by Terra Kelly
Ricky pulled out his gun. “Letizia, go ahead and answer it. We’re right here.”
He watched as she swung the door open. “Hi, there. How can I help you?”
“I was making some chocolate chip cookies for my husband and ran out of sugar. Do you by any chance have some I can use?” The woman’s voice on the other side of the door sounded fake and disingenuous.
Letizia never missed a beat. “We can’t have sweets, so I don’t have any. I’m sorry.”
“Can’t have sweets,” the woman said, sounding shocked.
“My brother has diabetes,” Letizia lied.
“Oh, my, I apologize for bothering you. Oh, we are just two houses down if you ever want to sneak a cookie. I always have some.”
Ricky noticed Letizia shake her head back and forth. “Thank you.” She didn’t try to have a longer conversation with the woman. “Take care.” Then she slowly closed the door and turned. “Sugar? Really?”
Finley put the safety on his gun and placed it back under the flour. “Do you think you know her?”
“Me? No…I don’t think so,” Letizia said and sat down on the couch. “I do know that someone coming to get some sugar is an interesting angle to play.”
Ricky pulled his phone out of his pocket. “That woman had blond hair from what I could see through the crack in the door. But do you think she looked like her?” Ricky pulled up Ella’s picture.
Letizia took the phone and inspected the image. “That’s hard. This woman had on some serious makeup.”
“We need to be on alert if that was Ella,” Ricky said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “If she is here, then we know one of Giano’s men are nearby, too.”
Zia shivered at the thought. “Have you encountered them before, Ricky?”
Ricky didn’t want to talk about that time in his past. “Yeah, it was a long time ago.”
Finley placed his hand on his buddy’s shoulder. “So, what happens now if we are compromised? Does Cooper have a plan?”
“Yeah, we get you to the new safe house.”
Zia scowled. “You are coming with us, right?”
Ricky wanted to go with them, but he had work to do first. “I need to clean up.”
“Clean up?” Cris said, sitting down next to Ricky. “I’m going out on a limb and guessing it won’t be a good clean up like with a broom and a dust pan?”
“No, this is much different.”
Ricky pulled out some papers from his duffel bag. “Here, this is the latest since you left.”
Zia was reading over Finley’s shoulder. “Pawn to get Letizia Magrino? Jesus.”
“I think Clearwater has worn out its welcome,” Finley teased.
There was a loud banging on the front door that woke Ricky out of a deep sleep. He stumbled down the stairs with Finley in tow. “Now you have a late-night visitor? This just keeps getting better and better.”
Ricky had his gun in his hand, hidden behind his back. He waited until Finley grabbed his gun from the kitchen pantry. He stayed behind the door as Finley opened it just an inch. “Can I help you?”
The moment the woman spoke, Ricky knew something was off. “My boyfriend is after me. Can I hide in here?”
Finley made a weird sound in the back of his throat. “I’m sorry, no. I can call the police for you.”
“I’m scared he may try to kill me. Please help me.”
Ricky shook his head. This woman was the worst actor. Giano would be disappointed in her performance for sure. He wanted to push the door closed, but he needed to stay in the shadows. No one knew him yet, and he could easily blend in with the Nesta mob.
“Ma’am…” Finley said but was interrupted.
“Fuck you!” The woman stormed off.
“We need to get you out of here and soon.” Ricky dropped his gun to his side and stepped around the door.
“You really plan to stay back?” Finley asked, walking to the kitchen.
“If I can connect with one of them, maybe they can lead us to Giano.”
“Yeah, I just hope you’re ready. Times have changed.”
“Yeah, I know and people are still dying. Something has to give eventually.”
“Why do you have to be the one to save everyone?” Letizia asked, rubbing her eyes and leaning against the counter.
“I just want to take this asshole down once and for all.”
Eight
There was a bar about two miles from the cottage where Finley and Letizia were living. After he dropped them off at the airport, Ricky made his way into town to grab a beer. Just as his hand touched the door knob, he heard a woman’s voice.
“You’re friends with my neighbor,” she said from behind him.
He knew who it was before he turned around. His holster with his gun was hiding under his jacket. “Friends?” He turned to face the woman.
“Yeah, your one friend is a real asshole.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“You sound much nicer than him.”
Ricky wanted to laugh. “I don’t know about that.” He pointed to the door. “Going inside?”
“It’s happy hour, right?”
“It’s always happy hour somewhere.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and let her enter first. “Are you a beer, wine, or straight-up hard liquor type of woman?”
“Keep it hard for me.”
Ricky’s eyes went wide. “My kind of woman.” He raised his hand to the bartender and asked for two shots of bourbon.
“I’m Cara,” she said and held out her hand. He knew her name was really Ella, but he planned to play along.
“Ricky.” He grabbed his bourbon the bartender had just placed in front of him. “Cheers.” He took the whole shot in one gulp and shook his head as the liquid burned the back of his throat.
“You new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”
“Yeah, needed some solitude.”
She held her hands up in surrender. “Oh, excuse me. Should I leave you alone?”
He let his mind wander back to when he worked undercover for the mob boss almost a decade ago. There was a woman on each arm and one keeping his bed warm every night. Something felt different now. Vikki.
“Leave me alone? No. I’m enjoying your company.” He raised his hand and ordered two more shots of bourbon.
“Who’s your friend?”
Ricky turned to the person asking the question and knew things just switched from okay to dangerous. Dego was easy to recognize with his perfectly kept dark brown hair, toothpick resting on the side of his mouth, and a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.
“Hey, honey, this is Ricky. He just moved into the neighborhood.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ricky said, pointing to his bourbon. “Need one?”
“Make it two, so I can catch up.”
Ricky’s phone started to ring. “Excuse me for a moment.”
He stepped outside and leaned against the side of the building. “Hey.”
“They are safe and sound here,” Miles said. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just met some new neighbors,” he whispered. “I’ve been dying to meet them.”
“Fuck. That didn’t take long.”
“Not when they’re already watching you.”
“Jesus. Be careful.”
He noticed Ella step outside. “Yeah, take care.” He placed his phone in his back pocket. “Needed some fresh air?”
“Maybe. Hey, let’s get out of here,” she said, moving her hands up his chest.
Ricky didn’t want to go down the path he did all those years ago, but how could he avoid it? “I don’t know, Cara.” He grabbed her hands and pulled them away from his chest.
“Fuck you.”
“Aw, don’t be like that.”
“I need to go,” she said and stormed off.
“Pissing her off already?” Dego stepped up beside Ricky.
“I guess. Does she get pissed off easily?”
“Only when sh
e doesn’t get her way.”
Ricky thought about Vikki sitting in the safe house in Upstate New York. He wanted her and only her. This undercover gig didn’t have a requirement to fuck all the women he came in contact with. His goal was to find Ella, Dego, and Giano. He was two for three so far.
There was a continuous pounding. Ricky opened his eyes and realized the pounding was on his door. “Yeah, hold on.” He threw the sheet back and reached for his pants. The pounding continued. “I can hear you, hold on.” He threw the door back, and two men pushed their way inside. “What the fuck?”
“Hey, Ricky,” Dego drawled. “Maybe next time you should pick an undercover name.”
He was still half asleep and had no clue what the asshole was talking about. When he was undercover before his name was Ryan Andrews. His hair was long, and he had a beard back then.
“Undercover name?”
“Yeah, like Ryan maybe?”
Ricky knew something was off and his plans had just backfired.
Dego sat down on the edge of the bed. “You thought we were stupid, eh?”
“I don’t think it.”
“You really are clueless.”
His phone was sitting on the end table on the other side of the bed. He had no way to send an alert to Miles that he fucked up. “What do you want?”
“You know what we want, and you’re going to get it for us.”
“And if I don’t?”
“There is this really nice studio and several band members that like to go there often.”
He leaned against the wall and shook his head.
“Giano wants Letizia and Cristiano delivered to him by Saturday at twelve midnight.” Dego stood up. “Think you can handle that, Ricky?” The asshole stepped closer, invading his personal space.
“Will we get to meet up with Giano personally?”
“Maybe, you’ll just have to wait and see.” Dego turned to walk out of the motel room. He stopped. “You arrive one minute after twelve and the band members are dead.”
Ricky slammed the door shut and went to grab his phone to alert Miles. He stopped about half-way around the bed and thought of something. He grabbed his duffel bag and rifled through the photos until he came to one specific one. He stood there, staring at the image of a young girl with a man. Ella had to be five or six in the image. The guy she was with was currently on the most-wanted list.
Ricky needed to find him, and Ella was just the person to help him.
Nine
Saturday at twelve midnight.
Dego’s warning rang in Ricky’s head as he paced the motel floor. It was Friday morning, and he was still searching for Ella. He knew they would all still be in town watching his every move. Miles was aware of the situation and had every cop watching the band members for Torn Pieces.
The Emergency Task Force needed Ella.
Giano wanted Letizia and Cristiano.
Someone was going to be sorely disappointed.
Ricky realized two days ago after Dego left that he’d had an advantage.
“Yeah, thanks,” Ricky said, pressing end on his phone. He grabbed his keys and opened the door, stopping suddenly.
“I heard you were looking for me,” Ella said, stepping around Ricky and sitting down on the edge of the bed.
He glanced around before closing and locking his door. “You heard that, eh?”
“Miss me?”
He stepped closer to Ella. “Maybe.”
“Dego’s been in a mood for two days since talking to you,” Ella said and stood. Her body was flush against Ricky’s. “I needed to get out of the house and blow off some steam, or maybe blow something.” She traced her finger down the center of his chest and looped it around the waistband of his jeans.
He stood there speechless for a moment. Did she just proposition him? “Ella,” Ricky said and grabbed her hands. “Your buddy, Dego, may get a little pissed off if he finds you in my bed.”
“He doesn’t own me.”
“And right now he owns me.”
She pouted and flopped back onto the bed. “Pleasuring myself is getting boring.”
Ricky rolled his eyes. “I can image.”
He walked over and sat down in the chair in the corner of the room. The image with Ella and the most-wanted man was sitting in the center of the table amongst several other images.
Ella sauntered over to the table. “Who’s this?”
“You.”
She grabbed the photo. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know who that man is.” She threw the image back down and walked toward the door.
“He’s your father.”
Ella whipped her head around. “Giano is my father.”
“Is he?”
Ricky could tell he was pissing her off, but she also sounded a bit curious. “Um, I think I would know who my father is by now.”
“Do you really think you can trust a mob boss?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can trust my father.”
Ricky grabbed another image of Giano. In the background was the same little girl in the same man’s arms. “He doesn’t seem like he cares about you much in that image.” He handed the photo to Ella.
She ripped the photo out of his hand and stared at it for a few minutes. Letting out a heavy sigh, she said, “What the fuck are you trying to do? I don’t know what this is all about.”
“I know where that man holding you in the photo is,” Ricky said, lying like a dog. “I can take you to him.”
“Hey,” Miles said and let out a heavy sigh.
“I may be bringing Ella with me tonight,” Ricky said, flipping a pen back and forth in his hand.
“How the hell did you manage that?”
“We need one team member to play Ella’s father.”
Miles burst out laughing. “Someone needs to play the most-wanted man for a known fugitive. Are we in some action movie?”
“You wanted me to find Ella. I found her but with a few caveats.”
There was a loud knocking. “I gotta go.”
Ricky threw the door back, and Ella fell into his arms. “Jesus. Ella, what happened?” He closed the door and carried her over to the bed.
“One of the guys at the house,” she choked out. “Get me out of here.”
Ricky knew they were on borrowed time. “I don’t understand, Ella.”
“I’ll explain on the way, but seriously, please just get me out of here.”
“Ella, this is my ass on the line if I take you with me,” Ricky said, packing his stuff up quickly. “I deserve an explanation.”
“What you deserve? Really?” She pushed herself up and leaned against the headboard.
He threw a shirt in his bag. “Yeah, really. I came down here to find you and take you back to Canada with me. Instead, Dego somehow found out my whole life story.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “You really don’t look that different. Dad…I mean, Giano showed me a picture of you when you worked with him before.”
“Wait, Giano has a picture of me?”
“He has a photo of everyone that works with him.”
“Fuck. I thought shaving and cutting my hair would help.”
“It does look better. You looked like a homeless man before.”
He turned his head to the side and held up his middle finger. “I still don’t understand why they beat you up? Why do you all of a sudden want to go with me?”
“That picture you showed me earlier.”
“Yeah?”
“I remember that guy.” She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. “He took care of me.”
Ricky sat down on the bed. “You know Giano is not your father, right?”
“No, I don’t know, but he has always taken care of me.”
“Until recently?”
“When I told Vikki to run.”
He realized at that moment she saved Vikki’s life. Now he had to save hers.
“What if your real dad really isn’t back
in Canada?” Ricky knew he had to be honest.
“Then I’ll keep searching for him.”
“We’ll help you.”
“We?”
“Your cousin and brother.”
“Okay now you have me confused.”
Ricky zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I’ll explain on the way.”
Ten
“What do you mean, she’s gone?” Giano yelled through the phone.
Dego had no idea how she slipped out of the house unannounced. “We’re looking for her now.”
“Ella called me earlier and started asking me all these weird questions. Now she is missing, and the cop is missing, too. Dego, you remember what happened to Lando? I will make sure your suffering is even worse if you don’t figure this shit out.”
“I’ll take care of it, sir.”
“Yeah, you fucking will,” Giano screamed and slammed the phone down. The sound reverberated through Dego’s ear.
“Danny?” Dego said to the guy he found out cold in Ella’s bedroom. “Come here.”
Danny was sitting on the couch. He had a black eye, and his leg was possibly broken. Right before Danny attempted to stand up, Dego never hesitated and shot off one round into the kid’s good leg.
Danny screamed and fell to the ground. He grabbed ahold of his leg and rocked back and forth.
Dego stepped up beside Danny and knelt down. “Giano is pissed off. That usually means someone didn’t do their job, and I have to take the heat for it.”
Danny gritted his teeth. “Ella,” he coughed. “She…called me…into her room.” He continued rocking back and forth, obviously in pain. “Then the next thing I know…I woke up on the floor.”
“Are you expecting me to feel sorry for you right now?”
Danny shook his head no.
“You let Ella escape. That makes you responsible,” Dego said, placing the barrel of the gun against his forehead. “So now what do you think I should do about this problem we have?”
Danny whimpered. “Please,” he begged.
“Son, you have two shit legs. You are no good to me anymore.”