A Sinner’s Truth (De Bellis Crime Family Book 5)
A Sinner’s Truth: Chapter 19

Aria disappeared twenty minutes ago. I’ve been wandering through the house looking for her. Wherever she went, she either doesn’t want to be found or she left. Or worse.

I try not to let my mind drift towards that last option. In my world, worse has a much darker meaning. My heart picks up the longer I spend looking for her. When I make it to the kitchen, I find Vin raiding the pantry.

“You see Aria?” I ask him.

“Outside,” he says, then adds, “Take it easy on her,” as he walks off in the opposite direction.

The moment I push through the doors and step out onto the patio, I see why. My wife is sitting on the ground with a fucking joint between her lips. She hasn’t noticed me walk out yet. Standing back, I watch as she inhales and exhales the smoke.

I’m going to fucking kill my little brother.

There’s only one way for Aria to have gotten her hands on drugs in this house. And that’s through Vin. We all turn a blind eye to his bad habit. It helps him deal with the fucked-up shit that happened to him.

Why the fuck does Aria think she needs to get high, though? Did something happen to her?

I lower myself down next to her, and she turns her head to me. “Why do I feel like I’ve just been busted by my father and am in for a lecture of all lectures?” she asks.

“I’m not your father, but I’m sure we can find a way to role play if you want to call me Daddy.” I smirk, filthy images of Aria on her knees in front of me playing through my mind.

“Pass.” She scrunches up her nose at the thought.

“There a reason you’re out here getting high, instead of in there enjoying your party?” I snatch the joint from her fingers and stomp it out.

“It’s your party, not mine. I don’t know anyone in there. And I just needed some fresh air,” she says.

“Funny, seeing as filling your lungs with smoke is the opposite of fresh air.”

“I don’t like crowds that much, and I needed to calm my nerves,” she tells me.

“Why don’t you like crowds?”

“Because people suck,” she says. “I can do crowds, if I’m prepared and know what’s happening. I wasn’t expecting all of this.” She waves a hand back towards the house.

“You should have told me. I would have gotten you out.”

“I don’t want to cause problems… or be one.” Aria shrugs.

“You’re my wife, Aria, not a problem.” There’s something about the word. Wife. It brings out a protectiveness in me I’ve never known. Not even for Shelli. Don’t get me wrong. I would have done anything for that woman. I loved her since I was old enough to realise what love was. I still love her, I remind myself. But when I refer to Aria as my wife, it’s like a primal need within me rises to the surface.

“What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t want to be at a party with all your family in attendance? A party your brother took time out of his day to plan for us?”

“The kind of wife I chose to marry. You’re a De Bellis now, darling. You need to learn not to give a fuck what anyone else thinks. Because they sure as shit aren’t brave enough to tell you anyway.” I smile. The thought of anyone disrespecting my wife just gives me a reason to get violent. And over the past year and a half, I’ve grown fond of the violence in our world.

“That isn’t something I’m going to be able to live up to. I’ve been trained my entire life to be the exact opposite. That impressions matter, and that it’s always in my best interests to make sure others see the best of me.”

“Your father is an asshole,” I curse under my breath. “You don’t need to be anything but yourself around here.”

“What if myself really wants to just get high and forget the world?” She smiles.

“Then yourself needs to find another way to forget the world, one that doesn’t require the use of drugs,” I grunt.

“It’s a natural herb, grows on trees and everything,” Aria insists.

“Come with me. I have a better way for you to forget the world.” I push to my feet, towering over Aria as I hold out a hand for her to take.

She places her palm in mine and I tug her up before leading her inside. Using the back staircase to guide her into my room. Our room.

“Remove your panties,” I tell her as soon as the door clicks closed behind us.

“What?”

“I said remove your panties, Aria. Orgasms are better than any drug I know.”

Aria slides her hands up under her dress. When they slide back down again, a pair of black lace panties are hooked under her thumbs. I’m doing this for her. It’s what a husband would do to help his wife, and for better or worse, Aria is my wife for the next twelve months.

Her panties hit the floor, and she steps out of them before kicking the material aside. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” she tells me.

Without a word, I walk Aria over to the bed, pushing on her shoulders until she falls backwards. Then I drop to my knees, spread her thighs apart, and get my first look at her pussy—fucking beautiful. Completely bare and glistening for me. My mouth waters. I know how good she tastes, and I’ve wanted another sample since this morning.

I glide a finger through her wet folds, loving how her body shivers at my touch. “Even your pussy is beautiful.” For someone who proclaims they don’t like sex, she sure as shit responds in all the right ways. “You want to forget the world, sweetheart? I’m going to make you forget your own name.”

“Doubtful,” she huffs. “But you’re welcomed to try.”

“Challenge accepted.” I bite into her upper thigh before my lips move north. Using my two index fingers, I spread her pussy wide open. My tongue slides through from the bottom up. I repeat this four times before I close my mouth over her clit and suck while flicking my tongue along the hardened bud.

“Oh shit.” Aria’s curse is followed by a moan. She can claim she doesn’t like sex as much as she wants. But her body tells me differently. Her cunt is dripping with her arousal. “What the hell are you doing to me?” she gasps.

I move my head to look into her eyes. “You good?” I ask her. I know she is, but I want to hear it from her.

“Don’t stop.” She scowls at me.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” My tongue swirls around her clit, and I push two fingers into her opening.

Aria tightens her thighs, closing them on my head. I don’t stop. If anything, I increase my efforts. I’m not leaving this spot until she’s coming with my name on her lips. My fingers push in and out of her. She’s so fucking tight and warm. My cock fights against the constraints of my pants, wanting to get out and inside Aria. Not yet. I’m not ready to take this thing between us that far.

What I am ready for is to feel her come apart for me. My teeth graze along her clit, and I alternate between sucking, licking, and biting while my fingers pick up the pace. Pumping in and out.

Aria’s hands land on my head. I can’t tell if she’s trying to pull me off or push me against her. Her hips start moving, thrusting in rhythm with my fingers. And then it happens. Her legs stiffen and her fingers tug at the ends of my hair as she screams my name so loud I’m sure all the partygoers downstairs can hear it.

I continue to lick her until her body is completely limp beneath me before I slide up the length of her and find her mouth. My tongue pushes in and swirls around. When I break away from the kiss, I smirk. “So, still of the opinion that you don’t like sex?”

“I might be becoming partial to certain sexual acts.” She smiles up at me and something strange happens. I feel… lighter than I have in a long fucking time.

Of course, that lightness dissipates as soon as the guilt crashes down around me, Shelli’s face in the forefront of my mind. For a moment, I forgot. I let myself play into this role, and I forgot.

“It’s okay,” Aria says. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Santo.”

I jump to my feet and shake my head. “I know,” I tell her. “I have to go mingle for a bit. Stay in here if you don’t want to come back down.” I don’t look at her when I walk out of the room. I can’t.

I also don’t return to the party. After swiping up a bottle of Cinque, I get in my car and drive. There’s only one place I need to be. With Shelli. I don’t deserve to see her right now, but I need to. I need to apologise. I want to tell her it won’t happen again, but I know it will. Aria is fast becoming my new favourite addiction.

She helps me forget while the whiskey forces me to remember.