Ace replied, “I would never risk anything with Jennifer and the baby. We’re not having any replays of last time. I’m sticking to some simple transporting jobs, nothing else. I refuse to get involved with anything too dangerous and the only reason I carry my Glock is for protection. To be completely honest, I pray that I never have to use it again. I was lucky to get out the first time and I have no intention of going back. Don’t worry about me, Van. Just try to keep yourself safe, and of course keep a lookout for the madman over there.”
Red grinned, then turned his attention to his eldest brother, “Do you need any help with this? I can call up the twins now and they can put me on the case with you. I’ve got nothing planned for the rest of this week.”
“You both know I’ll be fine. Stop worrying about me. Red, you keep your ass out of trouble for a bit. I know you’re just going to wind up at the bar later with your head up a woman’s skirt. Just please keep the noise down when I come back, I’ve had enough of listening to the headboard banging on the walls. I’m getting too old for this shit.”
Van pushed himself away from the table and went to his room to get ready. Jennifer jumped up and started cleaning before Ace took control and ushered her onto the couch. Red smiled at seeing his brother take such good care of his pregnant wife.
For a tough guy, he has a soft heart. How is it our youngest brother has got his life sorted out before the rest of us? Although it appears Van is quite content being the mafia’s monkey for the rest of his life. I don’t think that man has ever spared a thought about settling down. And everyone presumes I’m perfectly happy sleeping around.
But if I’m happy… why don’t I fucking feel it?
Prologue
RACHEL
Rachel was out of breath and sore from running around all day as she crossed the street to the bar on the other side of the road. Her heels dug painfully into her toes when she pulled the heavy door and clattered across the tiles to Alyssa.
Even a full day at work serving coffee and the woman looks flawless. How the hell does she do it?
Rachel self-consciously tucked her stray red hair behind her ear where it had fallen out her bun. She could only imagine how she looked as she sat down. Alyssa gave her the brightest smile with her pearly white teeth before bursting into conversation.
“So, how was your first day? Is your uncle treating you okay? I can’t believe my girl is actually a fully-qualified lawyer now!”
“It was okay,” Rachel mumbled, “I’m absolutely shattered though. These heels are not meant for filing duties.”
“They had you filing on your first day? You did not spend all that time pulling out your hair to pass that bar exam for you to be a filing clerk. Girlfriend, up your game, it’s your uncle after all. Shouldn’t he be giving you special rights?”
“I knew from the beginning he would make me slum it like the rest. He said he’d accept me into the firm, but he’s pulling no special favors just because we’re related. And you know what? I’m grateful. I want to earn my way to the top like he did. There are no cheat codes in real life.”
Alyssa shook her head, “What’s the point in joining your uncle’s firm if you can’t abuse the privileges? That’s just bullshit”
Rachel stared across the table at her friend, who shook her head in disappointment, making her cute jet black curls bounce. She envied Alyssa’s beautiful honeyed skin in comparison to her practically translucent porcelain tone. Her best friend’s natural beauty always attracted men’s attention and she wasn’t surprised when she looked around the room to see plenty of eyes upon them.
It’s almost ironic, knowing she’s not attracted to them.
“Earth to Rae-Rae! You realize you’ve been staring at that creepy dude at the bar for the last two minutes while I’ve been speaking to you?” Alyssa waved a hand in front of her face.
“Sorry,” Rachel shook herself out of her thoughts, “My mind is just tired from today. Oh, that man really is creepy looking.”
They both stared over at the skinny old man who winked back at them. Giggling, they turned back to one another and Rachel saw a mischievous gleam appear in Alyssa’s chestnut eyes.
“I’ve found the perfect man for you.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not looking for a man?”
“Oh, you’re finally batting for my side then?” Alyssa raised an eyebrow.
Rachel swatted at her friend, “As much as you’d love that, no, I’m still a plain old boring heterosexual.”
“Then you have no excuse to turn down a blind date from me. Trust me, I picked someone who would suit your perfectly.”
“I said no,” Rachel despaired.
“When are you ever going to get over Mason? That bastard cheated on you and left you for that little slut, Amelia. He isn’t worth a second of your time, or maintaining celibacy for the rest of your life. It doesn’t even have to be a relationship, just go out and have fun! Live a little on the wild side, it’ll be good for you. I think you need to get laid. See it as a celebration of moving on with your life. New job, new you.”
Hearing Amelia’s name, made her blood boil. She had been one of her close friends throughout law school. When Rachel finally realized that her long-term boyfriend was seeing her behind her back, it completely ruined her world.
I can still remember walking into the room and seeing her naked, straddling his body. I didn’t even believe it at first. I had to walk closer just to make sure it really was Mason. This was the man I was ready to marry. The man I thought I could trust. Alyssa had never liked Amelia and now I know why. The woman has a sixth sense about bitches like that. Will this image ever fade from my memory? Will the pain ever stop hurting so damn much?
“I’m just not ready yet. Maybe after I’ve settled in at work and started my first case, then I’ll be able to clear my head and think about men again without feeling sick. Fuck Mason and fuck Amelia. They deserve each other,” Rachel spat out the last sentence.
“Fine, I’ll give you some space. It’s going to be difficult to let this guy down after I showed him your photo though. Sometimes I wish you would join my side, you’re too hot to be wasted on men,” Alyssa cast her a sly wink before standing up and sashaying to the bar.
Rachel watched as her curvaceous Afro-American-Korean friend leaned over and instantly caught the bartender’s attention. Regardless of the locals calling out for his attention, he was drawn straight to her best friend and took her order. Rachel wished she could have that effect on men, but she was too self-conscious of the cascade of red waves that naturally crowned her head. Everyone always commented on how beautiful her hair was, but she thought of it more as a curse than a blessing. That, matched with her abnormally pale skin, made her stick out like a sore thumb. Men always looked at her, but she thought it was more because of her unusual appearance rather than beauty.
I remember trying to convince my mom to let me dye it and she made me promise I would never do anything to my natural hair color. She always told me the legend of Prince Idon of Mu, possibly the first redhead in the world, which was the result of him seeing a sunset in Atlantis. Sometimes I wish I could find my own little world, nestled in the depths of the ocean so no one could ever bother me. What a blissful life it would be under the sea.
The noise of a tray being smacked onto the table in front of her brought Rachel back to reality. She stared in horror at the multitude of colorful shot glasses. Alyssa released another of her mischievous grins before grabbing one filled with a bright orange liquid and thrusting it towards Rachel. Reluctantly, she took the glass and sniffed it. It smelled like death.
“Tequila time!” Alyssa announced before clashing her glass against Rachel’s.
Before second thoughts, Rachel downed the shot and felt the alcohol burning the back of her throat. Fire spread through her stomach as the drink settled down below. There were still so many drinks on the tray that sunk fear into her.
“You can’t expect me to drink al
l of these?” she gestured with her hand, “It’s a work night, Lyss. I might be getting my first case tomorrow and I can’t be showing up half drunk and looking like a homeless person. What even are these?”
“Tequila, kamikaze, vodka, fireball, buttery nipple and absinthe,” she announced proudly.
“A buttery what now? And absinthe? Are you on crack? Who does absinthe on a work night? I thought we’d sip some wine or a beer, not do shots until one of us passes out or quite possible dies!”
“You’re so boring sometimes. I thought now you’ve finally passed the bar and aren’t studying constantly we can actually enjoy partying. I’ve basically known you since birth and you have literally never let your hair down and had fun. You need to lighten up and live a little. Enjoy life, get out there and do something! You’ve finally got your lifelong dream of being a lawyer so now it’s all rainbows and unicorns. After you get yourself a man, you’ll be sorted. You’re one of the youngest lawyers in the state and you’ve got yourself a full time job straight out of education. Aren’t you happy?”
Am I happy?
Chapter 1
RED
Laughter and the buzz of people talking filled the bar. He had parked his bike outside and came in to see, if he could find some old drinking buddy to kill a bit of time with. Red felt lonely most of the time. Ace had a new life with Jennifer and Van was taking on more work than ever, to show his injury didn’t hold him back. If it wasn’t for the bar, he wouldn’t have much social life left.
“Hey, Red! How are you doing?”
Red turned to see Paolo propped up on a bar stool. Paolo was a fat Italian man with greasy hair and an even greasier smile, but he was a good man. Red enjoyed his company, especially on a lonely night such as this. Paolo used to be part of the Viper Squad, the same biker gang that Red’s parents were in, but he had also had enough and decided to leave a while back.
“I’m doing great. How’s things with the wife?” Red pulled up a stool next to him.
“If things were good, why would I be here? I wish this woman had an off button, or at least a fucking volume button. If it isn’t one thing, then it’s the other. All she does is nag. It’s a wonder I don’t bring a sleeping bag and spend my nights at the bar too. What you drinking? Next round’s on me.”
“I’ll have a beer as usual. Sorry to hear about Bianca, I thought things were finally sorted out between you too.”
“Ah, forget about it. That woman will never forgive me for sleeping with the waitress. It was over ten years ago and the woman still brings it up at every opportunity. How many times can a man say sorry? How many presents does it take? At least the girls here don’t give me trouble. Two cold ones,” he called out to the nearest bartender.
They sat in silence, staring out at the bustle around them as the bartender poured them two beers. Paolo motioned for her to put it on his tab before they said cheers. Red’s eyes darted from woman to woman.
Any new faces I can try my luck on tonight? At least I won’t be alone if I have someone sharing my bed.
“I can see that look in your eyes, boy. Which lady are you looking for today? I saw a couple of stunners earlier which would have blown your mind. If I wasn’t married I think I would have had a go myself. Although I guess I don’t have the charm I used to,” he looked down at his belly spilling out from the top of his cargo pants.
Red had decided to keep it casual in jeans and a dark blue hoodie. He had unzipped his hoodie enough to expose his low V-neck T-shirt and his chest underneath. He was the most well-built of his brothers and never missed an opportunity to show off his muscular body to any woman that looked his way.
“Hey Red, I’ve missed you,” a pair of lips traced his ear.
He turned to look at the blonde standing to his side, biting her lip playfully. She had a body like an hourglass and was wearing a strapless tight red dress. The six inch heels lifted her ass to the heavens and she was drenched in makeup. Every bit his type but he was bored just looking at her.
“Hi…” he started, blanking out on her name.
“Melody. We hung out a couple of months ago,” she looked hesitant before returning back to her flirtatious demeanor, “I mean, come on. You must remember me. The stuff we did together was magical.”
“Of course, how could I forget? Hi Melody. It’s certainly been a while. What brings you back around here?” he recovered from his slip-up.
“Me? Oh, I was just in town and thought I’d pop by to see if you were around. Maybe we can have a replay of that night?” Melody was back to biting her lip.
Red looked her up and down. She had a perfect body, quite a pretty face and was absolutely begging for a good fuck, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Am I finally getting bored? But what happens if I give up sex? What happens if I give up the women? I’ll just be alone forever.
“I’m not interested. Thank you for asking but I’m just hanging out with my friend right now. It was nice seeing you again.”
He didn’t wait to see her disappointed face before he turned back around on his stool to look at Paolo. Paolo raised his eyebrow, obviously wanting to pry into Red’s rejection but thought better of it. Red felt stormy inside as he sipped at his beer and continued to look out across the crowds.
It seemed busier than usual in the bar and there were a lot of unknown faces there. It was a good bar, but typically only attended by locals. The air was humid this evening and a small bead of sweat formed on Red’s brow, which he wiped away. The usual stray strand of jet black hair dangled in front of his face.
“I’m thinking about leaving town,” Red murmured to no one in particular, “To get out of here and never come back. I feel like I need a fucking new start. I need to get away from all the bad memories dragging me down here.”
Paolo seemed to hear and spoke up, “I don’t think running away ever solves anything. The memories will still be there, you can’t escape your mind by moving house. Whatever’s going on up there needs to be dealt with and then you can move on with your life. Is there something you want to talk about? What’s troubling you? I haven’t seen you look so down since your parents died.”
“My parents were murdered, Paolo. They didn’t simply die. And no, nothing in particular is nagging me. It just seems like both my brothers are happily moving on with their lives and I’m stuck here, not knowing how to progress with mine. What if I’m never happy?”
“Happiness is overrated. Just be comfortable, that’s the most you can hope for in life,” Paolo downed the rest of his beer and turned back to the bar.
Red took the opportunity to finish his and go outside for a cigarette. He never usually smoked, but whenever he needed to think, or felt down, he would light one up and savor the moment. The taste of tobacco filled his mouth as he inhaled the smoke and let it fill his lungs. There was a slight breeze, which made the tendrils of smoke drift away into the abyss. He looked out across the street and saw lights in the distance.
I wonder what all these people are doing at this time in the evening. I bet most are settling down with their family to eat dinner, or a couple is laying on their couch to watch a movie. Parents might be tucking their little ones into bed and giving them a kiss on their brows. Others could be on dates, looking into the eyes of their potential soulmate, over a freaking candlelit dinner. And what am I doing? What is Red Bailey doing right now? Well… I’m standing outside a bar, all alone, and wondering how everyone else is living their lives. If my little brother can move forward with his life, why can’t I?
He flicked his cigarette butt onto the sidewalk and took one last look out into the distance, before turning on his heel and heading back into the crowded bar. On his way towards Paolo, a woman caught his eye. She was a new face and pretty decent looking. A brunette, rocking body and a mini skirt only just covering her goodies.
Well, looks like I haven’t got bored of this lifestyle just yet.
Red went over to Paolo and picked up his beer, all the w
hile keeping one eye on the brunette waltzing through the crowd on her way to some men. He didn’t recognize them either, but tonight the bar seemed to be filled with strangers. While watching her, he realized that her body language didn’t signal that any of them could be her potential boyfriend or husband.
Bingo. Looks like I’m in luck.
“I can see you eyeing up that girl over there. She’s been in here for just over an hour now and I haven’t seen her linking up with anyone, so I think she’s a safe bet. Now, do I get to see you work your famous Red-powers-of-seduction on her? Not sure I want to see the entire show, though. Oh, how I miss the day of freedom and chasing skirts. Now all I get, is the misery of Bianca, and I’m in luck if I get a slap on the face, let alone anything else.” Paolo’s face was grim.
“At least you settled down. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to that point.”
“Because you like having a different woman every week?”
“No, because I don’t think I’ll ever find the one,” Red looked away wistfully.
“Cheer up you miserable bastard and go enjoy your youth. How old are you now?” Paolo slapped him on the back.
“Twenty-nine, I’ll be thirty next year. Thirty and single.”
“You’re still young and have plenty of time. I wish I was in your shoes right now. Anyway, you going to let that girl just walk out of the bar or are you actually going to make a move? Stop moping like a teenager, you’re even making me depressed.”
“Ah, fuck you, old man!” Red straightened up and laughed. The mask of happiness, so easily slipping back onto his face.
Red had some beer before making way through the crowd to get to the brunette. As he was getting nearer, he noticed the men around her. They were tanned and they all shared a similar tattoo on their neck. Then it registered in Red’s head.
They’re Martinez gang members! What the fuck are they doing on our turf?
Quickly, Red swept to the side and hid himself behind a column, watching them from a distance. He debated in his head, whether he should call the twins and wait for backup, or just deal with the situation now. After logically thinking, he grabbed his phone from his pocket, but then something caught his eye. The girl had left to go to the toilet and left her drink with the men. Red watched, as one of the men took a small tin from his jeans and pulled out a little white pill. The man swiftly dropped the pill into her drink as the others were laughing. The pill fizzed for a moment before completely dissolving without a trace in the cocktail.
The Bailey Brothers Box Set- the Complete Trilogy Page 19