~Zia~
Xavier brought me to our room, heading straight to the bathroom, setting me above the countertop. While he filled the bathtub with water, he added a few essential oils that would help relieve the tension in my muscles. It’s his own creation, he said. It is a mix of herbs with therapeutic components, but it mostly smells like lavender and myrrh, and it works somehow.
I watched him move with ease, his muscle-flexing under the all-black training attire he usually wears—a sleeveless shirt and joggers.
As he poured the oil into the water, the calming fragrance of it instantly teased my senses. “Where did you learn to make these oils, X?”
He glanced over his shoulder, dropping rose petals on the water. It’s not part of the mix, but he knew I
~Zia~It’s deafening; the loud pounding inside my chest and each bob of my throat aimed to moisten my throat seemed to have the opposite effect.I’m so hot, and I need Xavier to quench this thirst I have for him.His restraints snapped when I parted my lips for him, eagerly driving his tongue inside my mouth, claiming my lips with enough force to rock my universe. I sighed, relishing the warm and needy feel of his soft lips against mine.My hands skimmed his chest, feeling each contour and profile of his perfectly toned muscles, nails digging as I reached for his shoulder, supporting myself.Xavier slanted his mouth, deepening the kiss; my tongue readily danced with his. I moaned at the first caress of his tongue
~Zia~ Spent, sweaty yet damn satisfied, Xavier and I remained tangled with one another. We indeed made up for the lost time. I’m nestled above Xavier; my stomach pressed on his torso, chin resting on the back of my hands splayed flat on his chest. I shifted to free one hand and traced the contour of his torso, counting the dust of hairs on his chest as if we had all the time in the world. Xavier gazed down at me; his slender fingers resumed brushing my hair. “It looks good on you,” he mumbled, making my brows arched. “What? Spent and satisfied?” He shook his head. “The look of a well-loved woman.”
~Zia~The gentle wisp of Paris October air seeped through my black attire, a half-sleeved, A-line knee-length dress. My hair cascades in curtains of waves over my shoulder, a smile etched on my lip as I lift my cup, taking a sip of my flat white.The sun had just set. Amber lights flickered one by one around us and above. The outdoor table Xavier and I got at this local coffee shop on the edge of the city reminds me of a romantic scene from the last novel I’ve read.My husband, sporting a gray turtleneck, dark jeans, and leather jacket, stares back at me, green eyes mirroring the same eager adoration I’m giving him.“Nervous?” my husband asked, crossing his arms over his chest, eyes scanning the hotel across the street.
~Zia~Soft surface hugged my body from head to toe, yet my muscles were sore in the worst possible way, as if I’d been lying on solid ground for days.Slowly, memories of Ashley and Paris came flooding back to me. And Xavier.Thoughts of my husband, Ashley throwing a grenade towards Xavier, and the ear-piercing explosion that arose had my heart pumping out of my chest. Blinding white lights met my gaze as I forced my eyelids to part.Groaning, I pressed my eyes close as my hand came up to my forehead. I became vaguely aware of the loud pounding in my head that mirrors the rapid beating of my heart.“Zia,” I heard Xavier’s voice, which further ignited my desire to open my eyes.
~Zia~It felt like we’d been hugging each other forever, standing by the side of Lorenzo’s crib; the child was unaware of the tears that flooded Nadia and I’s cheek.Nadia kept mumbling her apologies. She didn’t have to, though, because I’ve already forgiven her. I’ve come to terms with her choices. Not that I approve of what she did, but I should move forward and relish what I have at this moment.After setting one foot on the gates of hell twice in the span of five months, I knew life was a fragile gift, one that could be taken away from me in the blink of an eye. I have to do what I must do while I still have the time on my hands. And one of my to-do things is to reconnect with my family, which includes forgiving them, not just in words but in the true sense that would lessen t
~Zia~Mutiny. Traitors breached the rank of the mafia. A rebellion aimed to put this family down. These people came into the family with a purpose, and we’re about to learn what they want.This is something that any mafia clan wouldn’t want to hear.Omerta is a sacred bond, yet someone infiltrated the system, if not more.My heart stuck in my throat as I watched my father glanced at me, mom and Erik. He seemed unfazed by the news, yet I knew very well that this would be the most demanding challenge the American mafia would ever face from what I learned through my training.Each second that flew by, we could hear people’s outcries, both from allies and traitors. We’re unsure anymore about who is on our
~Zia~We’ve managed to extract ourselves from the mansion unharmed. Not even a bullet scratch, but our morals have been bruised, crushed down, and stomped over by betrayal of the people we considered as our family. The enemy breached our ranks. I could only imagine how Dad was feeling.As soon as we hit the highway, I grabbed my phone, waiting for the advice to light up since I turned it off for safety precautions through the entire ordeal. Messages came through. Beep after beep, and before I could open one of Xavier’s many messages, my phone rang.It was Xavier.I didn’t let a second thick by and slide in the green button, taking the call.“Zia!” His voice seemed hoarse and wary. He heard about
~Zia~Our lips moved against one another, gentle, searching and asking for anything to make us feel alive.The kiss wasn’t filled with lust. It was filled with the need for love, warmth, and hope in our world that has turned unrelenting and cold. We need each other to have and to hold, just like our vow, just like what this wedding band in our fingers meant.My hands gripped his shoulder tightly, holding on to him, unwilling to let go, to stay here with my husband.I seamed his lower lip, asking him to let me in. When his lips parted, I slid my tongue between them, begging him to lose himself in me. His hands came up to my hips, nails digging painfully, making me hiss against his mouth.“Zia…” Xavier
~Zia~ About thirty minutes into the drive, Xavier parked in front of the cabin by the lake. My mind was somewhere else through the drive; another guilt feeling washed over me. This was our night together, and I pushed my worry about Lu and Penny aside for a bit. I just have to trust that they’ll work things out. Xavier slid out of the car; I took this chance to shake my worry away as he skirted over to my side, opening the door for me. Trees shadowed over us, creating a dancing pattern through their leaves as the sliver of the silver moon slipped between the gaps. The gentle purr of the summer wind made the small lights anchored from tree to tree swayed like sparkling stars within my reach. In my awe, I admired the cabin, small, cozy, made of glass and wood. Yellow l
~Zia~Like always, Xavier had everything planned out. We took a drive to Club Sky and met with our friends. I haven’t gone out with any of them since I gave birth to Franco. Sure, they visit our place often, sometimes for no apparent reason.Diego would pop up the most; he even had his things in the guest room since he’s been sleeping there a couple of nights a week. One time, I interrogated him about why he’s always in our place. I don’t mind having them over, but Diego is a pain in the ass. He whines when we run out of Batangas coffee. It’s cute. He’s a child that cries when there’s no cereal in the morning. And his response was even infuriating.‘You hoard the best coffee in town,’ was his nonchalant response. I pity the girl who would fall for this kid.
~Zia~My parents have been traveling back and forth from New York to Seattle for about two months now. They have the penthouse next to ours to their name. They wanted to be close to Franco. I mean, they even hold him longer than I do when they’re around. I only get to hold him when he’s hungry; where’s the justice in that?Mom and Dad were sitting in the living room, admiring Franco as he cooed, yawned, and fluttered his eyes because he was already sleepy.I stare at them from the kitchen, eating my salad with a pout on my lip. There’s a small part of me that feels a little possessive about my son. I knew my parents only wanted to be with their grandchild. They’ve been waiting for him excitedly, like Xavier and me. They’ve been deprived of this chance when Nadia lost her baby; now
~Zia~“Xavier!” I pressed my hand on my lower back, the other set under my huge belly, breathing in and out. The cramps were different. Dr. Shiovan told me I would know when it was time. And it’s damn time.Still in his pajamas, Xavier came rushing into our room with flour decorating the black apron around his neck. He was making a ravioli for me, my request last night, and he promised me he’d make his pasta for the dish, which became my go-to food in the third trimester of my pregnancy.“It’s time?” he asked, helping me up from the reading nook where I spent my entire morning.“Fuck,” I hissed, feeling another contraction. “He’s coming out.”Xavier&rsquo
~Zia~ It doesn’t matter if we are alive and breathing. The emptiness written all over our faces screams we lost more than what we gained. Xavier got out safely, but the manor didn’t survive the explosion. Part of our plan was to make the crime scene look like a gas leak under the estate, making it easier for our people in the government to investigate and conceal this chaos. There’ll be a lot of questions asked, and for the most part, everything we’ll say would be a lie. We headed back to the safe house to spend the night and tend to our wounded. Xavier was silent the entire drive; we all were, for that matter. He gave me a quick peck on the forehead when we got to our room and headed directly to the bathroom to clean up
~Zia~“Lu, Bo,” Xavier grunted, fighting his way through the hallway that led to the basement. “I really need you two to move your fucking asses now!”“This is a fucking sewage system!” Lu grunted. They had the job of setting up explosives under the manor. A big argument took over before the two agreed to do this. They wanted to be on Xavier’s side, to protect their boss and friend, but they had a bigger task at hand. “It would’ve been easier if we came in with you, you idiot!”Xavier grunted, taking cover on the busted wall of the hallway. A Luciano family portrait hangs above him, swaying with each wave of gunfire through the air.“Did you just call me an idiot?” Xavier chuckled.
~Zia~“Where is my grandson?” the man who slit Francine’s throat asked, his thick brows arched, head tilting to the side, seizing my husband up. Brown eyes, burning with a hunger for blood, starred into Xavier’s hues.Like what we expected, the moment Xavier stepped out of the car, armed men from the opposing side surrounded them. They’ll never play fair. We are mere pawns in his game of death, and he plays an award-winning role of a devil.Xavier glanced around at the men surrounding him as if they’re nothing but mere mortals, and he’s fucking above them.That’s my husband right there. He’d look death straight in the eyes and would never show a hint of fear. ‘Death should be afraid of me,’ that’s wh
~Zia~The sight that bombarded me when I descended the stairs puzzled me. I was expecting Xavier and Calvin to gut each other’s throat, not that I was hoping for it, but this was the least I predicted with everything that’s happened.Ammunition and firearms, from handguns, knives to assault rifles, are scattered everywhere I glance. Xavier, Mom, Dad, the rest of the team, my sister, and her people are arming themselves, wearing a mask of confidence.We’re going to war.A loud crashing of metal against the floor grabbed my attention from studying my family. I saw a glimpse of Calvin in the kitchen, arming himself with a bulletproof vest, surrounded by a few more of Nadia’s men.“Xavier,” I n
~Zia~Our lips moved against one another, gentle, searching and asking for anything to make us feel alive.The kiss wasn’t filled with lust. It was filled with the need for love, warmth, and hope in our world that has turned unrelenting and cold. We need each other to have and to hold, just like our vow, just like what this wedding band in our fingers meant.My hands gripped his shoulder tightly, holding on to him, unwilling to let go, to stay here with my husband.I seamed his lower lip, asking him to let me in. When his lips parted, I slid my tongue between them, begging him to lose himself in me. His hands came up to my hips, nails digging painfully, making me hiss against his mouth.“Zia…” Xavier