Keep Me (The Lucky Family Book 2)

by Eden Rose

  "No, Mom and Dad are going to go for a cruise and they are leaving from New York to go so they are staying for a night."

  I clapped my hands together and opened up a listing that Anne got last week that I need to do some research on the area. Anne is the go getter and I am the type who loves to do research. Research is fun for me because I love to tinker on the Internet.

  "That should be fun!" I want to ask if she and Ronnie have rescheduled their honeymoon or what is going on with that but I decide against it because it hedges on a dangerous topic that I want to forget about.

  At a quarter to one, Anne and I left the building and walked to our meeting. I was very nervous about this meeting especially because that is a ton of money on the line.

  We sat in the corner of the bistro and waited for our client. I just took a sip of my wine when I seen a gorgeous man walking through the door. Dark hair and blue eyes with a chiseled jaw to set it off.

  I gripped Anne's arm as this man came walking toward us. "Holy hell. Who is that?" I whispered to her but she didn't get to answer me since the man fluidly sat in his seat.

  "Hello ladies. I am Alphonse. I have heard wonderful things about your work," his accent was delicious. He must be Italian.

  My tongue wouldn't work. My hands were gripped into fists and I silently begged myself to pull it together. This is so not good! All I need is for him to tell any of the guys that I was staring at him like a bitch in heat.

  Desperately, I needed sex.

  "Hi, I am Anne and this is Savannah." Thank the fucking lucky stars that Anne had her shit together.

  "Its nice to meet you. Have you ordered yet?" He looked at me and then back to Anne.

  As if it were planned, Johnny came out of the kitchen with a lunch spread. "Here you are. Its on the house," he set the tray on the table and looked at Alphonse. "Hello. Haven't seen you in a while. How is... Amber?"

  Alphonse smiled a cheeky smile and then winked at me. I could just imagine my face right now. No doubt in my mind that is at least six shades of dark red.

  "We haven't been together in a long time. You know, politics and everything."

  Of course! Of course he would be apart of that world. My mind clicked back on and I was ready for business. I had enough on my plate with another man that is a part of that world.

  In the end of our lunch, we were hired by Alphonse and he said he will recommend us to his friends. So, in the end it was a pretty successful meeting.

  *

  We worked the whole day working through the piles and managed to create a hole in them. One of the good things about being connected to Vincent and his friends, is that we got a few new clients today. A rather productive Monday.

  "Savannah Cavanough," I answered my ringing phone.

  "Hello, I am Carlo Hutchinson. I received a recommendation for you and Mrs. Rossi from Vincent. I am in the market for a Manhattan penthouse. Do you guys have any appointments available?" The voice was heavily accented and I couldn't place it but I know its not Italian.

  I felt like I could swallow my tongue. Now, I feel awful for being cold to Vincent because he obviously cares so much about me to promote my business even when I am a cold hearted bitch. "For today?"

  "Yes."

  My mouth and brain were having an issue with communication. Carlo cleared his throat and brought me back to reality. "Come in at any time."

  About three hours later, it was four and a tall, handsome man came through the door. What a complete shocker. He is Italian, looks as if my accent radar needs to be re-tuned. Ha ha. Dark and dangerous. Just my type. I peeled my eyes off of his sparkling white teeth and stopped myself from drooling.

  What is it with today? Is it hot guy day? I have a feeling I am just horny and need to get some. Maybe that is why I want to tackle Carlo to the ground.

  Luckily for me, I kept my hormones in check through the meeting and acted as if I, in fact, were professional. Inside, my thoughts were nothing professional and I contemplated sneaking off to the bathroom to touch myself.

  There was something about today that just made me... I don't even know how to explain it. Feel, I guess is a word to describe it. I was feeling a lot of things that surfaced throughout my day. One thing for sure is that I am head over heels in love with Vincent.

  So what if my checking out some of his counterparts helped me remember? It wasn't as if I pushed my skirt up and bent over the desk. Wait... That is not a bad idea. Mm.

  After he left, I took a deep breath and then refocused my attention on the mysterious night. "Hey, do you know what is happening tonight?"

  Anne shrugged and then looked down at her nail beds. "All I know is that I need to leave early and get ready for some fancy event."

  Chapter Twenty* Vincent

  I watched as Savannah left to go for work. This whole break up thing is ridiculous and I have had enough of it and she will just have to deal with it because I am not giving her up.

  All of the officials are in my den to discuss a stool pigeon. Manuel has flipped and thinks that we don't know that he did this. I have tracked him for the past few weeks and have noticed that he has been stopping by the Feds and is in the bureau for too long.

  Sal isn't the one to be played with and he was the one who pulled his cell phone bill. Manuel isn't very smart since he is using his cell phone to call the Feds. He ordered John and I to follow him and we caught him doing several things that are against omerta.

  "Well, he can't come to tonight's function because if he is a rat then I don't want anything said tonight to report back," Krosilo says and chugs his Starbucks. "All we need is for that fucker to spill what he learns about our new status."

  Johnny rubbed his beard and ran his finger over his bottom lip. "We need to whack him off and it can't be messy. Manuel can't be trusted anymore and his association with us has been severed. He will no longer receive protection from our borgata."

  Me being the enforcer, the dirty work will fall on me. "Are we going to give him a call in? Because if he is working with the Feds then he probably thinks he is protected and won't show up." We did a stint like this before and waited an hour before we just went to their house and off'd him while he ate dinner.

  "Yeah, that pussy won't come," Rossi stated and I remembered how much I liked working with him.

  "Moretti," John says and nods at Sal, "this is your gig. You and Rossi need to handle this and handle it before everyone comes tonight."

  Sal typed on his phone and then nodded at Vinny, "You go too."

  *

  Making a spot is dangerous when executing a wise guy. Wise guys know when its their time and since Manuel has been doing this for a few months, his dumb ass must know its coming. There is an abandoned warehouse that is only used for these purposes and only high-food-chained members know the location.

  The location presented itself one day and served its purpose. On the outside, everything looks like a normal factory. White siding and industrial plants line the building. Passerbys wouldn't even think twice about its purpose. The building is for one thing and that is to handle this deviant behavior. Its far enough away from the city where you would know if someone were following you but close enough were its accessible.

  In a unmarked SUV that didn't have anything special, we waited for the right time which is crucial. We sat in the car and waiting for Manuel to finish his straight job and according to our calculations, he should be done with work in an hour. Staking out the exiled is a dirty job but it is something I like to do before the contract is completed. If a wise guy knows something is off, they will change up their schedule to avoid being found. Vinny parked the car two spots away from Manuel's car and we waited.

  I pulled out my phone to call the clean up crew who got the spot ready and are going to be on hand to take care of the mess. The crew consists of four guys that we also call the muscle because of their size. I liked to call them because they never stopped and asked questions.

  "Showtime," Vinny said as we watched
Manuel exist the building of where he works. Just as expected, he got out of work early.

  "What's the plan?" Rossi asked and loaded his piece until it was fully loaded.

  I considered the situation and knew that if Manuel seen me he would know what was about to transpire. For this to work without causing a scene, we needed to infiltrate his plans and get him comfortable enough to not expect anything. "Vin, I need you to go out there and tell him that you think Annabeth is cheating on you with a made member. Get him to follow you back to the car and then we will take him to the spot." Omerta, has strict rules that any affiliate with the underworld can not sleep around with a made member's wife or daughter.

  "You got it, Pop," Vinny climbed out of the car and walked over to Manuel.

  Rossi cracked his knuckles and placed his piece on his thigh. "So you gonna tell your girl to pull her head out of her ass?"

  My flask is in my coat pocket and I pull it out to take a swig. "Yeah, did I tell you that she has been sneaking into my bed at night?" Rossi chuckled and I continued. "Savannah must not realize that I keep myself protected because of the many attempts on my life."

  He threw his head back and laughed hard. Rossi ran his finger around the barrel of his piece before responding. "Yeah, she isn't very sneaky. So does she leave before you get up?"

  The scotch burned as it traveled down my throat and I nodded. Savannah isn't a person who could ever be apart of this world since she doesn't know how to be discreet. For instance, she's not quiet and I can hear her opening the door. Yeah, the mattress is good, but it still moves when someone sits in it.

  Vinny knocked on the car to let us know to follow them. It looks as if he were going to ride with Manuel. We followed behind him and as I drove, I kept taking a swig to quiet my mind.

  This person that I become during these events is a killer. I try to leave this persona at the door so I don't kill someone who didn't deserve it. Lea Sophia has asked me several times if I consider myself a sociopath and the answer is no. Enforcing is my job and I will protect omerta until the day they lay me in the ground.

  "Rossi, text Vinny to tell him to say that he thinks this is where Annabeth is hiding."

  "On it, boss."

  I pushed everything out of my mind as I pulled the car into a parking spot. Time to leave Savannah out of my mind and concentrate on the matter at hand. With the car parked, I took another drink and then set it in the center console. My piece was already loaded so all I needed to do was show up.

  Rossi and I walked into the warehouse behind Manuel and Vinny. It was funny to hear them discuss sports as if they were on their way to a sports bar. As soon as the four of us were in the warehouse with the door locked, Manuel looked around and realization dawned on him.

  I stood with my back leaned against the door with my hand on my piece and looked at him. Manuel is mixed with Italian and Mexican so a lot of people didn't realize that he was a wise guy because he doesn't fit the type. I actually liked him, thought he did good for us but its apparent that I am wrong.

  Something that I love about these things is when it clicks that they have been stonewalled. I'm ready for the begging that is inevitable.

  All six feet of him stood straight and looked around again to notice the tarp on the floor. "I can explain, Pop."

  Its always the same. These tough guys are little bitches when a gun is pointed to them. "Save it. Search him and see if he has a wire." A rat is almost always connected with some sort of surveillance.

  Rossi started to pat him down and pulled a recording device out of his pocket along with a wire. "He's clean." He threw it against the wall and all of it broke and shattered into pieces.

  "Come on, guys! Its not what you think. They were going to lock me away and audit me! My family wouldn't have anything!"

  Vinny gripped Manuel's hair and forced him down so he was kneeling on the tarp. "You took an oath, motherfuckersonofabitch."

  I cocked my gun and stood next to Manuel with the pistol facing him. "What happens when a person sings like a canary?" I rearranged where my gun was placed and pointed it to his mouth. "We make it so they can't sing anymore."

  "Please, please! Pop! I will do anything-"

  Manuel didn't have the chance to finish because I unloaded the whole case in his mouth. His body fell on the tarp and Rossi dropped a rat on his body.

  "Come on, we have ladies to see," Vinny stated and started for the door.

  Oh, holy fucking shit! Can this get anymore embarrassing? If she turns me down I will kill her.

  I am hoping that I am reading her sneaking into my room as a sign that she wants to get back together and is tired of putting us through this pain.

  *Savannah

  I walked into Vincent's house and am faced with everyone that is affiliated with my guy standing through out the foyer and the great room. They all greeted me and hugged me with a kiss on the cheek. The dates of these men kept trying to touch my bullet hole wound and I felt my eyes widened and bulge out of their sockets.

  "Savannah, your dress is upstairs," John said to me. I looked at him with confusion and tried to walk up the stairs slowly to not show how anxious I am and to fight the urge to run up them fast.

  My room smelled like flowers and I noticed that he filled my room with roses. All different colors. I walked past them and took off my suit jacket as I walked to the closet. Inside the closet was a full length green gown in a heart shape with a plunge in the back. This dress just had to be Bethany's idea because it would fit my body perfectly.

  I peeled my clothes off and slipped into some sexy under clothes. Once I were situated with all of my girl parts in their proper places, I stepped into the dress. As soon as I got it on me, there was a knock on my door.

  I seen a head peek in. "Savannah, do you need help?" Bethany opened the door and had a big smile. "You look stunning."

  I shook my head and walked over to her. With my back facing her, I took a look at her outfit in the mirror. "You look beautiful," I whispered.

  With the back still unzipped, I held the front of the dress to my chest and turned to look at her. I checked her out and she was also dressed up more so than usual. Her dress is a deep black and looked similar to mine but it was strapless and more conservative until you looked at the back. There are strategic holes throughout the back to create a design. Bethany looked like sex on a stick.

  "What's going on?" I asked as I turned to walk in my closet for shoes. My nerves and now the anticipation were killing me and any minute, I would snap from the suspense. I focused the energy and found some pink high heels that had a ballet shoe look.

  "Its a surprise. Everyone is here along with their ladies. Its a special evening," she hugged me and sat on my bed. "You are going to flip out!"

  "Please give me a hint? I will be your slave forever!" I begged as I sprayed perfume on and touched up my make up. The only thing I needed to do is reapply my lip gloss.

  "You want a hint?" I nodded and as the door opened, Annabeth, Valerie and Anne came in. I smiled at all of them. "It has to do with you and Vincent."

  "No shit!" I walked past them and sat on my bed to put on my high heels. "This better not be a fake proposal!" Everyone laughed and Anne had tears in her eyes. I jumped off the bed with each heel in my hand and stopped in front of her and balanced on each foot to put the other shoe on each foot.

  "You look beautiful. A replica of your mother. Your smile and your face is glowing. Your mother would have loved to be here!" Anne hugged me and I hugged her and everyone started to file out my room. Tears welled in my eyes and I waved my hand in front of my face to stop them from coming. Anne and I wrapped our arms around the other and followed the others.

  Anne is wearing a mermaid green dress that flows over her body. If I remember correctly, she looks a little heavier than normal. I need to ask her if everything is all right because she is the type to eat junk and never gain a pound.

  I scanned the downstairs as I hesitantly stood on the stair where Vincent
and I first made love. My face felt like there is an inferno behind my cheeks. All of the ladies were wearing a dress, less extravagant than mine, but they still looked very nice and beautiful. Of course the men were in their suits.

  "Hot damn!" Someone called as we walked down the stairs.

  "Holy... shit!" Leo said as his jaw dropped.

  I looked around with a nervous smile. I expected to see Vincent, but he was no where to be found. After my realization this afternoon... I couldn't wait to see him and tell him. Would I actually admit it? I would like to think that I would do it. I loved him and I couldn't do this anymore.

  The dining room was transformed to fit everyone and there were candles every where. On the dining room table there are name cards. I sat where mine was, and scanned the space expecting to see something that would signify what was happening. Nothing. No one gave me a clue. Damn it.