little taut when I speak.

“I’m sorry. I know I told you I would text or call. I promise I have a very good reason.” He acquires my attention rather quickly. Although, the way he’s seeking me out with his gaze, I’d say he’s either done or bought me something again. He wears the same expression as he did last night when he gave me my sweet gift. Sheepish.

“What have you done, Aidan Hughes?”

“Not so fast, beautiful. Kiss me first.” I look intently at Aidan as he gazes back at me, burning holes into my already heated skin. A rush of heat explodes in my chest. His lips twitch when he leans forward slowly, teasingly.

Then his hands are tangled in my hair, his lips are on mine, and thank you, god, my man is home. We devour each other with our lips, tongue, and mouths, expressing our love without speaking. My hands twist roughly in his hair. He bites my lower lip and grinds his hips into mine. And I soften even more. My desire for him increases with every circle of his tongue. It’s maddening in a thunderously arousing way. This crazy love we have for one another works for us.

My heart is splayed wide open for this man, and no matter how worried I become, this one particular person who I have tumbled into the abyss of love with will always come home to our son and me. This is what I’m getting out of this passionate kiss from him. He’s letting me know we’re everything to him.

He pulls himself away from me way too quickly, leaving us both gasping for air. “Please tell me you saved some frosting?” he asks, which gets a laugh out of me. Moments like these are why I call our love crazy, but we fit. One minute we can be serious, the next playful, and I wouldn’t wish for it to be any other way.

“I did. It’s in the fridge. More than likely very hard right now.” His brows shoot up, while my eyes look down. Again, why is everyone still here? Christ, that is a gloriously looking hard-on straining through those jeans. Fuck me. I hate to have to waste it. As if he can read what’s running through my head, he swipes a finger down my cheek, cupping my jaw between his hands. “Just one look at you makes me hard, sweet-tart. Trust me, the minute the last person walks out the door, he’ll be back.” He smirks at me and shakes his head.

“Come on.” Reaching for my hand, he pulls me behind him into the living room where we now have two more people joining in.

“Uncle Sal. Aunt Corrina!” I squee like a little girl.

“Look at you, little mama.” My uncle walks toward me with his arms stretched wide. I enter them happily. Even though we’ve chatted on the phone, it’s been a month or so since I’ve seen him. And my aunt. I haven’t seen her since Diesel was born. Last I heard, she was visiting my cousin in Italy as she had a baby a few weeks after I did. I turn from his arms and stroll right into hers.

“Where’s that handsome little boy?” she asks.

“He’s sleeping, it’s been a long day, even for him.” I look over to Aidan. I’m surprised he didn’t run into the baby’s room first thing.

Silence abides the room. I pull back from my aunt, my fix remaining on Aiden.

“You are all up to something. What did you do? Read my mind today and buy me a house with two kitchens?” I verbalize teasingly. Although, secretively I wish they did. Or I wish I could anyway. My savings have all dried up by keeping the rent up-to-date on the apartment while I was away. That’s one of the reasons I need to start working again. This is something I haven’t conveyed to Aidan or to my parents, even though I’m sure they know.

“Not exactly a house.” Dad steps forward.

Reaching out, my dad takes hold of my hand, holding it palm up into the air, then my uncle steps forward, a peak of silver leaves his hand as he places a key onto my palm before he clenches my hand closed while leaving his over the top of mine. I’m baffled to say the least. My head is spinning as I look at the faces of my family. Tears are escaping my mother’s eyes, joy whispering across my aunt’s face. And pride fleeing my dad.

Strong arms wrap around me from behind, holding me close. “What’s this?” I lift the key for them all to see.

“That, my sweet niece, is the key to the bakery.
Your
bakery.” My head shakes in a stultified manner. “My what?” I then look to my dad. Aidan’s grip on me tightens.

“We’re retiring, honey. I’m not about to sell my bakery to someone I don’t know. I want a person who has the same passion as I do. I want my legacy to go on. My legacy is you.” Oh, my god. I don’t know what to say.

“So, this is where you were today? Did you buy this for me?” I spin around to study Aidan’s reaction.

“It’s where I was today. And yes, I bought it.” I take a long, slow breath, reigning in my anger. He cannot go out and buy me a bakery. Jesus. This is too much.

“Why?” I simply ask.

“Why not?” Is his response. “Well, for starters, you do not buy a business for someone who you just started dating. That’s preposterous.” He tilts his head a little. A wide smartass smile spreads across his face.

“I can if it only cost me one dollar.”

“One dollar?” Right then the room starts to spin. I literally feel dizzy, wrapped up in all of this confusion, driving my brain to overload.

“And we didn’t even want to take the damn dollar.” I believe that’s my aunt talking now. I really do feel dizzy. Taking the few steps needed to reach my couch, I fall backwards, still clutching firmly to the key. The key to my bakery that cost a dollar.

“I’m grateful. I’m a little ruffled, really. Your bakery is worth—”

“Knowing my niece is going to take good care of it. To your aunt and I, that’s worth more than any amount of money, Deidre.” Oh, my god. I have a bakery. My own business. A place I’ve worked at for years. A familiar atmosphere with people I love. Now, I am going to cry.

“Thank you so much.” I hug Aidan hard. “I love you,” I say then turn and hug everyone else. This is perfect. I can work and have my child with me. I can leave when I want to. Go in when I want to. And I can bake!

“Where the hell are Dilan and Anna? They’ve been gone for an hour.” I’m still clutching my key in my hand. I cannot seem to let it go. The reality of it still hasn’t sunk in, even though I keep repeating it in my head over and over that it’s mine. It really is mine.

Ten minutes after my jagged, short-lived, happy little breakdown, my aunt and uncle left. My parents and Beth are still here, and now my mom’s bodyguard is inside. The atmosphere is filled with tension. Something is wrong. I can feel it. I think we all can.

“He’s still not answering his phone.” Aidan runs his hands through his hair.

“Neither is Anna.” Beth declares.

“I’m going to look for them.”

“I’ll come with you,” Dad tells Aidan as dread begins to fill my chest. I drop the key on the table by the door. My eyes flit to Aidan’s. We silently exchange the same worried contemplation.

“Like I said, they didn’t say where they were going. I assumed they were going to Hitchcock’s, which is two blocks over.” Aidan’s fingers wrap gently around my wrist. His troublesome eyes shift from me to Grace. “Call Roan,” he mouths silently. I nod. I stand there for all of five seconds after the two of them leave. Memories slice through my aching head. Too many memories. Ones I’ve healed from. Ones that if they reach the surface again, I don’t know what will happen.

AIDAN

Dread owns me right now. It has my stomach locked up tight. I can’t stop it or slow it the fuck down. I can feel the knives sharpening, my feet heavy like the concrete on this sidewalk that Stefano and I are walking on.

“The cocksucker has them,” I grit out. I fucking know he does. There is no goddamn way Dilan would take this long to get ice cream. Not with all the shit that’s going down.

If Junior has them, then he’s not alone. It’s whoever we think is working for us and for him. A fucking mole, a rat-bastard motherfucker, who is going to die once I get my hands on him. I hate fucking traitors who lie to your face. Who cheat and weasel their way into your world only to betray you.

“If you’re sure, Aidan, then we need to call Salvatore. Especially if you still think there is someone working on the inside.” My hands clench around the smooth steal of my glock, itching to pull the trigger and get rid of the piece of shit who wants me dead. I’m going to fucking kill him. Kill him for all the wrong he has done to me and to Alexis. Kill him for his already dead father, who took my mother away from me. Who forced her to act like I never even existed, then passed his hateful desires down to his cowardly son. I will blow him the fuck away. Put as many bullets into his slimy body as I can.