by C. M. Steele
“Did you tell Tony that?” he asked, jumping on the expressway toward the airport. It was only two exits away, so we’d be there in no time, but as I got closer I just wanted to turn around and take my chances.
“No, I was too afraid to say anything. In a panic, I was running away from him that night. We aren’t right for each other and my father died at the hands of a gangster. But even knowing all that, I love him.” He gave me a strange look of sympathy with confusion then understanding.
“Don’t worry, Alana. It’ll work itself out,” he said, gently patting my hand.
“I doubt it,” I muttered to myself as he pulled up to the drop-off curb. Helping me with my things to the entrance, he gave me a hug, then handed me a thousand dollars. I didn’t want to take it, but he refused to let me get out of reach before I took it. For thugs, they were nicer than the cops. I shook my head because it was hard to believe. The next flight to Denver was leaving in two hours, I had just enough time to get my ticket and go through security.
With the money he gave me along with what I had saved in my account, I could afford to stay somewhere cheap for a week or two, but I needed a job as soon as I got there. As much as I wanted to ask my cousins for help, it would be a last resort.
Chapter 17
Tony
I regretted my actions the moment I drove away, but my mind was too wild to think of going back. When I finally drove back to the house, she was long gone. A part of me wished I hadn’t told Vinny to keep her location away from me. Then again, I needed time to think. Last time, I almost got killed; and this time, I wished I was dead. By the time I made it to bed, my body was falling apart and the sun was coming up.
I missed her so damn much. It had only been a day since I last saw her beautiful face, held her in my arms, and watched her sleep. The thought of her feelings and orgasms being fake played in my mind. I’d told Vinny not to tell me anything about her, but it was too much for me. I needed her, and I was about to do anything to make it happen.
I couldn’t wait another minute, so I called him and told him to meet me at the club. I paced back and forth in my office, looking around and feeling her there with me like we had been several times over the past week and the night we met. The night she came there to spy on my business. I poured several drinks before Vinny got there.
“Come in,” I slurred, my tie completely unknotted and hanging.
“Man, you look like shit. What’s up, boss?” I saw the concern and a hint of a smile. If he thought this was funny, I would love to laugh at his ass when he finally got kicked in the nuts by the woman he’d do anything for. I was willing to forgive everything in due time.
“I want to know where she’s at.”
“Depends. Are you going to hurt her?” Wow, he had a lot of balls and my respect. No one dared to challenge me. As much as I wanted to toss his ass out, I was grateful for his protection of her. At least she had someone that was willing to look out for her. She would be safe if I needed him to watch over her.
“Fuck no. I’m going to teach her that she belongs with me, loyalty and all.” I lifted the glass to my mouth but Vinny snatched it from me.
“You’ve had enough.” He dumped the glass in the bar sink, then grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge. “Drink this. You need to be sober if you have any chance of winning her back.”
“Winning isn’t what’s going to happen. I’m taking her until she tells me that she can’t live without me because I’m dying inside.”
He chuckled to himself, then said, “She’s in Colorado. She took a flight there, and well, I called a friend of mine who has been following her since she landed.”
“Why?” I wondered if he had more interest than worry for my woman.
“Because no matter how pissed you are at her, you love her. It’s probably why you’re so damn pissed. You didn’t even give her a chance to explain anything.”
“Damn right I love her. And I’m about to do something about it.”
“Don’t hurt her.” He gave me the reminder with a look that said he wasn’t afraid to fight me for her.
“You’ve got a lot of balls, Vinny. If I thought you were interested in Alana, I’d have to kill you, but I know you’ve got a thing for Filomena.”
“You know?” It was my turn to chuckle.
“It’s fucking clear as hell. Excuse me, I’ve got some shit to plan. Maybe you should, too.” What I had planned for her was illegal. But then again, I’m a criminal and she knew that before she entered my world. It was the only reason she entered my life.
I made a couple of calls to get some things done. I searched her name on the internet and I saw an article for the fire. They were looking for her body but hadn’t located it and she hadn’t contacted anyone. It was bullshit because the report was after Simms knew where she was. As I continued to read, his name popped up, and suddenly, I had a feeling something else was up. “We are worried that Ms. Torre was the intended victim for the blaze due to her association with the police department,” Detective Gregory Simms said. It gave a number for someone to call with information. I looked at the report and thought it was fishy. If they believed that she was undercover, why would they leak that she had an “association” with the police? What was up there?
I called back my contact on backgrounds, but it went to his voicemail. I didn’t need just hers, I wanted her parents’ and Simms’s information. Something was really wrong.
Chapter 18
Alana
As soon as the plane landed, I felt so lonely that I wanted to die. I managed to stay at the airport until it was time to check into a hotel. It wasn’t the best, but they gave me a weekly rate, so it was a little better than full price. I still had enough, but I needed to get a job. And it happened within the first day; a bar and grill down the street from my place was hiring, and the owner hired me on the spot.
Every day, I’d go into work, then go home and cry my heart out. As much as I missed Tony, I hated myself for it. He was a thug who threw me away, but then I reminded myself that he considered what I did a betrayal and he’d be right.
It’d been a week since I saw Tony. I felt so stupid that my heart was broken. He was nothing but a thug and the love of my life. How was it possible? It went against everything I had always stood for. My father was gunned down by a man like Tony, and here I was ready to run back. I needed to be strong. There had to be a way to move on. Most of my life in Washington was erased. Simms tried to contact me, but I tossed that phone and picked up one of those disposable ones.
My shift was almost over and I felt a sense of peace wash over me. They gave me a uniform, which was a blessing because I didn’t take any of the clothes Tony bought for me. It was luck that they gave me the job despite the fact I came with a basic, thin, plaid top and jeans. I did pick up a pair of strappy sandals to give the outfit a little facelift.
Maybe I could hide out here for a time and then earn enough money to give back to Vinny and move somewhere no one knew me. Yesterday, I called my cousin to see how things were and told him I was in town. Of course, he offered for me to stay with him when he got back from a vacation with his wife. At least that would help me get on my feet faster, but I’ll probably stick to my plan and do it on my own. I’d hate for something to happen to him if Tony’s men were watching me.
My boss, who was a man in his early forties, handsome, and well-dressed, came up to me with a smile on his face as I finished cleaning the back tables. “Alana, you’re a doll. You’ve done a great job for your first week.” The door chimed as he gave my hand a squeeze. “Oh, it looks like we still have one more customer.” For a moment, I was grateful for the interruption. I had a serious feeling that my boss was interested in more than my skills as a waitress. We closed in fifteen minutes, so we still had to serve the guest. Most in the town knew that the food wasn’t running at this time, but maybe they were looking for a last-minute drink. That we had in great supply and ready to go.
“Alana will be w
ith you in just one moment, sir,” Doug said, leaning over the wall that divided us from the customer’s view. He gave me a smirk and a wink before walking away. It was almost as if he was letting the guy waiting know that I was his. It was fucked up, and it seemed I was going to be looking for another job and calling my cousin. I wouldn’t tell him why because he wasn’t the tolerant kind of man. My boss would need a feeding tube.
I set down the towel and turned around to greet the guest. “Welco…” I gasped, staring at me was Tony. He looked as bad as I felt. His eyes were on me for only a second before moving to my boss. He was staring like he was going to kill him. Knowing who Tony was, I didn’t doubt that my boss would come up missing.
The evil glare was enough to give me some hope that he wasn’t here to hurt me.
“I’ll have a cup of coffee, Alana.” His words were calm and dismissive. He took a seat in the booth I just cleaned, refusing to look at me. Why was he here? My nerves were like little ants, climbing all over me as I went to go get his coffee. I was torn between my love for him and the fear that he was out for revenge and I’d end up like his ex-girlfriend. Taking a deep breath, I set it down in front of him without shaking. He didn’t need to know that I was heartbroken.
“Sit down, Alana,” he said, his hand pointing to the seat in front of him.
“I have to clean up,” I countered, turning to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist.
“Alana, sit the fuck down right now.” The words came from a closed mouth with a venomous stare. I sat down with my pencil skirt as best as I could.
“You fucked up big time, Alana.” His words were menacing, but his eyes screamed broken. I’d broken both of us.
“Tony, what are you doing here?” I asked. “Came to finish me off like the broad that left you?”
“What? I’m going to ignore that bullshit because knowing that you’ve been dealing with people that are out to get me means you’d believe them over me. What the fuck I’m doing here is to take back what’s mine.” The expression in his eyes was bright and fierce.
“I didn’t take anything of yours.” I hadn’t taken anything from the house that I didn’t come with.
He took another sip of the coffee, then set it down with a twenty. He stood up, straightened his suit jacket, and walked out without another word. I just stared as he left, wondering what just happened. I took the money and put it in the till, then pushed the change into the charity bucket next to the register. After cleaning it up, I locked the door, then went in back to make sure everything was good to go. Doug smiled up at me as he finished the books.
“Hey, so is our guest still out there?” he asked.
“No, he left and I closed up.” I hated that he left without saying goodbye. I itched to confront him, then beg for him to forget the past.
“Okay, I need to get home. Do you need a ride home?”
“No, thanks.” I took off my little black apron and grabbed my purse. I left out the back-door, waving goodbye to the boss. I tried to think about what Tony thought I took from him. Everything I had was mine before I met him. I rushed out of there with only my things. I swiped a tear that ran down my cheek as I walked through the small parking lot to the front of the building. I got to the sidewalk and made a left. It wasn’t too long of a walk to the temporary room I rented. It was after midnight, but this was a small town, most of which didn’t even have security cameras.
I was a half a block away from work when I saw Vinny standing outside a black SUV, holding the door open. “Hello, Alana, please get in.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
“I thought you’d say that,” Tony said, stepping from around the other side, effectively trapping me. “Get in, Alana. I just want what belongs to me.”
He took my arm and whispered in my ear. “We could do it the easy way or we could do it the hard way. Get in.” I did what he said. The doors locked as soon as he got in behind me. Vinny took off faster than I expected.
“If I accidentally took something of yours, it would be at my room I rented. If you take me there, I’ll give it to you.”
“We’ve already been there. You’ve checked out of that roach motel.”
“What? You are going to kill me, aren’t you?”
“What part of no did you not understand the first time I said it to you.”
“Then what is it that you want?” He was so close that I could smell his scent that was burned into my memory.
His face was inches from mine. I could feel the heat between us. And with quick reflexes, he was grabbing the back of my ponytail and tugging my face to his. The kiss was hard and possessive, his tongue pushing into my mouth, and I was lost to the feelings. He lifted me off the seat and onto his lap, straddling his thighs. His hands slid up the back of my thighs until he cupped my ass; I could feel the cool air on them. Shit, I almost freaked out when I saw the divider come up between Vinny and us. “This skirt is way too short, Alana. That fucking boss of yours enjoyed it all fucking night. I want to put a bullet in his head for that shit. You belong to me,” he stated.
That woke me up from the Tony haze and I pushed myself away from him. His hold was too strong for me. “Let me go, Tony. I don’t want you touching me. Please let me go, you did it with ease before. You should have left me alone.” I started sobbing. My heart was broken and it was my fault. I fell in love with a criminal.
“Alana, you think that was easy? I was ready to kill one of my men for informing me of your betrayal.”
“I didn’t betray you, Tony.”
“Did you not come to my business to get in good with me for the cops?”
“I did, but…”
“Don’t fucking but me anything. You made me trust you and then you proved that I was a fucking sucker for a pretty face.”
“Then go back to Seattle and find another pretty face.” I was so hurt. Was that all I was? A lust filled craving that he didn’t get enough of? This time I managed to get out of his hold. As soon as we stopped at the light, I reached for the door handle, tugging it nearly open, but Tony was on me, pinning me to the backseat.
“I don’t want anyone else. I can’t say the same for you, but that’s your fucking punishment. You’re mine, and if you think of leaving me, it won’t happen.” He cupped my pussy. “This is mine.” His face was next to mine, so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. He gritted his teeth and asked, “Has that fucker touched you?”
“I don’t belong to you,” I shouted, my hand flying out and slapping him across the face. He didn’t say a word as I gasped at my own foolish mistake. My hand came to my mouth, afraid of the storm brewing in front of me.
Chapter 19
Tony
I never hit a woman and I never would, but she pushed me too far. I sat back in my seat feeling the sting in more ways than one. I ached to take her over my knee and show her that it wasn’t going to go unpunished, but now wasn’t the time. “Don’t even think of trying that shit again.” I took off my tie and snatched her hands before she could do anything and tied her wrists together. “Teach you to smack me, Alana. Don’t be fucking stupid.”
I put my hand over my eyes, trying to calm down. My dick was so hard that I wanted to fucking take her pussy right this moment. I didn’t even know what I was doing. I just knew that I couldn’t live without her. I loved her and I knew she didn’t feel the same, but I’d settle for the lust. We pulled into a private tarmac where a jet was waiting to take us where she couldn’t escape again. I got out of the car and walked around to let her out. She sat there, refusing to look at me, as I held out my hand. “Let’s go,” I ordered.
“No,” she said in a huff.
I growled to myself. “You know, for someone who is so damn scared of me, you can’t stop being a fucking, defiant brat. If you don’t want your ass beet red, you’d do well to get the fuck out.”
She looked at me with tears in her eyes, and for the first time I felt a bit of remorse for all of this. It wasn’t going to change anything,
but I did feel bad. I wanted to wipe away her tears and promise that I’d never make her cry, but that wasn’t a guarantee. She didn’t love me and I couldn’t let her go.
I cupped my hand around her bicep and walked her to the plane with her wrists still tied because I didn’t give a fuck who saw. I was a criminal, after all, and she was mine. No one was taking her away from me. “Sit here.” She gave me the dirtiest look as she moved to sit down, giving me a huff as soon as her ass was planted in the seat.
“Are you going to buckle me in or are you going to untie me?” she hissed, scowling at me.
I placed my hands on her armrests, moving my face inches from hers. “That ass of yours is on its way to becoming red very soon,” I whispered in her ear, leaving a kiss on her neck before reaching over and buckling her in. Pulling back, I stared at her perfect, angry face, then kissed the fuck out of her. “You need a thorough fucking.”
“Who says I haven’t had one since you kicked me out?” she threw out before I stepped away from her. I narrowed my eyes, then shook my head. I took my seat across from her with calm, deliberate indifference.
She was due a very stern warning that she was poking a wild animal. “Alana, I know you’re pissing me off on purpose because deep down you know I don’t want to hurt you, but if you fucked someone else, heaven help me. He’ll be a dead man walking. By the way, you’ll be going without until I know you’re clean and not pregnant with someone else’s little bastard. Now, shut your damn mouth already. I can’t take your shit much more.”
I heard a harsh breath escape her lips and I laughed because I knew she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. “If you’d left me where I was, you wouldn’t have been annoyed.”
“What part of you’re mine don’t you get?” I replied.