Yes, I am alive. Enjoy the chapter. There are more to come soon. Some are already written and await my trusty beta-reader ;) WARNING: This chapter contains swearing (as per usual), sex (not too explicit) and violence. Do not read as bedtime story to your children/younger siblings/cousins/etc.!
Chapter 20
"Cassey! Darling! "
The German assassin already regretted opening the door. Why had she agreed to Lussuria coming over? Why?!
"Hey, Luss."
The fabulous peacock hugged her. This would be a long day.
"You look sooo~ grumpy. I know just the cure for that", Lussuria winked.
"Shopping is not the cure."
"It is, darling. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Italian LOVE shopping and fashion."
"I'm not Italian. I am not in Rome, I am in Palermo and I HATE shopping and fashion."
"Don't be so grumpy. It'll cheer you up, I promise."
"….fine. But no lingerie shops. I don't need any more bras."
Fifteen minutes later Cassandra found herself in a high-end lingerie shop.
"I should learn to stick to my principles.", was her one and only thought while a woman measured her chest.
" You're lucky to be so busty. It's a well-filled E-cup."
"Lucky?"
"Yes, don't you think so?"
"Nope."
"Well, the grass on the other side is always greener, isn't it?", with that the woman and Lussuria started searching THE bra for Cassandra, who got dressed and flopped into a plushy armchair. This was hell. Just like the poofy dress back in Rome.
She continued to name things that were hell, until Lussuria popped up in her field of vision, beaming like a 2-year-old with a lollipop.
"This one would be PERFECT, darling!"
A pink, lacey something wobbled into existence.
"No. Just no."
Lussuria now assumed the look of a 2-year-old who had dropped his lollipop into a litter box.
"It's….pink. And…frilly. And….lacey!"
The woman who had been so impressed by her rack, joined them and their conversation: "I see, you're a 'no nonsense"-woman. Something more elegant and subtle perhaps?"
"Subtle, yes. I don't do elegant though."
And off they went in search of something subtle, but not elegant.
Four hours of torture later, Cassey collapsed on her couch. Lussuria had dumped her outside of the complex and she had made her way up all by herself.
The things she had been bullied into buying were somewhere in the vicinity of the door, as far as she could remember.
"I should get them and stash them in the very back of my closet.", mumbled Cassey to herself.
Or so she thought.
"Nein, das wäre Verschwendung."
Startled, Cassey jumped up, just in time to dodge a knife, which painfully cut into her hand. There weren't that many reflexes left after 4 hours of shopping with a gay Italian.
She lashed out at the person standing right behind her couch.
How could she have been so blind?!
"Did M send you?"
No response came from the attacker, instead he aimed a fist at her head. He was clearly no match for her. He lacked speed and tactic. All in all, he lacked everything an assassin would need to kill someone. Whoever he was, he was supposed to serve as cannon fodder.
"Who are you?"
Of course, no response, so Cassey tried something else. She feigned a kick to his gut, and when the hooded figure tried to dodge, she simply took him by the arms and, in one fluid motion, pulled down his hood.
"FINN?! Bist du völlig behindert?!"
The teen struggled against her grip, but Cassey didn't let go. What on earth was her youngest cousin doing in Italy, in her flat? And why would he be out to kill her?
"Lass mich los, ey!"
"If you promise to stop killing me, you noob."
"I'm not a noob!"
"Yes, you are. Now sit down right there and tell me what the fuck you're doing here."
The teenager crashed on the couch behind which he had been standing and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm not gonna tell you."
"You ARE going to tell me, kiddo. Now spill the beans. Who send you and why are you supposed to kill me?"
She was greeted by stubborn, childish silence.
"Listen, you just failed your assassination. You failed miserably, Finn. No matter WHO send you, that person is going to kill you anyway. You failed, you showed your face, you have valuable data that has to be destroyed."
"Not everyone's like you.", he actually pouted and stared out of the window.
"Come again? I think you just implied that I go around killing people who fail to murder someone. Just so you know, if I want someone dead, I do the dirty work myself. Only trust yourself, that's the code I live by."
"Look at you! All wise and mighty."
"Finn, you're barely out of your nappies and I can vividly remember you smearing your face with cold cream and running around naked, pretending to be a ghost."
More silence.
"Yep, I suppose stubbornness IS genetic in our family."
"What do you know about family? You don't even have one. Everyone hates you. Even you hate yourself."
"Wrong. I have friends, contrary to our uncle, who's a complete dick. But he didn't send you, because he's currently shitting bricks. After all I am by far more apt at eliminating people than his goons. But I hate myself, sometimes. You were right about that."
"But your family hates you!"
"Yes, they do. And you apparently hate me enough to plan to murder me, because travelling to Italy to murder someone clearly involves some degree of planning."
It was silent for a while after that and even when Cassey asked whether her guest-of-sorts wanted anything to drink, her answer was silence.
"They have my parents. And Lea."
That sentence shattered the silence like a hammer would shatter a cup. Or a skull.
So someone held his parents and his little sister for ransom and thus forced the boy into their service.
"Who are 'they'?"
"M and Cecilia."
"SCHEISSE!", Cassey swore a blue storm for a while, before she calmed down.
"This is bad, Finn. This is REALLY bad. For how long have they had them?"
"About a month."
"And they didn't kill them yet?"
"No, they let me talk to them just two days ago."
"Wait…how did you find me?"
"They told me your boyfriend lived on the outskirts of Palermo, so I just stuck around and waited for you to come out."
"You're clever, but you should seriously work on your fighting skills. They suck major ass. ANYWAY, are you wired up? Do you have a phone with you right now?"
"No, I left that all behind at the room I rented."
"Good, but I'll still need you to change clothes. Just in case. And I seriously need to patch my hand up. This fucking hurts, you know?"
"I am NOT going out wearing women's clothes."
"Quit whining. I have some baggy jeans and a big shirt you can wear. Looks perfectly manly."
"…where?"
"Second drawer from the top. Left side. You won't miss it. Now hurry the fuck up, we need to go to someone."
"To whom?"
"The only person that could probably keep your sorry ass safe, boy."
"Who would that be?"
"My boyfriend."
"You don't sound too happy to say that.", the teen went to the drawer and pulled out the clothes.
"We are sort of on bad terms."
"Was he mean?"
"He is a dick, so I won't talk to him. But now I need to. You OWE me for that."
"Sure…"
An hour later Cassey pulled up in front of the Varia mansion. No one was outside, but she was absolutely sure someone was on guard duty on the roof. Xanxus would probably know they were there. Great.
"This is a motherfucking PALACE, Cassey! How could you possibly refuse living here?! It's every girls childhood dream to live in a palace, isn't it?" Finn was awestruck by the sheer size of the building he saw for the first time.
"My childhood dream was to sleep in a tent next to an excavation site and digging up dinosaurs."
"You're weird."
"Thanks for that, Finn."
They went up the stairs and trough the massive front gate. An elderly man, hunched over from years of hard work greeted them in the lobby.
"Good evening, Miss Janson. Who is your young companion?"
"Hey, Mr. Cornelo. That's my cousin, Finn Janson."
"You are here to speak to…?"
"Xanxus. I know where to go and don't mind calling in first. He'll be fine. I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. You just go and rest a bit.", she smiled at the old servant. This was why she found the Sicilian Mafia to be charming. They were so…old-fashioned.
Mr. Cornelo bowed and went back in the general direction of the kitchens, while Cassey started up the stairs.
"Move your ass, Finn. We better get this over with as quickly as possible."
He hurried after her, as she strode through the carpeted corridors. She knew exactly where to find Xanxus' office and she also knew what would greet her the moment she opened the door, still, when she actually opened the door and Xanxus exploded with rage, it kind of caught her off guard.
"What the FUCK were you thinking, BITCH?!", yup, he hadn't changed.
"I was thinking you're a dick."
"That's no reason to go and do something like this. You could have called!"
"You could have called too.", Cassey tried to keep her voice calm and low. No need to go to his level right now. She could yell at him later, without Finn cowering in fear in a corner.
"What the ass-raping fuck is wrong with you, huh?!"
"A lot. But I'm not here to discuss that. We can do that later, alright? You can yell at me and throw stuff at my head as much as you see fit later, okay? Right now there's something else to handle, so sit your ass down, calm the fuck down and listen for a moment!", she was nearly out of patience.
It took about an hour to explain Finn's situation to Xanxus, because he kept threatening to murder the poor kid for hurting 'his fucking bitch' and he and Cassey spend a good amount of time yelling at each other to shut the fuck up and listen for a second.
"So", Xanxus leaned back in his chair and buried his face in his hands, "I need to look after that scared brat over there?", he pointed at Finn, who seemed on the verge of having a mental break down from two assassins constantly yelling at each other and one of them threatening to kill him multiple times.
"Yes, you need to look after him, until I manage to bail his family out."
"Fucking great. Lussuria can do that."
"I don't care WHO looks after him, but someone needs to be with him at all times."
"Are you willing to do something for that protection?"
"So you agree?"
"Yes."
"Then let's get Finn to a room and we discuss payment. He could use some rest."
"…fine."
Mr. Cornelo entered and Finn followed him off to the corridors. Both, Xanxus and Cassey, watched the door close in silence.
"Are you willing to pay in sex?", Xanxus was staring straight at Cassey.
"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm still mad at you, asshole!"
"I'm not gonna let you pay with money. I want some fucking sex. I have gone without for far too long."
"Then go find a prostitute. I don't care, but I'm not whoring around to keep my cousin from danger, bastard."
"I don't want any prostitute out there, I want you. Naked, moaning, right on my bed.", he walked around his desk and towered right in front of her.
When Cassey tried to rise from the chair, he pushed her back down.
"I really don't want to, Xanxus. I really don't. You were a downright jackass back then and I REALLY don't want to."
"I think I've paid enough, don't you think so? It's been two months. Aren't you missing it?"
"No."
"Liar."
"I don't lie."
"Yes, you do. " he stroked the back of her neck with his hand.
Sensitive spot. Cassey shivered.
"I…don't miss it. I can go without for a long long time."
"I think two months is a long long time, bitch."
"Stop calling me that!"
"But you are my bitch." He smirked as he pulled her to her feet and snaked an arm around her hips, thus pressing her closer.
"Stop this. I don't want to, Xanxu-ah!" he was grinding his hips against hers. It felt good, she hadn't even realized how much she'd missed it.
"Was that a moan?" the grin on his face grew even wider.
"No-oh-mmmh." He began to kiss and nibble at her neck and exposed collarbone. Why did he know her sensitive spots and triggers so well?
"That was definitely a moan, Cassey. Are you still against sex?"
She was beginning to feel really hot.
"Not…so…sure.", her throat was dry. She leaned forward against Xanxus' chest and took a deep breath. He smelled so good. Of gunpowder, leather and spices. She loved that scent.
"Maybe we should take this to my bedroom. I think I can persuade you best in there."
"Seems…like a good idea."
He guided her through a side door to his room, all the while not letting go of her and keeping her close. She felt even hotter. He noticed once they'd closed and locked the door to his room.
"Are you hot? Maybe you should shed some of your clothes." He smirked. She didn't care. Fuck revenge, fuck pride, she wanted to get fucked tonight.
"Only if you do too.", she felt like she deserved some sort of award for this coherent sentence. She already knew it would probably be the last one for quite a few hours.
He was still holding her close with the help of the arm-snake around her hips.
"How about I undress you first and you get to undress me, when I tell you to."
Cassey opened her mouth to protest, but he covered it with his other hand.
"You owe me. So I get to decide."
She nodded and prepared for clothes being ripped off her body. It didn't happen. Instead, Xanxus chose to slowly undress her.
When he was done and her panties, the last stronghold of modesty, had found their way to the floor, he stood there for a moment, marveling, no doubts, her boobs.
"Quit staring at mmmmh-my bo-oooh-bs.",was all she managed to get out in between moans, as he stroked her body. He was unusually gentle. Cassey didn't mind.
"I like your boobs, so I'll stare at them." He kissed her and when Cassey broke the kiss to breathe, which got to be harder by the second, she could feel his erection.
"Xanxus…maybe I should…get your friend out. It seems a bit uncomfortable."
His answer wasn't a verbal one. He pushed her onto the bed and swiftly got rid of his clothes.
"Oi! I thought I-"
He shut her up with another kiss. More forceful than the last.
"Change of plans, Cassey."
Another kiss ravaged her lips and she let her hands trail down to Xanxus' second brain. She liked the path to that brain. It was bumpy from all the scars adorning his broad chest. Cassey liked the scars. There really wasn't anything she didn't like about Xanxus' body.
She stroked his now naked erection gently. No use in hurting what provided her with so much pleasure. Cassey wondered how she had managed to go without all this for so long.
Xanxus let out a startled groan as Cassey traced the veins with her fingers and softly rubbed the tip with her thumb.
Yet, after a few moments, her brought her hand up again.
"Let's get to the point. I hate beating about the fucking bush for too long." He grabbed his belt, which hadn't fallen all the way off the bed, "You're not going to run away this time."
He quickly tied her hands to the head board. Cassey was breathing shallow breaths, while she waited for him to enter her. She loved sex for it provided her with a pleasant distraction from all the chaos around her.
Xanxus bent down and kissed her. His tongue slid past her lips and teeth to wrestle with hers, but hers didn't but up much of a fight. The brain controlling it was a hazy mess, after all. This went on for what seemed like a torturing eternity to Cassey, who began to shiver with anticipation.
There was this one part of her brain that was scolding her for acting like a whore and begging to be fucked like that, but that part was so far off and out of reach, that Cassey didn't even bother to make sense of the words.
Then, while he kept the tongues wrestling, he entered. Cassey wondered when exactly had put a condom on. Had he even put one on? But after another thrust all thoughts were reduced to a mushy paste.
All she could do was moan and feel. No thinking. No thinking at all. He grabbed one of her breasts and started kneading and sucking on it. Then he started pinching the nipple, until it seemed disproportionally big, and continued the same process on the other breast.
Cassey wanted to encourage him to go faster and harder, she needed this so badly, but talking was out of question. She just couldn't get a hold of the words.
Moans were all that passed her lips. And Xanxus' tongue, but that was getting in, not out.
As they went on, Xanxus picked up a faster and harder rhythm. She loved it. It felt too good after such a long time.
On and on they went and Cassey could feel this certain warm tightness building in her nether regions. She knew exactly where this was headed and so did Xanxus. Judging from the smirk she could see through glazed eyes, he was counting on it.
A couple more hard thrusts and she was on the edge, breathing was no longer possible or at least the oxygen didn't seem to make it through.
"Ah…Xan..nhhhh….xus…"
He grinned, covered her mouth with his and, though some well-applied hard thrusts, pushed her over the edge.
There were no stars dancing in her vision, no fireworks going off in the distance, just deep satisfaction, a slightly blurry vision and a very hazy brain.
Xanxus finished shortly thereafter, grinning like an idiot. He untied her hands and collapsed next to her, still grinning like a fucking idiot.
"You paid.", panted the Italian and pulled her a little closer.
"You should probably get the condom off your dick. I'm definitely not cuddling with a latex ballon.", Cassey grinned up at him.
Xanxus kissed her once more and, grinning sheepishly, answered: "I didn't wear one."
"Come again?"
"I wasn't wearing one. Much nicer without one."
She bashed a fist against his chest.
"You asshole! How. Could. You. NOT. Wear. A. Condom?!" Each word was followed by a hit on the chest. She hoped it would bruise. Badly.
"You take the pill, so why do you worry? I don't have AIDS."
"I am NOT taking the pill. Never really have either, jackass!"
"What the-? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I TOLD you! More than once even!"
"FUCK! What do we do now?"
"I don't fucking know! Shit bricks and wait for my next period to deliver us?"
"This is bad."
"Yes, it is. What do we learn?"
"Wear a fucking condom. Two if you want to be on the fucking safe side.", Xanxus stared at the ceiling in concern.
"Don't worry. It'll work out, idiot.", Cassey nestled against him. It would all work out, wouldn't it? No deity would be so mean as to make them have a baby. That would be cruel and prenatal child abuse.
"I hope you're fucking right, Cassey." He slung an arm around her shoulder and planted a kiss on top of her head, "Let's get some sleep and think about this fucking mess in the morning."
"Sounds good."
They fell asleep almost instantly. Sex was, after all, the best alternative to sleeping pills.
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did the process of writing this chapter. Quick translations:
Chapter 21 and 22 are currently waiting for my beta, while chapter 23 is being worked on :)
"Bist du völlig behindert?" - "Are you completely retarded?" Have a nice day and leave me some comments!
"Lass mich los, ey!" - "Oi, let me go!"
"SCHEISSE!" - "SHIT!" [I believe it's one of the few German words most people know :D]