Justin chuckled at her sass, but as she started leaving the room, he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “Not so fast,” he said softly. He clutched her in a tight hug. “Be good and stay out of trouble.”
“If you’re not going to fuck me, Jay, please don’t touch me,” she told him coolly.
Justin chuckled and tightened his arms around her one last time before letting her go. Watching her leave was almost killing him. He had no idea what this mission would entail or how long he’d be gone or whether they would make it back out alive.
He spent the next hour trying to get settled on the sofa and ignoring Melissa’s text and voice messages. He knew that she wasn’t even in Austin tonight because she’d taken the firm’s jet earlier in the day. He hadn’t bothered trying to find out what she was up to or where she went. And then his phone started vibrating, indicating Melissa calling him. Looking at the phone monitor dispassionately, he again ignored her.
He stood to go check up on Nakia. It started with him poking his head in the door of her bedroom, and by a seemingly invisible string, he was pulled farther into the room. She was sprawled on her back with a hand on her stomach, the other arm thrown over her head, one leg bent in an almost ballerina pose. Shit! He found himself rooted to the foot of the bed, unable to look away or walk away from her. “Ah, what the hell!”
He took his shirt and pants off, leaving only his boxes on before climbing into bed with her. As soon as he stretched out on the sheets beside her, she immediately rolled toward him. He hugged her against him. He’d never known such peace. He slept.
The insistent vibration of his phone woke him a few hours later. This time whoever was calling clearly wasn’t taking no for an answer. Every time the phone stopped vibrating from the long wait, it would start vibrating again as the person on the other end pressed redial. Justin reached for his phone to turn it off but stopped when he realized that it was Colt calling. He left the bedroom to not disturb Nakia.
“It’s almost three in the morning. What the hell, man? Are Imani and my nephew okay? What’s going on?”
“Why didn’t you answer your fuckin’ phone?” Colt asked.
“What’s going on?”
“Melissa’s in Atlantic City with a few of her girlfriends, and they ran up a tab.”
“What did you say?” Justin asked.
Justin had heard him, but he was so embarrassed by his wife’s antics that he needed it repeated. No way had Melissa put them in debt again when he was just now getting their finances sorted. Colt told him again, but he also sounded worried.
“Something is off about this, Justin. Not only were they desperate to get a hold of you, Melissa was almost sobbing with gratitude when I told her if I couldn’t find you that I’d come get her. When I asked how much the girls owed, the casino owner insisted he wouldn’t accept payment by wire and wanted a personal appearance. What the hell is going on with Melissa? What was she thinking?”
“The better question,” Justin said, “is what this motherfucker wants from us. Why would a casino owner want us there physically? Can Imani check this place out? Find out if Baldacci’s involved? I don’t want to walk into an ambush. Clearly, something is off with this, and Melissa’s dumb ass fell into it.”
Colt chuckled on the other end. Even before Colt spoke, Justin was already on board with his brother’s “take no shit” stance.
“I don’t have a problem reminding motherfuckers of who we are,” Colt said, “mob or not.”
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes to get you,” Justin said.
“I’d better come get you in the chopper, and then we can take the jet to Atlantic City. That’ll be quicker. I’ll be there in ten.”
“I’m not home,” Justin said, “and I need to take care of something before we meet up.”
Colt whistled. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Ever since I met her, I haven’t been sure of any damn thing.”
“We’ll deal with that later. When and where can we meet?”
Chapter Eight
Hours later, Justin stared coldly at Victor Bianchi, determined to not reveal the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him. “Mr. Bianchi, what do my brother and his wife have to do with these women owning some losses at your blackjack table?”
“Your wife owes me over half a million dollars in gambling debt and payment for destruction of hotel property.” Victor grinned as though he had an inside view of Justin’s accelerating heart rate.
Justin felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He couldn’t have spoken at that moment if his life depended on it. How did Melissa and her friends find this place anyway? It wasn’t even close to the hotel and casino district of the Boardwalk.
“And I’ll bet your direct invitation to Melissa and your shady-ass dealing had nothing to do with her spectacular failure?” Colt drawled.
Melissa looked at him defiantly. Victor had Melissa and her two friends, all spoiled rich debutantes, sitting on a sofa in the corner of the room being guarded by two heavily armed men, who looked as though they were card-carrying members of a motorcycle gang.
“I run a respectable establishment here. Your sister-in-law earned much from us before she overestimated her card skills.” Victor smirked. “We can’t allow people to ignore our rules, flaunt their disdain for our less-than-glamorous clientele, and take no care of our properties. Mrs. Ragnarson seems to think that she should be given preferential treatment to mistreat our staff and destroy the lovely accommodations we gave her. We can’t have that.”
“You’re going to have to give us a few days to gather the funds for the debt owed.” Justin finally found his voice. “I apologize for my wife and her friends’ indiscretion.”
“I’ve told you what I want!” Victor growled. No longer did he wear that veneer of cool professionalism he’d been so certain of a few moments ago; his temper and nefarious intent surfaced. “We also purchased your other debts, mortgage, loans, credit cards. You name it, we have it. You owe us millions. Think you can raise that kind of cash?” Victor didn’t try to hide his glee now. “Getting the picture yet?”
Justin didn’t want to see Colt’s face right now, but he looked anyway and was shocked that instead of the disappointment directed at him, Colt was glaring at Victor as though he wanted to tear him limb from limb.
Victor laughed. “Not even your brother has that kind of cash lying around.”
“His brother may not have that kind of cash, but his sister does.”
If he hadn’t seen it himself, Justin would not have believed it possible. Imani was suddenly standing beside him, seeming to have appeared out of thin air.
“Imani, you’re not here right now!” Colt roared.
“Honey, chill. I can easily pay the debt for Justin.”
“How did you get in here?” Victor spun his head in every direction of the room, trying to understand how she came into the room without them seeing her.
“You’re deliberately misunderstanding me,” Colt gritted out. “I guarantee that your ass won’t misunderstand when I’m done with you later.”
“God, I love it when he talks dirty like that.” Imani cheerfully looked up at Justin as though they were sharing a joke.
Justin frowned down at her. He was still trying to process what was happening. He needed to get his shit together fast. “Sis, you shouldn’t be here. This is no time to strut your stubborn ass. These motherfuckers would do anything to get their hands on you.”
“Pst, you think your brother would ever let them have me?”
“Imani!”
Justin inched closer to her. “Colt, let’s just get the fuck outta here. If he wants to call the debt in, let ’em. I’m not playing his fuckin’ games.”
“You’re not going anywhere! Not until I get the weapons I need from your sister-in-law,” Victor shouted.
“Why don’t they ever realize that I don’t make w
eapons under duress?” Imani asked her question to the room. “Dumbasses, all of them,” she muttered in a loud whisper.
“Are you forgetting that I have guns pointed at your wife and her friends’ heads?” Looking agitated and frustrated, Victor waved his gun around for emphasis. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking that I won’t kill one of them.”
“Why don’t you give them what they want, Justin? I’m sick of this damn place,” Melissa told them peevishly. “I knew you’d pick your brother over me. You always did!”
Justin ignored her pampered ass because he was so close to losing his shit. He clenched his teeth to remain silent, although he knew that none of what he was feeling would be visible on his face. He’d learned to perfect a cool disinterested expression years ago.
“Be a man, Justin.”
Her whining had him clenching his fists next.
“I’ve been in this damn dress for almost twenty-four hours. It’s only a few guns Imani must give them, for Christ’s sake. I don’t understand what the damn fuss is about.”
“I’ve never hit a woman in my life, but my God, if you don’t shut the fuck up, that’s one code I’ll gladly break.” Justin was still clenching his teeth so hard he was surprised that the words passed through them.
Colt looked as though he’d explode at any moment. “I might just be willing to join you.”
Justin had no doubt that if Colt could’ve gotten away with it, Melissa would be dead right now. “You did this shit to hurt me? To hurt my family?” He glared at her.
“Last time I checked, I am your family,” she told him unrepentantly. “You don’t love me! You love him! It’s always you and Colt! Everyone in the family knows that. You and Colt act like the rest of us don’t matter. Well, you’d better take notice now!”
Justin smiled as he made a decision that he should have made months ago. “After tonight, you’re nothing to me,” he told her coldly.
“It’s that whore you’ve been sniffing around, isn’t it? You think I’m stupid? Just because your brother went slumming with the ‘sistas,’ you had to go find yourself one too! You’re just proving my point!”
“Melissa, you really need to shut the fuck up now, because if Justin doesn’t beat the shit outta you, I most certainly will.” Imani smiled sweetly.
“Bring it, bitch! I’m not afraid of you!”
“Shut up!” Victor yelled. “I’m not interest in your fuckin’ family drama. I want the customized high-tech weapons you promised that your sister-in-law will make for us.”
Justin glared at Melissa and wondered how she knew anything about Imani. He’d certainly never told her. “If what you say about my debts is true, you can keep the house and the property that is attached to the mortgage. I don’t need them.”
“You bastard!” Melissa screamed. “That’s my house!”
“You shoulda thought of that before you pulled this bullshit!”
“You can’t do this!”
Justin ignored her and turned to Victor again. “I’ll raise the rest of the money and pay you.” He had a trust fund that his maternal grandmother had left for him. Colt was the only person, other than his grandmother’s lawyer, who knew of its existence. Colt had been the trustee of the fund for more than ten years now, and Justin had never regretted the decision to put him in charge of his finances. Thank God he’d never told Melissa about it or ever made it part of his marital assets. “Victor, you and whoever the ‘we’ are will get no weapons from this family.”
“You’ll regret denying us,” Victor hissed and pointed his gun at Imani. “You don’t know who the fuck you’re dealing with, no idea of what my bosses can do to you. I can just take her now, and no one can stop me!”
“Please try, motherfucker. I haven’t dropped a body in fuckin’ months,” Colt told him coldly. “Justin, you remember that gift my wife gave you last Christmas?”
Justin looked to Colt, puzzled at the swift change in topic, and why was Imani grinning at him so hard and appearing so relaxed when an idiot was pointing a gun at her? “Yeah, I remember.”
“You can remember the instructions I gave you, right?”
Imani’s carefully worded question made him still as he tried to remember every word she told him about the stylish watch she’d given him. She’d told him to always wear the watch, press the button on the band only under extreme emergency, and relax. It was supposed to be something Imani had built specifically for him. He couldn’t believe that he’d never thought to explore what Imani had given him. She’d built Colt a specialized gun and a protective shield. Given how much she’d geek out on everything, he was shocked that he’d never considered that the watch she gave him was anything special. “I’ve got it,” he assured her.
“Good,” Imani said cryptically before throwing something metal into his hand and then doing the same to Colt. “Today just seems an emergency kinda day.” The grin on Imani’s face was the only signal he needed.
Justin had seconds to find the button on his watch and press it before he noted both Imani and Colt pressing their buttons and disappearing. As soon as he pressed his, they came back into focus.
“What the hell just happened? Where did they go?!?!” Victor yelled.
“I can’t believe they left us!” Melissa said as her friends started screaming.
The men guarding them were having difficulty calming them down.
“Stop that racket and tell me what the fuck’s going on.” Victor stormed over to Melissa and glared down at her.
Justin stared at Imani with newfound respect. He’d had no idea how gifted she was. When she spoke to him, it was as if she were speaking to him through an earpiece.
“Relax, Justin. We’re invisible to them, and they can’t hear us unless we want them to. You’ll soon get used to being able to see and hear everything within a mile radius.”
Only after Imani told him did he notice the distant digital images of persons in other parts of the building. The images were not clear enough to distinguish features, but he saw their body outlines, where they were in the casino, and whether the images were men or women. He returned his focus to Victor, who was even now reaching to grab Melissa around the throat in his rage at being thwarted out of extorting the guns he wanted. Justin and Colt moved simultaneously and silently to disarm Victor’s men.
It was almost comical to see the men react as they were disarmed and thrown to the floor by invisible forces. Imani threw them some duct tape to bind their hands, feet, and mouths.
Victor bellowed with outrage, but they intercepted him mid-bellow to take him down as well in mere seconds, stopping him from firing his weapon at Melissa and her friends.
“I’ll get the women out,” Imani told them as she removed her shield and came back into view of the others in the room.
“How are you doing that?” Melissa yelled.
“Let’s go.” Imani turned and left the room, not checking to see if the women followed her. They did follow her, though.
Justin could only shake his head as Imani boldly walked through Victor’s offices as he and Colt, with their shields in place, stealthily disabled Victor’s guards along the way. The four women left the quiet offices to enter the noisy casino, which was surprisingly crowded despite its off-the-beaten-path location and the less-than-attractive decor. They made it to Colt’s rented SUV without encountering any significant challenges, as Victor’s men didn’t see the women leaving as a threat.
Colt’s private jet was in the air out of Atlantic City almost two hours later.
“They won’t stop coming after what they want, you know.” Melissa laughed with nervous, almost drunken glee. “They’ll make you pay and pay again and again. You don’t know who Victor works for.” She laughed harder.
“That may be true, but you won’t be around my family to see it.” Justin was determined to not let Melissa get to him. She’d been throwing out comments like that ever since they’d gotten away from Victor an
d his men. After she’d deliberately lost money they didn’t have and shared Imani’s secret about making Colt’s custom weapons and shield, it was clear that she’d set them up. She wanted to hurt him for ignoring her for the past year, but he wasn’t going to let her poison permeate his life anymore.
“I won’t give you the easy divorce you want,” she warned.
“Then you’ll get nothing other than debt,” he told her bitterly. “If you know nothing else, Melissa, know that I’ll make you sorry for fuckin’ with my family. Going after me was fair game, but putting my family in the crosshairs of the mob? That shit won’t go unanswered.” He smiled without humor at her indrawn stunned breath. “What? Did you really think we don’t know who Victor and his people are?”
From the sheepish look on her face, Justin knew how deliberate Melissa’s actions really were. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Yeah, that’s your problem. You’re not afraid of shit you need to be afraid of. Knowing how vindictive and spoiled you are, this play of yours shouldn’t have surprised me.” Justin gripped the short strands of his dark blond hair. “I never thought that even you would be so stupid as to expose yourself to such a fucked-up world. Do you think that they’ll leave you alone because you led them to us? What do you think will happen to you and your friends when they don’t get what they want?”
“I’m not worried.” Her words didn’t match her worried frown. Even her friends looked as though they’d suddenly developed severe stomach pains.
Justin ignored them for the rest of the flight and instead had a heart-to-heart talk with Colt. While Colt agreed to be his divorce lawyer, he cautioned Justin to stay away from Nakia. “Melissa already brought her into the discussion, but if you stay away from her, perhaps we won’t have to worry about dragging her into this.”
“The security detail I have on her for that asshole husband of hers needs to be doubled until this mess blows over.”
Primal Obsession Page 8