by Terra Kelly
Cooper told Vikki the surveillance video showed Ella being attacked, but her body was dragged out of the camera’s range. They figured the guys who attacked her knew what they were doing. Vikki wanted to know if Ella was okay, but her body had not made an appearance yet.
“Hey, Pres, want another glass of wine?” Vikki asked, standing in front of the kitchen window replaying the talk with Cooper over and over.
“Viks, you need to let it go for now,” Preslie said, walking into the room, juggling the twins on each arm.
She sighed and turned away from the view. “I know. I just wish we knew where Ella was hiding out.”
“What the fuck where you thinking?” Giano grabbed a hold of Ella’s ponytail and pulled her close to his body. “I told you to take care of the bitch.”
“I—I know,” she said struggling to stand.
“You know?” He let out a maniacal laugh. “You know. Right. If you knew, Ella, the woman would be dead, and we could be pursuing the other pawn. Now they are both off the grid, and the only person to blame is you.”
“I will find them.”
“How will you do that six feet under?”
She gasped. “No, please. I won’t mess up this time.”
Giano laughed. “The only reason you get a second chance is because you’re my family. But Ella.”
“Yes, sir?”
“There are no third chances.” His hand was still holding her ponytail, and he used her head to push her whole body forward. She fell against the wall and slid down. “So get it right this time,” he screamed.
Four
“You have the address where Finley and Zia are located, right?” Miles handed Ricky a small bag.
“Yeah. What’s this?” He held it up to inspect each side.
“Open it.”
Ricky unzipped the bag. “Wait a minute.” He held up a badge. “I can’t carry this with me.”
“It’s not permanent, but you can’t carry a concealed weapon on the plane without a badge.” Miles handed him a holster with a gun. “You need to check in at security before you do anything. They know you’re coming.”
“I don’t understand?”
“We can’t send you into danger unarmed.”
“I can grab a piece when I get to Florida.”
“Ricky, we need you legal, too.”
He knew Miles was right. It was just odd carrying a badge again after all these years. Turning it over in his hand, he thought about the last time he had to go undercover. Promises were made then, and every one of them were broken, too. He had to ensure this case saw a different outcome.
“Here, give this to Vikki.”
Miles held it up. “What’s this?”
“Don’t ask. Just give it to her, okay?”
He had a ring from his grandmother; it was a beautiful black hills gold Claddagh. For several months now, he knew Vikki had been watching him, but for some reason he was too afraid to reciprocate the feelings. Maybe not afraid, but he didn’t want his life to be like his parents.
As he watched Miles put the ring in the breast pocket of his jacket, he realized using his past as an indicator for his future was a dick move. Vikki was not his parents. He never planned to be even a fraction of what his parents were in their relationship.
“Tell her to wear it on her right ring finger with the heart facing inward.”
“That’s pretty specific?”
“Yeah, well, it’s pretty important, too.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll make sure she gets the ring and the mile-long instructions.”
Ricky shook his head and walked into the airport. His flight left in two hours, but going to security and talking to them would easily take an hour.
One of the security cops tried to give him a hard time, but when they called Cooper, the asshole immediately signed a few documents that allowed him to carry the concealed weapon.
As he waited to board, he rifled through the stacks of images compiled by the task force. Several of the images dated back to the time when he was still on the force. Miles had let him know a lot had happened since he worked with the team. The Nesta mob was bigger. The pull they had in the city was deeper. If they really planned to bring the mob down, they had to find a way in and prepare for dirty work in the process.
Ricky knew his position could become deep. He made a promise to himself, and secretly to Vikki, it would not take years to bring the fuckers down. If he had a choice, he wanted this over in just months.
“Thank you for flying with us today. I hope you had an enjoyable flight?” a twenty-something flight attendant said as Ricky exited the plane.
He just nodded and slung his duffle bag over his shoulder.
Baggage claim was all the way on the other side of the airport, but thank fuck it was directly next to the car rental building. He spent about thirty minutes filling out the paperwork and getting the cheapest car available. It only needed to take him from point A to point B, nothing fancy.
He used his phone GPS to get him to Finley and Letizia’s place. The cabin ended up being about forty-five minutes from the airport. About a quarter mile away from the destination, he noticed a man with binoculars sitting on the hood of his car. He had on jeans and a button-down shirt. What felt off was the car he was resting on; it was a black sedan with tinted windows. What was it with black Sedan’s lately?
Something felt off.
He never slowed down as he drove past the guy. Instead he continued driving and parked in an empty spot directly in front of the cottage. Grabbing his phone from the center console, he sent a text message to Miles. “Something is off. Be ready for a message.”
Miles responded immediately. “Fuck. Keep me posted.”
Ricky put his phone in his back pocket and glanced around. Still in his car, he turned toward the guy who’d been about quarter mile back, and saw the car but not the guy. Well, things just got interesting.
Finley and Letizia’s cottage was set back away from the road with several trees lining the property. There was a baby blue 1975 Ford Bronco in the driveway. As he walked by the vehicle, he noticed the keys in the ignition. So basically they had no clue someone was watching them.
He knocked and then checked to see if the guy was back on the roof of his car. He wasn’t.
“Ricky?”
He turned at the voice and noticed Finley standing about six feet away. The guy seemed completely relaxed, with swimming trunks on and holding a beer in one hand. “Hey, man. Look at you, living the life.”
Finley stepped forward, and they slapped their hands together. “Should I be worried?”
“Let’s get inside and talk.”
Ricky followed behind Finley. “Zia and Cris are in town getting some groceries. Want a drink?”
He turned his head to the side. “Wait, you let them go into town alone?”
“We’ve been here for almost two months, and we have not seen anyone.”
Ricky felt confused now. “What about the guy just a quarter mile away with his binoculars? You haven’t noticed him?”
Finley stopped what he was doing. “Who?”
“Have you gone soft down here?”
“Fuck you. What are you talking about?”
Just then Ricky’s phone rang. “Hey.”
“There is a guy that seems out of place,” Miles said. “Does Finley know how long he has been there?”
Ricky laughed. “This one’s for you.” He handed his phone to Finley.
Finley scowled. “Yeah?”
He listened as Finley said, “Fuck you” one too many times and then handed the phone back.
“Where’s this guy?”
Ricky stepped outside and stayed behind a tree to keep out of view. He pointed to the black Sedan. “He was on top of that car.”
“Shit. Zia and Cris are due home any minute.
“You sure about that?”
Finley pulled his phone out and waited for Zia to answer, but she never picked up.
Five
“So how the hell does Letizia fit into the whole equation?” Vikki asked, dipping a chip into the bowl of salsa. “She was four when her parents’ died. Does that asshat expect her to remember what happened at that age?”
“Apparently. Which makes no sense,” Preslie said, taking a sip of her wine.
“Well, it’s more complicated than that—but the gist of it is—the mob boss wants her whole family dead,” Miles said, pulling Preslie closer to his side.
“Awesome. So, is Ricky walking into a trap?”
“A trap? No, he plans to bring Letizia and Finley home. Well, here I mean.”
Vikki made her way into the kitchen to open another bottle of wine. She leaned against the counter and moved the Claddagh ring back and forth with her index finger and thumb. Miles had shown up unannounced to the safe house a few days ago and had planned to stay with them for the time being. She loved how he had grabbed her hand and secretly slipped a ring inside her palm. He let her know Ricky’s instructions for how to wear the ring, which surprised her a little. The time Vikki had spent with Ricky was at the studio and sometimes at The Flying Monkey bar. They had never spent any time alone.
She starred at the heart facing inward. When she looked up the meaning for the ring and how she was instructed to wear it, her heart melted.
“You bringing the wine in here or drinking it all?” Preslie yelled.
She rolled her eyes and popped the cork on the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. “Well, I would be happy to drink it all,” she teased and set the bottle on the table in front of the couch. “But I’m feeling generous today.”
Miles cleared his throat. “Vikki, you up for talking about that night yet?”
“I thought we did that already?”
Miles sat up and rested his arms on his thighs. “The guy you described. They have five possible suspects. You okay with looking at a few images?”
“Sure. I guess.”
The last two weeks had been hell. Every night Vikki would wake up with her body covered in sweat, and her heart pounding like it might fly out of her chest. The man with the eerie laugh was always chasing her in her dreams. The last two nights the creepy man reached out and grabbed her hand. She would wake up the moment she felt the light touch. Which would probably answer why she was so tired currently. Sleep was overrated.
“I thought you had enough for now, Miles?” Preslie asked, moving closer to Vikki and wrapping her arms around her waist.
“I just need you to look at the photos and see if you can identify any of them.”
“It’s okay, Pres.” Vikki patted her friend’s arm. “Sure, pass them my way.”
Miles took a moment on the tablet, tapping on the screen a few times. He passed the device toward Vikki. “There are five men we need you to look at. Don’t rush through it, just take your time.”
She reached for the tablet and rested it on her lap. Before looking at the screen, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The first image was the Emergency Task Force logo, then she swiped right, and a face appeared. She let her mind adjust to each image. On the fourth image, she quickly hit the power button and moved the tablet to the coffee table.
“Vikki,” Miles said, reaching for her hand. “Did you recognize him?”
She let that question run around in her mind. How should she answer it? Honestly. The real problem, though, was she did recognize the guy, but he had threatened her with Ella’s life. Even if Ella was with the wrong crowd, she still didn’t deserve to die. Vikki knew the moment she identified the guy, Ella could be in danger.
“No,” she said, rubbing her sweaty hands back and forth on her thighs.
“Are you sure about that, Vikki?” Miles reached for her hand.
“Yeah, totally.”
“Why is your body language telling me something else?”
“What are you talking about?”
Miles stood to move closer to Vikki. “Hey.” He grabbed her hand. “You know you’re safe here, right?”
“That’s just it, I’m not safe, and if I say the wrong thing Ella could be in danger.”
Vikki couldn’t recall everything from that night, but she did plainly see a man dressed in the best suit with a bright blue, paisley tie. He was sitting at a table in the far right corner of the bar. He was alone and sipping on a drink. She could remember hearing him laughing as the men attacked her and Ella. Now that Miles and Preslie had filled her in on what had happened to Letizia and how the mob boss fit into the equation, she was afraid to voice more of her memories. What if that man with the paisley tie was the head of the mob?
“Ella. Do you know where she’s at, Vikki?” Miles asked.
“No, but what if we are bugged or something?”
“Hey,” Preslie said, squeezing Vikki’s knee. “You can talk to Miles. He’ll keep you safe.”
She sighed and reached for the tablet. “That guy,” she said, pointing to the fourth image. “I can’t get his laugh out of my dreams.”
Miles grabbed the tablet and started to type several words.
“You writing a short story over there?”
“No, just letting my team know on our secured line what you just shared.”
Vikki grabbed her wine and took a big swig. “And if anyone has seen Ella, you may want to find a way to protect her, too.”
“If they see her anywhere, I hope they put her in jail the first chance they get,” Preslie ground out.
“I don’t think she is bad, Preslie.”
Preslie crossed her arms over chest. “Anyone who hurts my family is bad.”
“What if she was threatened?” Vikki asked, twirling a lock of hair around her index finger and thumb. “Did you ever think about that?” Vikki grabbed her wine and stood. “Remember that new boyfriend? She changed after meeting him.” She started to head toward her bedroom. “I know what she did was wrong. There is just something gnawing at me that she was played, too.”
Six
“You’re an idiot,” Ella said, pulling Dego off the hood of the car. “Is this what staying out of sight means to you?”
“Fuck you,” Dego said, pushing her away. “I have been here by myself for the past two months watching their every move. What have you been up to? Drinking martinis with your nurse buddies?”
“It’s called blending in, dumbass. Something I know you hate.”
“Hey, I blended in and played Mr. Chanceston perfectly.”
“Perfectly? The kid figured out your rouse immediately.”
Dego scowled. “How would you even know that?”
“Dad, dummy.”
Ella rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “So, what are we doing today? Hey.” She grabbed the binoculars. “Who’s that?” She noticed a guy with short dark hair walking to the subject’s front door. “Have you ever seen him before?”
She had arrived in Clearwater twenty-four hours before. Dego was renting a small cottage. Ella had no desire to bunk with him, but she didn’t have a choice. Her dad’s second in command did not have an understanding of personal space. Plus, he always felt the need to grope her every time he walked into the room.
Dego grabbed the binoculars back and peered through the lens. “No, I have never seen him before, but they do look chummy.”
Ella pulled out her phone. “We need to call Dad now. He wanted us to report when anything seemed off.”
Dego grabbed her phone out of her hand. “We don’t even know if the guy knows them. He could’ve just met them here, and they’re just shooting the shit.”
“You seem comfortable with that assessment. You really think a cop would be, how did you put it, ‘shooting the shit’ with just anyone when in hiding?”
Ella hated her life; she really did. She went to school to be a nurse because it seemed like the right thing to do. Her father loved killing people while she tried to save a few lives.
When her father gave her the assignment to scare Vikki, she never planned to have her work life m
ix with her personal life. Since that night she had been in hiding. Ella knew the police were looking everywhere for her, so she bailed and opted to help Dego state-side.
Now she was regretting that decision.
Seven
“Hey,” Letizia said, handing a grocery bag to Finley. “What are you doing here, Ricky?”
“Hey, Z.” Ricky nodded. “On vacation.”
He noticed how Zia turned her head to the side. Yeah, on vacation was the worst answer ever. She looked at Finley. “Vacation? So is that code word for something is about to go down?”
“Not up for jokes?” Ricky teased.
“When the biggest mob boss wants you dead, you kinda lose your sense of humor.”
Ricky put his hands up in surrender. “Fair enough.” He put his hands back in his pockets. “There has been a change, and we may need to move you to a new safe house.”
“Why didn’t they send a message through the secure line,” Finley asked.
“I volunteered.”
Finley set his beer on the kitchen counter and pulled out a chair. “This must be big if you went out of retirement to come down here.”
Zia gasped. “You were a cop?”
“Was.” He sighed and sat down opposite Finley. “It’s Vikki.”
“What happened?” Zia asked.
“They attacked her in the back of The Flying Monkey bar.”
Letizia covered her mouth with both hands. “I don’t understand. Why would they hurt Vikki?”
Ricky shrugged his shoulders. “Our guess, she was an easy target and would hopefully bring you out of hiding.”
“Fuck.”
“Z?” Cris walked in from outside.
“Sorry, Cris. So what now?”
Ricky was about to say something when the doorbell rang. They all looked at each. “Expecting anyone?”
Finley opened the pantry door and pulled out his gun, which was hidden under a bag of flour. “That is the first time that doorbell has rung since we arrived.”