Take Me

by Anna Zaires, Pepper Winters, Skye Warren, Lynda Chance, Pam Godwin, Amber Lin

  Paulie joyfully kissed my left cheek, then my right, and took me by the shoulders. “Welcome. Good to have you.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Paulie turned to Antonio. “We taking care of the Donna Maria thing?”

  “Yes. Let me get Theresa set up, then we’ll talk about it.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The little house stood up into the foothills behind a hundred feet of allergens. It could have been in the Tennessee mountains for all its foliage and acreage. A skinny kid of about nineteen with an acne problem sat on the porch. He stood when Zo and I drove up.

  “Don,” Zo said, “this is Theresa. The boss formally introduced her tonight.”

  “Huh,” the kid huffed, as if surprised. “All right, then. Piacere.” His accent was terrible, but he kissed me on both cheeks, left then right.

  “Donatello’s gonna be on the porch. He’s keeping his eyes on you so, don’t worry about him.” Zo punched the kid in the arm, and he almost fell over.

  “Thanks,” the kid said.

  “This is a safe house, isn’t it?” I said.

  “Used to be. Now it’s just safe.”

  He took me through the two-bedroom house, which looked more lived in than any safe house I’d seen in movies. I saw old world touches all over in the unfinished wood and hand-painted ceramics. The quilt on my bed was deep burgundy, the oil paintings showed seashores and mountains, and the kitchen, the only ultra-modern part of the house, had a basket of fresh fruit on the counter.

  “This is Antonio’s house?” I asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s smaller than my loft.”

  Zo shrugged. “He likes it that way.”

  “Can you bring Katrina? It’s her I’m worried about.”

  “Boss has it covered. He takes care of his people. And after tonight, you’re with us.” Zo kissed me on both cheeks again and left.

  * * *

  “Katrina? Are you all right?”

  “I got a shard of swan in my foot, I want you to know.”

  I was curled up on a strange couch, in a strange house, with a strange guy on the porch to protect me. I had the news on and muted. The ticker moved, and the heads talked. “There’s a guy coming to get a bag for me. Can you put some stuff in it?”

  “Cups? Plates? Saucers? What do you want?”

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “When I’m not crying, I’m fine. God, I botched this.”

  “We’ll make it right. I don’t know how, but we will. It’s a good movie.”

  “I’m going to my parents in the OC tomorrow. I’ll stay a few days and get my shit together. If he chases me there, my dad will just shoot him.”

  “Great plan.”

  She sniffed. “Do you want the electric toothbrush? Or a regular one?”

  “Regular. I don’t intend to be gone long enough to charge the electric one.”

  “Okay. I gotta go. Michael’s coming over.”

  “Really?”

  Daniel’s face appeared on the screen. The ticker told me he was doing the unprecedented: opening a major case against an organized crime family at the tail end of a mayoral campaign.

  “Reckless asshole,” I mumbled.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Nothing. Have fun with Michael. And, Kat?”

  “Yes?”

  “There are going to be men around watching you. Stay calm, okay?”

  “Jesus, Tee Dray, what are you into?”

  “I don’t know, but I think I’m up to my eyeballs.”

  * * *

  I slept on the couch until the navy sky faded into morning cyan. He came to me in a haze of pine and musk. His lips were my awakening, the hard firearm at his back a reflection of the hardness between his legs.

  “Capo,” I whispered through my sleep.

  “Ah, Contessa. I could barely talk tonight. All I wanted to do was make peace so I could fuck you every day and night.” He pulled up my shirt and kissed my belly.

  “Is this about the trouble with your men?”

  “Done for now. Tie up loose ends tomorrow.” He pushed up my bra.

  I wove my fingers in his hair when he sucked my nipples. “I can go to work?”

  “Shh. No talking.” He pulled away and got on his knees, looking at me. He yanked at my skirt and panties, slipping them off. “Spread your legs.” He shrugged out of his jacket and pulled off his shirt. “Touch yourself.” There was a sense of urgency about his manner as he wiggled out of the last of his clothes.

  I watched him with my fingers between my legs, stroking my hardened, wet clit. “I want you so bad.” I moaned. “I want you inside me.”

  “Shh.” He put his cock at my opening. He thrust forward.

  I put my hands on his shoulders, letting the thrust of his hips take me. He took my hands and pinned them to my sides, wrapping his arms around me tight. He pressed the whole of his body to mine as if he was trying to crawl into my skin. If he did, I couldn’t have stopped him. He had me powerless under his weight, restrained by his desire. My legs were free but pinioned by the fulcrum of his cock.

  “Every day,” he whispered, “I’ll take you like this. In the morning, before coffee, I fuck you. At night, I fuck you harder. In our bedroom, our living room, our kitchen, I’ll love you in every room. Amore mio, I’ll break you with my love and put you back together. And when I retire, you still call me Capo because you’re mine. Always mine.”

  His lips spoke into my cheek. I felt wrapped in him, past, present and future. I had no whim or hunger outside the building pleasure in my legs and safe pressure of his skin and muscle.

  I gasped. I was going to come. I wondered if my explosion would be held down, tamped by the weight of his arms and the swirling affection in his words. But my orgasm came in a flood. My back arched, and my thighs got stiff. I saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing but Antonio. His weight, his breath, his scent, and his pleasure, concurrent with mine, swirled together inside my skin, and I, inside his.

  * * *

  We stayed wrapped around each other for a long time, just breathing together. I was so tired, I fell asleep under him. He whispered mi amore, kissing my neck and shoulders, then relaxed his arms.

  “My Capo,” I said. “Always.”

  “You should sleep.” He brushed wet strands of hair from my face as if it was of great concern. “I brought your bag.”

  “I hope she packed work clothes.”

  “You stay here today. I haven’t taken care of the strozzino yet.”

  “Antonio, please. I have to live.”

  He pressed his fingers to my lips. “What do you think happened last night?”

  “I followed the bouncing ball.”

  “You are under my protection. My crew recognizes you. They can’t touch you, and they will protect you. But you also have a responsibility to us to stay out of trouble. For a few days, things will be disrupted. Bruno and Vito, they’re doing their own thing. I didn’t want that. Vito, with the young girls…” He rubbed his eyes. “I don’t like it, but…” He looked up and crooked his neck as if shaking off the thought. “We have to pay tribute to another family, so everyone recognizes them as their own thing, not just us. This has to be completed before I can let you walk around without an escort.”

  “What?” I sat up, and he moved off me.

  “I couldn’t isolate you and keep you safe. This was the only way. You’re untouchable now, as long as you obey the rules.”

  “What are the rules?”

  “Do not talk to the press or police. Not talk about our business with anyone. Not ask questions.” He held up his hand to my pending objections. “You can ask me. But no one else. I have all the information. My men only know some things, and if they talk, you get half the story. And I know what can hurt you.”

  “You might have mentioned this before all the double kissing happened.”

  “What am I asking? That you be loyal? That you come to me first? Only the saying of it
makes you sit up and cross your arms.”

  I huffed. Of course he was right. Of course I had no intention of ratting him out or investigating him further. It was indeed the list of rules that bristled me.

  “This needs to be on a probationary basis,” I said.

  “One minute probation,” he said then kissed me, his hand tight on my jaw, his tongue prying my mouth open. He stopped. “My minute’s up, Contessa. Are you still mine?”

  “You are my Capo,” I whispered. “But I’m mad at you.”

  “Get in the shower then before I fuck you again.”

  * * *

  Katrina had packed everything I needed. One set of work clothes, one set of regular clothes. Shoes, toiletries, and a note.

  Tee – Thank you for everything. You are a shining star. I promise not to let you down. You’ll be proud of me one day.

  Be safe, okay?

  The Directrix

  When I got out of the bathroom, Antonio held up my phone. “What are we going to do about this guy?”

  There was a text from Daniel.

  —need to speak with you in person by tomorrow—

  “What are we going to do about you looking at my texts?”

  “As long as you’re talking to him and the thing is face up on the table, I’ll look.”

  “You don’t trust me?” I asked.

  “I do.”

  “I think you’re missing an opportunity to get some inside information, Capo.”

  He crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze. “Contessa.”

  “If I don’t see him, he’s going to get suspicious. He’s just opened a case against, I’m assuming, you? Knowing I might be with you? Let me see him and find out what he wants.”

  “You’re going to spy for me? I don’t want that from you, ever.”

  “To be honest, I just want to go home and have kind of a normal day. You know, one where I don’t see a gun or take part in some ritual I don’t understand.”

  “And you need to see Daniel Brower to do that?”

  “He’s not a loan shark or a baby capo looking for territory. He’s not going to hate you any more than he already does, and he’ll never touch me. What’s the harm in me putting on my work clothes and taking a lunch?” I put my hands on his forearms, and he dropped them. “We’ll be in public. I promise.” I slipped my hands around his waist and held him close.

  He put his arms around me and kissed my head. “Come vuoi tu.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Enzo drove me home in a charcoal grey Ferrari and left me in the parking lot. I went right to my car and made it to work just in time.

  Pam was business as usual, dozen red roses on her desk notwithstanding.

  “Good morning,” I said.

  “Morning.”

  “What do I have today?”

  Pam rattled off a list of meeting and conferences. I texted Daniel.

  —What time today?—

  —Stuff exploded. Tomorrow ok? Before lunch, 30 min?—

  —No prob—

  “Can you reserve the big conference room at eleven thirty tomorrow?” I asked Pam.

  She tapped around. “It’s free. Who are you meeting?”

  I looked over her shoulder. The blinking cursor required an answer to who would be in the room with me. “Daniel Brower.”

  She tapped it in, her expression sour under her rhinestone-tipped horn rims. “You know, polling this morning shows he’s in the lead for mayor.”

  I plucked the card from the roses. “I knew he didn’t need me to win.”

  Tonight.

  I smiled to myself. Tonight, indeed.

  * * *

  I tried to keep my mind on my meetings and rows of numbers. I smoothed things over between two accountants on my team while thinking about Antonio’s body. I didn’t know how much longer I could stay at WDE. I hadn’t been fully engaged in my job in months. After spending time with Antonio, the job felt like a blunter, dimmer version of life.

  I kept Antonio’s phone in my pocket. When it rang during a meeting, I excused myself and answered in the hall. “Capo?”

  “Paulie.”

  I might have blushed, as if he’d walked in on my dirty thoughts. “Hi, Paulie.”

  “I’m coming to pick you up from work. Is six okay?”

  “Sure. I can leave my car in the lot.”

  “See you then.”

  * * *

  Our valet was in the alley behind the building, and Paulie’s Ferrari fit right in. When I came out, he was leaning against it in the shade of a bougainvillea hedge, smoking a cigarette.

  “Hey,” I said. “What happened to you?” I pointed to my lower lip, indicating the split on the bottom of his.

  “Fell on a guy’s fist.”

  “You should watch where you’re walking.”

  “He’s taken care of. You can tell your friend the loan’s forgiven.”

  “I’ll give him his money. I don’t want to steal it,” I said.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  He opened the passenger door, and I got in. He obviously didn’t want to discuss the money. I’d wait, but I had every intention of making sure Katrina’s production was clean.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “San Pedro.”

  “We going to the beach?” I asked facetiously. San Pedro did indeed have a beach. It was also home to the loading docks and a notorious organized crime stronghold.

  “We have an office down there.”

  “Of course you do.”

  With that, he drove into the traffic of Wilshire Boulevard.

  “Where are you from, Paulie? You sound American.”

  “Here. Born and raised. Pure-blooded Angelino dego.”

  “Have you always been, um, in the life?”

  He flung his hand back, as if indicating everything behind him. “Few generations. I’m as in it as Spin.”

  “And you guys partnered? I mean, were you here first? Did he just muscle in or what?”

  “He told me you were full of questions.”

  “Did he tell you how frustrating it is to not ask any?”

  He swung south onto LaCienega. “Doesn’t occur to me. I stay inside the lines. Safer that way. No questions because everyone already knows the answers.”

  I didn’t say anything all the way down to the 10 freeway. He went east, and the wind drowned us out.

  Paulie started talking as if he’d been working on his answer the whole time. “Spin came here with a bloodline, which is important. Gives him credibility, you know? He came right to me and asked for my permission to do some business. Did it exactly right, too.”

  “I can’t imagine him asking permission to do anything.”

  “Wasn’t like I couldn’t tell right away he could run a crew. And I’ll tell you, it would have been stupid for me not to partner up.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I like money, that’s why,” he said.

  “He knows how to get it, I presume?”

  When he didn’t answer, I thought I’d said too much, pushed him past his comfort level. He rubbed his lip as he changed lanes.

  “How did your family get their money?” he asked.

  “Generations of stealing followed by a few generations of legalized thievery. Now it’s all compounded interest.”

  He laughed. “You’re honest.”

  “Sometimes.”

  “I’m going to be honest with you then.”

  “Oh, this is already so much better than that meeting I cancelled.”

  “My partner, he likes you.”

  I was going to joke about being relieved but decided against it. This seemed very serious to him, so I shut up.

  “He introduced you. That doesn’t happen every day. He’s got girls who are in the life. Like family.” He turned to me briefly then looked back at the road. “Do you know what I mean by that?”

  “I think so.”

  “Okay, so none of them are anything. But you? He�
�s lost his shit. He’s pissing himself. After today, shit’s gonna change, and I don’t know if you can handle it.”

  “Are you sure he’d want you telling me this?”

  “I’m not telling you anything you can use. Reason is, and I’m being honest here, I don’t trust you.”

  I watched the train stops in the center of the 110. The road was relatively clear. Paulie kept left, and everyone got out of the way.

  “I guess I don’t blame you,” I said.

  The paper bag-brown sky of San Pedro crept over the horizon. Giant chair-shaped cranes loomed over the portal to the sea.

  “Thanks for helping with my sister that night,” I said.

  “No problem.”

  “You were very level-headed.”

  “Thanks. You too.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Paulie pulled into the docking area with a wave. Yellow and black striped barriers went up everywhere, allowing a right, then a left, to an alcove inside a parking lot that housed two trailers and a couple of cars.

  “You really know how to schmooze a girl, Paulie.”

  He winked at me, and we got out. I followed him to two red shipping containers fifty feet from a sheer concrete drop to the fouled water of the harbor.

  “Okay, kid, here’s the deal,” Paulie said. “You’re not going to care for this, but you’re going in there with me. I am not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt anyone you care about. I’m telling the truth when I say you need to see something.”

  I hadn’t been nervous. I knew Antonio was at the end of this journey, so I’d felt safe. As Paulie spoke, I became unsure and my heart pounded. The container had no windows or doors. Once I went in, I could be easily trapped.

  “Let’s go then,” I said.

  He grabbed the silver pole and yanked it down with a clack. He swung the door open, and it creaked so loudly I was reminded of a horror movie. When the triangle of light cut the dark tunnel, I had second thoughts.

  “I’ll leave the door open a crack,” Paulie said.

  “You coming in with me?”

  “Right behind you.”

  I didn’t feel safe. I didn’t feel threatened, but I didn’t delude myself into thinking Paulie would jump a pack of wolves for me, double kiss or not. I stepped up to the entrance anyway. Maybe curiosity drove me. Maybe a quest for self-destruction. Maybe I wanted to grab a little badass cred and put it in my Prada bag or walk in riskier shoes.