Why Does the Caged Bird Sing? (Corsair and Xana)

[Xanaphia]

Was it too early to start drinking?

Each thrust rocked the question around Mercedes’ mind, while she stared over his shoulder up at the ceiling. Some distant point to focus on, instead of the way his body felt atop hers. Sweaty and heavy, she felt trapped between him, wondering if she could even physically push him off her.

He finished, and she lay there a moment longer, a dull ache pulsing between her thighs. Whore. He hadn’t said it, not this time, but it didn’t need to. She just lay there, and spread herself for him. It wouldn’t have stopped him if she resisted, she knew, but that knowledge didn’t make her feel any less dirty.

“Hey, maybe we’ll be lucky and I got you pregnant.” He laughed, and her stomach lurched. “Think about it, a little Vinnie running around.”

“Maybe,” she repeated, trying not to sound despondent. Trying, and failing.

Early or not, it didn’t matter. She needed a goddamn drink.


She skipped breakfast and headed straight for the shower, turning the hot water up so high it stung her skin. She felt a little better once she got out, comforting herself with the thought that if she were pregnant, it was just as likely William’s as Vinnie’s. Which would be a whole ‘nother can of worms that she wasn’t willing to process right now. But she got dress, and got ready to head over to the club.

“Where are you going?”

Swallowing hard, she brushed some hair back behind her ear, “Just headed to the Cage. Expecting a full house tonight.”

He made a show of checking his watch, “Kinda early, ain’t it? You meeting someone there?”

“No!” she barked out, so quick and so loud she surprised herself. Vinnie noted her denial, the terror in her tone and in her eyes. “I wouldn’t. Jesus, Vinnie, you know that.”

He smirked. A smirk that lorded his strength over her. “You wouldn’t, would you?”

“Never.” But she had. And she would, again. And so long as he didn’t know, it couldn’t hurt her.

~*~

Valentino glanced over at the flowers resting on the passenger’s seat, wishing they were more impressive. They’d seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that he was sitting in front of her place –a mansion, really– they seemed pathetic. He’d wanted to bing by a bottle of nice Italian wine, but the only stuff he could get from the bootleggers was cheap swill. Sure, it got the job done, but…

It wasn’t just the flowers though, he knew. He’d ended their evening together early, and hadn’t even managed to get the Raven or Nightingale. He spent the night frustrated, in every sense of the word, but at least he could fix things with Marilyn.

If he could get up the nerve to knock on the door.

With a deep breath, he threw open the car door, and made his way to the Stone Residence.

 

[TheCorsair]

Will was deep into his third mug of coffee when Marilyn appeared in the dining room. She grunted in response to his mumbled good morning, then collapsed into a chair and poured herself a mug. For a long moment both siblings focused on drinking. Finally, she clapped her mug down on the table and reached for the pit again. “Jesus,” She grumbled. “How can you drink that stuff black?”

“I don’t drink it for the taste,” he answered, sliding the cream and sugar over to her. “I drink it to wake up.” He wached her carefully spoon sugar with gloved hands. “Long night?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, adding cream until the coffee was the color of chocolate milk. “You too, from the looks of it.”

“Yep.” He shoved the paper over to her. “Behold.”

She read the front page, sipping much more carefully at her second cup. “Raven and Nightingale hit North Side and Capone last night?” She lifted an eyebrow, then yawned. “Ambitious.”

“Maybe too ambitious,” Will remarked. “It’s the sort of thing that could get one of them killed.”

“Maybe.” Marilyn sipped her coffee. “Or maybe the Raven thinks it’s time to press the attack. That L’Ombra character’s going to make things tricky, after all.”

“Seems to me,” he replied, “that the Raven might be better off taking it slow, and making sure to know what he’s hitting,”

Marilyn say her cup down. “Seems to me,” she replied in arch tones, “that the Raven got into it for revenge. Not to be slow and methodical.” She grimaced. “Or maybe the Nightengale’s making him overly cautious?”

“You can’t get revenge if you’re dead,” he snapped.

“You can’t get revenge if you never fu...”. Marilyn cut off her sentence as Carson entered the room. The big black man was impeccably dressed, his left sleeve neatly stitched up. He hesitated at the expression in the faces of the siblings. “Yes?”

“Pardon me, ma’am,” he said, nodding his head. “There’s a Mister Valentino Morello at the front door, inquiring about you.

Marilyn’s eyes went wide, her ill temper draining away. “Really? I, uhm...”. She hesitated. “How do I look?”

Chuckling at his butler’s flustered expression, Will smiled and shook his head. “You look fine, Marilyn.” He turned back to Carson. “Please, show Mr. Morello in. And then, would you be so kind as to inform Ms. Sparrow that we’ll be having three to breakfast?”

 

[Xanaphia]

Marilyn stood to greet Valentino, her silk robe draping pleasingly over her lithe figure. Damn, didn’t she look good enough to make him further regret cutting their evening short last night. The thought of it, tangled up in those long legs… “Mornin’” he greeted, offering her flowers and a kiss on the cheek. The scent of coffee on her breath awoke fresh hunger in him. But her brother was right there, and he doubted the man would appreciate him kissing on his sister like that. “Mornin’ William.”

Marilyn took a deep breath of the bouquet “Let me get these in some water. Join us for breakfast, will ya?”

“You know my mama raised me right, and I never turned down a home-cooked meal.”

Taking a place across from Will, he flashed him a polite smile. Will seemed like a decent guy, but what did you say to a man when you were interested in his sister? Would Will be as protective of Marilyn as he’d been of Mercy? So he jumped on the one thing they had in common, “So, Marilyn tells me you fought in the great war?”

Marilyn returned with the flowers in a vase that was far too nice for them, and another servant followed behind her, with platters of breakfast. Eggs and sausage and hashed potatoes, and all of it made his stomach rumble.

“I don’t think you can keep insisting that L’Ombra isn’t real,” Marilyn teased, pointing out that the shadowy assassin had been spotted at the scene of the Northside’s warehouse.

“I still contend that whoever the mayor thinks he hired is a fraud. Look, he didn’t even manage to get the Raven or Nightingale, and they went on hit another warehouse.” Valentino chewed methodically, savoring the seasoning on the eggs, “Don’t sound like a man that never misses to me.” He drank deeply of his glass of orange juice, and cut into some sausage, “I didn’t realize masked killers had become such a problem in Chicago. The gangs weren’t bad enough?”

“You think the vigilantes are the problem?” Marilyn asked, cutting into her eggs.

“I know one shot up the club where my sister sings, to try and hit her husband. I don’t care what happens to the Enforcer, but I have to worry about Mercy. And so long as she is married to the target of the Raven and Nightingale’s crusade, she’s at risk.”

 

[TheCorsair]

Will watched Valentino take his seat, and also watched the way he watched Marilyn. It roused mixed emotions, that gaze. He water his sister happy, because she’d had more than enough pain in her life. And because she needed something more than her late night escapades.

Hello, pot, he thought wryly. My name’s kettle.

He wanted her happy. But he also, despite everything they had done together over the years, wanted her safe. He certainly wouldn’t let her get hurt again.

“[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]So,” Valentino said, “Marilyn tells me you fought in the great war?”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“I did.” He sipped his coffee. “I was in the Fighting First, from Cambrai all the way to Vittorio Venito.” He grimaced. “Not a thing I like talking about much - too many good men are still there, you know?”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Yeah,” Valentino agreed. “Lotta people I talk to, they hear I was a pilot, and they think it was safer’n being a doughboy.” He shook his head. “Just a flashier way to die, really.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Marilyn returned with a vase and took a seat, clearly enjoying the thought behind the gift. Will found himself smiling at her obvious pleasure, and at the unaffected smile she wore. How long had it been since he’d seen that smile?[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]The thought chilled his mood. He knew that answer, down to the hour. And so did she.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Breakfast was served, and Marilyn turned the conversation to the topic that filled the newspapers - the gangland war between the Raven and the mobs. And despite only having been in Chicago a few days, Valentino had opinions.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“[/BGCOLOR]You think the vigilantes are the problem?” Marilyn asked, cutting into her eggs.

“I know one shot up the club where my sister sings, to try and hit her husband. I don’t care what happens to the Enforcer, but I have to worry about Mercy. And so long as she is married to the target of the Raven and Nightingale’s crusade, she’s at risk.”

It was hard to argue with that, but Will found himself wondering how he’d react if he knew the identity of the Nightengale. “Is the Raven the risk, though?”

“What?” Valentino gave him a curious look.

“She’s married to Enforcer Morello, after all.” Will set his mug down. “Capone wouldn’t be as delicate about hitting him, or the people around him.”

“Yeah, but the Raven’s the one that opened up with her in the line of fire,” Valentino replied.

“The Raven fired nine rounds in the Gilded Cage,” Marilyn observed. “Two into the floor. One into Enforcer Morello. Three into one of his soldiers, and three over the heads of the police as he escaped.” She smiled wanly. “I read the police report, and it was backed up by shell casings. All of the North Side soldiers were packing .38s, and the police used shotguns. Only nine .45 shells were recovered.”

“The vigilante’s still making things worse,” Valentino insisted.

Will shook his head. “The city government is making things worse, by catering to and protecting the gangs.” His hand clenched on his fork. “The Raven’s just doing what they won’t.”

 

[Xanaphia]

“Maybe, but law’s what makes us better’n animals.” Valentino gestured with his fork. “Sure, it feels good to hurt someone’s who crossed ya, but it don’t make you safer.”

“Maybe Raven and Nightingale were pushed into a corner,” Marilyn suggested, tugging at the gloves she always wore, “and they lashed out the only way they knew how.”

Valentino noted her expression, and made an effort to steady his tone and lower his voice. These sorts of debates had emotions running high. “My point is, even if they kill Enforcer Morello, or Capone, what then? Someone else will take their place, and they’ll want to send a message. Blood and violence only lead to more blood and violence.”

The rest of breakfast progressed with little conversation, Valentino worrying that he hit a nerve. Made sense, the Raven and Nightingale likely moved a lot of papers for them. And part of him believed that at least Mercy would be better off if the Raven or Nightingale did manage to take Vinnie down, but wishing for a masked killer to solve his problem wasn’t his style. His style was decisive action, the kind he could take once he had a nice little nest egg to take care of his mama and Mercy. Long as he’d been gone, he owed them that much.

Once breakfast was over, Marilyn took him to the study, to get some more work done on his “life story.” After last night, and how close she’d gotten to unravelling the lies he’d lived for over eight years, he’d taken the time to concoct a story. Some feel good whopper that would sell them some papers and give him an excuse to spend more time with her. It was a hell of a lot better than chasing phantoms under the moonlight.

So, for ease of remembering, he kept most of the dates and locations the same, but invented accounts for what he’d been up to in each case.

Marilyn reviewed her notes from the day before, “So, were you in Paris?”

“I mean, I seen it, but I spent my time in Nice.”

“And that was from ‘23-’24?”

He nodded, “yeah, thereabouts.”

“After France you were in Ireland?”

“Yeah, that until the end of ’24.”

“So you were there when IRA had that opposition leader killed?”

Valentino blinked his eyes, and nodded, “Yeah, I guess I was. But I wasn’t near Dublin at the time. I spent time in Galloway. Took up on a fishing boat.”

***​

She might have been sitting behind the deck in the office of the Gilded Cage, but Mercedes knew she wasn’t getting any work done. Switching out coffee for alcohol wasn’t helping, not with focusing on the books, but it dulled the shame she felt after letting Vinnie have her this morning.

Mercy wanted to call William, just so she could hear his voice. So she could forget what Vinnie had said this morning. His words last night haunted her, back in the dressing room where he asked her to run away with him, and she’d been more than tempted. Maybe she should leave with him, go anywhere, just staying out of Vinnie’s reach. She wanted to sleep in William’s arms and wake up beside him in the morning

What about the Raven?

She liked the Raven, she could admit, but what future could they have when he didn’t even trust her with his identity? Sure, he said it was to protect her, but she didn’t see how. If she were found out, no amount of “I don’t know who the Raven is” would protect her.

And Still, if he pulled up now, and took her into his arms, she wouldn’t resist.

“I really am a mess,” she admitted out loud, pouring herself another drink. Despite herself, she dialed up Will.

“Sorry, I don’t have anything useful for ya, I jus… I jus really wanted to hear your voice. And I, uh… I hoped I might see you tonight, at the club.”

 

[TheCorsair]

He’s hiding something. Marilyn could feel it in her bones, and she didn’t like the realization. Her line of questioning had been something of a lark, but it was making him uncomfortable. Making them both uncomfortable, because she really didn’t like where her suspicions were going.

“Hey,” she said suddenly, putting her notebook down, “maybe we’ve worked on this long enough for right now? I mean, I haven’t even gotten properly dressed yet.” She still wore her nightgown and silk robe, after all. Modest enough, really, but now she found herself wondering how his hands would feel sliding them off her body.

The image warred with the image of the man before her, dressed in dove grey leather. Of a skull mask and a gun in his hand. Damnit, she had to be wrong! She had to be!

She rose suddenly. “Hey. Why don’t I show you around? Take a little break from all of this?”

-*-

The phone rang. Will glanced at it curiously, then picked up the handle. “Hello?”

“[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Sorry, I don’t have anything useful for ya, I jus… I jus really wanted to hear your voice.” The musical voice on the line slurred a little, but he recognized her with a guilty surge of delight.[/BGCOLOR]

“No, no. Don’t worry,” he replied, feeling like a babbling teenager. “I, it’s good to hear you.”

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“And I, uh… I hoped I might see you tonight, at the club.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Was the need in her voice his imagination? “Yeah, of course. It’s always great, catching your show. I’ll be at my usual table and, uhm...” he felt himself begin to blush, which was ridiculous. How many times had they made love, now? “Uhm, maybe afterwards, I could, uhm, meet you?”[/BGCOLOR]

 

[Xanaphia]

“Yeah, that what I was hopin’ for. What I wanted,” Mercedes confessed, losing herself in the memories of last night. “Been thinkin’ about what you said last night, and… I think you were right…” The words popped out, honesty made slippery by the alcohol. “I could of slept in your bed last night. Could of woken up in your arms, this morning.”

Memories and fantasies mingled in her mind, recalling their stolen night together. Recalling how he made her feel whole, and safe, holding her gaze as he worked in and out of her. Her body burned for his touch, his kiss, and this evening seemed so far away.

Fingers trailed her body, down to the hem of her skirt and back up her thighs. “We could of… we could have been together, again and again…” Fuck, she was so wet thinking about him, hearing his voice, hearing him admit he wanted to see her too. Two fingers pushed into her depths, and she released a soft moan. “Dammit, Will, I need you. I need to see you tonight. Please…. Please…”

She worked in and out of herself, two digits a poor substitute for him, but her desperation mounted. “Promise…” She gasped, the anticipation of meeting tonight growing, “Promise me…” She gasped again, long and sustained, insistent need escaping in her rasping breaths.

“Geez, I’m sorry… I just really miss you.” Release sagged her back in the chair, but it wasn’t enough. Still she hungered for Will. “Tonight,” she repeated, hopeful and longing, “I can’t wait to see you.”

~*~​

“Hey,” she said suddenly, putting her notebook down, “maybe we’ve worked on this long enough for right now? I mean, I haven’t even gotten properly dressed yet.”

The comment about her not even being fully dressed distracted him momentarily. He was a little more interested in getting her undressed, to be perfectly frank, but he didn’t dare give voice to those desires. Not while the steady panic of realization dawned on her.

He didn’t want to hurt her –didn’t like hurting anyone he wasn’t paid to kill– but his secret couldn’t get out. Mercy had enough to worry about with that no-good husband of hers. She didn’t need his list of enemies coming after her either.

Marilyn rose suddenly. “Hey. Why don’t I show you around? Take a little break from all of this?”

His mask curved into a friendly smile, but he couldn’t help but wonder if she saw through that too. “Sure, I’d like that. Seems like a nice place you got here.”

She was smart. Smart enough to figure out the truth about him, even when he was covering his trail. Maybe she was smart enough to keep her mouth shut too? Be he didn’t want to threaten her, didn’t want to see those dark eyes look back at him in fear. Maybe he could make her understand, it wasn’t just him the truth could harm. She liked Mercy well enough, didn’t she?

“It wasn’t all pleasant, I’m sure you know,” he mentioned, following her through the halls of the manor. “It was war, after all. A lot of us did what we had to do to survive. But I imagine you know all about that, don’t you?”

“Here’s the thing. I can’t really talk to anybody about what I saw over there. What I done. Who would understand, really?” He reached out now, and caressed Marilyn’s cheek, hoping she understood where he was coming from. Hoping she understood where he was going with this. “Mercy has enough on her mind to worry about me, and what I’ve had to do to survive.”

“Besides,” he murmured, drawing closer to her. Close enough his body brushed against hers, close enough he could nearly feel her curves beneath that thin slip of silk, “There’s benefits for keeping my secrets. Perhaps a favor you might need?” Cautiously, watching for her reaction, he trailed his hand along the gloves she wore, “Some problem I could solve for you?”

 

[TheCorsair]

Marilyn’s mind raced as she led Valentino out into the main hall. She wanted her realization to not be true. She wanted him to be uninvolved. Wanted to lose herself in someone who looked so much like Mercy, but who society would let her be with. Wanted to pretend everything was all right.

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“It wasn’t all pleasant, I’m sure you know,” he mentioned, following her through the halls of the manor. “It was war, after all. A lot of us did what we had to do to survive. But I imagine you know all about that, don’t you?”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Yeah,” she whispered, wishing he would just shut up. Hating the direction her mind was going. “Yeah. I do.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Here’s the thing,” he said, caressing her cheek. Desire thrilled through her, warring with the emerging pattern she couldn’t escape. “I can’t really talk to anybody about what I saw over there. What I done. Who would understand, really?” [/BGCOLOR]

“I know,” she breathed, trying to ignore the triphammer beat of her heart. “There’s a lot that...”

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Mercy has enough on her mind to worry about me, and what I’ve had to do to survive.”[/BGCOLOR]

“Too much,” she agreed, hoping she was wrong. Really hoping.

“[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Besides,” he murmured, drawing closer to her. She could feel his hard, strong body through the silk of her nightgown, and even now it made her breath catch in her throat. “There’s benefits for keeping my secrets. Perhaps a favor you might need?” His hand slid down her arm, brushing over her glove in a way that made her skin suddenly crawl, “Some problem I could solve for you?”[/BGCOLOR]

Everything seemed to fall into place as she stared at the framed etching on the wall. Icy certainty flooded her veins. “Yeah, there is,” she smiled, leaning forward to kiss him. His taste was strong and masculine as she explored his lips, and then she stepped back. “Wait here. I’m going to slip into something more comfortable, and we can talk about...” her gloved fingers trailed down his chest, “exactly what I need.”

She smiled as she stepped away. But the smile turns hard once she started up the stairs.

-*-

“You could have,” Will agreed, suddenly and achingly hard at the thought of her in his bed again. And suddenly and crushingly lonely, realizing just how much he wanted her, and not just in his bed. “It’s still an open...”

“[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]We could of… we could have been together, again and again…” She husked, before offering a low moan of pleasure that made him ache with need. “Dammit, Will, I need you. I need to see you tonight. Please…. Please…”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“You will,” he breathed, uncertain what was happening, but stil certain he knew what was going on. “Oh, oh Jesus you will.” His fumbled with his trousers, wrapping a handkerchief around his cock.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Promise…” She gasped, “Promise me…”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“I promise,” he gasped out, stroking himself in time with her low sounds of pleasure. His hand and the handkerchief were poor substitutes for her, but it would have to do for now. “Oh, fuck. I promise... Mercy!” Her name burst out as he climaxed with her, his shaft throbbing in his hand as he spent himself into the handkerchief. It felt dirty, dirty and hot and fuck if he didn’t want her more.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Geez, I’m sorry… I just really miss you,” she gasped.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“God, I miss you too, Mercy.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Tonight,” she repeated, hopeful and longing, “I can’t wait to see you.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Tonight,” he echoed. “And...”. There were several reports, echoing up the hall. Gun shots. “Oh hell,” he said, afterglow forgotten as he tucked himself back into his clothes and came to his feet. “What was that?”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]-*-[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]The Raven pulled heavy leather gloves on, then buckled on the black-painted body armor. It had the virtue of perpetuating the rumor of that nvulnerability, as well as obscuring the vigilante’s contours. Everything that made identification difficult helped preserve the secret. Not that any of that would matter, if L’Ombra got away.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]The Raven checked one automatic and then the other, making sure each was loaded before bolstering it. If L’Ombra got away, then it would be obvious who the Raven was. The son of a bitch would tell his bosses, and the whole Chicago underworld would be beating down the door.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]That couldn’t be allowed to happen.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Pulling on the long black overcoat, the Raven stepped into the hall and drew a pistol. The son of a bitch wouldn’t get away. Mercy’d be heartbroken by his disappearance, and her mother would be devastated. But his body would disappear into the lake, and she’d never have to know what kind of man - no, monster - her brother really was.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Drawing a deep breath, the Raven stepped onto the balcony between the split stairs, and took aim at Valentino. He was looking at the etching, clearly trying to distract himself. He looked so much like her, and the vigilante’s determination wavered for an instant. “Your sister thought you’d save her,” the Raven croaked. “But you’re just another cheap mob gunsel.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]He looked up, and quick reflexes sent him rolling as the automatic roared. The Raven fired again and again, blasting craters in the tiled floor as he scrambled for cover. Then he kept from the balcony as Valentino dove into the dining room. “How many people have you killed for them?” roared the Raven, boots hammering on the tile. Valentino rolled under the table as the automatic roared, blasting splinters into the air. “How many victims, you son of a bitch?”[/BGCOLOR]

 

[Xanaphia]

Mercedes found a small moment of peace between Will’s promises and her own fantasies for tonight. Maybe she could leave with him, this time. She could reach out to her brother, make arrangements a head of time to protect her mother, and him. It was getting too dangerous to be the Nightingale anymore. Danger that materialized as gun shots echoed through the receiver. “What happened?” she demanded, perking up as fear tore through her. Will hadn’t managed to hang up his end, and more gunshots rang through.

Shit! Was someone hitting them? Why? Did Vinnie know about her affairs? Something else? Jumping to her feet, Mercedes didn’t let the questions slow her down, grabbing her gun and her keys and sprinting towards the car. She couldn’t lose William or Marilyn, not now. Taking traffic laws as suggestions, she raced towards the Stone Residence.

~*~​

Marilyn’s kiss ignited a hunger in Valentino, and it was a struggle not to pull her closer. A struggle not to follow after her, as she made her way up the stair. Good, she understood his dilemma, understood how important it was to keep this between them.

He examined the etching in the hall, wondering what was taking Marilyn so long. Was she getting dressed for the day? He’d hoped from her kiss they’d be getting undressed, but that was probably too good to be true, considering what he revealed to her. But the etching was incredible, some ancient deity he didn’t quite recognize. Imposing, upon his throne, surrounded by elegant, fearsome dogs and ravens.

Ravens?

The sound of heavy boots on the stairs distracted Valentino from his own realization, just long enough to see the Raven pointing a gun at him.
Shit! She was the Raven? Suddenly, that conversation they had last night made so much sense. But none of that mattered now. He had to get out. His gun was in the car, as well as everything else he needed to complete his jobs. Not that he suspected he had a chance to complete this job, but right now, he just needed to survive.

Crawling under the table, he pushed the chairs into her path as he tried to escape. Keeping low, he scrambled into the kitchen, catching the terrified look on the cook’s face. He ignored her, grabbing three knives from the wooden block, and flinging them into the dining room door. The Raven just jumped back in time to dodge the first, out of the way as two more sunk into the wood. Good, he wasn’t sure he still wanted to kill her, but it would buy him time. Toppling over the chairs in the kitchen, he sprinted towards the main hall.

There, the front door, and his once chance at survival. Adrenaline surged as he bolted for his survival, and the kitchen door exploded outward behind him. Another gunshot ripped through the hallway, and he just had the presence of mind to zag out of his straight line. Still, the bullet hit him, tearing through his left arm. Clutching the wounded, he pressed on, until he came face to face with William Stone.

Fuck.

~*~​

Mercedes slammed on the brakes before the Stone Manor, looking for some sign of trouble. The only thing that seemed out of place was her brother’s car. Shit, was he in danger too? Another gunshot made her heart skip, and, gun in hand, she ran up the steps, and burst through the front door without even knocking.

 

[TheCorsair]

“What’s going on?” Will shouted, leaning over the balcony. Marilyn was in full costume, firing into the dining room. Shit. That was bad.

“He’s L’Ombra,” she croaked in the throat-hurting tones they’d practiced until they were as natural as breathing. “We can’t let him escape.” Her free hand ducked under the long coat and tossed a dark metallic object towards him as she went in.

He caught the automatic as he sltinted down the stairs, releasing the safety and checking the chamber as he hit the foyer. Loaded. He knew it would be, but his life had depended frequently on making sure.

He took a deep breath, listening. Mary would try to herd him out, but where? The dining room exited into the foyer and the kitchen, so he’d be moving into the kitchen - there was no sound of broken glass. So, from there...

Will brought up his automatic as the door opened, and he fired as he saw the flash of grey. Valentino spun and fell, clutching his wounded arm. The man scrambled backwards, looking for cover as he advanced. Then he froze as the Raven stepped in, blues automatic raised. “Shit,” Valentino breathed, gritting his teeth against the pain of his wound. “Two of you. No wonder...”

“Nevermore,” Will croaked, aiming between his eyes.

Valentino didn’t flinch. “Do it,” he breathed. “I would have. Only...”. Now he looked away. “Don’t tell Mercy, all right? Or my ma. Please?” He squeezed his arm. “Let them think I ran off, or, or anything. They aren’t part of this war.”

Will hesitated. The Raven raised her gun, but hesitated as well. “What are you waiting for?” Valentino asked.

“Marilyn said you wanted to help your sister,” Will said slowly. “Get her away from Enforcer Malone.”

“Yeah. She deserves better than that greasy bastard.” He gritted his teeth as he shifted position.

“You took the greasy bastard’s money,” the Raven croaked.

“I needed money,” Valentino shrugged. “And I’m good at killing.” He glanced from masked to bared face. “I ain’t the only one here, either. You both the Raven? Or is one of you the Nightengale?”

Will regarded the Raven, lifting a questioning eyebrow. She hesitated, then nodded once. “You might still get that chance.

“What?” Valentino looked at him curiously.

“Get up, slowly,” Will ordered. “It’s time to see if a shadow can sing.”

-*-

Twenty minutes later..,

Valentino sat, bound to a dining room chair. Miss Porter, the iron-haired cook, sat next to him as she put the final stitch in his wounded arm. “There you go,” she said, tying it off. “Be right as rain, soon enough. Which is more than you’ll be, if you touch my knives again.”

“I... don’t see that being a problem,” Valentino replied, eying the room. He was at the foot of the table, with William Stone to his right. Marilyn had stripped off the black mask of the Raven, but still wore the coat and body armor. Both of them had pistols lying on the table in easy reach. “So. What do you..,”

“No!” Stewart protested as the dining room door slammed open. “I cannot allow...”

Mercedes burst into the room, an automatic at the ready. Behind her, the one-armed butler cleared his throat nervously. “Mrs. Morello to see you, sir. Ma’am.”

Everyone stared, shocked. Marilyn made an abortive move towards her mask, and William started to teach for his pistol before stopping. Everything, for just a moment, seemed frozen.

“So...” Valentino drawled our, trying to make light of things. “This is, uhm, unexpected.”

 

[Xanaphia]

“I heard shots, over the phone, and I got worried…” Mercedes’ words fell away. The sight before her inspired more questions than answers. “What the hell happened here?” Her brother, seemingly okay, but bleeding and bound to a chair. Guns on the table before Will and Marilyn. Oh, and Marilyn was dressed as the Raven, save mask. But that couldn’t be possible, unless…

“You’re both the Raven?” she murmured, lowering her gun to her side. Suddenly so much clicked into place. It made so much sense, she wondered why she hadn’t seen it before now. Then her gaze fell upon her brother, and his injuries lead her towards a truth she wasn’t ready to embrace, “And you?”

Valentino winced, and sighed, “I’m L’Ombra.”

Mercedes stayed silent for a time, taking in this confession, processing what it meant. L’Ombra, the masked assassin who’d kicked her ass and held her at gun point, was her long-lost brother.
“Was it all a lie? Getting shot down, having amnesia?”

"I was shot down, and I did have some fuzziness afterwards, but… no, it wasn’t no eight years.” His eyes trailed down, “After Pa and Francesco died, I didn’t know what to do. Honest, I didn’t want to come back home until I knew I could support you and Ma. And the more time past, the harder it was to convince myself that you two ever needed me.”

Angry tears welled up in her eyes, and she clenched her fists. Ci fai pensare che sei morto da anni! Avevamo bisogno di te, non di provvedere a noi, ma solo di essere lì.
Avevo bisogno di te." “You let us think you were dead, for years! We needed you, not to provide for us, but just to be there. I needed you.”


"lo so. Hai ragione di essere arrabbiato, Mercy. Ero un vigliacco." “I know. You’re right to be mad, Mercy. I was a coward.”

She wiped her eyes. “Idiota.” Then allowed herself soft laugh. “Okay, so you finally come back, trying to do the right thing. Your heart was in the right place, even if you did point a gun at me.”

“So you’re the Nightingale…” He shook his head, “Well, then it’s a good thing I do miss, every now and then.”

“Now, if you really do want to make up for lost time, you can help us figure out a way to take down Vinnie, and the rest of the Northside gang.”

“Alright,” he agreed, and spanned his gaze towards Will and Marilyn. “What’s the plan? And, can I get untied?”

 

[TheCorsair]

“You can get untied,” Marilyn shot back, “when we decide what we’re doing with you.” Her eyes were hard. “You work for Enforcer Morello, after all.”

“Actually,” Valentino replied, “I work for all the syndicates, in a deal brokered by the mayor. I just hung around North Side’s shipments because you three hit them most frequently. Kind of a pattern you got going.”

“Yeah, it is,” Will replied. “All three of us have reasons for wanting to hurt North Side - and Enforcer Morello directly.”

Valentino looked from Marilyn to Will to Mercy, and nodded. “Yeah,” he said slowly, studying his sister’s eyes. “I get it. I really do. But you need to hit him harder, if you really want to hurt him.”

“I want the bastard dead,” Marilyn growled. “I missed my last shot, in the Gilded Cage. But I want to watch him bleed out in front of me.” She clenched a gloved hand into a fist. “I want him to suffer, before he dies.”

“Then we set a trap,” Will said slowly, talking and thinking at the same time. “Get Valentino to set up a trap for us, but we get there first.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “Set up in advance, and...”

“No,” Marilyn stated.

“No?” Will asked.

“No. Get the trap set up. But then we hit Morello directly.” Marilyn looked her brother in the eyes. “While his soldiers wait for us, we hit him at home and we end the son of a bitch.”

“Marilyn, that’s...” Will began.

“No!” Marilyn was in her feet now, leaning forward. “No! Fuck that! You know what he did to me! What he did to Mercy!” She pointed at Valentino. “If we can trust him, this is our time to get him!”

Will hesitated, then nodded. Marilyn turned her attention to Mercy. “Can we trust him?”

“Yes,” Valentino said.

“Didn’t ask you,” Marilyn shot back, still watching Mercy. “Can we?”

 

[Xanaphia]

Mercedes stared at her brother for a time, weighing his lies against their history together. “Yeah, we can trust him. He knows he’s got a long way to go to make up his mistakes.”

“Gettin’ shot ain’t enough?” he grumbled as the rope was untied. He shook out his arms, and winced as the movement pulled against the wounded muscles.

“Not nearly,” Marilyn argued, arms crossed over her chest.

Look, my plan was always to kill Vinnie. Kill him, and blow this town, beyond the reach of the Northside gang, because there will be retaliation. Like I said earlier, you can kill the guy on top, but someone else will rise up in his place. And they’ll wanna strike back twice as hard. But…” Valentino went quiet for a time, deep in thought.

“But?” Mercy prodded.

“Well, hit them hard enough, and there won’t be no one left to retaliate. Not sure it solves your problem of ‘municipal corruption’, but it could mean one less gang terrorizing Chicago.” He stared at Marilyn, unwilling to examine why her get-up in the Raven’s gear was working for him. Sure, he still wanted to peel her out of it, because the body armor obscured her curves, but even the hard look in her eyes couldn’t dissuade him now. Assuming he hadn’t completely blown his chances with her… Clearing his throat, he continued, “You two seem fond of smoke grenades. Any chance you got some real explosive stashed somewhere? We could rig a warehouse to blow, hopefully with a good chunk of the Northside gang in there.”

“As much as I want to stay here and help plan my rat-bastard of a husband’s demise, I should get goin’. Ya know, before someone realizes I ain’t at the club.” She made meaningful eye contact with Will, remembering their stolen moment, just minutes ago, and the building anticipation for tonight. But Marilyn’s hard gaze caught the corner of her eyes, and she felt guilty again. Dammit, why wasn’t easier to choose between them?

Especially once it dawned on her that Will probably wasn’t the one in the costume last time she fucked the Raven. Getting rid of Vinnie wouldn’t solve all her problems.

 

[TheCorsair]

“We don’t use explosives all that much,” Will said, thinking. “But I can get nitrols through the same source I use to get the gas in our grenades.” He chuckled. “It’ll take some time for delivery, a couple of weeks easily. But that just gives your arm time to heal.”

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“As much as I want to stay here and help plan my rat-bastard of a husband’s demise, I should get goin’,” Mercy said, catching his eye. “Ya know, before someone realizes I ain’t at the club.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]He nodded. “Yeah. We’ll rough out some plans, then, and run them past you first chance we get. Maybe I can swing by the Cage tonight and talk them over with you?”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]She smiled and nodded, and for some reason Marilyn’s expression hardened at that. But he stopped worrying as he rose to escort Mercy back to her car. “I’d also like to continue our phone conversation.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]-*-[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Marilyn watched the dining room door close, and tried unsuccessfully not to seeth with jealousy. It made no sense. Sure, Mercy was smart and funny and sexy as hell and amazing in bed, but it’s not like they really had a chance to be anything serious. They’d have to lie their whole lives to have anything resembling a chance together. And what kind of life was that? Mercy deserved better, after marrying that bastard.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Valentino shifted, his chair scraping on the floor. She snapped her head around, glaring at him. “And I still don’t trust you,” she growled, trying not to think about how much he looked like a sexy male version of Mercy. Trying not to stare at his physique. Stewart has stripped off his jacket and shirt so Miss Porter could stitch him up, and his white undershirt was tight on his broad chest. The kind of chest she enjoyed tasting, when she was in the mood for men.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“You’ve got a long fucking way to go, you hear?” she snapped, trying to banish the image. “So talk. Tell me more about this idea of yours.”[/BGCOLOR]

 

[Xanaphia]

Will’s offer to take her back to the Cage was unexpected but welcome. The adrenaline in Mercedes’ blood hadn’t settled yet, and his mention of their phone conversation brought back the feelings and desires that inspired her to touch herself while talking to him. Damn, she wanted him more now, freed from the guilt of having to choose between him or the Raven…

“So, you knew I was sleeping with the Raven too, and it didn’t bother ya?” A faint blush warmed her cheeks, remembering that night spent together. “I mean, I guess it wouldn’t, since it was you all along.” A breathy giggle covered the growing arousal that built ion her mind and between her thighs. She hadn’t thought to compare the Raven with Will, since she’d been comparing both of them to her husband. Both men had been responsive to her body, matching and mimicking her pace, instead of using her solely to get off. Vinnie treated her like a warm hole to fill, a means to an end.

“I feel like I should come clean, so there ain’t no more secrets between us,” she started, brushing her hair back behind her ear. “I slept with Marilyn, too. Before I even slept with you or the Raven. And, well, I am pretty she was the Raven last time we fooled around. I mean, I makes sense why she stopped me from trying to... uh, well, take care of him. Because I was expecting a him, so finding a her instead…” More nervous giggles filled the car, but Mercy found herself worried about his response. She hadn’t expected to fall for him, hadn’t expected to fall for anyone, not while she was still married to Vinnie.

“I really care about your sister, deeply. She’s my best friend and she… well, she understands what we… went through….” The words got stuck in her throat, her mind veering close to the terrible memories they’d shared. “But our entire lives would be lies and secrets and…” She released a long sigh, and stared out the window, “I’m so tired of lyin’ and hidin’”

~*~​

Valentino’s mind kept going back to the kiss she gave him. The pressure of her lips on his and her body molded against him. Was it just an act? Just an attempt to get him to lower his guard, before she could put a round of bullets in him? He didn’t want to believe that, but she snarled accusations and mistrust at him, and he had to admit, he deserved most of it.

“So talk. Tell me more about this idea of yours.”

He shrugged, and immediately winced. “There’s not really much to it. Hit the Northside gang hard, before they can even think of hitting back. Hit them so hard they can’t hit back. Destroy them, or damn near, at least. I’ll tell ‘em I set a trap for youse, and once they’re in place, we blow it to hell. Should be a big enough distraction that you can hit Vinnie alone. You ‘n’ Mercy.”

Her eyes seemed to harden at the mention of Vinnie, and it wasn’t hard to understand why. She didn’t have to spell out what that bastard had done, but it was enough to make him wish he could beat him to death. “It won’t stop another gang from risin’ up and takin’ their place, claimin’ their territory and stakin’ their claim. So, I guess you have to decide how much of this in your personal crusade against that bastard, and how much of it is a principled stand against corruption.”

 

[TheCorsair]

“I...” Will began, unsure of what to say after Mercy’s revelations. “I... uhm...”

She’d slept with his sister? Both as his sister, and as the Raven? He felt... well... “I feel like I should be insanely jealous,” he said slowly, testing out his reactions. “I mean I knew, well, I suspected she, uhm, was... I dunno. Interested in ladies. But, uhm...”

Laughing nervously, he shook his head. “But, I’m not. Well, mostly not.” Keeping a grip the wheel, he caught her hand with his. “I mean, I’m sleeping with a married woman. Right?” He winked, then turned serious. “But, yeah. The lies and the secrets are... hard.”

He gripped the steering wheel, staring out into the darkness as he drove. “I was engaged, about six years ago. I met Margaret shortly after I came home from the war. She... helped me get used to being home again. Made Chicago feel real again, after the trenches.”

He sighed, gripping the wheel hard. “Enforcer Malone took exception to my paper calling attention to his... activities. His boys grabbed her off the street, in broad daylight. Her, and Mary.”

Eyes hardening, he took a turn. “Mary never really talked much about what she - what they - suffered. But I know what the coroner’s report said about what those animals did to Maggie, and I know they weren’t any gentler with my sister. She was just... stronger, I guess. Even after they took a hammer to her hands, so she couldn’t write any more.”

Silence.

“The son of a bitch wasn’t even man enough to come at me directly. He went after Maggie and Mary, to hurt me.” He grimaced. “It’s why killing him isn’t enough - I want to destroy him, first.”

Pulling into the alley beside the club, he turned off the car and took Mercy’s hands again. “But that’s not why I want to be with you, Mercy. It’s not. You’re an amazing woman, smart and strong and beautiful and brave and, and... Jesus, I’m babbling.”

Squeezing her hands, he smiled nervously. “I’m... I’m in love with you, Mercy.”

-*-

“It’s about that bastard,” Marilyn replied without hesitation, ice in her voice. “I’ll leave the ‘principled stand against corruption’ to Will. I just want to stand there and watch Enforcer Malone bleed out and die. Him and Sharky Barbano, and Nick Zoccelo and Frank Lombardi.” She laughed without humor. “My list was a few names longer at the start of the year.”

She stared at Valentino, absently flexing her hands the way she always did when she remembered what had happened. It was old habit now, born of exercises to restore mobility to her ruined hands after the operations. Damn it, why did he have to look so much like Mercy? “But I guess you’ve got a point,” she added. “Some other scumbag son of a bitch will step up. So we need to make this trap big, and public. Let everyone know what happens.”

God, he looked like Mercy. Did he taste like her? “So, yeah. Your plan sounds good.”

 

[Xanaphia]

“Will…” she breathed. Everything else seemed to fall away at his words. Now, even more than revenge, she wanted him, wanted to be with him. She wanted more than their secret affair, more than their stolen moments hidden away. “I love you too.” Without hesitating –without even thinking– she leaned in to kiss him.

The kiss didn’t last. It couldn’t last, not out in public, where anyone could see them. Dammit though, she still wanted him. Wanted him more now, now that there was nothing left to come between them. “Come on. We’ll have more privacy in the Cage.”

~*~

“I just want to stand there and watch Enforcer Malone bleed out and die. Him and Sharky Barbano, and Nick Zoccelo and Frank Lombardi.” She laughed without humor. “My list was a few names longer at the start of the year.”

Valentino cracked a smirk. What she said wasn’t funny, but he understood her need for dark humor, and admired her moxie. “Can I help you with that? You want ‘em dead, or delivered to you so you can do it yourself?”

She raised an eyebrow, so he continued. “You said it yourself: I need to prove myself to you. So use me.” He let the words linger for a moment, imaging how she might take him up on that offer. “Use the fact that I can get in close with those guys to bring them low. It’s going to take a few weeks to get all the supplies we need, right? Let’s cross a couple more names off your list.”

~*~

The club might have been called the Cage, but it was the one place where she was free. It was her escape from Vinnie, and her sanctuary to be with Will.

Hand in hand, she pulled him into her dressing room. She wasn’t expecting anyone for hours, but that didn’t mean no one might show up. As close as they were to finally taking down Vinnie, they couldn’t mess up now. And so, the dressing room was the safest place to be.

“I do believe I owe a private performance?” she teased, kicking the door closed behind her. With a sway of her hips, deep, earthy notes dripped from her lips, and her hands traveled all over his body.

“Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by you know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good”

 

[TheCorsair]

“[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Can I help you with that?”[/BGCOLOR]

There was a smirk on his lips, but it wasn’t mockery. It was understanding.

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“You want ‘em dead, or delivered to you so you can do it yourself?”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Delivered.” Leather creaked as Marilyn made a fist. “It’s not enough to know they’re dead. I want to be the one pulling the trigger.” She twisted the corner of her mouth in a grimace. “But how’s that gonna happen?”[/BGCOLOR]

“[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]You said it yourself: I need to prove myself to you. So use me.” [/BGCOLOR]

Valentino left the words hanging for a moment, and it wasn’t hard to guess what he meant by that. Or, at least, how she interpreted it. Because, angry at him or not, he was still gorgeous. “What do you have in mind?”

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Use the fact that I can get in close with those guys to bring them low,” he replied, leaning forward. She watched him since as the movement pulled the stitches in his arm. “It’s going to take a few weeks to get all the supplies we need, right? Let’s cross a couple more names off your list.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“All right,” she said, standing up. Her hips swayed as she walked towards him, making the long coat twitch. “You’re on - I don’t care which one you bring me first.” A leather-gloved hand caressed his face as she stared down at him, her expression a ghost of a smile and hard, cold eyes.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Then she found herself kissing him, lifting his chin and devouring his mouth, her tongue slipping between his lips to taste the heat of his mouth. She broke away, drawing a deep breath, shivering with need and adrenaline. “I’m going to go change,” she declared, taking a step away. “You’d better get on with it.”[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]-*-[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]Will pulled Mercy close, letting her breath warm his face as she sang. Her heat played over his lips, held close to hers. Close, but not touching. “Sing for me,” he whispered, easing her coat off and letting it spill to the ground. Her clothes were simple, a cotton blouse and skirt, far more modest than her stage gowns. But he could feel her strong body through the fabric as he explored her.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]His lips followed the line of her jaw and the curve of her neck, his hands the arch of her spine. “I want to hear you,” he murmured against her skin, punctuating the words with nipping bites. “I want to hear my name on your lips.” Fingers worked the buttons of her skirt, allowing us hands to slide over her panties and the firm flesh beneath.[/BGCOLOR]

[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]“Sing for me, Mercy.”[/BGCOLOR]

 

[Xanaphia]

For once, she wanted to take her time with William. To savor the moment, to savor him. Her song wavered, lips trembling as his kissed her jaw and throat Her clothes puddled about her ankles, jacket and then skirt and then stockings and then blouse, bare skin begging for his touch, and the heat of his mouth. Melodious moans filled her dressing rooms, and Will’s name became her refrain as she eased his jacket off as well, and worked at the tiny buttons of his shirt. Her bra came off as his did, and erect nipples pressed into his chest as she pulled him into another kiss.

Once she opened his pants, and gripped his swollen shaft, she urged him down on the couch, and followed him. With her knees on either side of his thighs, his cock brushed against her slit, only a thin strip of silk separating them. But she wasn’t in a rush, teasing herself by grinding against the iron bar of his meat.

“Tell me you want to be inside me,” she purred, nipping at his strong jaw. “Tell me you need this as badly as I do.”

~*~​

Valentino didn’t argue, just nodded and held her gave. After what he’d pieced together from her earlier tirade, he might have enjoyed inflicting some suffering on those bastards. Not nearly as much as her, though, he realized. Besides, he could still get a couple good licks in, and let her have her revenge.

The kiss was unexpected, but welcome, calling back the promise from before she’d pulled a gun and shot at him. The armor was a disappointment, obscuring her curves, and more than ever, he wanted to peel it off her. Wanted to feel her soft and warm against him, around him. Still, he gripped her hips, ignoring the protests of wounded muscles Neither his injury nor the knowledge that she’d given it to him could cool her desire.

Her statement confused him, just a bit. Was she inviting him to join her? She still sounded mad, but that kiss was full of heat. Heat that had gone straight to his cock.

She had to be inviting him, right? Because they couldn’t very well fuck in here. Not with the help nearby. Even if the thought of propping her up on the table so she could straddle his hip raced through his mind. He ignored the thought, walking awkwardly while his cock ached with need, his desire visible against his slacks.

 

[TheCorsair]

Will moaned into Mercy’s throat as she straddled him, punctuating the sounds with sharp stinging bites. “Oh God,” he groaned, hands sliding over the smooth globes of her rump, encouraging her movements on his aching dick. “God... Mercy... I want you.”

He tasted salt sweat on her skin as he nipped her throat once more. “God, Mercy... fuck me. Oh God, I want to feel you sliding down my shaft. I want to feel you, dripping down me as you milk my cock.” He arched his hips, pressing his length into the sodden silk covering her mound. “God, I want to feel you cum on my cock.”

One hand gripped hard, digging into her flesh as a finger stretched and strained to tease her slit. The other cupped a firm breast, squeezing gently as he lifted her nipple to his lips. “Fuck me,” he breathed, staring up into her eyes as he tugged the erect flesh with his teeth. “Fuck me, Mercy.”

-*-

Marilyn stalked up the stairs, heart pounding and blood fizzing with adrenaline and mixed emotions. No more pussyfooting around. She was going to get a clear shot at those bastard. Every last one of them. The thought made her giddy. Eager. Hungry to get out and get to work now. Fuck caution. Fuck Will’s “slow and careful” bullshit! She would finally get to spit in their corpses!

All thanks to Valentino.

God, Valentino. She still wasn’t sure what to make of him, not now. Fucking hot, but he worked for Morello. But he didn’t. He was a gun for hire, no more. And Jesus if he hadn’t looked good tied to that chair. How goddamn hot would that be, straddling him while he was tied there, watching his face as she rode that hard dick she’d felt until she got herself off on him...

She slammed her door hard, trying to shake the image. Hard enough that it didn’t latch, just bounced open once more. Fuck! Why did this all have to be so complicated! With an irritated snarl she threw her overcoat on a chair, then tugged at the straps of her body armor. It joined the coat with a clatter and crash, dropping hard to the floor.

God, she wanted Mercy right now. Wanted to taste her, wanted to get off on her fingers and tongue, lose herself in the fantasy that they’d be able to have a life together. Irritably, she fumbled with the buttons of the heavy canvas shirt she wore under the armor.

There was a sound at the door. Valentino stood there, staring at her. Her gloves hands paused, shirt half open. “What?” She snapped.

 

[Xanaphia]

Every one of William’s pleas burned hot against her skin and between her thighs. God, she wanted it, all of it, and she wanted him. Not just against and inside her, either. Soon, she’d be free of Vinnie, free to pursue her own life. Soon, but not soon enough.

One finger teased her slit, just as she teased his cock, and her resolve broke. She needed him, now. Rising up, she gave him enough room to slide her panties to one side, and as she came down, she buried him within her sultry depths. “Will!” she gasped, whimpered, the reality of having him now so much better than their earlier attempt over the phone. So much better after their confessions of love. “God, Will, you feel so good…”

Hungry hands inspired her to move harder, faster on him, to sink completely down his shaft. Hungry lips devoured his in a kiss, swallowing and savoring his cries of pleasure. Hungry thighs squeezed his tight, flexing and bunching to ride his length. He met her movement, one hand tight on her ass and pulling her deeper upon him. His finger continued to tease her, sliding over lips stuffed with thick cock to toy with her clit. The jolt of bliss made her go rigid upon him, back arched in wanton abandon. “Will! Oh God Will, I’m cumming!”

~*~

Valentino stopped in his tracked, half transfixed by the sight of Marilyn half undressed, and half cowed by her anger. She had, after all, shot him not even a hour ago. And kissed him with a deep hunger just a few scant minutes ago.

He wanted her. The Raven, stripped and writhing beneath him. Or trapped between her powerful thighs, claimed in defeat.
He didn’t answer her question. Didn’t say anything, just stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Two more strides closed the distance between them, gave her a chance to object or throw him out.

When she didn’t, he pulled her close again, taking a ravenous kiss from her lips. When muscles in his arm ached, he dug his fingers into her back, crushing her body to his. With the body armor gone, her figure molded to his, soft curves and firm muscle. Still, he wanted more.

Needy fingers worked at her buttons, quaking in the effort not to just rip it free of her skin. His erection strained against his fly, throbbing from the violence in her kiss. “Tell me to stop…”

 

[TheCorsair]

Will gasped as Mercy sank down around him, swallowing his shaft. “Oh, fuck yes,” he whispered as he kissed her throat, nipping soft skin in time with the roll of her hips. “Like that. Oh, God like that.” He rocked his own hips, offering her more of his cock. “Just like that. Fuck, like that.”

One hand rested on her hips, encouraging the rolling motion of her body as she fucked him. The other slid between them, lifting up his own shaft until he found where she opened around him. “God, you sound good,” he whispered, slicking his finger on her clit as he kissed her. “So fucking good.”

Mercy arched into him with a hoarse cry, tightening on his length as she did. “Will! Oh God Will, I’m cumming!” In response he gripped her ass, pulling her deep into him as she clenched around him, milking his meat with a velvet-sheathed slickness.

“Cum on me,” he gasped, biting her lip as she moaned her pleasure into his mouth. “Fuck, Mercy. You feel so fucking good, cumming on me.” His tongue slid into her mouth, the taste of her ecstasy mingling with the musky scent of her climax. Both of his hands gripped her ass now, sliding her up and down his length. “I’m going to use you to get off now,” he breathed, kissing her again. “Use your tight cunt to jerk off, same way I did on the phone.”

Another kiss, even hungrier. His arms and shoulders bunched as he moved her, faster and harder. “Oh, oh fuck. Mercy,” he gasped. And then his mouth covered hers again, emptying his hoarse cry if pkeasure into her as his cum flooded her.

-*-

Hunger and anger and lust twisted and boiled, becoming a flame in her stomach as Valentino kissed her. As his fingers shook with the effort of the buttoning the rest of her blouse. “Tell me to stop...” he breathed.

In reply Marilyn twisted and shoved, pushing him down on the bed and coming down atop him. “Don’t you dare,” she growled, throwing her blouse aside, grinding herself on him as she braced herself in his shoulders and kissed him. Her gloved fingers worked at his buttoned, then gripped the shirt and pulled it open. “Don’t you fucking dare stop.”

Fuck. He was wearing an undershirt. She tugging up, letting leather-gloves fingers trail over his skin as she did. Teeth and tongue traced the hard lines of his pectorals, tasting salt and sweat. Then she was kissing him again, biting his lips and tongue, rubbing her small breasts against his bare chest as he worked her bra off.

“I’m going to fuck your brains out,” she growled, raising her hips to undo his belt and fly. Even through the leather of her gloves his cock was thick and hard and hot, and she moaned softly at the feel. “I’m going to use this thick cock as my personal fuck toy, you hear me?”

 

[Xanaphia]

God damn, that sounded hot. His cock throbbed, twitching in Marilyn’s leather clad hands, and Valentino wanted her just as much. But she’d never respect him if he didn’t challenge her, at least a bit, if he didn’t make her work for it. “You think I’m going to lie back and take it?”

Her grip tightened, and he let out a shuddered gasp. The leather against his skin was an interesting sensation, and it made him hungrier for her. He bucked into her hands, making the bed s
springs beneath them squeak and whine.

His fingers dug into her hips, into her pants, and tugged at them. Threatening to rip them away, in a mad rush to be inside her. “You want me? You want this cock in you? Fuck me then!” The zipper screeched once her finally tugged it down, and her pants followed soon after, showing off those gorgeous legs. Fuck, he wanted them wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper inside her. Instead he stroked them, enjoying the feel of her muscles flexing under his fingertips.

Sitting up, he pulled her into a kiss, and pulled those legs around his waist. She was still on top, still teasing him with the heat of her slit behind the silk of her panties. But that silk was soaked with her lust, and he twitched as he imagined himself buried in her. “You fucking me? Or should I roll you over and pin you down?”

 

[TheCorsair]

“You think I’m going to lie back and take it?”

Jesus, the challenge in those words nearly made her climax then and there, with his thick cock in her grip. “I think,” she growled back, squeezing his shaft, “that you’re going to lie back while I take it.”

He bucked up against her, fingers working at the button and zipper of her pants, and she arched her hips to let him open them and drag them down her legs. He took advantage of the movement to sit up, filling her tongue with his mouth as he gripped her hips and pulled her against him. “You fucking me? Or should I roll you over and pin you down?”

In response she bit his lip and squeezed his dick, pressing it against the soaked silk covering her mound. She ran the gloves fingers of her free hand through his hair, tracing hot kisses over his jaw. “I’m going to fuck you,” she growled, grinding herself against his hot, hard length as she bit his throat. “I’m going to fuck myself on you, and I’m going to cum hard on you.”

She pushed herself up on her knees, wishing he’d gotten her panties off as well. But she managed to pull them to one side with her thumb, then angled his cock with her fist. “And you’re going to beg me to let you cum,” she added, sliding his velvet head against her slit. Then she slid down him slowly, smothering her gasp at the way he stretched her by burying her teeth in his shoulder. “But you’re not going to,” she hissed, gripping his hair with both fists. “Not until I get off twice on this dick. You hear?”

 

[Xanaphia]

“Fuck yeah, doll. Get off on this dick.” He thrust up into her, desperate to feel more –all– of her. Her slick heat surrounded and gripped and tormented him delightfully. Fuck, even the sound of their bodies together, the wet slap of flesh in flesh, turned her on, made him want her even more. “I wanna feel you cum hard on me.”

Fingers dug into her ass, moving her slender figure up and down his length. Her perky breasts rubbed his chest with her momentum, and then flattened when he pulled her into another deep kiss. Shifting his own movements from thrusting hip into rolling his hips, his cock graved her clit, and her subsequent clenching drove him wild. “That’s right Marilyn, you love that, don’t you? You love fucking this cock, don’t you?” Another rough kiss captured her lips, meeting and challenging her tongue with his own.

One hand traveled up her back, one finger tracing the curve of her spine. Once he found her shoulder, he pulled her down his shaft, bottoming out inside her each stroke. “God damn you feel good. So hot and tight on my dick.” Teeth nipped at her strong jaw and found a strong column in her slender neck to latch onto. “Cum for me. Cum on me…”