Sinister

by Sherell Cummings

  “And why should we help you?” said Leonardo.

  Before I could respond Alessandro did. “Because he is famigilia. And famigilia helps famigilia. Even the ones we just met.” he grinned.

  “Bene, ma lo farò solo perché mio padre lo dice, non perché mi piaci.” (Fine, but I’ll only be doing this because father says so, not because I like you), said Sofia.

  “Who said you’d be doing anything, Sof? If anything this is a job for the men,” said Andrea smirking at her before sipping his wine.

  “E cosa ti fa pensare che noi donne non possiamo fare ciò che voi uomini potete.” (And what makes you think us women can’t do what you men can?)

  “Nothing,” said Alessandro before Andrea could respond. “But this is not your place. It is to dangerous and on top of your cousins having to do their jobs and protect themselves, they also would have to protect you.” At his response Sofia scowled but didn’t say another word. “Now, Nathaniel tell me what you know about your father's business.”

  “What exactly do you want to know?”

  “What does he sell?” asked Leonardo.

  “I know what he sells,” said Alessandro. “His father is Nicolae Versalie. The largest producer of drugs and ammo on the west coast. He also dabbles in trafficking and most recently had his hands in the diamond trade. What I want to know are the small things, and most importantly, where he keeps his merchandize.”

  “How do you know so much about him but didn’t know Nathan and I existed?” I asked.

  “My father had a file on him, seems everything was in there except you two. That was his best kept secret,” he said, leaning forward and looking at me sheepishly. I knew he was right, because my father hardly ever acknowledged us as his children unless he was trying to impress someone. Sure in front of his friends he was a proud father, but we hardly existed outside of those parties. To him we were expendable, like every other employee under his payroll.

  “I can’t tell you much beyond what you already know. Unfortunately my brother and I were only entrusted in dealing with my father's competition and less so with his merchandize.”

  “So he never told you where he kept his stock?”

  “No. The FBI have been trying to find it for years, but that's also another well kept secret.”

  “Well that needs to be our first task.” He spoke to the table as he leaned back looking at each man. “To break a powerful man like that down, we need to destroy his money, and his money is his product. Nathaniel you need to find out when and where his next shipment is going to be and once you do, I send some of my boys with you— and you tear it apart. We do this until you find someone your father trusts. That man and that man alone would know the locations of your father's warehouses and the faster you find who that is, the faster we end this, sì.”

  I nodded. “I also need someone at the house, to look after a friend. We have no allies there and it’s basically every man against me. She’s an undercover FBI agent and once my father finds out, she’s dead. I need eyes and ears in the house.”

  “Lei bella?” This from Andrea.

  “Is that all you’re concerned with, her looks? Not the fact that she is FBI,” said his twin Armando.

  “Si, why not. It won’t matter if she's too busy with my cazzo to care.”

  “Dio Andrea ti guarda la bocca.” (God, watch your mouth Andrea), scolded his mother as his brothers laughed. “Non a tavola.” (Not at the dinner table.)

  “Si mamma, but I only speak the truth.” He smiled, not at all embarrassed.

  “To answer your question, yes she is very beautiful.”

  Andrea rubbed his hands together and grinned. “I’m in. This is definitely my kind of party, cuz.”

  “Anywhere with pussy and money is your kind of party,” said Stafano grinning and shaking his head which somehow earned him a slap behind his head from his wife Serena.

  “Non dire quella parola, odio la mia parola.” (Don’t say that word, I hate that word), she said as he rolled his eyes and the rest of them started laughing. Gabrielle and Valanta started chanting the word, ‘pussy’ over and over, irritating Serena even more.

  I watched them, and in the short time that I’d known them, these people had become more of a family to me than my own. Whoever said you can never miss something you never had was wrong, because looking round this room, at these strangers I was proud to call them family.

  Chapter Seven

  Justine

  I gazed at myself in the mirror, letting out a deep sigh at the woman staring back. It had been one year, eight months, and six days since I’d been Justine Fox, and I was surprised I could still look at myself. The last female agent who went undercover for more than six months came out of it more fucked up than she went in. It took months to get her back at the office, and by then she could only sit at a desk and answer the telephone.

  They stopped allowing female agents the privilege of going undercover in the illegal drug and trafficking unit because of the things we would be exposed to. Women undercover would be required to either have sex as an undercover slave or mistress, and that was where the dynamics got screwed up. Men would be picked quicker for these cases because they were the ones allowed to have sex, where as us females were forced.

  This case wasn’t meant for me. They needed someone to go in long term to try to bring down Nicolae Versalie after many failed attempts. The man was good at covering his tracks and hiding information. Only a few trusted people under his command knew of the information the FBI needed, but they weren’t easy to track, and to get them talking was a whole other issue.

  After having one of our own undercover with him for years, and being nowhere close to cracking the case, they needed someone else. Not a male, but a female who could easily capture Versalie’s heart and then tear it apart just as quickly. They needed someone with no family ties, and no commitments, because they were unsure of how long they would be gone.

  Before Justine Fox was born, I was thirty-five-year-old Venessa Leeds. I lived in a small downtown apartment in Seattle and the only family ties I had was my dog Mags. I occasionally went out for drinks at this small pub called Caption were me and the bartender Sean would hook-up whenever we felt the need. But that was it. That was my life, so it was an easy decision to stick my hand in the air when Captain Holder asked which one of us would be willing to go undercover indefinitely.

  I never considered myself to be anything but smart. It took years of practice after bouncing from foster home to foster home and dealing with some of the worst kinds of men, but eventually I learned how to protect my brain from the abuse certain men harboured. It was funny how years of training could be easily stripped away by one man. Having spent much time watching and learning Nicolae it was safe it say, this man was unlike any man I had met before. I was the closest to him besides his sons. I saw him at his most vulnerable and still the man was too strong.

  A knock on the cabin door jolted me in the direction of the sound. “Yes, I’ll be right out,” I said as apathetically as possible. I hated taking orders from people I didn’t like, so being here was a test of my restraint. Fluffing my freshly dyed extensions and touching up my lipstick, I gave myself one last once-over before opening the cabin door and stepping back into the main cabin of the plane.

  ***

  We landed a few minutes later, and after a short car ride we were ushered to the penthouse suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. After the last bag was placed in the lavish living room, Nicolae tipped the bell-boy who left before Nicolae himself exited into one of the rooms down the hall. I stood looking around the grand space, eyeing it with interest.

  When I was first briefed into the role of Justine Fox and got to see how the other half lived, I admit it was comforting knowing I didn’t have to worry about money, since I had it at my disposal. Having such lavish things, living this privileged life was new to me. I grew up in foster care and had to fight for the little I had. Just like everything else in Nicolae’s world he spared no
expense. Not even for a four day stay in a hotel.

  He returned, tucking his phone in the inside pocket of his suit jacket as I turned to face him. “Everything okay?” I asked as his face held a hard scowl, as always.

  “Fine. Minor issues,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. I knew something was going on, something that left him with a constant tick in his jaw and a hard expression on his face. After a phone call right after the plane took off he had been tense. I sat facing him watching his fingers tapping the keypad of his phone like he wanted to break the screen. He didn’t say anything to me, by which I was thankful, but I was also more nervous to know what was going on.

  Holding me at arm's-length, he ran his hands down my shoulders. “Nothing I can’t handle. What time are you meeting your sister?” He leaned in pressing a soft kiss on my exposed shoulder, moving downward toward my breast. I hated the man, yes, but I had no control over my body whenever he touched me this way.

  We had sex often and most times not alone. And when I was playing the angry girlfriend who wanted nothing to do with him, he had sex with slaves, which I didn’t mind but also hated because they got the brunt of his anger. I was the girlfriend. I was treated almost better than the average, but the slaves were treated as such and they were the ones who were hurt. I couldn’t bear the thought of him hurting poor innocent women, so I tried to keep his attention on me, and when I couldn’t I felt the pain for them.

  I checked the expensive gold watch on my hand and saw it was just after ten. “In an hour,” I gasped as his trail of kisses moved over the thin fabric of my blouse. He gently nibbled on my nipples through my clothes, slightly pissing me off because now I had to change. “We're meeting at the Garden on fourth.” My sister, aka agent Moss, was a common agent like myself. Since we couldn’t talk over the phone, I met with her every now and then to update her on my progress with the case, and she had to make sure I was still physically and mentally capable of completing the task at hand.

  I was moving backward until I fell against one of the couches in the living room with Nicolae landing on top of me. Without another word he had my skirt pushed over my stomach while he unzipped his pants, pulling his hard cock into his hand. Not a minute later, I was impaled with a hard thrust as he reached down sucking on my nipple again. It was times like this where I buried myself within myself and tried to think of anything besides the fact that I wasn’t going to cum. All this time spent with Nicolae and not once had I been able to cum.

  The man was incapable of foreplay and thought only of his needs when it came to sex. Most times he would shove his cock in the quickest hole he could find and before long he was coming after a few thrusts. I was in no place to deny him, so I endured, and I was royally frustrated in the end. A few thrusts later, (more like five) I was fake panting and screaming his name as he came hard and fast before sliding out of me and onto the other side of the couch.

  I took a few annoyed breaths before putting my underwear back in place, and pulling down my skirt. Standing, I gave him a satisfied smile. “That was amazing, baby.” Leaning down as he was still trying to catch his breath, I pressed a soft kiss to his lips before standing straight. “I’m going to catch a shower. How late are you going to be tonight?”

  Standing, he righted his clothes by shoving his cock back into his pants and straightening his tie, he kissed my cheek. “Not certain. I have a few meetings to attend today and might be heading over to Chicago later tonight. If I’m not back, you’ll be okay here for a few nights. Go out with your sister, have fun and I’ll see you when I get back.” He walked away and out of sight, leaving me suspicious and surprised by all this.

  In all the time traveling together, sure I’d been given time to myself, but he had always left a bodyguard at my disposal and never once was he gone for more than a few hours. He had this look in his eyes that told me something was going on. He was acting weird and weird for Nicolae meant caution. He was a wicked man that loved nothing more than sex, drugs, money and revenge. And he had that look; that I’m-smarter-than-you look, and maybe it wasn’t directed at me, but I still feared who it was for.

  I took a shower and got dressed in a white work dress that stopped above the knee and hugged all my curves. My makeup was subtle at best with only light mascara and a light pink lip, and as I brushed my hair straight down my shoulders and slipped into a pair of yellow Alexander McQueen’s, I prepared myself for the questions Ross would be asking because I knew she would have many. She was a psychiatrist as well as an agent, and for the three hours we were expected to sit in that restaurant, I would be probed about everything that had happened in the last six months.

  As I stood in the hallway waiting for the arrival of the elevator I got this eerie sense that I was being watched, but as I looked up and down the hallway I came up empty. Our suite was the only one on this floor and the longer I stood there watching the numbers ascend the feeling didn’t ease. I was an agent, and when we got a feeling it was tough to ignore because it was usually right.

  Thankfully the feeling disappeared when I entered the elevator, but I couldn’t say the same when I made it to the lobby. That feeling had me looking around the space eyeing everyone sceptically. There were people mulling around minding their own business, no one was looking in my direction, but I felt eyes on me as I walked forward. The lobby was big and spacious. On one side there was a sitting area with plush couches and shiny glass tables, and on another there was a café.

  Instead of walking straight across the lobby I decided to go around where there were large stone pillars shooting up into the ceiling. Walking briskly while trying to keep my cool and not bring any attention to myself, my eyes studied everyone who passed through the lobby floor feeling a sense of relief for being the only one walking this way. From pillar to pillar, each time I stepped into the space between them, I would study each person as I made my way closer to the door.

  With a sense of relief, I stood behind the last pillar closest to the exit, chalking it up to paranoia and suddenly feeling stupid for acting so jumpy. Wanting to get out before more paranoia kicked in, I was about to head for the exit but was suddenly pinned against the stone wall that was thick enough to conceal my entire body from anyone in the open area. With one hand over my mouth and his other pressing one finger against his lips indicating for me to remain quiet, I looked at his brown eyes, surprised and also captivated by the handsomeness of his face.

  He looked around suspiciously before piercing me with a deadpan expression. “You’re being followed,” he said looking around again. I studied the side profile of his chiselled jawline dusted and skilfully marked with hair. He had a straight nose, ample lips and perfectly tousled dark hair that was slightly lighter at the roots, but curled neatly behind his ears. After examining his face for quite some time I noticed the pressure of his body as it pressed against mine, and the hardness wasn’t lost. Seeming satisfied he removed his hand from my mouth placing it above my head. “Sorry about that. Didn’t want you to scream.” There was a slight accent to his voice, almost Italian and as I examined at him further I could see it in his features.

  “And you knew I would scream because—” I said with a bit of edge in my tone. Who the hell was this man?

  “You seemed a bit jumpy.”

  “Well someone was following me—and how did you know I was being followed anyway?” I curved an eyebrow at him.

  His lips curved into a sexy grin and God did it transform his entire face. The man wasn’t just handsome, he was fucking gorgeous, and I suddenly wanted him to press a little harder. “Are you insinuating something?”

  “Of course I am. You’re the one telling me something no one who wasn’t looking would know. Now did you see who it was?” I push my head out looking back to see if I could catch a glimpse of I don't know who.

  “I did. Not sure which way he went though. Must have scared him off.”

  I flicked my gaze to his with my eyebrow up before glancing down between us. I co
uld feel him getting hard against my stomach and I had to keep my mouth closed so I didn’t moan. I could feel the wetness forming between my legs, and why was he still up against me? “You know since the danger is gone, there is no need to keep me here, like this.”

  He smirked. “Who’s to say I’m not enjoying it.” He leaned in a bit lowering his voice as his breath moved against my ear. “I know you can tell.”

  “Jesus,” I mumble as he pressed harder. This time I did groan. Is this what frustration did? Make you grind up against strangers in hotel lobbies, practically desperate to have his dick inside you? I cleared my throat. “Do you do this to every woman you meet?”

  “Nope, just the ones I like. What’s your name?”

  “Justine,” I said without hesitation. “Yo—” I didn’t get the rest out because as his mouth was on mine in one hard and heated kiss. I think the world ended and him and I were somehow the last known survivors because nothing existed in that moment. He completely emptied my head and was easily pulling the air out of my lungs little by little until I was gasping, right before he pulled away. I swallowed before opening my eyes and watching the twinkle in his as he pulled his body away from mine, which left me suddenly feeling cold and empty. It was unsettling.

  “Someone was coming.” It was then I looked up and saw an older woman walk past with a disgusted look on her face. The disgust was more aimed at me than at this guy. “Had to make it look good,” he said smugly before stepping past me and walking away. “See you around Justine. And watch your back. You never know who could be lurking around the corner.” With a wink over his shoulder, he was soon lost in the sea of people when he stepped through the glass doors and onto the busy street.