by AA Lee
“I asked you to wait for me. I told you to stay put.” His words were slow; his tone was deep—infuriated. “You couldn’t fucking wait for me ten whole minutes without disappearing? I thought I was perfectly clear when I told you not to leave that spot. Do you know what could have happened to you after a note like earlier? Do you want them to do what they want with you?”
Ella’s heart pounded under his reproof. She could feel the dryness in her throat as her hands started to shake. She had never seen him this angry with her before. Ella could not say a single word with the rage in his eyes. He yanked her hand, pulling her body off the bench to his chest.
“I’m sorry. I went to…” She could at least tell him about her father without betraying Sullivan. However, Angelo did not let her finish her sentence and clasped both hands around her cheeks.
“I don’t want to hear your reason.”
“No, but I…” Ella choked down the tears. She knew if one fell to her cheek, she would start crying and lose all control of herself.
“Be quiet. The only thing I care about right now is that you didn’t listen to me. You will not disobey me again.”
Ella shut her eyes as he pulled her through the door to the crowded lobby and guided her straight to the elevator. People started to stare, but Angelo paid no attention to any of them. She could feel his fury through the squeeze on her wrist. He never let go and he never spoke. Angelo only looked at the elevator door until it stopped on the top floor. He typed in the code so fast that Ella did not see one number that he punched. Then he stormed inside and flung her to the bed.
Ella breathed in as much air as she could and released. The breathing technique did nothing to relax her nerves as he started shifting through a bag. Metal clinked together with a high-pitched torturous sound. Angelo tightly gripped whatever it was and marched back toward her. With steady movements, as though he had done this multiple times, he snatched her hand and lifted it up. It happened so fast, Ella hardly comprehended what happened until she found her left wrist handcuffed to the bed.
“You aren’t really going to leave me like this?” Her eyes widened as she pulled her arm a couple of times. “It wasn’t even my fault.”
“I don’t care,” he said. Angelo leaned his hand beside her and bore his eyes straight onto her, making her sink further to the blankets as he spoke dangerously close to her lips. “You will learn your place and will not go against my orders. What I say goes. I will know where you are at all times. This is what you agreed to when you did not leave my room that night at the club. I don’t care if you like it or not.” Angelo stood up and looked at her. “You can think about it for a while. Maybe next time, you will do what I say.” Then he turned around and walked straight out of the door.
***
Angelo let his temper take control, but why could she not stay as he asked? It did not seem to click in her head that untrustworthy people surrounded them, waiting to attack them again at any moment. He did not understand what was difficult about that fact. Ella had surpassed the point of thinking the world was harmless. Then she waited for him outside in the open where anyone could grab her and carry her away. What was going through her mind?
He breathed. He tried to settle down his anger, but he kept getting mad all over again. Maybe a couple of hours in handcuffs would cure the issue. Maybe then, she would have a clue about the dangers of the life.
Angelo walked off the elevator on the second floor. The banquet was due to start any minute. He had hoped to have Ella with him as it began, but given the current circumstances, he was too upset with her to look at her now. Angelo stopped at the bar where Thomas stood. He exchanged no words. Thomas immediately started his drink and handed it to him. Angelo swallowed and closed his eyes. Ella was making him insane.
He took a breath as he started to calm down and walked around. There were a few unsocial guests sitting at the tables. Most were enjoying the refreshments and free wine. If they wanted mix drinks, though, the expense was on them.
He took another drink and started for the hallway to the conference room. Jim and Ray should be in there to report anything they had learned about Sullivan the day before. He really wanted to know who Robert Collins was and what he looked like. Angelo wanted to know exactly what that man was about.
“Tomassi,” a voice called out before he passed the table with wine. He groaned in return and turned around. The only reason he invited him was to keep relations open. He in no way wanted to have a conversation.
“Gregorio,” he puffed at the man with graying hair and a distinguishing scar on his chin. Martino Gregorio caused him more problems than he ever wanted. It was solely his fault that Bonadio had a problem with him in the first place. Gregorio and the ridiculous offer of his daughter’s hand enraged Bonadio. Bonadio wanted her and Gregorio’s estate to himself. Angelo could not care less for either one, but Bonadio still saw him as a threat.
“This is quite the event you are showcasing. It should bring many new clients and profits alike.”
Angelo nodded but was not interested in chatting. Wherever Gregorio went, gunshots followed. Angelo kept his hand close to his gun. He could not trust anyone in this man’s company.
“Are you not in the talking mood, Tomassi?” Gregorio asked.
Angelo shook his head. “No, I have something on my mind.”
“Or someone?” said Gregorio. At his words, Angelo swiftly turned toward Gregorio, receiving a smile in return. “When my little girl was fourteen, she had the pool boys convinced that our tree held invisible grapes. I went outside and asked them what the hell they were doing up in the tree. They explained to me that when they shook the branches, the grapes would become visible and fall to the ground. That was when I noticed my daughter retreat inside her window. As they shook the limbs, she would throw grapes to the ground.” Gregorio shook his head. “If those boys had any sense at all, they would have known that grapes don’t grow on trees.” Angelo briefly smiled. He did find the story humorous but that still did not change anything.
Then Gregorio’s expression became serious. “Tomassi, let’s talk business.”
“I have nothing to talk about with you,” Angelo said.
“Yes, you do.” Gregorio handed him a manila envelope that fastened at the top. “I trust that the contents of these documents will be kept confidential. Read them. We can discuss the arrangements at ten sharp tomorrow morning. My contact number is there. Just let me know where we will meet.”
Gregorio looked at the envelope one more time and gave a single nod of his head; then he turned back around and simply walked away. Angelo stared at him until he saw him get on the elevator. He did not like this sudden appearance and disappearance of Gregorio. Something about their short exchange made his blood boil. His muscles tightened as he continued to the conference room and punched in the code. As the door shut behind him, Angelo hesitated for a moment. He knew before he ever unfastened the envelope that the contents meant something bad.
Angelo opened the envelope. He started to read as Rafa came out of the office in the back. Thirty seconds later, Angelo launched the envelope through the air.
“What happened?” Rafa asked.
“That son of a bitch threatened me. Gregorio used the one person who meant anything to me and threatened to take it away.”
Rafa took a few steps forward and picked up the strewn papers. He read them for himself. His brows rose as he shook his head back and forth. “What are you going to do now?” he asked.
Angelo inhaled a lungful of air and then exhaled. His expression reflected hatred and anger. Nobody threatened him. He did not care who they were. He thought about the trouble that Gregorio had caused him from the beginning. He would not put up with him anymore.
“What am I going to do?” He scowled at the empty envelope on the floor. “I’m going to give him exactly what he has asked for.”
CHAPTER 37
After ten minutes, Ella stared at the bed rail and yanked her arm a couple of
times. He’ll come back, won’t he? she thought. Then she glanced at the door and hung her head. As angry as Angelo was, he would not come back for a while. She had to talk to Sullivan, though. This may be her only chance.
She needed her purse from the table about eight feet away and stood, forgetting about the restraint when the handcuff yanked her body back down. There was a small space where she could slip her free arm and scoot the bed away from the wall. She needed to scoot the bed closer to the table with her purse.
Ella strained. She pushed against the wall and the bed with all her might, but the plush carpet prevented the bed from moving at all, leaving bright red indentions from the headboard on her arm. Then half-laying and half-sitting, Ella shoved the nightstand away from the bed with her feet. It took some twisting, but she managed to set her right foot flat on the floor. Her knee served as a wedge between the wall and the bed. It was a tight squeeze, but she was not giving up.
With every ounce of strength she could find, she forced the bed away from the wall with one fluid shove. Her footing slipped as it moved, and an instant burning sensation shot from her wrist to her arm as the entire weight from her body dangled with the handcuff. Ella shrieked in pain as she slipped her foot through the strap of her purse and yanked it to her hand.
She dumped out the contents, the light reflecting on one of the brown metal hairclips in the mess. She picked one of them up and opened it, bending it back and forth until she had an exact sliver of metal for fitting inside the end of the handcuffs.
Free!
Ella smiled at herself, triumphant with the simple task. Moving the bed had been much more difficult than freeing her hands. She basked in her small victory. Too bad, she was the only one who saw. Now all she had to do was move the furniture back. Angelo would be furious, but she could not stay restricted until he returned. There was too much on her mind.
Ella groaned when she saw the coded door. Only a few people knew the code; sadly, she was not one of them. The hotel’s phone would have to do and she dialed the number to room service. She almost felt ashamed with what she was doing. Her self-deprecating smile should have alerted the manager to her devious intentions as soon as she opened the door. Instead, he walked inside with the items she requested and waited for her to tell him where to set them down.
Ella pointed to the balcony as she slipped off her shoe and blocked the door from closing. As if it were a race, she rushed to the sliding glass door and shut it fast. It took half a second to fasten the lock secure. The manager looked surprised at first. He did not know what she was doing. Ella glanced at him as she shoved her personal belongings back in her purse. His expression seemed enlightened when he saw the cuffs. The poor manager probably felt extremely duped.
“I’m sorry,” she shouted with a smile. “I’m really sorry to do this to you, but I have no choice. Please enjoy the refreshments.”
***
Ella exited the elevator to the banquet hall. Everyone she passed dressed in designer clothes while she still wore the same clothes she had put on that morning. Her blouse and skirt were nice but nothing compared to the elite’s idea of formal. She felt slightly underdressed but could not worry about that. Where was Sullivan?
She walked and stopped, gazed around the room, and walked some more. There was no sign of him or anyone else she knew. Ella stopped by several tables lined with long silver platters. She realized how hungry she felt and could not resist the refreshments for the guests.
“Hey you.” A woman with a tight auburn ponytail and glaring blue eyes snarled the words. Ella was still chewing when the woman grabbed her arm. “These trays need to be replaced. What do you think you’re doing? The owner should fire you for eating the guest’s food.”
Ella picked another tiny cracker and popped it in her mouth. Why did strangers feel they had a right to touch her? The blatant rudeness of the clientele in Angelo’s establishments was growing old.
“Did you not hear me?” the woman asked. Ella started to open her mouth when she saw Angelo and Rafa coming around the corner. Rafa walked to the elevator and Angelo stopped not far from where she was. Forget about the woman. Ella needed to hide.
“I said…,” the woman started again when Ella huffed out a breath of air. She turned from watching Angelo to where the woman stood next to her.
“I am not an employee,” Ella declared. “Do you see me wearing an employee uniform or a nametag…anything? How dare you assume you can boss me or anyone else around anyway. Are you in charge? Would it kill you to treat those around you with a little respect? I promise people would be much more receptive to you if you were a little more civil.”
The woman stood speechless as a man in a white suit and brown hair walked up beside her. Ella almost looked away with annoyance. “What makes you think that you can speak to her that way?” he asked. “Do you have any idea who she is? I thought the guests in this hotel were always right.”
“Again,” Ella repeated, “I am not an employee. But if I was, I didn’t know status allowed you to act spoiled. I will remember that.” She started to leave when the woman spoke again.
“Wait,” she said. “I have never had someone talk to me that way.”
“Then I apologize,” Ella muttered and took a step.
“It’s nice to not have everyone suck up to me and tell me what I want to hear because I’m famous. My name is Lucy.”
“I hope you enjoy the party, Lucy.”
“Would you like to join me?”
Not really, Ella thought. “No, I can’t. I’m meeting someone but thank you.”
The woman nodded and gave her a genuine smile before walking off with the man. Ella took another cracker and stopped to revamp her thoughts. She almost forgot why she came when she watched Rafa come out of the elevator with the manager that she conned. She moved closer to hear but stayed near the bar to stay out of sight. One look at Angelo’s face told her that she should have stayed in the room. He turned to Rafa and smiled as the manager left them alone. It was not a friendly smile. It was more like the one he might use before he pulled the trigger on his gun. His glaring eyes disclosed what he really thought.
“Let me see if I understand.” Angelo breathed slow and deep as he fisted his hand against his chin. “She freed herself from the cuffs.” Rafa nodded in response. “She used the hotel phone and told the manager that we needed food.” Rafa smirked at Angelo. He looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Then she locked the manager outside and left the room altogether.”
“Yes, you seem to understand the sequence of events perfectly.”
Angelo shook his head and waved his hand through the air. “Okay, that is all I need to know. I am going to kill her,” he growled. “Where is she?”
“Here’s the catch,” said Rafa. “The tracking signal traces her right to this room.”
Angelo looked at Rafa and they both started looking around the banquet hall. What tracking signal did they mean? Ella instantly remembered the jewelry they took and Rafa’s sarcastic response. She looked down at Angelo’s ring on her finger. They would not have done that, would they?
Ella felt like a fool. Was that why Angelo told her never to remove the ring? Did it have nothing to do with showing that they were a couple? She felt a lot less important than she had a moment earlier. Angelo had tracked her the entire time. That was how he knew she was outside the lobby’s back door earlier that day.
Ella turned and started to walk the other direction. The elevator was on the other side of Angelo and Rafa. She would never make it without them seeing. She had to find another way around. At the very least, she needed a quiet spot to think. Between the growing crowds and the constant bustle of employees, it was impossible to find a clear path. She ended up down a small hallway and in an empty room. The room only had plain beige carpeting and florescent lights on the ceiling. The employees must have moved the tables and chairs into the main room.
Ella sighed. It saddened her to look at the ring. It held so much meaning
that she could not fathom it as a mere tracking device. They tracked her just like the men who were associated with her father without any consideration of her thoughts or feelings. They did as they pleased concerning her.
The confrontation with Angelo might as well happen now rather than later, and she turned back toward the door. Ella’s voice screeched. Angelo was not supposed to be in the room, and his glaring eyes did nothing for her nerves. His gaze seemed to look through her and straight to the wall behind. A second later, he yanked his gun from the inside of his jacket. Angelo raised the gun before Ella could think. Ella thought she was dead.
Her heart raced fast as she opened her eyes. Ella felt no pain. She had no idea about what happened and whom Angelo shot. She lifted her head and looked up at him. Angelo stared behind her and looked all around. His gun pointed in every direction as though anyone would jump out. He held out his hand to her without ever looking at her face. His chin gestured her to stand.
“You realize this is strike two,” he said and squeezed his hand around her arm. He started to walk, but before he reached the door, Sullivan burst inside. He seemed surprised to see Angelo.
“What do you need?” Angelo spoke in an irritated voice at seeing him there. His eyes narrowed at Sullivan; his finger was still on the trigger of his gun. For a second, Ella feared that Angelo would shoot.
Sullivan looked at Angelo and then at Ella. “I was just making sure that she was okay,” he said and walked directly back out of the room. Ella felt her body grow numb with his departure. He would not be able to talk to her now.
CHAPTER 38
Angelo gave her a slight push as they entered the suite again. His face showed neither a frown nor a grin. He glanced at her for a second and pointed at the recliner by the balcony door. “Sit down,” he said and slid off his coat. He shook it once and laid it over a small table in the entry of the room; his tie and the top buttons on his shirt were next as he sat down on the bed. Ella waited for his inevitable scolding but he said nothing. He had never been angered to silence.