by Jillian Neal
There were very few times in his life when he’d hated Dominic Wretchkinsides and his band of low-life thugs more than he did in that moment, where he was forced to concur with the despicable plan. He allowed his own damned determination to end the Interfeci to nurse the newly inflicted wound.
“Fine, but she’s mine, Haydenshire. Don’t ever forget that.”
Fionna rolled her eyes again, as Garrett laughed at him outright.
“Just don’t screw her up, Dan,” was Garrett’s final threat before he made his exit.
Fionna turned to Dan with disappointment and embarrassment tugging at her rhythms.
“He has no idea how much you mean to me.” Fury ignited again in Dan’s vow, as he pulled her back into his arms.
“He’s worried about me. He’ll be fine.” She pulled away and glanced around the office that Dan had practically lived in for the last ten years. Her brow furrowed as she watched him go on with what he’d planned to do, before Garrett had interrupted. He moved to the large corkboard he’d erected against the back windows. Resisting the urge to flip off the smug faces of the Interfeci members’ mug shots that he’d lined up there, he pulled the tack from Pendergrath’s photo.
The black ‘X’ through Cascavel’s face did give him solace. He’d already ended Cascavel, and he wouldn’t stop until every face staring back at him was dead and gone.
He tore down the shot of Pendergrath with the green ‘X’ and replaced it with a new mug shot.
“What do the Xs mean?” Fionna joined him. She touched his hand, and he felt her soothing Receiver’s cast work back through him. With an extended blink, his body inhaled the essence of her.
“Uh,” he shuddered and tried to focus. She released him, and his mind re-centered. “Green means they’re in prison but don’t have a life sentence. Red means they’re in prison with a life sentence. Black means they’re no longer polluting the earth by exhaling.”
She managed a nod.
“I thought it was something like that.”
Dan glanced back towards the door and tried to find something else to discuss. His eyes landed on an old photo, shoved under a stack of papers on his desk. Amelia was caught up in his arms the day he’d carried her over the threshold of their brand new house. Dan quickly used the papers to cover the photo.
Fionna smiled, and he felt the warmth in his soul.
“Don’t you miss the sunshine? I mean, you’re the Chief of Iodex. This is the nicest office in this wing, right? You covered up your view.” The concern she tried so hard to conceal in hope, wounded him further.
He shrugged. “If I get to stare into your eyes and hold you in my arms, Fionna, I don’t need the sun.”
Eric
Dan added the file folders on car makes and models that he’d been interested in purchasing at one time, and the latest updates on where the Interfeci was moving their vast funding, to his briefcase. He’d been on suspension for two weeks, due to unleashing his lethal temper on the German Crown Governor and Governing Board, and he wanted to get caught up. The drive and determination to end Wretchkinsides had been compounding with every moment he spent with Fionna. With every sexy sway of her hips, every inhaled breath of her heady scent, every time their lips met, desperation to break free from the hell he’d lived for the past decade brought cold clarity to his veins. If Fionna was the prize, he’d stop at nothing to finally win the game.
After grabbing a set of keys to one of the Iodex Expeditions, he led her to the parking deck. To his great irritation, Garrett joined them on their trek.
“Honey, why is your top open?” Dan gestured to the bright yellow Pontiac Solstice parked where he’d left it a week before.
“Oh no,” Fionna sighed. “It’s been doing this. I’ve tried casting it and everything, but sometime it just opens, and I can’t get it shut.”
Dan seated himself in the Solstice and scanned the car to make certain nothing more than an electrical problem was to blame.
Garrett joined him.
“Yeah, I was gonna take it to Sam’s. I should’ve done it while you were gone. I just didn’t think about going by your house and getting the key.”
Dan willed away his irritation that Garrett obviously had a key to Fionna’s home. He placed his hands on the steering column and Fionna watched as he sent a green pulsing orb through the car. The energy took on a yellow tint as he forced massive amounts of electricity through it, but the top still wouldn’t close.
“Here, I’ll take her home. You can follow us in the Expedition.” Garrett offered.
“Nah, she can leave the car here. No one can get in here but the Governors and Iodex. We’re spending the weekend together, anyway. We can ride together.” Dan enjoyed the frustrated eye-roll he received in answer to his plan.
He loaded their bags into one of the Expeditions and helped her into the passenger seat.
“I feel like I’m back on the plane.” Fionna teased, as she took in the size of the vehicle compared to her Solstice. Dan chuckled as he cranked the engine.
“Yeah, but at least I’m not eating my knees when I drive this.”
“Do not speak ill of Lola.” She clutched her hand to her heart in mocked offense. Dan laughed as he pulled out of the parking deck and headed towards the highway.
“Lola? Your car’s name is Lola?” He couldn’t keep from laughing.
“Yes, and I think she does this thing with the top when she has PMS.” Her sassy retort made him love her even more.
“So, does your top come down when you have PMS, too, honey, or is that just Lola’s?”
They joked most of the way to Alexandria. Dan reveled in her laughter and in just being with her. He turned down her street and smiled at her, as she kept her gaze fixed on him.
“You wanna have a spend-the-night party?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” His voice took on an eager thrum. Excitement lit her eyes, and Dan’s heartbeat sped.
“And are you going to braid my hair and let me tell you about this guy I have a huge crush on?”
“I would definitely like to hear about this guy, but I’m not much with hair.”
“You had three little sisters and you can’t braid hair?” Her sweet grin was still spread across her beautiful face.
“I was so freaking disgusted with the sheer amount of hair I had to pull out of the shower drain every damn day, I never wanted to get anywhere near their heads.”
Fionna dissolved into another fit of giggles.
I could sit and listen to her laugh at my stupid jokes for the rest of my life. The thought caught him off guard again. How could he have fallen so hard, so fast? He’d sworn when he’d finally been able to come to grips with the fact that Amelia was gone, that he’d never fall in love again.
He turned down the driveway, and all signs of happiness and contentment washed from her face.
“Not again.” She suddenly looked frightened. Dan felt his entire body tense as he crested the slight hill and took in a guy dressed in a designer suit, leaning against his Beemer, and gazing at it lustfully.
“I’m guessing this is Eric?”
“Yes,” Fionna whimpered. “He is such a prick. He keeps showing up here unannounced, and demanding that I give him another chance. His dad is one of the Angel owners, so I kind of have to be nice, but he freaks me out.”
She glared at Eric as Dan edged the Expedition into the parking space right beside the house.
“How nice do I have to be?”
“Well,” Fionna considered. “Not as nice as I have to be, but nicer than I would like for you to be.”
“I think I can handle that. Why don’t you stay in the car for me?” Aware that his request had taken on the tone of a command, he studied her to see how she might react. It didn’t seem to bother her, but she didn’t comply.
“No, then he’ll make up some crap about you being controlling. He’s weird, Dan; I’m telling you, he’s a jerk.”
Sizing Eric up didn’t take long, so D
an decided to go ahead and scare the hell out of him in hopes that he’d get his thing for Fionna out of his system. Quickly reaching across her seat, Dan popped open the glove box and pulled out a set of cuffs. He linked them through one of his belt loops and then pulled on a shoulder holster. He slid it over his massive bicep and loaded his Glock into it.
Dan narrowed his eyes, clenched his jaw, and stepped out of the Expedition.
“Hi there,” he extended his arm, making certain the gun was on full display. “I’m Dan Vindico. Do we know you?” He leveled a hate-filled glare at Eric.
“Eric, what are you doing here?” Fionna crossed her arms over her chest and stayed close to Dan.
“Fionna’s seeing me,” was Eric’s opening line. Dan chuckled but offered no comment.
“No, I’m not! We went out once, months ago. I don’t ever want to see you again.”
“Where have you been? I’ve come by every night this week.” Eric demanded. Dan’s eyes lit furiously.
“Don’t really believe that’s any of your business, Eric.” He sneered as he stepped closer, and shot Eric the customary male look that said he could crush Eric with one hand. “Since Fionna just informed you that she never wanted to see you again, I’m going to give you approximately thirty seconds to get inside your Beemer and leave, before I arrest you for trespassing.”
“I’m not trespassing. There are no ‘private property’ signs.”
This guy was trouble, and he’d been in trouble before; Dan would bet his badge on it.
“Fionna, did you invite this asshole to be here?”
“NO,” Fionna nearly shouted.
“And do you feel threatened?” Dan eased as a broad grin spread across her face. She sidled closer.
“Yes, I’ve told him over and over again not to come back. I’m really scared, Dan.” She pouted preciously, and Dan had to try hard not to laugh.
“And you can come by my office tomorrow to sign the restraining order?”
“Of course.”
“Sounds like trespassing to me, Eric, and, as the head of Elite Iodex, I should know. So, would you like to leave now or would you prefer a nice weekend in Felsink? I hear the weather underground is lovely this time of year.”
Eric rolled his eyes as he glared at Dan.
“Because you think she’s yours?”
Dan’s fists clenched. They still ached from fighting with Garrett. They’d been back less than an hour and he was already contemplating a second fight. This wasn’t good.
“Never said that,” He corrected Eric and watched disappointment broadcast from Fionna. But he had to do this by the book. He’d make no mistakes when it came to her. “Fionna and I are friends. I was giving her a ride home. She asked you to leave. Tends to piss me off when guys don’t do as their told.”
A moment of realization seemed to dawn on Eric as he took in Dan’s sheer size and strength. He gave another indignant huff.
“Whatever. Fionna, when this guy leaves, give me a call. Dad and I were talking, and we think that some pictures of the two of us on some of my campaign flyers would look really good for me.”
Fury lit Fionna’s face as it reddened violently.
“Eric, I am not now nor was I ever your girlfriend! I will not have my picture taken with you! I am seeing….” She caught herself. Dan gave a minute headshake. “Just leave!”
“I’m sure you’ll come around.” Eric climbed back in his Beemer and backed out of the driveway.
Dan edged Fionna out of the way as he kept his glare fixed on Eric.
“Okay, I was just trying to get to Eric there, but you are going to sign a restraining order. He’s not going to give it up Fionna, and, honey, I swear I’m not saying this just because I want to spend every waking moment with you, but until I’m sure that Eric isn’t going to be a problem anymore, I’m going to be staying with you constantly. I’m also going to beef up the security teams at the Arena when you’re at work.
To his delight, Fionna beamed.
“Hmm, and I thought Eric wasn’t good for anything; turns out I was wrong.” With a chuckle meant to hide his deep concern, Dan unloaded their bags and followed Fionna into her house.
The Ways of a Vindico
The next evening, after Fionna had fixed a beautiful platter of hors d’oeuvres and changed clothes more times than Dan could count, they stood on the brick front porch ready to enter his parents’ mansion.
“I’m so nervous.” Fionna looked faint, as Dan pulled the handle on the screen door and reached for his parents’ house key on his ring.
“Fi, honey, they are going to love you. How could they not?”
She seemed far too distressed to listen to reason, so Dan gently guided her inside.
“We’re here.” He tried not to sound overly grumpy about that fact, as he took in the home that had raised him.
The entry hall had cornflower-blue and mauve wallpaper, right out of the early nineties, along with stone flooring in varying shades of gray. Dan’s senior picture from the academy hung, along with Kara and Meredith’s, beside the stiff, oak hall tree. It resided next to a picture of his parents’ wedding day and of his father being sworn in as a Governor of the Realm.
Lindley had refused to sit for her senior portrait unless she could pose provocatively, so Governor Vindico had informed her that she just wouldn’t have one taken.
His mother appeared. She looked distressed.
“Daniel,” she sighed, and wiped her hands on her apron that covered a chiffon dress that was much nicer than what she normally wore to a family dinner.
“Hey, Mom,” he gave her an awkward, one-armed hug. He was carrying the tray of hors d’oeuvres in his other arm. “This is Fionna Styler, my girlfriend.” He introduced his mother, who stared at Fionna as if she was the last drink of water in the desert. Dan’s stomach churned ominously.
“Oh, Fionna, it is such a pleasure to meet you, dear.” She dragged Fionna in for an all-encompassing hug.
Shocked, Fionna hugged her back, with a great deal of trepidation.
Kara, Dan’s favorite sister, appeared a moment later.
“Hey, Fionna! I haven’t seen you since you went off and became a famous Angel.” She and Fionna embraced much more naturally.
Kara grinned at Dan, as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She was several inches shorter than him.
“Hey, Care Bear.” Dan hugged her to him. She seemed surprised at his embrace.
“Fionna, these appetizers look lovely. You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.” Mrs. Vindico directed everyone further into the house.
“It was no trouble.” Fionna threw Dan a threatening glare, to make certain that he didn’t comment on the hours it had taken her to prepare them.
With a slight shudder, Dan followed Fionna into his mother’s kitchen. The wallpaper, with pictures of clustered fruit all larger than his head, had always disturbed him. The tile floor had recently been polished. It was obvious his mother had been cleaning for days.
Kara’s husband, Zach, and Governor Vindico entered from the garage.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t realize you’d arrived, Daniel.” The Governor gave Fionna his warm, fatherly smile.
“Fionna, this is my Dad and my brother-in-law, Zach.”
“We’re so glad to have you, Fionna. Can I get you something to drink?” Governor Vindico slid seamlessly into the role of host. It suited him well.
“I’m fine, sir.”
“I was just in the garage helping Zach load up Kara’s old crib,” the Governor stated with a broad grin.
“Oh, really?” Dan raised his eyebrows at Kara, who was nodding excitedly. “Congrats, sis.” He extended his hand toward Zach, who shook it, though he looked rather bewildered.
“When did you find out?”
“Oh, uh, today,” Zach stumbled over the words.
Dan nodded, now understanding Zach’s obvious concern.
“Now, Fionna, are you interested in having a family soon, dear?”
Mrs. Vindico launched into her interrogation.
Fionna’s eyes goggled, as Dan ground his teeth.
“Mom, could we get through the salad before you start trying to direct her life?”
“Well, you’re not getting any younger, Daniel.”
Dan let his eyes close in defeat. Fionna reached for his hand. She soothed him, as she tried to recover from the rather personal question.
Desperate for a subject change, Dan turned to Kara.
“Meredith here?”
“No, she wanted to come, but Tim’s sick.” Kara announced with a heavy eye-roll.
Fionna’s brow furrowed.
“Meredith’s husband is pretty much terminally ill with hypochondria.” Dan whispered as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Maybe you can meet them Christmas Eve.”
His mother looked thrilled as she instructed the Governor on how to cut the ham. Dan glared at the offending ham, fresh from the blazing oven. His mother was perpetually terrified of undercooked foods; therefore, she had a tendency to cook meats until they resembled products manufactured by Goodyear.
“You’ve invited Fionna for Christmas dinner?” Mrs. Vindico wore an expression that looked as if someone had just informed her that she was queen of the Realm.
Dan tried not to grimace, as Fionna bit back laughter at his mother’s wide-eyed exuberance.
“Yeah, Mom, that okay?”
“Of course, of course, of course.”
Kara shook her head and offered Dan and Fionna sorrowful looks.
“You know I’ve been considering new drapes in the guestrooms. I should just go ahead and order those right now.” Mrs. Vindico retrieved a measuring tape from one of the kitchen drawers.
“Mom, we’re not staying overnight. We’ll just be here for dinner. No need to call the decorator.” Dan sighed.
Fionna gave Mrs. Vindico a polite smile, though she looked extremely uncomfortable.
“Let me get you a drink, honey.” Dan moved towards the refrigerator. His mother nearly back-flipped over the kitchen counter, after hearing Dan’s term of endearment for Fionna.