Chapter 65: Glamorized Thugs

Chapter 65: Glamorized Thugs
Joella

I watched as Haden paced, his voice low and lethal over the phone. Each word he spoke was sharp, deliberate, laced with authority. His anger didn’t explode, it simmered, tightly controlled, the kind of fury that made the air feel heavier in the room.

He was issuing orders, one after the other, his tone a blend of dominance and finality. Whoever was on the other end of that line didn’t dare interrupt.

When he finally hung up, the tension in his shoulders remained, but his expression gave nothing away. With a slow, exhaled breath, he slid off his cuff links and began rolling his sleeves up, revealing the intricate tattoos winding up his forearms like war paint.

His jaw was clenched, cut from stone, as he undid his tie with a swift tug and popped open a few buttons at his collar. The sight of his chest, inked, hard, slightly heaving from the weight of his temper, was enough to steal mine.

Call me a horny bitch, but in this state, I just wanted to pounce on him. He looked good enough to eat, and the intensity rolling off of him only made me clench my legs together.

Understanding now was not the time for my hormones to run amok, I cleared my throat and grabbed the bottled water next to me. I took a long gulp, the cold liquid offering brief, fleeting relief to the heat simmering beneath my skin.

When I looked back up, Haden was already staring at me.

His gaze held mine, dark and heavy, before it dropped, slowly, deliberately, trailing over every inch of me. I held still, breath caught in my throat. The air between us sparked. I shifted slightly in my seat, the movement involuntary. My legs crossed, and I pressed my lips into a tight line, fighting the urge to moan or beg or throw myself at him.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Is my little vixen horny?" he asked as he leaned on his desk, eyes now darker, pupils dilated.

"Hm?" I responded as if I couldn't hear him.

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat, deep and knowing. Then, he pushed himself off the desk, moving toward me with the slow, predatory grace of a man who already knew the answer.

"I knew you were horny the minute I got off the phone. Why try to hide it from me?" he whispered, leaning down until we were eye to eye.

I was so turned on I couldn't even answer him. Everything about him at this moment was sexy. His presence. His scent. The way he looked at me like I was already undone.

His fingers tangled in my hair, tugging gently until my chin tilted upward. Without missing a beat, his mouth crashed into mine. Hungry, dominant, all-consuming.

A needy whimper escaped me as his hand slid under my dress, teasing the edge of my underwear. With one sharp tug, the fabric ripped, my gasp swallowed by his mouth. He took advantage of my parted lips, deepening the kiss as his finger slid into me.

I grabbed at his shirt, clinging to him as he slowly pulled away just enough to smirk at me, wicked and amused.

"What do you want, baby?" he murmured against my lips.

"More," I breathed, the word tumbling from me without shame.

He slipped in another finger and began to pump, his movements firm, precise. Then his lips found the soft space between my shoulder and neck, warm and demanding.

"Like this?" he asked before tugging gently on my earlobe.

"Oh." Another whimper escaped as his fingers curled inside of me, grazing that perfect spot. "Haden, more."

"Tell me what you want, Tesoro," he whispered in my ear, low and sinful.

"You, Haden, please," I begged. There was no pride left in me. Only need.

I felt his smile against my skin before his arms slid beneath my legs, lifting me with effortless strength. My arms wrapped around his neck as he carried me to his desk, setting me down on the edge with surprising care.

Then he was on me again, kissing me with the kind of hunger that made the world tilt. My fingers tangled in his hair as his mouth took and took, and I gave willingly, greedily.

Somewhere in the haze of tongue and teeth, I realized he’d already unbuckled his belt, the faint clink of metal lost in the whirlwind. His pants dropped, and a second later I felt him, not his hand, not his fingers, but him, thick and hard and stretching me with one smooth, possessive thrust.

A muffled moan left my throat, but it only seemed to fuel him.

One arm locked tight around my ass, adjusting the angle just enough to make me cry out again. The other hand cradled my head, his fingers buried in my hair to hold me still as he kissed me with savage precision. Each thrust of his hips was met with his tongue sliding deeper, his kiss matching the rhythm of his body.

My legs locked around him instinctively as I began to unravel. That tight, dangerous coil deep in my belly was building, threatening to snap.

He sucked my bottom lip, hard, before plunging back into my mouth. His pace grew rougher, more urgent, and I was clinging to him now, nails digging into his shoulders, thighs shaking.

Then he pulled out completely, just for a second, only to slam back in. My body jolted, the sound of our skin meeting echoing off the walls. Light gasps fell from my lips, each one more breathless than the last.

Haden let out a sound of approval, gruff, pleased, as my walls clenched around him. My whole body rocked with his, every nerve ending lit. I couldn’t stop shaking.

And then it hit me.

My orgasm tore through me like fire, my back arching off the desk, mouth open in a silent scream. He slowed his thrusts, drawing out my pleasure, letting me ride the wave until I was nothing but trembles and aftershocks.

And then, with one final thrust, he buried himself deep and came, a low groan tumbling from his lips as his release filled me.

The fire I felt earlier had now dimmed to a low, throbbing dull. An echo of pleasure still humming beneath my skin. I released another sigh as he slowly pulled back, a small, satisfied grin playing on his lips. His hand rose gently to my chin, coaxing my gaze upward until our eyes locked.

"I don't care what is going on. Whenever you need me to relieve that ache, tell me."

His voice was light, teasing even, but the intensity in his eyes made it clear he meant every word.

I nodded, breath caught somewhere between need and surrender, and he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips before stepping away completely. His hands reached for mine, guiding me off his desk with care that almost contradicted the way he had just wrecked me.

I adjusted my dress as I made my way to the attached bathroom, needing to steady myself, physically and mentally. My heels clicked softly against the tile, my body still pulsing with aftershocks. Just as I closed the door behind me, a knock echoed through his office.

It was his secretary, her voice muffled but clear enough to announce that Brad was ready for their meeting.

"Baby, I'll be right back," Haden called through the door, the warmth in his voice somehow even more dangerous than his hands.

I didn’t bother to respond. He knew I heard him.

Inside the bathroom, I cleaned myself up with slow, methodical movements, but when I caught my reflection in the mirror, I froze.

I stared at the woman looking back at me in disbelief. Flushed cheeks, lips swollen from kisses, hair just wild enough to give everything away. There was no way I was still craving him. But the ache in my core told a different story. It had returned, stronger, sharper.

With a quiet grunt, I reentered his office and sank back into the leather chair, limbs loose, exasperated. My legs pressed together instinctively as I exhaled and leaned back.

Then my phone beeped.

I looked down, heart skipping when I saw his name.

Baby💕 – If making you pregnant makes you this insatiable, I'm keeping you pregnant 😏

I rolled my eyes, lips twitching despite myself, and tried to ignore the heat crawling down my spine.

Me – Idk what you are talking about.

His reply came fast.

Baby💕 – Don't lie, I know you're wet for me already. Don't worry, I'll take care of you after this meeting, we will go home and you can cum as many times as you want.

Baby💕 – On my face.

Baby💕 – On my dick.

Baby💕 – And you can be as loud as you want to.

I was officially soaked.

There was no use pretending otherwise. My thighs clenched instinctively, and I had to set the phone down before I combusted. I took a long, slow breath and then it buzzed again.

Baby💕 – I can't wait to taste you on my tongue.

My skin flushed hot. It spread up my neck, down my chest, pulsing between my thighs.

Me – Haden… Stop. Focus on your meeting.

But it was already unbearable. The ache had sharpened into something maddening. I shifted again in my seat, biting the inside of my cheek. If I locked his office door and just-

I didn’t get the chance to finish that thought before my screen lit up again.

Baby💕 – If you touch yourself and I'm not around, I will delay your orgasm for an hour.

The heat that surged through me at that text made my whole body shiver. Visibly. My knees pressed tighter together. A small, breathy curse escaped my lips.

I picked up the bottled water again and took a long, cooling sip, the condensation dripping down my fingers.

One thing about Haden, he always knew what I was thinking. Knew me down to the very twitch of my fingers.

So I would listen. Because one thing I didn’t need right now was a prolonged orgasm.

Me – Just hurry up.

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Morgan

"He wants you to take over?" I asked quietly, adjusting Logan on my hip as she started to squirm.

"Yea," Luca said, running a hand over the back of his head, his eyes flicking back to me with a trace of unease. "Haden is now Don, he can't do both. Plus it would make it seem like we had special treatment, which could cause more turmoil with the other families," he reasoned.

His words made sense. Logically, politically, it was the right move. But no matter how solid the explanation, my mind wandered back to my mother’s voice echoing in my head.

Flashback

"Mom, I thought you would be happy, you're having a granddaughter," I said, emotions running high, my voice thick.

I had just shared what should've been joyous news. That Luca and I were expecting a baby girl. Her reaction, though, was anything but celebratory. It wasn’t disappointment... it was fear. And that somehow stung worse.

"Honey, I am happy. I'm just not happy with the man you chose."

"Luca loves me, Mom," I snapped back, frustrated and already wiping my nose from the tears that came too fast.

"I know, honey," she said softly, but her eyes remained firm. "But did you think about how his lifestyle would affect you, your baby girl? He's a thug, glamorized."

"Mom, he's not-"

"I am very much aware of the Russos. Everyone knows they have legit businesses and not-so-legit businesses. The Russos are a mafia family and have always been. Just because they never lived in the slums makes them no different from the thugs on the south side. They are still criminals, they are still dangerous, hell, more so than those in the slums. Their power is different."

Her words cut through my defenses like glass. I fell silent, staring at the floor. She wasn’t wrong. No matter how fiercely I loved Luca, I couldn’t argue with her logic. Her fears were valid. I had no rebuttal.

"Okay," I finally whispered after a long pause.

"Morgan, I love you. I just don't want you to get hurt. What happened to Joella could easily happen to you too. I worry."

That... that made me pause.

Joella had endured things that left their mark, unseen, but deeply felt. And my mother wasn’t wrong for drawing the comparison. Once again, I understood where she was coming from. Even if I hated hearing it.

"Just be careful, honey. You know you and my grandbaby are always welcome," she said gently, rubbing my shoulder with affection only a mother could give.

I nodded without looking up, the weight in my chest growing heavier.

"Just not Luca," I murmured, the unspoken ache behind my voice loud enough.

"Luca can come. But all that nonsense better not ever make it to my door. I know you two love each other, I see it. The way you look at each other. But his world is full of unknowns. Just stay alert, baby. For you and your baby girl."

End of Flashback

"When will it be announced?" I asked softly, my voice barely more than a breath.

"After Haden's grandma makes the announcement officially. So in a week."

I nodded, inhaling deeply as I tried to steady my thoughts. Luca stepped in closer, his presence grounding. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me and Logan into the warmth and strength of his hold. There was always something about being in his arms that made everything feel like it would somehow be okay, even when it wasn’t.

"You both will have security. Guys I trust," he said, his voice low and sure. "Besides, the Don is our family. If you thought we had protection before, it's only going to increase from here. Kids are involved, Haden doesn't mess around with shit like that."

I nodded again, slowly this time, but I couldn’t find many words. Not because I was unsure of him, of us, but because reality had begun to shift beneath my feet. I knew I wouldn't leave Luca. That had never been a question. But now I had to accept this new normal and what it meant for me... for our daughter.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed to talk to someone who would truly understand.

Ella.

If there was anyone who could make sense of the chaos I was about to walk into, it would be her.