Diavolo (Devil’s Playground #1)

25. Chapter 25

25

Elyse and Alessandro lay in bed with their bodies entwined. The chill between them was thawing at last. After days of strain and silence, they were finally ready to unpack the unresolved matters that had been driving them apart, and it wasn't going to be an easy conversation.

"Your father isn't dead yet," Elyse remarked in sharp tones. "Isn't Carmen taking a huge risk by betraying us?"

Bitterness clouded Alessandro's handsome features as he replied, "It would appear my stepmother's greed for power overwhelms everything else. Desperation is driving her to be reckless. She knows her days are numbered with my father's condition."

A sense of foreboding sank in as Elyse mulled over the sinister insight lurking behind her husband's words. Carmen had been more than willing to use Cara as a sacrificial lamb. She'd also abandoned her dying husband for Domenico's greener pastures without batting an eye. Her ruthlessness made Elyse reconsider the vow she'd made not long ago. Never harm another woman over a man. Her conscience clenched with alarm. Already, she was cracking under pressure. She'd attacked Cara the other night. It was a kill or be killed kind of moment. Would she end up taking the crazy bitch's life next time they crossed paths?

With a slight shiver, Elyse left her question unanswered. She feared the answer might confirm her willingness to mimic Carmen's savagery. Suddenly, she wanted to know where Alessandro stood on these gray-as-fuck matters of morality. "I understand Cara has already been punished for what she did, but…"

Alessandro laughed darkly. "Are you referring to the little scratch I put on her shoulder? That is nothing. Her punishment has yet to come."

She gave a pause. "Are you planning to kill her?"

What Elyse really wanted to ask was— would you kill me if I ever fucked up? Alessandro didn't answer her directly, but his meaning was clear when he explained, "I am capo now. If some bitch dares to touch you, inaction on my part would be seen as weakness. When the timing is right, Cara will pay."

"But she loves you."

"It does not matter."

My allegiance always lies first with the cosca. Not a woman. Her chest grew tight. Now, Elyse saw where she stood with him as well. "I almost feel sorry for her."

"Believe it or not," he echoed quietly, "I pity her as well. Cara has always been her brother's pawn. He was the one who offered her up to Carmen."

Eyes wide, Elyse asked, "Domenico was willing to let Carmen kill his sister?"

" Sì ."

"That's fucking psychotic."

Alessandro shrugged. "To men like Domenico, a life is worthless unless it can be exchanged for profit. He sees nothing wrong with sacrificing family. Especially if the gains outweigh his losses. Cara's husband recently passed, which means she lost him an ally, and she is too old to be married off again. It is fucked up, but Domenico no longer sees value in her."

Elyse gaped at Alessandro. The harshness of this reality felt staggering. It seemed Cara's brother had been ready to use her one last time, to start a war with Alessandro, and there was nothing the poor bitch could do about it. Because Domenico held the power. And Cara wielded none of her own. To avoid Cara's fate, was Carmen's way the only way for a woman to acquire power in this world? Elyse lifted her gaze to Alessandro's face. "Do you think that—"

I'll end up like Carmen or Cara? She stopped herself. Elyse didn't know if she was ready to pursue the answer. Alessandro pressed, "What is it, cuore mio ?"

Elyse chickened out. She chose to pivot. "What do you think Domenico will do next?"

"My family owns a few clubs and hotels throughout Europe. I have been told that he intends to wrestle those establishments away from me. One by one."

Suspicion rose in her. "Who gave you this information?"

"Do you remember Aberto De León?"

Mariposa's father? Could he be trusted? Elyse nodded. "Yes."

"Well, that evening, Aberto was warning me about Domenico. But we did not think the Berlusconis would push Cara to pull her gun on you. My father is not even six feet under. Domenico has shown himself to be an impatient man."

Elyse's memory raced back to her conversation with Mariposa. She wondered if the younger woman had known about the Berlusconis scheme all along? "Can you trust the De Leóns?"

"I hope so," Alessandro muttered, "but I am learning, all too well, that I can never let down my guard again."

"I agree."

"My carelessness nearly got you killed." His eyes suddenly flashed with an intensity of emotion that struck her to the core. "I do not want to put you in harm's way at all. I will send you away if—"

" Stop ," she interrupted, "I'm not going anywhere."

"But..."

"Didn't you marry me because I'm a Graviano?"

He eyed her cautiously. "Partly."

"Then use me to your full advantage," Elyse urged. "Reach out to my grandfather. Ask him to help us deal with Domenico."

Alessandro's eyes flickered, at first, in surprise, then, in agreement. "It seems our minds are in sync. I have already set up a meeting with Benedetto. Perhaps, you should come with me. Your grandfather will be pleased to see you."

Her mouth fell into a grim line. She hoped her worth in Alessandro's eyes wouldn't run out anytime soon. Like Cara's worth had diminished in her brother's eyes. "Of course."

"Why do you look so unhappy?"

She lied, "I'm fine."

He studied Elyse for a moment and managed to read her source of unease like a book. Quietly, Alessandro assured Elyse, "I may have married you for your name, but, for what it is worth, I care for you."

She glanced at him with uncertainty. "Do you?"

Her husband's voice grew softer and lower when he said, "More than you will ever know, cuore mio."

Elyse's heart pounded at this quiet, intense declaration. Despite the horrors that surrounded her in this frightening, new world, and everything she knew about the tragic fates of women in the mafia, Alessandro's words still managed to stoke small embers in her heart like tiny stars amid a blackened sky.

Moments ago, as she listened to his fears, his uncertainties, and even his sense of defeat, Elyse felt as though she finally caught a glimpse of the real man behind her husband's charismatic veneer, and his soul seemed to whisper to hers in a way that felt very real and deeply precious. Alessandro had bared the brokenness of his character to her, and, for some reason, Elyse found she preferred this ugliness in his truth over the beauty of his lies. Elyse stared back at him with wide, expressive eyes. "For what it's worth, I care for you, too. Do you remember what I said to you last time? That if I ever give my heart to a man—"

"You will give it passionately, wholly, and selflessly," he finished for her. " Sì, I remember, and I have held on to your words. I will hold on tight to anything you are willing to give me."

Their eyes found each other amid the despair that surrounded them.

"I'm beginning to sense that," Elyse continued without breaking her gaze from Alessandro, "if I ever give my heart to a man, that man will most likely be— you ."

He kissed her, right then and there, with all the passion and tenderness of a man who was hopelessly and madly in love. " Dammi il tuo cuore, prometto che lo custodirò bene. "

Again, the sweetest, most exhilarating emotions glimmered in her heart like bright, shining stars. Elyse's Italian was improving. She'd understood every word that floated from her husband's mother tongue. Give your heart to me, I promise I will guard it well.

"I don't know what our future holds," Elyse whispered as she kissed him back with every ounce of her being, "but I hope to stand at your side. Let me help carry your burdens whenever they grow too heavy."

" Mio Dio ," Alessandro groaned hoarsely, "what did I ever do to deserve you?"

For better or worse, Elyse wanted to ask him the same damn question. What had she done to be blessed with this cursed bastard? Alessandro had forced her into this life with the mafia. Yet, he'd also saved her from the mafia. He dominated her, but he also protected her. Danger and disaster seemed to follow him everywhere. Loving him was most likely going to get her killed, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from this sweet, heady tumble toward dissolution. Elyse's temples began to ache.

Love.

Morality.

Death.

It was all becoming too heavy to bear. The rabbit hole was winding far too deep. She needed some lightness and air. All of a sudden, Elyse craved a moment of respite for the two of them, a fleeting distraction of sorts, to outshine the darkness in their lives as of late. She griped in mock irritation, "You're right. You don't deserve me. You fucked me too hard earlier. It hurt."

His eyes darted toward her shoulder with concern. "I am so sorry, I thought you were heal—"

"My shoulder is fine," she assured him, "but..."

"But?"

"You owe me an apology," chided Elyse, " sir ."

Alessandro's eyes readily darkened at her use of sir . It seemed he had caught on to her game.

"I am sorry for being such a selfish prick," he offered in a lowered, huskier tone, "how can I make it up to you?"

A slow, sly smile spread across her lips. "I have some ideas that might interest you."

Elyse rose to her knees and shuffled away from her husband. She positioned herself an arm's length from him on the mattress, sitting, shoulders straight, legs tucked beneath her, with a challenging gleam in her eyes. Like a puppet pulled by its master's strings, Alessandro tried to follow her across their bed, reaching for her with eager hands. She brushed his hands aside.

"Lay back," Elyse commanded quietly.

Alessandro's brown and blue-gray eyes widened with a canny sort of curiosity.

"Hands above your head," she instructed.

His eyes rounded out even more, but, obediently, his brawny arms lifted as he tucked his hands behind his head into a relaxed, reclining position. A shadow of a smirk now graced Alessandro's handsome face. His cock rose to half-mast, curiosity piqued and humming with approval.

Through hooded eyes, he murmured in languid tones, "What is this, cuore mio?"

Elyse started, "After everything we endured these last few days..."

He waited patiently as she took a pause.

"I thought we could both use a moment to escape reality."

The heaviness in the air eased by a margin. Alessandro gave her a crooked smile. "You and your games."

Elyse nodded a little sheepishly. "Me and my games."

Anticipation sparked from his eyes as he muttered, "I would love nothing more than to escape with you."

Escape.

Despite Alessandro's improved mood and arousal, Elyse still sensed a sad note of longing lurking in this particular word. She wanted to make their nightmare go away if only for a short while. Elyse crawled between his legs to kiss the tip of his shaft. Upon contact, Alessandro's hips snapped upward ever so slightly. She refrained from putting her tongue to use, applying only her lips, brushing against the underside of his cock while raining airy, teasing kisses up and down his length and all around his base. Alessandro groaned and cursed sweetly under his breath in Italian, watching her through dark eyes and flaring nostrils. His muscles strained with need. Suddenly, Elyse felt his fingers tangle themselves into her hair. She immediately pulled away from his dick.

"Put your hands where they belong," she scolded.

With a look of defiance, he dragged his thumb along Elyse's lower lip and pushed it into her mouth. To retaliate, Elyse sucked on his invading digit and swirled her tongue around it in the way she would for his cock—causing her husband to inhale a sharp, happy breath—before nipping him between her teeth. Hard . Alessandro winced in pain and removed his thumb.

"Hands," she ordered softly, "above your head. Now ."

He did as she requested. Elyse continued, "No touching. Or coming. Until I say so ."

Alessandro released a strained laugh as his eyes roved hungrily all over Elyse's naked form, lingering in particular on her breasts and her sex. "That will be fucking impossible."

"I'll make it worth your while," Elyse promised as she dipped down to kiss his cock once more, "I swear."

"I believe you," he gasped as her tongue slipped out to taste him.

She lapped at his hard, throbbing flesh, delicately, alternating between sweet, soft kisses and light, teasing licks for the next few minutes. Every time his hips rose in an attempt to thrust himself into her mouth, however, Elyse would pull away for a few seconds, as punishment, and let him pant and suffer without her touch. After a few more times, her husband learned to behave and play by her rules.

Still, Alessandro looked increasingly pained as he restrained himself, trying to submit to her will amid his mounting lust. He struggled to keep his hands locked behind his head. His hips and thigh muscles kept tensing and jerking in response to her movements. When Alessandro seemed to be fast approaching his wit's end, Elyse showed him some mercy and sucked on his taut, heavy balls—first, drawing in the right sac, then, the left one—while running and twirling her tongue all over them and pressing them against her cheeks.

" Per favore, cuore mio, "Alessandro pleaded, "I need—"

Pulling away for a moment, she whispered, "This?"

" Fuck ," he hissed as Elyse finally swallowed the head of his cock into her mouth.

"Sì, sì, sì," Alessandro grunted some more with glazed, desperate eyes.

Elyse sucked him fast and hard, bobbing her head up and down, while keeping her hands clamped around the base of his cock, squeezing firmly to prevent him from coming too soon. She released his weeping head from her mouth a moment later and moved to straddle his waist. Elyse bent down to kiss her husband's neck and jawline, purposely avoiding his mouth because she knew it would drive him crazy.

Alessandro began eyeing her lips obsessively, turning and tilting his face this way and that way, trying to kiss her. She dodged him each time. Elyse ignored his grunts of protest and instead sank down onto his thick, solid hardness, inch by inch, until her pussy enveloped him entirely.

Alessandro's eyes rolled in pure, elevated bliss as Elyse proceeded to ride him. He groaned and gasped her name over and over again. A sheen of sweat gathered on his skin. His muscles tightened as he fought to hold himself at bay. Through it all, Elyse maintained a painstakingly slow, sensual rhythm and reached down with one hand to play with her clit while her hips snapped and rolled above him. This leisurely, unhurried dance was a direct contrast to the intensely crazed fucking he had given her earlier.

As Elyse felt his cock twitch and tighten within her walls, she again pulled away. She wanted to prolong their pleasure for as long as possible. To escape their reality for as long as possible. Alessandro, however, didn't seem to share her sentiments. With wild eyes, her husband half-argued, half-begged, " No, no, no ... you cannot do this to me!"

"You can come," she murmured, "after me."

His eyes narrowed to slits. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Your cunt on my mouth," he growled, " now ."

His words sent a flare of heat rocketing through her core. Within seconds, Elyse crawled over Alessandro's broad chest and planted her knees on either side of his face. His brown and blue-gray eyes blazed with desire. Alessandro gazed upon her sex like a wandering nomad chancing upon a desert oasis.

This time, when he didn't ask for permission to move, Elyse said nothing, did nothing, because her mind and body had also fallen into an equally frenzied state of arousal. His arms came around her thighs to pull her closer. She let him. His mouth locked onto her clit— sucking, sucking, sucking —until the pleasure felt so intense that Elyse could barely stay upright, then, came his talented tongue, swirling around her fleshy pearl and lapping along her lower lips and folds like a man on a mission. He brought her to her climax within minutes and held her through every cry and every shudder.

As her disorienting euphoria drifted back to order, Elyse dragged her jelly-like body off of her husband's face and chest and back to the mattress, propping herself up on her hands and knees. She glanced over her shoulder to Alessandro with an inviting gleam in her green eyes. She spread her legs and flaunted her sex at him in a teasing manner.

"Now, you may fuck me," Elyse said, "as hard as you want, as long as you—"

She gasped as Alessandro grabbed her by the hips and rammed his cock into her with lightning speed and god-like precision. Pleasure shot through Elyse all over again as her husband began to pump into her without restraint, pistoning in and out in a frenetic blur. Alessandro leaned over to murmur in her ear," Sei una tale fottuta provocatrice, lo adoro, ti amo, Dio mi aiuti... "

She was too far gone to even try and decipher a word of his Italian.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck," Elyse whimpered as he hoisted her hips to a higher angle, allowing his cock to hit a very sweet and sinful spot inside her. "That's good, so good, yes, yes, yes, right there!"

But, then, she remembered something important. "Shit! Condom!"

Alessandro mourned in dismay, "Oh, fucking hell!"

He pulled out right away. Over the next few seconds, Alessandro finished himself off, fisting his cock and coming all over Elyse's back and ass in hot, powerful spurts. Elyse reached between her thighs to find release as well.

Afterward, Alessandro helped Elyse clean up and then, as always, drew her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her in a protective, possessive embrace. He kissed her temple. Elyse laid her head against his chest, resting her ear upon his heart, as the calm of their afterglow warded away reality. For a moment longer, the rise and fall of their breaths became the end all and be all of their existence. Every heartbeat brought them closer together. Peace filled Elyse. Sadly, though, the moment didn't last. As their pleasure faded away, tension returned to Alessandro. She felt it in the tightening of his muscles as he held her. Concerned, Elyse asked, "Are you… okay?"

" No ."

"How come?"

His answer caught her off guard, "Because I was so fucking wrong."

Elyse glanced at Alessandro, studying him carefully. What the post nut clarity fuck was this? Her husband didn't look upset anymore. He didn't sound upset, either. In fact, he appeared to be very much his normal self again. But alarm didn't die down. "About what?"

He grimaced. " Us ."