by Posey Parks
I stilled my hand between us. “What you wouldn’t tell me, Uncle Mick did.” My eyes turned dark with sadness. “He wasn’t afraid to teach me everything. I guess grandfather felt it was necessary for him to teach me all about the family business. Dad, why didn’t you share much with me?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted you and Dominic to go to college. I’m not sure why I tried to avoid teaching you the ways of our business. Who else can run it other than you and Dominic?”
I leaned forward, squinting my eyes. “Wait, you still want me to run the business?”
“Of course, it’s your birth-right. We have plenty to figure out. I combined your trust fund with Alexandria’s. I will have your trust restored. Our main territories are in New Jersey and New York. Dom comes home and helps from time to time. Gio picks up a lot of the slack, since Dom is away at school studying for his law degree. Once he is finished, he will move back to Jersey.”
I leaned forward, balancing my elbows on my knees, running my fingers through my hair. “I don’t know if I can take over. The look in Sierra’s eyes when she realized who I really was broke her heart and mine. She called you the governor an alleged mob boss of New Jersey. Why would she say that? I could see here saying you are the governor but not alleged mob boss.”
“Is she from Portland?”
“No, Atlanta.”
He shook his head up and down. “Huh. What’s her last name?”
I chuckled. “Dad, I’m not telling you her last name.”
He threw his hands up. “Ok, I’ll leave it alone for now. I’ll ask her when I meet her.”
“All right, Dad.”
“What’s Dominic like? I remember him being hot headed at thirteen. Has that changed?” I asked, taking a sip of Jim Beam whiskey.
“He takes no shit from anyone. He’s hot headed like me. We butt heads from time to time. However, if I need a problem handled, he doesn’t hesitate.”
I smiled, remembering the time my brother and I spent together. Playing video games and soccer together were good times I desperately missed.
“Tell me more about my grandchildren.” He smiled, retrieving the glass of whiskey the flight attendant brought him.
Thinking about my children brought a smile to my face. “Lily is sweet. She loves to dress up. We often have tea parties. Her ballerina recital last year went well. Her grandmother helped me prepare her for her big night. I watched as she counted her steps during the routine, it made me proud.”
Dillon…”
“Wait, you named your son Dillon?” My father’s eyebrows rose as he stared at me.
“Yes. Listen, I love my name. I never wanted to change it. My son and I sharing the same name meant a lot to me. I also kept my name as my middle name. I had to keep some part of myself on the surface.” I pointed to my chest. My lips curled upward, thinking about my little man. “Dillon doesn’t stand for any bullshit. He was bullied in school a short time back. He stood up for himself, made me proud. He loves to play soccer and video games. I make it a point to take him on a weekend getaway, a bonding trip so we can reconnect.” I scrolled through my phone, leaned in, showing him pictures of his grand kids.
My father stuck his chest out. “Hey Gio, come look at pictures of my grandchildren, your god-children.”
Gio stepped over, swiping through the pictures. “Wow, Dillon, I can’t believe you have children.” He gasped.
I smiled. “I know. Let me have the phone a minute. I’ll show you guys their baby pictures and videos when they were born.”
Their smiles were as wide as the open sky. Family. I can’t believe I’m reunited with my family. I won’t be able to enjoy my reunion until my baby is back in my arms. My hiding is finally over, I can be me. My sole job is still to keep my family safe. Sierra’s face is vivid in my mind. Her smile lights up any room. I miss her slim nose and thick lips. Staring at her lips always gave me a hard on, from the day we first met until this very second.
∞
“I’ll be right back. You guys keep enjoying the pictures.” Tony slipped into my seat after I vacated. Standing in the bright luxury bathroom, hovering over the black marble sink, I splashed water onto my face. After drying my hands, I retrieved the small red box from my pants pocket. Glancing inside, I marveled at our wedding bands. My legs gave out, and my ass hit the floor. A gut-wrenching pain shot through my abdomen. My head fell in my hands, the tears followed. Silently, I cried. I need Sierra back. Without her, I’m broken again. Sierra is the raw sugar in my coffee, the chocolate mixed within my vanilla ice cream. We make one hell of a team.
Sure, not every day is a picnic. My children were down right mean to Sierra when she and her children moved in. Dillon would make it a point to complain about Sierra’s cooking or tell her he wasn’t going to clean his room. I got in his ass when I sat down with him.
“You are always to respect Sierra. Don’t ever raise your voice at her. I understand you went from seeing her every blue moon to seeing her every time you visit. We will always be a family, that won’t change.”
His sad eyes dropped to his lap. “She’s not my mother,” he huffed, folding his arms with a scowl across his face.
I unfolded his arms, grabbing his chin to meet my gaze. “Listen, she isn’t trying to replace your mother. However, Sierra will be your step-mother. You can still be respectful to her. Sierra does nothing but go out of her way to make you happy.” I removed my finger, and his eyes dropped back to his lap.
“Dad,” he whispered.
“Yes?”
“I do like Sierra. She read Lily, Shana, and Jason a bedtime story one night. I watched from my bedroom doorway as they all laughed and listened. I hopped in my bed when I noticed her coming my way. I felt the bed move as I hid under my covers. Sierra pulled back the covers. ‘“This must be your favorite book the pages are worn.”’ I opened one eye. I noticed she was smiling.”
Her hand ran along my arm. “I’m going to read from your favorite book tonight. I hope that’s ok.”
She didn’t wait for me to answer. She began reading. I laughed at my favorite parts just like I did when Mom read it to me. After she was done reading, she kissed my forehead. “Goodnight, Dillon.”
“Dad, I don’t want Mom to be mad at me for liking Sierra.”
I embraced my son. “It’s ok, buddy. Your mother won’t be upset with you. If she is, you let me know. Ok?”
“Ok.”
I’m happy I talked to my son in private. Our talk allowed him to open up to me.
Sierra’s daughter acted out toward me too. Shana made it a point to remind me I’m not her father and how her father is a Super Bowl champ. In the last month, we were finally becoming a family. The kids didn’t argue as much. They began enjoying our family movie nights. Sierra and I knew the road would be rough, but together we could smooth out the ripples over time.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DILLON
Flexing my fingers, I wished they could hold her sexy body tight in my embrace. My hand ran over my hair roughly at the thought of how angry she will be with me after I rescue her. Fuck, I don’t care. Sticking the box back into my pocket, I dried my eyes. I refuse to let her throw away what we’ve built. I will marry Sierra no matter what. She will become Sierra Aaliyah Magarelli. My eyes blinked open and closed, trying to hold back the tears that threatened my eyelids again.
After pulling myself together, I strolled down the aisle toward Sebastian, planting myself into the seat next to him. “How is it going?”
Sebastian was sitting in front of three computer monitors mounted to a table. “Well, we’ve pin-pointed their location.” He pointed to the building on the screen.
He glanced at me, giving me the once over. “How do you feel?”
My jaw clenched. “The throbbing pain won’t stop no matter how much liquor I drink, but it numbs it just a little. But let’s forget about it for now.”
“All right Brandon did
a great job flying the drone. He and Zoey are parked here,” Sebastian pointed to the split screen monitor in the middle.
“It’s a short distance away from the warehouse.”
His finger slid to the other side of the screen, pointing at two figures. “Hunter and Skyler are on a roof a mile away. They are trained sharp-shooters. They can make the shot as long as they have a clear view of their target. Doesn’t matter the longitude and the wind altitude, they will make the shot. They are the best to have on a mission.”
I exhaled. I felt a little better knowing we had a great team in place. “Did you see Sierra?”
Sebastian was silent a moment longer. He turned to me. Sebastian’s facial features softened. “Are you sure you want to see this? It’s only going to piss you off.”
I ran my hands over my face. “Yes,” I whispered.
“Ok, have a seat on the other side of me so you can get a closer look.”
I sat in front of the first monitor. Sebastian tapped away on the computer keys. He rewound the footage. “Ok, this is when Filippo’s plane landed.”
The doors opened, and two men stepped off the plane first with guns held low, observing their surroundings. One of the men peeked back inside the plane. Sierra came into view. The sun was setting, allowing me to clearly see her distraught yet beautiful facial features. Filippo held her close. A large knot was visible on Sierra’s forehead, covered in dried blood. Her face was wet with tears. Sierra’s long hair was wild and matted. Her powder blue dress was wrinkled. She was visibly shaken. Her hands were tied behind her back. Her wide gray eyes scanned the tarmac, looking for refuge. Unfortunately, she found none, just more of Filippo’s men who surrounded the jet in six black Suburban’s. Filippo whispered something in her ear while holding her arm, firm. He began guiding her steps from behind down the stairs toward the Suburban. Remaining close, he pushed her into the truck, quickly slipping in after her. One of his men closed the truck door, then tapped the side of the truck, signaling the driver to pull off.
Lowering my head, I gripped my head tight. My blood was boiling. I wanted to rip Filippo’s heart from his chest. “He hit my fucking woman!” I roared.
The entire plane felt my fury. I stood quickly, pacing back and forth. Not sure what the pacing was going to do.
Tony ran to my aid. His hand slammed on my shoulder. “Listen Dillon, we have eyes on her. That’s what’s most important.”
I only saw red. In that moment, I hated who I was, Dillon Sergio Magarelli. My fists clenched at my sides as my chest heaved in and out. I felt my father’s arms around me.
“Dillon, we will be there soon. We will rescue her.”
“Dillon, I’m going to patch the team in on a call,” Sebastian said.
I patted my father’s shoulder. “I’m ok, Dad,” I stated, stepping over to Sebastian.
His serious eyes met mine. “On our missions, we wear spy glasses. You will be able to see what they see and vice versa. I have a pair for you, so I can see your movements when you go into the building. I forgot to ask, are you rescuing Sierra, or would you like myself or Hunter to go in?”
My eyes narrowed. “Sebastian, I can rescue my own woman!” I scuffed.
Sebastian shook his head. “I understand. What I’m saying is, you need a level head so she doesn’t get killed. I understand this is a lot of pressure. My team has experience…”
I placed my hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, glancing down at him. “Tell me what to do. Please. I have to go in and get her myself. I will follow orders.”
Sebastian smiled. “All right.” He glanced around me. “Everyone, pull in close. We are going to go over the plan.”
We sat huddled around the monitors.
“Brandon, Zoey, say hello to the team.”
“Hello,” they stated.
Sebastian introduced us to them even though I met them briefly before.
Tony turned to me. “Dillon, remember I told you I work for Jacob and Samantha Latters who you met at the Christmas party?”
My eyebrows wrinkled. “Yeah?”
“Brace yourself. Gio, Sergio, this is top secret stuff. This info cannot leave this plane.”
“All right,” they said respectively.
“Ok. Hunter and Skyler are Jacob and Samantha Latters.”
“What!?” we asked in amazement.
“Yeah. To protect their identities, they wear prosthetic masks. We all normally wear prosthetics. Brandon and Zoey will wear their masks tonight too.”
I shook my head, followed by a light chuckle. “You are seriously telling me the actor and his wife are sharp shooters?”
“Yes, they are actually assassins. It’s a story for another day, but they are the best in the world. They dropped what they were doing this afternoon to help us out. When you are in a jam, they are who you want on your side.”
“Hunter and Skyler, say hello to the team,” Tony stated.
“Hello,” they responded.
I was shocked. They looked nothing like the couple I saw at their Christmas party. Hunter’s hair was red and short. Skyler’s skin was white, and she wore her shoulder length hair blonde. They wore black body suits that hugged their skin. Their helmets with goggles rested at on the ground at their sides where they sat backs against the wall. Armed with weapons, they were ready for war.
“Dillon, I want to assure you we are ready for anything. I understand you want to go in. I would and have done the same thing when I had to rescue my wife from a building rigged with explosives. From experience, you will have to find a quiet place in your head that will keep you rational, that is the only way you will be able to successfully save Sierra. Upon entering the building, we are your eyes. We will be able to shoot targets around you. I need you to focus and listen as Sebastian guides your path tonight. He has the schematics for the building. There are fifteen men inside. Sebastian, heat up the building,” Hunter directed.
Sebastian’s camera turned the inside of the building infrared. The figures inside appeared orange and yellow. There was a figure in a chair in one room, surrounded by five men with guns. “Dillon, that is the room you have to penetrate to rescue Sierra. Once you are inside, I need you to attack targets fast but quiet. Tony will go in behind you. He is an expert in explosives. He will ensure you get in and get out,” Sebastian stated.
“Wait, a minute! I need to get in there too. That motherfucker killed my brother!” my father spit.
“Ok, I’m pretty sure you’ve been to war before, so you can handle your own once inside.”
“Of course.”
“All right Uncle Serg, Dillon and Tony will penetrate the grounds first. Once secure, you will enter the building as a team. You will assist Tony in taking out the men inside. I will give you the ok to enter the room where Sierra is being held after Dillon is inside.”
My father stared at Sebastian. “Ok.”
Sebastian glanced at the screen. “Thanks, Hunter.”
“All right, leading up to the grounds, we will exit on foot a mile away.” Sebastian placed his fingers on the screen, expanding the view of the grounds which surrounded the warehouse.
“We have to take out the fourteen men leading up to the warehouse. This won’t be easy. We only use muzzles on our weapons to muffle the sounds, so we won’t raise suspicions.” Sebastian’s eyes fell on Tony. “Snap as many necks as you can. It’s easier to fight and snap necks than to shoot those on your path toward the building. We have to give the element of surprise. Don’t worry about any camera footage, I have it covered. Only use your Glocks leading up to the building. Once inside, you can use your assault rifles. Hunter and Skyler, have you covered. Dillon, Tony, Uncle Serge, you will enter from the roof. It’s easier to take out your targets from that point. Climb the ladder on the side of the building here,” he pointed.
“Skyler will take out the first target close to the ladder. Hunter and Skyler will take out the targets on the roof also. I will talk you th
rough the rest.” Sebastian glanced into all of our faces.
“Are we ready?” Sebastian asked.
“We are ready!” we stated one after the other.
∞
Boots on the ground in the dark of night. My eyes scanned the parking lot surrounding the warehouse. I count five Suburban’s scattered throughout. Newark, my hometown, I haven’t been in this city in fourteen years. Hard to believe I’m here. Never thought I would step foot in Jersey again. I often dreamed of sitting at dinner with my family, discussing sports with my dad and brother.
“Looks like everyone is in position,” Sebastian stated.
I could hear his fingers clanking away at the keys on his keyboard. We left Sebastian sitting in an unmarked white van a mile from the warehouse. He set up three laptops in the back of the van allowing him to see our every move.
I’m equipped with all the high-tech bells and whistles Sebastian and his team use on missions. Clear earbuds rest in my ears. The spy glasses make the most minute detail vivid from a distance. My two black Glocks are snug in my shoulder holsters. I slung the tan Steyr Aug M3 A1-A over my body. It rested against my back. First, I learned Sebastian is my cousin, then that he is ex-CIA. He now moonlights working private missions in his spare time. Before our plane landed, Sebastian taught me some critical tactical moves. He taught me how to snap a person’s neck and how to stab someone in the neck at just the right point so they would bleed to death. Not that I didn’t know how to kill a person; in my family business we don’t focus on quick deaths, usually slow is more our style.
“Yes, we are ready,” I stated.
Tony clipped the fence outlining the perimeter of the warehouse with wire cutters. I slipped through the square hole first, then Tony.
Dressed identically, we stood side by side. “On the move,” I stated.
Tony nodded.
Swiftly, I ran from the corner of the lot toward the back of the first Suburban that sat sideways along the gate, watching the light street traffic. Of course, I was spotted. I crouched down, waiting.