Catching Bianca: A Dark Mafia Romance (Shadows of Obsession Book 4)
Catching Bianca: Chapter 32

Once we got back to Cleveland late on Sunday, I ditched the inflatable monstrosity in favor of sharing Bianca’s double bed, all the while ignoring Arthur’s smirks.

And his red face whenever I fetch a glass of water in the middle of the night after making her moan and gasp.

He spends his shifts in the living room now it’s unoccupied, eyes on the security feed. After the first night, he learned to slap on a pair of headphones when the telltale sounds of our sex life start coming through the paper-thin walls.

I should refrain from fucking my girl when he’s around…

Yeah, right. As if I can keep my hands to myself.

Somehow, Bianca’s slipped into my routine, filling cracks I didn’t realize were there. For years I’ve been consumed by work, every task Carter gave me an instant priority. I never thought about the future. Never imagined sharing my life with a woman.

Well, when Carter and Broadway fell head over heels, I started wondering if my time would come. If, among the crowds of women I entertained whenever the mood struck me, I’d replace someone I’d want to keep.

I think I knew early on that Bianca would burrow deep under my skin, that she’d become important, but I refused to acknowledge my feelings, keeping them trapped. Now, the floodgates are open, and I feel. So much. So fucking fast.

I’m falling for her at the speed of light, harder and deeper the more of herself she reveals. Every morning and evening, we talk. Not the surface-level stuff. We got that out of the way while I watched over her in Bloom for hours on end.

Now we delve into deeper things. Bianca’s floodgates are wide open. She tells me about her shitty childhood, the lack of affection, the lack of love. She tells me about her passion for flowers, her fear of commitment, and the trust issues her ex-boyfriends gave her.

I’d like to replace each one and snap their toxic fucking necks.

She explained why she considered my interest in her nothing more than a bet with Koby. It’s because she lost her virginity in high school, to the most popular guy at school. She thought he was in love with her while in reality he fucked her to win a bet.

She told me about her college boyfriend and the evening she caught him cheating on her with her best friend.

She told me about her last day with her adopted parents.

Her life’s been a mess thus far. A looped rollercoaster of disappointments, neglect, and rejection.

The more I learn, the harder I try to show her that I’ll never hurt her. That I’ll always take care of her. That she’s my priority.

Every night, we’re tangled together, taking as much as we can from each other. Sex with her is an experience, that’s for sure. Heated and desperate most of the time, like we’re afraid the world will take it away. But sometimes, when I wake up hard in the middle of the night, it’s slower, more intimate, a language only the two of us understand.

She stopped acting like she’s waiting for me to push her away, which is the biggest win of all… but there’s still a thread of unease winding tighter around me every day.

Vaughn’s out there. So is Grey. I feel the weight of them hovering in the distance and my time with Bianca feels like a countdown. I’m fucking terrified of what happens when the timer hits zero.

***

Thursday morning, like every morning, starts with Bianca’s hot lips wrapped around my cock.

She says she’s training her gag reflex out of her. I’m not sure that’s possible, but who am I to deny her?

“Morning, baby.” I push my hands under the covers, weaving my fingers into her hair.

I wonder how long she’s been between my legs, her head bobbing up and down.

She doesn’t reply with words. Instead, she increases the pace and drags her teeth along the underside of my shaft. That move always sends sparks through my nervous system.

My groggy mind clears, sleep long forgotten while the orgasm builds at the base of my spine. Bianca hollows her cheeks, and the sucking motion almost sends me over.

“Fuck,” I grit out, thrusting my hips to fit another inch inside her hot mouth. “I love our mornings.”

Her delicate hand wraps around the base of my cock, jerking at the few inches she can’t swallow.

Black spots dance before my eyes. Sweat beads at my hairline, the incoming orgasm something to behold. Bianca’s beyond skilled, fucking phenomenal at keeping the right tempo.

The grunts escaping my chest spur her on and within two minutes, I’m right there, filling her mouth with hot cum. Her throat contracts as she swallows, milking every drop.

“Morning,” she purrs, climbing up my body. “Sleep well?”

“Woke up better.” I grip her waist, flip us over and kiss her. She tastes like me… it shouldn’t be such a turn-on, but it is. “My turn,” I whisper, ghosting my hand down her flat stomach.

She grips my wrist before I sink two fingers inside her pussy. “Not this time. It’s late.”

I check the time on the bedside clock, groaning when I realize she has fifteen minutes to get ready.

“That’s not fair.”

She pecks my lips, bracing both hands against my chest. “You’ll make it up to me tonight. Now move, I need a shower.”

So do I… but first, I need coffee and a workout. Arthur brought his car to Cleveland this week, which means I can hit the gym every morning while they’re at the flower market.

Two hours later, I’m back in Bianca’s apartment freshly showered and sipping coffee as I check the facial recognition software scanning for Vaughn, Noretto, and Grey.

So far, nothing on the ex-cop. Nothing out of the ordinary on the other two, either. I lean back in the chair, staring at the screen without seeing it, my head preoccupied with the goodbye kiss Bianca gave me.

It wasn’t a quick peck—it lingered, her fingers brushing the back of my neck, her lips soft but firm. She’s been doing that more lately, like she’s claiming me as much as I’ve claimed her.

My smile disappears when my phone rings.

Arthur.

Cold dread grips my throat. He never calls while he’s with Bianca, his focus narrowed to keeping her safe, so I immediately know this won’t be good news. Swiping my thumb across the screen, I press the phone to my ear, his panicked voice coming through before I can ask what’s wrong.

“She’s gone.”

The words slam into me like a freight train.

“What?” I snap, bolting upright. “What do you mean she’s gone?! How—”

“We were walking back to the car,” he explains, every word laced with fear. “She was right behind me. One minute, we were chatting, and then I turn around, and she’s gone! Fuck, I swear to God, she was right there!”

My chest tightens, pulse roaring in my ears. “How long?”

“Two minutes, maybe less. I’m looking for her, but I—”

“I’m coming,” I cut him off, my heart not far off cracking my ribs. “Keep looking. She can’t be far. I’m on my way.”

His response hardly registers as I run out of the apartment. My mind races, scenarios multiplying faster than I can dismiss them. She’s gone. How? Is she lost? Kidnapped? Who took her?

I jump into my Jeep, peeling away from the curb within seconds, tires screeching down the street. My hands shake, my hold on the wheel so tight my knuckles ache.

Images flash through my mind, each worse than the last. My chest feels like it’s being squeezed in a vise, every breath shallow and strained. I take a corner too fast, the car skidding before it straightens out. My pulse thunders in my ears, the panic clawing at my throat like a scared kitten.

I try rationalizing. Anything to push down the growing panic. She’s tough, I remind myself. Smart.

Too bad that doesn’t mean shit. Tough and smart don’t matter if someone puts a gun to your head.

Fuck, I hope she just got distracted by some pretty flowers. That she’s just around the corner, waiting for Arthur to realize he left her behind.

As plausible as that is, deep down I know it’s wishful thinking. Arthur wouldn’t call me unless he thought it was serious. The city blurs past, a haze of gray and steel as I weave through traffic, ignoring the blaring horns and the red light I ran.

The thought of losing her hits me harder than I thought possible. I know she’s deep under my skin, but I hadn’t realized how deep. How important she is. How much I feel for her.

My phone buzzes in the cupholder, the sound cutting through the pounding in my head.

“Tell me you found her,” I demand.

The hands-free system activates, my car filling with Arthur’s words. “I’ve got her.”

Relief crashes into me so hard my vision blurs. I should pull over to get my shit together.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s shaken up, but okay,” Arthur says quickly. “Someone grabbed her but she ran. I’m taking her—”

“No, don’t move.”

Fuck getting my shit together.

Who put their hands on my girl?

“Stay there. I’m two minutes away.” I floor the gas.

The market comes into view, Arthur’s car at the curb. I slam the Jeep into park and jump out, my legs moving before my brain catches up. Arthur stands by the passenger door of his car, face ashen, eyes wide and fearful as he waves me over.

Bianca’s inside, knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped around them. Her hair’s messy, cheeks streaked with tears, shoulders trembling. Not long ago this is what I wanted: her tears, her vulnerability. Real emotions. Now I’d give my right arm to remove her fear.

Her head snaps up at the sound of my footsteps. In a flash, she’s out of the car and in my arms, a powerful sob shaking her petite frame. I pull her close, my hands skimming over her arms, her back, her sides, checking for injuries.

“Shh, I’m here. It’s over.” I kiss her head. “Are you hurt? Talk to me, baby. Are you hurt?”

She shakes her head, face buried in my chest. “No. I’m not hurt, just… shaken up.”

That’s an understatement. She feels fragile, like she might break if I let go. Her hands fist my t-shirt. She shakes against me, her adrenaline rush giving way to shock.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper, holding her tighter. “You’re okay. You’re safe. Let’s get you home.”