Clean Slate (New Mafia Trilogy #2) Read online

  Wrapping an arm around his torso and gripping his hair in my other hand, I pulled him towards me. He tugged on my lower lip with his teeth before slipping his tongue in my mouth and his hand found its way inside my pants again. Things were growing increasingly hotter and our clothes were becoming obstacles.

  “Let’s go to bed,” I said when Jason started to kiss my neck.

  “Are you sure?” He met my eyes, his irises darker than their usual sea blue.

  “Yes.” I sat up, sliding free of his body. I started walking down the hall, leaving a trail of clothes and hearing Jason following right behind.

  By the time we reached the bedroom, only our underwear remained. I slowly peeled my panties off while Jason watched with rapt attention. Next was my matching black lace bra. First I pulled down one shoulder strap and then the other. Jason swallowed as I unclasped the back and the bra fell to the floor, leaving me completely naked in front of him.

  “Your turn,” I said, not recognizing the huskiness of my own voice. I took a step closer to Jason, feeling the heat radiating off of his chest. “Unless you want my help?” Brushing the waistband of his briefs with my fingertips, he thrust his hips forward encouraging me, his eyes not breaking contact with mine. I ran my hands across his flat stomach, touching each ridge of muscle before going lower and grasping his erection through the fabric. He moaned and put his hands on my hips, tugging me forward so his arousal pressed against my bare stomach. I slid my hands beneath the waistband and grabbed his ass, lightly dragging my nails across skin before pushing his underwear down. They dropped to the floor and he stepped out of them.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered and walked me backwards toward the bed. When I felt the mattress hit the back of my knees, I turned and crawled to the center, giving Jason a full view. I started to flip over, but Jason stopped me, keeping me on all fours. Running his hands down my spine, he placed soft kisses in their wake, nipping on my shoulder blades and the curve of my hips. This combined with the ends of his hair tickling my skin, sent contrasting sensations across nerves, causing my nipples to tighten. He slid a finger inside me, holding me in place with his other hand on the small of my back as he started playing. He moved in and out, adding another finger when I grew moist enough, stretching me while applying pressure to my clit with his thumb. Whenever I started to buck against his hand, he held me in place, preventing me from increasing the friction so I couldn’t release the building tension.

  “Jase, please,” I begged, throwing my head back as I pushed against him.

  He bent over me, pressing his length against my entrance. Brushing my long hair aside, he kissed my neck. “Where are the condoms?” he breathed in my ear before taking the earlobe between his teeth.

  I was shaking so badly and my core was like a pot of water simmering at a low boil. “In there,” I panted, pointing at the drawer of the bedside table.

  “Will there be any surprises in there?” he asked, kissing along my neck and slipping a finger back inside me.

  “No, no surprises,” I panted. The stuff from Dom was in a shoe box on the shelf in my closet.

  He moved away briefly and pulled open the drawer. Moments later he had a condom on and was pushing into me, holding my hips in place, gaining delicious momentum with each thrust. His skin seared mine where our bodies touched and I moved with him, increasing the pressure, adjusting to his size. Just as I was ready to explode, he pulled out and flipped me over onto my back before sliding into me again. With my legs up over his shoulders, my hips rose to meet his and we developed a steady rhythm. His chest glistened from a light sheen of sweat and his eyes drifted closed as he threw his head back and increased the pounding. I held on, digging my fingers into his ass cheeks, drawing him in deeper.

  Jason released my legs and fell forward, an arm on each side of me. He never broke his rhythm and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Arching against him, he lowered his head and drew a nipple into his mouth; sucking on it, tracing his tongue over the sensitive nub, making me cry out. The simmer built to a full boil and I was so close to an orgasm. Jason sensed it, must have felt me tighten around him. He released my nipple with a pop; the cold air hitting it added another layer to the sensory overload.

  “God, I love you baby,” Jason whispered and even though he had already said this, it still sounded foreign and disrupted my rhythm, causing my body to retreat from its imminent orgasm. So, I blocked out his words, focusing instead on the weight of Jason above me and the feel of him inside me. I focused on the citrus and sage scent of his cologne and the slight musk our bodies created. I focused on the slap of skin against skin and this did the trick. I clenched around Jason, pushing my hips against his, to get him as deep as possible. “Oh God, oh yes!” I screamed, my legs squeezed him as I went over the edge. Then Jason cried out and came in three violent thrusts.

  He kissed me, a slow, deep kiss since we weren’t in a hurry anymore. His cock twitched inside me a few more times, sending aftershocks through my system. He pulled out and with one last kiss, got up to get rid of the condom. As soon as Jason returned from the bathroom, he climbed into bed, pulling me close and lifting the covers over our naked bodies. He fell asleep and I lay there wide awake, mildly panicking over the fact that he said he loved me. I liked Jason, but didn’t love him and I held onto the hope that someday I would. With Dominic it was an instantaneous burn, just being in the same room with him made my pulse jump. Maybe with Jason it would be slow to spark and eventually turn into something bigger? At least Jason was safe. I didn’t have to worry about him getting shot or arrested.

  My phone rang early the next morning, less than two hours after I had finally fallen asleep. I extricated myself free of Jason’s arms without waking him and dashed into the hallway to answer the call from Miranda.

  “Hey, everything okay?”

  “Oh yes, everything is great,” she chirped and I yawned. “Oh shit, it’s early there isn’t it? I’m sorry, I forgot about the time difference. Did I wake you up?”

  “Yeah, but it’s okay. I’m going shooting with Victor today, so I should probably get properly caffeinated.”

  “Shooting?”

  Shit, I hadn’t told Grant about my new hobby so obviously Miranda didn’t know. “Yeah, Victor is teaching me. For self-defense, you know? I haven’t told anyone; please keep it on the low.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty bad ass, but I understand why.” Miranda was there after Brittany and I were assaulted and she comforted me in the backseat the night I was shot. She of all people would appreciate the need for me to defend myself. “I won’t say anything. We’ll keep this between sisters-in-laws. Because you know Grant would shit himself and he’s got enough to worry about.”

  “Thanks. So what’s up?”

  “The bridesmaid dresses are in already. Do you think you can fly in a few days earlier for a fitting?”

  “Sure, I can do that. I still need to book a flight and figure out where I’m staying.”

  “Oh, that’s taken care of. Grant got your mom a room at Embassy Suites and it has an extra bedroom for you. Just get your ass here and let us know if you need help with your plane ticket.”

  Leave it to Grant to have everything planned out and under control. I had yet to reach out to my mom and wasn’t looking forward to our reunion. Honestly, I was intimidated to confront her, but knew it was inevitable. Focusing back on the conversation, I thanked Miranda for the offer to help and promised to let her know when I was flying in. I was already awake so instead of going back to bed, I went into the kitchen to make a monster pot of coffee, grabbing a Diet Coke out of the fridge to drink while the coffee brewed. I was in a trance watching the slow drip of the dark liquid that I didn't hear Jason walking up behind me, his bare feet silent on the linoleum floor. He slipped his arms around my hips and I jumped.

  “Easy, Nat, it’s just me.” Jason kissed my neck.

  “Sorry, you were in like super stealth mode.” I relaxed against him and he rested his chin o
n my shoulder.

  “Did I hear you talking to someone?”

  “Yeah, Miranda called about the wedding.”

  “You mean the one you don’t want to take me to?”

  My body tensed and I turned to face him. “Jason, we’ve been through this. First, we haven’t been going out that long and secondly, you’re better off not going to a Mafia wedding.”

  “Or you want time with Dominic.”

  “You tell me you love me, but then you say this shit that tells me you don’t trust me. Dominic and I are over, I’m with you. What more do you want?” I stepped away from him, needing some distance.

  “I want you to let me in! I know you’re holding back.” He stepped forward, closing the gap between us. “And I’m not sharing you with the Ghost of Relationships Past.”

  We glared at each other until I looked away, hating the tears that surfaced, more out of anger than sadness. His accusations stung only because he was right. I was holding back. Jason didn’t need to know everything about my past: my issues in high school, the assault, Brittany’s suicide, and my killing of a man - all of that was locked up tight. He certainly didn’t need to know I still had feelings for Dominic. To make the situation even more intense, Victor took that moment to knock on the door.

  Jason welcomed Victor’s presence with a stiff nod before turning to me. “We’re not done talking,” he said before leaving us in the living room. He emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later completely dressed. Right before walking out, he asked me to call him when I was available. All the heat and passion we had shared the night before was noticeably absent. I shivered at the coldness it was replaced with.

  “Trouble in paradise again?” Victor asked with a smirk, raising his eyebrow, the silver stud in his brow glinting in the sun streaming in through the window.

  “No, you just have impeccable timing. Come on, let’s go shoot some things.” Fucking Jason, that man had me jumbled in knots.

  Chapter 36

  PHILADELPHIA

  DOMINIC

  “Are the feds still out front?” I asked Roberta, the concierge representative on duty.

  “Hold on.” She set the phone down and I heard the echo of her heels on the marble floor as she walked away. They faded, but moments later grew louder as she returned to the concierge desk.

  “Yes Mr. Grabano, they’re still there.”

  “Shit.” I exhaled sharply and ran a hand through my hair. “Please have my Mercedes brought around back.”

  “Certainly.” She hung up and I slipped my cell phone in my pocket. Of all the days for the federal agents to reappear it had to be the day Grant and I were meeting with two homicide detectives to re-negotiate terms. There had been a lot of people wanting to do this since Marco was removed, and according to my dad, this was normal when there was leadership change. Some of the requests were reasonable. The unreasonable requests were answered with violence or I threatened to completely cut the person off. Ninety-eight percent of the time they acquiesced and maintained the existing business agreement. The cops we had on our payroll were greedy little fuckers though and they knew we couldn’t cut off their support, so they basically had us by the balls. The corrupt narco detectives I met with last week walked away with $500 more each per month. Apparently one had a kid on the way and the other was saving up to take his wife on an anniversary cruise.

  Pulling a key card out of my wallet, I swiped it through the reader on the service elevator and hit the down button. The lift hummed to life behind the closed doors, which opened seconds later. One of the perks of being the son of one of the building’s investors was getting privileges like this. I took the elevator to the basement level and snuck out the back by the housekeeping office. My steel gray Mercedes GLK350 was idling quietly in the alley. Tom, one of the valet guys greeted me and opened the door.

  “Thanks man,” I said and handed him a twenty dollar bill. Tom smiled and shut the door. As I drove off, I looked in the rearview mirror to make sure I hadn’t been made by the feds. I purchased the SUV a month before since I needed a less conspicuous vehicle. While I loved my Mustang, that vintage beauty stuck out worse than a clown at a funeral. After driving around a few blocks, it was clear I didn’t have a tail so I sped off to meet with the detectives.

  The meeting place was an old corner bar in Port Richmond that had been closed for renovations. Port Richmond was once known as the Polish section of Philly and while it was still mostly blue collar, it had been recently undergoing a transformation of sorts. A lot of Polish businesses still existed, like Czerw's Kielbasa, the odors of garlic and other seasonings from homemade kielbasa and pierogies could be smelled for blocks, but homes were being updated and business such as micro-breweries and higher end restaurants were phasing out a lot of the rougher looking establishments.

  This particular bar was one of Uncle Al’s latest investments and he had given me spare keys. I parked around the block and walked to the bar. Just the cars parked along the street indicated the change in demographics; a combination of shiny late model sedans and SUVs mixed in with rust buckets being held together by Bondo and duct tape. The detectives emerged from an unmarked police car and crossed the street to meet me. A car door shut and I looked down the block to see Grant stepping onto the sidewalk. He locked his Lexus and walked towards us. After a quick scan of the neighborhood, which was empty since most people were at work and schools were still in session, we ducked inside.

  Sawdust danced in the weak sunlight spilling in through a wall made of thick frosted glass squares. The smell of fresh milled wood tickled my nose and caused Detective Burnett to sneeze. An unfinished bar served as a temporary workstation; a repository for cans of varnish, paint, miscellaneous tools and a small radio with a dented in speaker. A pallet of tiles was against the opposite wall. I kicked a dust covered Shop Vac out of the way and walked over to the bar.

  “Alright, let’s get this over with,” I said and the detectives placed their guns on the counter and extended their arms out. Granted patted them down then checked them for any listening devices. Satisfied, he placed his weapon on the counter and came to stand by me. “Let’s hear your terms.”

  “Listen,” Detective Burnett started, smoothing what few stray hairs he had left on his freckle covered scalp. “You guys have been busy and the higher the body count, the more difficult it is for us to look the other way.”

  “Yeah,” Detective Kaminski said, crossing his arms over his barrel chest. “We got performance evaluations coming up and it looks bad if evidence keeps getting misplaced or witnesses recant on their statements.”

  The Police Chief had assigned Kaminski and Burnett to the Italian dominant precinct in South Philly with hopes that without any ties to the family, they’d stay honest. Uncle Marco had them on the payroll within a month of their start date and that was over three years ago. The amount of shit they covered up had more than paid for their monthly stipend, which was currently a thousand per month each.

  “Will $500 more a month be sufficient?”

  “Split between us or each?” Burnett asked.

  “Each. I won’t lowball you guys – you’ve been good to us.”

  Kaminski and Burnett went over by the pallet of tiles to have a little meeting. It didn’t take them long to make a decision. A shake of hands confirmed the new terms, weapons were returned and the two detectives left. Grant and I stayed behind.

  “These negotiations are a pain in the ass,” I said and leaned against the counter. “Thanks for meeting me here.”

  “You know I got your back.”

  Dante had to deal with a broken cooler at Butter that had flooded part of the kitchen, so he had to bail on me at the last minute.

  “It has been non-stop though. Everyone wants more. They’re like little parasites.”

  “Necessary parasites, unfortunately.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m just tired, man.” Not only was I busy putting out fires and attending meetings like this at all hours of the day,
but I’d never adjusted to sleeping without Natalie. Most nights were spent in a restless state of semi-consciousness. Whenever I rolled over and hit the cold cotton sheets on Natalie’s side of the bed, I would wake. In the short time we lived together she had become my anchor; she was the soft and gentle balance to my violent world. All these stupid issues that kept popping up prevented me from flying to California and I could feel her slipping away. “Have you talked to your sister lately?” I asked.

  “Yeah, actually, we spoke just a few days ago. She’s still able to come out for the wedding.”

  “Really?” I stood up and smiled at Grant. “That’s freakin’ great!” She’d be home in less than two months.

  “I take it she hasn’t called you?”

  “No, not in a while. We text occasionally though.”

  Grant groaned when I said this and rubbed the back of his neck. “Fuck. Dom, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Natalie is dating Jason.”

  “Are you serious?” I hated that my voice cracked when I asked this, revealing a glimpse of the panic and hurt I was trying to suppress.

  “Yeah, it’s a new thing – maybe a couple weeks? Sorry bro, but I thought you needed to know.”

  “Fuck!” I picked up a hammer from the bar and chucked it across the room. It became lodged in a section of drywall, the handle sticking out an odd angle.

  Grant’s phone rang and he left me alone with my rage to take the call. Moments later he returned and his lips were in a straight line.

  “What now?” I asked.

  “Danny’s shorted us money again. He’s back on the smack. Want me to send someone to take care of it?”

  “No. I’ll kill him myself.” This was just the distraction I needed. I tossed Grant the keys to the bar. “You lock up; I’m going to go find his junkie ass.”

  I drove around the city for hours, visiting all of the usual haunts looking for Danny. Afternoon faded to evening and as the night wore on, Danny remained elusive. I left Natalie a voicemail and sent her a few text messages, but she never responded. Feeling hurt, pissed off and frustrated, I decided to stop at Crimson for a drink. It had been a few weeks since I quit working there and thought it would be better to be around my people than going back to an empty condo.