For Logan (Chicago Syndicate Book 5) Read online

  Still, I can’t refrain from prying into Syndicate business. I haven’t forgotten about Mykhail and Adam, who’re hiding in my pool house.

  “Did the Syndicate end all members of the Ukrainian mafia, Logan?”

  “Pretty much,” he answers straightforwardly, astounding me.

  “And Dimitri and Mykhail? Are they dead too?” I ask in a casual manner, faking that I’m mildly interested.

  “No. They’re still on the run.”

  Logan has been the only person connected with the Syndicate who’s been forthcoming with me so far, so I continue to probe, “If the Syndicate captures Mykhail, will they kill him?”

  This question seems to make him apprehensive. He narrows his eyes, yet responds, “Yes. He’s a liability to them. He knows who the high ranking men are and about the drugs being sold in the club. That’s how this world works, cricket.”

  “Even if he’s innocent?”

  “He isn’t. No one’s innocent once you’re part of the mafia. I’m sure Mykhail has blood on his hands too, Rosa. Just like you now. This is what your family does.”

  Fuck. I can’t confide in the Syndicate then. My father would probably kill Mykhail without my knowledge and lie to me about it. Before Logan becomes even more suspicious, I stop my interrogation and rest my hands on his arms, which are still wrapped around me.

  “Why do you hate it when I call you Rosa,” he wonders aloud out of nowhere.

  “I don’t hate it; it’s just not my name. Like if I called you Tom.”

  “What kind of comparison is that? Rosa is an abbreviation of Rosalia.”

  “Fine, then it’s like if I called you Log, short for Logan.”

  “Log...I’ll take it.” He smiles. “But it’s still not a better argument, Rosa. Log doesn’t sound that bad.”

  I blow out a puff of air through my lips. “It’s impossible to insult you.”

  “It’s part of my charm,” he retorts dryly and clutches me tighter.

  When I look back over my shoulder, his face is so close to mine that our noses almost touch. His hands weave into my hair as I twirl around on the platform, and he rests his forehead on mine.

  “I think it’s time we kiss,” he whispers.

  We lock eyes under a starry sky. Then he fists my hair and crushes my mouth against his, pulling me into a long awaited kiss on the rooftop of this magical place on this winter’s night. Our kiss is as untamed as the wind swirling around us while our tongues partner in a stirring dance and all my senses open like floodgates. It’s better than anything I’ve ever experienced before.

  This is a man who knows how to give ultimate pleasure, who knows what he wants, who knows what he’s doing. This is the start of something much greater than this kiss implies.

  Growling, he entwines our tongues, conquering me, and I match his demanding tempo with the same hunger. It’s a submission and a possession as sparks flicker to life in my lower belly. Breathing heavily, Logan nips my bottom lip, pulling it between his teeth and letting go slowly. As he retreats, I chase his kiss, and while he massages my scalp, I moan in delight.

  Then my phone chimes from my dress pocket, and he steps back from the platform, giving me space to answer if I wish. He might be an ass at times, but he’s a gentleman-ass, nonetheless.

  I’m not interested one bit in answering and don’t move, so he braces his large hands firmly on either side of my waist, lifting me up and giving me a bruising kiss before placing me back on the ground.

  “You. Are. Trouble,” he points out and strolls to the sofa, expecting me to join him.

  I comply, flinging his suit jacket that I was wearing aside and sitting next to him. But just as he’s about to speak, my phone beeps again.

  “Shouldn’t you answer that?”

  After I take it out and silence it, it keeps on vibrating, so Logan removes it from my hand.

  “No.” I extend my arm, leaning over him as he holds it up out of my reach. It could be one of my friends who has a tendency to send me R-rated stuff.

  But I’m too late as he taps the message, and of course, it’s a porn video and a girl whimpers annoyingly loudly.

  I shrink back against the cushions as he shows me the phone with a huge grin. “How old is the porn you watch? This is really bad quality,” he teases but doesn’t press stop.

  “It’s not that bad. Let me see.” I try to grab the phone again, but he holds up his arm. To get a higher reach, I kneel on the sofa, placing my palm on his warm chest, steadying myself. “You just want me to straddle you.”

  In response, a lazy grin crosses his face. My treacherous heart is no match for a flirtatious Logan. In a flash, he tosses the phone aside and grasps my behind with both hands, positioning me astride him as he leans back against the couch.

  He massages the globes of my ass, sliding me over his hardening arousal. “I wasn’t happy to find you gone last night, Rosa. And knowing you were in a room close by had me sleeping with a hard-on.”

  “Mary slept in my room, so I couldn’t sneak out.”

  “You kept me waiting, cricket.” He thrusts his hips up, and I topple forward, angling my mouth over his and threading my fingers into his thick blond hair as he growls in pleasure.

  Circling my hips, I revel in the wonderful friction and ache to taste him. My nails scrape down his chest, and I tentatively pull up his dress shirt, but he seems to sense my indecision, so he unbuttons it, baring his bronzed skin.

  Holy crap. His flexing muscles never fail to enthrall me, and I lose my nerve, uncertain how to proceed. I’ve done this before but never felt this aroused or wanted to please a man as much as I do now.

  He expertly guides me to kneel in front of him as our heavy breathing cuts through the air. Unfastening his pants, I fold my fingers around his massive erection, which is hard as steel, thoroughly surpassing all of my previous experiences.

  “Ah, Rosa,” he whispers as I lean forward and lick the tip. “Suck it.”

  The order is so heady it launches a tingle in my lower belly. I obey, wrapping my lips around the velvet skin while I pump him, making Logan’s hips buck up. Moaning from his compelling taste and smell, I peer up to find him watching me.

  His hands make a ponytail of my hair, holding it tight at the base. “Harder, cricket. God, your mouth feels so good.” When he caresses my dimple, he makes me feel precious.

  He then starts to move his hips faster, brutally fucking my mouth as I grip his powerful thighs. It’s passion like I never knew existed. This is what I’ve yearned for, the madness of unrestrained longing. While securing my hair in a tight grasp, Logan hits the back of my throat, using me, and I become lost in his smoldering desire.

  “I’m going to come in your mouth. Take it,” he groans.

  His dirty talk makes me want to rub myself.

  “Swallow,” he commands.

  I mewl, and he pumps up two times until the tremble in his knees become a shake. “Fuck!” He quivers once more and rears back, his scorching gaze not leaving my face as he fills my mouth.

  Swallowing, I sit up. Logan recovers and snares my wrist, dragging me close and pressing a kiss behind the silken skin of my ear in a tender gesture.

  “Your turn. I’ve had one taste, and now, I need more, sweet Rosa.”

  He arranges me on my hands and knees on the sofa, sitting behind me as his palms rove up my thighs and over my hips, bunching the skirt of my dress over my ass. After nudging my panties aside, he licks me eagerly.

  “Logan!” I arch, throwing my head back, and stare at a twinkling sky, meshing myself against his mouth as he gropes my ass and flicks his tongue.

  Kneeling up behind me, he guides me back against his chest as he rests on his haunches, cupping me between my legs and pushing his fingers underneath my already-wet panties. My head falls against his chest, and his mouth slants over mine as he ferociously fondles my breast, swelling against my behind when I grind into him. Then he plunges a finger inside and I tense – my eyes flying open as I land
back on earth.

  “Fuck, you’re so tight,” he utters, moving his finger and stopping before he pulls back. “Are you a virgin, Rosa?” In a split-second, he spins me around, pushing me onto my back on the sofa, and cups my chin. “Have you ever had sex?”

  I gulp and confess, “No.”

  Confusion flares. “How’s that possible? You’re so sexual.”

  “I watch porn – as you know. I know about sex; I just haven’t done the actual act.”

  He releases my chin, buries his face in my neck, and sighs.

  “What does that mean?” Nervousness pads my stomach as I comb my hand through his hair.

  He sighs again – as if that answers my question, which it doesn’t.

  Instead, he looks up and asks, “Why not?”

  “Because I’ve never had a serious boyfriend. Because I’m a Catholic. I’d intended to only sleep with my husband.”

  He’s eerily still before he says, “Then what are we doing?”

  I swallow through my sudden dry throat. “I got caught up in everything.”

  “Fuck!” Logan hoists himself up in a violent shove, and I miss the heat of him as tension coils his body.

  “You should’ve told me.” He buttons up furiously as I jump up as well.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I know I should’ve, but I wanted to be with you without it going that far. I just didn’t know how to tell you. Are you mad?”

  “Of course I am! I need to go.”

  “You fuck so many women. What’s the problem here?”

  “Don’t fucking do that,” he remarks, disappointed.

  “You’re leaving because I’m a virgin? I thought you weren’t a gentleman?”

  “Trust me”—he stares into my eyes and speaks the words without irony or innuendo—“I’m not. I knew you were trouble. I don’t ever bring anyone up here.”

  “You wanted this as badly as I do,” I fire back.

  “No, I wanted it more,” he concludes and strides toward the glass doors.

  His sharp retort sets me on edge. Fitfully, I right my dress and run after him, refusing to let it end like this.

  CHAPTER 14

  Logan

  Antagonized by a wide array of clashing sensations, I burst through Club 7 and ignore everyone in my path. I keep thinking about the sound Rosa made while I fucked her mouth. The mental picture causes me to bump into a chair, and I kick it aside. As I hurry up the staircase and turn the corner at the top toward Adriano’s office, I see Rosa following me.

  The only reaction she provokes in me is non-stop lust these days. I want her with a vicious passion, especially now that I’ve had a taste. Ordinarily, I’d satiate it and move the fuck on, but she’s always derailing my plans.

  Fortunately, Luca and James have returned. With any luck, they’ll have an update. I look at Rosa intentionally once before stepping inside and closing the door, anticipating she won’t have the guts to knock and be that careless about being seen with me.

  “Where did you come from?” asks Luca, who’s settled in Adriano’s chair behind the desk with James and several captains around him. He scans my untucked shirt and loosened bow tie.

  I forgot my jacket on the rooftop. “CIA event. I shed my tux.” Assembling my rampant thoughts proves to be difficult. I still attempt to concentrate on the task at hand and claim one of the padded chairs opposite Luca. “Did you find Dimitri?”

  “Not yet. All the highest ranks have been killed and we have some men in custody. Henry’s shutting their entire operation down,” Luca replies, appearing exhausted.

  “Now what?” I inquire.

  “If we find Mykhail Medlov, we’ll probably find Dimitri,” James speaks up and sets his gun on the surface of the black desk. “At least we’re all safe and can go home since Dimitri’s crew has been dismantled.”

  “Any leads on Mykhail?”

  “No, he’s vanished,” Luca answers. “You and Henry should try to track down the little brother, Adam. Chances are, they’re together. Does he go to preschool? If so, maybe someone there knows something?”

  “I’ll get on that first thing tomorrow,” I inform him, scrubbing my hand over my mouth as I struggle to keep my mind from wandering to Rosa with her legs spread wide while I feast on her.

  “...we can take care of it this upcoming weekend. Okay, Wade?” Luca says.

  I’m rarely in a position where I have no idea which way to go. My body says to take what she’s offering. But a small voice is warning me that it could lead to too many complications. She’s a virgin – it never crossed my mind.

  “Wade?” Luca states.

  Did Luca ask me a question? I can’t even remember.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Adriano and I discussed your membership. It’s time we make it official; next weekend, okay?”

  This is good news. My tightly scheduled plans, which were disrupted by a provocative beauty, are back on track. Once I’m pledged in, I’ll have monetary funds to do what I want. Even Luca is warming up to me, and I’m not jeopardizing that by getting involved with one of their women.

  Although it’s too late.

  This family is dragging me into their midst with Rosa leading the group in full force. I’m also starting to enjoy being one half of a whole for the first in time years. Up to now, it’s always been just me and Nana.

  “Yes, that’d be great. I’ve shown my dedication.”

  Out of the blue, Fallon charges into the office and Luca goes to her in an instant, not bothered that his wife interrupted us without knocking. They hug and whisper to each other.

  Everyone looks away to grant them some privacy, and James heads to the door. “I’m going to Alessa.”

  So who’s taking Rosa home?

  “Can you leave too, Luca?” Fallon asks him.

  “Si, dolcezza. We’ll leave now.” They clasp hands and both seem to relax now that they’re back together.

  “Where’s Rosa?” Apparently, her bluntness is rubbing off on me.

  “A guard’s taking her home,” Fallon responds.

  “Which one?” I continue with my questions without thinking clearly.

  A grin flicks across Luca’s face.

  “What?” I grind out and repeat, “Who? One of the men?” I bet that guard who gave her the addictive drink was all too happy to drive her home.

  “What’s wrong with you? Yes, one of the men,” she tells me and addresses Luca again immediately, “Come on.”

  As she tugs him out, I take off as well.

  Instead of going home, I’m maneuvering my car in the dead of night toward Lincoln Park. As usual, my thoughts are three paces ahead of my judgment. I’m imagining Rosa, breathless. Beneath me. Naked.

  Just wait until you’re initiated.

  The ability to make rational decisions has evidently left me, because within half an hour, I’m pulling up the driveway at the back of the mansion, near the pool house. Lights are on, yet all the curtains are closed.

  Getting out of my car, I move toward the front entrance and try to slide the glass door open, but it’s locked. When I knock, I hear a rustle of movement and then cautious footsteps. I definitely detected more than one person. On instinct, my hand goes to my gun that’s tucked into the back waistband of my slacks.

  Rosa inches open the curtain, and her eyes widen as she sees me.

  “What the fuck’s going on in there?” I point my finger sideways, ordering her to unlock the door as uneasiness I don’t dare to guess the cause of skulks over my skin.

  That guard better not be in there with her.

  CHAPTER 15

  Rosalia

  “Thank you for bringing me home,” I say goodbye to the guard and watch his SUV drive away.

  Hurriedly, I rummage through my purse to search for my keys and find the right one, pushing it into the lock and stepping over the threshold.

  “Mykhail?” I call as I lock the door and let the heavy ecru floor-to-ceiling curtains fall back into place.

&
nbsp; He comes out of the adjacent bathroom with Adam in his arms. When I wave at Adam, he mirrors the action energetically. He’s in his pajamas but wide awake at this late hour.

  “Remember Rosalia?” Mykhail combs Adam’s curls from his forehead, and he nods as I toss my purse onto the turquoise pillows on my bed to my left. “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “Yes, your father’s members were either killed or captured last night. Apparently, they’ve found everyone except you two. Do you have any idea where Dimitri is?”

  “No. I’ve been racking my brain all night.” Mykhail shifts closer.

  I tickle Adam, who giggles and cuddles into his brother, sticking his thumb in his mouth. Mykhail pulls his arm down calmly. Then Adam abruptly freezes as if he’s petrified, his eyes swelling with tears.

  “What’s wrong, sweetie?” His frightened reaction pains my soul.

  “I’m not gonna do it again,” he swears with a tremble in his voice.

  “That’s okay. We’re not angry. Why are you so upset?” I ask, caressing my hand over his curls to set him at ease.

  “Daddy’s going to hit me again.” His face turns red as he begins to bawl.

  I watch Mykhail, whose nostrils are flaring as we come to the same conclusion; Dimitri punished Adam relentlessly.

  “Son of a bitch,” I mouth to Mykhail, taking Adam from him and keeping him secured on my hip.

  His tiny arms lash around my neck as he sobs, so I rub his back. “No one’s ever going to hit you again, Adam. I don’t want you to be afraid to suck your thumb or tell us something because you’re scared of how we’ll react. We won’t hit you like Daddy did, okay?”

  He sniffs, soothed, but doesn’t reply. To make him feel secure, I hug him firmly, and after a few minutes, Adam starts to toy with my gold-plated cross pendant.

  Mykhail continues, “If all the high ranking men of the Ukrainian mafia have been murdered, then that means that Adam and I are completely alone.”

  “No,” I object, resting my cheek on Adam’s head. “You have me. And if we know where your father is, then the Syndicate might help you.”

  “Have you asked what they’d do if they found me or Adam?”