by Suzanne Hart
Actually, Lucias Leone had begun to get enraged after the service at the cathedral, demanding my own men do as he ordered. He was flying in more of his own men, for what reasons, I still didn’t know. It was becoming apparent that Lucias was stepping up as the new Don of the entire family. This was something I would have to discuss with Don Leone, and to ask his advice on the best way to handle his own brother.
What I was hearing on the phone was taking priority over that, for the moment, at least. Mikey Leone had been found in one of the dock warehouses playing jigsaw with Carlo Bernardi… wearing his face as a mask and trying to smoke a huge diamond. I thought Greene, the guy telling me this, must have been smoking something himself. But once I had a call from Giles, Mia’s new best friend, I definitely knew differently.
I had vague pangs of uncertainty about Mia’s new and mysterious security team. I had, after all, been invited by Mia herself, and by Don Leone, to take control of her personal wellbeing. I had taken care of her in certain respects, but I was yet to formalize myself, and a team of men to be her new security team.
Giles had called me while I was on the phone to the Leone estate. He’d left a curt message. Sounded like a bad line. Guy sounded totally weird. I called him back as soon as I had the chance. I didn’t like it when people had my number, but I knew Mia would have given it to him.
I hope that’s all she’s given to him. Steady on Slade, don’t go adding jealousy to an already messy mix.
I heard the line connect, then a series of all-too-familiar little clicks and scratches, and finally a message asking me to hold. I hung up. God damned secret service phone taps. I think they must spy on themselves. Who the hell pays for all that man power? No wonder the country’s in a mess.
I resigned myself to dealing with the biggest, most pressing problems first. Would I tell Don Leone what had happened? I had to; I still needed his say so to carry out any plans. As far as I was concerned he was still head of the family, he was the boss. Why should I have to make every decision?
Brown had returned just in time, Mia was on her way out. I wanted to watch her as she left, seeing her fine form move underneath her dress, so I could remember where I had been just a short time ago. Business had to come first though, and I might get a chance to repeat the performance with Mia later, but the way the day was shaping up, who knew?
Don Leone listened carefully as I explained to him the news I had just heard, giving him every detail, and the facts that we had so far regarding the death of Carlo Bernardi, and the implication of his son at the scene.
He inhaled long and deep, then let out a slow sigh, absently fidgeting for a cigar from a pocket he didn’t have. I crossed the room briefly, returning with the cutter and two cigars. Don Leone had every comfort at Mia Bella that he’d enjoyed at his own home.
“Did he get arrested by the cops or the FBI?” Don Leone finally asked, immediately billowing a huge plume of purple-gray smoke, thoughtfully. He looked more peaceful, more collected when he smoked.
“Neither,” I replied dryly, choosing to just hold my unlit cigar where Don Leone could see it. I didn’t smoke, but not to involve myself somehow in the process would have been the height of rudeness.
Don Leone raised one brow and looked at me intently. “What do you mean? Then who has him, who has the boy?” It struck me, at that moment, that Don Leone rarely, if ever, could bring himself to even mention his son’s name anymore.
“Mia’s new security team, the ones who rescued her,” I mumbled.
“Ah! The secret agents! Don’t be so hard on them Jack, they brought my Mia back to me, and gave us the chance to pull off the funeral.” He rolled his cigar between his lips, deep in thought again. “What have you found out about them?”
His question threw me off completely. I was embarrassed to admit I knew nothing other than what Mia had told me. Don Leone snorted in disapproval.
“I need to know more about these men, who they are, and who they work for! I don’t want to see us played from the hands of that-a pig, Bernardi, or whoever the fuck was playing with us, right into the hands of somebody else. Find out, Jack! Get me real information, not these-a second-hand stories from those idiots at the house!” His eyes had grown huge, wild. He certainly was his old self again, and I was being held to account for everything I knew nothing about.
Probably not the best time to mention I am boning your daughter too, Don Leone. In fact, if I have my way… don’t even think it, Jack. Just do your job and go… go where? Go home?
Shit.
“Yes, Don Leone, I will be meeting with everyone today and will update you as soon as I know more.”
“Good boy, Jack. Good!” Don Leone smiled, growing distant again; I could see the nostalgia returning to his face.
He began to hum a few bars of the aria from the service as I left, passing the unsmoked cigar to Brown with my finger to my lips on the way out. One of those was a week’s wages to Brown. I laughed to myself as I trotted down the stairs.
What was Brown supposed to do with it? Leone would shoot him if he thought he’d taken it. Maybe I was testing Brown to see how smart he actually was. We all needed to keep on our toes now, not lose our shit.
I had a million things to do, but found myself gravitating back toward Mia’s office floor. I popped my head around the lobby. Her office door was closed, but her secretary was there and she looked up. She smiled. Not an uncommon reaction when Jack Slade is giving you the right kind of eyes. I walked over.
“Do you have an appointment, Mr….?”
“Jack, just let Ms. Leone know Jack’s here,” I said, flashing my pearls.
Within a few seconds I was in Mia’s office again. It felt strange having to come in through the front door this time, but I had my pants on now, so it was all work and no play for Jack.
I stopped in my tracks halfway across to a chair. Mia had been crying --a lot, and there was some guy there. I stood silently, waiting for a clue as to what was going on. Mia was a professional, and had her business face back together faster than I could blink.
“Jack, hi. And thanks for stopping by. This is Giles. Giles worked for me in a professional capacity until recently… and then... well…” The guy stood up, moving briskly toward me, his hand outstretched.
“Hi, Jack, Giles. Good to meet you. I tried to call, but figured you were busy. We need to brief you on recent events. We also need to work out an action plan to put you as head of Mia’s own security team. We did our job getting her back, but now it’s up to you to keep her safe.”
He maintained strong eye contact and had a firm grip, but there was something odd about Giles. I couldn’t place it. Was it his micro glances at my crotch? No, that was pretty normal, even for straight guys, which I’m sure Giles wasn’t. No, there was something else. I couldn’t place it, but filed it for later.
I returned his firm grip and held his eyes. I didn’t return the cock watching favor. Even if I did bat for the other team, Giles just wasn’t my type for some reason.
“Who did you say you worked for again, Mr….?” Giles’ warm mouth turned sour and his exhaled sigh came out of his nose, over his tight-lipped frown.
Sometimes, the best way to get the information you want is to play the fool, and let the other person tell you everything, without even saying a word.
“So, you must be FBI?” I said, really meaning it. Giles gave a strong micro movement that it wasn’t the case, even though I already knew that.
“CIA then? I guess if you were you couldn’t tell me anyway.” Nope, nothing there either. “Private contractors? Guns for hire?” I asked earnestly, trying to appear as though I really had no idea, and that I was maybe even a bit out of my depth being in the same conversation as this guy. Nothing on all counts.
So who the fuck are these guys?
Giles gave a slight are you done? look, then resumed speaking as if I hadn’t. “All I can say, Jack, is that we act in Mia Bella’s best interest, and that we are on your side. That’s
all I can say on that, for now.” He turned back to Mia and sat down again, inviting me with his hand to take the seat next to him.
Mia and Giles had agreed to have myself and a team take over her personal security. Dayshift at the Mia Bella building, while Mia got back to her everyday life. And night shifts, at the beach house on the keys. The key that Mia had purchased. They, whoever they were, would maintain broad surveillance, while our team would be on the ground and with Mia around the clock.
Mia snuck me a couple of excited glances during Giles’ little speech, but I could see she was broken up about her brother. It was a crazy story, and I knew somehow, that our new friend Giles had managed to fill her in on all the gory details.
I nodded and agreed with everything Mia had to say about the arrangements, which I promised to have ready and operational by nightfall. It was good timing, I technically had nowhere to live, and so having somewhere to stay on the keys worked for me. What bothered me --and I think it showed on my face, was the terrible fear that I was about to become emotionally involved with Mia, for real.
“Is everything alright, Mr. Slade?” Mia asked, a little coy, after the details had been worked out.
I heard myself gulping. “Fine, Ms. Leone. Not a problem. We’ll have a team here at five o’clock to escort you to the keys.”
I shot an awkward glance at Giles, then stood and left to leave, instinctively moving toward Mia’s personal elevator. It was something Giles picked up on in a flash as I changed my steps to find the door I’d come in through. I could feel his eyes burning into me on the way out.
You’re not the only one with secrets, you dirty motherfucker.
I shot the secretary a wink and a smooth point on the way out. Hearing her sigh as I waited for the little people’s elevator was a great reminder.
You’ve still got it, Jack, still got it!
Thirty-Four
Mia
“I want to see Mikey, Giles. I need to see him.” As soon as Jack had left, I wanted to get more information from Giles about what had happened.
Giles continued his frown. I had seen how he had looked at Jack as he left, after he almost walked to my own private elevator to leave. “Out of the question, darling. It’s out of my hands now anyway, he’s strongly suspected of butchering the most, or the second most monitored crime boss in the country. It’s not a case for a phone call and a lawyer. You’ll see him when they say you can, if ever!”
I felt the tears coming again, but managed to hold them back. This was one of the toughest deals I’d ever had. First, the deal for my life at the hands of the Bernardi’s, or whoever the fuck it was. And now I was having to bargain the impossible for Mikey’s life.
“It might help,” I continued crisply, “if, as Jack mentioned… if you could actually tell me who it is you are representing, who you work for?” I had my deal-breaking face on, one brow cocked and ready to fire a billionaire’s shitcloud if I didn’t get the answer I liked. I felt my hand moving for the phone by reflex.
Giles sighed petulantly. “Look, darling. Mia. All I can tell you is that I, that we are federal representatives that carry much more jurisdiction than the FBI or anyone else who has bumbled into this case so far. That’s all I can say.”
I felt my hand resting by the phone. I was still debating whether or not to call in the army of senators, congressmen and women, as well as certain other high-ranking officials I knew could be useful to us all right now. I let my business gut instinct decide. I would wait until I was settled in and Jack was in charge of me. In charge of my security.
I was so upset about Mikey, but as Giles had said, what could I do? I knew he was at least safe, with Giles also mentioning before he left that Mikey was receiving treatment, for his addiction and overdose. It was probably all working out for the best.
With Giles gone, I had my office to myself again, almost feeling the thrill of Mia Bella under my feet again. My thoughts quickly turned to Jack again. Having him all to myself as a private bodyguard made me tingle at first, then literally sodden at the thought of having him all the time. My god, I could have his cock inside me all night if I wanted.
It’s not the same, but I think a quick bathroom break is in order. Dress rehearsal for my security detail later on tonight.
After a quick --okay, a long bathroom break with my two favorite fingers, I realized I still hadn’t had my manicure finished. I was gonna hurt somebody, probably myself, if I didn’t have something done about it. I buzzed out to have Lotti come up and finish where we’d left off, what seemed like so long ago now.
While I waited for Lotti, I scanned through the closets, trying to find the best underwear, the best everything to wear for Jack, before he tore it off me with his teeth later that night.
And every night afterward, I hope!
Lotti was like a breath of fresh air. She never intruded on my thoughts, or tried to extract anything for herself. Lotti was just Lotti. If I ever could bat for the other team, if I wasn’t her boss, I would probably love to spend a weekend with Lotti. But things like that always worked out better as a fantasy.
Jack had started as a fantasy, and I was shocked at how quickly that had developed. I still wasn’t exactly sure what was going on in that department, other than that I was totally crazy about him and wanted him inside me at every opportunity. And that I felt safe with him, and that I wanted more of him in my life. I only hoped that he felt the same way too.
If I hadn’t have had so much going on, I would have taken the rest of the day to have a full spa treatment, but there was a bit more whip cracking to be done for the new season’s lines. Lotti was very sensitive to how I was thinking, most of the time. This was one of those times, and she got her work done, very well, and in record time. I always wanted to show my appreciation to certain employees, but I knew from past experience that outlandish generosity not only bred contempt, but it could also cause tax headaches for employees. Older in experience, and a little wiser, I thanked Lotti with genuine gratitude. She beamed and left, getting on with her already-impossible schedule.
Standing in the full light of the huge windows behind my desk, I was admiring Lotti’s handiwork. I missed the huge diamond I’d had admired on the same hand not too many days before. How far things had come, since then. How desperate and dangerous life could be, no matter how much money or power one had. My thoughts began to turn to Mikey again, so I steered them away from that and back to happier subjects. To Papa being well again. To Jack. Yes, it always came back to Jack for me.
As if on cue, Jack called me. It was in a professional capacity. He was doing well at keeping his distance when he had to; except for the fact he’d seen me twice since we’d fucked that morning. And now he was calling me? Hmmm. Maybe not doing so well in the professional stakes there, old Jackie boy. When I thought about it and when I saw myself, flushed in the office window as I spoke to him, I had to agree that I was no better really.
“Jack! What a pleasant surp--” It wasn’t a social call.
“Ms. Leone. It’s not good news as far as your brother is concerned. Lucias tells me he has direct threats from the Bernardi’s, baying for the blood of every Leone. It looks like they found out, somehow. We need to get you somewhere safe, right now. I’m on my way back to you now. Don’t even open the door; don’t even piss until I get to you, okay?” I found myself nodding, without speaking.
Fear had become a second reflex recently. And so much so, that I hardly noticed when waves of adrenalin shot over my kidneys, racing through my belly as I quivered with terror at what might happen next. On one level, none of it mattered, as long as I knew Jack was in control. Somehow, just knowing he was alive, that he existed, always made me feel safer.
I hung up and buzzed through to reception. I was out and not to be disturbed for the rest of the day. Business as usual, though. Nervously, I began to pace. I hadn’t had so many threats or so many problems in such a short amount of time --ever. There was no thinking to be done, and actually, it was
all in the doing. I just had to ride it out, staying in one piece along the way. I wanted to go to Papa, to take him with me, but I knew it was best for him to stay right where he was. No doubt there would be some reinforcements from the Leone camp, if Jack had any say in it.
Not too much time had passed, before Jack called me again, letting me know he was there. I let him into the office and he told me of the plans to get me back to the keys, once some more men arrived to watch over Papa.
I wanted to hug him, to be held by him. Instinctively, I moved closer to him when he came in, but it was all business. I had felt a pang of hurt, rejection. My mind still racing that he’d had his way with me and was bored with me now. I knew that wasn’t true, Jack had everybody’s safety to consider, as well as his own. Plus, he had to get to the bottom of who the hell was behind all of this. His character, his eyes, his everything made me weak at the knees just to be near him. And this was especially so when he was in full flight as the warrior protector. It would have been nice to have had just one little kiss though. Maybe a handful of his bulging crotch too. But that, I told myself, would have to wait.
We were heading up to my penthouse in the private elevator, when I thought to mention it to Jack, about Brown.
“I don’t know,” I told him, after a clumsy beginning, “just the way he looked at me, the way he always looks at me. Like he’s not seeing me as his employer’s daughter, not even… I dunno.” Jack didn’t seem too uninterested, but he had to admit, he hadn’t noticed anything himself.
“I’ll keep an eye out, don’t worry.” His huge hand moved out, just for a split second, making like he wanted to touch me. But then he pulled it back, keeping his eyes to the front.