by Sara V. Zook
“Girlfriend?” Langford sputtered out, his eyes suddenly studying my face.
“Langford, this is Mr. Nicky Cain,” Victoria introduced him.
“I know who you are,” Langford said in almost a whisper. Was that awe I saw in the old man’s eyes—or fear?
“Langford?” Nicky reached over to shake his hand.
“Witherite,” Victoria answered. “He’s one of Haven’s top clothing designers.”
Nicky raised his eyebrows. “Oh.” He turned and gave me a small smile. “Never heard of you, but can’t say I keep up on stuff like that.”
A red hue started from underneath Langford’s collar and climbed higher into his cheeks. God, Nicky had just insulted Langford Witherite.
“Your table is ready, Mr. Cain. We sincerely apologize for the wait.”
Nicky nodded. “No problem at all.” He reached for my hand and helped lift me to my feet. “You look good, Lilah. Is that a new dress?”
I ran one hand down the smooth purple material clinging to my hips. “Yes.”
“I like it very much.” Nicky gave me a smoldering look. “Nice to meet you,” he said over his shoulder to Langford as he turned to go to his table.
Victoria stood then also to follow us.
“Wait!” Langford bellowed out.
I turned around.
“Victoria, you failed to mention that Miss Cross was associated with Mr. Cain,” Langford said.
I felt Nicky’s warm hand reach for mine at my side. He squeezed it as if sensing my emotions and gave me some confirmation that my confidence hadn’t totally bailed on me.
Langford retrieved a card from his front pocket and handed it to Victoria. “Contact me. I think we can work something out.” He gave me more of a genuine smile before his eyes moved to Nicky as he turned to return to his own table.
Seated around our new much larger table, my head was spinning. I was exhilarated and confused at the same time. Victoria was rambling on and on about Langford and the turn of events, but I couldn’t seem to concentrate. I kept staring at Nicky and wondering what exactly that was all about. People from all around the room would turn to look at him and then return to their conversations as if their attention was centered around his presence. His presence…what had happened here tonight? It reminded me of the same feeling I had at Carmine’s funeral when it seemed as if the entire city came up to Nicky and handed over money. The line of people had been endless. I didn’t even know what the total lump sum had amounted to. It had been shocking and perplexing, exactly what was going through my head right now as I attempted to wrap my thoughts around it. I had assumed one thing.
Nicky was involved with the mob.
The other thing I assumed was now a given—Nicky was an important man in Haven—a very important man.
It was something I wanted to explore, to ask him about, but at the same time, I was afraid of the answers. Langford Witherite knew who Nicky was? How was that even possible? And why the sudden interest in my boutique now that Nicky was involved? Surely a person like Langford wasn’t wanting a piece of Nicky’s money. No. That didn’t seem likely. More likely was that a person like Langford feared what it could mean to reject Nicky’s girlfriend’s business proposition. That scared the shit out of me. Yes, I had seen Nicky shoot and kill Mark, but that was different—wasn’t it?
I continued to stare at Nicky. The waiters continued to cater to him, bringing him the best of everything and samples of food to try as gifts from the chef. Victoria continued her conversation with him. He would answer to appease her. His eyes met mine. He looked down at my dress again as his hand reached under the table and found my bare knee.
“What do you think of this restaurant?” he asked me.
I hadn’t even taken the time to enjoy the large amounts of food placed before me. I was still baffled by the stares and attention going on around us. “What do you think of it?”
He shrugged. “It’s okay I guess.”
Of course he would think it was just okay. His finger began rubbing circles on the inside of my thigh.
“Thank you for dinner. It was lovely.” Victoria dabbed the edges of her mouth with the cloth napkin. “I have a delivery coming to the store tomorrow, Lilah. Should we plan to meet again?”
“Sure.”
She smiled at me before standing to leave. “Nicky.”
“Victoria,” he acknowledged her back. “Have a good evening.”
“You, too.”
Nicky leaned in closer to me. “You drunk?”
“A little.” I glanced at the empty wine bottle in the middle of the table.
“Ready to get out of here?”
I nodded.
Nicky pulled some cash out of his pocket and tossed it on the table.
“Thank you, sir,” the waiter said, coming up to the table again.
“Thanks for everything.” Nicky reached over and handed the waiter some more cash.
I stood and tugged at the edges of my skirt. Nicky wrapped my coat around my shoulders before reaching for my hand again. It felt electric, the warmth of his skin on mine. I still didn’t know what to make of all this—of Nicky—but I couldn’t deny my intrigue.
A burst of cold air hit the bare flesh of my legs as we walked out of Coppertop. The stares continued to linger after us as we walked hand in hand. We walked around the side of the building, my heels clicking on the cement. The words were on the tip of my tongue. I wasn’t going to be able to hold them in much longer.
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to Nicky just then.
“What is it?” he asked, his dark eyes locked on mine.
I swallowed, a feeling growing in the pit of my stomach that sent a series of somersaults tumbling inside of me, my heart slamming wildly against my ribcage. I stared up at this man in front of me—one I thought I knew, but after tonight, had proven to be a mere stranger. He could do whatever he wanted, make people tremble with just a look. Power emanated from him. Like everyone else, I didn’t know if I should run away now before I got in too deep or succumb to the tug of attraction between us. Confusing, yes, but god, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me completely hot.
I reached up and touched the side of his scruffy face with my fingertips, tracing the entire way down to his chin. The way he had looked at me in the restaurant, the way he had people fumbling over themselves to make a good impression…he was mine, but I didn’t even know what it was that I had.
“Who are you?” I questioned him in a light whisper, his breath now warm on my face with how close our heads were.
Nicky’s nose brushed against my cheek. “What?”
“Tell me who you are,” I demanded from him.
Without hesitation, he growled in my ear, “Nicky Cain.”
The sound of his raspy voice sent an electric volt ripping straight through me. “Say it again.”
“Nicky Cain.”
I dug my fingers into the back of his head pulling his mouth to mine. Another growl escaped his throat.
That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore.
I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. His hands moved to support me as he leaned me against the brick wall, the chill moving through my dress to my bare skin. I didn’t mind the cold. That was nothing compared to the heat I felt for Nicky right now. I would figure out who he was, but for right now, I was satisfied for knowing I had him all to myself. He buried his face against my neck as I leaned back and tried to push against him.
“Baby, you are so goddamn beautiful,” he whispered.
I pulled back on his hair and made him look in my eyes again. “You make me feel beautiful, Nicky.”
“Only me.”
“Only you.”
“Good. Because I’d hate to think how crazy I’d go if it were anyone other than me.”
I closed my eyes and let him have his way with me. There was no world outside of this moment. It was just me and him and the waves of passion riding between us.
THRE
E
CAIN
Music blared from the speakers.
It was the first party at Carmine’s mansion since his death. I had agreed to it because I thought everyone needed to settle the hell down and relax—me included. It also gave me a chance to scope the guys out and try to get a handle on my suspicions. I was constantly being tormented by my own anxiety, though. Carmine was shot here. Besides parties going on downstairs, the upstairs where he was shot had supposedly been secure. That lack of security didn’t sit well with my stomach. One of these assholes that had belonged to Carmine—and now belonged to me—had betrayal as well as Carmine’s blood on their hands. I didn’t know if that person had known about me being his son beforehand or not, but the paranoia that someone now had placed a target on my back was always right under the surface of all my thoughts. The hardest part was not letting others see my emotions. I had to be stoic. That messed with me a lot. I was not used to any of this—the lack of sleep, the feeling as if a huge, heavy ulcer was growing in my stomach, the feeling like I had to keep looking over my shoulder…it sucked.
Girls were lingering all over the room. I could feel their eyes on me. They knew who I was. The only person who didn’t seem to realize who I was was Lilah.
Without making eye contact with anyone, I made my way over to the bar. Everyone moved out of my way automatically.
“Whiskey, Nicky?” a cute brunette bartender asked as she flashed me a huge, toothy smile.
I nodded. “Shots. And keep ‘em coming.”
I threw back the amber-colored liquid and let it burn down my throat before reaching for another one. I needed to loosen up or this stoic act wasn’t going to hold up for very long. My nerves were just plain old shot. I suddenly had a million things to worry about, including keeping all of my body parts fully intact. On top of that, I now worried about Lilah. I didn’t want the killer near her, but I couldn’t figure out who the motherfucker was. Goddamn.
“Another one?” the bartender asked.
I narrowed my eyes at her. Hadn’t I just told her to keep them coming? Some of these girls were just so fucking stupid. I tapped the edge of the bar. She filled another shot glass to the brim.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around. “Whoa. Go easy there, man,” Remmy said, taking his hand away and eyeing the still full shot on the counter. “He’ll be back for that later,” he told the bartender. “Come on. Let’s go talk.”
I brought a cigarette to my lips and felt around in my pocket for the lighter. The party was really coming to life. The guys were all smoking, drinking, grinding against the girls. I could literally see the tension melting away from them all.
“Shit, Remmy. You got a light?” I asked him.
He smirked and pulled one from his front pocket.
“Thanks, man.”
He watched me inhale deeply before opening his mouth again. “How have you been holding up, Nicky?”
I watched one of the Triplets grope a busty blonde in front of me. I chuckled. “Best as can be expected. Anything new with the Carmine thing?”
“Police have been in and out of here investigating,” Remmy replied.
“I don’t want that happening anymore,” I warned him.
“I know.”
“Make it stop.”
Remmy gave me one of his I-know-better-than-you looks, and it pissed me off. “Listen, I know what you’re saying, but they just have to make it look good.”
“I thought they already gathered up their evidence,” I remarked, giving him my own glare back.
“Yeah, they did.”
“So why the hell are they lingering around? I don’t want them here. They’re on our payroll, so make it happen.”
“They’re on our payroll, so them being here means no big deal,” he assured me. He sighed as I blew more smoke into the air in front of me. “They just asked that upstairs be considered a crime scene for a little while longer.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” I reminded him.
He practically rolled his eyes at me. “You’re fucking impatient.”
I could feel the entire left side of my jaw tense up. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through, Remmy? I have a ton of shit that fell in my lap in case you haven’t realized.”
“I know. I know. I’m working on it.”
“Started investigations yet?”
“Sort of.”
“Remmy…you’re pissing me off.” I looked around the room at the rest of my men. “Tonight would be a good time to start. Look at them, three sheets to the wind. Alcohol, the easiest truth serum there is.”
“I get the hint,” Remmy stated dryly.
“I didn’t think you were a moron.”
Remmy turned to me then, a fierceness in his eyes I’d never seen before. “You don’t think I want to find out who did this to Carmine, too?” he hissed, the music still drowning out our hushed words. “He was like a father to me, Nicky. You know that.”
I flicked some ashes on the floor and looked down. “I know. I just can’t believe someone is getting away with this right under our noses.”
“They won’t get away with it, Nicky. I’m on it. Okay? I’m on it.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
Remmy’s eyes moved to the center of the room where his wife, Lola, strutted around Augie. She was wearing tight white leggings that revealed all the fat in her legs, and a shirt too low to expose her saggy chest. She was such a mess. I’d never figure out how Remmy ended up with a woman like her. If he was jealous, he didn’t really show it. He looked more…disgusted with her than anything. I supposed he was probably used to the way Lola acted by now.
“So that little stunt you pulled the other day…” Remmy continued.
“Stunt?”
“Killing Christopher Herson if you want me to spell it out for you.”
I snickered. “Oh. That.”
Remmy shook his head as he picked up two bottles of beer for the both of us from another girl and handed me one. “Well, it worked. Word is out on the street. Nicky Cain is not someone to be fucked with.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.” I hadn’t wanted to blow the guy’s face off. That was just morbid. But I did what had to be done to set an example of exactly who Carmine’s son was, what he was capable of.
“You turned yourself into a real cold-hearted bastard real quick.” Remmy patted me on the shoulder again. “Good call on that one.”
“It had to be done.” Shrugging, I put out my cigarette and placed the beer to my lips.
“Uh, excuse me, Mr. Cain?”
I looked into the face of a petite blonde with gorgeous blue eyes and way too much makeup surrounding them. She batted them at me a few times and then bashfully smiled. I couldn’t help but smile back. She was really cute. “Yeah?”
She giggled then. “Hi. I’m Brittany. I just…wanted to meet you.”
I extended my hand out to her. She placed hers in mine and let it linger there for longer than she should’ve. Her fingernails were painted a deep blood red.
“Nice to meet you, Brittany,” I told her, the side of my lip curling up into a half smile.
“The pleasure is all mine,” she told me, pulling back her hand and sliding it down the side of her tight pants.
Oh, shit. I could feel the heat pumping inside of me. I looked around the room. Seton was with a girl. The Triplets were with girls. Hell, even the disgusting, greasy Hagan had one hanging all over him. These were our groupies. They wanted a piece of our life, and this was how we gave it to them. They were here for our entertainment purposes, and in turn, we gave them free booze and had our way with them. That’s what they came here for after all.
“How old are you, Brittany?”
“Nineteen.”
She flashed another flirtatious smile as I zoned in on her thick lips. My eyes then moved down to her body. I pulled her into my side, resting my hand against her lower back.
An elbow jutted me
in the side.
“What the hell, Remmy?” I asked, but then I saw his face. He was staring at someone across the room. And then I saw her. Lilah. She was standing at the front door, her eyes directly on me and the girl I had just cuddled up to. Shit. If looks could kill, I’d be in the grave right now.
I nonchalantly gave this Brittany chick a little push away from me. I saw her frown out of the corner of my eye, but I gave no indication that I was paying attention to her. These girls were just play things anyway.
“I…um…” the girl stuttered beside me, unsure of how to react to how quickly I’d turned her away. “Did I do something wrong?”
I ignored her.
“Hi, baby,” Lilah said as she walked up to me, her eyes staring down the groupie chick beside me. She gave the girl a wicked smile before wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me in for a long, deep kiss.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and sucked in a breath of her sweet perfume. “Hi, babe. How was your day?”
The Brittany girl just stood there dumbfounded for a few more seconds before finally getting the hint and scurrying away.
“What the fuck was that?” Lilah asked, her tone now changing since the girl had left.
“What was what?” I asked, smirking, thinking I could try to charm my way out of it.
Remmy was grinning ear to ear beside me. He lifted his beer and tilted the bottle in my direction in a salute before leaving. Fucking asshole.
Lilah pulled away and gave me a glare now that she wasn’t putting on a show claiming me for her own in the presence of that chick.
“Relax, Lilah. Do you want a beer?” I motioned for one of the girls carrying trays of drinks to come here. The girl came rushing over. Her eyes lingered on Lilah for a little while. Everyone was trying to figure out everyone’s place here. They knew I was the new head honcho. Now they were trying to determine if I was single and free game. Lilah’s being here messed up their sense of balance. Even if I wasn’t single, I could see their little brains trying to figure out if I was still fair game and how Lilah fit into the equation. Amusing, yes, but I didn’t feel like getting Lilah all pissed off right now either. Things were going smooth with us. I didn’t want to mess that up because of some dumb groupie, no matter how hot she was. My eyes moved to the corner of the room where that Brittany girl now stood with some of her friends, her eyes meeting mine. Damn. She was hot though.