“I’m not clean.”
“I know, but I think we can move onto the shower.” She stood, moving to the far corner, and turned the shower on. Removing her clothes, she turned to him, offering her hand. “Come and wash with me.”
He climbed out of the tub and took her hand.
Entering the shower, she soaked her body, and moved out of the way for Tonio to take most of it. She grabbed the soap, and started to wash him again until the water ran clear. When he was clean, he turned, pulling her close. He gripped her ass and took possession of her lips.
“I love you,” he said, kissing down her neck, sucking on her pulse.
“I love you, too.”
“Marry me.”
“Yes.”
He pressed her against the wall, picking her up, and sliding his dick deep inside her. The penetration took her by surprise and had her gasping.
She was wet, and he paused inside her.
“Touch your pretty clit,” he said.
Reaching between them, she stroked her clit, gasping as his cock seemed to stretch her as he tightened even more.
“God, that feels so good,” he said. “Your pussy is so tight.”
“I’d run with you, Tonio. You’re not alone anymore. I love you so damn much.”
He took possession of her lips once again, silencing her.
Tonio made love to her in the shower with the water rushing down around them. He stared into her eyes, and she felt completely taken by him. This man, this boy who she knew growing up, had taken her heart, and made her fall in love with him. She’d die for this man. He didn’t even know how good he was, or how precious. All he knew was a lifetime of pain and guilt.
She intended to take every memory and obliterate it with love and happiness.
That night he came inside her, and when they were curled up in bed, she had never felt happier.
****
The following morning, Tonio watched as Zara walked around the kitchen. She wore one of his shirts as she made him pancakes. He’d already presented her a ring earlier, and she was smiling over at him.
“There’s something else I want to show you.”
He left to his office to grab his father’s laptop, and the file.
There was a stack of pancakes waiting for him.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Have a look.”
She took the file from him, chewing on some pancake and syrup, flicking the file open. “College?”
“I want you to have everything that was taken from you.”
“Tonio?”
“No, I don’t want you to make excuses. This is your life as much as it’s mine.”
“This is over six hours away?”
“There’s an online college that is just as good. No travel, and you work from home.”
“Really?”
He handed her another college. “You can do whatever you want.”
“I can’t exactly get married to you being six hours away. What if I need sex? A husband has duties you know?”
Tonio laughed.
His cell phone went off, interrupting them.
“Tonio here,” he said.
“Man, you’ve got to get to the hospital. Paige just went into labor, and Donnie’s not in a good place.”
“Shit.” Hanging up the phone, he took one pancake stuffing it into his mouth. “We’ve got to go. Paige is in labor, and Donnie needs me.”
She didn’t need asking twice. Within minutes they were in his car, driving toward the hospital that Jake had told him.
Entering the hospital, he followed the signs to the labor ward.
Jake, Luiz, and Charlene with little Darla were there. Donnie was pacing up and down the length of the waiting room.
“You made it,” Luiz said.
“I can’t believe it. She was laughing at some joke on the television, and then she was clutching her stomach. Fuck, I can’t lose her.”
“What’s the problem?” Tonio said.
“She wasn’t properly dilated. They may have to give her a C-section.”
“Why are you here instead of in the room with her?” Zara asked.
“He was tearing up the fucking place, causing trouble,” Luiz said. “Paige asked him to be calm, and he didn’t. He lost his shit.”
“My woman is in that room, and she may die.”
“Don’t think like that,” Tonio said. “All you know is your baby is on the way. You need to make sure you’re with her.” He stepped up to his friend. “We’re out here for you. Paige, she loves you, and she needs the guy who promised to protect her. You’re not helping her out here.”
“Fuck, you’re right. Fuck!” Donnie ran a hand down his face. “She’ll fucking kill me if I don’t get in there.”
“Then get in there.”
Seconds later Donnie was knocking on the door.
“Are you ready to be with her now, Mr. Martinez?”
“Yes, I am.”
Tonio watched his friend leave to go to his woman.
“If you do something so stupid, I’m going to hurt you when I get out of the hospital,” Zara said.
“Why would I do anything to hurt you?” he asked.
“Giving birth is a big deal. Us women, we have to lose our perfect vaginas to give birth.”
They took a seat, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.
“That’s a pretty nice ring,” Jake said.
“She’s agreed to be my wife.”
“Congratulations.” They all spoke at once.
Zara’s face was bright red, and he smiled down at her. “I thought we’d wait until after we know what is going on with Paige.”
“What’s wrong with giving them the good news?”
“Nothing I guess.” She smiled snuggling in. “I love you, crazy man.”
“Love you, too.”
He took hold of her hand, squeezing her, and she squeezed him back. This was what made Zara special to him. She wasn’t afraid of giving back as good as she took. She was a special kind of woman.
“Can you believe one of us is going to be a dad?” Jake asked.
“I think it being Donnie, it’s funny as fuck,” Luiz said, chuckling.
“Why is it funny?” Zara asked.
“He made a vow to never have kids. None of us wanted to bring our kids into this way of life. Donnie, especially, and Tonio was the same,” Luiz said. “Paige entered Donnie’s life, and all bets were off. He fucking adored her, loved her, and she fought him. She wanted nothing to do with him.”
“It was like a magical love story at school,” Zara said.
Tonio kissed the top of her head.
“That kid is going to be spoilt.”
“Do they know the sex of it?” Zara asked.
“No. It’s going to be one hell of a surprise today,” Tonio said.
The time passed slowly. Jake and Luiz took turns going and getting coffee.
After what felt like hours, Donnie came out of a set of doors looking like a half crazed loon.
“I want to introduce you to my daughter, Petal Martinez,” he said. “Petal, here are all your uncles and your aunt.”
Tonio stepped up close to see the little girl. She was asleep, but the cuteness couldn’t be denied.
“How is Paige?” Zara asked.
“Wishing she could be out here with us all. I said I’d bring her to show you all. I’m going to take her back so she doesn’t miss her mommy.”
Tonio stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Congrats, man.”
“Thank you. It would be an honor if you would be a godfather, Tonio.”
“Seriously?”
“I spoke to Paige, and we can’t think of a person better for the job.”
Tonio nodded. “I would protect her with my very life.”
“I know.” Donnie smiled at him. “I’m a Daddy.”
“You are.”
Donnie chuckled as he made his way back toward his woman.
Zara giggled. She took Tonio’s hand, squeezing him. “Hey, Godfather. That kid is going to be so spoilt.”
“When we have kids, they will be, too. They have some kickass uncles to look after them.” He pulled her into his arms, kissing her.
“There’s something I want to tell you,” Zara said.
“What is it?”
“I’m going to take the online college. I can’t stand the thought of you going back to noodles again. I’ll feed you, and keep you well fed.”
“Is that all?”
“And I’m going to need you to provide me with sex.”
“Anything else?” he asked.
“Yeah, I don’t want to live without you, Tonio.”
Taking her lips, Tonio showed her with a single kiss how much he felt for her. She was his salvation.
I’m not nothing.
I’m something.
Epilogue
Five years later
“Daddy, I can’t do this,” George said.
Tonio looked over his shoulder to see his son trying to build a sandcastle. They had moved out of the apartment not long after Donnie had taken his family to live out in the country away from the chaos of the city. It was nice to stand outside and not hear the busy buzzing of cars and people.
They each had a house, side by side along a street that was very Stepford in appeal. Donnie wanted a good place to raise his kid. Paige had since given birth to three boys, and a girl, one of those being a set of twins. The people were pleasant, but Tonio was sure they suspected who they were. Zara had worked from an online college, coming out top of her class in business. She had helped with their legal businesses, working on their financial accounts. He, Donnie, Luiz, and Jake, had spent the last five years working on making The Family better. The legacy that was The Family had changed, and those who tried to take it back to the dark days were killed. The life at times was hard, and he still slept with a gun. He’d even trained Zara on how to use one.