Precious Legacy (The Notorious Legacy #1)

Chapter 34

THIRTY-FOUR

T he wind creeps through the dilapidated building. Aside from the concrete below my feet, there’s nothing safe about this place. There are no lights, no running water; it’s completely derelict. I stare at the torn up pipes sticking haphazardly out of the wall. The cracks in the foundation are more than just superficial, because I can see the steel beams that should be supporting the building. I find myself flinching at every damn sound, glancing up at the questionable rafters, wondering if this place is about to collapse or not.

“This is it?” I grumble, pulling my cigarette pack from my pocket. I tug one between my lips before lighting it up, providing the only light besides the moon to fill the space. It’s the only thing I can do to calm my irritation, because Haldon has been searching for a new venue for my fight nights all week, and this place is way below expectations.

Since the raid last week, they’ve closed down the warehouse and stationed a patrol vehicle outside. There’s no way I can host fight nights there now, even with Haldon’s pull on the cops. We know we’re still a target to some of them, so it’s essentially back to square one.

“Sorry, bro. Give me a few more days and I might be able to find something better.”

I rub my brow, exhausted with how much I’m going to have to do in such a short time frame. This place needs more than a damn lick of paint, but with the new plan to alternate where I host the fight nights, I’m not left with much choice.

“It’s fine,” I huff. It’s anything but fine, but this is the consequence of our business.

I take another look around the place, categorizing everything that needs fixing. Considering its state, this warehouse has a lot of potential. It doesn’t have a mezzanine like the last building, but it has alcoves that could definitely pose as VIP sections. The walls will need some heavy reconstruction, which is definitely going to mean overtime and overpay.

Sucking on my smoke, I exhale heavily. This is the last thing I need right now. It’s almost midnight, and between this and trying to figure out how we’re going to outsmart the cops who’re not on Haldon’s payroll, I’m exhausted.

“It’s going to be a long week,” Haldon chortles.

“You’re telling me.”

We head out of the building, the chill of New York City assaulting us both. It makes me regret bringing my bike, but it has its advantages. I’m able to whip through the city traffic, cutting down my travel time by almost half.

“I’ll make some calls tomorrow,” Haldon offers as he heads to his Audi. “Call in some favors.”

I nod my thanks as I pace towards my bike. If it weren’t for him, I’d have no leadership here. Since the move to L.A. took all our resources out there, I’m relying heavily on Haldon and Alvaro for theirs. I’ve only been here two months, so I know it’s going to take some time to gather soldiers and associates. I’m already making headway with the gambling dens. The fight club has suffered a setback, and with the cops blurring the lines between alliances, I need to rethink my strategy.

Haldon and I have already come to the agreement that pop-up fight clubs are the way forward. Keeping it underground and constantly moving is what will keep this business running. I just need to make sure that the building I’m currently walking away from can withstand a night of chaos.

Waving Haldon off as I stomp on my cigarette, I watch him peel away from the gravel parking lot. I slip my helmet on and start the engine. In no time, I’m speeding down the road. Luckily, I’m near Port Morris, so it’s a short journey back to Lani’s place, but it gives me time to think.

The first thing I need to do is ensure we have the right cops on our side. If the Russians have them in their pockets, we’ve got more than competition, more than violent rivalry. At some point, this was inevitable. There’s only so much the Russians will take under our thumbs before they decide enough is enough.

The Russians are known for their lack of subordination. They run businesses out in Vegas; untouchable businesses that make ours look like a toddler’s playground. They play and fight dirty, and they’re not afraid to get their hands filthy; more so than us. They’re also lethal and run operations that outweigh our own morals. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that the Russians are definitely behind the raid, and I’m worried how far they’ll actually go. They don’t care who they tear down in their path, so long as they hold the cards. Nobody is safe.

I think about the latter as I enter Lani’s apartment, stripping off my clothes and sliding in next to her warm body. Of course, she’s fucking naked. The goddamn tease knows I won’t be able to resist her, especially when she moans softly and wiggles her ass against me.

Running my hand between her legs, I part her thighs and crawl beneath the covers.

“What’re you doing?” she whispers gently. It’s almost in protest, but then she gasps when my breath skates over her pussy.

“Sshhh… you’ll ruin the surprise.” I lick the scar on her inner thigh, preening at the fact that I put it there.

She runs her fingers through my hair, tugging the strands as she angles her hips towards me. “I’m still angry with you.” The irritation in her tone is evident, making me laugh because despite the animosity, she still guides me where she wants me to be.

“I know. You can be angry with me all you want, but just wait until you’ve screamed my name.”

“Fuck you,” she growls.

“Oh, I plan to.” I lick a path through her slit, tasting her, savoring her, then suctioning my mouth on her clit, flicking it with my tongue and making her gasp. My fingers slide into her tight cunt, the walls clenching around them. I don’t know how I manage to go a day without thinking about her pussy; diving into it, wrapped around me. She’s like a goddamn drug, pulling me under. There’s no going back from Alanis, she’s it for me in every single fucking way.

Her sharp edges, her soft lines, they’re all fucking mine.

Her legs part further as her hold tightens in my hair. She hums in approval as I circle my tongue over her sensitive bud. Somehow, the sound just gets better and better. Everything about Alanis is hypnotizing, and the noises she makes get me harder than the fucking concrete keeping that damn warehouse standing.

Between my fingers and my tongue, I fuck her until her entire body is shaking. Her legs quiver and I can tell she’s trying to hold back. Pure defiance and stubbornness is her personality, and I get off on that just as much as pushing back.

I take her clit between my teeth, biting down until she screams out. Her cries fill the room, and I drive my fingers into her harder and deeper. “Say it,” I demand, my voice low and commanding.

“No!” she bites back.

I pump my fingers faster, determined to get that name she keeps denying me. “Presh.” I flick my tongue again, making her shudder. “Say it.”

“I hate you!”

A chuckle erupts from my chest as I push back onto my heels and grab her thighs. “I know, baby.”

Lining my cock up at her entrance, I thrust into her. The overwhelming urge to fuck her until she’s boneless is what drives my hips until just the sound of slapping flesh fills the room. Her moans cascade in my ears as I lean forward, slamming my lips onto hers. My fingers sink into her thighs, trying to close as much distance between us as possible.

Her hands wrap around my neck, her teeth stealing my bottom lip. She bites down hard, but the pain is something I revel in. Call me a sadist, but this kind of torture I can get lost in.

Tangling my fingers in her hair, I tilt her head back and lick a path up the column of her neck. All the while, I drive into her until I don’t know where I end and she begins. But it’s not enough. I want to consume her hatred, I want to suffocate her distaste. Her words don’t hurt me because I know deep down, Lani and I are endgame. She can keep fighting it, but at the end of the day, she knows that everything will come back to us.

Her back arches as I sink my teeth into her throat, feeling the ripples of her next orgasm vibrate against my lips. “You shatter like glass, Presh.” I rumble. “Dangerous and beautiful.”

My muscles tense up as her cunt holds my cock prisoner. I drive my hips into her until a growl pulses out of my throat and I paint her insides with my cum.

Our breaths are mangled as I collapse on top of her, our lips crashing in a harsh kiss that makes our teeth clatter. My tongue slips against hers, deepening our kiss.

Lani hums into my mouth, a satisfied sound that makes my dick twitch. It’s then that I pull away, finally gazing down at her effortless beauty. These are the moments where she becomes the most vulnerable. Little does she know, this is when the cracks show and the deepest, darkest parts of her expose themselves.

I run my thumb over her bottom lip, caressing the cut I felt beneath my own earlier. I resist the urge to find the fucker who caused it, but I know better than to go fighting Lani’s battles. “Tell me about this.”

She looks up at me, wide-eyed and full of a softness she only reserves for me. “It happened in training.”

“Lani,” I sigh, pressing my forehead against hers.

“I’m fine. He just caught me wrong demonstrating a self-defense move.”

“He?” I push up, my brows furrowed. What the fuck does she mean, he?

“It doesn’t matter, Ro. I put him in his place.” Her gaze is pleading, begging me not to overreact, but it’s damn hard when all I think about is what happened five years ago. I couldn’t protect her then, and I’m trying so hard to stay out of that side of her life, but there’s only so much I can take. Nobody wants to see their girl hurt, and despite how strong I know she is, I don’t like it one bit.

“Who, Lani?” She knows better than to lie, but I can see her contemplating what pieces of truth she’ll tell me and I can feel my rage bubbling beneath the surface.

“It was Prescott,” she huffs.

My fists clench and my jaw tenses. It takes everything within me to keep calm as I look down at her. “If this fucker is messing with you because of last week?—”

“You’ll what?” she challenges. “Kill him?”

“He should be so lucky,” I grumble.

“Roman, you can’t go putting bullets in people every time they piss you off.” She punches me in the bicep. It’s not hard enough to bruise, but it emphasizes her words.

“I’m not! I’ve been pretty well behaved since I returned. Besides, this isn’t about me.”

And that’s the truth. Aside from Greedy, Byron, and that slimeball who ratted us out to the Russians, I’ve restrained myself a lot. I could have killed Aintree, but delivering a message was more important.

“I told you, I need to keep this,” she gestures between us, “and my career separate. I can’t muddy the waters.” She tucks her bottom lip beneath her teeth, peering up at me with a worried expression.

I tug her close. Though I can’t bear to see her look at me like that, she’s delusional if she thinks that all this bullshit of hiding her identity isn’t going to come back to bite her on the ass. “I think the waters are already muddied, Presh.”

“I’m serious, Ro.”

“So am I! You’re taking a beating from a guy all because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” she gripes.

Ouch. I know the past has fucked us up, but she’s supposed to be focused on moving forward.

Climbing into my lap, she cups my cheeks while straddling me. “I can do this, Ro. I just need to get through the next four months. I can’t… I can’t do this without you, though.”

It’s the first honest words I’ve heard from her that don’t involve the word hate or taste of her disdain. It’s the first time she’s used her words to open up, and she’s telling me she needs me. My chest feels like it’s opening up, ready to cage those words forever because I know this is a rare moment between us.

She looks at me expectantly, worrying her lips as she waits for my answer. I’m not saying I’m going to stop trying to protect her, but if she’s trying to put a divide between us and the police, I can do that. What I can’t do is let that asshat Prescott think he’s got the upper hand, taking his hatred for us out on Lani. Especially considering what he did to her five years ago. I may be holding back on him for her benefit, but if he tests his luck, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet between his eyes.

I lean forward, running my nose along hers, just like we did when we were kids. “I’ve already told you, Presh. I’m not going anywhere.”