Boss Read online

  “You’re the best at everything, or so they say. Prove it to me.”

  “Last week wasn’t enough?”

  “This time I’ll keep score.”

  This woman drove him wild. She wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t hold back her thoughts. It fucking turned him on to have a strong woman put him in his place. Of course, he let Graciella get away with murder. No other person pushed his buttons and lived to tell about it.

  He leaned in and kissed her. The room was soundproofed, leaving only the sounds of their breathing. She began stripping herself, not breaking the kiss. When she pulled back, she was only in her bra and panties.

  “Take your shirt off,” she said. “I want to touch you.”

  Boss tugged his shirt off and slipped out of his shoulder harness, placing them on his desk.

  “Let’s play a game,” she said.

  “Okay.”

  She ran her fingers down his chest and along his six-pack. “Where’d you get this scar?”

  He looked down at one of the gashes on his stomach. It took him a minute to even remember there were so many damn scars. “Shrapnel wound. I had to cut it out myself. Is it my turn?”

  She nodded.

  He kissed his way down her body until he was on one knee. Boss rubbed his face against her panties, making her jolt. Then he touched a deep scar on her lower stomach. “Where’s this from?”

  Her body tensed.

  “They wanted to be sure I’d never get pregnant. Pregnant girls were a liability.”

  “Fuck this game,” he said, scooping her up into his arms. “No one will hurt you again.”

  He’d had enough of the sadness, the guilt, the shame. Nothing from her past could surprise him or make his feelings change. All he wanted to do was make his woman happy.

  He settled her down on his grand oak desk overlooking the skyline. “That doesn’t bother you? Never having an heir?”

  “Baby, if I wanted kids, I’d have kids. Killer of Kings is my legacy. All I want is the gorgeous woman in front of me. You’re all I need and want.”

  He spread her legs and leaned over her body, kissing her neck, rimming the shell of her ear. He undid her bra and slid off her panties. Having Widow Maker sprawled naked over his desk was a beautiful sight. He’d never get tired of fucking her.

  “Let me see you,” she said.

  He stepped out of his pants and boxers. Boss had nothing to hide. He stroked his erection a couple of times while she watched. His cock was thick and long and he had the stamina to go all night. “You want this inside you?”

  She looked spellbound, her eyes already glazed over with lust. “Fuck me, Boss. I want to feel it tomorrow.”

  He groaned. Forget sugar and spice. His Latina queen was filthy as fuck. He bent down and feasted on her clit, occasionally licking up her folds. She writhed on his desk, his paperwork and ornaments falling to the ground.

  “Scream all you want, baby. Nobody can hear you.” He tugged her hips to the edge of the desk, then wasted no time sinking deep in her hot cunt. “Fuck, you feel perfect around my cock.”

  She mewled and wiggled, hungry for him to work her body.

  “Such a naughty girl.” He fucked her at a slow rhythm, watching himself fill her over and over again. “You need to be taught some fucking manners.”

  “Yes, I’ve been bad,” she said. “Punish me.”

  He picked up the tempo, fucking her deep and hard, the desk scraping along the tiles. With Graciella, it was a challenge to hold back and not spill inside her. She was so damn sexy.

  Boss flipped her over, impaling her with his cock right away. She cried out, her hands clutching the edges of the desk. “More!”

  He grabbed a handful of her long black hair, his other hand securing her hip. He gave her a few firm slaps to spur her on. Boss rammed into her body, her ass jiggling, her breasts pressed against his desk. She cried out, the erotic sound music to his ears.

  “Take my ass.” She was insatiable. Unlike any woman he’d ever taken before. “I want you everywhere. Only you.”

  He wasn’t prepared for any of this. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but she was insistent. He used the cream from her pussy and dragged it to her asshole, coating the cute little rosette in moisture.

  Pre-cum leaked at the end of his cock. He’d never been so fucking horny in his life. He pressed the head of his erection at that forbidden hole, pushing in slow and steady. She growled, pushing back against him, filling herself with dick.

  “You’re absolutely perfect.” He looked down between them, his cock deep in her ass. He ran both palms from her shoulders all the way down her body until he reached her hips. Boss began to piston in and out of her ass. He used one hand around her body to tease her clit, rubbing her in quick circles. The dual stimulation made her moans deepen, the sounds making it near impossible to hold off much longer.

  “Come for me, baby. Be a good girl and milk my cock.”

  She let out a series of mini gasps before finally letting go, crying out with pleasure. Boss held on tight and filled her ass with his cum. Once their breathing settled, he hoisted her dead weight into his arms. She wouldn’t even open her eyes.

  He set her down on his bathroom counter and used a damp facecloth to clean them both up. As he was finishing up, she watched him. A calm, natural beauty on her face. No guises.

  Boss stood in front of her and cupped her face, kissing her lips once, twice.

  “You’re worried about me, but should I be worried? You’re the Widow Maker, known for being a man bait. Maybe I’m the one being used.”

  “Don’t worry about me, Boss.” Her smile was sad. “Everything here, between you and me, it’s the first time I’ve been real in as long as I can remember. I feel safe with you.” Her eyes filled with moisture. When she blinked, a few tears traced down her cheeks.

  “That’s how it should be.” He kissed her tears then brought his forehead to hers. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

  “You didn’t use a condom.”

  “No.”

  They stayed like that, connected on a deeper level. Comfortable in each other’s presence. Real, naked, vulnerable, and experiencing love for the first time.

  “Boss?”

  “Yeah, baby.”

  “Do you think this can work?” she whispered.

  “It will work. Before you came along, I couldn’t understand the fascination with settling down with one woman. I berated my men about it. Even Xavier. Now all I can think about is making you happy.”

  “Can I see that ring again?”

  He pulled on some boxers and got the ring from his jacket pocket. He sat on the leather sofa and patted his lap. Graciella hadn’t put on any clothes and he couldn’t complain. She sat on his lap and opened the box.

  Boss took the ring out. It had cost him a small fortune. He took her left hand and slipped it onto her ring finger. It fit perfectly, made just for her.

  “Wow.” She held her hand up to the light, tilting in this way and that to see the sparkle.

  “Did I pass the test?” he asked.

  Graciella smirked then cupped his face with one hand, giving him a kiss. It was soft, sweet, and full of promises. “Yes, and I’ll marry you, Boss.”

  Chapter Twelve

  No woman had ever gotten under his skin before. Rather than see it as a weakness and curse, Boss saw it as a strength and prospect for the future. He wouldn’t let another moment slip through his fingers.

  It was why he was here, sitting in an unfamiliar chair smoking one of Viko’s cigars again. He hated the taste of them. The home itself was in a secure location on a private island just off the coast. Viko apparently liked the best of everything. And his privacy.

  Ever since Viko had given Graciella the mission of obtaining the man responsible for funding the distribution of the drugs, he’d gone into some kind of hiding. Either that, or he really intended to stay out of the way.

  Boss made it his mission to find out how pe
ople lived, certainly when it came to his competition or enemies. The Circle of Monsters was nothing more than a bunch of highly paid thugs. He didn’t like them, didn’t respect them. They weren’t the kind of people he’d hire for delicate missions. If he wanted to make a scene to get the job done, sure. Viko could certainly rally up his men and create a shitstorm.

  Personally, Boss liked to play the game. He was a man of many faces.

  When he started Killer of Kings, he’d done so with the intent of being the best, of hiring the best. The only way he knew how to survive was to be the best. To fight harder, to be stronger, and to be more patient than everyone

  Where he believed revenge was a dish best served cold, Viko was fire and reaction. It was why the Circle of Monsters would never best Killer of Kings, and possibly why in the scheme of things, they were, for all intents and purposes, evenly matched. Still, Boss wouldn’t be on friendly terms any time soon. Not with Viko, not with the men he associated with.

  “I’m starting to think you’re after my ass, Boss,” Viko said. “Multiple secret meetings all in one month. I feel special.”

  “You shouldn’t.”

  “Have you come to finally even the score? Want to try and kill me?”

  “I don’t have any desire to kill you, Viko. Don’t give a fuck about hurting you at all.” He blew a ring of smoke up into the air. He’d only taken a couple of puffs of the thing but he was done. He crushed it down on Viko’s desk. “Do you run away all the time?”

  Viko threw his head back and laughed. “You think this is running?”

  “You didn’t get what you wanted and rather than stay and fight for it like a real man, you’re here doing whatever it is you have to do. So yeah, I think you’re running. Do I scare you?” Boss asked.

  “Why don’t you worry more about getting your woman down the aisle than what I’m doing with my time?”

  Boss smiled.

  “Do you think you’re the only person in this world who can gather information about your opponent?”

  “Not really. It’s no secret I intend to marry the Widow Maker.”

  “Let’s hope her namesake doesn’t follow you into the bedroom, Boss. You might not be able to come out alive.”

  “It’s sweet that you care,” said Boss. “I’m not here for any reason other than to deal with this debt you’ve got going on with my woman.”

  “What Graciella owes me is between the two of us.” Viko folded his arms across his chest.

  To any casual observer, they were merely two men, no weapons, but Boss knew Viko just as Viko knew him. They had weapons on them, but kept them hidden in the most convenient of places.

  “Graciella is mine. She belongs to me and will eventually become part of the Killer of Kings.”

  Viko’s insane laughter echoed around the room. “Okay, now I know you’re crazy. Do you really think that woman has what it takes to run an empire as stoic as Killer of Kings? Damn, you’re going to be down when it comes to business. Graciella will run you guys into the ground. First, she doesn’t take orders from anyone.”

  “What do you call what she does for you then?”

  “Oh, I give her orders but she doesn’t follow them. You’re alive, aren’t you?”

  Boss folded his arms. As with all meetings with Viko, he was starting to grow bored. This was getting them nowhere. “I’ve long ago accepted that I won’t kill you, Viko. We’re too evenly matched and regardless of what I think of your little organization, you actually do the right thing. The good thing.”

  “Aw, are you getting all sentimental in your old age, Boss?”

  “I’ll give you Renzo Bianchi. He’s the man you want. In return, you grant me Graciella’s freedom.” He took a step from behind the desk. He was done playing nice. “You will never call on her. Never ask her for help. You will leave her alone. Free and clear. As far as you’re concerned, Graciella, Widow Maker, or whatever it is you fucking call her doesn’t exist. She is free to be with me.” He wasn’t smiling anymore. Too much was at stake.

  He didn’t come here to banter with Viko.

  This bastard had already spent too much time sharing the same air as him.

  Viko chuckled. “You really expect me to believe that? You’re going to give me a cartel in exchange for a piece of pussy you’ve already fucked?”

  “Be careful,” he said. “My offer ends in a matter of minutes and I want you to think carefully before you give me an answer. It’s a limited offer, but if you decide to make this difficult for Graciella or me, then I will personally see to it that Renzo has the best life money can buy. He’ll never suffer a day in his life. Other than funding the drugs and running a cartel, he’s kind of like a stand-up guy. Everyone who died from taking those drugs, they’re collateral damage.”

  He stared at Viko, waiting, then he continued, “If that’s not enough to persuade you, we’re evenly matched, but your boys aren’t. Where they go, I’ll be there. I’ll become your biggest fucking nightmare. Business will be affected. I guarantee it. In fact, I even look forward to the prospect of ruining you and running Circle of Monsters into the ground. All you’ve got to do is grant Graciella her freedom, and I will personally hand you Renzo. You’ll have your peace.” It didn’t matter to him what happened to the bastard. Bain had nearly died because of the drugs.

  He would see it through if Viko made the wrong choice.

  Silence stretched out.

  To anyone else, this would make for an uncomfortable debate, for Boss, this was where he was most comfortable. No one could best him. Not even Viko.

  “What if I need the Widow Maker’s expertise?” Viko asked, surprising him. “She’s rare, Boss. Take away her owing me, she’s still damn good at what she does.”

  “Simple, you come to me. You need her for an assassin, I’ll be the one you call. Under no circumstances will she be selling herself. Her body is mine. Every part of her belongs to me.”

  “Damn, brought down by a woman.”

  Boss chuckled without humor. “Not at all. I can still walk away from you and take my little peace offering with me. I’m not weak, Viko. I’m right where I’m supposed to be. You want to see weak, look in the mirror. You’ve allowed your emotions to cloud your judgment one too many times. You could have taken Renzo, but your thirst for revenge kept it from you.” He shrugged. “What’s it going to be? Island life is starting to irritate me.”

  Viko looked at him, his features set. Boss knew damn well he’d hit his hot buttons.

  “You knew I’d take the deal. I don’t even know what you’re still doing here. Until Renzo is in my hands, I can still call for Graciella.”

  Boss approached him and slammed the key against his chest. “He’s tied to your bed, waiting for whatever you want to give him.”

  Viko caught the key as Boss moved away, heading for the door.

  “You knew I’d take the deal?” Viko asked.

  Boss glanced back. “The drugs killed your kid. I didn’t doubt for a second that you wouldn’t take the deal. I’ve never known that kind of pain. I can only begin to imagine how this case has been for you.”

  “I hope for your sake you never feel it,” Viko said.

  “Well, I hope for you, when you’ve done with Renzo, you’ll find some kind of peace, any peace.” Boss turned and left. He didn’t look back. There was no need to. Bain was still waiting for him in the boat. The big fucker had lost a little too much weight during his illness and from what his informants said, he kept hitting the gym and eating like there was no tomorrow.

  “Did you get what you needed to?” Bain asked.

  “Yes, let’s head home.” Renzo was going to die. By his hand or Viko’s, it didn’t really matter. He found an opportunity to save his woman and he took it. When it came to Graciella, he would do everything for her. She owned his heart, and he intended to show her a world full of love, and a whole lot of killing.

  ****

  One month later

  It had been a long time since G
raciella had worn white. She stared at her reflection and her nerves were completely shot. This wasn’t supposed to be her life, but here she was, living the dream.

  Her wedding day.

  How had it arrived so fast? There was no time to escape. No way for her to leave, not that she wanted to either. No, in the past month, Boss had shown her a place in his world, and it worked. She wanted to be with him every day. Killer of Kings was an empire with so many intricate details and went so deep into all parts of the world. She had underestimated the sheer size of it.

  No wonder Boss controlled it with an iron fist. She never thought she’d be part of something so amazing, so powerful. It felt good to belong. They were all just cogs in a much bigger network, but without it, she hated to even think of what the world could be like.

  There was a knock at the door and she called for them to come in. The other Killer of Kings women were so nice but Graciella didn’t exactly know her place with them. They were good girls and they had little in common. It was still a sore subject for her and a constant struggle to find her place among them. Time would help. One day, she’d become accustomed to not being alone in the world.

  Twirling, she spun out the skirt.

  “You look beautiful,” Xavier said, catching her off guard.

  She’d been successfully avoiding her brother for a long time. Until now. She turned toward him. “You think so?”

  “You do and you know it.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not used to being the star of the show. I’ve been to many weddings. Some of them have ended in blood baths. That’s the way the world goes. Hopefully Boss and I will get to say the I do before then.” She rambled. Why was she so nervous? She pushed some of her hair out of her face.

  “I know we’re never going to be where we were as kids. Too much shit has happened. We both have different lives now.” He stopped. “I’ll always be the brother who didn’t protect you and that will stay—”

  “Right, stop.” She held up her hand. “I didn’t want to do this but I don’t blame you, Xavier. I really don’t. You’re my brother, sure, and the whole brothers protect their sisters, I get it. We were both kids. Both of us, not just me. You were a kid as well, and I will not allow you to carry this guilt. It’s not yours to carry. You didn’t sell me or hurt me. Our lives took unexpected turns and I dealt with it.”