“You want some vampire backup.”
“It’s like you’re reading my mind.” Donna chewed on her bottom lip. This felt like a big ask. “You in?”
“That depends. Who are these heavy hitters?”
Donna hesitated. “Russian Mafia.”
Neo laughed as she let out a curse. “Straight up?”
“Yep.”
“Oh, I’m in. I’m so in I’m already there. What do you wear to a meeting with the Russian mob?”
“I’d say dress tough but sharp. If that makes sense.”
“Sure thing. Like I’m part of your personal security detail, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Hey. Are you inviting Bunni and Francine to this too?”
“No, just you. Why? Do you think I should?”
“Bunni will be bent out of shape if you don’t. Francine won’t care, but she’d get a kick out of it. But Bunni could be a liability, so…your call.”
“Hmm. I guess I could reach out to them.” Frankly, Donna was surprised Neo had brought Bunni up. Neither woman liked the other much.
“Well, like I said, your call. It’s your meeting. What time do you need me?”
“We’ll pick you up at eleven thirty. Meeting is at Pravda. You know it?”
“Yeah. That’s not my scene, too human-y, but I’m aware of it. I’ll see you then.”
“Call if anything comes up.”
“Like I’d miss this. Later.”
Donna hung up, then dialed Bunni.
The young woman answered right away. “Hiya, Donna. How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
“I am fantastic. I’m packing for a quick trip.”
“Oh? Where are you going?”
“Home to Puerto Rico for two days. Just to see my abuela to surprise her for her birthday, then I’ll be home in time for Francine’s party.”
Donna had completely forgotten about Francine throwing a party in her honor. But Bunni’s trip made everything else easier. “That sounds so nice. I hope you have a safe trip and a great time. I’ll see you at the party, then.”
“For sure. Is that what you called about?”
“I was going to ask if you wanted to do something with Neo and me tonight, but you’re obviously busy. Another time.”
“Neo? You know I don’t like her.”
“Well, it was her idea I call you, so maybe you should rethink that.”
“It was? Huh. Maybe next time, okay?”
“You got it.”
They hung up, and Donna dialed Francine next. Her voicemail picked up, so Donna left a quick, vague message and hung up. If Francine was planning a party, she probably didn’t have the time—or the desire—to go out tonight. Besides, she might be a vampire, but she still looked like a senior citizen.
Not really the standard Pravda patron.
With the calls made, Donna stuck the phone in her waistband, then went down to start her day for the second time.
Her hunger pushed her toward the kitchen and the supply of blood in her refrigerator. She’d have to cancel the regular shipment she’d set up. Or have it sent to the penthouse. Although she supposed the penthouse had its own supply, but then, how much was she going to need? She had Pierce now. She just wasn’t sure how often she could feed from him without doing him harm. But then, as long as she was feeding him in return, didn’t that balance things out?
She didn’t know. “Pierce?”
“Yes?” He answered from another part of the house.
“Where are you?”
“Gym,” he called out.
“Okay.” She stuck the bag of blood in a bowl of hot water from the Instahot to warm, then went to the exercise room at the back of the house.
He was using the lat pulldown machine, his sweaty T-shirt stuck to his broad back. She leaned against the door, admiring the view. He took very good care of himself.
He caught her watching in the mirrors and smiled, then finished his set and got up. “Feel better with some more sleep in your system?”
“I do. I have a question.”
He toweled off his face. “Shoot.”
“How often can I feed from you if I’m feeding you in return?”
He shrugged. “Daily, pretty much.”
“Really? That seems like a lot.”
“It’s a symbiotic relationship.” He scrubbed at his hair next. “Are you hungry? I can take a quick shower.”
“I am, but it’s all right. I already have a bag warming in the kitchen.”
He shook his head. “You have two very important meetings this evening. You need to be as sharp as possible.”
She loved how he looked after her. How he always thought about what was best for her. It was so drastically different from her life with Joe, but then their relationship had certainly been unbalanced. She smiled. “Then I’ll feed again.”
He smiled back. “Deal.”
“I’ll let you get back to it.”
“I’m mostly done. I need to get back to actual work anyway. Speaking of, do you have the titles for the cars? I’ve been researching what they’re worth and sending out a few teasers to some car auctions I know. I think you’re going to be surprised at how much they bring with Joe’s name attached.”
That reminded her of the picture Lucinda had been going on about. “I have the titles in the safe. As far as getting back to work, I’d say you’ve been busy already.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” But he looked pleased. “Speaking of, I already pulled the cars out of the garage and took pictures of them in the sun and sent those along too. Do you need me to do anything for you right now?”
“No. I have to figure out what I’m wearing tonight, and I have to look for something in Joe’s office, but then I’m going to work on packing some items for the penthouse, since I guess tonight is our first night officially in residence there.” She put her hand to her face. “That’s actually a lot to do. I guess I could use some help with the packing later. But only when your stuff is done.”
“Just tell me when you need me, and I’m there.”
“Okay.” She grimaced. “Actually, I can’t pack without boxes.”
“Already handled. I went out and got some this morning when you were sleeping. Four wardrobe boxes and a slew of smaller ones. Probably not enough, but it’s a start. They’re out in the garage. What do you want me to pack first?”
“Awesome! You really do think of everything. As far as packing, maybe you could start with the family photos on the piano? Those with Joe in them can be left behind.”
“Sounds good. I was thinking we should use Joe’s Escalade. At least for the first load. It has more room than your sedan. Temo offered to come over and get some things too. Or I can run a load over before the sun goes down. That will mean less work for your trip over.”
“Having Temo come over is probably not a bad idea. I think I could fill the Escalade with clothes alone. Well, maybe not. I don’t have nearly as many clothes since becoming a vampire required me to get a new wardrobe.”
“You should probably do some shopping, too, then.”
She grinned. “I’m never opposed to that. Especially if the governor’s credit card is paying for it. Have Temo come over. The more we can get out of the way, the better. That will make the last trip over easier since I’ll already have my hands full with Lucky and all his stuff.”
Pierce smiled. “I called Charlie and gave her a list of everything Lucky needs. His favorite foods, his brand of litter, all of that. All you’ll have to do is put him in his carrier and bring him and his toys.”
Her brows lifted. “Wow, you are definitely earning your salary. Thank you.”
He gave her a little bow. “I also gave her a list of some of the other things I know you like. The kind of coffee you drink, the creamer you use, your favorite wines, those sorts of things. Pretty much you just need whatever clothes, toiletries, and personal items you want.”
She shook her hea
d. “I could kiss you on the mouth.”
His eyes darkened with obvious desire. “I’d let you. But I really do need to shower.”
She blushed as she realized that he’d let her off the hook graciously when her words had come out before she’d thought them over. “Thanks. I should get to work.”
“See you in a bit, then.”
She went back toward Joe’s office. Her attraction to Pierce was there, for sure, but she just wasn’t ready to pair up again. Even if Pierce was basically perfect.
And she knew Rico was never going to happen. She’d resigned herself to that reality. A relationship with him would be too complicated, and even if those complications went away, she’d learned enough to know that all he could ever be was a fling. Werewolves and vampires didn’t end up together, because werewolves mated for life with their own kind.
Not that a fling would be so bad. But then again, she could feel herself changing, wanting different things, and something about becoming governor made her think that one-night stands weren’t the way forward.
She wasn’t looking for a new husband either, though. Her job was the only thing she planned to be married to for a long time.
There was a lot of responsibility in a job like that. Maybe second only to her job as a mom. She was determined to do her absolute best.
She slipped into Joe’s office. The lights were still on from Lucinda’s visit. That woman was one crazy piece of work. Could there really be a picture? And if there was, was it just a picture? Or was there something else to it?
Donna would have to answer the first question before she could answer the second. But after a good half an hour of digging through Joe’s desk and riffling through the cabinets that made up the bottom half of the bookcases, she’d found nothing. If there was a picture, it wasn’t in this room.
Just for good measure, she pulled out the copy of The Godfather, pressed the little button beside it, and opened the bookcase to double-check the stash room hidden behind it. Still empty.
Everything in here, except for the cash and a couple of small odds and ends, had gone to Rico and the FBI. The back wall had housed an arsenal of guns. Now it was bare, and only their outlines remained in the niches where they’d been stored.
She did a slow turn, checking every inch. There was no secret stash within the stash. So whatever Lucinda had wanted to find, it wasn’t in here.
Could it have been in this room? Had Rico taken it without knowing? Even more interesting, had Lucinda known about this hiding spot? If so, how? Because Donna found it incredibly hard to believe that Joe would have told his sister about this secret room when he’d had ledgers in here detailing his years of criminal behavior on behalf of Lucinda’s husband.
Or were those ledgers what she was after? Was she trying to protect Big Tony? That was plausible. Lucinda would kill to keep him in power and thereby secure her own position. But again, how would she know about those ledgers? Or this room?
Donna couldn’t figure it out. And honestly, she no longer cared. She tipped her head back and pinched the bridge of her nose. Lucinda was such a giant pain in the—
There was an access panel in the ceiling.
Chapter Six
No more than twelve by twelve, the small panel was painted the same white as the walls and ceiling. It was framed out with simple molding and looked like nothing interesting.
Except, in light of Lucinda’s visit, even the uninteresting was worth investigating.
How had Donna not noticed it before? She probably had and just thought nothing of it. Had Rico seen it? Had he already opened it? If so, he hadn’t said anything to her. And she hadn’t noticed him doing it.
She ran to the kitchen for a step stool and a flashlight, then propped the stool under the panel and climbed up.
The first good push, and it gave way. She moved the panel to the side, then flicked on the flashlight and poked her head up to have a look around. What on earth could need this much hiding?
A few things, apparently.
The first was a bundle of cash. The same size as what had been stacked on the shelves in the stash room, so Donna knew it was fifty grand. Chump change compared with the five million she’d already found. She tossed the money down and went back in.
The second was something bundled in an old rag.
The moment she picked it up, she knew what it was. A gun. She lifted enough of the fabric to confirm she was right, careful not to touch it. There was only one reason a gun would be hidden like this. It had been used in a crime and could incriminate someone.
She climbed down from the step stool and put the gun on a shelf. That was definitely going to Rico.
Back up and she found the third thing. A small, yellowed photograph in a cheap little gilt frame. And it fit the description of the one Lucinda had been looking for. Why that would be up here, Donna hadn’t a clue.
She took one last look to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, then put the panel back in place. She’d left her phone upstairs, which was where she needed to go anyway. But as soon as she got up there, she’d send Rico a text.
She put the step stool and the flashlight away, came back for the cash and the photo, then went upstairs to focus on something much more enjoyable. The right outfit to show Governor Fitzhugh who was boss.
First, however, the cash and the photo went into the big safe in the walk-in closet. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with either, but this way she didn’t have to worry about them.
Except, she was essentially moving out of this house tonight.
She stood there for a moment, just looking into the safe. Really, everything in there needed to be taken to the governor’s penthouse. But was there a safe over there? There had to be, right?
She found her phone and sent Rico a text first. Found a gun I want to turn over to you. Can you come by today?
Next, she looked up Charlie’s number and sent her a text. Is there a safe at the penthouse?
Charlie’s response came back so fast, Donna figured the woman probably never walked away from her phone.
Yes, there’s a safe. Will this do?
A pic followed. The safe was large and looked a lot more high-tech than what Donna had in her closet.
Donna responded, Thank you! That’s perfect.
Now she just had to remind herself to clear this one out before she left for the penthouse. A single small box would do it.
But first, she had to deal with her closet. She started looking through the assortment of clothing she had that fit her new vampire frame. The turning had changed her in ways she’d never imagined possible. For one thing, it had given her an instant, full-body makeover.
Breasts lifted, waist trimmed, arms firmed, thighs toned. It had done what all her years of yoga and running and Pilates and spin class and barre class and every other freakin’ class had failed to accomplish.
It was as if every carb she’d ever eaten had been forgiven overnight. And they continued to be forgiven, which was the real miracle.
Then there was her face. The fine lines had disappeared. Her eyes had brightened, as had her skin. Her pores were invisible. Her jowls, one of the worst things about aging, had returned to the same shape they’d been in during her thirties, meaning her jawline was just as firm as could be. The Botox and fillers she’d come to think of as a necessary evil were no longer on her beauty-regime menu.
Not much was, really. Sure, she still cleaned off her makeup before bed, but that was about it.
Best of all, however, was the internal change. She wasn’t just stronger and faster. As best as she could tell, her hot flashes were gone. So were her night sweats. All the joyous changes that came with approaching the big Five-O had vanished.
That alone was enough to make her smile. And she did that a lot lately. Mostly thanks to Pierce. He’d saved her from death at the hands of the Immortus Concilio, and she owed him for that.
She hoped she could repay him properly one day.
He seemed
happy in his new position as her assistant. Maybe even more so now that she was governor, but she didn’t feel that prestige or place meant much to him. After all, he’d left his job as a highly paid Manhattan attorney to be at her side.
He genuinely seemed to be in it for her. That was a concept so foreign to Donna, she hadn’t fully wrapped her head around it.
Life with Joe had been…well, all about Joe. And the family. Not family, as in her and the kids, but rather, the Villachis. The Mafia family she’d unwittingly married into.
But since Joe’s death, she’d finally begun to pull away from that dark life. That’s what she wanted. What she’d always wanted. Freedom.
It was the whole reason she’d been willing to turn state’s evidence for Rico and go into WITSEC.
Freedom from the threat of everything bad the mob brought with it. Not just for herself, but for her two children. Christina and Joe Jr. understood how awful their father had been. They’d done everything they could to distance themselves from him.
Donna didn’t blame them either.
She just hoped that they’d understand about her new situation. She hadn’t chosen it, but with every passing day, she realized what a strange and unusual blessing this new life was.
Not for all the great physical reasons, but because she now had the power to defend herself. And some amazing new people had come into her life. And with her rise to governor, she was finally in a position, literally and financially, to do good things.
Things that would balance out some of the terrible things Joe and the Villachis had authored.
That alone was reason to get up and get moving.
With that buoyant thought, she dug into her reduced wardrobe to see how best she could present herself to the governor of New York. And then, the head of the Russian Mafia.
Several outfits later, she was standing in front of her mirror looking at yet another option when someone knocked on her bedroom door.
“Pierce?”
“Yep. Do you want any packing help up here?”
“I’m okay there, but I could use an opinion. Come on in.”
Suck It Up, Buttercup: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (First Fangs Club Book 2) Page 5