by Eden Rose
"Baby doll. How are you?" His voice sounded strained as he asked me.
Well there is no point in small talk. "Where are you?"
"In route. We drove. What is going on?"
Like the true and pathetic snitch that I have become, everything I'm feeling is coming out. "They are making me so mad. I never have been this mad at Anne before. Now they want to go to a ball at some real estate company." I knew I sounded like a spoiled rotten kid, but I didn't care. I had every right to be upset. People keep making decisions for me and don't discuss them with me until its too late.
"I will be there soon. Go to the ball and act like you are having a good time. Don't worry, baby. I will see you soon." He hung up.
I climbed out of the bed and obliged to go to the ball. Why in the fucking hell would Ronnie actually think that I would want to go to a ball? I was shot a few days ago and now he has turned my world upside down and expects me to be happy at some dance? This man is insane.
The only thing I want to do right now is to crawl into the bed that I shared with Vincent and snuggle. Pretending to be having fun isn't something that I am interested in doing. I want my man and I want him to hold me.
* Vincent
I am on fire. Literally, my whole body feels as if it has caught on fire and its frustrating. The chain of command has been shattered and Rossi will pay for what he did.
His reasoning behind this make sense but I have a feeling he is only thinking about himself and Anne. I understand that Anne and Savannah are each other's family and Rossi wants to protect Anne; but he has definitely pissed me off something royally.
Savannah would have been safe with me and nothing would have happened to her except he didn't give me a chance to do anything about the situation. If it would have came down to us living on the lam, it should have been my decision. Savannah and my relationship constitutes two people in the relationship and Rossi is not part of the two.
This drive is taking forever. All the guys and I have been to his house up here and its a rather nice house. I understand why he would think of this but it is not really hiding her from me. Rossi fits a pattern and he doesn't stray from it.
This pattern that he is molded into is going to get him killed one day. That man is like clockwork. Every day is the same as the day before and I am pretty sure that his undergarments are in categories too. Of course, his lack of change is going to get me my woman back but he isn't protecting himself from me.
Leaving the cell phones was a nice touch but the meaning behind doing that is so we can't track them. I want to give him a round of applause for clearly not thinking this through. Like I said, that mold doesn't change shape.
First order of business: get my girl and kiss her until she can't stand. I can't wait to feel her skin on mine. She is so warm and comfortable with some delicious curves that make me want to take a bite.
Second: shoot Rossi. This stunt has landed him on the top of the list and he better know that I will make him pay. Maybe I won't kill him but I will make sure he knows that shit won't fly with any of us. I am tempted to fuck with him by collecting Anne and taking her on a vacation with my girl and I. Of course the surprise element would be he would not know where we are. Its shifty and petty, but he won't understand the feeling of loss I am feeling until something like that happens.
Third: go off the grid. I have access to a very exclusive yacht and we can take a trip of it. My girl and I need to be alone. Without interruptions. I just can't wait to see Savannah in a bikini with the sun on her skin. I bet her hair glows from the sun.
First things first, this car needs to go a hell of lot faster. Neither of the guys are talking to me nor did they give me an opportunity to drive.
Something about road rage.
Chapter Fifteen
"You ladies look beautiful," Ronnie complimented us as we walked out of the house to the brand new awaiting limo.
My dress is a pale green with black laced cap sleeves. The dress hugged my body in all the right places, the bottom was lightly flared. I wore black lace ballet shoes. Anne's dress is blue and simple. But despite my anger and growing hatred for her, I must say she did look beautiful.
When we arrived at the ball, we arrived at a magnificent golf course that is so beautiful that my mouth dropped. Even though it was early September, we still had the party outside in a tent. Lights were strung up all over the place and a water fountain sat center stage.
Ronnie greeted people as if he knew them for years. Of course, Anne stood by his side the whole time. I went off to the food table and grabbed a goblet filled with champagne. After scanning the crowd, I seen an empty table and took a seat.
"Hello, would you care to dance?" A young man asked me as I swallowed the last of my champagne. He was actually pretty cute, however I couldn't see his face because of the masks. I was happy that my mask was a gold one that covered everything besides my mouth and chin.
"I suppose," I stood up and let him lead me to the dance floor. "What is your name?" I asked as we started to waltz. He is a great dancer, I let him lead in the dance.
He pulled up his mask just a little bit as he switched our location and smiled at me. That smile was a laughing smile. "Leo. Do you remember me?" He asked as I put two and two together.
I smiled and for the first time in three days I was happy. If he is here than that means so is Vincent. "Hi, Leo," I said with an affirmative voice. "Its lovely to see you," I whispered in his ear. For everyone else that could be watching, we were two people who were trying to get to know each other.
"Don't get that close to me! You are going to put me on Moretti's hit list," he laughed as he slowly pushed me back in my box frame.
I didn't realize that he led me towards the foyer since he was leading our dance and my mind was drunk on the idea of seeing Vincent. It felt oddly comfortable to have him here with me, Leo that is. Granted, he will never be Vincent but he brought a feeling of home. "Vincent is dying to see you, you know that right?"
"The feeling is completely mutual." The music is a light blues jazz music that was easy to dance to. It was nice to be away from Anne and Ronnie for a little bit. They were very overpowering. All lovey and everything. Made me so insanely jealous.
While I let my thoughts fade, my dance partner was switched out. My new partner leaned into my frame and pushed up my mask to kiss me. As soon as the lips hit mine, I knew who this was. "Vincent," I murmured against his soft lips.
"Yes, I am here," we walked towards the back of the tent where a foyer would have been, and he held onto me as we sat. "I am so sorry. I didn't realize that when I left you that day... Rossi would do this." He pushed up my mask and scanned my face and then did a thorough body scan of me as well. I am thinking he just wanted to make sure that I am still okay.
All I wanted was to be wrapped around him and hold him like a Velcro monkey. "Please don't talk about it," I pleaded as I rested my unmask covered face against his shoulder. "I never thought I could miss someone as much as I missed you. It was so bad, that today I dreamed that we were having sex." Yeah, I know that I sound desperate and probably foolish but its true.
"Well, was it any good?" He straightened his back and I heard the joke.
My face flushed and my body got hot and tense. "Very much so." Laughing at my flirty tone I had, my shoulder throbbed.
I felt the air get thicker. Tension started to rise. Vincent's chest started to heave as a shadow comes up behind us.
"Moretti? What are you doing here? How did you know she was here?" Ronnie's voice floods over me and it didn't have its normal calming method.
He held up my necklace that is hanging around my neck that I put back on after I was released from the hospital. "She also called me." Vincent tucked me under his arm and sheltered me from whatever was happening. Honestly, a tornado can go through this state and I wouldn't even know it.
I. Am. Just. That. Damn. Comfortable.
Leo and Sammy walked up and tried to have me move so they could handl
e business. I wrapped my arms around Vincent's and held on as tightly as I could. I know they didn't want to discuss their business in front of us, but hell! I was shot a few days ago. They can humor me for the time being.
"I am sorry, I wanted to protect her," he defended himself as Anne walked up behind him and hugged his waist. "They were not safe there. I made the right decision, something you wouldn't have done."
"Well," Vincent's voice was surprisingly calm as he spoke. I was completely surprised. "You," he points a finger at Ronnie, "fucked up. See, I got the contract dropped off of her and now there is a new hit."
Anne started to cry. Part of me wanted to hug her because we both know where this going, however the other part wanted to be mad at her. While the tension raised higher and higher, Anne and I shared a nonverbal understanding.
There was no way that this could happen. Anne would literally die if anything were to happen to Ronnie.
"What are you implying?" Ronnie asked as he shrugged off the hold that Anne had on his waist. "Are you suggesting that you ordered a hit on me for protecting your comare?"
There is that word again. Man, these people had a real great way of making me feel like a lady. My sarcastic side wants to focus on my annoyance with that term, but that is just a cop out. I really want to climb into an oyster shell and float off (or whatever they do).
"Can... we... just... talk about this?" Anne asked as she started to wipe the tears off of her cheeks. I gripped onto Vincent.
"No, I didn't order the hit. However, you have been playing fast and loose lately. You knew better than to take my woman away from me. I will never forgive you. You took her away before I had a chance to let her know that she could come home with me. Why do you have to ruin things?" Vincent's voice was so harsh that it even scared me.
"Moretti! Come on. You know I just wanted to protect her. I didn't mean to piss you off," Ronnie voice raised as he realized that he messed up.
"I think we should continue this conversation some place else," Leo said as he stepped into the middle of them. "I know that there is a club house here. I will go rent it. Savannah, do you want to come with me? Anne?" I didn't want to leave. Vincent nudged me to the point where I had to get up. "Fabulous," he replied as he took both of our arms and looped his arms into them.
I kept glancing back at Vincent. Who knows what will happen while I am gone. He didn't look at me as we walked and I felt a pang in my heart. For some reason, it is almost as if things are changing right now. The mood feels off and everyone is different. Or maybe I am different.
"You ladies look beautiful," Leo complimented us as he rented out the club house. When we were walking back, I seen the guys huddled outside of the tent. "Hey!" The men turned and walked towards the club house.
Vincent walked past me as he walked into the club house. My heart dropped to the ground. This back and forth is killing me. I don't know if I can handle all of this; I want to go back and play house. That was fun and none of this bull shit was around.
The one thing I have come to know is that bad stuff has a way of hovering over a person like a cloud until it opens and everyone is drenched with water. Things were supposed to get easier and when they didn't... well, you see how that went.
The men walked into the club house and so did Anne. I didn't go in to the club house, instead I stayed outside and walked over to one of the golf mounds and sat down. I feel as if no matter what I do or where I go, I have people around and right now, some quiet is a plus.
Now, its just me, the moon and nature.
The moon was bright and for the first time in a long time, I embraced the lonely feeling. What are you going to do? I ask myself as I laid down into the sand mound. The sand was chilly but it felt amazing on my skin.
I knew that I loved him. However, is love really enough? Am I wanting to live this life? I am used to feeling second place in a relationship. For some reason I thought that this time would be different. And it wasn't.
At these times I really miss my parents. Love was everything to them and they were always so happy. I can only remember a few times that they yelled at each other and it was so seldom. My mom always had a smile on her face and love in her eyes while my dad always looked like he had a secret.
Most people don't realize how lucky they are to have their parents. They can run to them and ask them all of these relationship questions. I don't get to do that and it makes me sad.
I remember this one time when my parents were dancing around the kitchen and I was hiding behind the kitchen door that leads to the living room. They looked so happy as they spun each other around and my mom's giggle rang through the house. Both of them were really tall and athletic but my mom always loved to dance.
My dad spun her around in a circle and I watched her dress spin out around them. I kept thinking how she looked like a princess at the ball or something. I can still remember what he said to her as he dipped her next to the stove. "Loving you is the easiest part of my day."
Mom smiled and looked at my dad. "Loving you is the easiest part of my day, too."
I remember thinking how corny that was but then my dad said something else. "Life won't work without, baby."
The sand hugged my body as I put my arms down my sides and closed my eyes. I knew that eventually we wouldn't be together. These past events are slowly creeping up on my emotional levels. I fought back the urge to cry.
Let's do a recap, shall we? First, I brought home a man from a bar who ended up being in the mafia. Second, he knew me before I knew him. Third, I was drugged at a bar. Fourth, I got divorced. Fifth, I was kidnapped and got the shit beat out of me. Sixth, I confessed to a murder of my attacker. Seventh, I was shot. Eighth, Ronnie kidnapped me and brought me here.
This is all too much. A perfectly sane person would have walked away from all of this. I needed to be sane. This isn't going to end with a fairy tale ending. I sat up and rubbed my shoulder. Man, it hurt still.
My parents wouldn't like this. I love Vincent but that love doesn't come with a side of easy.
I knew what I had to do. I knew what I needed to do.
Chapter Sixteen
I walked into the room where they all were. Everyone looked up at me as I brushed the rest of the sand off of my body. I must have looked homeless with sand covering my body.
I cleared my throat and smoothed my dress down. "Vincent, may I have a moment?" I asked as confident as I could. Inside I was anything but confident. I felt as if an ocean took the place of my stomach and is crashing against the shore. I am so nervous and extremely worried that I am doing the wrong thing.
"Yes, what's going on?" He adjusted himself in his chair to direct his attention on me.
I couldn't do this in here. Not with everyone looking at me. "In private."
Vincent stood up and walked towards me. He excused himself and we walked out of the club house. I led him to the golf mound that I was sitting on and I sat down and so did he. "What is going on?"
I tried to figure out the words the best that I could. This was too hard. "Vincent, I need to end things with you." The words felt like poisonous snakes as they slipped out of my mouth. If I knew another way around this, I would go with it. I feel as if my breathing is slowing and my heart beat is depleting.
His head shot up and looked at me with angry eyes. "Why?" He almost screamed his question at me. "Are you kidding me? I just put a contract up on my best friend for taking you!" All of the words were like tiny knives that stabbed me.
I recoiled and started to hunch but quickly straightened myself out. "This is all too much. Everything that has happened is killing me inside. I walked around New York without a care in the world to find out that people wanted to kill me. This won't work. We won't work. I can't live my life afraid of what can happen next. I honestly love you, but I need to do this for myself." I turned my face away from him and looked up at the moon. Closing my eyes tight, I wished for the moon to take me away.
"Um." He was quiet as he processed w
hat to say next. Vincent must have known that what I was saying was actually valid. "What can I do?" He whispered and reached out to touch my arm.
Upon contact, I wanted to take it all back but I needed boundaries. If I can't take care of myself then who will? No one. "There is really nothing that you can do. I am not sure where to go from here. There has been too much to fathom."
I could feel the hot air that was blowing out of his mouth as I assumed he was trying to keep his temper down. "Are you sure you want to end things? I don't want us to be apart. Please, tell me that you changed your mind." I knew he wanted to say other things to me but the fact t hat he is being nice, helps me.
That accent does me every time. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes tighter. This is really hard. I wanted to be with him and live happily ever after, but that won't happen. "I want to be with you, however I want you to be really with me and you can't because of your lifestyle."