Marked

by Skylar West

  "Yes," she sighed. "I hear you. Jimmy, I was talking to Tessa today. I asked her about Christina. She said I look a lot like her, and I was wondering, if, well, like me, did you have a type? Did the women you dated or had sex with remind you of me?"

  "What difference does it make, T? We're together now."

  She sat up, facing me, her face angry. "Because, Jimmy, don't you get it? Maggie and I look alike. I could be her mother or older sister. You must have had a type, just answer my damn question."

  "First of all, don't demand. I am looking for your motivation in asking, and why did you talk to Tessa about Christina? What did you want to know?"

  "I didn't ask about her looks. I only asked if she had met her, and she said only once. She said that all your one-night stands looked alike, that she couldn't keep track, and that they all looked a little like me. It made me feel better to know I wasn't the only idiot trying to find what I had with you with other men."

  I pulled her back down and into my arms. "Yes, T, every girl had something you had, either the eyes or the hair colour or a mannerism. I looked for you in every girl I spent time with. Does that make you feel better?"

  She blew her bangs off her forehead, her attempt at looking annoyed. "Yes."

  "Yes, what?" I asked. She didn't answer. I began to tickle her. "Yes, what?"

  "Yes, oh God, please stop, yes, Sir."

  "Good girl," I soothed, kissing her neck. "Now, let's go to sleep. I have to head in early to work tomorrow."

  "Do you want me to take Maggie to school?"

  "No, T, I'd rather you stay here. I will take Maggie to school."

  She hesitated. "You're not going to make me a princess imprisoned in the tower, here, are you?"

  "And if I am, what are you going to do about it? What if I decided to tie you to my bed for a month and only untie you to let you pee and bathe?"

  She laughed. "Then I guess I'd say, as long as I get spanked and fucked every day, I'm okay with that."

  I laughed. "Tesoro, you make me happy, you know that?"

  She sighed as she snuggled back as far into me as she could. "Yes, Jimmy, I know that, and you make me happy, too." She sighed again and then stilled, already asleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Theresa

  I knew Jimmy was working on a plan. The fact he was no longer sharing what he knew with me meant that, somehow, I was involved.

  After Jimmy and Maggie left that morning, I phoned his father. "Hello, Mr. Falcone, this is Theresa Romano."

  Dead silence from the other end.

  "I know you don't want to speak with me, but I need to know one thing. Is Jimmy in danger because of me?"

  Again, silence. I prayed the answer was no, that this was just a giant mistake.

  "Theresa, in a roundabout way, yes, but that's all I can say. If you want to know more, you must talk to Jimmy, himself. I wish things had been different; I know how much my son loves you, but hear me, Theresa, he has been slated in for something else, something beyond my control or his. If you stay, you will only make things harder."

  "Thank you for your honesty," I said and hung up the phone. I knew in my gut, even back when we were kids, that James was against us being a match, and he had probably moved the family when he saw the inevitability of us being together in the future. I loved Jimmy and Maggie, but if staying endangered him, them, then I needed to leave.

  I decided to call Bobby and see if he would talk me out of it. "Hey, T, what's up?"

  "Bobby, do you know what's going on? Has Josh told you anything?"

  A slight hesitation, followed by, "Not really, why?"

  "I spoke with Jimmy's father, and he told me that my being here is endangering Jimmy, and I'm thinking I need to go. What do you think I should do?"

  "T, listen, girl, you need to talk to him. I'm sure he has a plan, and you taking off may put his plan in jeopardy. Maybe leaving, at least for a little while, is a good thing, but I don't know. I can't answer that for you."

  "Okay," I sighed, "later," and I pressed end on my cell.

  I texted Josh.

  Me: Need to talk, can you come by?

  I didn't trust that my phone hadn't been tampered with. I needed Josh to run a scan on my number and let me know who, if anyone, was listening in and how traceable I was.

  Josh: Yep, see you shortly. Don't answer until you know it's me, Theresa.

  T: okay

  His extra warning spoke volumes; something big was happening in the Falcone world. When Josh arrived, he texted me that he was out front. I double checked the security footage and then let him in. I felt like I was living in Fort Knox, and I didn't like it one bit. I ushered him in, and we went to the kitchen for coffee.

  "Josh, I need some help, but first of all, do you know what's happening with Jimmy and Joe?"

  "Only some, Theresa, but I can't share anything with you at this point."

  "Damn, no one wants to answer me. At least Jimmy's father gave me some honesty."

  Josh's eyes perked up at the mention of the elder Falcone. "What exactly did he say?"

  I shared with him my conversation with James. "And he thinks I'm endangering Jimmy by being here. I need to know if you agree," I finished.

  He pursed his lips, considering his answer. "I don't know. I agree with Bobby—he texted me after you called him—you should talk to Jimmy. He's a smart guy, Theresa. If he can find an honest way out of this shit, he'll do it. Then again, he might not get the chance; the odds are stacked against him."

  Maybe with me out of the game, he would think more clearly. "I know what I need to do, and I need your help, Josh." I shared my plan with him, and he agreed to help me.

  Jimmy

  I decided to rip off the Band-Aid and call a meeting with the big guns. Joseph would fly out from Italy and arrive in the states the day after tomorrow. I had a few days to get my plan in place. That night at dinner, the energy was subdued, all except Maggie, that is. She was as bubby as ever and talked Theresa's ear off about an Instagram post T had done for her.

  "Maggie, I told you no social media. How do you know T's posts were a hit if you're not on there?" I thought I'd caught her in a lie.

  "Oh, Daddy, because, at school today, all anyone was talking about was the party created by MagT entertainment." She giggled. "Seriously, like it's totally trending right now, Dad."

  Theresa smiled, "I'm glad for you, Maggie, and Dean, did he say anything?"

  "Yes!" she shouted. "He came up to my locker and said he hopes he gets an invite to my next party and he winked. Seriously, T, at me. Then he said he'd see me later and headed off for class. I almost turned into a puddle right there on the floor."

  Theresa and Maggie both started laughing and then they did some high five combination, and I shook my head. In a few short weeks, my daughter and my girlfriend had become besties. "Do I want to know who this Dean fellow is or what you two are talking about?"

  They both turned and said, "No," at the same time and then went into more peals of laughter.

  I shook my head again, amused. "I really like seeing you two together having fun; it warms my heart." It was meant to be an 'aw' moment, and it was for Maggie, but Theresa had a flash of an emotion I didn't want to see, defeat.

  I questioned her about it later, and of course, I had to spank it out of her as usual. She fought but not really. I think she liked to put on a show of resistance so I wouldn't know how much pleasure she really derived from being spanked. Of course, I knew; it was my job to know.

  "Ouch, Jimmy, stop, pleasse."

  "Only if you start talking, Tesoro. What's going on with you, and if you tell me nothing again, I will go in to the bathroom and get the wooden bath brush. You know how much you hate that, so spill, already."

  I was holding her over my lap, with one leg over hers, her perfect ass red with my handprints. I wanted to fuck her and bring her pleasure, but I needed answers first. "I just wish you would tell me what's going on, Jimmy. It appears you either don't want to
or can't; either way, it makes me sad."

  I pulled her up to my lap and took her chin in my hand. "Listen, T, there are things I can't tell you yet, because I'm still formulating my moves. No one knows my plan, but a few know the pieces I need them to know. I can't risk telling you, in case something happens to you. The less you know, the better. I know this is hard, but I need you to trust me."

  She sighed and gazed into my eyes. "I do trust you, Jimmy, that's never in question, nor is my love for you. But I get the feeling that I am in the way. Joe said it, that I was part of it; I heard him on the monitor."

  So, that's what this was about. I put some steel in my eyes and said, "So you think it's okay to disobey me?" I flung her back down and over my lap, smacking away with double the intensity.

  "I didn't," she yelped. "I never left the room, only turned up the volume."

  Damn, the girl was clever. I sat her back up, and she winced when her backside was firmly on my lap. "You're right, you didn't disobey. I will tell you one thing I found out, because you being in the know won't change anything or put you in harm's way."

  She looked eager for what I was about to share. I wish she didn't, because it wasn't pleasant. "There is a deal. I won't tell you more about that piece, my marriageable status, blood debt as the Mareno family is calling it, involves me marrying his only daughter. That's why Joe mentioned you; for me to marry his sister, you would need to be out of the picture."

  I don't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't that. She paled and then swallowed. "I see."

  "No, Theresa, I don't think you do. I am not marrying anyone but you. I don't care what they want. The head of the family, Joseph Mareno, is flying out from Italy. I am meeting him on Wednesday. I have a lot to put in place before then—information that I need confirmed—before I proceed. Don't worry. I would walk from the business, and Philadelphia, if it came to that."

  What I said should have reassured her. No matter what, I chose her. But she didn't seem at peace at all. I moved her off my lap and onto the bed. I would fuck all thought from her head and then see how she was in the morning.

  Theresa

  Jimmy moved me to the bed and spread my legs. Of course, I was soaked. I always was when he spanked me, but my mind was somewhere else, already embarking on the plan I'd set in motion with Josh.

  My body was all Jimmy's, however, and when he ran his tongue from my clit to my anus, I arched toward his mouth ready for more, ready to be ravaged. This could be the last time, for a while, or forever. That remained to be seen.

  He soaked my back hole with his tongue and then pressed his thumb inside me. I moaned in pleasure. He worked a finger inside my other hole, and I bucked my hips against both fingers. I wanted him to go deep, so deep that all thought and emotion would be gone. I wanted to be nothing more than a wanton, mewling mess of a human, begging for his touch, for the release I craved.

  He flipped me onto my tummy and pulled me to the edge of the bed. He lifted my lower half off the bed so all that anchored me to the earth was my hands then plunged his face between my thighs, sending shocking ripples through my sex. I gushed, and he moaned as he licked. Then he lowered me and changed arm position.

  Now, he wrapped his strong forearms around my thighs and spread me wide as he lifted my pelvis into the air. He slammed his cock into me in one thrust, and I screamed at the intensity of it. "Oh, my fucking God, Jimmy, fuck, yes, holy shit, it's so fucking intense!" I screamed the last word, and my world spilled as multiple orgasms ripped through my body.

  "Theresa," he barked as he came hard. He gently let me down. Both of us were quivering with the intensity of the release; it was all he could do to climb on the bed. We lay there, cuddling and panting in the aftermath. I woke sometime later to the sound of the shower then again, when he wiped me and put me to bed.

  I slept like the dead until dawn's first light came peeking through the blinds. I got up and raced quietly to my office. I sent Josh a message, then I crept back to bed. My plan was in place and would be rolling out later in the day.

  After Maggie and Jimmy left, I grabbed my laptop, chargers, makeup, and clothing essentials and threw everything into one duffle bag, all I had left of my dad's stuff. I waited for Josh, and while I did, I wrote a note to Jimmy. I love you, Jimmy Falcone, more than my own life. I am going into hiding so you are free to do what you need to. Please be safe, Theresa

  I put it on his office desk, in front of the picture of the three of us on our big night out. Josh texted and told me to go out the back door and down the side of the house, skip over the hedge at the back neighbors'; they weren't home and didn't have security. He'd checked, and he said to meet him on the next street.

  I threw on my baseball cap and sunglasses, and with duffle in hand, followed his instructions. I jumped in his car. He took off, and it took me a minute to realize that the man driving wasn't Josh, it was Joe!

  I knew my text messages had Josh on the top, and I managed to get off one message, HELP, before the goon who'd been hiding in the back got it from me. I wrestled for it, but Joe managed to knock me out while I was busy wrestling with back seat goon.

  When I woke, I was in a warehouse. I kept my head down to appear asleep. It was a Falcone warehouse; what the hell was going on? They should have been thrilled I left Jimmy, so he could marry Joe's sister.

  I tried moving, but my ankles and wrists were tied. I looked around. There were only a few people in the warehouse. I didn't recognize anyone, that is, not until Al's car pulled in. I was elated and was about to shout out to him when he stepped out of his car, but he didn't seem surprised to see me tied up on the floor. He went and shook hands with Joe. That bastard, Jimmy's best friend had turned on him. Maybe there was a reasonable explanation, maybe they had something over his head as well.

  He spoke with Joe and then headed back to his car and left the warehouse. Damn, now what? I saw shoes walking toward me. Joe tugged my chin upward. "Nice shiner, Theresa," he sneered, "it will go far in driving Jimmy insane."

  He hauled me to my feet. "In fact, a little more bruising should have him begging at our feet." He slapped me, hard, several times. I felt blood in my mouth and knew my lip was split. I felt fear welling up and I started to panic. Joe was short but built like a bull; he hefted me up onto his shoulder easily and walked to a van, where he threw me inside and locked the doors.

  Jimmy

  I had been texting Josh all morning but had heard nothing back. I finally gave in and phoned Bobby.

  "Hey, where is Josh? We were supposed to meet this morning."

  "Jimmy, I am at the hospital with Josh. He was shot, but the bullet only grazed him. He's going to be okay. Wait, he wants to talk to you."

  "Jimmy, listen, Theresa is in danger. I think Joe may have her."

  I felt the blood drain from my face. "How do you know?" I asked, hearing the hollowness in my voice.

  "She was going to leave today. I was helping her, but I was shot from behind and then knocked unconscious and left in an alley two blocks from your house. I don't know who else it could have been."

  Joe was an animal. I shuddered to think what he would do with her. "I need to go and get her, Josh."

  "No, Jimmy, listen, you need to come to my place. Bobby and I will be leaving the hospital in a few minutes. I have more to tell you. But I wanted to warn you, in case you get messages from the Mareno family. They won't harm Theresa, at least not yet. They will want to use her to force you into accepting their plan, but we still have a card to play, so don't let anything you see or hear put her at risk. Come to my place. I promise you, we will get her back."

  I hung up the phone with Josh and called my pops.

  "Jimmy, how are you?"

  "They have Theresa, Pops. I have to save her."

  "Jimmy, listen to me, don't do anything rash. Just give them what they want, and they will let Theresa go."

  My eyes widened in shock. "You knew," I accused.

  He was silent. "Why, Pops, why not tell me?
"

  "I tried telling you, Jimmy, they want a blood debt, and I told Theresa she was in the way, that if she loved you, she would leave. I guess they decided to make sure that she was out of the way. Just be thankful she isn't dead."

  I hung up. My own father, what next? Then an image of Al entered my mind. No, not Al, but I had to be sure. I texted my daughter, don't go anywhere with Emma and Tessa today, Maggie. Go anywhere you want, but be with other kids, and no matter what, do not go into Al or Tessa's car, promise me."

  Her reply, Daddy, are you okay? You're scaring me.

  I will explain it all later, Mags, but I need you to go somewhere safe. Mags, are you near this Dean kid?

  Yes, Daddy.

  Give him the phone.

  Yes, Daddy."

  Dean?

  Yes, sir?

  Are you a reliable kid?

  Yes, sir.

  I need you to do me a favour; take my daughter to your place after school, and don't let her go anywhere with anyone else, do you understand?

  Yes, sir.

  Good man. Mags will give you my number. Text me when you get there, and I will text you when I'm on my way. Thank you, Dean.

  No, problem, sir.

  I hung up and raced over to Bobby and Josh's, on the other side of town. They buzzed me in, and I flew up the stairs to their unit.

  Bobby answered the door and gave me a hug. "Come on in, Jimmy, drink?"

  I shook my head; alcohol would dull my senses, and I was already high on adrenalin; coffee would make me snap. Josh was resting on the couch. He made to stand when he saw me, and I waved him down. "Don't move, Josh. Now tell me what the hell is going on."

  Bobby and Josh both started babbling at the same time about Theresa, but different stories.

  "Stop." I held up my hand. "Bobby, you first."

  He filled me in on his phone call with Theresa and then said he'd told Josh.

  Josh then took over and explained his meeting at the house with her yesterday and their game plan. It would have been good, had it worked out, Josh said. "She texted me at 6:00 this morning. I was to meet her at 9:00. Then, well, I was shot and then hit on the head, and whoever it was stole my car. Here's the good news. My car can be traced, so if whoever took her didn't ditch the vehicle, then we can locate her. My people are working on it now, Jimmy, but I have another idea rather than storming into the unknown."