Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 988 : Harsh Blow

*Leo*

I loved pampering Bianca. It’s something I’ve always loved doing for her. I would rub her back and kiss her skin all over. She was so soft and curvy. I delighted in touching and breathing over the dips and curves of her body, slipping my tongue into mysterious places, and tasting her through her sighs and moans.

Every part of her topography had become my altar to worship upon. I liked tickling the backs of her knees with my whiskers and making her shiver when I rubbed my cheeks against her thighs. I enjoyed whispering hot suggestions in her ear, and having her hair fall around me, taking me to another world as we passionately connected on a soul shaking level.

I wanted to give her the world. When she admired something when we walked past a window, I remembered it and would go back for it when I could, surprising her with bobbles, shoes, jeweled barrettes for her long tresses, anklets and bracelets to decorate her slender limbs, and dresses for her pleasure.

I’d learned her style, so I tended to buy her things I knew she’d adore. It never occurred to me to treat Bianca as I’d treat a new recruit. I wouldn’t, of course, but there were things she wanted to learn I wasn’t quite eager to teach her.

I wasn’t gentle with the boys and girls who joined the family and wanted to work their way up the ranks. I didn’t hold back my punches or remember not to yell at them for forgetting something I’d taught them that might one day save their lives and the lives of their team.

I didn’t train half as much as I used to. I had other important things to do for the family. Besides, I could assign men and women that were far more patient than I to do it, now. I did attend some of the sessions and worked with them personally, so they could see their Don, know who I was and understand how things worked in the family.

There was no need to scare them half to death, but I often talked with them and worked with them to give them the chance to know me and understand I was their leader and let them know what was tolerable. With Bianca, I would be a totally different teacher if I taught her at all.

“I can see that mind of yours whirling. You’re trying to figure out a way to tell me no, aren’t you?” she asked with an adorable pout forming on her lovely face.

“Not exactly,” I lied.

She grinned at me and shook her head. I knew in that moment that she’d get her way, and I was sure she knew it too. I kissed her lips, grinning at her.

“We’ll take it slow,” I whispered against her lips.

“Of course,” she agreed, kissing me back.

The deal was sealed, and now, I had to find a way to teach her in a gentle way. She was right, after all, she needed to learn to defend herself if she was going to be with me. even after I left the position of Don, there would be a few people who challenged me simply because they knew who I’d been.

While people believed they lived to tell the tale of being a part of the Mafia and getting out, it was a pipe dream. We never really left that life behind. it was in our blood. We continued to walk with the same swagger and our tones still carried that authority, our bodies the same confidence. I’d be just Leo, but I’d never be anything other than Mafia.

At first, I wanted to see what Bianca already knew. If I remembered correctly, she’d told me in the past that Al had taught her a few things about shooting. And he had. I could tell by her stance and the way she held the weapon. He’d taught her the basics, and so I needed to work on other parts of shooting. I didn’t like the idea of her being around firearms while pregnant, but I knew she’d slap me senseless if I told her that.

A part of me wanted to call Al and ask him how he did it with Mia. Mia was a crack shot and they had children. I vaguely remember a story about her rescuing herself when she was pregnant with their first child or something like that.

The problem I had was I didn’t want Bianca to have to rescue herself. I knew it was senseless to even pretend that wasn’t a possibility, especially while we were still in the life, but it wasn’t an impossibility once I named the new Don, either.

As we continued our sessions with me hovering over Bianca as she learned to handle several different handguns of various sizes and with different recoil levels, I researched different types of basic defense that would be all right to teach her while pregnant.

There was a lot of advice on social media and a couple of videos from women who were pregnant and teaching others moves to defend themselves. I read everything I could and watched a few of the videos.

I worked on teaching her how to walk with confidence.

“Stand tall.” I said, watching her kind of do a slouching walk.

She glared at me as if she’d smack me upside the head.

“don’t look at me like that. It really works. If you’re all slouchy, with your head down, and your shoulders hunched, people are going to see you as a target. When was the last time I got jumped?”

“No one will jump you because they know who you are,” Bianca said, but she straightened her shoulders and walked with her head up- and her back straight.

“Watch me,” I said, giving her my best confident walk. When I turned to see what she thought, I caught her checking out my ass.

“Bianca eyes up here,” I admonished with a chuckle and what I knew had to be a cocky grin on my face. I loved it when she checked me out, but this was supposed to be a lesson about protecting herself.

“Sorry,” she muttered, her eyes slowly drifting up my body, continuing to sensuously check me out.

“Stop staring at me like that. This is not that kind of lesson,” I said, still wearing a goofy grin.

“Come here,” she whispered.

I obeyed. “Bianca, we’re supposed to be walking with confidence, sweetheart,” I said, walking into her arms.

“Yeah, well I’m getting tired. Take me to bed.”

I chuckled and kissed her lips. “Are you really tired?” I asked, rubbing her small baby bump.

“Um hum,” she said, laying her head on my shoulder.

“Okay, we’ll continue another time,” I agreed, as she yawned and cuddled close.

I picked her up and took her upstairs to our room. I kissed her cheek as her lashes fluttered closed.

“Stay for a while,” she whispered, her breathing taking on that sluggish inhale and exhale of the drowsy and near sleep.

I obliged her, lying beside her, spreading her favorite quilt from Italy over her, and staying with her until I knew she was deep asleep. I knew the lessons would go slow because Bianca often got drowsy easily.

I watched for a moment as she slept. Her full lips were parted and her hair spread out behind her like silk over the cotton pillows. Her thick lashes made soft shadows on her cheeks. Her skin was soft and like sun-kissed alabaster. She was lovely and ethereal, and I loved her all the more as she slept.

I was happy that she was so peaceful. I slipped out of the room to let her continue to sleep. I knew she needed it. I relished providing whatever she needed. It was a wonder that she trusted me the way she did after all we’d been through together. She believed in me, and it made me feel ten feet tall.

I was glad that Bianca was asleep. I had a few things to check on. Darion was being punished by doing all the nastiest and simple jobs of the family. He was doing everything from changing trash cans and cleaning toilets.

While I felt like it wasn’t enough, he truly seemed contrite and barely put up a fuss with Franky when I turned him over to him and gave Franky my orders.

Right now, I needed the little shit out of my sight. I still felt the urge to shoot him and put him down like a rabid dog. I felt the boy was strong enough to handle the grunt work and I was sure before long enough he’d be getting in trouble again.

I understood the psychology of it all. He felt safe with me, so he did shit he’d never have done with Al. but I wasn’t that little punk’s father. I was his leader. While I was a family man, I was also his Don. I had the right to take him down if I wanted. He didn’t seem to have gotten that memo.

Darion hadn’t been arrested in the melee of the exodus from the arena’s fire. No one had been blamed due to the fire. But I hadn’t forgiven him for his part in Bianca’s being there, and you’d better believe I wasn’t going to let him forget it any time soon. I haven’t let him forget how much danger he’d put everybody in, either.

After Bianca woke and ate something. We’d started training again. She’d done better since she wasn’t so tired. We went back to the picnic area for a break and were approached by a well-dressed couple I recognized from pictures.

“Bianca, this is Haily and Darion Senior, Darion’s parents.”

“Hello, nice to meet you?” Bianca said as if it were a question.

Neither of them looked in Darion’s direction. I thought the same thing. Was it nice to be greeting them?

“Leo, we came to speak with you.”

I nodded at them, wondering what this was all about.

“You can do whatever you want with Darion. He no longer has a place in our family,” Darion Senior said as if Darion the younger wasn’t standing right there.

“Yes,” Hailey continued, “he’s disappointed us entirely too much of late and we cannot do anything with him. My husband and I have decided to cut him off entirely and strip his name from the family.”

I saw Bianca mouth the words, “Dear God,” as tears misted her eyes.

“We officially disown him,” Darion Senior said, turning his back on his son and walking away. His wife followed in his footsteps.

Darion’s expression was utterly empty as his parents departed, leaving him with nothing. Despite everything he’d done, Bianca comforted him. Knowing the importance of family, her eyes met mine and as if we were speaking mind to mind, I nodded my approval to her unasked question.

“Darion, you are a part of our family now. Leo and I want you to stay here with us while you get on your feet and figure out what you’re going to do from now on.”

Darion threw me a relieved look. I could tell the boy was grateful, but he was crushed and would need time to recover from such a harsh blow.