Bound By Blood: Anthology by Cora Reilly

 

Cara

My stomach was in knots when I knocked at the front door of my former home. I’d moved into Ryan’s place only two months ago but his apartment already felt more like a home than this place ever had. Talia opened the door and gave me a smile which soon turned into a frown. “What’s wrong? You look tense.”

She wasn’t the oblivious girl of the past. At only sixteen, too much had happened to her. If Dad were still alive and saw us now, he wouldn’t recognize us, not even Mom. But she was a good actress so maybe she’d succeed in making him believe a charade.

“Big news to share,” I said.

Talia’s eyes widened. “You’re going to marry.”

I wasn’t even wearing my ring yet. It was hidden in my purse for later. Puzzled, I asked, “How do you know?”

“I expected it any day now. You and Growl live together after all. It was only a matter of time.”

She was right. Living together in our world before marriage was frowned upon, but my life had gone off the right track a while ago, so I wasn’t as obsessed with fitting in anymore. There were more important things, which was why I had wanted to live together with Ryan before marriage. He would have married me months ago, but he’d respected my wish and waited with his official proposal until a week ago. Even though I knew he wanted to marry, his knee-fall and the beautiful ring came as a surprise.

Even if I’d already said yes and would marry him either way, I couldn’t deny that it was important for me to get my family’s approval, and Talia and Mom were pretty much the only close family I had anymore.

“Does Mom suspect something?”

I entered the apartment. Luca allowed Mom and Talia to live in it for free. It was a nice three-bedroom place in Brooklyn, newly renovated and completely furnished, but less than what we had been used to in Las Vegas. Mom was struggling with this fact. She couldn’t accept that the life before Dad’s murder was gone. I hoped one day she’d realize that it could have ended so much worse if Luca hadn’t taken us in and given us a home in the Famiglia. Even if some people looked down on us for our family history, they mostly kept their opinion to themselves because we were related to the Capo.

“You know how she is,” Talia said as she closed the door. “She prefers to ignore unpleasant truths.”

She acted and looked so grown up, I had trouble getting used to it.

I followed my sister into the dining room where Mom was setting the table. She looked up, stressed. “Dinner still takes a few minutes. Without staff, things just don’t work how I’m used to.”

I didn’t mention that we were lucky to have a home and Mom didn’t really have anything else to do at the moment. Doing housework and cooking should be doable. In the past, invitations to social events and gossip meetings with her so-called-friends had been her main occupation, but in New York most people still avoided us. The only people who invited us were Luca and Aria, and that was mostly Aria’s doing. Luca might have taken us in but he didn’t care much about us. Not that I blamed him. We didn’t know each other. He was a stranger for me as well.

I headed toward her and embraced her briefly. “No rush. We have all evening.”

She nodded but I could tell that the words didn’t really sink in.

“How can I help you?”

“You’re the guest. You shouldn’t have to work.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom, I moved out only a few months ago. And we’re family. We don’t have to stick to social rules when we’re alone, don’t you think?”

“I still think it was a mistake to move in with him before you’re married.” Her unsaid “or at all” lingered between us. She didn’t like Ryan and she didn’t try to pretend otherwise.

“Ryan and I love each other, Mom. You can accept it or not, but it won’t change what I’m feeling.”

“I didn’t say anything,” she said, even though she had. “It’s your life. You don’t want anyone to tell you what to do. I have no choice but to accept it.”

“You’re right.”

Talia gave me an encouraging smile but I didn’t feel like telling Mom about my engagement now.

Eventually, we settled at the table and had dinner. Talia had started school again and found a couple of friends. Mom had more trouble, mainly because she wanted to make acquaintances among the higher-ranking mob wives, who still gave her the cold shoulder.

“Why don’t you give a few of the soldiers’ wives a chance? You’ll be lonely if you don’t have people to spend time with.”

Mom’s lips pinched. “We’ll see.”

That meant she’d keep schmoozing the Captains’ wives until the last shreds of her dignity were gone.

“I have something I’d like to tell you.” Talia bit her lip, twisting a strand of her brown hair around her finger nervously.

Mom slowly set her fork down.

“Ryan asked me to marry him and I said yes. We want to marry next spring.”

Mom blinked then she nodded as if this wasn’t news. She didn’t look angry, disappointed or happy. “I suspected something like that. It’s the logical choice given our current position. We’re not accepted by most people in the Famiglia so it’s impossible to find a better match for you, especially because you aren’t pure anymore. And your Growl is Enforcer under Luca. It could be worse.”

She made it sound as if Ryan was some kind of emergency solution, someone I’d chosen because I didn’t have a choice.

“I didn’t say yes because I thought I wouldn’t find a better match. I said yes because I love him and know that I can’t find a better man for me.”

Mom gave me a bitter smile. “I don’t blame you, Cara. I understand, believe me, and I accept your decision.”

Anger spread in my body, making my blood pound in my temples. “I didn’t ask for your approval, but we’re a family and I want us to stick together. I want Ryan to be a part of that family, for you to see him for who he really is, for who he has become.”

“He was Enforcer and now he’s Enforcer again, Cara. He’s doing what he does best.”

“You loved Dad despite what he did for work,” I reminded her because no matter how desperately she tried to pretend Dad had been a good man, that wasn’t the truth.

“That’s different.”

“Is it, really?”

Mom stood with a forced smile. “How about we have dessert now?”

Talia rolled her eyes, but I nodded. “Sure.”

Mom turned and hurried into the kitchen.

I sighed. “It’s the reaction I expected. I don’t know why I hoped for something else.”

Talia patted my hand. “She’s taking our new situation harder than us.”

“But we suffered all the same, yet we’re trying to move on.”

“She’ll learn to live with Growl.”

“What about you? You know you don’t have to be scared of him. He’d never hurt you. We’re his family now.”

Talia shrugged. “I don’t know him, but I know you and if you trust him then I know I don’t have to fear him.”

I leaned over and hugged her. “Thank you.”

Talia and I were closer now than we’d been before our father was killed. Maybe because I’d stopped being obsessed with pleasing society and my so-called friends, and because she’d become more mature. We’d both changed and now really appreciated each other.

“We could lock them in our bedroom,” Ryan said, but in his eyes, I could see his reluctance. I felt the same way. Coco and Bandit were part of our family. Locking them away felt wrong. As if Bandit knew what was going on, he pressed up to my leg. At nine, his black fur was slowly turning gray around his muzzle. He wagged his tail when I patted his back and soon Coco trotted my way, wanting her share of petting as well.

Mother would have to get used to them eventually. “Bandit and Coco will stay.”

I wasn’t sure who was more nervous about Talia’s and Mom’s visit, Ryan or I. It was strange seeing my tall, strong, inked-all-over fiancé nervous. It wasn’t very obvious, just subtle signs like him checking his watch for the hundredth time or glancing into the oven repeatedly to check on the roast I’d made. He usually didn’t have the slightest interest in cooking but today it seemed to calm his nerves.

“We’ll have a wonderful Christmas,” I assured him as I slid up to him and took his hand, leaning against his strong side.

He nodded, not saying anything. Ryan still wasn’t the talkative type, but the days leading up to our first Christmas together definitely reminded me of our early days as captive and captor, when he rarely spoke a word to me, much less opened up about his feelings.

I, too, was nervous. This was the first time Mom and Talia would visit us for dinner—on Christmas Eve no less. Talia had been over to our apartment on occasion when Ryan was home but Mom had only met him a couple of times at social events since she was in New York. She preferred to avoid him.

Ryan and I both kept busy with preparations while the dogs watched us curiously from their baskets. They were still weary of the newest addition to our apartment: a Christmas tree. This was the first time they encountered one, but I’d insisted we have it as part of our Christmas decoration.

The bell rang, making me jump. Coco perked up and Bandit jumped out of his basket with a deep woof before he trotted to the door. Coco followed him half-heartedly.

“You get the door,” Ryan said. “Your mother and sister will feel more comfortable if you greet them.”

I shook my head and grabbed his hand before I pulled him toward the entrance door. “You and I are together in this.”

He squeezed my hand briefly but his face was devoid of emotion. I put on my brightest smile and opened the door. Mother and Talia waited in front of it as if they were about to face their executioner. Luckily, Talia caught herself fast and stepped close to me for a hug.

“Is Mom going to make a mess of tonight?” I whispered.

Talia shrugged. “Probably.”

I pulled away and faced my mother. She stood frozen in the hallway, giving me a stiff smile but her eyes kept flitting to Ryan. I didn’t get any Christmas mood vibes from her.

“Hello Cara,” Mother said almost formally, clutching her purse in front of her belly like a shield.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Talia awkwardly shake Ryan’s hand. I couldn’t remember if I’d ever seen Ryan shake anyone’s hand at all. The sight almost had me bursting out laughing.

I invited Mom in but she was as stiff as a salt pillar, her eyes directed at Coco and Bandit who waited in the hallway behind us. Talia’s initial fear during her first visits had been replaced by tentative affection. She even stroked Coco’s back who was more approachable than Bandit. His trust issues with humans went deeper.

“It’s okay, Mom. They accept visitors as long as we do. They won’t do anything.”

I had to drag Mom inside and then I led her into the living area with the small dining table. I’d decorated everything in gold and red to give it a cozy feel. Bandit and Coco both headed toward their baskets after a sign from Ryan.

“Good evening,” Mom said to him with a stiff smile, holding out her hand.

Ryan took it and shook it very briefly, probably picking up on Mom’s obvious discomfort.

“How about we sit down and have dinner?” I said quickly before the tension could rise.

After Talia and Mom had left, Ryan went out to walk the dogs and I cleaned the kitchen. He took longer than usual, a sign that he needed time to think.

When he finally returned and sank down on the sofa, I approached him. His expression was guarded.

“It went okay, don’t you think?” I asked softly. It hadn’t been the easy-going, warm Christmas dinner other families might have, but events like that had always been a rather formal affair with my family, and that hadn’t improved.

Ryan shrugged, stroking Coco’s head. “It went better than I thought. Your mother won’t ever get over who I was and who I still am.”

“You changed. You aren’t the person everyone feared in Las Vegas.”

“I’m now the person people fear in New York, Cara. I’m still Enforcer. Of course, Luca isn’t as depraved as Falcone.”

“My mother has no problem with Luca’s level of depravity so she can’t blame you for what you’re doing in his name.”

“Fear is immune to reason,” he rasped. I stepped between his legs, forcing his eyes to raise to mine.

“My sister and mother will learn to accept you if they love me because I love you. End of story,” I said firmly. Ryan grabbed me by the hips, his amber eyes intense. I knew the look and my core answered with a familiar tightening.

“I love you too,” he growled.

His big hands slid to the back of my skirt, jerking down the zipper almost brutally. It wouldn’t be the first piece of clothing I lost to Ryan’s overeager, too strong hands. The moment the zipper was down he started dragging my skirt down my legs impatiently. It dropped to the floor beside my feet. Coco trotted away, knowing what was coming.

Ryan’s impatience and lust won out. He grabbed my tights and ripped a hole in them right over my panties before he shoved them roughly aside. He leaned forward and forced his tongue between my pussy lips with a hard lick. I half-gasped, half-moaned, my hands flying up to clutch at Ryan’s head. He grasped my leg and propped my foot up on his leg, opening me up for him. The sounds falling from his mouth were almost animalistic as he licked me. I panted, smiling as I watched him. He tugged even harder at my panties so he had better access and could press his mouth against my pussy and suck my lips into his mouth.

“Ryan,” I gasped.

“You taste so sweet, Cara. Have from the very first moment I ate you out.”

His tongue dove back between my folds for a firm lick before he sucked my clit into his mouth. I cried out from the almost painful sensation and Ryan switched to soft soothing licks that had me relaxing. He cupped my breast, stroking lightly. My body brimmed with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Then he pinched my nipple hard, causing me to cry out again. The pain battled with the intense pleasure Ryan’s tongue created with its gentle circling of my clit.

Ryan enjoyed it if I caused him pain during sex and slowly he taught me to appreciate the play of pain and pleasure as well. This time he didn’t release my nipple. He tugged and twisted it but kept up sucking my clit. I scratched over his scalp with my fingernails, causing him to growl, and then stars burst before my eyes as intense pleasure radiated from my core. Ryan pinched my nipple and my orgasm became even more intense. I almost fell backward and would have if Ryan hadn’t released my panties and clutched my ass cheek firmly to keep me in place while he shoved his mouth even harder against me, thrusting his tongue up and down.

I barely got the chance to catch my breath before Ryan released me and tore open his zipper, shoving down his boxers and freed his erection.

“Turn around,” he rasped.

The moment I had my back turned to him, he pulled me down on his lap, impaling me on his length. I screamed, still oversensitive from my release and almost came again. Gripping Ryan’s muscled thighs, I rocked myself back and forth, driving him deeper into me with every move. Ryan gripped my hips, guiding my moves as his hips thrust upward, driving even deeper into me. The sound of our bodies’ joining filled the apartment but I didn’t care. I’d long gotten over my embarrassment.

Ryan cupped my breasts through my blouse, kneading them. His tattooed thighs flexed under my fingers. So strong. When his strength and harsh exterior had terrified me at the very beginning, it now increased my desire for this man. I leaned forward and dipped down my head, watching Ryan’s length slide into me, claiming me.

“Turn around. Let me see your face.”

Ryan hoisted me off his lap and I hissed at the loss of him inside of me, but soon knelt over him, our faces close together. I sank back down on his length with a soft moan. This time we moved slower. I leaned forward, capturing his mouth with mine. He tangled his fingers in my hair, tugging slightly until he had me pinned in a way that allowed him to ravish my mouth. His other hand kneaded my ass, guiding my movements. We stayed joined like this for a long time, our bodies barely moving, pleasure only a low burn in our bodies.

The back and forth between the gentle lovemaking and animalistic fucking heightened my senses and lust. Ryan sucked my lower lip into his mouth as his thumb gently traced my clit. We’d stopped moving, but he was buried all the way inside of me, hard as stone, and I knew what would soon happen but never when. Ryan’s amber eyes seemed to burn into me as his finger guided me higher. My muscles started clenching around his cock, the first treacherous signs of my approaching release.

His circling became even slower and he released my lip before he kissed me harshly. Grabbing my neck, he tilted my head until he could rasp in my ear, “I’m going to fuck you until you scream.”

He hoisted me off his lap. I gasped when his cock slid out of me. Ryan lifted me on the couch, my hands propped up on the armrest. One knee on the sofa behind me, one leg standing, he stood behind me. He grabbed my throat and hip, and thrust into me almost violently. I arched back against him, needing more. Every thrust seemed to reach deeper than before. I clutched the armrest desperately. Ryan leaned closer, his fingers around my throat tightening slightly.

“Fuck, Cara. If you knew what you’re doing to me… the power you’re holding over me.”

I tilted my head and kissed him harshly. Our eyes stayed locked as he slammed into me. His hand slid down from my throat to my breast, kneading it firmly before he pinched my nipple.

I clenched around him and began to tremble.

“Come for me,” Ryan rasped. Sweat glistened on his face and inked chest. His fingers tugged even harder at my nipple until I gasped out from the combined sensation of pain and pleasure. Ryan drank in my expression as my orgasm hit me. My lips fell open and my eyes widened as a wave of intense pleasure pulsated through my core and soon my entire body.

Ryan grunted as he kept thrusting into me, forcing my oversensitive body to accept even more pleasure.

His other arm came around me as well, jerking me even closer to his body, and his fingers found my still throbbing clit.

“Too much,” I groaned but Ryan bit lightly down on my shoulder. “No.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, surrendering to his fingers and cock, and soon pleasure took over again. This time I took Ryan over the edge with me. He growled against my neck, his thrusts becoming less coordinated. My arms gave in until I had to brace myself on my forearms, crying out my release.

Ryan stilled behind me and I panted, my forehead pressed against the backrest, my body pulsating almost painfully. Ryan kissed my shoulder blade as he pulled out of me. He sank down on the couch and pulled me sideways onto his lap. I leaned my head against his chest, trying to catch my breath.

“Have you ever considered kids?” I wasn’t sure why the words left my mouth in that moment but it was a topic I’d been wondering about for a while. Ryan and I wanted to spend our life together and for me children were a must.

Ryan stiffened, his fingers on my thigh digging into my skin. “Kids?” he rumbled as if the word didn’t even make sense to him.

I pulled away to look at his face. His expression was a mix of confusion and wariness. “I never thought they were an option for me.”

“Why not?”

“Because of who I was… who I still am. I never wanted a woman at my side and knocking up random whores and producing bastards was never something I wanted.”

“But I am at your side now,” I said softly.

He nodded, wonder reflecting in his eyes. “You are.”

“And I won’t go anywhere.”

He stroked my throat with his inked hand. “You will.” There was still the hint of doubt in his voice. I cupped his stubbled cheeks.

“I won’t go anywhere.”

“You want kids?” he asked roughly.

“I do. I always wanted two for as long as I could remember. I still do. I want a happy family.”

“A happy family…” He tested the words as if they were entirely foreign to him, something from a language he didn’t understand.

“Don’t you want that after everything you’ve gone through?”

“I’ve destroyed many families in my time as Benedetto’s right-hand man. You know that better than anyone.”

I swallowed. Ryan hadn’t killed my father but he would have and he’d tortured him. He was loyal to Benedetto, a fact that still boggled my mind after what the man had done to him. “That’s the past. You can redeem yourself by doing right by our children.”

“You really want kids with me? They could be like me…”

“Nothing’s wrong with you. You had a horrible childhood, that’s why you became Benedetto’s enforcer. Our children won’t suffer like you did. They’ll be raised with love.”

“I don’t know if I’m capable of doing that.”

“You’re capable of loving me so why shouldn’t you be able to love our children?”

Ryan nodded slowly. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Definitely.”

“If you want kids, I’ll give them to you. I want you happy.”

I hugged him. “We still have time. But I want us to be a family.”

Ryan hugged me tightly. I breathed in his musky scent, relaxing further.

Our wedding wasn’t the splendid feast I’d imagined as a teenage girl, not a way to impress society and friends. It was pure and simple, like Ryan’s and my love.

We married on a ship on the Hudson with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Only a few people were present as we were declared husband and wife. Talia and Mom, who’d grown used to Ryan even if he still wasn’t the son-in-law Mom wanted, Aria and Luca as well as Gianna and Matteo. While I’d been close to Aria in the beginning, and still was, because she’d helped me and my family so much, I now met Gianna more often, which had come as a surprise. She’d seemed difficult to get along with during our first few encounters but soon we’d figured out we both enjoyed yoga, Pilates and working out. From that day on, we’d met at least once to work out together and she even asked me to help her with the Famiglia’s women’s gym she wanted to set up. Naturally, Coco and Bandit were present as well, despite their wariness toward the ship.

It was a hot May day with the sun shining down on us. Ryan was dressed in a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and suit pants but no jacket or tie, and I had chosen a short, sleeveless wedding dress with a high neck. The material of the skirt was smooth like silk but the body had beautiful embroidery. Ryan had asked me to wear a short skirt and no sleeves because he loved the lean muscle I’d worked hard for. Of course, the main reason why was that I could show off my two tattoos that way. They weren’t anything like his but Ryan still loved the splashes of color on my skin. Over the last six months I’d gotten two beautiful watercolor tattoos, red poppies across my ankle and lower calf, as well as a hummingbird in flight on my shoulder blade. They were pops of color against my white dress and pale skin. To my surprise, it hadn’t caused any kind of stir in the Famiglia. Maybe because Ryan and I were regarded as misfits anyway, or maybe because Gianna had joined me during my first tattoo session to get inked as well. Her much smaller tattoo had been the scandal of the last few months. Even Mom had hardly said anything about my body art, even though I knew she hated seeing me inked.

“You may kiss the bride.”

I smiled up at Ryan and he bent down. When our lips met, I knew everything that had led us to this point had been worth it.

Maximus and Primo chased each other through our small yard. At two and four, they were almost unstoppable, which was why Ryan and I would take them to an adventure playground in the afternoon. I did a quick workout on the patio as I watched them to make sure they didn’t injure themselves seriously.

Daisy and Buddy, our rescue pit bulls, slept on the lawn, between where the boys played and me, so they could protect us. We’d saved them from a fight-dog breeding factory at only four weeks old three years ago. Coco and Bandit had died only one week apart from each other mere weeks before the raid of the fight ring. Despite our sadness, Ryan and I had seen it as a sign. Not to mention that we didn’t want to live without dogs. Taking care of the tiny puppies in the beginning had been a twenty-four-hour job, which wasn’t easy considering Max had been a toddler and I had been pregnant with Primo, but Ryan and I had succeeded together and our dogs thanked us with utmost loyalty and love.

“Primo, no!” I called when he hit his brother. Max, of course, hit him back. Ryan was the only one who called our son Maximus. He had chosen both boy names. People had always looked down at him as a child and he wanted to make sure our boys didn’t suffer the same fate. For him a proud and strong name was a crucial key. When I’d seen how important the matter was for him, I’d given in under the condition that I’d choose a possible girl name, but I knew deep down that our family was complete with Max and Primo.

“Don’t make me come and get you,” I warned. They slanted me a look to see if I was serious. I was.

They started chasing each other again, almost stumbling over Buddy’s huge white body. Primo climbed on top of him. Buddy barely lifted his head but I had enough. I went over to my boys and they trotted toward me, knowing what was coming.

“The dogs aren’t toys. You can pet them and throw their ball, but you don’t climb them, don’t tug at their tails or ears, and don’t tease them. Understood?” My voice was stern.

They nodded. “Okay, Mommy,” they said as one, their amber eyes guilty.

I tousled their brown hair and sent them off again. Instead of continuing my workout, I sank down beside Buddy and Daisy. They both immediately put their heads on my crossed legs so I could pat them.

Max and Primo stopped and looked behind me. With huge grins, they dashed toward what they saw.

Growl

I’d spent the day dismembering a Bratva spy, had relished in his screams. Adrenaline still rushed in my ears like static when I got out of my pickup in the driveway of the small house Cara and I had bought shortly before Maximus had been born. I’d never much cared about a place, but this house, our home, held a special place in my heart.

Both our boys had been born here and Coco and Bandit had enjoyed their evening of life on the soft lawn. I had buried them in the soil of their favorite spot with my own hands.

I paused on the porch. I’d never cried over someone’s death as an adult, never mourned someone but to this day my chest ached when I remembered the summer my loyal friends died. The memory of that day crashed down on me as it did often on days of inner turmoil.

Bandit and Coco were thirteen years old. When I returned home from work, I found them in the yard in their favorite spot close to a maple tree. Cara grabbed my arm, Maximus asleep in the baby sling against her chest. “I don’t think it’s going to be long now.” Tears brimmed in her eyes.

I followed her gaze toward my furry friends who had both lifted their heads and were wagging their tails. Bandit had been diagnosed with cancer a couple of months ago. We’d done everything we could. Now we made sure he wasn’t in pain.

I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I’ll stay with them. I won’t leave their side until—” I couldn’t say it. I didn’t have to.

I strolled toward them and sank down beside them, patting their old bodies. Bandit met my gaze and deep down I knew Cara was right. It was only a matter of hours, maybe less. Bandit had waited for me to return home. I lay down on the warm lawn, my arm wrapped around Bandit and Coco, who hadn’t moved from his side in days.

The sun soon set and the temperature began to cool, but I didn’t stir. My own needs seemed irrelevant as I stroked Bandit’s side. Cara had only briefly come over to give him a big piece of sausage with pain meds.

Soon I felt Bandit’s breathing slow, the fall and rise of his chest under my palm almost unnoticeable now. Coco snuggled even closer to him and then his breathing stopped. I kept stroking his chest, even though it had stilled. Coco let out a low whine. I stroked her ears and neck, trying to comfort her.

Wetness hit my cheek and I looked up, expecting rain until I realized I was crying. Neither Coco nor I moved from Bandit’s side until sunrise. Then I began digging a hole and buried my friend. Coco curled up on the grave and I stayed at her side, stroking her soft fur.

I reduced my workload drastically in the following days and Cara stayed with Coco whenever I couldn’t, but like Bandit, Coco waited until I was home before she too fell asleep forever in my arms on Bandit’s grave. I buried her beside him, so they’d forever be at each other’s side.

Taking a deep breath and dragging myself out of the past, I followed the joyful screams of the boys into the yard. The sight before me quieted the violent vibes in my body. Cara sat on the lawn with our dogs, and our boys played with each other.

They looked carefree and happy, something I’d never experienced as a child. Maybe that was why it had taken some convincing on Cara’s part before I could see that Maximus and Primo looked like me. They had my eyes and sharp features, but Cara’s hair color. My face as a boy had never been filled with so much joy, so recognizing my facial features in them took imagination.

Maximus and Primo spotted me at the same time, and before Cara who was petting Buddy and Daisy.

I opened my arms and squatted. Seconds later both boys flew into my arms, almost causing me to fall back. They were growing so fast. I stood, lifting them up.

Cara glanced over her shoulder and smiled. I walked over to her. Buddy and Daisy wagged their tails excitedly. Cara stood and pressed a kiss to my lips, searching my eyes. The darkness in them wouldn’t completely be gone yet. It took a while, especially after particularly brutal days like today. “Why don’t you play with the boys for a bit? Then I can finish my workout.”

I nodded, grateful that she knew I needed to take my mind off things and didn’t want to talk. With another smile, Cara turned and headed back to the patio with the dogs at her heels. She was dressed in only tight workout shorts and a tank, looking ready to be devoured.

“Carousel!” Maximus exclaimed, drawing my attention back to my boys.

I set Primo down despite his protest, grabbed Maximus’ hands and started spinning. Afterward, it was Primo’s turn. I kept playing carousel until I was dizzy and had to lie down, which the boys used to climb on top of me and try to tackle me.

Cara watched us for a long time until she finally went inside, probably to have a post-workout snack and take a shower.

Primo yawned and Maximus, too, looked tired. “Time for your afternoon nap.”

“No!” both cried but I picked them up and carried them inside. Soon they quieted.

Tiredness usually won out after we played together. The boys still shared a room because they slept better with company. Once they were both tucked in, I closed their door and stalked into Cara’s and my bedroom. The shower was still running and when I stepped into the bathroom, everything was fogged up. Cara’s eyes were closed as she let the water rain down on her. I shrugged out of my clothes and prowled toward her, my cock already hardening. Cara’s eyes peeled open a second before my fingers curled around her throat and my lips crashed down on hers for a harsh kiss. I pressed her against the tiles, my tongue thrusting into her surprise widened mouth and my cock digging against her stomach. Her nails trailing over my chest, she sank down. My fingers tangled in her hair and guided her head toward my cock. She took me into her mouth. I braced myself against the tiles, breathing harshly as I watched her work my length.

I pulled her to her feet and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around my hips immediately. With a hard thrust, I impaled her on my length as I pressed her against the wall.

I lost all sense of time as I slammed into Cara and soon the violence of the day was nothing but a distant echo. When Cara’s muscles clenched around me and she came with a cry, I let loose as well. Eventually we both stood under the spray, breathing harshly, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Better?” Cara asked quietly.

“You and the boys are the antidote to my rage. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She took my hand and led me out of the shower. We towel dried quickly before we slipped into our bed. Cara stroked my chest. “You won’t ever be without us. You’re stuck with me and our boys.”

The End