The One (Untouchables Mafia Series Book 3)
The One: Chapter 9

“Hmm.” Angel sighs, standing in front of the open fridge. She took a shower and is now wearing one of my shirts and a pair of socks. It fits her more like a dress. I’d gotten her clothes, but I wasn’t really sure how I was going to explain having them. Besides, I rather enjoyed watching her flutter around my space wearing one of my shirts.

“You’ve got a ton of stuff.” Angel lifts her foot to scratch the back of the opposite calf. She is so relaxed now. I love seeing her like this. She fits into my space more comfortably than I do.

When she peeks over her shoulder at me, I grunt a response. Her demeanor only reassures me that I made the right decision in taking her. Again, not that there was any other choice once I saw her. I hadn’t had a ton of time to plan, but I managed to get most of the comforts she was used to having in her own home.

“I can make you something,” I offer. I’m no chef, but I can do the basics. She twirls around to face me. She’s holding the kitten in one hand. He’s all for letting her carry him around.

If she had let him, he would have gotten into the shower with her. I mean, I can’t blame the little guy, I would have too, but I was working on getting my dick under control so that I didn’t lift her up and thrust it into her without any regard. Need to steer my mind clear of those thoughts. I’m already struggling with keeping my hands and mouth off Angel.

“I’m cooking.” Angel reaches out for me to take the kitten. I scoop him up as though I do it every day. I’ve never cuddled a kitten in my arms in my whole life. Hell, until Angel, I haven’t cuddled a damn thing. The word wasn’t even in my vocabulary. But seeing the smile that stretches across her beautiful face at me holding the kitten makes me want to make it a permanent fixture in my arms. I lean against the counter watching her, the kitten’s eyes also glued to her. I could do this all damn day. “So you got anything you need to do today?”

“Might have to check on some things.” Like your father. I think the words but don’t say them out loud.

I need to get him out of here. I have the fuck locked up two floors down, while I’ve been up here eating his daughter’s pussy. I grab the back of my neck and squeeze, hating the war that’s raging inside of me. When did things start to turn gray in my life? It’s always been black and white.

Angel slides by on her socks, giggling as she grabs a pan and puts it on the stove. Her. Yes, she brought more than just gray. She’s bleeding colors all over everything, and I don’t know how to clean it up. Something I’ve spent my whole life doing for others.

Honestly, I don’t think I want to. I want her rainbow of colors in every part of my life. Angel fits here. When I first began to observe her, she had never been so vibrant in her own home. In fact, she kept to herself and tended to avoid most people. She would even use side entrances and exits to avoid her brother. Did she have any idea how sick he is? Could she sense it?

I’m not sure. Not with how she curls around me and kisses me like I’m a teddy bear and not one of the most feared men in the city. My phone vibrates. I place the kitten down on the counter and reluctantly pull my phone out, responding to Zero’s questions.

Then I click down to the feeds in the box. Angel starts to hum a song as she cooks. The smell of sugar and flour fills the air.

Her father is where I left him. The chair he’s tied to is bolted to the floor. His head hangs forward. It didn’t take much to get him to scream. He wasn’t used to pain. The ones who often deal it out so easily never do well when they get a taste of their own medicine.

“Oh! You have instant coffee vanilla mix.” Angel holds it up like she struck gold. “It’s my favorite,” she says, naïve to the fact that I already know. “I can’t believe you like this stuff too. Want me to make you a cup?”

“I’m good.” I pick up the cup of coffee I made for myself earlier when she was taking a shower. I have no clue how she drinks that shit.

“We have a lot of the same stuff. We must have the same taste.” My taste is to please her, so I suppose we do. She proceeds to make her coffee.

“I bet you don’t have whipped cream,” she challenges while walking over to the refrigerator. “You do!” She lets out an excited yelp seconds later. She grabs it before closing the door and walking back over to the counter. I watch as she shakes up the can and proceeds to put a generous portion on top of her coffee.

“Mmmmm.” Her eyes close, and a look of satisfaction comes over her face with her first sip. “Delicious.” I didn’t think my cock could get any harder, but I was wrong. Before I even realize what I’m doing, I’m in her space, wiping the small remnant of whipped cream from the edge of her mouth.

I suck it off my thumb, watching her eyes light up in approval. I lean down, wanting her mouth. The second my lips touch hers, my phone goes off. I pull back because it’s the alert for my gate. Someone is here.

“Answer it, I’m cooking.” Angel kisses my cheek. As I pull out my phone, I step back, giving her some room.

“Shit,” I mutter when I see Nikolai. I should have known he would show up here. I don’t have friends, but out of everyone in Matteo’s men, Nikolai is who I’ve spent the most time with and doesn’t bother me to work with.

“What?” Angel asks, glancing at my phone.

“Company.” Nikolai isn’t going to go away. He’s undoubtedly pissed about the events that have transpired. I would feel the same way if I were in his shoes. Brent, Angel’s brother, placed his hands on Nikolai’s girl, Riley.

“Is it my father?” Her lips turn down, and her brows furrow. I don’t think she’s a fan of him showing up based on her expression. Her reaction gives me hope that the fallout when she replaces out the truth won’t be so bad. “I haven’t even asked what is going on with everything.”

“It’s not him. It’s Nikolai.”

“Nikolai? Why would he be here?”

Well, fuck. How am I going to explain that? She thinks I took her from her home because something was going on with her father. That her friend Riley just went with her boyfriend Nikolai. But she’s right—Angel surprisingly hasn’t asked anything today.

We lay in bed for over an hour talking. She did most of the talking, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her voice is soothing. Her tendency to ramble on is adorable.

“I work with his father.” Matteo isn’t Nikolai’s father, per se, but he did raise him for the most part.

“Small world?”

“Starting to feel like it.” Her expression stays perplexed, and I can tell she’s trying to piece things together but can’t. My phone goes off again because I haven’t cleared the gate. Last night, I changed the codes so that no one could pop up on me. “Riley is with him. I’m sure she wants to see you.”

“Oh.” That has her forgetting everything else; her face lights up with a smile.

“I’ll be right back.” I kiss her on the crown of her head. “Going to let them in.”

“All right. I’m going to make more batter in case they’re hungry,” Angel says before I head downstairs. I could have let them in from here, but I need to speak with them first. I key in the code to open the gate and the main garage door. When I make it down, Nikolai is pulling in.

“This is fucked,” Nikolai bitches when he gets out of the car. He goes around to the other side, opening the door for Riley. She looks weary of me. I’ve never met her in person. She is the boss’s wife’s sister. Now she belongs to Nikolai. I’m not the type that shows up for family dinners or little parties that might be had. I prefer to hang in the shadows.

“It wasn’t my call.”

“I’m so fucking pissed,” Nikolai mutters. “He should be dead.”

“Hey.” Riley puts her hand on Nikolai’s chest, trying to calm him. “Matteo knows what he’s doing, I’m sure.” I can’t argue with that. I don’t often get the way that Matteo initially goes about things, but when they unfold, you understand his master plan. “So you’re the infamous Church.” Riley offers me a smile. I nod.

“He’s not a big talker,” Nikolai informs her.

“But he’s taken Angel.” She shifts on her feet.

“She’s mine.”

“Right,” Riley huffs. She’s not new to this world.

“She thinks I took her because something is going on with her father.”

“Isn’t there?” Riley speaks dryly. I guess they filled her in on a few things.

“She has no clue who he is. She believes this is a safe house, and I’m some kind of bodyguard.” I fill in a few more of the blanks.

“So you want me to lie to her?” Riley huffs a breath. “I don’t know.”

“I’ll make this real clear.”

“Careful,” Nikolai warns.

“Exactly.” Any friendliness I may have had is gone. “Everyone needs to be real fucking careful because, as I said, she’s mine. So if you go up there and tell her some shit that’s going to freak her out, it will only make things worse. I’ll tell you both this now, before anyone gets any ideas. She’s not going home with you. She’s not going fucking anywhere that isn’t within arms’ length of me.” I’ve never been more serious in my life. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to stop that from happening.

Riley’s lips purse, and I know I hit the nail on the head. Sure, she could go up there and lay it all out and think Angel could choose to stay or go with her, but as fucked up as it is, what I want is what it’s going to be.

I gave them a warning. It’s the best I can do. I’m not rational when it comes to Angel. There’s no telling what I would do if someone tried to take her from me.

I don’t think anyone wants to replace out.