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  “You like that?” he whispered into her ear and kissed the side of her face. She could only whimper in response. Making love to him made every day feel like her birthday. Carlo moved slow, almost in rhythm to the music. And once again Shae felt safe to let go. They turned to the side. They faced each other with her leg over his hip. He held her to him and scissored her while fucking her. She felt it so intensely that she had to stop him. So he switched positions again. She sat on his lap, and he sat up. He sucked on her pierced nipple as she bounced and landed on his dick over and over again. Soon he was retreating by dropping back to the headboard. Shae arched back and gripped his knees. Her breasts heaved, and her hips worked back and forth. They both had matched their strokes with harmony before they shuddered through a release.

  ***

  Carlo woke first. He typically did. The music still played in the room—loudly. Shae had rolled away from him in the night and was sleeping on her side. He turned over and reached for her. He ran his hands down her curves. He was thinking hard on his next move. He was going to propose. He was going to make her his wife.

  Carlo eased in closer to her. He hugged her curves, and she turned in his arms.

  “Mmm, this bed feels so good,” she moaned.

  “The bed? What about me?” he asked.

  She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She smiled. “You jealous over the bed?”

  “I’m jealous of anything that has more of you than me. Stay close. I can’t sleep without you.”

  “Come here,” she said. He scooted down and curled around her. He rested his head against her breast. He could hear her heartbeat. And it soothed him. Before long he was drifting and dreaming of their future.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Carlo was in love. The drive back to Vegas was filled with laughter. They played car games he never heard of, and Shae tossed riddles at him from a book she bought when they stopped to get gas. He was not a man prone to laughter. But with Shae, he couldn't stop. That was until they reached the hotel.

  “So? How do we find out about Marissa? I mean is someone going to bring her to us?”

  “It doesn’t work that way.”

  “How does it work?” she asked.

  “I get a call, a meeting is set up. And then we see Marissa. Possibly in the desert. Where we bury her.”

  "Carlo? I... I dunno, maybe we should take it to the police. Jasper is more dange

  rous than Marissa, and he

  's out there. We have to stop him from killing again."

  "Trust me, we'll stop him."

  "I'm sick to my stomach from all the violence. I want it over."

  “Do you want her to pay or not?” Carlo asked.

  “Yes!”

  “Okay. Let’s go inside and see if I got any messages.”

  “Okay,” she sighed.

  The valet opened her car door and his. He got out. Shae waited for him. He took her hand and started toward the stairs. But from his peripheral he caught a vibe. His gaze slipped over. There was a dark SUV and three muscle stacked men standing by it. They were focused on his lady and him.

  “Something wrong?” she asked.

  "Not at all." He put his arm around her shoulder. Shae stayed close. Their things were to be brought up to her room. When they reached the front desk, Shae gave her name and asked for all messages for them both. Carlo had two. Shae had seven.

  “The girls have been trying to reach me.” Shae said as he opened one message and then another. She read the cards. “Sweetie is back in Vegas; Candy is staying San Diego. Her family has come to be with her. I’m going to get her a plastic surgeon to help, with her scars. I want to cover her medical expenses.”

  “That’s nice.”

  "I feel responsible," she said, and they stepped into the elevator. Two men boarded with them. Both wore dark suits. They faced front. Shae kept talking. "I got a message from Jonathan. Management wants to see me about my girls in the show tonight."

  Carlo stared at the men. With their sunglasses on Carlo couldn’t see their eyes. But he knew who they were. They had to be there for them. The elevator stopped. The men stepped aside. Carlo’s gun was under his shirt, to the front of his pants. He pushed Shae ahead and walked behind her. Shae kept talking. The men didn’t step off the elevator, but by this time Carlo had his gun out.

  “What’s wrong?” Shae asked. “Why...”

  “To the room. Now,” he said.

  Shae nodded. She fumbled with her key and went in. Carlo checked the hall to see if he was being followed. He was prepared to fire on the men if they stepped off the elevator. They didn’t. So Carlo went into the suite. The moment he stepped inside a gun was put in his face. The gun in his hand was removed. Carlo was surrounded by a room filled with men. Only one was seated.

  “Bari galu'st,” the man said. It was Armenian for welcome. Carlo had only gotten one look at Tahvo. He didn’t remember him looking this old. He stepped down into the sunken living room area, and Shae came to him immediately.

  “Tahvo?” Carlo asked

  “That’s not him, Carlo,” Shae whispered.

  “No. I am not Tahvo. I am Tahvo’s uncle. They call me Vladik.”

  “He’s the boss,” Carlo said.

  “Tahvo has a boss? I thought he was the boss?” Shae answered. Carlo wished she didn’t speak. He was still trying to assess the situation.

  Vladik chuckled. “Most men have bosses, pretty lady. Your boyfriend has a boss. No? His name is Giovanni Battaglia. A boss with powerful friends in Armenia.”

  Vladik stood. “I received a call. It appears Tahvo and his children have brought shame to the family. Killing innocent women. Kidnapping women for the Turks.”

  “Children?” Shae asked.

  “You’ve met them. Marissa and Jasper. Brother and sister. My niece and nephew. They are twins.”

  Shae’s mouth dropped open.

  Carlo didn’t doubt for one minute that Vladik could care less about the girls who died because of Tahvo. Or that he didn’t condone the nasty business his niece and nephew were up too. But the way the old man’s mouth curled with hate over Tahvo’s association with the Turks seemed to be the key. Vladik pressed his hands together as if a gesture of prayer or peace. “You and your friends are in no danger, pretty lady. Tahvo no longer operates in Vegas. My niece and nephew will trouble you no more.”

  “What? Jasper is a serial killer. He killed a lot of innocent girls. And Marissa?” Shae stepped forward, but Carlo held her by the arm. "They have to pay for they what they did!"

  The man arched a brow. “It’s a family matter. They are returning to Armenia with their mother.”

  “Not good enough!” Shae hissed. “She was here. In my home, Jasper butchered two friends of mine. They’re dead!”

  “Grazie, Don Vladik. We appreciate you resolving the matter.” Carlo said and silenced Shae. The old man nodded. He focused on Shae for a minute. A look Carlo didn’t like. But he let it slide.

  “Bari yereko,” Vladik said. He snapped his fingers and the men all walked out covering their boss. When the last of them left Shae turned on Carlo.

  “This is bullshit! Bullshit! They’re twins? Jasper knew who I was from the start. They were playing with me, a sick game. The both of them should be arrested for what they’ve done! Coming in here and pretending she was a young girl looking to be helped. Fucking bitch! Lying bitch!” Shae picked up a vase and threw it at the wall.

  “You and I know that it end here, Shae.”

  “The hell it will! I can still go to the police. The detectives already suspect that Spyder is covering for these sickos.”

  “I doubt Marissa and Jasper are their real names. And if you, do that, your friends die, they come for you and I'll have to kill them. Do you understand?"

  “How the hell did he get in here?” she looked around as if the place was tainted.

  “Doors open for men like him,” Carlo said.

  Shae walked away in disgust. She sat down and put her fac
e in her hands. “I don’t understand how I could have been so blind to all of this?”

  Carlo smiled. “It’s not in your nature to see predators like these. I took one look at her and knew she wasn’t Mexican though. Didn’t know she was Armenian until I found out she betrayed you. You’ll never see her again.”

  Shae looked up.

  “That was his way of telling you the kids can’t be touched. To forget about Jasper. So forget about her.”

  “Why? Because he said so? Because men like him and Giovanni can crush people and destroy their lives without consequence?”

  Carlo stepped to her. “Because I said so. A deal was made. One bigger than you and me, to protect you and the women that work for you. We won’t be given the details. This is it, sweetheart. Your girls are safe now. It’s finally over.”

  “But men just like him will come to Vegas and terrorize more women. It never ends. It’s not over.”

  “What do you want to do, Shae? Save the world?” Carlo asked. “Or save yourself?”

  “I dunno. I feel so small, useless, helpless.”

  "You're none of those things. You stood your ground, and you saved the people you love. You're a survivor. Not a whore. Not a victim. You're special."

  “What does this mean for you Carlo? It’s over? What does this mean? That you have to go now?” Shae asked.

  He looked at the card and the message from Lorenzo. It said two words. ‘Come home.' He smiled at Shae. "Go check on your girls. I got some calls to make, some things to tie up. Then we’ll talk about the future.”

  Shae nodded. She went to her room and slammed the door. He understood her disappointment and disillusionment. The anti-climatic end to such a horror story would shake anyone’s faith. He knew what would cheer her up. He left out of the suite no longer concerned about her safety. The worst for Shae was over. This was her fresh start, even if she didn’t understand that now. Carlo took the elevator down. He had learned his way around the casino. He walked briskly to the Forum. He had a special purchase in mind. Carlo went into Cartier.

  “Can I help you?” a man with a pinched face and scrawny frame in a tight suit asked.

  “I want an engagement ring. For my fiancée,” he said.

  “Ah, congratulations. Please. Come this way.” The man in the suit walked him to the far back corner of the jewelry shop. “Anything particular about her that I should know?”

  “She loves pink,” Carlo said.

  The man’s eyes stretched. “Then you have come to the right place. We have raspberry diamonds. They just arrived. A beautiful assortment for engagement rings. One of a kind settings.” The man removed a velvet tray of rings from a locked drawer and brought them over to the top of the clear glass display case. Carlo was given an eyepiece to inspect the clarity of the gems. He looked at each one until a particular diamond sparkled brightest. Just like his Shae.

  “I’ll take this one,” he said.

  “Good choice. Do you know her ring size?” the man asked.

  “No. And I want to propose tonight. So I need it now.”

  “It’s fine. We’ll set it at size seven which is average, and she can come back in and have it adjusted if needed.”

  Carlo smiled.

  “Would you like anything else? A watch? A matching pair of earrings.”

  "No. This will do. He put his credit card on the counter. The man never once revealed the price. In a place like this, he knew that wasn't necessary.

  ***

  The girls had quit. A few didn’t even show up for work. It was a breach of contract. Shae wiped a loose tear when she was informed she would have to vacate the hotel in thirty days. Everything had fallen apart. When she returned to her room, Carlo hadn't arrived. Shae sat on the sofa alone. Every horror story Candy and Sweetie told her surfaced in her mind. Shae put her hands to her head to block the voices and screams out. It didn’t work. She rushed into her room and crawled across the bed. She cried herself to sleep. Nightmarish memories and new terrors plagued her the entire time. She struggled to hold on to some sense of peace. She found none.

  Shae woke up to the sound of music. It was dark in her room, so the sun had set. She had to have been sleeping for over three or four hours. She sat up and listened. Luther Vandross sang ‘Amazing Love' again.

  “Carlo?” she eased off the bed. She wiped her tears. She walked out of the room. Carlo stood there. He had so many pink roses she could barely see her furniture. They were everywhere. Luther crooned that he’d follow her to the moon and sky above. Carlo got down on one knee. Shae shook her head in amazement. He revealed a ring.

  In her dreams, she never dared wished for such a proposal. She ran to him, and he stood and caught her. He hugged her to him. He kissed her face, and she held on to him.

  “Marry me,” he said.

  He put her down and wiped her tears. “Marry me, Shae. Say yes.”

  “Say it in Italian,” she said. “And I’ll believe you.”

  “Mi vuoi sposare,” he said.

  “Truly it’s amazing, love brought us together, we have amazing love!” she said.

  He kissed her. She kissed him and her heart believed, believed in love. Carlo let her go and put the ring on her finger. She stared at it. The most precious gem she’d ever seen.

  “A pink diamond. I had no idea they made them.” Carlo said.

  “It’s gorgeous, Carlo. It’s my dream. All of it. It’s like you stepped into my head and know my dreams.”

  He pulled off his bow tie and tossed it. “Now. Where’s my reward? My turn!”

  Shae laughed. He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. He carried her into the room and tossed her on top of the bed. Shae laughed until she cried. Carlo began to dance around the bed. Shae sat up and clapped to give him music. He worked his hips and removed his blazer. “Do it, baby!” she cheered him on.

  He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. Then he slowly dragged down his zipper. Shae stood up on the bed. She hooted and hollered at him. Carlo took off his pants and danced around in his boxers. He looked, so goofy Shae nearly peed herself from laughing so hard. She ripped off her clothes and threw them at him. He growled and chewed on her panties before he tackled her down on the bed. He tickled her.

  “Stop! Stop!” she laughed.

  Carlo pinned her arms above her head. “Look at me. I am going to give you the best life, cara. I promise.”

  “Don’t make promises, Carlo,” she said.

  “I promise,” he repeated.

  Her vision blurred with tears. He eased into her. Shae closed her eyes and gave him her body; she'd already given him her heart. Carlo kissed and sucked her lips and then her nipples. His plunges were slow and steady. Her body took over and her mind shut out all doubts. Shae clung to the feeling. If she could feel this way forever, she knew her demons would be defeated. She wished for that kind of happiness.

  Carlo rolled to his back. Shae lifted off his dick and did a reverse cowgirl slide down on his cock. She glanced back to her guy, and he was clenching his jaw in restraint. She rode him backwards and bounced her ass the way she did for him in the shower. Gave him a show. It drove Carlo crazy. Shae smiled and fucked him, climaxing twice through it all. Carlo took much longer and she didn’t mind. The ride was so sweet, so empowering, so filled with love. Carlo gripped her hips and forced her to go faster as he thrust up into her, hard and steady. She dropped forward, and he sat up. She gripped the sheets to hold on. Carlo slammed her pussy down on his length and kept going until he grunted and cursed through his own explosive release.

  Shae eased off him. She turned and slid up alongside his body, and held on to him. Rested her face on his shoulders, with her leg over his thigh.

  "You are amazing," she sighed. "What happened to my tough mafia guy? When your men find out you were giving me a little dance, they won't let you live it down."

  “Those men don’t know me, Shae. My best friend doesn’t know me. Not this side of me. Because until you came along I
never knew this side of me.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve never really been happy. I’ve been content. Maybe even satisfied. But not happy. Not like this,” he said.

  “How would this work, Carlo?”

  “You have to come to Italy with me. We’ll fly out in a few days. We’ll get married in Sicily, at my sister’s church. You’ll have to convert to be Catholic. I’ll talk to the Donna. She did it. So she knows everything you will do. Marietta is Catholic, too.”

  “I’m not religious, Carlo,” Shae sighed.

  “But our children will be Catholic,” he said.

  Shae lifted her head and frowned at him.

  “We’ll adopt, Shae. Give kids a good home. A Sicilian boy and an African girl.”

  “But... adoption? I dunno.”

  He pulled her down to him. “I’ll get us a place in Sorrento. A better place. Mine is shit. I’ll get rid of all the boys that stay there. Make it right. You can work with Marietta. I know the Donna will hire you. Do the fashion business thing.”

  “I’m not a fashion designer. I love entertainment,” Shae said.

  “It’s entertainment. Don’t worry. You’ll adjust.”

  “And you? What will you do? Kill for your boss? Turn into his dutiful capu?”

  "I'm an enforcer. That doesn't mean killer. I enforce the law of our clan; it's a family thing, Shae. It’ll take time, but you’ll see the difference. It’s who I am. I was thinking of taking a step back from the violence. Giovanni has legitimate businesses. I can run one of them. Maybe we can live between Italy and America. I’m working on it. Just need to know how to present it to Giovanni. He liked my boxing idea.”