by Jax Hart
They move off and I know I don’t have much time. I grab my purse with my passport in it from the kitchen counter, slipping out the door. Another agent is in the hall, but his back is to me and he’s on his cell. I duck into the emergency stairwell going down two floors when I hear footsteps coming up from below. Panicked, I enter the floor where a few of his guard’s have residences. But they are also crawling with agents.
Fuck.
I call Roque. “Chloe?”
“Roque! We have a major situation! Right after you left the Feds showed up with guns and broke down your door with like a bomb or something.”
“Are you okay?”
“I hid in the pantry. I escaped. But they are everywhere. Your whole building is covered. They took the journals.”
He curses.
“Where are you now.”
I look up. “Three floors down, hiding in an alcove.”
“Listen very carefully. Go to 27807. Enter the code 5560. When you get inside go the back bedroom. Move the bed. Behind the headboard is a small door to a secret inner stairwell to the building…. Stay on the phone with me until you get there.”
“Okay.”
I creep down the hall, checking the gold numbers on the door until I find the apartment. I punch in the code and enter. It reeks of Johnny’s cologne. The man must bathe in it.
“Is this Johnny’s place?”
“One of them. Focus, Chloe. They won’t be far behind…”
“I’m in the bedroom. But this bed is huge, and I have like zero bicep muscles.”
“You can do it. You’re tiny. The bed’s on sliders.”
It takes everything I have to get the bed to move. I end up using my boney ass and squatting using my legs to power the movement, but the bed finally slides enough for me to get between it and the wall.
“Okay. I see the door.”
“Punch in the numbers 0007.”
“Are you serious? You are such a dork.”
The door opens and I step inside a small passage that leads to stairs. “This is the part where you’ll hate me. You’ll see me for the monster I am not the dark prince you hoped me to be.”
“Now, you are scaring me.”
“I’m sorry. I never wanted you to see this side of me…”
“What is it.”
“I need you to rescue Romina. She’s naked. Chained. Bloody, dirty… I fucked her.”
“Did she consent?”
“She hates herself because she always does. She’s in a room two floors down. You need to get her and hide until it’s clear.”
“Do you want me to keep her prisoner?”
“No, Chloe. I don’t want you getting mixed up in anything. Use the same code I just gave you to access the suite she’s in. I won’t blame you if you want out of this…our family and away from me. I’ll still pay for Switzerland.”
“Shut up. Just shut up and figure a way out of this mess.”
“I already have.”
“Okay. I’m here and I’m hanging up.”
“Chloe—"
My hands are slippery as I punch in the code from the hidden lair in the heart of his skyscraper. The door swings open. It would be pitch black, but the empty room is wall to ceiling windows. She’s crouched in a ball in a far corner with her back to me.
“Fuck off and die.”
“Ummm, I’m kind of here to rescue you…”
“Chloe? What are you doing here?”
I run forward, sobbing, suddenly terribly relieved to see an adult I know can get us both out of this. I try not to throw up at the condition he left her in. I look away from the residue left on her skin. Despite being naked, chained, and filthy she rises like a true queen. Her eyes are strong and sure. I believe in her, despite what Roque said about her betraying us. “The building is locked-down by the Feds. They came for Roque but somehow, he’s clear. They can’t find us.”
I dial Roque. “We need the key.”
“It’ s on the windowsill.” I cross to the floor, find the key and scurry back to Romina. “Put me on speaker when you release her.”
I do what he says. “Take this.” I unzip my hoodie and place it over her shoulders. Then press speaker on my phone.
“Are you there?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“I love you both. Romina you were the first person who taught me I could love. That I didn’t have to be like Constantine. Chloe, loving you was unexpected. In these past short months, you’ve given me a glimpse of what life with a family could be like…
“Roque—what are you saying?” I start sobbing. Romina places an arm around my shoulders.
“Romina. Blue, my Lady of Red… take care of her. Get her clear of this, make sure she gets back to Switzerland where no one can touch her. Dare is her guardian now.”
“No!” I scream. Romina puts a hand over my mouth.
“They’ll hear you,” she hisses. “What are you doing, Roque?”
“Look out the window toward the street, love.”
We race to the bank of windows. Roque walks out from an alley into the light rain coming down. He raises his hands, kneels on the center of the street as agents and police swarm him with their guns drawn.
He looks up, knowing his building so well, to the exact bank of windows where we peer down on him on his knees in the rain.
“I’m on my knees for you, my queen. Just like you always wanted.” His cell is on the pavement still on speaker.
I turn to Romina, her beautiful eyes weep. Tears glisten like diamonds as they fall down her face.
“I love you, dad. I’ll never stop.”
He throws back his head, the anguish on his face obvious as the officers pull his arms down, to cuff him.
“Come on. We need to move. They’ll bring heat seekers and canines in if they haven’t already.” She rummages through the apartment finding a coat and her shoes. “Where did you come from?”
“Johnny’s apartment.”
“Take me there. If it’s still clear, we’ll find what we need. I lead her back through the tunnel. She was right. Johnny’s place was full of cash, weapons, and car keys. Romina took a twenty second shower and put on his clothes. She was even able to pull the bed back in place from inside her perch in the tunnel before closing and bolting the door from the inside. “I bet you hate me right about now.”
“No. He’s innocent… at least of this… he was freeing those girls. For me. For you. He betrayed the underworld to do it. The Feds had it all wrong. The pictures they took were slanted to fit their own narrative. But they have his diaries and yours and now they will use that to lock him up.”
“How did I get it so wrong? I-I’m so sorry, Chloe.”
“That’s okay. You can make it up to me.”
“How?”
“By being my bad-ass super-villain, mom?”
She shakes her head. “How can you be funny at a time like this?”
“Oh, I’m dead serious. You can’t testify against your spouse. I saw it on a Lifetime movie.”
“I can’t marry a jailed man.”
“Can’t or won’t? You’ve pulled off much crazier stunts, Blue. I have faith.”
“You are a little shit. I see why he kept you.”
“Gee thanks. We need to come back for your ring when they leave.”
“My what?”
“It’s amazing, trust me. Six or eight carats of flawless ruby in a cushion cut. He threw it into the fire but I’m sure it’s still good. I mean he said it was platinum.”
“How can he love me after this?”
“How could he stop?”
“Give me your phone?”
“What?”
She takes it from me, uses the point of her knife to open the sim card tray and snaps it in half. “They would track us.” She hands it back to me. “But all your contacts are still good. Disable the wireless and power it off to be safe.”
We waited until almost dawn, traveling from the heart to the guts of the build
ing. Roque had quite the matrix of tunnels. Romina found one that led under the garage. It was full of wires and electric cables. We were careful not to touch any. Finally, we made it to a metal set of stairs that led to a drainage pipe in a back alley three blocks from the penthouse.
Romina took the gun, going first. And here we are.
“Now what?” I looked around at the empty streets where dew clung to cars. She grins. “Johnny is a lazy fuck.” She presses the fob key on one of the sets we took and sure enough a car chirps nearby. “Jackpot.”
“I guess Roque owns this building too.” We find the car parked beneath another apartment building, but we can’t get in through the iron gates. There is a keypad though. Romina inspects it.
“Try 0007.”
“Seriously?”
“He has a dorky side.”
She presses the combination and the gates open.
We hurriedly get inside the Tesla and power the engine. “A full tank, too.” Romina then taps the screen and enters an address in Boca, Florida.
“Florida?”
“Are you ready to meet Tati and Seb?”
I fist pump in the air. “This is so cool. Like meeting every celebrity or character you’ve read about in a book.”
“Buckle up, Chloe. This is real life.”
“I know and it fucking rocks!”
“They might be pissed at me still, but my blood did save Roque and they’ll adore you. They’ll hide us until we can contact Johnny and come up with a plan. Either that or Seb and Rafe will hire so many attorneys that we’ll be untouchable for a while.”
“We have hours to go. Did I ever tell you about the time Roque tried to give me a sex talk?”
“He did what?”
“I almost died. Seriously….”
My eyes blink open. Romina drove for days. We only stopped to pee and grab fast food. “My legs are cramped.”
“We’re almost there.”
I sit up straighter, awed at the sprawling homes behind gates under the protection of massive palm trees. “Whoa.”
“I know. Just wait…,” Romina turns down a long drive into a golf course with homes clustered around it. A security guard stops us, but she simply gives her name and is waved in. Their mansion is at the end of the cul-de-sac and down another gated driveway. I nervously run a hand through my hair. My weight shifts after pressing the doorbell.
After a minute it swings wide open. “Aunt T?!”
Tati looks just as I imagined she would. Utterly, gorgeous. Romina seems nervous too. She shrieks as she launches herself at Tati. “I can’t believe this! I know your love story, too!” I exclaim as Seb saunters over.
Tati awkwardly hugs Chloe back. “He kept journals. Some from his days at Princeton. Everything is in there.”
“Everything?”
I nod. “He let her read them.”
“What? She’s like thirteen?”
“I’m sixteen, actually.”
“Still. I’m gonna whoop his pretty boy mob ass!”
I grin. “D. You’ll always be D. But I’ve never actually seen you before. The red suits you.”
“Thanks. I’m so sorry…”
“Oh, I’m gonna make you pay. I have a salon appointment at three and the two of you are on twin duty. They’re potty-training…”
I groan as the little terrors approach us in nothing but pull ups with hands and tummies full of some kind of paint.
“Great…”
20
CHLOE & ROMINA, then ROQUE
Two months later…
“In breaking news, Rumored mob boss Roque Salvatore is expected in court today. Where a grand jury will be hearing charges and the evidence against him for racketeering, attempted murder, and sex trafficking. Salvatore, is no stranger to the tabloids, and is often photographed at charity events. There’s already a grassroots social media movement to free the mogul started by housewives. You heard that right; the hashtag #FreeRomeoRoque is trending high. In an unprecedented move, Mr. Salvatore’s attorneys have requested that the hearing be made public. The cameras will be rolling folks. We will bring you all the drama live. For now, stay tuned to WFBV Chicago.”
“Is everything set?” I turn to Romina who looks stunning in her black dress.
“Yes. You saved us, Chloe. It was brilliant what you did.”
I feel the blush spreading across my cheeks. “I loved you before I met you. I dreamed of the three of us as a family.”
Romina places a hand on her belly, “Do you think there’s room for four?”
I grin. “Totally and maybe a dog or two?”
“Sure.”
The ring glows on her left hand. “He’s going to freak when you show up in court wearing his ring.
“Do you think he’ll forgive me?”
“Um, he’ll probably get tased, vaulting over the bench to get to you. He’s so crazy in love. He forgave you when you hid me, kept me safe and away that night. But what about you? You’ve been on the lam… the Feds will still deport you.”
“Let them. Italy is beautiful. You’ll love it there. Rafe’s calling. Rafe?”
“It’s all set. I have three copies of the copyright. I’ve already sent it to a dozen agents here in Manhattan. They’re going crazy over the rights to Romeo Roque. But they also like Villainous Poet. It could go either way. It’s up to the publishing house what to title the book after we sell the rights to it. Are you sure?”
“Well, the ending is still incomplete…”
“It’ll be a trilogy. A bestselling one.”
“Okay. We are on our way to the courthouse. Keep us posted.”
“This is going to be big ratings.”
The press goes nuts as we exit the car. Guards and police have to shove the crowd back from us as we climb the courthouse steps. “Romina! Chloe! How can you love a monster! A sex trafficker!”
“Free Romeo Roque!” A mob of women dressed in curlers and house robes descend.
“Damn those housewives don’t play around!”
Finally, we are safe inside, where a clerk working for the prosecutors escort us into a heavily guarded courtroom. The grand jury is already seated. Their judgy eyes wander over to us. We are the only people sitting behind Roque’s defense team. Johnny is still underground, taking over with Roque’s cousins while this plays out.
The judge enters and we all rise. Then Roque is brought out. He’s in his favorite black Armani tux. He waltzes in with his devil’s smile and Hollywood charm. Every woman on the jury melts. I see it.
“I love you, dad!” I mouth. He winks at me. Then raises his hand and swears on the Bible to tell the truth as he takes the witness stand.
“Here we go,” Romina whispers as she takes my hand in hers. Roque pauses. His nostrils flare as he notices the ruby on her ring finger. Then he winks at her, too. A shudder runs through her. Yep, their love story is so not over…
ROQUE
She’s stunning. It takes everything in me not to break everything in the way between me and her. I need this to work. The life I have planned for Little Red is an epic one. Right after I tan that ass for thinking I could traffic women.
“Mr. Salvatore, are you aware of the charges being brought against you?”
I straighten my tie, casually leaning back in the chair. “I am.”
“Has your counsel advised you it’s in your best interest to remain silent?”
“He said no such thing. I am innocent.”
The judge raises his brows. “All right. Prosecution may proceed.”
“Mr. Salvatore…,” the cocky as fuck prosecutor thinks he has me by the balls but thanks to my superhero women sitting across the aisle, we are about to throw him a major curveball. “Why don’t you save the taxpayers some time and money and plead guilty? We can sweeten the deal if you sing about other operations.”
“Objection!”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I reply at the same time my attorneys go berserk.
The judge picks up his gavel, banging it angrily. “Sustained.”
The prosecutor goes for the bait, he saunters over to his desk, puts on a pair of gloves and picks up my journal. “Mr. Salvatore have you seen this before?”
“Of course. I’d recognize that anywhere.”
“And it is?”
“My notebook.”
“Your notebook?”
“Yes.”
His eyes light with excitement thinking I’m going to fall into his trap all the while he’s diving headfirst into mine. “May I read a passage to the court?”
“Certainly,” I nod.
He clears his throat. “I THRUST MY BALLED FISTS into the pocket of my trousers. I’m only fifteen but I already dress like il sovrano… the ruler of the family. My shoes are handmade from the finest Italian leather and they silently tread on the marble floor as I eavesdropped on my Uncle Franco, eating dinner with the heads of three different crime families.
He pretends otherwise, but I knew my uncle yearned to rule. But I’m my father’s eldest living son and it was my turn to reign next. That is if my Zio Franco doesn’t off me to take his shot. He and the rest of the made men held council as they drank red wine and boasted about our latest victory. It took a while for all the men to gather while the police and the government condemned the latest blood bath. We even caught the consternation of the Vatican in Rome, so the celebration that we won the war had to wait. But tonight, The Fiorelli’s are no more. We drove them out of Palermo and extinguished their flame. Only I knew one tiny candle still burned.
“It’s Roque’s crown to wear.”
“The boy is not ready. His hands aren’t bloodied enough, his dick’s never been wet.”
“He took care of the Fiorelli girl. He snuffed her out without blinking once. His father would be proud.”
Zio Franco’s large hand smacked the table. The dishes jumped with a clatter. “I rule until he comes of age. He’s not ready. He’s full of teenage hormones. He’d make rash decisions that would jeopardize all our businesses.”
“Like a mass murder at a funeral gathering? Even our own women and children were hit in the crossfire. It was foolish, the order you gave. We could have held him and his brat while escorting our own out the backdoor. Instead it was mayhem.” The head of the Castellione outfit shook his head and puffed on a cigar.