“And now?”
“Surprisingly, he was okay with it. Told me no matter what I did he would be proud of me and he meant it.”
“Of course he did. What’s not to be proud of?”
“I told him my concerns. I’m afraid once I finish my degree, and if I even get accepted to the agency, that I will be used against him, and I don’t know if I could do that. He does illegal things, I know this, but I won’t be the one to bring my own father down.”
“What are your other options?”
“Get a degree, try to find another job . . . or go into the family business.”
“What did your dad say?”
“Again, he encouraged me. Told me I could only catch him if he made a mistake, and then he reminded me he doesn’t make those.” A small grin escapes, and I can almost laugh because I can picture that conversation in my head.
“What’s holding you back?”
“You.” I go to argue, and he doesn’t let me get a word out. “Hush. You’re taking it the wrong way. First, with all that’s happening, I don’t want to be away from you, leaving you alone for four years. With dual enrollment, I could finish in one for my bachelor’s degree, but I’d have a better shot at getting in with a masters. Second, your dad is already pissed about us, and he really wants to take over the family when my dad retires, but if I step into the mix or follow my dream, his plans are derailed, and I’m afraid he will take it out on you. I won’t be responsible for my actions. There are too many variables, and I don’t work like that.”
“Yes. Everything in your life has a place, a reason, and sometimes you have to realize things are just the way they are, and it’s out of your control. You can’t control my dad and his reactions, only he can. You can’t control if you become an agent and they want you to work against your dad, you can only control if you decide to do it. Every action has a reaction, and you can only manage yours.”
“I’m not wired like that. I have to have a contingency plan. I have to know what’s going to happen.”
“You can’t plan for everything. You’ll occasionally get thrown a curve ball and have to adapt.”
“I never have before.” He’s right. He’s always made a plan and followed through with it, almost like he bends the will of the God and guarantees it to turn out in his favor.
“Well, why not finish your senior year and see where things stand with my dad. Regardless, go to college, you will need a degree one way or another.” The last thing I want him to be is in the family business. I shudder thinking of it. He won’t deal well, the uncertainty, the risks, the split-second decisions.
“Let’s just table this until Christmas break.”
“Deal, but you make me a promise?”
“What?”
“Follow your heart. Chase your dreams.”
“I have. You’re now mine. You are my heart and dreams.”
“You know you already have me; you don’t have to keep trying to charm me.”
He laughs. “I’ve never had to charm you, you were mine from day one.”
“True.” I can’t deny that.
“You staying at our house tonight?”
“He didn’t tell me to come home, he hasn’t called me all day, so I guess it’s business as usual.”
“A simple yes would suffice.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Before I can laugh, he grabs me and pulls me on his lap, once again adjusting me so I’m not straddling him, no chance of us bumping uglies, let alone touching uglies through the barrier of our clothes. “When are you going to stop treating me like I’m going to break? It’s okay to touch me.”
“Callie,” he groans. “In time. This is new, you’re young, and I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
“You are making me uncomfortable. You make me feel less than.”
“Less than what?”
“Less than all the other girls you’ve been with.”
“Let’s get something straight, there are no other girls. You are it for me. Get your head out of that place you go to. As for being less than, Callie, you’re wrong. You’re so much more. More than anyone else before you, and there won’t be anyone after you because you are my end game.” Sometimes the simplest words are the most profound. He knows how to weave a fairytale around me and make me believe we will live it out. But with him I’m secure in the knowledge it isn’t just pretty words. He has always backed them up with actions, and he truly believes what he’s promising me. Therefore, I believe it, too.
Chapter 6
Bronson
Curiosity kills the cat, and this girl is so damn curious. I have her sitting across my lap; she shifts so she’s straddling me. Exactly what I have been trying to avoid. Add her naivety to the situation, and she doesn’t realize planting her pussy right against my hardening dick is not helping my self-control. Bringing her lips to mine, I grab hold of her hips to try and shift her back, in turn, she pushes against me, creating friction. I know the moment she realizes because her gasp is audible.
“Exactly, Callie. This is what I was trying to avoid. Too much too soon.” I reluctantly finish lifting her off my lap and sit her next to me. Here at the warehouses, surrounded by the water of the Gulf of Mexico, it’s a beautiful setting . . . a sharp contrast to the dirty work that goes on here. It’s become my escape the last few months, and having her here brings me another sense of serenity. The businesses are located about thirty minutes from where we live in Indian Shores, Florida, so we’re actually looking over Clearwater Beach when we’re here. Our parents tried to keep us separate from the businesses, but everyone knows, so it didn’t do a lot of good. I hate the respect that comes with our name because it’s a respect out of fear, not because of the type of people we are. I want to be respected on my merit, for my work, for doing good . . . not because people are afraid of my family.
“Sorry,” her soft voice flows between us.
“Don’t be sorry. I get your curious, but I can only handle so much, and we have so much time ahead of us. Don’t doubt I enjoy touching you, but there’s a time for everything.”
“And we have all the time in the world?” That should have been a statement. A confirmation of our future, but instead it is a question.
“Yes, I promise.” We sit in silence, both lost in our own thoughts until the roar of the boat startles us. Glancing up as it docks, I realize it’s my dad’s. I get a sick feeling in my gut. It is always kept at home; we take it out as a family or with our friends. It’s our personal boat, and there are many others used for business. Marco and another man step off and come to a halt when they see us.
I stand but place my hand on her shoulder, silently instructing her to stay put. I make the dozen or more steps to reach the men. “What are you doing with that boat? Others are at your discretion to use.”
Marco sneers at me, but when the other man next to him uses my name, he clears all hostility from his face and tries to show some decorum. “Mr. Agosto, we had a job to handle, the guy lives on his boat. We had to use the water to contact him.”
“Why my father’s personal one?”
The cugine looks to Marco for an answer. “The usual one was out for repairs. This job was of utmost importance, so we were given your father’s to use.” Something doesn’t feel right, so I take out my phone and call my godfather, my mom’s brother Luis, who happens to be the Consigliere of our family. “Luis, Marco, and another associate took Papa’s boat out for a job. Can you handle this?” I listen to him agree and hang up.
I stand there in front of them, showing no weakness, and I notice Marco’s gaze keeps returning to Callie. It’s pissing me off, and when Luis gets there he has a few of our men with him. “Make sure it’s clean,” he orders and turns to me. I follow him a few feet away to have a conversation. “Bronson, bring it down a notch with them. I’ve called your dad, he said it was a misunderstanding, but don’t throw your muscle around with those two. They aren’t part of the familia yet, and it can get dan
gerous. I was at the meeting yesterday, I get there are underlying reasons, but let us handle it, Figlio.”
“Frank wasn’t happy about the new arrangements?” I can tell by the press of his lips I’m correct. “What more does that man want? His daughter will be loved, provided for, and married to the son of the head of the organization. I don’t know what more he could ask for.”
“Nothing seems to be enough for him, but I don’t believe this whole scenario,” he nods his head towards Frank’s cohorts. “But it isn’t your place, and you need to remember that.” He is putting me in my place, but in all fairness, he is right. I’m losing my cool and I need to step back.
I get where he’s coming from. This isn’t my place, and I don’t want to be that person who oversteps boundaries, but when it comes to Callie, I will throw whatever weight I have to. I don’t buy this whole misunderstanding thing, and from what Luis said he doesn’t either, but I know I won’t get very far in questioning them. You never take your personal transport when dealing with family business. It muddies the waters and puts too much at risk. That is Mob 101 and by Frank ordering otherwise, he just showed his true colors. He is after something, and it isn’t sitting well with me. I just nod and turn around to go get Callie and get her out of here. I barely stop as I get to her, reaching for her hand and leading her away.
“You okay?”
“Nope. Don’t like the way he looks at you, and I don’t trust him.” I try to keep my tone even, I’m not mad at her and don’t want to take it out on her.
“Bronson,” she says as she pulls on my hand to stop me. “Don’t get mixed up in this unless you’re going to follow in your dad’s footsteps. You know the rules, we are the children of bosses’, we don’t question the authority but are protected . . . but there’s always someone willing to overlook the rules.”
“If I do . . . If I chose this life, would you still be by my side?”
“I wouldn’t like it, but there’s nowhere else I would be.” I don’t want this for me, for her, and it’s not how I envisioned our future, but I will do whatever is needed to stay close to her and keep her safe. “There’s other options, you know that.”
Is there? That seems to be the one question over and over. Is there really room for my dreams, my desires in this life I was born into? I shake it off and walk with her back to the car, feeling her hand in mine, almost like a lifeline binding me to her, connecting us and holding us together. “Let’s try and beat Bianca and Dakota back to the house.” I need a distraction and maybe going a couple rounds on a mindless video game with my best friend will help. Callie is a distraction, but she’s also the reason behind all of these feelings. I’ve always wanted to do right by her, now I have to.
Her phone goes off, and I watch her face fall as she reads the text. “Who’s that?”
“My dad.” Her voice is shaking, and her hand is clammy in mine.
“What now?” Fuck, could people just leave us alone for once.
“I think I’m gonna head home tonight.”
“Did he say you had to?” She is biting her lip, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks.
“I just think it’s best.”
“Give me the fucking phone, Callie,” I don’t mean for my tone to be that, but when she flinches away from me, I cuss under my breath. Son of a bitch, I’m scaring her when she’s already traumatized by whatever’s on her phone.
Silently, she hands me the phone, tears streaming down her face.
Don’t make me regret your arrangement. Heard your boy was asking questions - do you think he’d still want you if you looked like this?
Attached is an image that makes me sick. A woman’s beaten and bloodied face stares up at me from the skin. “Jesus, who is this?”
“My mom.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Bronson. I’m sure. I’ve lived it.” I realize this isn’t the first time, that’s why she recognized her so easily. Her laugh catches me off guard. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Babe, this isn’t your fault.”
“No, I don’t care about that. She checked out on being my mom a long time ago. I’ll make sure she’s okay, but she’s probably passed out. What I’m more worried about is his mention of you. He scares me daily, but now I’m just mad.”
“Don’t go home tonight. Stay. I promise I’ll be okay, he isn’t stupid enough to hurt me, and you said your mom is fine.”
She wants to, but I know she won’t. She doesn’t want to rock the boat with her dad, but I’m not letting her go back there. I hate the ultimatum I give her. “If you go back there tonight, I have no choice but to tell my dad about his implied threat.”
Her eyes round. I’ve never threatened her before, and I’ve always made her feel safe, like she had a voice, an outlet with me. I can’t jeopardize her safety. Not now.
“I’m sleeping in Bianca’s room.” I laugh.
“No doubt.”
“I’m mad at you for putting me in this situation.”
Sure she is. “I’m sorry. I know it must be hard choosing between us.”
“There’s no choice. You win every time.” I lean over the console and give her a fast kiss, and before I can lose my head, I start the car and drive home.
Things were so great that summer, date nights, days on the water, Callie safe and with me. With school starting our time will be limited to the weekends and occasional evenings after homework and activities. I’m trying to keep up my grades, watch out for her and Bianca, but somehow I am failing. She is becoming withdrawn, losing weight, losing her spark, and it scares me to death. The stress of her home life is crashing down on her, but I’ll be dammed if I let it crush her.
I watch her press her hand in between her rib cage, applying pressure and wincing. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she lies. I can tell from the breathy tone that she’s hurting.
“Let’s go,” I demand standing up.
“Where?”
“I’m taking you to the doctor.” As she starts protesting, I lean over and pick her up. She has no other option with this, no bargaining, no more telling me she’s fine, or if it’s not better soon she’ll go to the doctor. That’s all I’ve heard for the past two months. She starts crying, and it drives me insane. I can’t stand to see her in any kind of pain. “What? What are you worried about?” Immediately my mind goes to a dark place; what if her dad has been hurting her? I gently lift her shirt up to look at her sternum and suck in a breath when I realize I can count each one of her ribs. “Damn it, Callie. Are you eating at all?”
“It hurts to, and when I do, it won’t stay down.”
Shit. I break all records and get her to the doctor in no time at all. She lets me go back with her and after some poking and prodding, her crying; he tells us it’s an ulcer. A fucking bleeding ulcer most likely caused from stress. I make a promise to myself to take every burden from her and carry it myself. Taking her back to my house, I watch her sleep, not wanting to leave her side. The medicine he gave her for pain knocked her out, and I made sure we had bland food for her to eat until she felt better. I’ll take her monthly until her blood counts are up and she is out of danger. One more reason I can’t leave at the end of the year and go away to school.
Chapter 7
Callie
I know he’s been worried since the doctor diagnosed me with the ulcer. I’m feeling much better, slowly getting my appetite back, but he won’t quit hovering.
“Bronson, this isn’t something you can fix. You can’t cure everything.”
“I’ll make sure you take your medicine, get your blood work, and heal. Callie, this could have been much worse. You’ve got to quit doing this to yourself. You can’t control everything.” I know he’s worried. I see the concern all over his face. When you add in the fact this is something out of his power, and he blames my dad for this situation, he is a wee bit overbearing. I will overlook the way he just talked to me.
“I get it. Sorr
y, but you have to lighten up. These are the last few months we have together until you go away to school. Let’s not spend them arguing.” He narrows his eyes at me, not liking when I discuss the inevitable elephant in the room. College. Going away. He swears he doesn’t want to, but I fight him every step.
“I have other options,” he warns me.
“I know this, we’ve talked about it until we’re blue in the face. Don’t let us being together change your plans. We have a lifetime. We’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. You go be awesome.” Shaking his head at me, pulling his lips into a thin line, he shows he is annoyed. He is unbreakable as far as this is concerned, but I feel strongly about him not altering his plans.
“How’s your dad been lately?” The one subject he uses to trump what I want.
“Fine, actually. He’s been gone a lot in meetings.” He is studying my response. I don’t ever actually lie to him but do skirt the truth and divert his questioning.
“Your mom?”
“Same. Either buried in a bottle of booze or doped up on pills. Parenting at its best. I believe the Mother of the Year Award should be arriving any time now.” He laughs at this.
“God, you’re a smartass.” I know he was trying to bring up the reasons he should stay, but I’ve been handling this for almost seventeen years. Well, tomorrow will be seventeen because it will be my birthday.
“I’m your smartass, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Kissing my nose, he says, “Nope, you’re perfect the way you are. I could do with less attitude when I’m trying to protect you, though.”
“I’m not giving you attitude. I just want you to succeed in whatever you want. I know you haven’t made up your mind about your future, but regardless, you’re going to college. And to FSU.”
“I’m not going to FSU. I told you USF has the same courses and is only an hour away. I can commute and not much will change.” I roll my eyes at him. He, in turn, raises his eyebrow at me, warning me subtly that isn’t a smart move.
Bellissimo Fortuna (Beautiful Fortune) Page 5