Ignite You: A Second Chance Mafia Romance (Cole Brothers Series Book 0)

by Diana A. Hicks

  “Levi, how can I help?”

  “My wife tells me she’s having second thoughts about this silly affair. She called, and I think from now on things are going to work out between us. She seemed more amiable.”

  A woman came in with our drinks. She placed one in my hand and the other in front of Levi before she left again.

  “I’m happy with the results. It was as I was promised. Expedient positive results.”

  What the hell was he talking about? He hadn’t seen shit as far as results, expedient or otherwise. “My office is not aware of any changes.”

  “I’m sure my wife’s lawyer will get to it sometime today. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m glad it’s over. Divorce is what ails our society these days. Families should work hard to stay together. Don’t you agree?”

  “I do. Family is everything.”

  He raised his glass. “To family.”

  “Yeah.” I pressed the glass to my lips. He’d poured my favorite brand of whiskey. The asshole knew my drink.

  I glanced at the clock again. Thirty past the hour. In ten minutes, Vic would barge through the door and end this tiresome civility. Why was Levi wasting my time? Unless…

  “Anyway, I know you’re a busy man. I wanted to thank you personally.” He sipped from his glass before he stood. “If you ever decide you’re ready for your own practice, let me know. I’m well known in the community, I could return the favor.”

  No, asshole. We were not exchanging favors. “I’m happy where I am.”

  Levi leaned on the edge of his desk and met my gaze with a smile that I was sure most women found charming. Why the charade? The door burst open and he jerked to attention, arms out. “Here we are. You’re more than welcome to stay if you want.”

  Vic had been right about this being a job interview. I glanced over my shoulder to the two guys dragging a barely alive man between them. They dropped him at Levi’s feet and stepped back.

  I swallowed, glaring at the too familiar scene. I could fake astonishment and leave, but obviously, Levi knew a lot more about me than he first let on. He hadn’t asked for me because he’d heard I was good. He’d come looking for me because he had an opening within his crew. Oddly enough, that was the good news. I could turn him down and be done with him. The bad news was that he was certain I’d say yes. Where the fuck did he get that idea? This criminal life wasn’t what I wanted anymore.

  The loud groan of the guy on the floor brought me back. I texted Vic to let him know I was on my way. “Just so we’re clear. I’m not and will not ever be of a mind to start my own firm. What I’m curious about is what led you to believe that I would be?”

  He furrowed his brows and gestured for his two men to cease beating on the punching bag now lying unconscious on the floor. “After you handled the divorce case so brilliantly, I figured you were trying to impress me.” He smiled. “Shooting up the lady lawyer to send her running with her tail between her legs was a great initiative. It’s the kind of smarts I appreciate.” He slapped my arm.

  My stomach churned. The asshole thought we were the same. What was worse was he thought I wanted to impress him.

  “I have to get back to the office.” I had about a minute to meet Vic downstairs.

  “Of course. We’ll be in touch.” Levi crossed his arms and nodded to his men to resume the beating.

  I fisted my hands and forced myself to leave his office. If I got involved, it wasn’t just my livelihood on the line, Emilia would suffer too because as fucked-up as this entire meeting had been, I learned one important fact—Levi didn’t send those men to shoot at Emilia.

  The same woman who’d greeted me earlier met me at the elevator bay and walked me outside. Vic had the car running when I climbed inside, and he hit the accelerator the second I slammed the door shut. He was as anxious as I was to get the hell away from this place.

  “So how did it go? Am I getting a raise?”

  “No. Though you did call it.”

  “Something happen?”

  “Yeah. Swing by Emilia’s office. I have some files I need to get for her.”

  “You’re the boss.” He turned at the next street and drove past Emilia’s building. Old habits die hard.

  “Levi didn’t send anyone to scare off Emilia. Did you?”

  “No.” The question didn’t offend him. He’d proven his loyalty to me time and time again. However, in this business, it never hurt to ensure the status quo hadn’t changed.

  “Right. So if Levi didn’t, and you didn’t, who else wants to see Emilia dead? What did she forget to tell me?”

  11

  How Is This Being Back To Normal?

  Emilia

  Dom let the door shut behind him. Yeah, the man could wear a suit. I rubbed both my arms to get me to snap out of it. Staying put like a good girl had never worked out for me. I needed to come up with a plan or at the very least a next step. A solid one that would put me back on track. I had every intention of keeping my promise to Dom, mostly because he was right. I wasn’t a killer, but Levi was. I had to prepare for that and put him away before he decided to finish what he had started ten years ago.

  I swigged the last of my coffee and poured another cup. What would make Jess call my office to shut down the divorce proceedings? She was safe with Mom. Why back down now that we had everything to lose? She wasn’t alone. Surely she knew that.

  Could it be a trap like Dom had said? A shiver went down my spine. If Levi had the ability to pull off something like that, to get my office to feed me information, to get me to leave my hideout, I was already dead. Something had changed, and I had to find out what. Not exactly a plan, but it was a start. I sat in front of my laptop, logged onto my company’s secured network, and sent Jack an email to ask him to authorize the release of the files I asked Dom to pick up.

  My fingers hovered over the keyboard. If Mom and Jess hadn’t made it to the safe house, I would know by now. Mom and I had planned this getaway since the first day we got here. After years of being on the run, she was a pro at it. Calling them now would only compromise our plan. And if that happened, Mom had yet another escape plan to make it back to New York, which would be the worst-case scenario for me.

  Back in New York, I had no way of bringing Levi down. I closed my eyes, and the gory images of Dad’s dead body came rushing back. With a deep, calming breath, I focused on replacing Dad’s face with Levi’s. A little exercise I figured out early on to help me calm the storm that swirled in my chest every time I thought of Levi.

  The idea popped in my head and in a matter of seconds, it became my plan. I couldn’t call Mom and risk having our call intercepted like Vic did when I ordered a pizza. If I drove instead, I could make sure I wasn’t being followed. I closed my laptop and went back to my bedroom. I couldn’t wear a suit on my trip to Sedona. I flipped open my suitcase and pulled out a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a pair of boots.

  Last night, after the make-out session with Dom and then dinner, I didn’t get a chance to unpack. Probably a good thing. I didn’t want to waste time packing a small bag. Sedona was two hours away. If I hurried, I could get to the safe house, talk to Mom and Jess, and make it back before Dom returned this afternoon, but I needed to leave now. I shut the suitcase and yanked it off the bed.

  At the valet podium, I asked the attendant to call me a cab. Sometimes old school was the way to go. I climbed into the taxi and gave the driver directions to where I’d left my car yesterday. Every other day, Mom’s driver would pick me up, or I would leave my car in a garage a few blocks down and walk the rest of the way.

  The idea was to do something different every day, not to fall into a routine because once I did, I’d get comfortable and miss the little details or let my guard down. Just like I’d done in Dom’s hotel. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back on the headrest. This hiding and sneaking around would be over soon.

  When we reached the garage in downtown Phoenix, the driver switched my suitcase to my SUV. I handed him a
couple of twenties, and he took off without another word. I did my usual inspection of the car, checking under the carriage, in the back seat, and the nooks and crannies in the trunk. I climbed in and followed the signs to I-17 North. Within minutes, I’d merged onto the interstate and was headed to Mom’s safe house in Sedona.

  Our cabin was a few miles from the town square, down by Oak Creek. As much as Mom had let go of the past the minute we left Phoenix all those years ago, she still allowed herself a few moments of weakness. Sedona had been the place where Mom and Dad had had their first date. In all the years they were married, they never got to return, though they always talked about it. She picked this place because, for her, this was where it all had started, but also where she felt safe.

  The cedar-scented cool air greeted me as soon as I opened the car door. I leaned against the warm side of the SUV and let out a breath. Were we really safer here? Or was the quiet trickling of the stream behind the cabin and the chirping of birds just an illusion that we were in a remote and hidden place? All that drug money Dad had set aside for us kept us comfortable all these years. Too bad it couldn’t also buy us peace of mind.

  Twigs and small rocks crushed under my boots as I trudged up the driveway. I knocked on the door, counted to five, and then did a double knock.

  Mom swung the door open and pulled me into a bear hug.

  “Did anyone follow you?” she asked like she’d been waiting for me, craning her neck to look at the car behind me.

  “No. I made sure,” I said as she ushered me inside. The place smelled of pancakes and bacon.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “No. I ate before coming here.” A lie, but I didn’t have much time. “Where’s Jess?”

  “She’s with Izzy. The poor girl didn’t sleep much last night. She misses her bedroom. Sit.” She poured coffee for me. I wrapped my hands around the mug and let my cold fingers catch the warmth. “You’re here because Jess called off the divorce.”

  I sat back. “So she did call?”

  Mom nodded. “I made her.”

  “Why?”

  “Jess is just like her mother. Easily impressed and easy to manipulate. I loved my sister…” Mom made a quick sign of the cross for her deceased sister, “but it’s the truth.”

  “What happened?”

  “After we left, she tried to escape, which didn’t make sense to me. Why go back to the man who’s been making her life a living hell all these years? Especially if he knew you and I were still alive and that Jess knew. Anyway, afterward, I sat her down and asked her a few questions.”

  I rubbed my temple. I seriously doubted all the Dragon Lady did was ask Jess a few questions.

  “What did you find out?”

  “She lied to us. She never told Levi about you. Her plan had been to scare you off because she knew you wouldn’t let her back down from the divorce. Apparently, Levi found out she was pregnant and was being extra nice to her. They’re having a boy.” Mom rolled her eyes. “Of course, Levi is all over that.”

  “Why did you make her call it off?”

  “Because that plan of yours was a suicide mission. Don’t you get it? We have a second chance to walk away. He doesn’t know about us. And now he gets his wife back and everything can go back to normal.”

  I jerked to my feet. “Mom. We’re in a safe house. How is this being back to normal?”

  “I have a private jet scheduled. We can be in New York tonight. Emilia, we never should’ve left. Don’t you get it?”

  “You just undid everything I worked so hard for in the last three months. Why?”

  “Because this need for revenge is going to get you killed. I’ve been worried sick. I never should’ve let you go after him. I panicked when Jess told me Levi knew about us. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Mom—”

  “No, Emilia, you have to let it go. How do you think I’ve survived all this time? I forgave Levi for what he did so I could have a happy life with you. This anger, this obsession to make Levi pay, is no way to live. I thought that if I let you come here and get your revenge, you would finally get closure. What good would closure do if you’re…” Her voice quavered and tears rimmed her eyes.

  “Mom.” I reached for her hand. Mom hadn’t turned to stone when we left, she’d forgiven Levi? Was that even possible? My chest tightened. I had no forgiveness for him. “He stole everything from us.”

  “He did, but we rebuilt. Don’t throw away everything for something that won’t bring your dad back.”

  Nothing could bring Dad back, but I hated that Levi was still out there, free and respected by all. “You can’t possibly want your only niece to go back to that monster.”

  “She’s coming with us.”

  “I thought you said Levi was getting his wife back. Isn’t Levi looking for her now?”

  “He’s not. She called him and told him she’d be home in a few days. He was fine with that. All he cared about was that the divorce was off and that his daughter was coming home.”

  “Eventually, he’ll figure out she’s not coming. What then?”

  “Well, I haven’t figured that part out yet. Jess is determined to go back with him. Honestly, I’m done trying to figure what kind of birds she’s got in her head.”

  “We’re not children anymore. You can’t decide for us.”

  “I know that, but both of you are acting like children with little regard for your lives. This isn’t like you. In New York, you were focused on your career and staying alive.”

  “My career was a means to an end, and you know that. I’m still focused on staying alive, but this time I’m also intent on living a life, maybe…”

  “Ah. Your lawyer friend, the Adonis in a suit.”

  “What?”

  “I’m not that old. And I have eyes.”

  I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. Was Mom right? Would I be so intent on getting my life back if Dom wasn’t part of the equation?

  “He handled himself well at the house. It’s obvious he’s interested in you. Where did you meet him?”

  “Law school.”

  She gave me a knowing smile and arranged tresses away from my face.

  “If you wanted to, you could make a real go of it.”

  “Not like this. I couldn’t go through that again.” Losing someone I love.

  She blinked, and tears rolled down her cheeks. “Okay. You’re right, but you can’t put all your eggs in Jess’s basket. Between her daughter and the pregnancy, she can’t be trusted. She has to think of her kids, not just herself.”

  “Exactly. Does she really think her kids will be safe with Levi?”

  “She says he’s a good dad.”

  “And you believe that?”

  “Sweetie, your dad killed people—bad people—for a living for many years before he decided to quit for us. However, in all those years, he was still a good dad to you.”

  “Hard as he might try, Levi isn’t Dad.”

  If there was anything this whole mess with Jess taught me was that the divorce case wasn’t the way to put Levi away for good. Jess and her family were safe for now, and that was a big win but definitely not the end goal here.

  What other recourse did I have? I met Mom’s gaze. Thanks to her, I knew for sure we still had the upper hand. Levi didn’t know we were still alive, and that gave us a huge advantage.

  “I have to head back.”

  Mom rose and hugged me. “I’m sorry about before. I panicked and let anger get the best of me.”

  She meant the fleeting moment when we both agreed the only way to end this nightmare was for me to kill Levi. I still believed that, but Mom didn’t need to know that. Just like she didn’t need to know that I’d been shot at more than once in the last forty-eight hours.

  “Don’t say you’re sorry. None of this is our fault. Will you stay here?”

  “Yes. At least until Jess figures out what to do.” She let out a breath and smiled. “Would you stay for breakfast?”


  “I can’t. I have work to do.”

  “There is no way you left Phoenix without your computer. I know you have it. How about I make French toast and you can eat and catch up on work? You need to eat. You’re getting so skinny,” she called from the pantry. “I made pancakes for Jess, it’s only fair I make something for you.”

  I chuckled. “Mom, I don’t care if you cook breakfast for Jess. God knows she needs family right now.”

  “She needs you. Every time she talks to you, her resolve strengthens, and she seems full of hope. Stay and talk with her.”

  “I guess I can stay for a bit. It’s pretty up here.”

  I pushed myself off the chair and trod to the SUV to get my computer. The fresh air filled my lungs. Instead of heading to the car, I followed the sounds of streaming water. As soon as I reached the side of the cabin, the creek dotted with pine trees came into view. I strolled to the edge of the rocky path and let out a breath.

  Mom was back to her old self now that the situation with Levi had been diffused. What would she think if she knew about the shooting at the bar? This whole time, I’d assumed Levi’s men were responsible for it, but now I wasn’t so sure. The shooting at our house could’ve also been Levi trying to scare off Jess’s new lawyer, but I had no proof.

  Random shootings were not the kind of thing that happened in that part of town. Not to mention, the shooters had silencers and seemed organized when they entered the house. The way only trained men can be. On the screens, they’d looked like they were on a mission.

  Thinking about that night made my skin prickle. Suddenly, I got the sense I was being watched, and all my senses spiked to high alert. What the hell? A large hand clamped down on my mouth and muffled my scream. I kicked hard as a second hand snaked around my waist and pressed me against a wide chest. Tears stung my eyes. How could I tell Mom and Jess to get out of here? A heavy weight settled in the bottom of my stomach.