by Blue Saffire
Too bad Chris didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. My father and Venny smiled as if I’d just passed out the cigars that say, it’s a boy.
“Is that right? So, does that mean Victoria talked Lo into making babies sometime soon,” My father asked.
“That’s between me and my wife. I’m not here for that. Where are we? Have the teams been set up?” I grumbled.
“Yeah, I’ll take that as a yes,” My father grinned. “And yes, we have the teams. We’re just looking at the options. Frankie has some questions about a few holes we see. Why don’t you come over here and we’ll show you what we mean. This will be good for Matt.”
Matt, Chris, and I crossed the room to the table they had the printouts on. Uncle Frankie had a red marker in his hands circling the potential holes. I became tense with each circle. The Twins must have had reasons for this, they were the best. I looked at Chris to see if he had any thoughts on what Uncle Frankie was showing us. His face wore the same look I know mine had. It was Matt that spoke up.
“Pop, let me see that marker. Look, I see what they’re doing. I’m assuming this is where Lo and Vic will be,” he pointed to the green icon on the maps.
“If you look here the’re trapping whoever enters through these holes. Lo said yous have Ghosts here right. I would do the same thing. Make it look like it’s a way in and out, but when yous get them in, there’s really no way out. They’ve been trapped.”
I watched Matt draw lines to the holes. I spotted the markers for the locations of the Ghosts, he’s right. They had no way out. It would look like a way in, but all they could do is deal with the Ghosts or be driven in to us.
Either way, they were dead. I relaxed again. Matt was good, it would’ve taken me a few more minutes to see what he saw. I needed that, two more eyes. I was happy he came home.
“Nice eye, Son,” Uncle Frankie grinned. Something told me he already knew this. “Lorenzo, I think this is as tight as we’re going to get it, Kid. With my son here, I feel confident that room will be safe. Yous four will handle it and we will take care of the outside.”
“Us three,” I growled in irritation. I wasn’t counting Victoria as a participant. She would only do what was necessary for her to do.
“Whatever Lorenzo, my niece may just save the three of you. I haven’t trained too many talents like hers. Lakeisha did good with putting her in all those little ninja classes.
“Vic could break your arm without thinking about it, kid. Stop seeing her so fragile. You need to count her as a body in that room. If you don’t, this doesn’t work the same. Lorenzo, she just may surprise you,” Frankie justified.
I wanted to snatch my hair out my head. Matt paced the room, looking the way I felt. Neither of us wanted her too much more involved.
I knew Frankie was right, but I didn’t want to accept it. No matter how much I don’t miss, I would be putting Victoria and my two friends in danger, by not letting her be involved the way she needed to be. No one in the room trusted anyone else to be placed in the room with us. Another body wasn’t an option unless I involve Victoria’s Uncle Bryce, and Venny wasn’t entertaining that idea.
I began to pace the room. I needed some time to live with this. Being stubborn wasn’t going to save her. My biggest problem with this wasn’t that I don’t think Victoria can handle herself. It is that I didn’t want her doing what I thought would torment her later.
I know what is coming for us. How was I to ask her to put down more bodies in one day, than it took the men in this room years to add up to. I wanted it to be known she could handle herself, but I was going to have to actually let her prove that.
“Fine, she needs to be here,” I growled. “Chris, go get her.”
I paced the room, pissed, until Chris returned with Victoria. It hurt me deeply to have her enter the room. Her face told me she understood something had changed. I expected her to come to me when she came in, but she didn’t. She fell into the corner opposite of Chris.
This was too much, she understood too much. She fit into the room like she was raised just like Matt and I. I wanted to strangle Venny. This was on him. He stressed that stupid family pride and planted the seeds for her to be this way.
I felt my face harden. I turned back to the table with the maps. I needed the table to keep me from losing it. I stared at Venny for a long time, thinking of the fastest way to kill him. All of this was his doing. Yes, I lied and he overreacted because of that lie, but he started the lies that got us to this point.
“Victoria, come here,” I said a little harder than necessary. I waited for her to reach my side. “Remember I told you about the Twins.”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Their skilled in planning things like this. Your father gave them a few pictures and the blueprints of the estate. They were able to give us different strategy maps. This is the plan that looks likely right now.
We will be here. There are four entryways to this room. The other teams will funnel targets this way. Anyone that makes it past them makes it here to us. Our team will be Chris, Matt, you, and me. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she answered confidently. “This is us in green. The blue are the other teams. The red circles are traps they will get in, but won’t have a way out of. Is that right?”
I just looked at her. Who was she? She was studying the map with an intense look on her face. I noticed a frown wrinkle her brow, as she started to shake her head.
What was she thinking now? She leaned closer to the map and started to trace over it with her finger. Once she was done, she stood up straight and shook her head.
“Lorenzo, may I say something?” she asked.
I was curious. I wanted to know her thoughts. “Yes.”
“I think I understand why you would pick this room. If you are looking at the blueprints of the house, it makes sense, but if you know more about the house you would see this isn’t the best place to be,” she said looking around the room.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I picked this house for a reason. I thought this out on the way here the other night. There are things about this house you won’t see in the blueprints,” she said as she watched my face for my reaction.
“My father usually buys the properties for me. He doesn’t go to them, so he wouldn’t really know why I wanted this one for this. This room you want us in. It would leave us too vulnerable.
“You would be tripping them, but we would be tripped as well. The way the room is set up we would have little cover. I had this space cleared to have parties with friends. Sure, they could bring things into it from other rooms, but it’s a risk to be here.”
I gave her words some thought. It was a concern Chris and I had yesterday. Everyone else was so sure that we would be so guarded outside the room that needing to get out wouldn’t be necessary. They felt that trapping the danger and eliminating it was the better option.
I wanted to hear her solution. She said the house was special. I wanted to know what was so special about it.
“Okay, you have my attention, Victoria. How would you solve this?” I asked.
“The room above this one is identical. It also has four entryways, but three are hidden. The house is full of hidden passages,” she started to search through the different plans on the table to find one that had the room she was talking about.
“Here, this is the room. It would give us the cover we need. It’s a large library, a balcony wraps the room. The double staircase to the balcony is right in front of one hidden doorways at the back of the room.
“If we needed to get out that would be the one we would want to use. There are two more hidden passages in the room that lead to other parts of the house. The balcony would give the cover we need and allow the four of us to spread out.
“It would also give a view of the lower level through the wide main doorway. I just think it makes more sense,” she said and shrugged. “With the tunnels and passageways in this place, we could trap the
m and burn the place down if we wanted and get out without being seen. That’s what makes it the perfect location.”
It was clear I had no idea what really went on in that pretty head of hers. I liked her plan better than any of the ones the Twins had. They had planned the outside defensive and trap attacks very well, but what Victoria knew about the house made the whole thing work, not just by chance.
It made sense and the risk was much less. Uncle Frankie was right, Victoria did surprise me. The passageways were a gift I wasn’t expecting.
“She is right,” Uncle Frankie said looking over the map she had pulled. “I think that’s what was bothering me all along. Those holes don’t leave yous so open in that room. I like the fact that yous have flight options. Nice, Victoria.”
“We should call the Twins and let them know,” Uncle Mike suggested.
“Wait… I don’t think that’s a good idea. No one else will be with us because none of you trust anyone else. Is that right? Not even the ones you brought in?” Victoria asked.
“Yes,” I answered wondering where she was going.
“Okay. Well, the passages and tunnels are something only I know about. They’re our secret. I don’t think anyone else should know that,” she pondered. “The four of us are making it out of that house. The tunnels are my guarantee.”
“I agree, Uncle Mike,” I said. “We’ll just let them know we decided to be in this room that’s all they need to know.”
As I began to talk the details out with my father and Uncle Frankie, Victoria quietly made her way to the corner of the room again. I was a little annoyed she kept doing that, but I just let it go. I wanted to focus on what needed to be done.
When we were all clear on the plan and done with all I needed and wanted Victoria to hear, I dismissed her to go rest. She’d also have a chance to pack our things. All in all, I had a real sense that things were going to go without a hitch.
chapter Thirty-One
They’re Here
Victoria
We had already spent two whole days and three nights in the estate. Lorenzo was extra grumpy. I just wanted this all to be over. Everything made him irritated.
He was upset because I hadn’t slept in a bed in two days. He was tired of waiting. It seemed like having me in the room, during meetings was making him angry and frustrated as well. I was getting tired of being around him. This wasn’t my Lorenzo.
Chris and Matt had gotten used to having me around, and even that seemed to annoy Lorenzo. I just to get away from him, I would go out to the balcony outside the library. It was as far out of Lorenzo’s sight as he would allow me.
A few of the Ghosts would come to talk to me, when they saw me step out into the open. They liked that I could speak each of their dialects. To be truthful, whenever I trained with the Ghosts was the only time I would see a hint of a smile of Lorenzo’s face.
I’d picked up the training they were giving me a lot better than anyone expected. The Ghosts taught me how to count to their rhythm and be able to be aware of them in the room.
Talk about amazing. I’d never seen anything like it in my life. It was cool. They moved so fast and at any time they would increase their pace.
I would have to adjust and know the right count to make the adjustment. It was insane at first, I didn’t know if I could pull it off, but by the second day I had it. I was so excited when I was able to spot them, as they moved and I could hold count while moving in the room with them.
Matt, Chris, Lorenzo, and I were the only ones they trained to stay in sequence with them. Everyone else was to stay on the outside of the house. They were only willing to teach the four of us their secrets.
Lorenzo’s great-great grandfather was close to one of the original Ghosts. The trust between them and the family had remained. They were willing to teach us the way they operated based on that relationship. Lorenzo and Alfonzo had given their word that we were people they could trust with their secrets.
Just imagine Parkour, free running, and harnessed acrobats. The Ghosts use a combination of the three. It’s awe inspiring. I’m still processing what I’ve seen them do.
I guess you could say I was a little grumpy too. It bothered me that Lorenzo hadn’t held me, since we arrived at the estate. Forget about a kiss. We were like complete strangers. With each day, we spent in this place I could feel the tension and stress between us increasing.
I almost bit his head off yesterday for touching my food, without asking first. Something he’s never had to do before. For the rest of the night, we stayed away from each other. I stuck to Chris and Matt, who were making plans to move the bachelor party.
It was scheduled for this Saturday, but we were still waiting. It doesn’t look like we were getting out of here any time soon either.
All night I hoped they would show up, so we could get out of here and back to our lives. I swear if Lo gives me one more of those stinking, why can’t you be like a normal wife, looks, it was going to be a gunfight between him and me.
I was up early Friday morning. I just don’t want to move. I had gotten up to brush my teeth and get some orange juice before it was all gone. No one else was up, so I returned to my makeshift bed pretending to be sleep.
I was uncomfortable, curled up on the little sofa in the library. We spent almost all our time in the library just to be ready. Matt was in the back of the library curled up on a rug, while Chris was sprawled out across a chair. Lorenzo was on the love seat across from me.
When I finally sat up to stretch, I found Lo sitting up, staring at me. For once, his face wasn’t cold and twisted. He looked as if he missed me.
“Come here,” he whispered and beckoned me with his finger.
I was so happy he wasn’t frowning at me and wanted me next to him, I almost ran across the space between us. I hopped onto his lap, into his waiting arms. He wasted no time pressing his lips to mine, hugging me tightly. I did my best not to moan, not wanting to wake Chris or Matt. Lorenzo didn’t seem to care.
“I miss you,” he whispered in my ear. “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” I said.
“For what?” he asked.
“For trying to bite your head off last night.”
“That’s okay,” he chuckled. “I deserved it.”
He pulled my face to his again. I locked my arms around his neck. I never wanted to kiss him so badly. I needed to know we were okay that he did still love me, and that we were still the same.
“Oh, please you two. Get a room,” Chris grumbled.
“No, you get out,” Lorenzo growled. “You too Matt, you’re not sleeping over there. Get out.”
“Lo, seriously?” Chris yarned.
“Bro, I’m so serious. Get out!” Lorenzo shouted.
“Lo, now you’re being mean to them,” I whined.
“I don’t care. I want to be alone with you,” he said and kissed my neck.
Chris got up, stretching before he headed for the doors. Matt moved much slower to get up off the floor. Lorenzo looked in his direction and frowned. He rubbed my back, while he waited for them to leave the room. All the tension and stress he had been directing at me was gone. Lorenzo nuzzled my cheek, while waiting for Matt to make his way to the door.
“Matt close the door behind you,” he grumbled, while he dragged his face across my collarbone.
I wondered what changed, but I didn’t want him to stop. His hands gripped the small of my back tightly, pulling me toward him. It was like the tension had turned into something else.
His breath fanning against my skin made the hairs on my body stand up. Lorenzo wouldn’t kiss me. Instead, his lips brushed closely to my skin, just barely touching it, while he watched me through his insanely long lashes. I moaned as my body tried to mush in his hold, only causing him to squeeze me a little tighter.
“I love you,” he whispered against my skin. “I want to take you home.”
I reached for his face, tracing his lips. I wanted to go home too. If it mean
t he would be like this, be nice to me. I went to kiss him, but he wouldn’t let me. I would get just close enough before he’d pull away. Lorenzo just grinned at my frustration, giving a little laugh.
I tilted my head to the side, and lean for his ear. I repeat what Aunt Silvia taught me, licking the shell of his ear, before gently blowing. I smirked as I felt Lorenzo shiver beneath me, his breath caught, before he grinned.
He squeezed me tighter, while dragging his long, strong fingers up my back. I threw my head back and let out my own gasp. Lorenzo’s touch sets my skin on fire. I arched into him, aching for more.
“You like that, Beautiful?” he whispered, as my breasts heaved before him. “Come here.”
“Yes,” I answered his question, but shook my head, no to his request.
Now, he wanted to kiss me, but I wanted him to wait the way he made me. Lorenzo smiled and bit his lip. I missed this smile so much, his grey eyes twinkled with it. I broke, not able to resist the way his eyes lit up for me, as I leaned in to kiss him the doors flew open. Chris and Matt were running in at top speed.
“Head in the game, they’re here,” Matt bellowed.
I jumped from Lorenzo’s lap and ran straight for the stairs. Lorenzo was right behind me. I ran past Matt’s post and went straight to where Lorenzo and I were set up only about a foot apart. Before I could drop to the floor, Lorenzo had his hand around my waist with his mouth pressed hard against my ear.
“We’re going home. Stay focused.” I could hear the determination and command in his voice.
I nodded my head and dropped to my post. I pulled on the bulletproof vest as fast as I could. I could hear the gunfire outside the house, as I pulled on the pink holster, Uncle Frankie had made for me. It matched the twin 10 mm pink glocks he had customized for me.
I looked across the balcony and saw Chris lying flat on his belly with a rifle over his shoulder. I heard the doors burst open downstairs and understood at once, this was really happening. This was nothing like the time in the vineyard.