Their Queenpin (The Ridge MC #6)

Chapter 29Adelina

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Adelina

Trembling with the aftershocks of another amazing orgasm around Graff’s cock, I closed my eyes and let my mind dream of a place where Sas and Rafe and Graff and I lived free from all the shit. No more Mafia. No MC. No cartel.

He brought me back to the now when he pulled out and fell to my side, spent.

Graff buried his head in the crook of my neck and let out a soft cry. Tears washed down his face, and I soaked them up with my hair.

“I don’t want to be parted from you,” he said. “I have been away for too long.”

I braced myself for what I had to say, no matter how much I hated it. “I don’t want you to go either, but you have to. For the club.”

“I know,” he said, words filled with disgust. “And I will.”

“I would go with you if I could,” I said, “but Sas needs me.”

“And Rafe.”

I pulled back, searching his face.

Graff gave me a small, sad smile. “I know that job ripped a bandage off a deep wound of his. Rafe can pretend all he wants. He can try to hide it, but I saw him after we blew that U-Haul and over that thirty-hour drive.”

“Do you think. ..” I didn’t know exactly how to ask what was on my mind, so I fumbled through it. “Do you think he saw your pain too?”

“Yeah.” Graff drew designs on my naked belly. “I guess trauma is a funny thing. Alive and writhing like a serpent. Beasts call to beasts.”

I smiled and tried to lighten the mood. “So what’s my beast?”

Without hesitation, Graff said, “Your father. And Rafe.”

“Rafe?”

“Yeah. You two are like... what’s that thing called? Star-bound?”

“Star-crossed?” I asked. “Like Shakespeare? Romeo and Juliet ?”

Graff shrugged. “Dunno. Never read it.”

“How’s it possible that you haven’t read that? Wasn’t it required reading in school?”

“I was homeschooled,” he said as though it were the most common way to learn.

He continued to trace patterns, and when I glanced down, there was a mandala in white where his nails traced along my skin.

“Besides,” he continued, “reading’s not much my thing.”

“What? Really?” It caught me off guard with how deep his memory always seemed, how he could recall the exact details of something he’d seen once and capture it with pencil and paper. To me, he seemed savant-like. “As in you don’t like to read or. ..”

“As in, I have to try really, really hard. I’m slow at it, because the words look like they’re dancing around the page.”

“Oh,” I said, stupidly silenced by his revelation.

He chuckled. “How’d we end up on that? We were talking about you and Rafe. Star-crossed, yes?”

“I guess we needed someone to give us permission to take a chance.” I ran my fingers through his hair again. “Someone like you.”

He huffed against my chest, and I felt his small smile.

Shifting, I clasped his head in my hands, forcing him to look at him. “This has hurt you too. And I’m sorry.”

I kissed his forehead, and he took a deep breath. It shook us both. “I’ll get everything settled here, you’ll get the diamonds to Park Ridge, and then we’ll meet in LA. We’ll be a proper family.”

Well, whatever a family like us looked like.

We showered together and dressed, and when I moved toward the door, Graff caught me by the wrist. “Thank you, bella. I think you saved my life.”

I had no words, so I raised onto my tip toes and kissed him, pouring how much I thought he’d done the same for me into the kiss. He didn’t know it, but that day in the rain had been the first glimmer of hope I’d had since my father sold me to the MC.

Breaking the kiss, I swiped my thumb over his lips. “Be safe, love.”

I left Graff’s room, the door closing softly behind me as I stepped out into the dim hallway of the Parisi Hotel. My heart was still heavy with the lingering warmth of Graff’s touch mixed with the sorrow that stole a piece of me. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head, but everything felt tangled—Graff, Sas, Rafe, and this endless, looming sense of duty.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me back to reality. As I walked, I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Melanie: Hearing for Sas at 10 a.m. Appeal on bail. Need you there. Lloyd D. George Courthouse.

The knot in my chest tightened. Of course there was a hearing. Another hurdle for Sas, and it was my job to be there, to fight for him, no matter how chaotic everything else had become.

I sent Melanie a quick thumbs up and slipped the phone back into my pocket, my pace quickening down the carpeted hallway.

As I neared my room, I paused, glancing up at the corner of the ceiling. I knew he was watching—my father.

I knew he would lie and say they were all over the place, but the real reason was that the man needed control. He couldn’t resist keeping an eye on his daughter, seeing who she was with, what she was doing. He might have even watched me leave Graff’s room moments ago.

Without hesitation, I raised my middle finger to the camera. Let him see it. Let him stew.

I pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing it softly behind me. The room was dim, morning light streaming around the curtains. My eyes adjusted, and there he was, still there.

Rafe sat on the edge of the bed, his head down, his hands clasped together like he was trying to find a reason to stay grounded. His eyes lifted to meet mine, and anxiety fluttered in my chest.

Despite the shower, Graff’s scent still clung to me, his touch lingered on my skin. I hesitated for a second before pushing the thought away. I had nothing to hide from Rafe—nothing I would be ashamed to show him.

I crossed the room, and without giving myself time to second-guess, I cupped Rafe’s face and leaned down to kiss him. His lips met mine, rough and urgent. His hands slid up to grip my waist. I kissed him slowly, letting it say the words I couldn’t manage right now, hoping it would soothe with whatever turmoil was storming behind his eyes.

He pulled away, his nose brushing against my cheek. “You smell like him.”

Rafe’s voice held a mixture of undefinable emotions. Jealousy, maybe. Pain. Acceptance. It was complicated, like everything else between us.

“I do,” I whispered, brushing my thumb over his jawline. “I won’t lie to you, Rafe. I won’t ever lie to you.”

He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. Then he nodded, slowly, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“I know,” he said, his voice softening. “It’s just... everything is so fucked up right now. I was worried when I woke up and you weren’t here.”

“Better now?” I smiled.

“Much.” He wrapped both his arms around my waist and pulled me close.

I let out a shaky breath, pulling back. “I need to get ready. There’s a hearing for Sas this morning. I have to be there.”

He gave me another long look, his gaze heavy, and then he stood. “I’ll drive you.” He leaned down, pressing a kiss to my forehead before he stepped back. “I’ll go get ready, grab some coffee, and see what Wilde’s got planned for the rest of the day. Then I’m coming back for you.”

I nodded, my heart aching with a thousand different emotions as I watched him leave. The door clicked shut behind him, and for a second, I stood there, staring at it, trying to pull myself together. Then I turned, heading for the bathroom.

I had to be ready—for Sas, for Rafe, for Graff. For all of us.

From the closet, I laid out a pantsuit on the bed. Next, I pulled out a lacy pink bra and matching thong. Then, I ran my hand along the bottom of the drawer for the tiny silk pouch with two rings still nestled inside. Inside all my bras, I’d had a little pocket sewn in the center so it would rest over my heart.

I didn’t know when the right time was to gift my men the rings, but I wanted to be prepared. I slipped the silk pouch inside and put on my bra and panties.

Before I donned my suit, though, I entered the bath to do my hair and makeup. When I finished, I dressed and crossed to the full-length mirror as I put in earrings.

I checked myself more than once, each time manipulating another piece of me: hair up or down, bright lipstick or nude, too heavy of eyeliner, maybe different clothes to cover more cleavage.

Stop it, Adelina! I was fidgeting and it needed to stop.

While I always liked to look put together, I never toiled over myself this much. No, this fidgeting was just a matter of running down the clock until the moment I needed to leave. My nerves were getting the better of me, leaving my hands trembling, and I balled them into fists.

I had been strong for Rafe and Graff, so I couldn’t lose control of myself now. Or ever. My guys needed me. They had taken care of me. Sas in his gruff and demanding way while Rafe always acted as my guard. And Graff with his now-tarnished sweetness had cracked me wide open and put me together as a new woman.

No, that wasn’t exactly true. I’d been a girl before them. A bratty child at that. They had made me a woman, and one who now refused to exist under the Don’s thumb.

I needed to take care of my men. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

Graff had surely already hit the road, and that left a void in my heart. But we would all join him as soon as Sas was out of jail.

Where the hell was Rafe?

I checked the time on my phone—still a couple hours to go. But sitting in this room was making me crazy.

Screw it!

I whipped open the door and stumbled when I came face to face, well my face to his chest, with my father.

Behind him, the prospect, Merry, gave me an apologetic shrug. And further down the hall stood Alessio and Papa’s regular limo driver, Marcello.

“Adelina,” Papà greeted me in a tight voice.

I cringed. Fuck. I’d told myself I wouldn’t think of him as Papà anymore, but old habits die hard. Regardless, this was one man I didn’t want anything to do with.

Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I pasted a pained smile on my face. “Father.”

“I was hoping I might find you,” he said.

The prospect stiffened, holding himself off to the side. His fingers twitched like he might reach for his gun if I voiced the order. I wouldn’t, though, because my father’s guards wouldn’t blink twice as they painted the carpet in this hall with Merry’s blood.

Slowly, I lifted my gaze to the surveillance camera hanging from the ceiling—a dome to appear inconspicuous. But still, it was an all-seeing, always-watching eye.

Big brother in the form of a criminal mastermind.

“This is your hotel,” I said to my father. “I’m sure you can find anyone you wish with a short visit to the security office.”

He let the comment slide.

“I would like to speak with you, mia figlia.”

I checked my phone and lied, “I’m late.”

In truth, I should still be waiting for Rafe to return with our coffees in hand to take me to the hearing.

“You’re heading to the courthouse, yes?”

I locked my jaw but nodded. Don Parisi was a shark that smelled blood in the water. I knew where this was going. As did he.

“Let me drive you,” said my father.

I didn’t have a choice.

Groaning, I unlocked my phone and texted Rafe.

Adelina: Meet me there. I’ve got business with my father.

My phone buzzed before I could slip it back into my clutch, but I ignored it. Rafe had been through too much, and I was more than capable of handling my father.

“Merry?” I barked.

The young prospect—probably older than me, but younger than most of the MC by probably seven years—jumped at my call, sliding over to my side. “Yeah?”

I tipped my head toward my still open door, and Merry slipped inside.

Lifting my chin to my father. “Give me five minutes.”

He started to follow me inside, but I pressed my hand holding my clutch into his chest. “You can wait here, Father.”

The lines around his eyes crinkled, but he stepped back, clasping his hands in front of his body.

I closed the door and crouched in front of the safe in the room’s closet.

“What’s up, Adelina? What can I help with?” asked Merry, his voice quivering.

“I want you to go to Wilde and tell him that I’m riding with my father to the hearing. Just in case.”

“I can go with you.”

“No.” I finished punching in the code.

Reaching inside, I pulled out the small SIG P322 and the two magazines Rafe had given me before they left for the heist.

“Shit, Adelina, let me go with you! Prez is going to have my head. Then Sas will.”

“No, Merry. I know my father, and I’ll make it to the courthouse unscathed.”

At least, I hoped I would.

I grabbed a different clutch and slipped the gun, magazines, my phone, and lip stain and gloss inside.

“One way or another,” I mumbled under my breath.

“But—”

“Don’t but me. Wait until I’m gone, then deal with Wilde, and if you see my uncle, tell him the last time you saw me I was fine.” I held out my purse to point at him. “Read me?”

His eyes rested on the bag, but clearly, he still envisioned the gun. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Tell Rafe to meet me at the courthouse as soon as he can. Then, I want you to take this”—I handed him my family key card—“and go to the P level in the garage. Grab a limo and meet us at the Clark County Detention Center. If everything works out, we should be ready by noon. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now, go.”

He left.

The door closed behind him, and I touched up my red lips before joining my father.