Chasing His Brother's Bride
Chasing His Brother’s Bride – Chapter 34

Jolie woke up and stretched her arms over her head and listened for the even breathing of Pia beside her and then frowned when she heard her giggling.

“Daddy, you slept with me and mommy,” she crawled over Jolie.

Jolie opened her eyes in time to see Pia using her fingers to rudely open Brix’s eyes.

He grunted, “Mia Pia, how is you open your eyes and you are immediately ready to tackle the world?”

Jolie giggled at his question.

Pia squished herself in between the two adults and squeezed his cheeks together. “Daddy, I missed you. Mommy read me stories last night and we watched a movie. You missed Moana.”

“I’m sorry, Pia. Daddy had to work but tonight I will be home. We’re going to have dinner together. Would you like that?”

“Daddy Malik too?”

“Daddy Malik too,” he promised as he kissed her nose. “Also,” he met Jolie’s eyes, “my mom and dad are coming to Boston today.”

Jolie’s smile disappeared and she frowned, “your parents?”

“I need to pee,” Pia interrupted and rolled over Brix, landed on the floor on her knees before bouncing up to race to the bathroom not bothering to close the door.

He laughed at her antics before answering Jolie. “Yes. The minute dad messaged her to say I was getting married Friday she insisted she was going to be here. I had tried to get her come Thursday but she’s on a rant. She wants to meet you.”

“What is she like?” Jolie asked with her heart in her throat. She was praying the woman was nothing like Chiara.

“She is strong-willed,” he gave a tilt of his head, “but she is the most loving woman and adores her only child. Dad is still in love with her thirty-five years after she left him. He’s thrilled she’s coming. He mentioned walking around in his underwear to make my stepdad uncomfortable.”

Jolie grimaced distastefully, “no.”

“Yeah. Will is a great guy. Depending on my mood and how he’s irritated me, I fluctuate between calling him Dad and Will but usually it’s Dad. He’s also five foot ten, packing his middle age paunch and going bald. Dad, as in Elio, loves to torment him by strutting around like the physically fit six-foot-three man he is. Dad still has all of his hair, none of it daring to turn gray, and he flirts like mad with mom.”

“That’s terrible, Brix. He makes him uncomfortable because he’s not as attractive as Elio?”

“It’s hilarious,” Brix was laughing.

“Your mom,” she frowned at his laugh, “what does she think or know about us getting married?”

“She wants to be here as a witness.” He didn’t explain more than this.

Jolie knew in her gut the woman was not happy about the situation. “Brix, if you’ve sorted out the situation with Juan Rueda,” she started to speak.

“No, it’s not settled, Jolie. We also have the feds to deal with. We have the issue of Chiara to deal with. We need to figure out who it was who put the bullet in Val’s head because whoever it was, is a loose end. There is also a list as long as my arm of people Val has pissed off. We have been running interference for the last seven or eight years, even before you. The minute the world finds out the one thing he prized above anything else still exists, the world will want to come for you Jolie. I can keep you safe.”

“You think I was what he prized above all?”

“I know it.” He took a breath, as Pia splashed water in the bathroom while she washed her hands and sang loudly. “Jolie, he told every one of his guys, all of them, if anything happened to him, to kill you because he didn’t want anyone else to have you. Ever.”

She sat up in alarm, “are you kidding me?”

“Our investigation has interrogated twenty-seven men of his crew. They all said the same thing. They had orders to kill you.” He pulled her back down into the bed, “breathe, sweetheart. Not one of them would have done what he commanded. Well, there were three of them but you don’t need to worry about them.”

“Ted, Tony and Ray,” she said with more than a hint of anger in her tone.

He gave her a surprised glance.

“They hated me and they often told Val I was going to be his downfall. They were the only three of his guys who could say s**t to him which wouldn’t get them shot. They knew how to talk to him. Tony,” she swallowed, “once put a gun in my mouth and said he had half a mind to shoot me himself so they could get Val back because I was ruining him.”

“Val was already ruined. The amount of coke he was using, I’m surprised he could stand upright.” He kissed her forehead and wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. “They should have gone to Dad. Jolie, I wish I’d been aware you had been taken. I wish your father had said anything to Dad or to me. We would have put a stop to it all.”

“Like you said before, you can’t change the past.”

“No but I will make sure nothing bad ever happens to you again.”

“Daddy!” Pia started pulling on him. “Is it time for breakfast? Can I go find Nonno? Is he here too?”

“Nonno was sleeping in one of the rooms down the hall. He claimed it but,” he lifted his phone off the nightstand, “I bet he’s in the gym already. It’s already six. Malik is probably there too.” He gave a laugh as Pia squealed about how she was going to go find them. “Pia, if you see Nonno, please tell him to get the coffee started?”

Jolie giggled as the girl tore the door open and raced away, her bare feet slapping on the hardwood floor. “She’s excited to have a house full of men who dote on her.”

“What about you?” he turned back in the bed and stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “Can you see yourself being excited to have a house full of men who dote on you?”

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the heat in his gaze. “I could get used to being spoiled,” she admitted as he nudged closer to her.

“I think I would love to spoil you both rotten,” his voice was low. His eyes were dark and serious as he studied her. “I want to k**s you, Jolie.”

She gulped at his words. “I haven’t brushed my teeth.”

“Me either. I think our bad breath will cancel out.” He teased her and tugged her closer. “Can I k**s you?”

She nodded as he cupped her jaw. His tongue moistened his lips and she was mesmerized by the movement. His lips were soft as they touched to hers.

Jolie gave a little sigh as he kissed her tenderly, not demanding, or pushy. She snuggled in closer to his warmth as she responded to his touch. His hands were respectfully at her neck, his thumb stroking her jaw as he took his time kissing her.

When he broke the k**s, Jolie was panting for breath but he was still kissing the corner of her mouth, her cheeks, and her forehead before resting his forehead to hers.

“We’re about to be interrupted,” he said with more than a hint of regret in his tone.

She pouted as he chuckled and put another quick k**s to her lips before swinging his legs off the bed.

“It’s time to start our day, Jolie. I’m usually up, worked out, showered, and fed by now. I’m getting lazy because I enjoy laying with you,” he looked at the door which was wide open from Pia’s exit. “Morning, Malik.”

“Good morning,” Malik lounged in the door. “You’re getting lazy.”

Brix looked over his shoulder at Jolie who was still laying in the pillows. “Told you so.”

“You should get your a*s down to the gym or you’ll start to spread like Will.”

Jolie choked her on her own spittle at the words. “Malik!”

Malik laughed as Brix rose from the bed and headed towards him, holding his fists up defensively and ducking away from his best friend’s punch. They traded a few jabs and then Brix looked over his shoulder, “I’m going to hit the gym. Don’t stay in bed too long. We have to be at work in two hours.” He pushed Malik into the room, “go say good morning and then go hit the shower. You stink.”

Malik raced into the room, jumped on the bed, and took the spot Brix had vacated. “Good morning gorgeous.”

“Hi Malik.” She wrinkled her nose at the very ripe smell of him. “What were you doing?”

“I sparred with Elio this morning. The old man thought he could kick my a*s. I put him on his. Then Fabrizio wanted a taste so I put him on his old haggard a*s too.”

“Nice. Beating up on the elderly.”

He threw his head back and laughed, his dark hair tumbling onto his forehead. “I’m telling Elio you called him elderly.”

She made wide eyes, panic filling them. “No. Don’t tell him.”

He lifted up on one elbow. “I want what Brix had. Trade. I’ll keep your secret if I get a k**s.”

She stared at him, knowing her cheeks were still flushed from the k****s Brix had given her. “Uh, I haven’t brushed my teeth.”

“Who cares? I want to taste things far more scented than your breath.”

“Malik!” she gasped as his eyes flicked to where she gripped the blankets at her waist.

“I’ll settle for a k**s. Can I k**s you?”

Jolie decided there was something to be said for two very attractive man who want to k**s her good morning and to make her feel wanted. Unlike the way Valentin had taken from her without regard for her thoughts or feelings, both men this morning were explicitly asking her permission and she found it reassuring. She noted as she was lost in her thoughts, Malik was patiently waiting her response.

“Yes, you can k**s me.”

“Yes,” he launched at her and nuzzled her neck playfully.

His weight of his upper body rested against hers and he rubbed his nose against hers. “You have the prettiest eyes,” he said as he looked down at her.

“Thank you.”

“Your lips though, they are what I want right now. Plump and pouty. I know Brix just kissed them,” he whispered as he got closer, “my turn beautiful.” He pressed his lips to hers and like his k**s the day before, he was sweet and gentle as his lips slid from side to side over hers. Like Brix, his hands were nowhere near anything lower than her neck as he devoured her mouth. His lips were slick and damp as he pulled his head back. “Wow.” He whispered as he stared into her eyes. “Wow, Jolie.”

She blushed as he cradled her cheek with his palm and when he pressed a warm k**s to her forehead, she closed her eyes.

“Look at me sweetheart. Don’t hide from me.”

She opened her eyes to look at him.

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly. “Did I go too far?”

She shook her head, her hair falling on her cheeks.

“Good. I’m going to go take a very cold shower. I’ll meet you downstairs soon for breakfast, okay?”

She nodded, speechless from the way he was staring at her. If she had any doubts this man thought she was beautiful it was gone from the way he was looking at her. He pressed his lips one more time to hers and then rolled out of the bed.

She watched him stroll out of the room, pausing to wink at her as he exited the bedroom and then closed her eyes and exhaled loudly. “Holy s**t,” she whispered to herself.

As she lay there, the door to her bedroom wide open, she could hear someone coming up the stairs and sat up, frowning with the realization if she were in a relationship with both men the people in the house would all know. How would their team react. Would Elio be freaked out to know Brix and Malik were sharing her? Would he know? How much information were they going to divulge? How would they explain it to Pia? Could they simply say she had two dads and the child be okay with it? What happened when she was a teenager? What happened if one or both men got bored with her and went looking for mistresses like Elio had? She’d be home pining over not one but two men while they lived their lives the way a Cacciola man apparently does.

Her thoughts were running away like mad and she flung the blankets off and raced to the bathroom to take a shower. She was panicking and the thoughts racing in her brain were sporadic and off kilter. Flitting from one question to another even the cold chill of a shower was not dulling them.

The realization of what she had agreed to without contemplating all the facets and nuances of the situation was slamming into her like a truck. She was going to have to sit them down and go through all of her questions and concerns and have them all addressed.

By the time she was dressed and ready to head down the stairs, her thoughts were still frantic but outwardly she was much calmer. She could do this. Tell them she wanted to talk and they would talk to her. They had to. Her sanity was at stake.