Page 11

Adonis

L ike a statue carved from ice, I stood there as Don’s words lashed at me. The old man’s face was twisted, veins bulging in his neck as he railed about the security breach. My jaw clenched, muscles twitching as I fought to keep my expression neutral.

“You had one fucking job, Adonis! One job!” Don Hawthorne roared as he slammed his fist on the mahogany desk so hard the crystal decanter rattled. “How the fuck could you let this happen?”

The accusation stung like a fresh wasp puncture, but I didn’t flinch. Years of training had honed my self-control to a razor’s edge. Still, frustration simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil over if he kept talking shit.

“With all due respect, Don,” I said, my voice low and measured, “I take full responsibility for what happened. But perhaps if Giovanni hadn’t insisted on that ill-advised outing—”

“Don’t you dare speak ill of the dead by blaming him.” Don Hawthorne’s fiery brown orbs flashed dangerously. “You are my head of security! You fucked up.”

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “And if he hadn’t gone off on some solo fucking mission, he’d still be alive!”

The words hung in the air between us, charged with defiance. I knew I was treading on thin ice but refused to back down. Not when Xenobia’s safety was at stake.

Don Hawthorne’s face darkened. “Watch yourself, boy. You may be like a son to me, but don’t forget your fucking place, alright? That’s not all. You somehow allowed them to drop the fucking head in our estate. So what now? Huh? Have you caught the mole? From where I’m sitting, it might as well be fucking you. Your coming here has caused more grief than if I’d just left Giovanni in charge!”

The reminder of my outsider status stung more than I cared to admit. I’d given everything to the Hawthorne family—bled, killed, and deceived for them. Yet, in moments like this, I was acutely aware of the invisible barrier that would always separate us. I wasn’t blood. I was a secret friend of the family—a pet.

“Giovanni is dead, if I may remind you. And Don, with all due respect, I’m getting tired of hearing the same shit from you. Take the chip off your shoulder and understand what it’s taken for me to protect your family. I’m risking my life every day being here.”

He looked like I’d slapped him, slowly rising and placing his hands flat on his desk. “Mind your fuckin’ tongue, boy. If you’re referring to my daughter, I’ll never give you the permission you seek to tarnish her off the strength of who your father is. Her mother, may she rest in peace, would turn over in her grave if I allowed it. Yours too. Marrying my daughter is out of the question. Get the fuck back to work, and don’t let me catch you laying a hand on my princess. Mind your fucking place, or it’ll be your head my men clean up next.”

“My place,” I said, struggling to keep the bitterness from my voice, “is doing whatever it fuckin’ takes to keep this family safe. Even if that means telling hard truths.”

We glared at each other across the desk, neither willing to back down. The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds, each stretching into eternity. His hard fist slammed onto the desk, making me flinch despite myself.

“Enough! I’ve had it with your insubordination, Adonis. You have twenty-four hours to resolve this security breach, or I’ll deal with your ass myself. Do I make myself fuckin’ clear?”

I swallowed hard, tasting bile. Every instinct screamed at me to argue, to make him see reason. But I knew that look in his eyes. There’d be no getting through to his stubborn ass.

“Crystal,” I spat out, my jaw clenched so tight it ached.

I turned on my heel and stalked out of the office, barely resisting the urge to slam the door behind me. My blood boiled, rage simmering just beneath the surface. I wanted to punch something, to scream, to let out all the frustration building inside me. Instead, I took a deep breath, forcing my face into a mask of calm. I couldn’t afford to lose it now. Not when there was so much at stake.

I found Titus waiting in the hallway, his eyes questioning. “Well?”

“We’ve got work to do,” I said snappishly. “Gather the team. We’re locking this place down tighter than Fort fuckin’ Knox.” As we walked, I verbally outlined the plan forming in my mind. “Double the patrols, especially around Xenobia’s quarters. I want every inch of security footage from the past week reviewed. And start vetting the staff again. Someone had to have helped that sick mothafucka get in.”

Titus nodded, his expression grim. “You’re certain we have a mole?”

“I think we can’t rule anything out. I know it’s not our guys, but Don’s gotten soft,” I replied, my mind racing through possibilities. “I trust you to handle the interrogations. You’ve always had a knack for getting people to talk.”

A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. “Consider it done, boss.”

I clasped his shoulder, grateful for his unwavering loyalty. In a world where I could trust so few, Titus was a rare constant. “Good man. Let’s catch these mothafuckas and show Don Hawthorne what real security looks like.”

I pushed open the door to Xenobia’s bedroom, my heart rate slowing for the first time since the shitstorm began. She was there, perched on the window seat, a book forgotten in her lap as she gazed at the sunrise. So much for getting some sleep. The budding sunlight caught the silvery scars on her arms, and something twisted in my chest.

“Adonis,” she called out, her eyes lighting up as she turned. Damn, she was beautiful. And completely mine.

I crossed the room in three strides, drinking in the sight of her. “You okay?” I asked, my voice rough with concern.

She nodded, reaching for my hand. “Better now,” she murmured, and I felt the last of my defenses crumble.

I pulled her close, burying my face in her hair. “I can’t lose you,” I whispered, the words I’d held back all day finally spilling out.

Her fingers traced the line of my jaw, feather light. “You won’t,” she said fiercely. “I’m right here.”

I kissed her desperately and hungrily. She met me with equal dedication, her body arching into mine. We stumbled toward the bed, a tangle of limbs and half-shed clothes. And then there was nothing but her—the taste of her skin, the sound of her breath catching, the feel of her nails raking down my back. For a few blessed moments, I could forget Don Hawthorne’s ultimatum, the breach, and the constant danger surrounding us. There was only Xenobia, warm and alive beneath me, her heartbeat thundering in time with mine.

“I need to shower. Join me?” I suggested.

The cold air nipped at my damp skin as we emerged from the shower. Wrapped in an oversized bath towel that smelled faintly of fresh detergent, I watched Xenobia shiver.

“You okay?” I inquired, my voice a low rumble, filled with concern as I leaned against the shower door, my arms crossed over my wet chest.

She nodded though her teeth chattered. “Yeah. Just cold.”

In two strides, I closed the distance between us. My hands were gentle but firm as they wrapped her towel around her trembling shoulders, letting the warmth of the dry cotton and my touch seep into her bones. She leaned into me, seeking solace in the safety I provided.

“Here, let’s get you warm,” I murmured, pulling her closer.

The towel slipped, gapping slightly at her chest as my fingers brushed her shoulders, sending sparks skittering across my fingertips. They trailed down, slow and deliberate, tracing the line of her scarred collarbone. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat screaming her name. Whatever was left of my soul was all for her.

“I love you,” I whispered, my hand pausing at the slope of her breast. But then, with a resolve that seemed to snap like a taut wire, I cupped her through the towel. My thumb grazed her nipple, and she sucked in a sharp breath, the sensation spiraling straight to the head of my dick.

My hands found their way to her hair, grasping, pulling her closer as my lips landed on hers. She moaned into my mouth, the sound vibrating through me. When I pulled back, her breaths were as ragged as my own.

“I love you too. I’ve always loved you. Only you,” Xenobia’s admission tumbled from her lips without hesitation. It felt like the most natural truth I’d ever heard, as if it had been waiting to be acknowledged since we met.

“Look at you,” I whispered as my eyes roamed over her face as if seeing her for the first time. “You’re so fuckin’ gorgeous.”

“Touch me,” she urged, desperate to feel more of me, to break down the walls that had tried to separate us for too long.

I obliged, my fingers resuming their exploration with a newfound fervor. Every brush, every caress was a discovery, charting unknown territory that felt forbidden and inevitable. I watched her, entranced by the intensity in her sultry gaze, the way her lips parted slightly as she focused on controlling her moans so that we wouldn’t get caught.

“Feels so good,” she managed to breathe out, the world narrowing down to the sensations I invoked, hotter than the steam from the shower and more intoxicating than the danger lurking outside the mansion.

For the moment, there was only Xenobia and the fire I ignited within her. I groaned a low, primal sound that seared through my veins as I scooped her into my arms and carried her toward the bed.

I let her sink to the mattress, and I followed, as eager to touch her as she was me. With a swift motion, I pulled her closer, our bodies aligning with an intimacy that had my heart racing at a million beats per minute. We faced each other, nose to nose, the heat of her breath mingling with mine.

Then, I moved again, sliding down her body like a man driven by a hunger that’d been starved for too damn long. My mouth found the sensitive skin of her neck, and she tilted her head back to give me more access, lost in the sensation of my lips on her. My journey continued, kisses trailing lower. When I reached her breasts, a moan escaped her lips before she could contain it. I sucked a nipple into my mouth, teeth grazing gently.

Her hands clenched the sheets as her back arched to press her breast deeper into my mouth. My fingers slipped between her thighs, teasing at the wetness there. I didn’t give a fuck if she was on her period or not. A period didn’t stop shit but a sentence in my book. I watched her intently, enthralled by every shiver I drew out of her, every hitched breath. When I finally lowered my head, replacing my fingers with my mouth, all I tasted was sweetness. The pressure of my tongue was insistent and rhythmic, driving her toward something bigger than she’d ever felt before.

She purred. “Mmm, fuck.”

Xenobia writhed beneath me, each flick of my tongue sending sparks flying, each suck of her clit pulling her closer to oblivion. Her thighs tightened around my neck, guiding me, urging me to take her exactly where she needed to go.

“Please, Adonis, don’t stop,” she pleaded hoarsely.

I sucked her clit harder, drawing a sound from somewhere deep inside of her as new pleasure pulsed through her nerves. Her hips found a rhythm against my mouth, the heat of my tongue setting off fireworks against her skin. My fingers, buried deep inside of her, curled in a way that made her body shake with pleasure, teetering on the brink of something monumental.

“You’re so fuckin’ tight, Nobi,” I rasped out, my breath hot against her slit.

A moan slipped past her lips. “It’s all for you. All these years, I’ve saved myself for you.”

The sound that tore from my throat was deep and possessive, and it lit a fire in my belly that threatened to devour us both. My eyes consumed her, drinking in every twitch of her eyes and mouth as mine latched onto her clit as my fingers thrust into her with an urgency that told her I was as close to the edge as she was.

“Adonis,” she cried out, her voice laced with desire and a hint of impatience.

Her fingers clawed at the covers, trying to anchor herself in a reality that was quickly slipping away under the waves of pleasure I elicited from her. But I didn’t budge. My movements became relentless, each new spark of pleasure a sensation that pushed her higher and higher until she shattered. Her body convulsed around my fingers as ecstasy blanketed every nerve ending inside her.

“Oooh, fuck! Yes! Yes! Adonis, yes!”

And then, while she was still trembling from the aftershocks of my tongue, I pushed my dick into her, feeling the heat of her body tighten around my girth. Her gasp was music to my ears, and I began to move my hips—slow and sure at first, then faster and harder as she matched me stroke for stroke. Her breath hitched in time with my thrusts, her nails digging into my broad shoulders. How she tasted and felt was better than anything I’d ever known.

Her arms winded around my broad shoulders, pulling me closer. Every movement was a discovery, each gentle thrust a revelation. Heat radiated off my body as I moved above her, my hips rolling in a slow, purposeful rhythm that shook the very core of my being. I lowered my head, capturing one of her nipples between my lips. She arched into me, craving more of my delicate torture. As I sucked and nipped at the sensitive bud, a deep groan escaped from my throat, the vibrations sending sparks of pleasure straight to my throbbing erection.

“God, Nobi.” I murmured against her skin, my hot breath blowing against her. “You’re so beautiful. I’d die for you, you know that?”

Her hands explored the brawny muscles of my back, tracing the contours of my biceps. Everything was magnified—the sound of our breathing, the slickness of our bodies sliding together, the profound sense of rightness that enveloped me.

“Look at me,” she whispered, pulling my face to meet hers. Our eyes locked, and impulsively, I pressed my lips to hers, tasting the salt of her skin, the faint bitterness of desire on her tongue. The kiss differed from the others, charged with a raw need that left us both gasping.

“I love you so much,” I admitted, the truth of my feelings crashing over me like a tidal wave.

My breath hitched as my body tensed above her. The air in the room seemed to crackle with electricity. Our combined heat became a living thing between us. My strong arms shifted, and before she could catch her breath, I had her legs hoisted over my shoulders, opening her up even more to me.

“Cum for me, Xenobia,” I growled, my voice raw with desire. My fingers returned to her clit, teasing circles that made her squirm. “I’m so close, but I need you there with me, baby.”

My words were a desperate plea tangled with command. Every stroke of my fingers was precise, my knowledge of her body apparent in the way I siphoned pleasure from her.

“Say it,” I growled. “Say you’re mine.”

“Yours,” she said through panting breaths. “Only yours, Adonis.”

It was all I needed to hear. I let go, my dick contracting as I spilled my seed deep within her heat. I let out a guttural sound of release, my body shuddering above her. I made sure she felt every thick inch of me pulsing deep within her. Her hips rose to meet mine, riding the aftershocks of her climax as I filled her up.

The world narrowed down to the space where our bodies were joined, the shared breaths that saw us through the storm of our release. I collapsed onto the bed in a sweaty mess, our labored breaths mingling in the quiet of the night.

“Tomorrow might never come,” I murmured, cradling her against my chest, my heart beating rapidly under her ear. “But right now, this is all that matters.”

“Right now,” Xenobia echoed, tracing the muscle lines on my arm, feeling the strength that had always protected her. “You’re mine.”

“And you’re mine,” I acknowledged, my lips finding her forehead in a kiss so tender it made my heart ache. “No matter what comes, I love you.”

We held each other like that, two souls adrift in a world too dangerous for the love we’d found. But with her in the sanctuary of my arms, life was perfect, even if only for a stolen slice of time.

A few hours later, I woke with the world's weight on my shoulders and Xenobia’s warmth pressed against my side. When my lids lifted to see the sun peeking through the curtains, my mind started plotting out the day’s interrogations.

“Adonis?” Xenobia’s voice was sleep-rough, her hand reaching for me as I slipped out of bed.

“Gotta go, Nobi,” I murmured, kissing her forehead quickly. “Duty calls.”

She caught my wrist. “Kiss me first.” I smiled and leaned down, pressing my lips to hers as she moaned. “I wish you didn’t have to go. Spend the day with me. Make love to me until I can’t feel my legs.”

“I will. When this is over, I promise you can have as much dick as your heart desires. But right now, I have to figure this out. I promise, after all this shit is sorted, it’s you and me. Fuck everybody else.”

She sighed and rolled over. As I dressed, I ran through my mental checklist. The staff was likely already gathered for breakfast, which was the perfect time to start shaking shit up. I’d start with the newer hires and work up to the older guards. Someone knew something, and I was gonna find out what, even if it killed me.

The kitchen was a beehive of nervous energy when I walked in. Conversations died mid-sentence, eyes flicking to me and then away. Good. Let ’em sweat.

“Morning, everyone,” I said, keeping my tone casual as I poured a cup of coffee. “Titus, a word?”

He appeared at my elbow, silent as always. We stepped into the hallway, and I lowered my voice. “I need eyes and ears everywhere today. You let me know anyone who acts out of character or falls out of step.”

Titus gave a barely perceptible nod. “Consider it done.”

I spent the next few hours circling the grounds like a shark, picking off staff members one by one. Some stammered, some glared, some looked ready to piss themselves. But nobody broke. Not yet.

“Where were you between midnight and four o’clock this morning?” I demanded to know from a maid who’d been with the family for years.

She wrung her hands, eyes darting from left to right. “In… in my room, Mr. Cardelo. Sleeping.”

“Anyone who can verify that?”

There was another shake of her head, and my gut twisted. Another dead end, or something more? By lunchtime, the whole house was on edge. I could practically smell the fear, thick as smoke. Good. Let that shit simmer. Someone will crack, eventually.

But all I could think about was Xenobia, alone in her room, vulnerable. My chest ached with the need to go to her and make sure she was safe. But I couldn’t. Not until I’d rooted out the fuckin’ rat. I’d burn the whole fucking place to the ground if that was what it took to keep her safe.

Hours later, I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d been interrogating everyone to no avail. I felt her father’s looming disapproval as if it were a physical brand on my skin. The walls were closing in, and I needed to see Nobi. To touch her. To make sure she was still real. I made my way to her room, my heart pounding like a jackhammer in my chest. When I opened the door, there she was. My Xenobia. My everything.

“Adonis,” she called out, relief flooding her expression.

I crossed the room in two strides and pulled Xenobia into my arms. She fit against me like she was made from my rib, all soft curves and warm skin. I buried my face in her dark curls, inhaling the scent that was uniquely her.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to come sooner, but…”

She pulled back, those fierce eyes searching my face. “Did you find anything?”

I shook my head, frustration gnawing at my gut. “Not yet. But I will.”

Xenobia’s hand came up to cup my cheek, her thumb tracing the scar on my jaw. “Talk to me, Donny. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

I closed my eyes for a brief second, leaning into her touch. “If I can’t find this mole…”

Her eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw a glimpse of the vulnerability she usually kept hidden. “You will,” she whispered. “You will because that’s who you are. And when you’re done, come back to me.”

I pulled her close again, my heart racing. “I couldn’t stay away from you, even if I tried,” I growled.

As I held her, my thoughts churned, piecing together the fragments of information I’d gathered. Someone in this house was a traitor. And I was going to find out who. A sharp knock at the door jolted me out of my thoughts. I tensed, instinctively pulling Xenobia closer.

“Boss, it’s Titus,” a muffled voice called out from the other side of the door.

I exhaled, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. “Enter,” I called out, my voice gruff.

Titus burst in, his eyes wild, chest heaving. “We got ’em, boss,” he panted. “The mole. Caught the mothafucka trying to sneak out through the service entrance.”

My heart raced, a mix of relief and adrenaline flooding my system. “Where?” I demanded.

“Chained up in the cellar,” Titus replied, a grim smile playing on his lips. “Thought you’d want the first crack at ’em.”

I nodded, my mind already shifting gears. “Good work,” I said, patting Titus on the shoulder as I moved past him.

Xenobia’s hand caught my arm. “Adonis,” she whispered, her eyes wide with concern.

I cupped her face, pressing a quick, hard kiss to her lips. “I’ll be back,” I murmured against her mouth.

As I strode down the hallway, my steps echoing off the marble floors, I felt the familiar icy calm settle over me. This was what I was made for—the hunt, the interrogation, the protection of what was mine. The cellar stairs loomed before me, dark and foreboding. With each downward step, the air grew colder and damper. The scent of fear and desperation hung heavy in the air. My hand ghosted over the gun at my hip, a comforting weight. Whoever waited for me, I was ready. I had to be. For Xenobia, the family, and everything I’d sworn to protect.

The final step creaked under my foot, and I paused, listening to the ragged breathing from the shadows ahead. My jaw clenched, anticipation coiling in my gut like a viper ready to strike.

“Time to talk,” I growled into the darkness, my voice low and dangerous. “And you better start praying to whatever God you believe in that I like what I fuckin’ hear.”