American Dynasty

T W E N T Y

Playing the waiting game never failed to drive Flynn to the brink of madness. Aiden had been at it for nearly a week now, trying to figure out how the news had spread about the Masseria-Dempsey coalition.

For two days Flynn had holed himself up in his office, chain-smoking and downing glass after glass of brandy. His fingers tapped the edge of his desk impatiently as he waited for any sort of intel to come in. Part of him wanted to sneak into Stella's bedroom to spend a day with her, but he couldn't afford to be away from the office for a minute in case Aiden were to come back with his report. So there Flynn sat in his dimly lit office, on his third pack of cigarettes of the day and counting.

He sat in his comfortable leather armchair with a freshly lit cigarette dangled from his fingers, staring blankly at the flames raging in the fireplace. The night was quiet other than the brisk wind whistling through the trees outside.

Three sharp knocks on the door made him jump and instinctively reach for his gun at his side, but he relaxed when he heard Brady's voice on the other side. "Flynn? Aiden's here."

Flynn nearly flew out of his chair as he raced to the door. He flung it open to see a grim Brady and an even grimmer Aiden. "Come in. We have much to discuss," Flynn said, a feeling of dread beginning to form in the pit of his stomach.

The two men strode inside and Flynn closed the door, locking it behind him. Brady had made himself comfortable in one of the armchairs, but Aiden had opted to stand beside the fireplace with his hands clasped behind his back. The fire cast an eerie glow on his face, accentuating his already sharp features.

"So what did you find out?" Flynn asked, returning to his chair.

"I think we have a traitor in our midst," Aiden said, rubbing his hands over his face. "I didn't want to believe it at first, but they know too much. They know our numbers, our ranks, our associations. Someone sold us out."

Flynn bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood, trying his best to keep his anger in check. He could feel the vein on his temple begin to throb as his face turned red. His hand gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white. "Loyalty is the only thing I truly ask for in the gang," Flynn murmured. "And I can't even have that."

His eyes darted between Aiden and Brady. "I want you to dig deeper. Find out who might be feeding D'Aquila this information. Then bring him to me."

"Dead or alive?" Aiden asked.

Flynn stood up from his chair and strode over the coat rack. "Alive," he said gruffly as he slipped on his jacket. "I want this treasonous little fuck to feel pain like he's never felt before."

"Where are you going?" Brady asked cautiously.

Flynn hesitated for a second. "I need to cool off for a bit. I'll see you in the morning." With that, he opened the door and disappeared into the hallway. He stalked through the house and to the front door, yanking it open with unnecessary force. He only had one place in mind where he wanted to be, and no matter how dangerous or risky it was, he was going to get there.

Flynn climbed into his car and turned on the engine, revving it before flying out of the driveway and speeding down the street. Flynn drove into a familiar part of the city with stately houses and parked on the side of the road. He swiftly climbed out and began to walk, crossing several front yards and ducking behind trees every time he heard a voice or a noise. He got a foothold on the wall and began to climb, using the thick vines of ivy that crawled up the cement for support. Flynn climbed over the metal railing and landed on the balcony with a quiet noise, but through the open glass doors it was enough to alert the slim figure behind the sheer curtains.

"Flynn?"

He smirked at the fact that she knew it was him. He adjusted his suit jacket and parted the curtains, revealing Stella sitting at her vanity table, her face stripped of makeup and only wearing a thin nightgown. "Flynn, what-what are you doing here?" She asked, padding towards him.

She didn't have time to ask anymore questions before Flynn pressed his lips to hers, one hand snaking across her back and the other planted on the back of her head. Stella squealed in surprise, but kissed him back, getting lost in the intense and sudden contact. When she pulled away Flynn's lips travelled down to her neck, hungrily kissing at every bit of exposed skin.

"Not that I'm not enjoying myself," Stella said, trying not to moan. "But what exactly are you doing here?"

Flynn buried his face into her neck, inhaling the sweet smell of her perfume that lingered on her skin. "I needed to see you. Being with you is the only way I can completely clear my mind."

He trailed his hands over her arms, relishing the feeling of her soft skin against his. She timidly titled her head up and captured his lips with hers, kissing him sweetly. Flynn deepened the kiss, his tongue plunging into her mouth and dancing with hers. When he finally pulled away, they were both gasping for air. Flynn rested his forehead on Stella's and closed his eyes, sighing contentedly as he felt all his previous anguish and stress melt away with her touch.

"Can I spend the night with you?" He asked quietly.

Stella's eyes flew open and she took a step back. "I-I don't think that's such a good idea. What if my parents were to come in in the morning and see you?"

"Lock the door," Flynn said. "Please, baby girl, if I spend another moment alone with my own thoughts I think I might go insane."

Stella was too concerned about the look torment and distress on Flynn's face that she didn't bother to chide him about calling her "baby girl." She hesitantly lifted her hand and caressed his sharp cheekbone. Flynn's eyelids fluttered closed as he leaned into her touch. "Okay," she finally said.

She padded over to the door and turned the lock, hoping that she would wake up before her parents did and noticed anything suspicious. Flynn took his coat off and hung it over the edge of the couch. He slipped off his uncomfortable dress shoes, setting them down neatly by the window. He watched Stella intently as she walked back towards him and climbed into her bed. She patted the spot next to her, beckoning for him to climb in. Flynn slowly walked over, unbuttoning his shirt in the process.

Stella gulped as the fabric fell away from his chest and she allowed her dark eyes to travel appreciatively over his toned chest. Flynn noticed but didn't say anything; he only smirked, knowing that this was the first time she had seen a man in a situation was intimate as this.

He pulled back the covers and laid down beside her. "Goodnight," Stella whispered as she turned off the lamp that sat next to her bed.

All was silent for a couple minutes before Flynn decided to take a risk and snake his arm over Stella's waist. He felt her tense, and in a panic he considered retracting his arm and apologizing profusely. But within a few seconds her body relaxed and she tentatively moved closer to him, allowing her body to mold perfectly against his.

Flynn let out a shaky breath, enjoying the feeling of the cool silk of her nightgown against his bare chest. He pressed a light kiss to the soft skin her shoulder and saw her smile serenely. "Goodnight, baby girl." He whispered before letting the overwhelming sleepiness overtake him.