The Twelve Zenati Pt. 24

"You can't tell me Genesis would be happy for Olivia to have a career and a life outside of him. She barely utters a word without him giving her permission," Marcella snapped angrily. What he was telling her was a revelation, but she knew it to be true about Vivienne at least although she was unsure if Vivienne would still make use of her degree now that she was married. She wasn't sure about the whole story of Peri Donati, but she knew she had been sent to the Battaglia for training before being allowed to marry into the family. According to Veronica, she had been a stupid cow with barely half a brain and needed the training more than anyone there, even the reformed drug addicts.

"You know as well as I do that Olivia is still suffering from the conditioning Remington put her through. When we first discovered her in the hospital, she wasn't even eating because Remington hadn't told her she could. You have to have noticed the small improvements and increased independence she is showing thanks to Genesis. If she wanted to run one of the restaurants or bars she's about to inherit she could, he would help her, but if she doesn't want to work, she doesn't have to. Money is not the motivator for any of the women of the tables; they are in a position to follow their passions. Tell me, does Jessa work?" He asked probing into the oldest of the three sisters who seemed reluctant to see or speak to any of her family since marrying into the Farnese family.

"No, but she was always a homebody," Marcella admitted.

"I thought once everything was settled with Olivia, you might like to take over my private practice," he said casually. "Isaac is looking after the on-going cases we have for now, but eventually we will have to close up shop to take up our roles in the family businesses."

"Speaking of the family business," Marcella said, straightening her posture. "You haven't told me anything useful about Bea that could help with the meeting tomorrow night," she switched the subject back onto more solid ground. His constant pushing over the last few days for her to stay here in Darwin was unsettling her as was his different view of the tables. She knew about the tabled men. She had grown up in the midst of it. Well, not quite in the midst of it but on the periphery with a father who enforced the Table laws and traditions.

"Okay then," he put down his fork. "Isaac found out that Madonna was the daughter of Bea and a man called Ari Schwann. Ari Schwann had been groomed as the man most likely to inherit the mantle of Chieftan of the northern clans despite Remington's favour with the old Chieftain and his rapid rise through the ranks of the Suebi. Remington was seen as too young and inexperienced at the time, and Schwann had the added advantage of being the Chieftain's son in law and therefore privy to his private world as well as his business dealings."

"Wait! Backtrack just a little. Ari was the Chieftain's son in law, and he had married Bea, so she was like a Suebian princess?" Marcella asked without needing a response. "So how does a Suebian princess end up as the housekeeper for the new Chieftain?"

"Exactly! So, Isaacs theory which has traction is that Remington, seeing that he wasn't going to get to the chieftain position with Ari and his children in the way somehow organised the accident which killed not only Ari and the Chieftain but Ari's son as well. This is supposition until we can find proof but go with me on this. Bea was left an orphan and a widow in the blink of an eye as well as losing her second child, her son. There was a lot of upheaval amongst the clans after that but when the dust settled Remington was on the top of the heap and Bea was standing at his side as if she had adopted him in place of her son. He moved into the mansion that had been Bea's family home, having belonged to her father. Isaac is speculating that Remington acquired Bea's support by promising an arranged marriage with her daughter or something similar to a sharing of power. As time went on, Bea's role in the Suebi clans became less and respect for her as a princess diminished, for the most part, and Remington was able to cast aside his promise regarding Madonna. When he made plans to marry Olivia, the perfect woman he had created through conditioning comprised of drugs, fear and violence," he picked up his fork again. "Bea and her daughter devised the massacre at the wedding, which would take out all Remingtons loyal men with him. I doubt even Olivia was meant to survive."

"That would explain why Bea wants the house back so much and why she called it her home," Marcella acknowledged.

"As for Madonna Schwann. There is no record of her in the arrests or in any of the statements taken. She seems like a ghost. Dad called in the cavalry, and they are working to find her. They believe that she and Bea have been working together to overthrow Remington and get rid of Olivia because of the slight to Madonna who as a Suebian Princess herself when she was a child is now poised to regain her birthright starting with her family home," He continued.

"And have us do the dirty work of taking out the prominent Suebi standing in the way of her taking over the clans. It makes sense in that light. It would explain why Bea would be risking getting arrested again by talking to us and making the demands she has for the information I need.

"It also means that Olivia is one of the people standing in her way. Bea might very well give you the location of Hermione's and the names of the people meeting there. I would bet, however, that she isn't doing it to help Olivia, which answers some of my biggest questions about why she would even expose herself to you in the first place," he said suddenly serious. "I don't have a good feeling about this meeting tomorrow night, but it's your call. If we go in there alone we prove she can trust us but with the documents for the house in hand she has no need of us and could decide that you are far too clever to be left to your investigations of the Suebi who helped destroy your sister," he made his point harshly. He needed her to acknowledge the danger she was putting herself in.

"But we have no proof yet," she stated rather than asked. "Just a theory and a lot of conjecture."

"The guys are working on it. Zanto's there, and between him and Isaac, I imagine they will find more than they need to prove their theory," Noah assured her. "The question is, assuming they are right and can prove it, what do you want to do now?"

"None of it matters if we can't get the proof that Olivia's deposition is one hundred per cent reliable. We have to follow through and find Hermione's and the people she listed as known Suebi. Ask me after we get the information we need because without Hermione's none of the rest of that speculation does Olivia one ounce of good. I'm trying to keep my sister out of jail and get her what she deserves as compensation for the hell that monster put her through. None of the rest of it matters without that. I am not some do-gooder fighting for common good here. My priority is Olivia. You and the AFP can worry about ending the northern clans of the Suebi," she told him honestly.

"Okay, your plan stands unchanged," he nodded.

"I'll be more alert in light of what you have told me," she conceded.

"Thanks, but I will be there to have your back. Bea expects me there now just as she expects that I would have brokered the deal with Olivia, which means I will need to at least appear to see her so I will go and visit Gen first thing in the morning, in case they are watching us, or maybe he could bring her here," he mused.

"I'm a lawyer why can't I have brokered the deal?" she huffed.

"Because like you, the Suebi have the wrong idea about how the tables work or our most valuable commodity. They wouldn't believe I let you fully take the lead despite appearances at our last meeting," he shrugged.

"Answer me one question then," she said with a smirk. "How much is it hurting you not to take over control of the situation right now?"

"Honestly, a lot, but not for the reasons you think. I just want you to be safe and not take so many risks with these people. It's knowing you are purposely putting yourself in harm's way that is killing me," Noah admitted. "I want the same outcome as you, Kitten. I'm just not as willing to risk your life to get it."

Marcella was about to argue with him but let it go. She knew what she was doing could be dangerous, but she had it under control. She could do this and would do this for her sister. Still, the sincerity in Noah's voice had made her pause. No one cared if she lived or died. She wasn't sure that her father wouldn't have killed her more than once if he thought he could get away with it. Olivia barely acknowledged her, Jessa hardly spoke to her since she married, and her mother was too scared even to pretend to love her anymore. Why did this man care so much? He had rejected her and held her at arm's length tormenting her for so long that she couldn't quite reconcile the man who had tried to claim her as his only an hour ago with everything that had occurred between them.

"Dessert?" Noah asked into the silence that had fallen between them, stirring her from her thoughts.

"Sure," she shrugged and went to pick up her plate and follow him to the kitchen, but he waved her away.

"Just sit, I'll do it," he offered and took the plate from in front of her walking into the kitchen. He'd given her a lot to think about. Not just her plan and the theory Isaac had come up with as to why Bea wanted the house but also his thinly veiled offer of letting her take over his practice and how much he cared about her, wanted her. He knew that his declaration that if she did run again or left Darwin, he would give up his position in the family to follow her had rattled her a little.

Marcella watched him, and despite herself, she had to admit sex with Noah was mind-blowing. Even if they had battled for dominance the whole time, in the end, she had been wiped out by the high she had managed to reach with him. She'd opened the gate now and given in so she may as well enjoy tonight because whatever happened tomorrow, the status quo between then would change again. She watched as he reappeared in the doorway and appreciated just how handsome he was, she felt a real magnetic pull to him and always had. It was just a shame that magnets could repel as well as much as attract so she may as well make the most of this small cease-fire before their time together was done for good, and she had to leave him behind for everyone's else's sake. She couldn't take him from his family, his brothers.

"So, you had this planned all day?" she asked as he came back to the table with a simple dessert of Chocolate chiffon cake and ice cream. "Run me ragged all day and then bring me this isolated treehouse to take advantage of me with your home run baseball metaphor?"

"Yep," he said with a perfectly straight face digging into his dessert, "Although I had planned to feed you before claiming my home run," he couldn't help but smirk a little at the memory of the battle they had just fought in the bedroom. "I mean I would have fed you, but I couldn't wait a minute longer with you spitting and hissing at me like a sexy little feral kitten you are when aroused."

"I'm hardly a kitten, Noah," she rebuked. "You're so used to submissive women doing whatever you want. You paint all women as submissive whether they are or not. The truth is that you wouldn't know what to do with a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to take it."

"Is that right?" he asked a smirk forming on his face. He was eager to see where this was going and turn the tables on her again.

"Strong women scare you. Just like losing your infamous control scares you," she challenged. Pushing her chair back, she stalked around the table towards him. Noting her move, he too slid his chair out and turned it to face her as she approached him. "But you forget that we made a deal, baseball analogy aside, that I was in control of what we did until I got Hermione's for Olivia."

"Not at all," he said, thinking he knew where this was going now. "We also agreed that I would get equal time in control once this was done, so do what you want, and show me what you like but you should know that you are setting the rules for what comes next." He challenged as she paused in front of him, looking down at him still seated in his chair as if weighing up the pros and cons of what she had planned to do.

He looked her up, then down in the bulky robe covering her delectable body, then raised his eyes again, slowly, so slowly, back to her face. She placed one hand on her hip, pure confidence showing in her stance, her bearing, her face. She was good, and she knew it, he admitted, but she doesn't realise she has met her match yet, he grinned.

She took another step towards him, and he started to rise from the chair to meet her, but she moved quickly to push him back down, spreading his legs and sliding in between them, maintaining the position of power over him.

Noah was hard with anticipation. He could sense that her mood had changed, and he could feel her calculating how to seduce him and maintain control. The thought of her attempting to seduce him fuelled his arousal and need for her and while typically being dominated by a woman would do nothing for him, the sight of this beautiful woman exuding her power over him excited him. Not that he would allow it to happen often but with the knowledge that soon she would have no choice but to submit to him he could give her this moment.

She leaned forward to place a hand on the curve between his neck and shoulder. Not breaking eye contact, she leaned forward to kiss him, hard, hot and passionate. She let her hands drift down to unbutton the two buttons on his shirt that hampered her access to his chest. With slow, deliberate movements, she stroked her hands over his chest, removing the shirt by sliding it over his shoulders and down his arms. Trailing her fingers back up his arms and over his chest, she smiled as a faint groan left his lips, and his hands lifted to reach for her. She stepped back out of his reach with surprising speed.

"Uh-uh, uh. No Touching, keep your hands on the arms of your chair," Marcella commanded.

Noah groaned but did as she instructed. Then he gasped as she undid the belt to her robe, giving him a teasingly tantalising glimpse of the divine body beneath it. She moved back between his legs and the temptation to reach inside the slightly parted robe nearly undid him, but he clutched the arms of his chair until his knuckles turned white and realised too late that she planned to blindfold him with the belt from her robe. It took all his will power to remain still as she bound his eyes with the soft material, and he drew in deep steadying breaths which told of his discomfort.

"Do you need a safe word, Lover?" Marcella taunted in a soft purr, her breath fanning over his cheek and neck as she tied the makeshift blindfold in place.

"I believe that I can trust you, kitten," Noah ground out, his voice more unsteady than he would have liked.

"You can trust me," she purred moving her mouth close to his ear and licking around the outer rim before sharply nipping the top of it, pleased at the small but telling jerk of his body. Pulling back she smiled as he moved his head to where he believed hers would be seeking another fiery kiss but again she moved away enjoying his eagerness but not ready to let him even have even that small amount of control. When he stopped moving to seek her out, she placed a hand on his cheek and closed the distance to reward him with a hot, hard kiss, full of their desire, leaving him in no doubt that she was in control of the scene right then. She broke the kiss and hovered just out of reach but close enough that he could feel her thighs between his knees and her breath fan over his face.

Gently she kissed him on the corner of his mouth, just out of reach and began to kiss lightly and slowly over his jaw and down his neck. She had made the first few kisses down his chest teasing her fingers over the beautiful broad expanse when he lost control and reached for her face to bring her back up to his for another kiss. Taking hold of his wrists, she moved them back to the arms of the chair chastising him in a seductive purr.

"If you move again, this all stops, and you sleep on the couch for the rest of the night," she warned, pressing down on his hands as they gripped the arms of his chair again. She watched as he drew in several deeps breaths again before starting over with a kiss to the side of his mouth, allowing herself to move to her knees between his legs as she moved down his body watching his hands from the corners of her eyes. She could also see his cock, straining under his boxers, long, thick, hard and ready for her use. The very thought was titillating, and as she placed slow kisses across his abdomen, she considered her next move.

Noah was losing his mind. It took everything he had to remain still and allow her to tease him this way. It had been a long time since he had allowed a woman any sexual control over him and while he had never been able to enjoy it fully in the past, this woman whose soft lips and delightful tongue who teased him relentlessly now was going to make him combust with the hot need he had for her. His breath caught as her hand caressed down over the soft the material of his boxers, along the hard ridge of his cock and he groaned as he felt the heat of her breath through the material and what he knew to be the soft press of her lips on the material covered crown.

Marcella pressed her lips to his cock again running her fingers along the stiff shaft still hidden by the material of his boxers. His hips bucked up towards her, but as she pulled back, she noted that his hands had stayed on the arms of the chair. She was playing with fire, and she knew it, but she was in total control of the moment, and she loved it.

Noah felt her nails scrape along the waistline of his boxers and resisted the very real urge to lift in his seat so she could remove them without her asking him to. His teeth ground as he strained against every impulse he had to grab her and punish her before fucking her brains out for teasing him this way. His body shuddered as she pulled the boxers down only enough to release his cock and run her hand up and down his length. His control eroded with every teasing touch of the delicate hand that cradled him, and then he felt her lips leave a tender kiss of the tip of his cock, and he groaned loudly bucking his hips involuntarily.

"Mm," she purred and ran her tongue over his crown, rolling it around the ridges before taking only the flared head of his cock into the warm cavern of her mouth. She could feel the tell-tale tremor run through him and smiled. All that legendary control and she could undo him so easily. Releasing his cock so he could gather himself for a minute, she tugged on the boxers and commanded. "Lift."

His knuckles were probably white as he gripped the chair and lifted himself for her to tug his boxers free. He was beside himself with the need to end this charade, but he stilled himself with thoughts of what he would do to her in retribution when he was entirely in control of their lives.

Marcella scooted back to remove the boxers and eyed Noah. He was a gorgeous man; there was no denying that, especially as he sat there blind and vulnerable to her whims. A wicked smile parted her lips as she watched him try not to fidget in his discomfort with the situation; he was losing control rapidly. She knew she would have to move things along faster if she wanted to remain in control of this situation and get her release before making him sleep on the couch for moving when she had told him to stay where he was with his arms and legs where she had placed them.