The Mobster’s Flower (Men of Valor Springs #3)

Chapter Nine

Rue

I sit alone with my thoughts for half an hour before Arya is wheeled into the room. She looks as exhausted as I feel, and we exchange a smile as they help her back into her bed. There is a slight reddening under her eyes and her hair is mussed up.

“Where’s Vlad?” she asks, looking around the room.

“He left a few moments ago, but he’ll be back,” I tell her, smoothing my palms over my skirt as if to hide the fact that, a moment ago, Vlad had me shoved against the wall, drilling into me in fast strokes.

That’s the last time it’s ever going to happen.

“Something happen?” Arya whispers, and I look up to find her eyes on me. “I’ve only seen that dejected look on one other person before. My mother.”

“What do you mean?”

“Has Vlad told you anything about our family?”

I bite back a bitter chuckle. The man has been quite tightlipped about his life, distracting me when I try to pry into it. “Why would he tell me anything, Arya? I’m just a stranger to him.”

She rolls her eyes at my words. “We both know that’s not true. My brother left to chase after you yesterday and didn’t return to see me until this morning.” I flush at her words, but she leans in to whisper, “I am not complaining. Jax watched over me all night, and I never get to see him for more than a few moments. It was the best night of my life.”

“Well, good for you.”

“All he did was watch me, Rue. I wish he did more than watch me all night, but I’m happy that I got that at least.” She shakes her head as if to bring her focus back to what we were discussing. “Anyway, I know something happened between you and Vlad. Contrary to what my brother thinks, I am not a child.”

“Arya…”

“I know he can be a difficult man, but I saw the way he looked at you when he walked in earlier. If he doesn’t talk about our family, it’s because there is nothing good to say about it.”

“Surely that’s not true.”

“My mother brought me to Valor Springs when I was two. She just dropped me off at the mansion and left. I don’t remember any of it, so I wanted answers. Vlad sent me to study in Belgium when I was a teen, and during one of my holidays, I begged him to take me to meet my mother. I wanted to feel close to her and have a relationship with her, so he agreed.”

I’m almost scared to ask, considering the context in which we’re discussing this, but I do anyway. “What happened?”

“She had a whole other family and refused to see me. Said I reminded her too much of my father and she wanted nothing to do with that life.”

I reach out and take her hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I didn’t tell you this to get your pity, Rue. My mother resented the memory of my father and she wanted to forget the man and everything that had to do with him. You have the same look in your eyes.”

Her words take me aback. Do I resent Vlad? Perhaps not, but I resent the fact the man has so much power over me when I have so little control over him. We’re unbalanced. Our first time, I had to plead with him to get my way, and for his part, all he has to do is touch me and I melt into a puddle.

“I…” I mull over my words, thinking of the best way to put them. “I think what you are seeing is something entirely different. I don’t resent Vlad...”

“Then what do you feel?”

I love him , but I can’t tell her that. How crazy would that sound, confessing to loving a man I haven’t even known for forty-eight hours. Even crazier is making such a confession when I know that he doesn’t return my affection. He probably never will.

“I’m just tired,” I say truthfully. “It’s been a rough couple of days, Arya. I’ve been thinking of leaving Valor Springs and taking some time to rethink my future.”

Her eyes widen, and she tries to sit up. “I told you I would pay for your flower—”

“It’s not that,” I hurry to assure her, nudging her to lie back on the bed. “Your brother already promised to take care of the damages, so you don’t have to worry about it. So much has happened, and I just need a moment. I’ll call, and you can visit me as well.”

“What about Vlad?”

He’ll be fine. I have no doubt he’ll find someone, no matter how much the thought feels like a dagger to the heart. I don’t respond and instead simply shrug, and she offers me a sad smile. Our talk shifts to a much lighter topic until I notice her start to doze off, so I grab her hand with mine. I have no idea what it’s like to be rejected by a parent, but I feel her pain and loneliness, and I vow to keep in touch with her even when I leave Valor Springs.

And I will leave. I have to. I won’t be able to move on from Vlad if I stay here, and let’s be honest, there’s no way we could work. I’m too young and naive for a man like him. He’s a notorious and powerful crime boss, for Christ’s sake. Jax calling him away from his sister’s hospital room on an urgent matter that he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—explain is proof enough of that.

“Do you know what flower you remind me of?” I ask Arya as she starts to drift off. She shakes her head, her eyes drooping as she struggles to stay awake. “An orchid. They are beautiful and delicate and come in beautiful patterns and colors. They are my favorite, but not everyone knowns how to take care of them. They’re notoriously difficult to make bloom.”

She smiles. “What about Vlad? What do you think he is?”

I mull over her question. “Not a flower. He’s a thistle,” I say, but she’s already fallen asleep. “Tough on the outside and soft on the inside, but all most people see is his prickly exterior.”

I stay with the sleeping girl a while longer before I finally make my way out of the hospital, slipping past Jax while he’s distracted by a commotion between a patient and nurse at the far end of the hallway.

I decide to walk back home rather than call for a ride. It’s more time spent alone with my thoughts, and by the time I make it to my aunt’s place, the decision has already been made. I head straight to my room to pack my things and figure I’ll talk to Annie about my decision to leave when she gets back, and then as soon as I can book a flight, I am leaving Valor Springs. For good.

My childish dreams about being a fairy and working as a florist brightening people’s smiles with my flower arrangements end today. I have to snap back to reality and push away these stupid fantasies.

I refuse to cry or think of Vlad as I pack my things into my duffle. I don’t have a lot, but I’m still tempted to leave it all behind and just flee Valor Springs. I could always ask Annie to ship my things to me later so I don’t have to deal with this town any longer.

Would Annie understand?

What about Vlad?

Would he…care?

“Don’t think about him, Rue Carter,” I whisper, running my fingers through my hair, a habit I seem to have picked from Annie. I can’t afford to think about Vlad right now, but he’s not exactly an easy man to forget. I can still feel the stickiness of his spend between my thighs, and I bet if I looked in the mirror, I would see the imprint of his hands on my ass.

Christ, I can’t take it anymore.

I release my hair and begin stripping out of my clothes. I need a shower. As long as I can still feel Vlad on my skin, he’ll stay on my mind, memories of his mouth pressed against my ear and his hot breath against my neck before taking my mouth in a hot kiss as he rammed his manhood into me.

Stupid. It was stupid of me to fall for a man I barely know, but Vlad is my first…everything. And he made every single first feel magical. He gave me everything I asked for and more. He made me forget about all my troubles, and he does every time he touches me, but…I foolishly went ahead and fell for the man.

The same man I was told time and again is dangerous.

I need to get out of here! Only when I am away from Valor Springs will I allow myself to think about what to do with my life next.

I strip out of everything and walk into the ensuite, stepping under the spray even before the water heats up, but I don’t care. Maybe the cold is what I need to finally clear the Vlad-induced fog from my brain, or…maybe not.

“Too cold,” I hiss, jumping out of the shower’s spray and giving it a few more minutes before diving back in. I step in with every intention to spend as little time in here as possible, but the second I am under the showerhead, I linger. Hot water rains down my back, but it’s not enough to wipe away his touch. I can still feel him on my skin no matter how hard I try to scrub it away.

You shouldn’t believe everything you hear about me.

I shake my head as if to wipe the memory of his voice, but it sticks. The memory of his words spoken in that deep voice causes my heart to clench painfully, and I question how he’ll react when he learns I am gone. That isn’t something I have to worry about, though. By the time Vlad learns of my leaving, I will already be gone.

“Don’t think about it, Rue. Soon you’ll be out of here.”

I reach out to grab the shampoo when I notice a shadow on the shower wall behind my own. I scream, dropping the shampoo, but before I can turn around, the shadow springs forward and covers my mouth with his massive palm. He wraps his other arm around my stomach and pulls me flush against his naked body, holding me firmly against him so that I can’t move a muscle.

Is this…

At first, I fear I’m being attacked by an intruder, but then I realize the body wrapped around mine is familiar…just before I hear the voice that’s haunted my every thought since yesterday.

“I told you to wait for me,” that deep voice growls into my ear, and I go still. I reach up and clutch the arm banded around my waist.

Vlad.

He’s here. In my aunt’s house, which he clearly broke into. My mind barely registers that what he did is illegal but instead settles on the fact that the man is here. Holding me close to his body. Hugging me tightly against him.

He slowly lowers his hand from my mouth but doesn’t loosen the grip he has on me. He reaches out and turns off the shower, and the bathroom falls into a tense silence. His cock is pressed to my ass, and I can feel him thickening against me.

“Vlad,” I choke out, unsure what to say to the man.

“You want to leave Valor Springs.” It’s not a question, and with the way he leans down and presses his lips on my shoulder, I am not too sure he’s expecting a response. “What makes you think I’ll let you leave?”

“W-why would you want me to stay?”

Vlad’s lips pause their movement at my words before I feel them again, skating along my upper back. “I thought I made my feelings about you clear.”

“Anything said during sex doesn’t count. How do I know you actually mean the words and you are not just caught up in the moment, riding the feeling?”

I’m not sure how I expect him to respond, but I definitely didn’t think he’d laugh. It’s a deep and husky sound, and it makes my heart clench with want, not just for his touch but for the man’s heart too.

“It’s both,” he says, pushing my hair to the side and kissing a path up my neck. He nips at my ear, and that sends a rush of arousal slicking my folds. The hand wrapped around my waist reaches up and fondles my wet tits, causing my clit to throb in response to his touch.

How can I still want him only a few hours after what we did back at the hospital?

“Vlad,” I whimper, trying to stay on topic and keep my mind afloat, but he continues drawing me back in with his touch. “If you came all this way to stop me, then I need to know why.”

“I love you,” he says hoarsely against my ear, thrusting his hard cock between my ass cheeks. It takes a second for my mind to push through the fog of desire to make sense of what he just said, and when it does, my heart nearly stops.

I try to turn around, but he doesn’t let me, his massive hand holding me in place. Was I expecting a love confession? Well, no. I thought he would sweet talk me into staying, but he’s saying that he loves me?

“Left you speechless, huh?” He chuckles against my ear, shoving my legs open and rubbing his thick shaft over my feminine lips, parting them. “I can want you…can have sex with you and keep a sober mind. If you want to talk, we can do so while I make love to you.”

Now that's crazy. Maybe he can keep a clear mind, but I’m barely grasping onto the words he is saying now. “W-wait,” I whisper.

“Hmm, I don’t want to,” he hums, licking a path down my neck to my shoulder before nipping the skin gently. “I want you so bad, baby. My cock aches to be inside of your juicy little pussy, but we can talk. I’ll allow you three questions. Anything else you need to know can be discussed later.”

“Three questions!”

“Was that the first?”

“Vlad!” I whine, but I am already rocking against his erection, a whimper escaping my throat when his cock brushes my clit. My thighs part wider for him, the friction we’re creating making it hard for me to focus. “You can’t distract me like this every time. At some point, I’ll be able to resist you.”

“Do you want to bet on it?” He has every right to be confident. I would lose every single time. “Three questions, little girl, then I fuck you.”

“D- do you love me, or are you… Oh, God… A-are you saying what you think will make me stay.”

“I love you,” he rasps, groaning when he thrusts his cock against my pussy harder. “Enough to want to be a better man, to not kill my worst enemy.”

“What?”

“The reason I left the hospital so abruptly was because of Anton; he is my cousin. He and his father have always wanted a bigger slice of the pie, so to speak, and he is the reason Arya had that accident.” Vlad kisses my shoulder as if he didn’t just confess to someone trying to take his sister’s life. “I was going to kill him today, but the thought of you looking at or thinking of me as a monster is the only reason I did not pull that trigger. I love you enough to overlook my rage. So, I let him go after a few love pats.”

I don’t even want to ask what he means by ‘love pats.’

I’m floored by his words. This is no typical love confession, but hearing these words from him sends my heart thumping with affection.

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll stay.” My breath catches in my throat when I feel the hard press of his cock against my slick entrance. “Stay, in Valor Springs and with me.”

“I’ll stay.”

Vlad buries his cock in me with a triumphant roar, and I cry out and fall forward, my hands catching me on the wet wall as he starts to rut into me in brutal pumps. His hands rake my back, slipping into my hair and fisting a handful as he rams his cock into me like a beast. And perhaps I am one too because I push back against his thickness.

“I’ll take care of you. Protect you,” he grinds out roughly. “You are mine, my little fairy. You belong to me.”

“Yours,” I sob, rising on my toes as he thrusts his shaft into me in fast strokes, causing a hot sensation to ripple through my abdomen, slowly spreading through the rest of my body. Vlad flattens me against the wall, his drives rough, and I am practically trembling when he dips his fingers between my thighs and strums my clit in fast strokes.

Oh, fuck!

“Vlad,” I sob as my sex constricts around his cock, pulsing violently as an orgasm tears through my body. I jerk hard against him as pleasure spreads to the tips of my toes, a violent tremble racking my body.

“Fuuuck, baby!” he growls against my ear a second before his muscles still and he spills his seed into my womb, pounding brutally into me like an animal with his hips smacking hard against my ass until I have milked him to the last drop. His cock jerks inside of me one last time before he slumps against my back, his breathing as heavy as mine. I lose the grip on my hair, and when I turn around to face him this time, he doesn’t stop.

My legs are weak, but I force them to stay grounded as I look at the man for the first time since he snuck into the house. Christ, there is something about those dark eyes that don’t feel human, and every time our eyes lock, I’m surprised at how beautiful they are. How perfect this man is and…he loves me?

I cup his jaw and scratch his beard, loving how soft it feels under my fingers before leaning in to kiss him. It’s only a brush of lips, but it’s enough to send my heart clenching with affection. “I love you,” I say, pulling back to look at him. “I just met you, but I love you. Crazy, don’t you think?”

“It is.”

Vlad cradles the back of my head and leans down to slant his mouth over mine, our tongues meeting in a dance so carnal, it’s sinful. I wrap my arms around him to deepen the kiss when the sound of a door slamming downstairs snaps me back into the present. “I think Annie is home,” I tell him, withdrawing from the kiss. “Unless it’s another intruder.”

“Then he’ll have me to deal with.”

There is a brisk knock on my bedroom door followed by my aunt’s voice. “Rue, are you in there?”

“Yeah, don’t come in,” I call out. “I’ll be down in a sec.” I wait to hear her footsteps as she moves away from the door before turning to Vlad, who’s watching me. “We should go down. I think it’s time I introduce you to my aunt. Though, I suppose you’ve already met, haven’t you?”

Vlad grabs my chin and tips it up before leaning down to brush his lips over mine in a final, lingering kiss. “I only care what you think of me, Rue. Only you.” I can feel his cock hardening against my thigh, and that is enough to have me taking a step away from the insatiable man. I need to leave before he bends me over in the shower once more.

With a last peck on his bearded jaw, I reach behind him to grab a towel before slipping out. “I love you, but I’ll need to use my legs at some point.”

His deep husky laugh follows me out, and I can’t help but melt at the sound of it. Now that… I look forward to hearing that in the future. Forever if I can help it.