Marked

by Skylar West

  "No way, Josh, Joe is an animal, and there is no telling what he will do to her. I want to get her the second you find out where she is."

  "Jimmy," Bobby began, but my cell went off and I saw it was Joe, on video chat.

  "I answered and hit record. "Jimmy," Joe's ugly mug said, "I have something of yours." He held the phone in front of Theresa. Her face was black and blue, and her lip was bleeding, she was tied up and lying on her side. Joe grabbed her hair and held her face to the screen. "Say hi to your lover boy, sweetheart."

  Theresa gazed at the screen. "Jimmy, I'm okay; don't do anything stupid."

  Joe threw her head down and put the screen back on himself. "Yeah, Jimmy, don't do anything stupid. I will bring her to the meeting tomorrow with my pops. If everything goes according to plan, then she will be released. Try to come for her, and I will put a bullet in her head."

  He hung up. Was he stupid? He'd just announced that he would put a bullet in the back of her head? "I got a recording of Joe threatening to shoot Theresa in the head. Can't we get him on that?" I said, handing my phone to Josh.

  Bobby grabbed it and watched and sucked in his breath when he saw her face. "Bastard," he hissed. He shoved it in Josh's hands while he explained our situation.

  "No, Jimmy," Josh spoke up, "if the other party doesn't know you're taping, it is considered illegal taping and won't be accepted in court, at least not in Philadelphia. What he said isn't enough, but add that to killing Christina, and we have a case."

  "What? You got proof?"

  Josh smiled. "I sure did. I checked the coroner's report, and then I checked the accident report. The cop who was first on the scene was an Italian kid, new to the force. I went over his report, and based on what he said, it didn't make sense. So, I went and talked to him. He'd been moved to another station just after the incident. I tried talking to him, but he said he couldn't remember the case. I went into evidence, and there was nothing logged. I took my chances and asked for the traffic cams from that day, at that intersection. It was sunset and a dry night. Christina's car was rear ended so hard, it hit the post, killing both on impact, but the driver of the car that hit them got out to check to make sure, and before he took off, the cam got a full view of his face. It was Joe Mareno."

  "Whew." I blew out my breath. "We got him then, on what, manslaughter?"

  Josh nodded. "Add to that, the abduction of Theresa. There aren't web cams on the street I was on this morning, but my partner is canvassing the neighborhood, hoping for a witness who can verify that it was Joe who shot me. If that's the case, we can add aggravated assault with the intent to do bodily harm to a police officer to the list of charges, too."

  "So, what now?" I asked. Standing here was killing me inside. Seeing Theresa's face all molten and beaten, I would kill Joe when I got my hands on him.

  "You have the meeting scheduled for tomorrow. All we know is that they have Theresa, and they will use her to enforce their stake. You will go to the meeting and act diplomatically, Jimmy, act as though you want nothing more than to cooperate. They will expect you to go alone, and you will. The police will stake out the place and have backup in all the hidden places. We have to stay out of sight. If they feel backed into a corner, they may just kill Theresa, and that is the last thing we want."

  I sat down, suddenly feeling like I could no longer hold my own weight. Bobby came over with a glass of scotch. "Have some, Jimmy, it will take the edge off. Why don't you and Maggie stay here with us tonight; we have a guest room for her, and you can take the couch."

  "Thanks, Bobby, but I know where I want to spend tonight. Listen, you know how to get ahold of me if there are any updates, and, Josh, I want to wear a wire."

  "Jimmy, you can't; it's the first thing they will check for. Unless—the FBI has a new device, it's a lens that sits right inside your eye, like a contact. If we can get ahold of one and set you up before the meeting, that may work. Text me in the morning and tell me where you are. If I can get one, that will help us with the rescue."

  I nodded, feeling suddenly exhausted. "I need to get my daughter. I have enough private security to make sure we are protected tonight. Thanks to you both for your help."

  I took my leave. Before starting up my car, I texted Dean, on my way, what's your address?

  He texted back. I put his address into GPS and shut my brain off while I drove. I wanted to pick up Maggie, now. Despite what Josh was hoping for, I didn't agree with his plan. I didn't trust Mareno to release her; a blood debt called for blood, didn't it?

  There was only one person who knew what was going on, and the only way this could work was if I played dumb. I dialed Al while I drove.

  "Hey, boss, what's up?"

  "Hey, Al, Theresa was taken this morning, by Joe. He sent me a live video of her, and she is beat up pretty bad."

  Al was silent for a beat. "I'm sorry to hear it, boss. What's your plan?"

  "I know where they're holding her, Al. I'm going to go and break her out."

  "That sounds dangerous, boss, want back up?"

  "No, thanks, Al, enough people have been hurt. I'll use my Jedi skills to sneak in and out before they know what hit them."

  Before I'd left Josh and Bobby's, I saw the GPS report. I knew where she was, and it was in one of my own warehouses.

  "I'll see you tomorrow, Al, at least I hope."

  "Yeah, boss. Hey, what happened to Maggie today? She ditched cheerleading. Em couldn't find her anywhere, and she hasn't been answering her phone." I played stupid and said, "Really? Well, she did mention a guy named Dean, to Theresa, last night. She better not have snuck off with him." I put some steel in my voice.

  "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing, boss. See you tomorrow, and be careful, Jimmy."

  "You, too, Al."

  I hung up the phone. Oh, he was good; he played me.

  I texted Dean, can you keep her for dinner, I have something to do.

  Yes, sir, Mr. Falcone.

  Good man.

  I headed over to the warehouse, where Josh's car was said to be held. I watched; there was quite a lot of activity going on for the end of the day. The doors were open, and I saw Al, talking to Joe. Sonofabitch! Joe patted him on the shoulder and then jumped in one of the company's cube vans. Theresa was in there; I knew it. When Joe had moved the phone from himself to Theresa, he showed me what I needed to know. I recognized the interior, just hadn't put it together. Using my own company's resources to steal my girlfriend and keep her captive. I was furious.

  I followed the van. It went into the underground parking of the hotel we were paying for him to stay in. I arrived at the bottom level in time to see Joe manhandling Theresa. He was trying to push her through a doorway. My girl was fighting, but she was tied at the wrists and ankles. Joe slapped her with such force that, even from this distance, I saw the blood spray from her nose.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Theresa

  I must have fallen asleep in the overly hot van, because the next thing I remembered was having my hair grabbed so hard, I yelped, and then a video chat was shoved in my face. It was Jimmy, and he looked murderous. If I was Joe Mareno, I'd be terrified.

  I tried to assure Jimmy not to worry. His eyes told me everything; he would come for me, so when, hours later, the van pulled out, I got as ready as I could to fight whoever was driving it. It drove fast and squealed around several corners before coming to a stop.

  Joe threw open the side doors and dragged me out. I used both my feet to kick at him and managed to knock him over, more than once, before he managed to grab my hair and yank me to my feet. Winding up, he slapped me so hard, I saw stars and almost passed out.

  He shoved me through a door and into a service elevator. He typed into his phone with one hand while he held me with the other. We took the elevator up to the kitchen. This must be how they bring up product from delivery vans, to the kitchens. Who'd have thought I would be the delivery. I was hanging over Joe's shoulder, facing down. Every time I struggled, he'd slam
his hand down on my ass and, finally, just left it there.

  Ugh, he was disgusting. I was passing a wall when I suddenly saw shoes, and when I looked up, it was into the face of my beloved Jimmy. He held his finger to his lips. He held a frying pan in his hands and a knife in the other, making good use of the weapons only a kitchen could provide. I reached out and grabbed a wall, pulling me and Joe off balance.

  I tumbled to the floor, and as Joe spun around to grab me, Jimmy slammed him in the head with the frying pan. He dropped it, scooped me up, and ran like hell before any of Joe's people poured out from whatever crevices the cockroaches were hiding in and gave chase.

  When we got to the parking lot, Jimmy got to the car and threw me in as someone came out the service door with a gun in his hand. "Duck, Theresa," Jimmy yelled as he jumped into the driver's seat and squealed up the ramp.

  We heard shots ring out, and one hit the back corner of the car, but we got around and up to the top level without any more incidents. Jimmy raced like a maniac across town to Bobby and Josh's, hefting me out of the car, and he ran up the two flights with me on his shoulder. When Bobby answered the door, he was shocked.

  He certainly didn't expect to see me trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. "Oh thank God," he said, shutting the door.

  "Bobby, I need your keys. I have to get Maggie, in case they know where she is and go after her. Take care of T," Jimmy said. Then, he raced back out with Bobby's keys.

  Josh got on the phone, while Bobby cut the ropes binding my wrists and ankles.

  "Copy that," Josh said and then hung up. With my hands loose, I threw my arms around Bobby and cried.

  "Theresa, what did that animal do to you?" Bobby had tears in his eyes.

  "Bobby, get the first aid kit, while I call an ambulance. I'll go with T; you stay here and wait for Jimmy."

  "No." I'd finally found my voice. "I'm not going anywhere without Jimmy, not even to the hospital, Josh."

  "Maybe you should forget the ambulance for now, Josh. What if they have someone on the inside and they get alerted?"

  "You're, right, Bobby. Between the two of us, we have enough medical training to fix the immediate problems. Theresa, did he hurt you anywhere else? Did he punch you in the stomach or—"

  "No, Josh, he just wanted my face bashed up to provoke Jimmy. I think he wanted him to lose it and try to get me back. What happened?"

  The guys shook their heads, and Bobby said, "We have no idea, Theresa. Last time we saw Jimmy was when he received the phone call from Joe. I don't know how he found you."

  He went rummaging for the first aid kit then and came back with hot water, cloths, bandages, and ointment. He wiped me down, disinfected the cuts—which hurt like hell—and then bandaged up a few cuts.

  By then, Jimmy was at the door with Maggie. She saw me and burst into tears.

  I held open my arms to her, and she ran into them. "It's okay, cara mia; I will be okay, I promise."

  Then Jimmy moved Maggie and held me. "I'm so sorry, il mio amore, please forgive me for letting this happen."

  I clung to him and cried. Finally, the adrenaline wore off and I was a mess. I wouldn't let him go; he had to carry me to the couch and sit down with me on his lap, my face buried in his neck. We must have fallen asleep, I realized, when I went to shift and there were arms around me. I opened my eyes and saw that I was still on Jimmy's lap on the couch. The lights were off, and everyone else had gone to bed.

  "Jimmy?"

  His eyes fluttered open; he looked utterly exhausted.

  "Tesoro," he said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

  "Like I have been beaten with a bag of oranges. How bad does it look?"

  His expression turned black. "Bad enough, bella, bad enough. Joe and his crew have been arrested. I'm sure his father will post bail, if he can get it. Their attempts have failed, T, but just to make sure, I will keep my meeting with Joseph Mareno tomorrow."

  "But, Jimmy, why, what good can possibly come of a meeting with Mareno?"

  "Theresa, just because we won this round doesn't mean the war is over. Josh has held back on the other charges, so far. All they and the police know is kidnapping. Not enough to keep Joe behind bars. I'm going to blackmail Joseph Mareno by having him sign a document that my lawyer has drawn up for me. The penalty for murder is execution. If Joseph wants to keep his son from lethal injection, he will accept my deal and move on."

  I looked at him, shocked.

  "I'm doing him a favour by removing his kid; he's a complete idiot. And, he will always owe me because, at any time, the evidence can be presented for attempted murder and double homicide, putting Joe on the chopping block. I have security measures in place, and if anything ever happens to me, then the evidence goes to the proper authorities. He can't touch me, besides, he won't want to. I'm selling him the company, and not for a dollar, as originally planned. If he wants it, he will pay full market value for it as I am holding all the cards. Then he can use it however he wishes."

  I processed everything he'd just said. "But what will you do, you know, for work?"

  "Don't worry about that, T. I'm rich and I did start my own little business on the side, a subsidiary of Falcone Property Development, that is all mine. Condo development, bringing up the value in previously underdeveloped areas of Philly. That is what Bobby's been helping me with. I'm going to offer him a position as senior executive of the design division."

  I tried to smile, but it hurt my cracked lip and the movement made it bleed.

  "I'm sorry, bella." He nuzzled against me, and I inhaled him, that masculine, woody, Italian coffee man smell that made me giddy.

  Jimmy

  My meeting with Mareno went exactly as planned. I took Josh with me, to verify all I said about the legalities of Joe's situation were fact. My lawyer was also in attendance to witness the signing of the contract.

  Selling Falcone Property Development was easier than I'd anticipated. Mareno wanted it, and it went for a song. But I wasn't selling it for profit, although we made a tidy sum. It was an exchange, the last blood payment the Mareno family would ever extort from the Falcones.

  Joe's life would always hang in the balance of any future decisions Joe, Sr. made. He sent Joe, Jr. back to Italy and left his daughter in charge of the newly acquired company, her second, Al.

  I left Al out of everything, only Joe knew his involvement. He and I would never work together, and our friendship was over. Maggie could stay friends with Emma, but the days of sleepovers at their home was over. She wasn't allowed anywhere near their home. If a cheerleading practice or gig came their way, Theresa or I drove, or both of us.

  I had a lot of free time these days, with not having to run such a monster of a business. I had a good enough reputation in the world of development that my projects were proving highly valuable, and I was doing more work I found interesting than being beholden to a limiting set of infrastructure I now felt was outdated.

  Bobby and I were partnering with the city, to help create safe but cheaply acquired dwellings for the homeless. My work, still successful, was now more rewarding.

  It took several weeks for Theresa's face to fully heal. Luckily, she did not need stitches, so there were no scars to contend with.

  One day, I was busy in my office when I heard a knock on the door.

  "Come in."

  Theresa opened the door, wearing the exact same outfit she'd worn when she came for my mother's wake. I stood up and strutted toward her, my look predatory. Her eyes shone with merriment. "Why, Theresa Romano, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

  "Hi, Jimmy."

  I indicated for her to sit in the same seat as before, and I stood in front of her, just inches away. "Can I help you with something, bella?"

  "Um, well, I, uh."

  "Theresa Romano, do you need some help getting that tongue wagging?" I stood up and folded her over my desk. I pulled up her skin-tight skirt and landed two dozen stinging slaps to her gorgeous behind. She had filled out a bit in
the past few weeks, no longer too skinny, and I, for one, was happy to see some meat somewhere besides her perfect ass.

  I pulled her up and sat her on my knee at my desk. "Well?"

  She grinned, her eyes all lit up. She had something important to share. "I remember now, Sir, here." Out of her black business jacket, she pulled a stick. I looked at it and saw a plus sign. "Congratulations, Jimmy, you're going to be a daddy again."

  I was shocked, and suddenly wondered if spanking her, even in fun, was a bad idea.

  She could see the direction of my thoughts. "Don't worry, I have a very liberal obstetrician whom Bobby recommended. I asked her already; spanking is fine."

  I grinned and kissed her possessively, owning every reaction and moan that came from her beautiful mouth. "Theresa, my love, are you as excited as I am?"

  She moaned "yes," into my mouth.

  I held her and sat her back in her chair. "I was going to wait until the perfect moment, bella, but you have created it." I pulled open the drawer of my desk and pulled out a box, and getting down on one knee, I asked, "Theresa Romano, will you be my forever?"

  Her eyes held unshed tears of happiness. "Yes, Jimmy, yes, I will be yours forever."

  I took the two-carat blue diamond out of the box and slid it onto her finger.

  "Oh, my goodness, Jimmy, it's beautiful."

  "No, Tesoro, it pales in comparison to your beauty. I love you."

  She smiled, her gaze filled with the trust and love she has given me right from the beginning, when we were just children. "I love you, too, Jimmy."

  My heart filled, complete happiness descending over me like a mantle, and in that moment, I knew, no matter what curve balls life threw me, it would be a shadow in comparison to what I held in my hands, and I was grateful.