by Ciana Stone
"I didn't. Listen, Dad, I have to go. I'll talk to you later."
"All right. I love you, son."
"Yeah. Bye."
Rodrick stuck his phone in the breast pocket of his shirt, placed both hands on the balcony rail, and stared out over the city. David had been less than forthcoming about his mother. That wasn’t a surprise. He’d always favored his mother. But Rodrick needed to know where she was so he could try to convince her to give back the money she'd taken.
The balcony door opened and Gina walked out. "Who was that on the phone?"
"My son."
"Oh? I didn't think you and he were speaking? He is still tied to her apron strings isn't he?"
Rodrick ignored the jibe. "I think I need to find Analise, speak with her in person. I'm sure I can convince her to give me back the money and then I can—"
Gina's laugh cut him short. "What?"
She waved her hand as if dismissing something ridiculous. "Darling, take it from someone who knows. She'll never give you back that money."
"You don't know that. If she thought I was in trouble – in danger—"
"You cheated on her, Ricky. She wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire. Besides, that little matter is already being handled."
A wave of fear brought bile boiling up his throat. "What do you mean by that?"
Again the dismissive hand wave. That was starting to annoy him. "Just that. She'll be dealt with, you'll pay what you owe and that will demonstrate your loyalty. After that it's just a matter of dealing with your family and when it's all said and done and you're in control of Becke Ltd, then you and I can live happily ever after."
She pinned him with a look sharp enough to cut. "That is what you want, isn't it?"
"You know it is, but I can't imagine how you could possibly— and what do you mean demonstrate my loyalty? To whom?"
Gina's smile seemed a bit sinister, something that surprised him. "Darling, I haven't been entirely honest with you."
"About what?"
"Well, about my – my family."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean – well, my name isn't really Russo. That's my mother's maiden name. My real name is Gina Moretti."
Rodrick literally had to hold onto the balcony railing to remain standing. "Moretti? As in Giancarlo Moretti?"
She nodded. "My daddy."
Rodrick felt like he was going to vomit. He turned away from her, feeling sweat bead on his forehead and gather under his arms. Giancarlo Moretti was the head of the largest crime syndicate in New York, and one of the people to whom his family owed millions.
He tried to gather his wits before he turned his head to look at her. "And you're telling me this now because?"
"Because I love you. I want to spend my life with you, Ricky. And my father has the power to eliminate all your problems."
"In exchange for what?"
“Can’t he just do it because he loves me and wants me to be happy?"
"But he won’t, will he? What does he want from me?"
"Nothing that you haven't already been doing. He just wants you at the head of the table of Becke Ltd."
"And what about my family? My father and brother?"
"They're not really necessary."
"Gina, they're setting me up. If the Feds come in, Rolf has made sure it will be my name on everything underhanded and illegal. I told you, they expect me to take the fall."
"No. Daddy won't let that happen. He has power. Real power. Just think about it, Ricky. We will be like kings of our own empire. He can make that happen, Ricky. With my father's help, you'll make more than you ever imagined and we can have the life we've dreamed of. All we have to do it get rid of what stands in our way."
"Like my family."
She shrugged. "Attaining greatness always requires a sacrifice. Attaining me does as well. You do want me, don't you?"
"You know I do. I told you a million times. I love you, Gina. I've never loved anyone the way I love you."
"Then all you have to do is prove it, lover. We'll take care of your wife and when you pay my father and demonstrate your loyalty, he'll take care of the rest of it."
Rodrick shook his head. "He can't take care of the federal investigation, Gina."
"Maybe not. But like I said he can make sure that all the evidence points to your brothers and your father. You were the innocent in all this, the honorable son and brother who was duped. No one will be able to touch you."
Rodrick was shocked that her plan had appeal. On one hand, it was like being offered a ‘get out of jail free’ card, a chance to be the man in charge, to rule the empire with Gina by his side. On the other hand it meant becoming something he was not. A man willing to murder to get what he wanted.
He didn't know what to do. If he said no, he would lose Gina, and possibly his life. If Moretti was willing to kill Rodrick's entire family, then killing him would not even cause the man to bat an eye.
He was fucked and his options were dismal. He could say no and risk being killed, or go to prison with the rest of his family if they were indicted. Or he could say yes and become a monster like Moretti. He really didn't like either option. But he was going to have to choose one and he was going to have to do it fast, because Gina was a woman accustomed to getting what she wanted, without having to wait.
"Gina, you know I'd do anything for you." It was the best he could manage at the moment, and he was relieved when she apparently took it as acquiescence. She came to him winding her arms around him.
"You won't be sorry, Ricky. I promise you."
God help him, but even fear at discovering that she was spawned by a monster and was most likely one herself, could not stop him from becoming aroused. He let her lead him into the penthouse, down the hall and to the bedroom.
He didn't think sex was going to ease his mind, but it would keep her from being suspicious that he wasn't onboard. He needed to keep her believing that he would do what she wanted. At least until he figured out what path provided the best options for survival.
*****
Analise looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm not sure about this."
"Oh come on, you look great."
She turned to look at Cody. "It's … it's too young for me don't you think?"
"For crying out loud, Annie. You're not a freaking grandma. You look great. And besides, people around here wear jeans and shirts when they're a hundred."
Analise gave herself another look then threw up her hands. "Fine, but if I get laughed out of town it's on your head."
"No danger out that. Riley's gonna—"
"Don’t. Please."
"Look, I know you have a fantasy thing about who he was in the movies and all, and yeah, he was smokin' hot back in the day, but now he's just Riley. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's still smokin' hot for an old guy, but he's not the movie star. And he's never acted like one. Around here, he's just Riley Morgan."
"Smokin' hot Riley Morgan."
"A bit old for my taste, but yeah.. And you're smoking hot Annie Becke so get over it. And I gotta get to the bar and get things set up. What time you want me to come get you?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"Between five and six? I'll get Hannah to watch the bar."
"Cody if this is going to be an inconvenience, I can just stay here."
"Hell no, you can't. You haven't stepped foot off this ranch since you got here except to go camping. This is the big night, girl and you are gonna be there. I'll call when I'm on my way."
"Okay, and thank you."
"No need."
"Is there anything I can do while you're gone? Clean or … or whatever?"
"Whatever you want. Me casa and all that. Later!"
Analise watched Cody leave and then looked at herself in the mirror again. She'd never worn jeans this low cut or tight in her life and felt like an idiot. She quickly changed back into her comfortable loose- fit jeans and t-shirt and went downstairs.
She wandered int
o the kitchen. The dishes from breakfast were still in the sink. It took less than ten minutes to wash, dry and put things where they belonged. As she did, she noticed again that nearly all of the cupboards were in disarray. Until now she'd been hesitant to do anything without asking. But those cupboards were in need of serious work.
Before she'd given it a thought she was busy unloading everything, washing down the inside of the cupboards and placing everything back in a nice orderly fashion. She hummed to herself as she worked, letting her mind wander.
It was nice being able to admit to someone that knowing Riley was Nate Bridges had really thrown her for a loop. As unlikely a pair as they were, she and Cody really had formed a connection and she knew through and through she could trust Cody.
Even now she got a rush of heat to her skin when she thought about Riley. Holy shit, she was going to have to set aside an entire afternoon to tell Katie about this. Never in a million years would she have imagined it. It was simply unbelievable that she'd made online friends with someone and then to have him turn out to be the actor she'd been lusting over the last twenty years.
Now not only had she met him in person, they camped together and he’d rescued her from a snake and she had even slept snuggled up next to him. It was like something out of a book.
Sometimes life was stranger than fiction. And that made her remember. She needed to enter the notes she'd jotted down earlier on paper into the computer. Thanks to Amazon, she'd been able to get a cool tablet pc in just a few days, and they’d shipped it right to Cody's door.
She finished the kitchen and headed for the den where she'd left the tablet on a small wooden desk. She turned it on, opened Word and got to work.
Riley turned into the road leading to the Sweet Ranch and slowed. He hadn't seen Analise since the campout. That was cowardice on his part. He hadn't wanted to face her one-on-one. On the one hand, he didn't feel that he'd done anything wrong, acted dishonorably or even actually lied to her.
On the other, they had not addressed the issue of him being Nate Bridges and sooner or later they had to if their friendship was going to get fully back on track. He could understand how she'd think he'd been trying to keep his alter ego a secret. And truth be told, he had been on some level. Despite being out of show business for a decade, if he told someone he was Nate Bridges, they always treated him differently. People were uncomfortable around celebrities. They saw themselves as less than the celebrity, even though that was a big crock of crap.
Still, it was hard to make friends with "stardom" in the way. And he'd been out of the game so long that he didn't think of himself as Nate anymore. Hell, he never wanted to be that man again.
But there was more at play than his discomfort at keeping his Nate persona a secret. Meeting Analise in person had kind of knocked him off kilter. Had she been a homely woman, or a woman he'd never be attracted to in a million years it would have been easier.
He'd come to know her fairly well over the last year. Gotten to know what made her laugh, what made her angry and what made her sad. He knew her fierce devotion to her son and how hurt, let-down and angry her husband's infidelity had made her.
Riley admired her. She was strong-willed, talented and had a good heart. He liked her, genuinely enjoyed her company. He'd just never expected to be attracted to her. He'd thought the picture of her was pretty, but in person she was really something. Long dark hair that had a few strands of gray she obviously didn't try to hide with dye, clear baby-blue eyes rimmed with dark long lashes and a skin that was clear and smooth, not hidden under layers of artifice.
Then there was her body. His first impression was "pin-up" – that kind of woman that makes a man's mouth water. Big breasts, full hips and that sultry full-lipped look that had always drawn him like a horse to water.
That's what had thrown him so hard. It was one thing to like a woman, admire her and enjoy talking – or in their case, texting with her. But to be that attracted added a whole new level to things. And the truth was, Riley didn't know if he was ready for the way she riled him up inside. It wasn’t like she was the kind of woman he could take to his bed and then never speak to again. Unfortunately his relationships during the last decade had been of that sort.
He'd hadn't planned driving out to the Sweet ranch today. But he'd driven into town to stock the kitchen and while there stopped by to see Jimmy to ask about Analise's RV. Jimmy mentioned that there was a lot of stuff still in it and he didn't want anything to go missing. He asked Riley to get her stuff and take it to her.
Riley's plan was to put everything in his truck and take it to the bar. That way Cody could take it to the ranch where Analise was staying. He would have done just that if he had not seen the treasure box she'd been working on.
He was downright shocked. It might have been something she purchased unfinished, one of those cookie-cutter chests you can buy about anywhere, but she'd turned it into something special. It was clear that she'd not only listened to what he'd told her, but had done one hell of a job and added her own touches to boot.
The finish looked to be a mix of stain colors that had resulted in a honey tone with some rust overtones that gave it a slightly aged look. She'd let the stain build up in the crevices of the carvings on the top to make them stand out, and she'd somehow gotten a pattern created along the edges so that it appeared to have an inlaid border.
He was not only impressed, but curious as to how she'd done it. Riley knew the kind of time it took to create something that beautiful. It was sanded smooth as glass and had a polished rather than sealed look, which spoke to him of many hours of oiling and buffing. He knew the care and love that went into something like this, and that spoke volumes to him.
God help him but that that wooden chest did it. It didn’t matter what the women in his past had done to hurt him. She wasn’t them. She was Annie. His Annie. The woman who was trying to rebuild her life with the same care and focus as she built this chest. He had to take it to her. Had to see her and try and make things right between them. Whatever right was.
He coasted to a stop in front of the house and sat there staring while trying to figure out what he was going to say. The front door opened and Analise stepped out onto the porch. She didn't smile or wave, just stood there watching, her hands crammed in the pockets of her jeans.
Riley climbed out of the truck and reached over the side, into the bed to lift out the chest. When he turned toward the house, Analise's hands had moved. The fingers of both hands now covered her mouth.
He walked to the house and up the steps, his eyes on her. He could see the glistening in her eyes and once he was on the porch looking down at her, knew that glistening was tears that had gathered and were threatening to spill over.
"I knew you'd want this. You did a real fine job on this, Annie."
"Thank you, Riley."
"So I'm fully back to Riley?"
"My friend Riley saved me from a snake. And only my friend Riley would know how important this is to me. Nate Bridges wouldn't."
"Then can I come in? I don't know what you got in here, but it's getting a might heavy."
She smiled, brushed at the tears and opened the door for him.
"Where you want me to put this?"
"Could you put it on the kitchen table for now?"
"Yep."
He walked into the kitchen and stopped short. His stop must have been more abrupt than he realized because she ran right into the back of him.
"Oh sorry. What's wrong?"
"What happened?" Riley had been in Cody's house a lot of times and not once had he ever seen the kitchen this clean.
"What do you mean?"
"It's clean."
"Oh," she laughed and pushed at him. "I didn't have anything to do so I cleaned."
Riley set the chest on the table and ran his hand over it. "You did a hell of a job on this Annie."
"Why have you called me Annie since I got here? You never did before."
He turned to face h
er and for a moment they were both frozen, gazes locked. "Analise is the woman who lived in New York. She wouldn't take off across the country in an RV all by herself. Annie – well, Annie's the woman who would. She'd drive all the way to Texas to meet a friend and she'd create something as beautiful as this chest, putting in the hours, giving it the time and love it deserved so its beauty could be revealed."
Analise had never heard anything as wonderful or beautiful as those words. She couldn't stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks.
"Damn, Annie. I didn't mean to make you cry."
She shook her head and laughed through the tears. "I think that's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in … in a very long time. Thank you."
Riley reached over to cup the side of her face with his hand, his thumb brushing away the last of the tears. Once more their gazes locked and they were frozen in place. Annie could barely breathe. The touch of his hand evoked emotions and reactions that were almost overwhelming. His eyes held something – some emotion that held her spellbound.
Finally he smiled. "Just sayin' it like it is. Now, about this chest…"
His hand moved away and he turned to the chest. "How did you create this border? It looks like a wood inlay."
"Oh!" Analise mentally shook herself, trying to regain mental composure. She opened the chest and took out a case. "This." It was a Dremel tool. "I used a metal ruler as a guide and carved the little depression and then created the pattern. If you go really easy it makes it look kind of like little chunks of wood that have been glued down."
"And the colors?"
"I bought different stains and painted it with a little brush and then I put a finish coat of the tung oil and didn't buff it and it made it really shiny."
Riley leaned over, placing his hands on the table to study the chest. "This is really fine work, Analise."
"Annie." She said quietly and when he looked at her in surprise, she smiled. "Please, I think I like that better."
"Well, so do I. And I'm really impressed, Annie. In fact, I'm working on a piece for Stella and Billy – Cody's parents. Billy took a spill a few weeks back and kind of demolished a side table they had in their living room that was from Stella's folks. He wanted to make it up to her so I'm making a replacement. I'm not too good on the intricate stuff, but I have some pictures so maybe you could help me with me."