TILL D£ATH DO US APART
(The•Devil•I•Loved)
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Copyright © 2025
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★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
The domination didn’t stay with Leonardo for even two seconds before Ivanna took over again.
She left an hand around his shoulder, then dragged her second hand to his throat, grabbing it.
Leonardo’s breaths turned thick—heavy with both need and hunger. Like he’s not always hungry whenever her lips are in his mouth.
Ivanna was caressing his neck as the kiss went rough… rougher.
They’ve left the threshold, and the contents of Ivanna’s bag are already scattered on the ground.
She had matched it blindly.
Her back slammed on the wall of his bedroom, and she gasped widely, no time to wonder how they got there that fast. She just….kissed him.
His hand inside her jean pants finally reached her core, and she jerked, her breaths climbing high when the warmness brushed her slit.
She broke the kiss, her brows arched and her eyes so high as they stared at his expressive eyes.
“You’re wet… Your p+×xy is so damn soaked…for me…” He whispered, placing his thumb on her entrance, teasing and rubbing.
Ivanna opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her brows just arched deeper in the middle, and the look of highness got worse.
“You want me to touch your pretty little p+×xy till you c+m? Hmm? Joy…” He whispered lower, pressing his thumb deeper inside her.
She held her breaths, looking so fuckin deep into his eyes, his hand moving sinfully under her pants.
The fact that she got off an 8 hours flight less than two hours ago didn’t ruffle her. The fact that she came here for a completely different purpose didn’t matter.
The fact that her p+xy is fluttering around his thumb right now, and the fact that she’s so wet it’s soaking her jean already is so scary.
She opened her mouth to talk again, but that was when he moved that thumb, driving it into her cl1+, but almost immediately—before she could feel it, he withdrew it…
“Stop….” She whispered, half-plea, half-warning.
Her n+ples went painfully £r+ct in her bralette. Her toes went folded inside her boots. Her body became insanely turned on.
Just a thumb?
F+k…
“Tell me… Darling. You want me to touch you till you explode? You want me to take care of your needy p+xy and make you scream this Suite down?” He whispered again, holding her waist with his second hand.
His thumb pinched her quivering clî+, and when her mouth opened again, she couldn’t answer.
She bit her lip.
“I wouldn’t,” he inhaled the vanilla scent from her neck. His mouth latched to that neck, trailing hot, wet kisses down her throat, his teeth scraping against her pulse.
She felt embarrassingly wet, her ar+usal pouring again, making every movement of the thumb against her even more torturous.
He kneaded her br+sts, squeezing it with her top, hard enough to make her whimper sharply.
He removed his thumb from her core, bringing it out from under her jean. When she saw how her ar+usal coated his thumb, her cheeks heated.
“Look at you,” his voice is raw, desire-filled, wet against her skin. “F+kin dripping for me, and I haven’t even given you my c+k yet.
He licked that thumb, using his tongue again…. that damn tongue.
He made it a show and made sure she watched as he licked, slowly. He was looking at her, his gaze killing.
Her skin burned, her body melted as his hand traced down her spine. Slow. Teasing, Deliberate.
She shivered and let out a breathless whimper, her lips trailing over his jaw, then lower…to his neck and shoulder. She kissed, sucked, bit.
Claiming him the way she knew he wanted to claim her.
And then just when she thought he might finally give her what she craved, Leonardo gripped her hips, holding her still and torturing her with anticipation.
She gasped, arching against him, his lips brushing her ears.
“You want me to touch your beautifully soaked p+xy, darling?”
And she finally broke… unable to take the building tension anymore.
“I need your fingers…touch my cl1+…f+k…touch me, Nardo…”
Leonardo gave her a loose smirk which barely touched her eyes before it disappeared, and his lips claimed hers again. The kiss stole her breaths, stole her senses.
She wrapped her arms on his body this time…his large, well-built body, feeling every ab, every muscular curve, every flesh.
They were inside the bedroom in a breath, and when he lifted her off the ground to place on a table, she didn’t have the chance to ask why there’s a silver table in this room or why there’s a mirror in front of the table.
This feels like that time when they were in the crypt all-over again, only that this time she’s doing it willingly.
Leonardo pulled her legs apart, spreading them good while still kissing her.”You are reading from www.mhiztaemy.com.ng” Her jean p+nts was dragged down her legs, and the thick material hit the floor lightly.
Now only her p+nty is covering her @rse, and the net material showed just how wet she was.
It’s trickling out of her thighs—the julces. He ran his perfect palms on her inner thighs.
He collected her wetness from her p+nty and rubbed it on those clean thighs, kissing her deeper like he wants to murder her with it.
Like he was hired to kiss her to death. Her body stayed charged, her p+xy pulsing, her stomach clenching.
Her boots came off with the jean p+nts earlier, so they’re scattered in the room, and as he kissed her, she inhaled him too.
His cedar scent. The scent of sin. The wild, seductive fragrance.
She m+aned, twice.
She expected him to take off the p+nty too, but he only shifted it to one side, revealing her p+xy.
It shared the same colour with her tongue—pink. Deep pink. Beautifully carved. The cl1+ sat prettily in the middle, and it’s open readily already for penetration.
Ivanna opened her eyes and stared at her own open pu+xy reflection in that mirror, and it’s even scarier than she doesn’t feel ashamed right now. Instead, it’s impatience.
Leonardo broke the kiss to have a look at it, and needles to say…he was mesmerized… It showed in the way his eyes stayed there without moving.
“Like what you see?” Ivanna whispered, grabbing a handful of his hair to shove his face closer.
“Let me show you…” He replied in a hush, going down in half.
He rammed two fingers inside her opening, going all in, and as if that wasn’t enough, his head went down too, and his lips covered her cl1t.
He began licking, fingering and tonguing her at the same time.
“Ahhhh…..” Ivanna trembled,…. feeling the tongue lick …
“Ahhhhh….oh my f+kin…. Nardo….” She screamed, grabbing his hair in a fistful when she felt his kiss.
He kissed her p+xy.
“Ohhh….mmn…gawd!!!!” She screamed again when his fingers shifted her arse on the table.
The wicked fingers penetrated deep.
She fell from her high into a higher altitude and floated in a strange galaxy she can’t name.
Her soul rotated in a universe she had no idea existed.
He had barely used two minute devouring her when she came warmly in his mouth…
She’s already so stimulated it’s making her head bang.
Leonardo swallowed her slick juices, licked her sweet addictive pu+xy and began sucking it again, bending his fingers and curling the tongue.
He ate, madly.
Her eyes blurred.
“Ahh…shhhh….dammmmmnnn….”
—
[Umbra Hotel]Hayden is staying in this hotel, and so is Moo. It’s not very far from Hertfordshire, just three minutes drive apart from each other, to keep an eye on Leonardo.
Moo stayed in her own room, controlling a drone around the atmosphere.
Through the drone, she’s looking at Hertfordshire hotel right now.
She sat in front of her laptop in the balcony, legs mounted as she controlled the drone and stared at her laptop screen at the same time.
Her mouth closed on the cigar between her lips, and she released smokes from her nose.
She knew when Ivanna entered the hotel, and as expected, she hasn’t exited since an hour ago.
“You must be having a great night, Leonardo Esposito.” Moo smiled, relaxing on the sofa.
She used an hand for the controller and picked her phone with the second hand.
She easily clicked on Hayden’s room camera.
Before Monika sent Hayden here, she booked this hotel for him, and his Suite camera was connected to Moo’s phone, so she can watch him too.
But immediately she clicked on the camera icon, she saw him coming out of the bathroom, wearing his towel only on his waist.
Moo froze. Her fingers slipped away from the drone controller, and she didn’t even notice it slipped.
She stared at Hayden’s muscle packs for longer than she could calculate. The pelvis, the jaw, the chest, the…
A firework which blew up in the sky in front of her balcony made her come back to her senses.
She snapped out of it and slapped the camera pause, then her eyes went to her drone controller.
She lost the control already, and on her laptop screen, there’s a gas station instead of Hertfordshire hotel, meaning the drone fell.
“F+k!” She cussed.
—
[Hayden’s Suite]Hayden just finished cleaning up. He’d have done it since an hour ago, but when he arrived, the fireworks in the sky caught his attention, so he stood on the balcony to watch the display to his fill.
He only left the balcony some minutes ago to go shower.
He threw on joggers and a compression shirt, then he sat on his bed and released a sigh.
He smiled when he remembered that on Christmas Eve four years ago, he had left his house, and Ivanna left her parents and siblings too, then they both lodged in a hotel and had the best Christmas of their lives.
But now it’s just…null.
He shut his eyes and opened it, and he instantly sighted the room camera.
He frowned, then picked up the vacuum cleaner.
He climbed a stool and slammed the cleaner on the camera repeatedly, shattering it to pieces.
Then…he checked the entire suite too for any sign of more cameras.
None.
Feeling safe and unwatched, he stopped the search and picked his microscope from the bed.
He went to the balcony again, positioning the microscope on his focused eyes.
Even from here, he could see Hertfordshire.
Leonardo’s Suite lights are still on, meaning he’s still up.
The bastard must be f+kin’ a wh+re right now since he’s a whore himself.
Hayden lowered the microscope and smirked, resting his palms on the railings slowly.
Tommorow it is.
—
[Chicago, Drugs Control Office]It’s 8pm, still early night here, and snow is pouring aggressively, decking the streets with the whiteness.
Nino and Sandra are outside the building… inside their car… waiting.
They parked under the canopy of a tree though, so they’re unsuspected.
The CEO finally came to work today, and unluckily for him, tonight is his last night of living.
Too bad he won’t be celebrating Christmas tommorow.
There has been silence in the car since Sandra and Nino got here.
Nino’s mind is all about Ivanna.
What’s she doing right now? What the hell is Leonardo doing to her?
What are they…
“As much as silence makes you look attractive, I still don’t like it. I really hate when people ignore me.” Sandra suddenly said beside him.
“I’m not in the mood for your bossiness, Miss Sandra.” He replied, staring at the office.
“How many years are you ahead of me with? Talk to me…” She said, intentionally poking him.
“Miss Cardi was still in VV’s womb when I was brought here, and you were born two years after Miss Cardi was born. I’m three years older than you…can you rest now?” He faced her
“And if I say no?” She scoffed.
“Wrap it up already, please! You’re not Ivanna and I don’t even wanna see your face right now! I don’t wanna be here with you! The fact that you’re not currently making me wash your undies doesn’t mean you get to egg me with words!” He shouted ragingly.
Sandra suddenly lowered his seat, so she got the space to place her elbow on his chest, pressing him.
“Wow…so you miss her? You miss Ivanna?” She scoffed.
“Yes! And?” Nino breathed.
“You’re insane! How dare you even say that to my face!” Sandra poked his chest with that elbow.
“Why should I not say it? Give me one reason? I can’t be missing you instead, can I?” He glared.
“You bastard!” Sandra hooked his tummy, and he groaned, but he pushed her off when he saw the CEO coming out of the office with his guards around him like chicks.
Sandra calmed down too, and Nino grabbed the steering wheel.
The goal is to not target them in front of that office, so they followed the CEO’s car.
Nino drove with caution, but it wasn’t enough, cos when the CEO noticed he’s being followed, he sped up, with careless reckless speed.
Nino left that lane, and he rolled his car into an overpass.
“What are you even doing! We’re going to lose him!” Sandra pulled his hands, but he jerked her off and crossed his leg over her laps, placing the leg on the second door with readiness to kick it open when it’s time. He sped down that overpass, and Sandra had to hold his leg for balance, her vision shook.
She was seeing triples, and her nails dug into his legs as the speed went murderous towards the end of the pass, but Nino didn’t even acknowledge her.
He slid to the end of the pass with his tires howling, and Sandra’s breaths caught in her throat..
Nino picked up race again.
He has actually caught up with the CEO’s car. The overpass was a deception to make them think he’s not following them again.
Now he’s right behind his car. He knocked his own car into the car from behind, and the car lost control despite the tons of guards inside.
They couldn’t bring the car back to lane, till it collided with a flowerbed in the middle of the road.
Nino and Sandra jumped down from their car, and the CEO’s guards jumped out too, but the two were more than enough.
Total elimination.
Sandra used the anger she accumulated from Nino’s rough drive, and she battered the guards like their life is on a level with a lamb’s. She totally ruined the faces of two of them, using her knees and knuckles. She didn’t even need brass knuckles, her knuckles are sharp.
With blood on her face, she dropped the bodies on the ground one after the other. She looked behind to see Nino cracking the necks of the other two guards in the middle of the road.
The CEO was already running away, but Sandra dragged him back and kicked him into his car.
His pleas were unheard. No pity. No joy. Just atonement. He was locked in.
Nino got a long, fat rope out of their car trunk, and together with Sandra, he rolled the rope around the CEO’s car, clipping the windows and doors tightly shut.
Nino pulled out a time bomb that’s already set. He threw it at Sandra who caught it smoothly.
Sandra rolled down the front window, and her deadly dark eyes met the CEO’s.
She touched his face, and he peed fearfully on his car seat.
“The…The Outfit…” His eyes shone with undiluted horror.
“You fear that name this much, and you still dared to lie? With your fake articles?” Sandra smiled.
“I didn’t lie! I was only besieging the government to ban your velkrona drug like it has been banned in other countries so it won’t continue driving people mad! Twenty people are in the psych ward already!” He shivered.
“Then why did you write 23 in your article this morning?” Sandra blinked.
“I only wanted the government to answer quicker but even with that, they did nothing! The government are scared of you mobsters that they can’t help! I’m just an harmless individual!”
“The government did nothing, that should tell you what you need to know, that we control the government too. 20 people ran mad cos of the drug already, but our warehouse is still selling out everyday. That should tell you that no matter what, human greed for highness will never end, and we’re always available to satisfy their cravings! You’d be shocked to hear the names of top politicians who buys that drug! Stopping the sale is impossible!” Sandra laughed.
“Don’t…. don’t kill me….” He rubbed his palms together, Sandra sighed.
“I’ve never spared a life that I was supposed to kill. Goodbye, CEO… I’ll send a bulky Christmas tree to your house tomorrow…” She winked, threw the bomb in the car and walked away from it.
The yells and kickings of the CEO resounded, in a tireless loop.
Nino joined Sandra, and they both got back in their car from each side.
As Nino drove away, the CEO’s car blew up brightly.
“That was clean,” Nino muttered, an obvious praise.
“Praise unaccepted.” Sandra replied.
She expected Nino to talk again, but nothing came from him.
“Stronzo….” She smacked her lips.
—
[Britain, Hertfordshire Hotel]Leonardo’s head only came up after he chewed on her opening till she became too overstimulated.
She came in his mouth five times, but it doesn’t even look like he’s satisfied with the five times.
And throughout the ministration, he never took off her panty. It was shifted to a side throughout.
Maybe that’s a kink, and Ivanna happened to like it.
When his head raised, he kissed her, again. She breathed heavily on his lips, her fingers threading his hair.
Before she knew it, he was already undoing his belt.
She broke the kiss and quickly got down from the table, grabbing his bedspread to cover herself.
His face twisted…
“I only said touching…I didn’t mention fûck…” She muttered.
“You told me you missed me only to get access inside, witch…” He replied, still licking his lips.
He’s literally licking her on his lips, and is that supposed to look this hot?
Also… there’s a bulge in his pants…she’s clearly seeing it.
She stared at his lips, than at his bulge before replying…
“I already said I didn’t come here to fight, why not save the talk for another day? You ate me so good—so hungrily. I’m so sore and you won’t even offer me a bath?”
“You took classes on how to ruin moods, you can’t tell me otherwise…” He groaned, walking to his wardrobe.
He fished out his spare towel, and instead of throwing it at her as usual, he walked back to her.
She took it and let go of the bedspread, wrapping the towel on herself together with her top.
“There, the bathroom…” He tilted his head at the other door.
“Thank you, d+k!” She smiled, rushing into the bathroom.
“No don’t make me enter that bathroom with you. You won’t f+kin like it…” He replied, pocketing his hands slowing.
“Hmm…mouth!” She winked, and he smiled with his sleepy eyes.
She shut the door, stripped completely and entered the tub.
The warmness and soothing nature of the water is just like his fingers, and her body embraced it immediately.
His soap smells like cedar—his body scent, but it has a slight hint of caramel and if you don’t calmly perceive it well, you won’t know.
Caramel, candy, sweets, cakes, ice cream….
All of these are in the same category of the sweet things he was forbidden from eating by his mother.
No wonder he kept a large book about sweet things in his gym. Does that mean he craves sweet things but he still can’t eat them cos…
He’s still trapped in his mother’s madness doctrines?
But he had to mix caramel smell with his soap smell just to perceive the smell even if he can’t eat it.
And no wonder he loves sniffing her neck…he must like her vanilla scent so much cos of this.
She smiled slightly, then went underwater, dipping herself for minutes and practicing breath holding again before coming out.
She rinsed herself and left the bathroom in twenty more minutes.
She used his body cream. It smells like cedar too, but it has a faint underlaying smell of sweet honey.
“He hides his desires so well….” She muttered, creaming.
But then, he’s not good at hiding his desires when it comes to her.
Her head did a spin-back to when he was eating her cl1t, and she bit the inside of her mouth as heat warmed her cheeks. She feels too good.
Surprisingly, her backpack is already sitting in bed.
He must have dropped it for her.
She picked out bum shorts from it, then went to his closet and picked out one of his armless shirts.
She wore the combo and left the room, meeting him in the living room where he’s sitting with a book to his face. It’s his ‘sweet things’ book.
“You finally took it out of the gym?” She asked, sitting beside him.
“I knew you saw it. Are you intrigued that a man like me keeps a document about sweet things?” He faced her.
Seeing his shirt on her made him smile, with his lips.
Ivanna shifted closer, holding his chin delicately.
“Are you ashamed that your underling found out your dirty little secret?” She whispered.
He stayed still, then brought an hand to her hair, touching.
“I dislike talking to you argumentatively…”
“Cos you know you can’t win if you don’t apply force?” She whispered again, and he suddenly held her neck, like he’s measuring it.
She stilled.
“You like force,” he muttered.
“No. Especially not from you. You’re spoilt, too spoilt.” She replied.
“Don’t dare use that word spoilt. It’s for a certain age….” He smirked.
“You’re just like a child in this body. Big baby…” Ivanna said through her teeth, making sure it’s unclear so he didn’t hear.
“Repeat that…” He said.
“You probably haven’t eaten…” She replied, ignoring his order.
“I ate your p+xy, it’s dinner already.” He replied, stroking her hair.
“Aren’t there meals on the table?” She pointed at the meal table.
“They went cold already,” he replied.
“Then order for another food, or no! Let’s go out and eat street foods!” She suddenly said, standing.
“Go out like that?” He said from his chair, staring at her bum shorts.
“No… Nardo, don’t start. I’m comfortable with this and i—”
He stood before she could finish, and he entered his bedroom, only to come out with one of his jean pants.
She snatched it from him with an eye roll and went inside to change.
He wore a shirt on his black singlet too, covering the tats but not all.
Ivanna hung herself on his arm and glued beside him tightly.
He dropped teasing pecks on her breàsts before they stepped out.
They left the hotel and drove into the bright streets of Britain.
—
[Chicago, Armando Mansion]Island left the clan estate and came here tonight. She moved here, literally, cos she came with her stuffs
Her right eye is very red, she’s still not seeing with it cos of the kick she received from Ivanna yesterday.
She was given a room right beside Emma’s, and she was still settling down when Emma entered with folded arms.
“You’ve been inside, settling down since thirty minutes ago. Miss Lissa said you had just twenty minutes to settle.” She said superiorly.
Island dropped the blouse she was about to tuck in her wardrobe.
“You seem to be forgetting. I was once Donna Felicia’s maid, and no one rushes me! The fact that I’m now a maid to Miss Lissa doesn’t mean you get to act out of place!”
Emma came closer, and Island’s cheeks burned when she slammed a slap to her face.
Island gasped, holding that cheek in shock. She didn’t see it coming.
“You were Felicia’s maid, but you betrayed her and now you’re here! Pay your dues bîtch, and you do not talk rashly to me! I’m like Miss Lissa’s lifeline! She can’t breathe without me! You dirty, filthy thing! Begging for Nino’s dîvk!” Emma sneered.
“Yes I begged for it, and I got in the end! I got it!” Island spranged up. “What about you? What good fûck have you ever experienced!”
Emma slapped her again.
“I did nothing to you Emmaline!!!!” Island screamed.
Emma almost slapped her for the third time, but Penny came inside, and the girls bowed.
“Didn’t know you came back from the hospital already, ma’am.” Emma said.
With scorn and irritation, Penny looked at Island.
“I have no idea why Lalissa insisted on taking you in, but I hope it’s worth it. Get to the kitchen and join the maids to cook late dinner.” She said.
“Ma?” Island looked up.
“Are you deaf?” Penny glared.
Emma smiled, and Island rushed out of the bedroom.
Emma eventually followed Penny downstairs where Lissa and Thaddeus are chatting.
Penny joined the chat, and Emma entered the kitchen to supervise the late cooking.
“I can’t believe it’s another Christmas tommorow…I’m so elated!” Lissa gushed, snapping another shot of herself for an IG post.
As she wrote a caption, Thaddeus cleared his throat…
“You visited the Padrino alone, to discuss what?”
“Nothing much, I just gave him the brooch…” She shrugged without looking up from her phone.
“Gave him the brooch without requesting anything from him?” Thaddeus smiled.
Lissa looked up.
“What are you insinuating?”
“Did you make a deal with him about where you’re hiding the Cooper couple?” Thaddeus said.
“Hiding the Cooper couple? Dad, are you high?” Lissa scoffed.
“We’ve thought about it, graded every possibility, and that’s the only outstanding one. You took the Cooper couple, so you have something to trap Ivanna with in the future, and that’s why you’ve been eating healthily since Leo disqualified you!” Penny shot from the second couch.
“Oh mum…don’t do this. I don’t wanna get an episode and stab you again!” Lissa snapped.
“What happened after Stanley died? Why did you start wanting to have Leo after Stanley’s death?” Thaddeus asked tactfully.
“Oh?” Lissa spranged up. “This is a setup? You both ganged up on me! Stop being bloody interrogators please! Merry Christmas!” She said and rushed upstairs.
“What do you think?” Penny came to sit beside Thaddeus.
“She didn’t deny and didn’t admit. She definitely has them.” Thaddeus smiled devilishly.
“That sly daughter of mine. She took after you more than me,” Penny smiled back.
She called for maids to pour them wine, and after it was brought, they clinked glasses.
Thaddeus checked the time, impatient for day to break so his spies will deliver.
“And oh…our money in the clan vault, I’ve been chewing about the movement but now is the time. Call Anthony and tell me we’re coming to load it tomorrow.” He said.
As Penny picked her phone to do that, and Emma rushed upstairs, to Lissa’s room.
Lissa is in bed, busy on her phone, but she didn’t get cranky as Emma handed her a phone.
There’s a news from the suburb that a Cooper family member is looking for the Cooper couple. It was even announced on two TV stations.
“Who’s this family member?” Lissa asked immediately.
“Leroy’s brother, but he hasn’t been communicating with the family.” Emma said.
“No wonder we’re just hearing about it. Get his address, and after tommorow’s Christmas jubilation, we’ll go pay him a visit…of death.” Lissa replied.
—
[House Of Esposito, Don Anthony’s Office]Just like last night, father and son aren’t sleeping again.
They’ve been overworking, trying to figure out Wendy’s case, and today, they finally got closer.
They got their hands on something.
That day Bobby found Wendy getting fucked by a mobster, she drank diet coke from the kitchen cos she was a lover of coke, but the strange thing is that after she drank the coke, she went to Bobby’s Suite to look for him, but he wasn’t there, so she just dragged a mobster to the oldest clan building where they fucked at.
“Wait….” Bobby stood.
“Someone obviously put something in her coke, so she felt painfully horny and came to find me in my Suite. I wasn’t there, so she was forced to fûck with that mobster.”
“Come to think of it, Felicia poisoned Nino with the black taboo rose, and he unconsciously fucked Island, what if same rose was used on Wendy!”
“No… Felicia had no reason to poison your girlfriend with the rose! No damn reason!” Anthony said.
“I know, it’s not Felicia. It’s granddad. He probably ordered that mobster to do it, then ordered that same mobster to sleep with Wendy too. Oh my shit!” Bobby’s hands entered his hair.
“F+k!!!!!”
He rushed out of the office, and when Anthony made to go after him, Penny’s call rang on his phone.
He swiped it.
“Our family money in the vault is needed. We’ll come load it tomorrow. Get the vault keys ready.” She said.
No respect. No regards.
Anthony dropped the phone, sitting back weakly.
—
[Hilda’s Apartment]Ginny and Tierney are both asleep already. It’s 11pm on the clock.
They both dozed off some minutes ago after they played video games repeatedly on their phones.
Hilda wanted to carry them inside despite her hurting back, but Nino came in luckily.
“I hate when you try to act strong, Hilda. You know your back isn’t fine, and you still want to carry them?”
Hilda straightened, smiling.
“I didn’t want to wake them. They wanted to wait till 12 and be the first to wish me Merry Christmas, Tierney even prepared his Chinese red envelopes to distribute, but they slept off after eating too much.”
Nino carried the two sleepers into the bedroom. He placed them on the same bed and exited.
Getting to the living room, he met Hilda on seat, and he simply sat with her, silently.
“How do you feel? In general?” Hilda asked straight.
“If you’re asking about Ivanna, then I dunno… I mean..I can’t just miraculously kill my feelings. She’s beautiful, strong, and tough. It’s rare to meet such.” He replied.
Hilda drank from a cup of water that’s on the table.
“She won’t like you. You’re too soft, Nino.” She said.
“What do you mean? Hayden was a soft guy too, but she dated him. I made researches about him.” Nino replied quickly.
“She dated him before she came here, Nino. Now that she’s here, maybe the environment affected her taste?” Hilda shrugged.
“Are you saying this cos you see Leo as your son? You fed me too!” Nino frowned, and Hilda sighed.
“No..I’m talking from the obvious. You saw the way she was running relentlessly towards the Citadel when it was burning yesterday, and today, she went to Britain for him. Think, Nino. Think.” She said.
Nino loosened his jaws, relaxing on the couch. He shut his eyes.
—
[Britain, A Busy Beach]It was supposed to be a short street stroll and eat, but as the minutes whiled, Ivanna and Leonardo didn’t mind staying longer.
Leonardo managed to eat just one pie. It was a forceful push from her, and he did ate it.
When they arrived at this particular sandy beach, it was filled with people waiting for 12am to hit so they’d witness the first Christmas fireworks.
It’s 11:50 right now.
Ivanna and Leonardo are among the beach crowd. Again, Ivanna had to force him to stay in the crowd, cos their red and white outfits was peeving him out.
Ivanna even bought herself a Christmas cap, and she’s currently wearing it.
It’s two, but Leonardo would rather kill everyone on this beach than wear that clownish thing on his head.
Ivanna just sat beside him on that beach beside the water.
She’s eating from the bag of goodies she’s holding—a small belt bag which she bought snacks into.
She ate a short candy from it and nodded, then she ate the banana popsicles too, and the peanuts.
As she had a taste of all the snacks, she nodded shortly, and Leonardo just stared deeply at her.
He’s smiling with his eyes again, making sure he didn’t blink so he won’t miss any second of her munching.
So much yearn in his eyes even when she’s right beside him. So much longing. He doesn’t even know how devouring his eyes looks now.
Ivanna tasted the frozen ice cream next, and she brought it to his lips, wanting him to taste.
“I’m not like you, Joy. A 27yr old with obsession over sweet things? Grow up.” He smirked, using the ring on his finger to caress her lips.
“Grow up? That sentence should be for you. Look who’s talking…” She said with a frown.
Leonardo pushed the ice cream back into her mouth, and she licked.
Maybe it won’t work if she just offers him the sweet things suddenly, maybe she has to take it slow and employ another approach.
She faced the water again, and the reflection of the moon inside it made her sigh, drawing on the sky repeatedly with her fingers.
“On Christmas Eve like this, my dad would assemble us all in the our small house yard. He’d tell moon stories, and Ginny would force I and Robert to listen with her as big as we are. If we refused, she’d throw a tantrum.” She said with a smile.
Leonardo was still staring as she talked. He already told his Chicago spies to resume her parents search, so he expects news soon.
“And your mother?” He suddenly asked, touching her neck with her thumb. He caressed.
The beach air blew her hair to her face, and he immediately arranged them with his fingers.
“My mother? She listened with us. She even enjoyed dad’s moon stories more than Ginny. I hope they’re watching the moon right now wherever you kept them.” She replied, and his fingers paused on her neck for a second.
She looked at him.
“What about you? What do you normally do on Christmas Eve?”
“I only eat under the oak tree with my siblings, but we never tell each other Merry Christmas. The day I was imprisoned in the starvation prison happened to be on Christmas Eve,…I hate the sound of Merry Christmas.” He said flatly.
“So you don’t even make a Christmas wish?” She asked, reaching for his neck too to caress it.
She counted his neck moles, there are four of them, so beautiful.
“Nardo?” She smiled, bringing her face closer to his own.
“Joy…” He replied, silently.
“Merry Christmas!!” She shouted suddenly, spranging up.
She jumped happily, chuckling as fireworks shattered across the skies, reflecting in the water.
There’s happiness in her eyes.
Real happiness.
He hasn’t seen this side of her before. This lively, baby vibes, sunshine side of her. Maybe she only shows it to certain people, and he’s just lucky.
He smiled again.
Christmas scent got stronger in the beach, and everyone began screaming too, greeting each other Merry Christmas heartily.
Leonardo didn’t want to stand, but seeing the sand stain on Ivanna’s butt, he stood and dusted it.
While he did that, she was already making her wish with closed eyes.
Two more minutes, she opened her eyes, meeting his own.
“Even if you won’t make a wish, I already made one on your behalf. If Santa preserves my life and make me live long, I’ll—mm”
She cut herself off with a moan when he claimed her lips.
He kissed her, and she rubbed the moles on his neck as she responded, but it didn’t last.
He used his tongue to push something down her throat, and she broke the kiss with wide eyes.
She held her throat.
“What the hell did you make me swallow? Leo!”
She coughed, and her eyes widened again, but she couldn’t say another word before falling.
He caught her in his arms and took her back to the car.
He drove them back to the hotel and took her back inside, laying her on the bed comfortably.
Even as she slept, he still kissed her lips like that before leaving the room
He dialled his spies.
“A drone was sighted around the two hours ago, I believe not only the Padrino has plans. Other people have plans too. Be careful, with your pet.”
“She’s not coming with me to meet the kingpin tommorow, and She’s. Not. A. Damn. Pet. She’s Ivanna.” Leonardo corrected strictly.
“Oh…” The spy sounded. “Sorry about that, Ghost. Correction taken.”
“Be on the clock tomorrow,” Leonardo said and hung up.
—
[Chicago, Toga Cartel Club]This cartel copies the Outfit, and that’s why they have a club outside their warehouse, then the warehouse is located behind.
Exactly the same setting.
From the top pavement to the down pavement and the roads surrounding the warehouse, there are guards, bouncers and protectors.
Inside the warehouse is worse. The security is so tight that even getting in requires a pass with the boss’s blood.
They’re cautious like that cos they know who they’re competing with—The Outfit, and things will go dirty if there’s a careless flop in the tightness.
Their operations start at 12am, so Bacardi and Robert are just arriving after Christmas fireworks blowed.
The clubhouse is breathing from outside, music pounding the floors and walls, orgasms already smelling, drug scents corrupting the air.
When they came down from their car in the park, Bacardi was very quick to pull Robert back by his elbow.
Whole of their drive here, they didn’t talk. Robert wouldn’t talk to her.
She has been holding it in in the car, but not anymore.
“Telling you to stay away was to protect you from my granddad. You know how psychotic he is and how strict he is about relationships. I just didn’t want you to get hurt.” She said.
“Am I a weakling to you? Do I look powerless? Is that how you see me? Boy in distress?” Robert said.
“Rob…”
“We came here for a mission, Miss Bacardi, can we handle that first?” He cut her off, but instead, she hugged him, holding him in place.
“Rob… don’t be like this….”
“Rob? This better be a joke!” A female voice said from beside them.
Bacardi let go of him, and when they both turned, Robert’s eyes widened.
It’s a slim girl, obviously Bacardi’s age. She wore a tight black dress, jimmy choo heels, and her hair obviously has extensions.
There are hefty gym-rat escorts behind her, and there’s a sense of recognition on her face.
“Rob! It’s really you!” She gasped, smiling wider.
“Alexa?” Robert said, and she nodded, rushing over to give him a hug.
She nearly pushed Bacardi away, and Bacardi couldn’t even speak.
She just watched speechlessly as Robert hugged Alexa back.
Alexa is Robert’s rich ex who followed her dad out of the country.
“Of course it’s me! What are you even doing here oh my gawd!” Alexa broke the hug to stare at him.
Luckily, both Bacardi and Robert are wearing long sleeved shirts, so their tattoos are covered—unrecognized.
“I should be asking what you’re doing here instead..” Robert said.
“What do you mean? My dad owns this Cartel, but my brothers just run it.” Alexa said, hugging Robert again.
“Toga brothers are your brothers?” Robert asked.
“Of course! Gosh! It’s been a looong time baby!” Alexa groaned.
Bacardi got back in the car immediately, driving off without waiting for Robert.
—
[Daybreak, Britain, Hertfordshire Hotel~7:30am]Leonardo did the last button of his black dress shirt and threw on his suit to match up.
Somehow, he’s glad that Christmas got busy this year. But who knows what his granddad is planning?
He hates suspense.
He adjusted his belt and checked himself out in the mirror. All he could see is Ivanna, cumming in his mouth on top of the silver table.
He looked back and stared at the feisty lady who’s still asleep in bed cos of the drug he made her swallow.
If she wakes, she’s going to throw fits around and probably hate him again for making another decision for her, but he really really wants to do this alone. It’s his mission, and no matter how hard it’d be, he’d ride ALONE.
All she has to do is sleep pretty here and reserve her toughness and energy for her own mission.
She won’t wake up till 10pm, and by then, he’d be back.
He walked to the bedside and lowered his body to hers.
He kissed her lips obsessively.
This would be the tenth time he would be kissing her since she fell into the deep sleep last night.
He can’t hold himself back, and he can’t help it at all.
He stroked her neck before walking out of the room, making sure all security icons are pressed.
He picked up the drug bag from where it’s sitting, and he left the room after wearing his earbud.
He entered the elevator, talking to his spy as the elevator went down.
“I’m meeting the kingpin in a private ranch, I’ll send you the address. Do a environmental check before I arrive.”
“But the meeting is by 8, why are you going thirty minutes before 8?” The spy asked curiously.
“I’ll be making a detour in a store. It’s Christmas today, and there’s gotta be something in the store that’d calm her hothead when she wakes,” Leonardo replied.
“Like a I’M SORRY FOR KNOCKING YOU OUT gift?” The spy said.
“Are you done?” Leonardo went deep cold on him.
“Oh…the environmental check, I copied that, but Ghost, I think you need to employ more spies in this country…” The spy replied.
“This is the only country where The Outfit influence is light, don’t blame the scantiness.” Leonardo replied, coming out of the elevator.
Now he’s walking to the park.
One steps. Two steps. Six steps.
“Stop! Ghost, Stop!” The spy shouted, nearly breaking the bud.
Leonardo retracted the step he was about to take. He stopped.
“The problem?” He muttered.
Nothing came from the other end, so he hit the bud again, signalling.
Still nothing.
He turned around, sensing danger, but it was too late.
The danger blew in front of him. It blew at his face.
The hotel blew up—the first floor of the hotel where his Suite is…
It blew up, completely.
The fire blaze shone in Leonardo’s wide eyes, and his earbud croaked before slipping out of his ear, to the ground.
“Joy……………….Joy!!!!!”
TBC.
