Ryan Newman as Maddy Leblanc-Taylor

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Fighting Temptation: Capítulo Quindici

"Tony, this may sound insensitive," I began and Antonio flicked his gaze over to me as he continued to rub my legs. "But how did your father die? Do you remember?" I asked in reference to Victorio. "Uh," He narrowed his eyes and I wondered if I had crossed the line. "He was murdered but they never found out who." He replied as he searched my eyes for something. "If he was the head of the Puerto Rican mafia, then how was he so easily able to be killed?" I questioned. My father had a shitload of security, people who he beat loyalty into so that he knew he could trust them and even then, he still suspects them when things go wrong.

Can't blame him. You never know who would be so quick to take your spot when given the chance.

"Sí," Sin and delicious temptation replied to me in that smooth tone of his and made me want to totally disregard this conversation and jump him. "I'd think that it was someone close to him because when I was a kid, my mother told me that he was very cautious of the people he worked with and he was never lenient and free-giving when it came to his trust." I nodded in reply. Sounds like uncle Ramone.

"Understandable. I also think that it was someone he knew." I stated and he didn't say anything but looked at me. "On another note, how did you become the head of the Russian mafia? Wasn't it hard since it was run under a dictator or something like that?" I sputtered and Antonio chuckled, rubbing my back. "Oh, nothing like that amorcito." He said. "I didn't murder anyone to take over, quite the contrary if you ask. 15 years ago, the current head, Vladimir Kristoff, was killed by your uncle, Ramone," He explained and the story connected the dots of pieces of things I heard when I was little. "So my father took over." He pulled in Anton Kozlov and it made me wonder about him.

"He was actually a pretty good leader. He only killed when necessary and when he deemed it justifiable. The people of Moscow loved him." He continued to talk about his adoptive father and I could see just how much he loved and respected his father by the look in his eyes. Anton seemed like someone totally different, the opposite of my father, whose mindset was to kill any and all potential threats, even when it wasn't needed. "Finally, when I was 21, after many years of training and networking, my father passed down his role to me." Antonio finished. "Then wouldn't it have been hard for you to get people to respect you if you didn't use force?" I questioned and he chuckled, a sadistic grin on his face as he bared his teeth.

"Oh, Valentin, don't get me wrong," He leaned forward, his minty breath fanning my face as he spoke. "I can and will use force if I want to." He pushed his hair back with his hand and my cheeks flushed at the proximity. "But I don't need to use fear to get people to respect me." He raised a brow and I thought it was kind of hot. Here was someone who used his natural intellect and leadership skills to rise to the top. "I know who I can and can't trust within my team. I deem it very necessary to kill when the things that are most precious to me are put on the line." Antonio's hazel eyes darkened with a glint of seriousness as they never wavered from my own. My heart stuttered as I fumbled for words, not knowing what to say. I wanted so badly to believe that he was speaking to me, to my feelings, as if he was regarding me as one of those precious things but deep down inside, I knew it was bad to have hope.

Getting my hopes up and having high expectations always leads to disappointment.

"So how good are you at sucking dick?" 

Antonio's eyebrows shot through the roof as a big smirk overtook his face and I could not pick a better moment to be less mortified. God, I wish I was dead. Please just shoot me where I sit, please and thank you. Hopefully, I could just evaporate into thin air without Antonio noticing. "Why do I speak?" I reached up and covered my face as I blushed cherry red. My thoughts always end up coming out of my mouth. I felt Antonio shuffling closer and all of a sudden, a pair of lips were by my ear as two large hands gripped my waist. "Why don't you find out?" He whispered in a sensual tone as his hot breath fanned my ear, making my core tighten.

"Fucking shit, Antonio!" I whined in desperation as he pulled back, chuckling. "I'll give it to you twice harder than what you give me." He smirked and I licked my lips. "I like the sound of that." Lol, my Puerto Rican daddy was probably skilled, his tongue was long. I remember cuz' I felt it in my ass. "Merda, Valentin," Tony rolled his eyes as a small blush crept up on his cheeks. "Don't say shit like out loud." He grumbled as he bit his lip, staring at me. "Oh, my bad." I snorted evilly. l, impulsive and rash Ramiro Valentin Vega Jr., regretted absolutely nothing. In fact, I enjoyed being not being on the end of embarrassment for once. "You are a 6'5 mafia head, who looks deadly and dangerous 24/7," I began with a smirk on my face as Antonio looked at me with suspicion in his eyes. "But I find you sooo cute!" I grinned and he looked down, his cheeks fully red. Someone this cute and adorable like Antonio Esposito is not good for my health. I could already see the many illnesses I would have.

"I see the game you're playing, Valentin," He flicked his gaze over to me and I could see the hunger hidden. "But beware, I make sure that I come out on top." His long tongue swept over that plump bottom lip of his and I found myself tracking every movement. 

"This is the most I've heard you talk, you lil bitch."

I found myself blurting out random crap to rid myself of this heated sexual tension. I didn't need to be popping a boner in public. Such things would not go well. "Thanks." Antonio rolled his eyes and rubbed my calves that were in his lap. "Only you have such the pleasure of making me speak this much." He admitted and at that moment, at that point in time, my heart soared to the highest of altitudes and I tried so hard to kill the urge to fucking jump up and scream like a kid who got exactly what he wanted for Christmas. 

I leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, happier than I have ever been and nothing could ruin this high that I was riding. "Too cute." I whispered and I leaned away, looking deeply into Antonio's eyes, satisfied with my life because he was in it. "Oh!" I realized a couple of things. While his story opened my eyes up about everything, and while our moments were great and all, I couldn't focus on either because I was worried about who was targeting him. "Who do you think is targeting you?" I murmured, just a tad bit afraid that someone would do a lot to hurt him. "Hmm," He sighed. "It's not that hard to narrow down a list because everyone that I know that I can trust somewhat but I had my suspicions about Ivan and Jonas but they were killed before I could interrogate them." 

I thought back to Maarika and the things that she told me about those two. "They were traitors. They were men who joined under Antonio's command to find out information about him and reported it back to someone else."

"I had known those two were traitors but I couldn't figure out who they were really working for. It's hard to tell when anyone and everyone could be an enemy." Antonio stated and I clicked my teeth. I had thought it would be my father trying to go after him, but my father wasn't the type to fuck around and play games like this. "It makes me wonder if this person is someone who's close to you." I sighed and he snorted. "I wouldn't think that you would try to kill me, Valentin." My eyes widened as I blushed. "You'd gain nothing from it."

Jesus Christ, I was going to have a heart attack and die at the age of 21.

"Not me, stupid." I flicked him on his forehead. "I don't know anyone that well though so who could it be?" He asked and I smiled sadly, not having an answer for that. "I really don't know." I mean, I wasn't that stupid by no means, but I just had the highest inkling that it was someone that he knew or someone from his past because Antonio doesn't have many friends that he trusts that well enough for them to have the motive. 

Sure, anyone in the world could have the motive if they put their mind to it, but someone clearly spent time planning this out and someone really had it out for Antonio. One could think that it was just the simple killings of a couple men but I knew from my father's teachings that when there are traitors, it's usually by the hands of someone who has a personal connection. I highly doubt that it would be his mother Calandra, or his sister because they did so much to keep him protected and well.

My biggest question is: who was Calandra trying to protect Antonio from?

No one really knew because Antonio only remembered bits and pieces from his time as a kid. His memory mainly served from the time Isidora and Anton Kozlov adopted him. I don't think he wants to remember anything that had to deal with his mother but if only he knew the truth. I decided to talk about something else because I could tell that he was feeling a little upset about something.

"What about your uncle?" I asked, unsure of what his name was. "Do you talk to him at all?" I questioned and Tony shook his head. "I've only seen him once and after that, he disappeared off of the face of the earth. He might be dead, who knows?" He shrugged. "Did he get along with your father?" I asked and Antonio pondered in thought for a bit. "Somewhat. They always seemed to be cordial as he was good friends with my mother," He spat. "I never really talked to him much that I remember of, maybe there was a tension that I just didn't pick up on. He only really talked to my mother." Antonio continued. "I don't even remember what he looked like." He finished his thought and I let out a sharp breath.

So much for trying to figure out things.

"You know," I wanted to change the subject. "I haven't seen Harrison in a while." It was slightly odd that this man didn't reach out so often like he did or come into work. Maybe this part was for Antonio. "I hope he's doing okay. He mentioned that he was going to some funerals last week so I hope he wasn't too distraught by that, the poor man..." I trailed off and Antonio fixed me with a glare. "Last week?" He narrowed his eyes and I nodded. He shrugged and looked away. "Too bad." He deadpanned and I found myself snickering despite the atmosphere.

There was this feeling that I had like this was the calm before the storm, except I had no idea what the storm was or when it would come. I really hoped that Maarika figured it out before anything happened because I would be totally crushed and devastated if anything happened to Antonio. There would no words to describe that pain that I would feel. It's crazy cuz' it feels like I've known this man for a long time but I know it's been less than 6 months since we met and I feel like I'm still falling. Me, hot-tempered, rash and stubborn but falling for someone? Wow, that takes work.

"Sorry." I tried to pull away and Antonio's eyes landed on me in confusion. "¿Qué?" He raised a brow. "I've just been sitting in your arms this whole time. They must be tired." I said and he shook his head before pulling me closer with his grip. "Podría abrazarte para siempre." (I could hold you forever.) He said with a soft smile, repeating the words that I said to him the night we were in San Juan. "I thought you were sleeping!" I accused and he snorted, looking away. "Who knows?" I fell silent as I stared at him, watching the crinkles by his eyes when he smiled, thinking that he never looked better with the glint of happiness in his eyes. I noticed how his nose would flare when he snorted in amusement and I noticed his tendency to run his hand through his hair when he felt anxious or confused. Or even how his dimples came through when he laughed, that bright and hearty laugh like he was genuinely entertained. I even noticed how particular he was about his food touching because he was OCD like that, or the tick and tightening of his jaw when he was seriously pissed the fuck off about something.

Ah, yes, it was the little things that painted the big picture.

I was lost in thought and nothing could control what I was going to say. "I love you, Antonio," I whispered absentmindedly as I gazed at him in a whole new light, not thinking he heard me. However, judging by the sharp snap of his head and the widening of his eyes, I'd say he heard that loud and clear. 

Suddenly, my body filled with dread and my body froze right then and there. We didn't put a title on whatever this was so I was too quick to assume and too quick to speed things up. "Oh! Oh my god!" I sputtered, embarrassed that he heard my true feelings. Was he going to reject me? God, I just ruined it. My heart dropped several feet inside of me and I could feel the tears filling my eyes. I was scared more than ever because he wasn't just anyone to me. He was everything and I might have just fucked it all up. "Please, for the love of fuck, please ignore everything I just said!" I screeched, trying to salvage the remains. I was content with just this because I knew he would be right my side. I was going to die. Antonio just sat there, staring at me with a blank expression and I couldn't read his eyes or tell what he was thinking. I was literally holding my breath and in less than 5 seconds, I was going to bolt off into the distance forget that I was born. 

Right at the 3rd second, he cracked open that mouth of his and spoke. "That's really good to hear, Valentin." The Adonis muttered stoically and he looked off into the distance as I sighed, unsure of what to say or what to do. I was pretty sure everything was ruined, but then he said something that would ultimately change the course of our lives.

"Porque te amo." (Because I love you).