by Grace Risata
“Why don’t you just stay here tonight?” Ian suggested, knocking back a shot of whatever alcoholic beverage he’d found in Leandra’s kitchen cabinet. “We all know it would make the night go a lot smoother if you quit tormenting my sister and left her the fuck alone. She has enough to deal with…give her some space.”
“Mind your own business,” I snapped, wishing everyone would keep their noses out of my personal life.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, dumb fuck,” Shorty replied, “It’s our business to protect Lee and keep her safe. Everyone does that but you. It’s only a matter of time before she comes to her senses and fires your sorry ass. I’m not asking you to stay here tonight, I’m demanding it.”
The man puffed out his chest and tried to get up in my face, which was difficult because he wasn’t tall enough.
Rolling my shoulders and loosening my tie, I gave him a threatening look to match the one currently plastered all over his face.
“If you’d like to throw down right this fucking second, nothing would please me more than to break every single bone in your body,” I responded. I don’t give a fuck if we’re all dressed to the nines and about to leave in a couple minutes. I don’t even care if Ian jumps in and tries to help his friend, because there’s no way Shorty can win on his own.
“Maybe we should be the fourth match in tonight’s competition, Samuel. I’ll wipe that smug expression off in a hurry, asshole. You might be her flavor of the week, but I was her first…and I’ll be her last.”
“Over my dead body,” I bellowed, ripping off my suit coat and preparing for war.
“ENOUGH!” a firm voice demanded in a tone that was not to be disobeyed. All eyes turned as Leandra made her presence known.
Ian dropped his glass, Shorty let out a wolf whistle, and I simply stood there dumbfounded.
Standing in the living room was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Leandra positively glowed in a stunning gold and purple gown that made her look like a Hollywood actress from the 1940s.
“Holy shit,” I mumbled, brain not firing on all cylinders, completely blown away by her magnificence.
Not about to waste an opportunity, Leandra slowly spun around to show off her new purchase. Glamour and elegance radiated from every inch of the amazing woman.
Unable to stop myself, I closed the distance between us and bowed respectfully.
“You remind me of Aphrodite,” I whispered in awe. “Never have I been in the presence of such royalty, Leandra. To be by your side is an honor.”
Before she could reply, Shorty sidled up and began shamelessly kissing her ass.
“That’s the luckiest dress in the world, angel, because it has you for an owner,” he confessed in a sickeningly sweet voice, reaching out to take her hand.
I instantly twisted Shorty’s wrist behind his back, subduing the man in a headlock. As could be expected, he pulled off a quick move and managed to break my hold. Months of tension and animosity came pouring out as we wrestled around on the ground. I landed a very successful jab to his nose, but he retaliated by kneeing me right in the nuts.
“STOP IT!” Leandra screamed in horror. “Kill each other tomorrow. Tonight we have business to attend to.”
Ian got in the middle to further break up our skirmish, and we each stepped back to assess our wounds.
“Fucking idiots,” my boss mumbled while shaking her head in disgust. “What kind of an impression am I going to make walking into the arena surrounded by one bodyguard with a bloody nose and the other clutching his junk in pain? It’s going to appear as though we have no self control, we allow ourselves to take a hit instead of mounting any sort of defense, and we’re all fucking crazy. Is that what you want?”
“No, Leandra,” I countered. “It makes us look like real men instead of pretty boys playing dress-up in fancy suits. Besides, it’ll be a cold day in hell before I let that piece of shit take something that’s mine.”
Narrowing my eyes at Shorty, I hoped to convey my message loud and clear. You touch her, you die.
“Oh, really?” Leandra asked bitterly. “Just what exactly is it that you think belongs to you, Samuel?”
If looks could kill…I would be in a world of hurt right now. Ever since our little conversation in the hallway Tuesday night, the stubborn woman has avoided me like the plague. I know she hates my lukewarm behavior, but I needed to get my head on straight. She said so herself. Anyway, certain plans had to be set in motion and I have every intention of seeing them through.
Looking at my watch and completely ignoring her question, I casually informed everyone that we needed to leave or risk being late.
“I’m not going if he’s going,” Shorty declared while pointing at me, acting like a fucking middle school girl instead of a grown ass man.
Leandra clutched her head, let out a sigh of extreme frustration, and laid down the law.
“I need every last soldier in attendance tonight. We are all going to leave this apartment, lock the door, have a quiet elevator ride down to my limo, not utter one motherfucking word for the entire trip to the arena, and be on our best behavior. If anyone has a problem with that plan, I would be happy to rip the switchblade right out of my thigh holster and slice them into a million pieces.”
By some miracle, everyone managed to behave themselves and we soon arrived at a very seedy location on the edge of town.
“This is sketchy as fuck,” Shorty complained, staring out the window as car after car slowly made their way to a huge warehouse lit up like a Christmas tree. “If the cops don’t find out about this and shut shit down, then they’ve got to be totally blind to what goes on in their city.”
“Aww, are you afraid?” I taunted, unable to pass up the opportunity to torment the idiot. “I’m sure every police officer within a twenty mile radius has been paid handsomely to ignore anything that goes on tonight.”
Leandra nodded in agreement while ordering our driver to pull up to a back entrance.
“We’re not the general public,” she explained. “I qualify us for the full VIP treatment.”
Unfortunately that meant taking a dark alley around to the dimly lit back door of a seemingly run-down shithole. As we got out of the vehicle, I saw a few rats scatter in the direction of a nearby dumpster.
“If the Italians wanted to ambush us, this would certainly make an excellent location,” Ian absentmindedly commented, reaching a hand inside his jacket to caress a hidden weapon. He wasn’t the only one on edge. I noticed Shorty’s trigger finger itching for action. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned it on me instead of our actual enemies.
“This door leads directly to the fighter’s warm-up rooms. I need to do a quick check on my men and give a little pep talk,” Leandra stated calmly, showing no hint of fear or apprehension. “I’ve spoken directly to Angelo Barsotti and made sure the final preparations are in order. If anything funny was about to happen, we’d know. Trust me. Too much money is riding on this. No one is about to pull any shit.”
“Except for you?” I asked.
“Except for me,” she confirmed with an evil grin, giving me a wink.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Lee?” Ian growled in annoyance.
“Let’s just say that I hope you fellows bet on the right contenders tonight. One of our boys might not walk away.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Leandra
Something about the raw energy that swirled around an illegal underground fight between two powerful men just made the entire atmosphere pulsate with danger.
I loved every fucking second of it.
True, it would have been nice if I had longer to flaunt my new outfit before Samuel and Shorty came to blows, but it’s reassuring to know I hadn’t lost my touch. They weren’t the first two men to fight over me, but it was still a good stroke for the ego. I knew this fucking dress was worth every penny. The only thing that might have made the moment perfect would have been a picture of m
y bodyguard’s face when he caught a glimpse of me.
Samuel’s eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and I’m pretty sure the man’s cock took notice as well. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he wanted me. My suspicions were confirmed after his hallway confession from a few days ago. I knew he cared…he’d nearly admitted as much. What the fuck was the holdup then? Quit pussy-footing around and declare your intentions for heaven’s sake.
Putting all of the bullshit drama out of my mind, I concentrated on the task at hand. Marching down the dusty corridor toward the first of my pep talks, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Vera begged me not to get the gown dirty, yet here I was, traipsing through filth.
“Ian, could you do me a favor?” I asked politely. “Hold up the back of my dress and make sure it doesn’t sweep along the floor like a broom collecting dirt.”
“Um…maybe you want me to skip along behind you while I’m at it and hum some showtunes? Go fuck yourself if you think I’m gonna be seen carrying my sister’s dress like I’m her fucking bridesmaid. Why don’t you make one of these bozos do it instead?”
Ian shot me a look and rolled his eyes while Shorty tried to hold back laughter.
“I’ll remember that next time you get your ass in a situation that requires my help, cocksucker.” I rubbed my nose in a not so subtle reminder of just who exactly supplies him with the good stuff.
Before we could continue our sibling spat, I realized we’d arrived at our first destination. Holding up a hand for them to halt, I motioned for Ian and Shorty to wait outside.
“Hawk is behind this door, most likely getting a hummer from Angela. You two stay here and don’t let anyone in,” I instructed.
“I should probably make sure they follow your orders,” Samuel advised squeamishly. “There’s no way I’m walking in on that shit.”
“Suck it up and watch my back. Otherwise known as…do your fucking job.”
Much to Samuel’s relief, no sexual shenanigans were taking place when we entered the room. Quite the opposite. Angela paced back and forth while Hawk sat contentedly on a bench eating an apple.
“Are we ready to rumble?” I asked with fake excitement. “I have a lot of money riding on your fight, Hawk. Are you going to come through for me?”
Instead of jumping up to kiss my ass and beg for his job, the dumb bastard had the nerve to leer at my dress and ogle a very ample pair of tits.
“Wow, Lee,” Angela exclaimed. “Where did you find that? It’s…impressive.”
Smiling from the compliment, I took a moment to check out her ensemble. The woman’s red fuck-me heels, overly clingy backless dress with an equally plunging front, and obscene amount of jewelry did nothing but scream, ‘tacky.’ In a sea of groupies, she blended in amongst the entire lot. I, however, stood out in the crowd.
“Thank you.”
“If you keep staring at Leandra like that,” Samuel warned, fists clenched, about to rip Hawk’s head off, “then I will not be held accountable for my actions.”
Hawk slowly licked his lips and shrugged.
“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want if she expects me to fight tonight.”
I placed a firm hand on Samuel’s chest to hold him back, while grinning at Hawk.
“That’s the reckless attitude I like to see in one of my best champions,” I purred. “I’ll be watching tonight, Hawk. Don’t let me down and I’ll make sure you’re handsomely rewarded.”
Completely ignoring the look of horror and jealousy on Angela’s face, I grabbed Samuel by the arm and hauled him away before he really did kill that arrogant fuckwad.
After the door shut behind us, I pulled Samuel closer and whispered in his ear.
“Do you really think I’d let him get off so easily after the way he stole from me?”
“No. I can spot one of your lies a mile away, remember? It’s called ‘playing along so no one gets suspicious.’ Just because I’m a farmer doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”
I nodded and our little group of four made its way to the next stop on my agenda. Instead of continuing down the corridor, I signaled for Shorty and Ian to stop and guard the hallway.
“No one comes down here, you got it?”
Shorty gave me a thumbs-up while Ian rolled his eyes.
“Why am I suddenly on duty? This is bullshit. My ass should be sitting in a VIP section drinking vodka while ogling half naked women. You really know how to ruin a Friday night, Lee.”
“Do you know who’s fighting tonight?” I asked my oblivious brother.
“Hawk and some dude named Grizzly. Everyone is talking about it. The guys in our crew are pissed that you chose an unknown stranger and a douchebag traitor to the family. There’s not one true Irish fighter in our line-up. They’re not happy, Lee.”
“I don’t give a fuck. That’s lesson number one. I make the rules and everyone else can kiss my ass. Lesson number two involves trusting me. If I bring in my best Irish hotheaded warriors to kick some Italian ass, Angelo Barsotti is going to feel threatened and retaliate in some way. Therefore, we’ll win one and lose one. I hope you bet on the right man.”
I did my best to give them a hint about the outcome of tonight’s showdown. If they didn’t listen, it was on them and not me.
“Plant your asses right here and do not move,” I demanded, marching towards the door on the end of the hall and trying not to swirl dirt in the hem of my dress.
Samuel and I entered the room after knocking and getting no response. We were treated with the sight of Grizzly dancing around like a fool with a pair of earbuds effectively blocking out his hearing.
Watching in amusement, we patiently waited until he turned around and saw us. The unflappable man didn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest.
“What the hell are you wearing?” I asked loudly, taking in the vintage white boxing shorts that had ‘ROCKY’ on the waistband. He also wore socks that nearly came to his knees and bizarre matching shoes reminiscent of a boxer from the 1980s.
“This is my knockout suit,” he boomed in a confident voice, as though it were completely normal and not out of place in the slightest.
“What have I done?” I moaned in regret. “I’m going to go down in flames. I don’t mean a blaze of glory, either. I’m talking pure, honest to goodness, shame on the family. I’ve bet thousands of dollars on a complete stranger dressed up as Rocky Balboa.”
“Good call, Lee. I’m actually listening to ‘Eye of the tiger’ to warm up. It’s a classic,” Grizzly happily explained. “Why do you look so pale all of a sudden? That dress is fucking amazing, by the way. You’re hot as hell, little lady!”
Samuel reached over and patted me on the shoulder in reassurance.
“Don’t let his calm demeanor freak you out, Leandra. Grizzly was the state wrestling champion for two years in a row. Just because he has a bit of an unorthodox approach, doesn’t mean shit. Fuck…he could probably even give me a run for the money if we were in a fight and his life depended on it. He’s pretty tough when he needs to be.”
I forced myself to take a deep breath and proceed as planned.
“Hundreds of people are going to be in the audience tonight. You both realize that, right? As head of the Irish crime family, it’s my job to put up two worthy fighters. I’m sending in an arrogant fool that would rather get his cock sucked instead of knocking out his opponent,” I nearly shouted, “And now…the unknown burly biker dude that I had high hopes of charging into the ring like a Tasmanian devil and shocking the hell out of everyone…well…he’s busy pretending to be Sylvester Stallone and completely oblivious to the violence about to rain down upon his doorstep. I’m fucked. I’m royally fucked.”
Suddenly a series of loud knocks pounded on the door, nearly scaring the shit out of me. Shorty stuck his head inside and let me know that it was time to take our seats or we’d miss the first fight. Once he got a look at Grizzly, all hell broke loose.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Leandra? This moro
n is your prize fighter? Who in their right mind would put his lame ass into the ring? We’re going to be the laughingstock of the entire city! End this nonsense and let me fight in his place.”
“Too late, Shorty,” I insisted firmly. “The bets have been placed. We’re stuck now.”
Throwing on a t-shirt and pair of loose sweat pants, Grizzly walked beside us down the maze of corridors, twists, and turns, until we arrived at the double doors signaling the entrance to the arena.
Showtime, bitches.
My bodyguards flung open the doors and our group paraded towards the VIP seats, fully bathed in the spotlight that shined directly on me and my exquisite dress. Head held high, I kept my eyes straight ahead and ignored the whispers of the crowd.
“Holy shit, who is that?”
“I think it’s the ruthless bitch in charge of the Irish family. I heard she’s responsible for more deaths than even her father…and he was vicious!”
“Wow. That’s one savage bitch!”
Unfortunately most of the words used to describe me were ‘bitch.’ There’s really no better word for a strong woman that makes her own destiny and doesn’t rely on a man to lead her through life.
Basking in the attention, I made damn sure to head straight for Angelo Barsotti’s luxury section right in front of the ring. The big boss had four rows of metal folding chairs ripped right out and replaced with a king’s throne and velvet benches. So dramatic.
Not to be outdone, I claimed the area directly opposite his so we could stare at each other threateningly from across the stage. What can I say? It made for good entertainment. However, I chose plush theater chairs instead of anything too gaudy. Someone has to class things up around here…might as well be me.
“Mr. Barsotti.” I greeted him with a small nod in a show of respect for the prominent man. “We appear to have drawn quite the crowd this evening.”
“That we have, Leandra,” he agreed, sparing a glance around at the throngs of people eager to begin the festivities. “Nearly a thousand people have shown up to celebrate our truce and enjoy a little sanctioned bloodshed. I believe no introductions are necessary, is that correct?”