Jack placed his hand on her back and led her out of the small room. Once the door closed, Taylor looked over at Bella and grinned.
“She saved your ass,” Taylor teased.
“And I save yours,” Bella shot back.
“Yeah, but you like me,” Taylor pointed out through laughter.
Bella rolled her eyes and mumbled, “I did.”
Taylor leaned forward, squinting as if she had something on her mind.
“What?” Bella asked, impatiently.
“You and Victoria…”
Bella huffed loudly. “Here we go again,” Bella complained.
“Don’t you think this beef between the two of you is kinda petty?”
Bella crossed her arms and glared at her friend. “And just what do you know about my beef with Victoria?”
“I know that Donatella is an adult and she can make her own decisions regarding her relationships.”
Bella frowned. She was utterly confused. And, by the look on Victor’s face, so was he.
“Tay, what the fuck are you talking about?”
Taylor’s expression turned to puzzlement. “I thought that you and Victoria fell out because of her breakup with Donatella.”
“What?” Bella exclaimed. “Are you serious?”
“Umm, I was.”
Bella leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. “Taylor, I don’t sit around worrying myself about who my sister fucks. I could give less than a damn. You’re right, Donna is a grown-ass woman. Besides, she wasn’t that fuckin’ heartbroken by Victoria leaving. She has a tendency to recover remarkably fast.”
“Then what is it with you two?” Taylor asked.
Bella stood and turned away from Taylor. She closed her eyes and rested her hands on the wall. “She killed my cousin,” Bella whispered.
“What?” Victor gasped.
Bella could hear Taylor’s approach. Then she felt her hands on her shoulders. “What did you say?”
“She killed my cousin,” Bella said through a harsh breath.
“Bella, what are you talking about?”
Bella turned around and looked Taylor in the eye.
“Victoria was kidnapped by some Russians. But that didn’t surprise me. Hangin’ out with them Sicilians, ain’t no telling what kinda shit she’s into. But, somehow, my cousin got involved. So, they kidnapped him too.”
The look on Taylor’s face was that of pure shock. It was the exact same expression that Bella had as she’d watched her cousin’s death from the iPad that was mysteriously left on her aunt’s front porch.
“Robert, my cousin, was a concierge at the Four Seasons. Apparently, something happened to Natasha. We don’t know the whole story, but some kinda way, he was involved. The Russians took him, and some Russian chick forced him to fight to the death, in some makeshift ring. His opponent was Victoria, and she killed him.”
“Oh, damn,” Taylor whispered.
“Robert’s body was found in an abandoned warehouse. And they found the Russian chick’s body in an abandoned Family Dollar. She’d been beaten to death. After seeing the video, and watching Victoria fight that assassin, I have no doubt that the dead Russian was Victoria’s handiwork.
Taylor frowned. She was confused but sympathetic. “Bella,” she started softly. “I’m so sorry about your cousin.”
“Thank you,” Bella replied timidly.
“But, Bell, as horrible as that is, it seems like Vic was fighting for her life.”
“I know, Taylor.” Bella sneered. “That don’t make me dislike her any less.”
Thankfully, sensing that Bella wanted to put an end the discussion, Taylor pulled Bella in for a hug. “I’m so sorry about your cousin, honey,” Taylor repeated in a whisper.
Bella gave Taylor a quick pat and nudged her away. She didn’t feel quite comfortable showing so much weakness with Lucas and Victor in the room. Taylor smiled and narrowed her eyes at Bella.
“What?”
“You wanna signed my cast?” Taylor asked with a grin.
“Grow up,” Bella muttered, rolling her eyes.
****
Bella relaxed against the headrest and closed her eyes. When they left the hospital, Lucas had insisted on driving her home. And she was grateful. The soreness had begun to kick in. Bella had been fantasizing about a hot bath since they’d left the hospital. So, when Lucas pulled into the driveway, Bella got a little excited.
Lucas hopped out of the Land Rover and ran around to Bella’s side. He opened the door and carefully help her out. Bella wasn’t so fragile that she couldn’t climb out of the truck on her own, but she didn’t feel like a back and forth with Lucas. He’d already proven to be quite stubborn. He clearly wasn’t content with taking no for an answer, so Bella kept quiet and allowed him to help.
Lucas held her by the elbow from the driveway to the front door. Bella was laughing inside. The way Lucas was behaving, one would think that she had been blown up in an explosion instead of the good ole fashion beat down that she’d gotten. He was seriously overacting.
Once they were at the door, Lucas held his hand out. Confused by the gesture, Bella looked down at his hand.
“Keys. Give me your keys.”
Did Lucas actually think that Bella was too incapacitated to unlock her door? Bella shook her head and handed over her keys. “What about my car?” Bella asked. “It’s at Taylor's house.”
“I’ll get it tomorrow.”
Lucas unlocked and opened the front door and ushered Bella inside. Once he closed and locked the door, he grabbed Bella by the shoulders and position her against the wall.
“Stay here. I’m gonna check things out.”
“What?” Bella asked with knitted brows.
“Bella, a professional assassin just tried to kill you and your friends. Who’s to say that she didn’t come back.”
“Actually, she went after Taylor, not me,” Bella pointed out.
“Yeah, well, now, you’re on her radar. I’m gonna check the house.”
He had a point. Bella nodded her head and allowed him to proceed. Since she was the one with the gun, she would think that he’d allow her to search with him, but Lucas just wasn’t the type. She’d been kicking ass and getting her ass kicked for years, but to him, she was just another fragile woman in need of his protection.
If Bella actually thought that the woman was in her house, nothing would’ve kept her from accompanying Lucas. But there was no doubt in Bella’s mind that, after the whipping Victoria had put on her, she needed some recovery time.
“All clear,” Lucas confirmed when he re-entered the living room.
Bella pushed off the wall and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of white wine from the fridge and two glasses from the cabinet.
“Wine?” she offered.
“Please. Thank you.”
Lately, Bella found herself consuming more alcohol than usual. Lucas slipped out of his suit jacket and placed it on the back of the dining room chair. He rolled up his sleeves and leaned over on the island.
“Maybe you should take some time off,” Lucas suggested.
Bella poured wine into both glasses and handed one to Lucas. Her aching muscles told her that Lucas was right. “Yeah, I’m gonna take off for a few days.”
Lucas made a face that indicated that he was surprised by her compliance. “Really?’
“Yeah. What?”
Lucas shrugged and raised the glass to his sexy lips. As he sipped, Bella replayed memories of the way those lips worshiped her entire body the night before.
“I’m just surprised is all. You seem like one of those people who would go to work with a neck brace on.”
Bella laughed. She took a sip from her wine glass and said, “I’m full of surprises, Mr. Creed.”
“I see.”
Bella raised her glass, emptying the contents. Lucas gave her a strange look when she refilled it. “But I do need to talk to Rosemary tomorrow. How are you two getting along?”
&
nbsp; Lucas finished his wine and slid his glass to Bella for a refill.
“Rosemary is a pain in the ass,” he declared.
Bella laughed and walked over to the fridge. She opened it, praying that there was something inside that didn’t need defrosting. She was hungry, but she didn’t feel like preparing a gourmet meal.
“Why do you say that?”
“Bella, the woman is bored. My housekeeper and I are her only source of entertainment. When I get home from work, she’s right at the door, waiting for me to give her the play by play of my day. And, Alissa, my poor housekeeper can’t keep the woman out of her personal life.”
“Damn!” Bella chuckled.
“And, to top it off, she’s continually badgering me about you.”
Bella peeped from around the refrigerator door.
“Me? What does she want to know about me?”
“Well, not just you,” he corrected. “Us.”
Bella closed the fridge, irritated that she hadn’t gone to the grocery store. She returned to the island and grabbed her wine. Hopefully, she could get full from alcohol.
“What about us?” Bella asked.
Lucas smiled and shrugged. “I’ve known Rosemary for a long time. Before Taylor came along, she was the sister that we’d never had. For a long time, she’s been on me to settle down.”
Bella smiled. She didn’t know Rosemary at all, but judging by the way Victor and Lucas talked about her, she wasn’t a bad person. She did have an air of privilege and entitlement. But she was privileged. So, was her attitude really her fault? What Bella did know was that the woman’s presence was creating a problem for her friend.
“Lucas, what does that have to do with me?”
“Well, Belladonna, Rosemary believes that you and I are meant to be,” Lucas reported with a grin.
“Is that so? And she believes this because?”
“Girl, a blind mute can sense how I feel about you.”
Bella chuckled. “That is so politically incorrect,” Bella admonished.
Lucas smiled and lifted the glass to his lips. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not the politician in the family.”
Bella laughed. And, even though she was tempted, she avoided asking him how he felt about her. As a matter of fact, she’d made it point not to discuss the night that they’d shared. After their mind-blowing sexual encounter, she’d fallen asleep on the living room floor. But, the next morning, she woke up in her bed, with Lucas doing the most incredible things to her with his very talented mouth. After another round, Bella made them a breakfast that consisted of toast and coffee. Bella kept the conversation casual until it was time for her to go to work. They hadn’t spoken since until Lucas showed up at the hospital.
Lucas placed his glass on the countertop and stood straight.
“Bella?” he called, hesitantly. His tone was concerning.
“What’s up?”
“Can I have your phone number?”
Bella was surprised by his request. The man had licked every part of her body and he didn’t even have her phone number. Their shit was ass-backward, Bella mused.
“Sure.” Bella chuckled.
“Good. You can have mine too,” Lucas responded with a boyish grin.
“Okay.”
Lucas walked around the island and pulled Bella close to him. Bella looked up into his sparkling green eyes and rested her hands on his well-developed biceps. Lucas leaned down and pressed his soft lips to hers. He gave her a quick, gentle kiss that made Bella melt against him. He pulled back and looked her in the eye.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered.
“Me too.”
When Lucas stepped back, Bella felt an instant loss. She was suddenly cold.
“Finish your wine. I’m gonna run you a bath. Then, I’m going to bathe you. Then, I’m going to put you to bed. And then…” he said, giving her another soft peck.
Bella’s core tingled and her nipples tightened. She was filled with erotic anticipation.
“And then?” she asked.
“I’m going to massage and kiss every part of your body.”
Lucas’ voice was deep and sensual. Bella would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited about the idea of Lucas taking care of her.
BLACK WIDOW
Sloane stepped out of the shower and limped over to the small sink. She wiped the steam from the mirror and winced at the sight of her battered face. She had greatly underestimated the governor’s girlfriend. She was a fighter. Even though Taylor Montgomery was no match for Sloane, she was able to catch her off guard and disarm her. The detective, on the other hand, was a skilled fighter. Putting her down took a bit more work.
However, Sloan definitely wasn’t expecting Taylor’s friend to step in and completely overpower her. Sloane had put down men twice her size. But Taylor’s friend was so much more than an expert. She fought with a skill set and the passion of a woman possessed. Sloane was nowhere near a match for the woman. Her overconfidence had gotten her ass beaten and her shoulder dislocated. Sloane was able to snap it back into place, but she was going to need weeks of recovery.
She wrapped the cheap scratchy towel around her aching body and left the bathroom. She flopped down on the hard mattress and looked around the cheap motel room. She was disgusted by the place, but she couldn’t risk being captured on camera in the expensive hotels that she preferred.
Sloane needed to regroup and she needed to produce results. The client was getting impatient, and her reputation was on the line. She didn’t know why Rosemary Creed needed to die, and she didn’t care. Sloane never asked why a target was a target. The reasons were irrelevant to her. But getting the job done was taking more effort than Sloane had expected. After the ass whipping that she’d received, she realized that trying to find and kill Rosemary Creed might just be the death of her.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
VICTOR
“It’s time, Governor,” Renee Griffin, Victor’s press secretary announced.
“Ugh!” Victor grunted.
Renee smiled and shoved the list of talking points in his hand. “You’ll do fine,” she assured. “You always do. You’re handsome, and the people love you. Hell, half the time, they don’t even listen to what you’re saying. Folks just like looking at you.”
“Bullshit,” Victor scoffed.
“I gotta go out there and sugar coat the fact that the moron before me butchered the fucking budget so bad that I have to support a ridiculous tax and claim that it’s for their own good. These people can see right through this shit. Listen here, lady. I pay you to bullshit them, not me.”
Renee laughed and patted Victor on the shoulder. “Come on. We got this,” she said over her shoulder as she walked into the press room.
Renee walked up to the podium. After a few words at the microphone, she announced to the press that Victor would be taking their questions. Victor checked his tie and walked over the podium. Renee smiled and took position behind him. After a quick greeting, Victor allowed the first question.
“Governor Creed, how do you justify the Sweetened Beverage Tax? Government officials claim that a penny per ounce is supposed to dissuade consumers from purchasing sweetened beverages, but all it seems to be doing is sending shoppers to bordering states.”
As suspected, even with all the other shit going on in the world, the first question was about the beverage tax. It’s a damn shame that the county board of directors couldn’t come up with a better solution. In his opinion, if they trimmed a little fat and were less frivolous with spending, they would have the money for vital county services. In a perfect world, their question would’ve been directed at Tara Periwinkle, the county board president.
“It’s simple, Jerry,” Victor told the reporter. “Pop is bad. The county is broke. It’s an inherited problem. So, I have to allow the county to sort it out. The truth is, this tax will generate at least 200 million dollars a year that will go toward keeping vital public services from shutting down
.”
“So, will cutbacks on government spending!” one reporter shouted.
The reporter was right. The budget had been blown to bits by excessive spending and bad management. Now, the taxpayers were expected to clean up the mess. Victor didn’t back the tax, but the outcome didn’t match his opinion. But he was no fool. Victor would bet his business that the tax was going to be repealed. For the county board president to try to convince the people that the tax was to prevent diabetes and childhood obesity, and not simply to generate revenue, showed a complete lack of insight to her constituents’ intelligence. Victor didn’t want to touch the subject at all.
“Agreed. Government spending should be audited. But auditing takes too long. We’re dangerously running the risk of having to close down our public health facilities.”
Victor brought his hands together and steepled his index fingers. As instructed by Renee, he leaned over on the podium. She had told him that the gesture went over well with constituents. This simple gesture was meant to make him seem more engaging.
“Governor Creed, how do you respond to the Commander in Chief blaming both sides for the unrest in Charlottesville?”
Victor’s brows knitted. He stood straight, contemplating his response. He knew that Renee wanted him to steer clear and disassociate himself from the stupid shit that the president often said. But Victor being Victor decided to engage.
“I believe our Commander in Chief should stifle his remarks and stop making all Republicans look ridiculous.”
Victor looked back at Renee. A rumble of laughter from the crowd didn’t stop her from giving him the eye. Victor shrugged and turned back to his audience.
“And let me say this: Over the last several years, the black community has been pushing back against the racism that has been a pustule on this country since its beginning, while white people pat us on the back for how progressive we are and how far we’ve come. However, since the 1960’s, black people have been saying that we still have a long way to go. There is still work to be done, and we’re not doing it.
Black people are rightfully tired of that work being left undone. And they will not let us ignore it anymore. And do you know what? Our collective response as white Americans has been a blatant example of precisely what the black community is protesting.
Creed 2: Black Widow Page 12