ILLICIT DESIRES | 18 +

13: Secrets and Lies

ROMAN

I planted A little Flower in my Tub.

She's the first to grace my home after my cocaine tree, and she's already spoiled. Being a devoted florist, I made sure she wouldn't catch cold.

She's got the best pot — a bathtub.

It's cozy.

The bathroom has no windows. She'd heated up from the tension during the car ride, her cheeks still flushed when I dragged her into my apartment. So I decided sunlight was a little overrated.

And I tied her up. Just to make sure she stays rooted. Feeling generous, I even placed her friend on her lap — emotional support — so she'd have a plant companion to talk to. Then I left her to enjoy some quality me-time, a little plant-to-plant therapy.

Though my handiwork took longer than five minutes. Now I'm out of the apartment, heading to the car. Marco's already in sight, throwing me his usual annoyed looks.

"Finally. What took you so long?" Marco huffs as I slide into the car, the door shutting behind me — which I know he hates. "And don't break my fucking door!"

"I had to make myself pretty for you," I turn to him with a grin, flashing a smile I know most people would melt for. "And it's not like you have anything better to do than play Seraphina's donkey."

"You still look like my dick," he says with a sigh, shaking his head. "And I have better things to do than wait for you, dick-face. I've got luggage to pack."

"Oh? Another mission? Someone going to eat a bullet? Who is it?" My brow lifts, curiosity sharpening my tone.

"Not a mission," Marco answers. "It's my turn to take six months off. After babysitting Helena and her whole troop of gremlins."

"You're really dramatic," I snort, fastening my seatbelt. "Complaining about being Seraphina's donkey... what's my poor brother supposed to do? He's stuck teaching Cara how to handle a gun."

I chuckle under my breath.

Work piling up, deals to close, no time for tutoring — we convinced the Capo that Valerio — my brother from another motherfucker — should mentor Cara.

The excuse was flimsy, but it worked.

Not that we'd ever shirked training Alanzo. The kid's got resilience. But of course, the Capo insists on keeping his precious gremlins equally spoiled, so we also had to hand Alanzo over to Valerio.

"I'd rather train Cara than deal with Helena's pregnancy cravings," Marco grumbles, shaking his head like the memory alone is exhausting.

"How bad was it?" I ask, half-smirking. I already know the answer. I lived through it too. "And why do we always end up dealing with the consequences of Antonio getting his dick wet?"

"Bad," he mutters with a groan. "She made me tour Chicago for organic grapes — in the dead of winter. I drove for hours... Thank God I found some. And I don't know, ask him."

"Nahh... I pass... And organic grapes? Lucky you," I snort as he pulls through the gate and parks in front of the mansion, which is close to my apartment. "Try organic dragon fruit. Impossible to find... and I still did."

"You had the audacity to come back empty-handed?" Marco asks as we step out of the car.

"Of course not," I say with a chuckle. "I just grabbed a regular one from the store and thought she'd never know."

He lets out a low whistle. "Smart. And? Did the trick work? Or did her pregnancy nose catch you?"

I roll my eyes. "It didn't work. Her pregnancy nose is deadlier than a bloodhound's. She sniffed it out immediately. Then she threw the dragon fruit at my head, sobbing about how it wasn't fit for her baby."