"Call off the shithead," Gino ordered someone.
"Can you blame him?" Luke asked. "You're coming after his girl."
"Hey, man, it's all a misunderstanding," Vito cut in.
"Daniel, put your gun down," Luke tried to coax.
"No."
"You need to get him to drop his gun, or I'm dropping him," Gino warned.
"No, you're not, so cool it. You know he's fucked in the head," Luke said.
"No, I don't, and it don't matter, anyway. The fucker needs to take his gun off me!"
"You really think the Boss would be cool with you killing his wife's baby brother?" Santino asked.
"Why would…?"
Luke cut Gino off. "He was kidnapped by the Westside fuckers and held as leverage. Why in hell do you think he went nuts and lives way the fuck out in nowheresville? He means enough to my sister and brother-in-law that he's a target, you feel me? You kill him, and you're as good as dead, so drop the gun and pray to Jesus he's not having a bad day."
"Man, this is fucked up," Gino whined.
"You work for the mob. Your life is fucked up, so get over it," Luke griped.
"I'm calling Ann Marie to let her know what's going down," Santino cut in.
Everyone was quiet, as he made the call. "Hey, Ann Marie, it wasn't the fuckers from the Westside or the FBI, it was your husband's boys. He sent them out to nab the girl for your son."
Even from a distance, I could hear several expletives being screamed on her end. I peeked over the brush and saw Santino holding the phone away from his ear. "I think you should wait before you make your next move," he warned the other guys. I ducked back down, hoping no one saw me.
"But the…" Gino started.
"I don't care who you work for, I'll kill you if you come after my brother or his girl. You're lucky I recognized your fucked-up hair, because I was gonna put a bullet in your back. There was no way in hell I'd have given you a chance to even think of reaching for your gun, and you know it."
"The Boss…"
"The Boss ain't shit compared to family. I'll drop you cold."
"You'd get shit for…"
"They wouldn't find your body. You know Santino's the best cleaner around. It's not our fault you got lost in the woods. This shit is thick."
"Fuck you, man," Gino started, and then there was a gunshot and then another. I prayed to God Daniel, Luke and Santino were alright. I didn't want to get kidnapped by these assholes. If I did, I would offer to blow Marky, and then bite off his dick before he had a chance to get it anywhere near me. I was going to kill the bastard, if his mother didn't do it first.
I heard men screaming, but I couldn't tell who it was. I had to get a better look, but I didn't want to give away my position. I crawled through the brush a little closer to the groves' edge.
"Shut the fuck up!" Luke shouted. "You're lucky he shot you in the hand and not the chest. You know I'd have gone for a kill shot."
A phone started ringing, and Luke answered it. "Nah, that's your boys crying like little girls. You're lucky Daniel shot them and not me."
I literally snaked on the ground and poked my head through the brush at the groves' edge. I was low enough to stay hidden by the grass, so no one would see me.
The two goons were holding their hands crying, and Daniel still had his gun trained on them. Santino and Luke looked the picture of ease. "Will do, and don't worry, I'll pick up their slack." Luke hung up the phone and smiled at the crying men. "Daniel, get your girl out of the grass and take her home. Marcello wants us to clean up here. He doesn't like people knowing where you live."
I heard shouting and scrambling. Two more shots were fired, but the men were still running around. Daniel had shot them in their other hands. Luke hadn't taken his eyes off the men, but pointed right at me. "She's right there, sneaky little thing. We got you covered," he chuckled and cocked his gun. I had a feeling those men wouldn't be making it out of here alive.
Daniel was walking in my general direction, looking for me. It wasn't until I started to get up that he could tell where I was and came running. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tight. He rushed me to our path, and we nearly ran back to the house. He pulled me inside, locking the doors.
He yanked me tightly into his arms, squeezing the crap out of me. I felt my shirt getting wet, and the weight of the whole event settled down on my shoulders. I burst into tears, squeezing him back.
I felt him kiss my head, and he finally set his gun on the kitchen table. He tugged me toward the couch and let me curl up on his lap. "How could you send me off with those goons? They could've killed me. What if they didn't take your side?"
He held me tighter against him. "You were safer with them than you were with me. I trust my brothers. They'd never betray me or Ann Marie. Two guys with guns are better than one, especially since whoever it was knew where the house was. You would've been a sitting duck if it'd been who we thought it was." He grimaced and hid his face in my neck. "No, Luke and Santino are better than ten men watching you. I'd never trust you to anyone else."
I remembered that they had referred to someone as the Westside. Luke also said that Daniel had been taken before. His living out in the middle of nowhere made more sense now. What computer geek worth his salt would live in an area with no high-speed internet? I thought him using his phone for internet service had to have been a joke, but it wasn't. He was completely off the grid out here.
"Why the hell didn't we all stay at the house?"
"Because I asked them to go," Daniel sighed.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because, if they were coming for me, I didn't want you in the crossfire, or for them to take you, too. Luke and Santino kept you safe, while I waited to see if someone was going to make a grab for me."
"What the hell, Daniel? Why in hell would you do that? How can you possibly think that was okay?"
"I would've been fine." He didn't sound anywhere near convincing. "I would've held them off until Santino and Luke got here. You would've been safe, hiding in the woods." He cupped my cheek, "Everything would've been fine."
"Bullshit. You don't pull shit like that again." I shoved up off his lap. "I swear to god, Daniel, if you even think about putting yourself in danger like that again, I'll shoot you myself."
I stormed off into the bedroom, slamming the door. I had to pull myself together. It took a moment for me to notice I was covered in dirt and forest debris from my crawling around. A hot shower sounded good right now.
I rinsed the initial dirt off, hissing in pain. I hadn't realized the brush had cut me up so much. Walking through it with the guys hadn't been bad, it was me diving into it and crawling through it that had torn me up. It was just one more reason for me to be pissed.
I patted myself dry, still tender, and put on a tank top and my pajama shorts. I dug around under Daniel's sink and found his first-aid kit.
I was cursing, as I disinfected my scrapes, which caught Daniel's attention. He knocked on the bedroom door. "Gabby, are you okay?"
"No, you bastard, I'm not okay!"
"Do you mind if I come in?"
I thought about telling him to fuck off, but I really didn't want him to leave me alone right now. "Fine."
He came in and took in the scene before him. "Do you need some help with that?"
"Fuck you," I snapped. I was in a really bitchy mood right now and in pain.
"You didn't need to hide in the brush like that."
"A lot of good it did me. Your brother knew right where I was."
"Hey, don't feel bad. You were really well hidden. Luke is what Marcello calls a 'problem solver.' No one can hide from him. I knew he'd be able to keep an eye on you. Hide and seek with him always sucked."
He looked so serious when he said that, I burst out laughing. "I’ll bet it did."
"Yeah, I used to think I was so well hidden, and then he'd just walk over and pluck me up out of my spot. I suppose it was for the best, since it was his job to keep an
eye on me for a while after…"
"After you were taken?" He frowned and got off the bed. I grabbed his hand. "Daniel, you can..."
"No, I'm not talking about it. I'm safe here. It's not an issue, so just drop it."
I heard him go out the back door and settle on the swing. I knew I needed to give him some time to cool down, and I had to get my cuts treated.
When I came out of the room, he made no move to come in and talk to me. I decided to start lunch and wondered if Santino and Luke would be coming back. I figured I would make enough for them, just in case.
I heard someone clomp up on the porch, and the swing creaked, as they settled down next to Daniel. "You didn't have to…I'm sure there was another way to…" Daniel started.
"Daniel, you shot them. You pissed them off, and they knew where you lived. They were bad men. They may have worked for Marcello, but they wouldn't have thought twice about selling you out to the Westside. There was a reason they were chosen for this job. Marcello had them marked for retirement, anyways. He never planned on them…"
"Don't, I get it," Daniel cut him off.
"Come on, Danny, you and your girl are safe. That's what counts, right?"
"You know I don't like to get involved."
"And you're not! You're nowhere near involved. Hell, I don't think most people even know you exist."
"That's…"
"No one made it out of that building, Daniel. I personally made sure of that. You're safe, and so is your girl," Luke tried to reassure him. "Leave Ann Marie to handle Marcello and Junior, I don't doubt she'll be out here later, making a fuss over you as soon as that's taken care of."
"Oh, my little Mr. Grumpy Pants," Santino teased, imitating his sister.
"Shut up," I heard Daniel say, but it sounded like he was smiling.
Lunch was ready, so I decided to call them in. "Food's ready," I called out the back door.
"Food, thank you, Jesus," Santino cheered, causing us to laugh.
I had set the table, but it was so small, we pretty much ate elbow to elbow, especially since Santino and Luke were pretty big guys. I was squished between Luke and Daniel. I didn't think I would've been able to move if I was squished between Santino and Luke.
We all dug into our sandwiches, and Santino was moaning like he was having sex. "Damn, this is so good. Danny, if you don't marry her, I will. Let me get you my number, so you can call me."
Luke smacked the back of Santino's head, and Daniel glared.
"What? Tell me this isn't the best sandwich you ever had. You want to fuck her happy for another one, right?"
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Luke shouted.
Daniel was focused on the table, but his face was red, like he was trying to control his temper. I reached over, covering his tight fist with my hand and kissed his shoulder, before I spoke to Santino. "That's quite a compliment. Maybe I should open a sandwich shop when this is all over."
"Hell yeah, you call me…"
"I don't have a phone," I squeezed Daniel's hand, "And I don't plan on getting one anytime soon."
"Right, right, on the down-low. I'm sure Victor nabbed your phone before you were brought out here."
"Will you shut the fuck up?" Luke growled.
"Fine, but I better hear about it if she opens a sandwich shop, this fucker's good."
I turned my face into Daniel's shoulder to hide my snickering. He looked up at me confused, and I bumped his shoulder. "Come on, that was funny."
"He was serious," he whispered back to me.
"I know, right?" I giggled harder.
He finally cracked a smile. "You're a goof."
"Yes, but I make one hell of a sandwich, so you’d better keep me around."
"Don't worry, I will."
When I looked back across the table, Luke and Santino had big goofy grins on their faces, and they nodded at Daniel. I hoped it was to encourage him to make a move. Only time would tell.
Chapter 20 – Momma Bear
Just like Luke and Santino had predicted, Ann Marie was out to visit a few days later. We had heard the gravel crunch on the driveway, and Daniel had his gun out and trained on her car. She didn't even flinch when she got out. Daniel tipped his gun up in the air away from her, but his eyes didn't come off the car.
"Nobody's with me, baby. There's no way in hell I'd let anybody come with me," she growled, more to herself. She pulled me straight into her arms, squeezing me tightly. I didn't know why, but I started to cry. "Oh, sweetie, don't you worry. I took care of those bad men." She pulled me over to the couch and sat next to me. She cupped my face, wiping my tears with her thumbs. I had gotten my sniffling mostly under control.
"I doubt you were able to give them what they deserved," Daniel griped.
"Hey, Mr. Grumpy Pants, when have I ever let you down?"
"Never, but I..." Daniel started, but Ann Marie cut him off.
"They had to see Joey when I was done with them, and I won't be needing birth control anymore."
Now I was curious. "What did…?"
"It's best you not ask questions," she patted my knee.
"It was Junior's plan. He's the one who really deserved to be..." Daniel growled.
"Like I said, they both had to see Joey, and Vanessa will have to be the one to prove we're good Catholics, because I'm only getting the one grandkid from Marky's side. His girl will need a goomah after what I did. I can't believe that little bastard..." she shook her head. "I swear, honey, I didn't raise my boy to think that was okay. That's something we don't tolerate. I can't believe…" She hugged me again, but I think it was more for her than for me. "They may pull that shit at work, but not…oh god, I swear, I would've killed them. They wouldn't have gotten off with just walking funny."
Daniel walked over and pulled Ann Marie into his arms, hugging her tightly. She was crying, and I didn't expect that from her. She was more of a fire-and-revenge kind of gal. These tears had me worried for her.
Daniel whispered something in her ear.
"No, I'll be fine. He knows why I reacted that way. He didn't realize…no, believe it or not, he apologized after he was stitched up. He hadn't made the connection, didn't understand…not until Joey pointed it out. He sees it was wrong. He and Marky won't be coming anywhere near her, or they won't have a dick to piss with if they do, and they know it. I don't make empty threats."
There was no way in hell I would ever cross Ann Marie.
"Let's talk of happier things. Luke and Santino love you, like I knew they would." She reached out and took my hand then smirked at Daniel, who blushed in his adorable way. "They agree with me, that you're good for my little Mr. Grumpy Pants."
Daniel tipped his head back and snickered at the name she called him.
"Why do you call him Mr. Grumpy Pants?"
"He had a tough go of it as a kid. I had to keep him, and he didn't always like it. He missed my mother, but she was a very busy woman, so he was my little buddy," she patted Daniel's cheek. "He's the reason I got knocked up so quickly. He was such a good baby. I wanted to have one of my own. Little Danny wasn't any trouble, but he knew how to pout. That little lip with those big copper eyes, he could talk a mouse out of his bread crumbs with that look.
“Needless to say, I spoiled him rotten. He was my little boy, had been for a while. I don't know if you know this, but there are twelve kids in my family. I'm the oldest, and he's the youngest. My mother had her hands full, and so little Daniel and I were matched up, so she could do other mom things. I was eighteen, and he was an adorable newborn. I swear, he was such an easy baby. You'd be lucky to have kids who take after him," she winked at me.
I had to admit, I wasn't much for being a mother, but I knew I wouldn't mind it so much if Daniel was the dad. By the smirk on her face and the blush on Daniel's, they both knew what I was thinking.
"Once I was married, I still kept my little Daniel around all the time to make it easier on my mom. It was fun to play house with my husband. Daniel was only two when we
were married, and he stayed with us on and off until he was out of college. We kept him around because…"
"That's enough of that story." Daniel stood up stiffly and walked to the kitchen. "It's been a long drive. Let me get you a drink."
Ann Marie frowned. "Sure, baby, do you have any lemonade?"
"Yes, we do!" I said cheerily. "I made it with real lemons and all."
"Is it any good?" She gave Daniel a leveling stare, and he laughed.
"She knows to put sugar in it. It's safe to drink."
"Hey!" I was ready to complain.
"Just because you can make a 'damn good, meet Jesus' sandwich doesn't mean you can make lemonade. Daniel was always helping Vanessa with her lemonade stands. If it wasn't for my husband's business associates, none of it would've sold. Of course, because my husband was who he was, every nasty drop was sold and sucked down through puckered, forced smiles."
"The fact that they were paying twenty bucks a glass didn't hurt, either. Vanessa and I split the money, and it ended up paying for my bachelor's degree." I was glad to see Daniel perking up a bit.
"Speaking of sandwiches, I should make us some lunch," I offered.
"I'd loved to have one of your famous sandwiches."
"There really isn't anything fancy about them." I really didn't do anything to them.
"Oh, we bought that new pastrami and cheese from the deli case, and you used that fancy mayonnaise," Daniel guessed.
"We still have some. We'll finish it off today. Will you be staying the night, Mrs. Valente?" I asked, because it was going on one o'clock in the afternoon. If she left after lunch, she would hit rush hour once she got into town, and if she stayed to miss it, it would be really late.
"If that's okay with you," she looked over at Daniel.
He pulled her into a hug. "You're always welcome to stay. You can have my bed. I'll take the couch."
"No, I couldn't…" A smirk grew on her face. "You know, why don't you two take your bed, and I'll sleep on Gabby's bed."
Daniel chuckled. "Nice try, but I'm taking the couch, and you're taking the bed. If you want to sleep with Gabby, you'll have to take it up with her."
Straight Up Interfererence Page 14