Precious Legacy (The Notorious Legacy #1)

Chapter 7

SEVEN

I ’ve always been headstrong, doing whatever I’ve wanted, whenever I’ve wanted to. Well, within reason. It’s why I’m confused that I’m suddenly second guessing myself over joining the academy. I know I already made the decision as soon as I signed on the bottom line. My reasons are more than sufficient, my motivations typical of someone who wants to do good in the world. Yet the thought of how this might affect my family still lingers in the back of my mind, festering like an untreated wound.

After my talk with Haven yesterday, I decided on one thing—talking to Lexie. She understands me more than my twin does, which is saying something. But she’s always given me sound advice, especially when I couldn’t really go to my mom. She’s like the older sister I wish I had, which means I find it easier to talk to her about the more difficult things in my life.

“So, come on,” Lexie nudges me with her foot. “What did you want to talk to me about? Because I know it wasn’t just to get drunk with your aunt. Spill!”

I stall by finishing the rest of my glass of wine that I’ve been nursing for the better part of half an hour on her couch. I can see why she chose to live here instead of the apartment I inherited from her—the views are amazing. The gentle sparkle of the city lights and the reflection of the Brooklyn Bridge dancing on the water is mesmerizing. The only view I have from my apartment is the overflowing trash cans scattered across the pavement.

So far, I’ve managed to keep the conversation on the topic of bikes, since we share that passion. We’ve discussed riding out together while skating around the subject of Roman’s return, and though I know she’s eager to find out what’s going on there, I’m not ready to address it just yet.

Reaching out for the fresh bottle of wine on the coffee table, I pour myself another glass as Lexie laughs.

“That bad, huh?”

I shake my head with a smile. It’s really not that bad; I just need to blurt it out and go from there.

Grow some balls, Lani.

Lexie leans forward and rests her hand on mine. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

I smile back at her. In a way, we’re quite similar. Our morals are in the right place, seeking justice for the city. We’re both brash and straight to the point. If we want something, we go out and get it. We’re not damsels in distress, we’re the goddamn cavalry. It’s a shame she’s had to deal with a lot of bullshit from the NYPD, especially after she was promoted to Sergeant. I don’t know everything that happened, but five years ago she decided to hang up her badge and gun, trading a life of chasing criminals for settling down with one. Oh, the irony.

I can’t help but wonder if that’s how my life will turn out, too. As much as I’d like to forget about Roman entirely, we still have unresolved issues. The last thing I want to do is get into it with him again, but the possibility that I might end up like my Aunt Lexie haunts me. Maybe one day I’ll end up in her position, forced to choose between the family I was born into and the one I made.

“Why did you decide to leave the NYPD?” I ask, my eyes narrowing in consideration. It’s not something I’ve ever felt the need to pry about, but the more I focus on my own career, the more I need to know what I might be up against.

Lexie gulps back a mouthful of wine before responding. “I suppose… for many reasons.”

“Because of Uncle Trigger? ”

“What?” She laughs incredulously. “No!”

“Then what was it?” I frown.

Taking the bottle that’s still in my grip, she fills her glass back up again, watching the pour carefully as she speaks. “My reasons had nothing to do with The Five. If anything, they were the reason I stayed in as long as I did.”

It’s almost frustrating how closed off she is about this. I’d expected her to be more open about this with me, but she’s being deliberately vague. Whether it’s out of self-preservation or because she doesn’t want to influence me, she keeps quiet, so I have no other option than to make assumptions.

“Was it to keep an eye on things?” I push, earning another dry laugh from my aunt. “You know, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“I’m not that sly, Alanis!” she chuckles. “I just don’t have the answer I think you’re looking for. Me and your uncle have always battled one another. I felt like I owed the city something by staying in the force, and he felt I was just doing it to push his buttons. God knows it’s not like we needed the money. But… eventually, I guess I just got tired playing for both sides.” She sighs like uttering those last few words lifts a weight off her shoulders. It makes me wonder who else she’s divulged this to. I’m certain Mom would know because they’re each other’s ride or die. They wouldn’t spill one another’s secrets to a single soul.

“Tired?” I question.

Lexie nods, rubbing a finger over her bottom lip in thought. “Tired of fighting Trigger, your dad, the city...”

I chuckle at her honesty because that doesn’t sound like her at all . She fights my dad whenever she gets a chance. They’re like siblings, bickering until my mom comes in and breaks it up. Half the time it’s actually comical, while the other half can get a little dicey, so me and Alvaro have always stayed out of it. Thinking about it only makes me question her true motives further. I guess we all have our breaking point, though. Twenty years of people doubting your loyalty—no matter which side—can eventually wear you down.

“Why are you asking me this, anyway?” Lexie asks with a smirk, like she already knows the answer.

My chest suddenly feels heavy and my words sit on my tongue, just waiting to come out. Dropping my gaze to my lap, I follow the trail my fingers make up and down the stem of the wine glass while a nervous heat crawls up the back of my neck. “I’ve…” deep breath. “I’ve been accepted into the academy.”

There’s a deafening silence that follows my words, one where I feel like I can’t even look at my aunt for fear of what I might see. She’s never been one to point out my errors or flaws, only allowing me to notice them and accept them. But it’s still hard to look her in the eye when I’m expecting her to tell me how stupid I am.

“And you’re here for me to talk you out of it? Pfft… you should know me better than that, Lani.”

I jerk my head up in surprise, spotting the smile curving her lips. For a moment I’m not really sure how to answer her. Maybe I was hoping she’d convince me… of what? I’m not really sure.

“I guess I just want to know if I’m making the right decision,” I grumble.

“No, you want me to tell you that you’re making the right decision, and I can’t do that. Only you know your reasons for wanting this, and if they outweigh the little voice in your head that is questioning your motives, I think you have your answer.”

Damn, she knows me too well. But now that the hardest part is over with, I feel a little more at ease. That’s the effect Lexie has with her relaxed attitude. She digests information before reacting, which should worry people, but I know it’s her way of keeping calm and weighing up the facts.

“It wasn’t a rushed decision,” I explain. “I’ve thought it through.”

“I’m sure you have,” she smiles. “You wanna know the difference between you and me?”

“Aside from age?” I laugh, raising a brow.

Lexie swats my leg with the back of a hand, feigning offense as she takes a sip of her drink. “You’re your mother’s daughter. Cassie never did anything without a reason, and she’s always had a damn good one.”

“ You don’t say no to The Five,” I mock.

“True,” she chuckles. “But your mom has this ability to know when something isn’t right. If anyone can give you the advice you’re seeking, it’s her.”

I had a feeling she’d try to get me to talk to my mom about this, and while I know she’s right, I’m just not ready to go there. It took a lot for me to even tell Lexie. I’m less than a month away from my first day at the academy, and I’m still not certain if I can do it. I know I have what it takes, but confidence and certainty are two very different things. I know once I tell Mom about this that I’ll have to tell Dad, so I need to be sure about what I’m doing before breaking the news. Because once I do… there’s no going back.

“We’re not the same,” I mutter, because it’s the only retort I can come up with.

“Oh, but you’re much more alike than you realize,” she winks.

Rolling my eyes, I finish off my drink. I can already feel the start of a hangover setting in, and with Lexie’s lack of advice, it only frustrates me more. “I came for your advice on whether I should really do this or not,” I finally admit.

“Well, I can’t tell you whether to join the academy. I have an idea how your parents would take the news, but it’s not about them. It’s about you and what you want. What do you really want , Alanis?”

“I want this,” I reply with certainty, feeling lighter the second I say it out loud.

Lexie grins conspiratorially, clinking her glass against my empty one. “Then go get it.”

I wake up the next morning with a surprisingly bright outlook and fresh perspective on my future. While the worry of telling my parents about my acceptance is still nestled in the back of my mind, I push through it and decide to sweat out all the wine I drank last night and try to avoid the hangover I was promised.

Moisture trickles down my spine as I pick up my pace on the treadmill. I hit the incline button, pushing past the wall that tries to hold me back. The steady beat of my feet pounding the rubber paves the perfect rhythm that discards my thoughts. All I can focus on is my pace, my pulse, and the prospect of a future.

The gym has always been a kind of sanctuary for me, a place where I can forget about everything for an hour or two. It was Roman who introduced me to this place. While he pounded away at the punching bags, I would attempt to workout on the machines or cabled weights. I remember it so well, mainly his eyes on me even when he should have been focused on the punches flying his way. I used to get so flustered watching him that I never really worked out at all. It wasn’t until he left that I lost myself in fitness, determined to prove I didn’t need him around, that I could defend myself better.

Right now, I need this place more than ever. Between Roman’s reappearance and me taking my final steps towards the NYPD Training Program, I really need a break from life. Sure, the talk with Aunt Lexie last night helped me out massively. I don’t know what I’d do without her because she always manages to make sense of things. And she’s right, I should really speak to my mom about this. If anything, she can help prepare me to tell Dad, but that requires energy I haven’t yet mustered.

I start to slow down after twenty minutes of running, pacing myself into a cool down. There’s only two people here in the gym; a girl at the rowing machine and a guy lifting a barbell in the weights section. It’s the middle of the day, so I’m not surprised this place is quiet. I enjoy it, though. I’ve never liked crowded places so this peacefulness—aside from the odd grunt of the guy in the corner, followed by the clink of weights—helps me lose myself.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise.”

I almost jump out of my skin when Roman’s voice skates past my ear, losing my footing on the treadmill beneath me and flying backwards.

Roman’s hard body prevents me from going anywhere. He catches me effortlessly in one strong arm, bringing me close to his chest while he stands with one leg on either side of the machine. His signature Givenchy scent envelops me, sweet and woodsy and totally Roman, sucking me into the Genovese Vortex. I hate it.

I push away from him, slamming my fist on the emergency power button to stop the treadmill and resisting the urge to ask what he’s doing here or if he’s following me. I already know the answer anyway, so the less interaction I have with the asshole, the less likely he is to ruin my day.

I swipe a towel over my sweaty face as I soundlessly shove past him and make my way to the locker room. My shoulders tense with irritation. What are the odds of him being here the same time I am?

Surprisingly, Roman doesn’t follow me, but I can feel his eyes burning into the back of my skull as I retreat. I certainly don’t want him to come after me—his presence is far too infuriating for that—but something about his lack of fight bothers me.

Pushing away the urge to dissect that, I strip out of my sweaty clothes and head to the showers. As the heated water pounds at my aching muscles, I tip my head back to soak my hair. My body starts to relax under the downpour, a soft sigh escaping as I run the bodywash over my skin.

But of course, that feeling doesn’t last long.

The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly prickle to attention, the feeling of someone else in the room making my breath hitch. The stark contrast of cold air against my hot skin makes me shiver, and not in a good way. My anger takes over, and I coil my fists tightly until the fresh pain of my nails digging into the skin grounds me.

“What are you doing here, Roman?”

“Did you forget,” he whispers, so close to my ear, “I own this place, Presh.”

One hand slides around my waist while the other wraps around my throat, and shamefully, I don’t stop him. He spins me around until my back hits the cold tiles, knocking the air from my lungs. With his hand still firmly around my throat, he pins me with a smug look.

The darkness that frames his perfect blue eyes holds something mischievous. I’ve seen that look before; the desire that narrows his gaze, the way he licks his lips as he takes in my naked form. I’m not even ashamed of what he sees—it’s not like he hasn’t seen it before, and if there’s one thing I have power over, it’s my body.

I’d also be a liar if I said I hadn’t thought about fucking him, though. Purely to get him out of my system, because that usually works, right?

“What do you want, Roman?” I growl, noticing he’s still fully clothed, his tank soaked and his shorts not doing much to conceal his excitement.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he smirks, glancing down to where his impressive bulge twitches against my stomach. Then he locks his gaze with mine and I swear the room heats up—and it’s not from the temperature of the shower. “I want you .”

His proximity suddenly has me dizzy with desperation. The throbbing in my pussy compels me not to resist, but my mind is fighting back. It’s like he’s stolen all my sensibility, replacing it with only one thing—the toxic, overwhelming need for him. His mouth brushes against mine, water spraying over us as he covers me with his towering form.

I’m so caught up in the moment, in the intensity of our silent fight, that I have no sense of rationality. The next words out of my mouth fill me with desire and self-loathing, but mostly, with the sickening taste of lust.

“Then have me,” I say, sliding my leg up and around his waist. “Because this is the only chance you’ll get.”

It’s a lie. A dirty lie that I wish wasn’t.

The words are barely out of my mouth when Roman slams his lips onto mine, stealing my breath and my soul at the same time. One hand slides up my thigh, holding it in place while the other lands on my throat, pinning me to the wall as he assaults me with hot, hungry kisses. His tongue slides with mine, warm and wet and so damn tantalizing. It’s a dirty kiss; a heady reminder of our undeniable connection.

“We’ll see,” he murmurs with the hint of a smile on his lips as he pulls away.

Rolling my eyes, I slide my fingers through his wet blonde strands, causing him to hiss a breath in through his teeth.

I don’t want to hear what he has to say, I just want to get off and forget that this ever happened. Whether the latter is possible is a problem I’ll have to figure out later—for now, my cunt is aching to be touched, and if there’s one thing I know about Roman, it’s that he knows how to get me off.

Yanking his head back by his hair, I push him down to his knees before hooking my leg over his shoulder. “Just shut up!” I snap, shoving his head between my thighs.

Roman chuckles as he runs his nose through my pussy, inhaling me before diving in. He slides his tongue through my folds, lapping up my arousal with a smug hum of approval.

It feels so good to see him on his knees, just for my pleasure. I throw my head back as he tongue fucks me with precision, adding two fingers to the party. He suctions his mouth over my pussy lips while thrusting his fingers into my core, pinching them together while his tongue works my clit. It’s a talent—I have no idea how he does it, but it has me falling apart instantly, my body shaking violently as my orgasm rockets through me. I hold onto… nothing. There’s nothing to grab onto to prevent me from collapsing, except Roman’s thick shoulders.

I’ve barely got my breath back when Roman stands, picking me up by the backs of my thighs and slamming my back against the wall. A gasp escapes me when his cock presses at my entrance. He’s not even fully naked, but then again, I’m guessing he wants what I do. A quick and dirty fuck, nothing more.

Pinning me against the wall with his body, he pushes his thick cock into me. My walls squeeze around him as I cry out, unable to contain the moan that follows through the silence. I hate how delicious it feels to have the girth of his cock forced inside me. I hate how the promise of another orgasm rears its head. I hate everything about this, yet I don’t want it to stop.

“Fuck, Presh. I forgot how?—”

I slam my hand over his mouth. Did I mention I don’t want to hear him speak?

He wraps his arm around my waist to hold me up, obeying my silent command. Wrapping his other around my throat, he’s got me in the perfect position to fuck me hard and fast.

And he does.

Every punch of his hips makes me feral, my nails scraping over his shoulders as I hold on for dear life. My own shoulders ache from the hard tiles behind me, and even though I know I’ll have bruises, I can’t find it in me to care.

The desperate chase for my climax spurs me on as I ride his dick, meeting every one of his thrusts with my own. His hand moves from my throat to slide down my chest, over my heaving tits, to my pussy.

I still haven’t removed my hand from his mouth, and he doesn’t fight me on that. I just continue riding him until the coil in my stomach starts to unfurl. Then he pinches my clit, and that one action is my undoing. I collide into another orgasm that spreads like wildfire through my limbs. I cry out, panting through the waves of pleasure as Roman follows with a hard thrust that slams me into the wall.

His thick cock pulses inside me as my body goes weak in his arms, our chests heaving in the watery silence as I finally move my hand away from his mouth. Only the splash of the shower fills the room, washing away yet another one of my dirty deeds.

Roman runs his nose along mine, a worried look flashing across his features when he pulls away. “Tell me why you hate me so much,” he murmurs, heaving a resigned sigh.

Fuck. Why did he have to go and ruin the moment?

Peeling myself from his body, I plant my feet back on the ground and rinse off the evidence of what we just did. Though it doesn’t wash away the guilt of betraying myself, I can work on that later. For now, I just need to get out of here.

I can feel Roman’s eyes on me, still waiting for an explanation. It clearly pains him not to know the answer, and that fills me with satisfaction. He doesn’t deserve anything from me other than this.

“Alanis,” he growls.

“Does it really bother you that much?” I snap, spinning around to face him.

He pauses, seemingly considering his response. That only pisses me off further, because for someone so cocky and full of words, he can’t even answer a simple question.

“Well?!”

“Yes!”

I groan with irritation, marching out of the showers and towards my sports bag. I grab my clothes and get dressed, not even bothering to dry off properly. Another problem for later.

Once I’m dressed and somewhat presentable, I haul my bag over my shoulder, not even sparing Roman a glance as I head towards the door. Maybe I’m afraid of what I might see, or maybe I just don’t want to be forced into hashing out the specifics of my distaste for him. Whatever my reasons are, I decide it’s better to get out of dodge.

“This isn’t over!” Roman calls out.

I cave. Turning to glance over my shoulder, my inquisitive gaze locks onto Roman, who is now standing naked in the shower with his muscular torso on full display. His cock is still hard, a stiff reminder of what we just did. It’s a distraction, a way to entice me, and it’d work if I wasn’t so fucking angry right now. The man looks like he’s cut from marble. Tattooed marble . With his wet blonde hair flopped over his forehead and the water running over his chest, I’d be blind not to notice how hot he is.

He never used to look like that, though. When we were younger, he had only just started lifting weights. He played sports like most teenagers, but he wasn’t bulky or tattooed. He was just… Roman. My Roman. Toned and athletic and boyishly handsome. He’s definitely bulked out now though, and I have to resist the urge to look longer than necessary. I avert my gaze to the mirror beside me, combing my fingers through my wet strands to distract myself from looking back at him.

“You think because we fucked that this means something?” I accuse coldly. “It doesn’t.”

He doesn’t respond, and that in itself gives me more satisfaction than any retort he could come up with. For once, I’ve left him speechless.

I turn and head for the door, turning over the lock he engaged. “See you around, Genovese.”