Daddy's Boy

by Samantha Grady

  Present day…

  Even the good memories left me feeling sad these days. Sighing I got back to the point. “Anyways getting back to the whole point of this conversation, I’m going to see Jack later today so that I can hopefully start seeing Lucca a couple of times a week.”

  Mason pulled the SUV into the town house drive. As we all got out I overheard Olivia whispering to Jonah. “If he loves Rachel so much why isn’t he with her?” I didn’t wait to hear Jonah’s reply as I got into my car. I had my reasons but today was not the day to go into those reasons.

  ****

  Jack Owen lived in the middle of town, not too far from our town house, in an apartment building. The apartments in this building where all average size, two bedrooms, one bath apartments. I took the stairs to the third floor not wanting to wait around for the elevator. Jack’s apartment was of course at the other end of the hall. I approached the door about to knock when a black mark at the bottom of the door caught my eye.

  Crouching down I realized it wasn’t just a smear but a black boot mark. Kind of like the marks you get on a door after repeatedly kicking it open. But this wasn’t a repeat. After Jack confirmed he knew about Vinnie’s business I spent the next couple of weeks watching his every move. From that time I knew that Jack was OCD about keeping his stuff clean and looking new. One look at this mark, no matter if he saw it at three in the morning his grumpy ass would have been out here cleaning and repainting.

  Standing up I checked up and down the hall feeling the skin on the back of my neck prickle. Knocking on the door I rubbed my neck trying to stop that funny feeling.

  I waited for several minutes hearing no noise from inside the apartment. Listening to my gut telling me something was very wrong I tried the door handle. The door was locked, which was a good thing but still my gut wouldn’t let me leave. Reaching into my back pocket I took out the tool that had gotten me into every lock since I was sixteen.

  God I had to be every kind of stupid to be breaking into a cops apartment, but something was wrong. Just like last month, when Jonah was taken by Nick and Olivia was kidnapped by Vinnie, I knew something was wrong long before Mason had called me.

  The lock clicked and for the first time in over a month I wished I was still carrying a gun. Slipping the lock kit back in my pocket I opened the door silently. The floor plan of the apartment was one big open room, with a breakfast bar separating the living room from the kitchen and three doors leading to various rooms.

  White blinds not closed let the mid afternoon sunlight in through the window lighting the trashed and turned room. Every bit of furniture in the living room area was turned over, picture frames lay smashed on the ground, and a lamp was broken in half. The room was a complete mess. Walking further into the room I saw that the kitchen was untouched. Crossing the room quickly I grabbed a towel lying on the floor using it to stop my fingerprints from getting on the door handles. Both rooms and the bathroom were as ruined as the living room. There was no sign of Jack, which was bad but I found no blood so that gave me some comfort. Still blood or not we had a very big problem.

  Leaving the room quickly but carefully I pulled my phone out and dialed Jonah’s number. I stopped only to wipe away my fingerprints from both sides of the door before I walked calmly down the hall.

  “What?” Jonah snapped out of breath down the phone line.

  Lord I could only imagine what I’d just interrupted. “We have a problem.” I said ignoring Olivia’s giggles.

  “Can this problem wait?”

  “No. Jack’s place was trashed and turned.”

  “Shit.” Jonah groaned.

  “Yes shit. Get your clothes on Jonah. Call Mason have him stay with Olivia. I’m going to get Cole over to Rachel’s work.”

  “What are we doing?”

  “We are going to go see Adam.”

  ****

  “What the hell took you so long?” I hissed at Jonah. I’d called him over thirty minutes ago and his stupid ass had only just gotten to the restaurant where Adam was having lunch.

  “It took me a couple of minutes to get the boys rounded up. Then it took me a couple more minutes to convince Olivia to let me go. Which by the way she is pissed at me now.”

  Jonah had come a long way since meeting Olivia. Before Olivia he wouldn’t have cracked the slightest smile when we had a problem or when we were about to meet with a dick like Adam. Olivia had turned bad mood, never smiling Jonah into good tempered, smile all the time Jonah. Shit, I wasn’t sure which one annoyed me more.

  “Game plan?” Jonah asked crossing his tattooed arms over his chest.

  “Game plan is I ask Adam what he wants with Jack and hope for Adam’s sake that he doesn’t screw us around. I am not in the mood today.” I said starting to walk towards the restaurant door.

  “It’s not just today.” Jonah whispered under his breath.

  Choosing to pretend I didn’t hear that I opened the door looking around for Adam. Spotting Adam’s greasy ass sitting in a booth at the back, I locked my eyes on him and stalked towards him.

  “I’m surprised I don’t see a long line of DEA agents following you.” Adam growled, wiping his hands on a white napkin. It wasn’t a secret that Olivia had accidently outted us to a group of DEA agents. One of those agents being Shark, a well-known player in the underground scene. To say that the Denver underground wasn’t happy to find out Shark had been playing them for over four years was an understatement.

  “Funny you should mention law informant Adam,” I said laying my hands on the top of the table and leaning into him. A dominant position like this would have Adam remembering I could and would kick his ass. “Jack Owen. What do you want with him?”

  “What is with you and cops D? I bet you Vinnie is rolling in his grave, you surrounding yourself with fucking cops.”

  Without thinking my hand shot out, my finger curling around Adam’s throat. “The only thing Vinnie is doing these days is rotting in a wooden box. Now Adam what the fuck do you want with Jack Owen?”

  Behind me I heard a bang followed by a woman gasping loudly. Turning my head I found Jonah had the guy who had hurt Olivia pinned to the wall, his right knee shoved into the guy’s groin. Of course Jonah was targeting him, the guy had put his hands on Olivia. God knows I would do the same if someone put their hands on Rachel. Chuckling I turned back to a red faced Adam. “Answer me.” I snapped loosening my fingers so the fucker could talk.

  Gasping and pulling in as much air as my fingers would allow Adam’s eyes sparkled with tears. “I was making sure his son was staying away from the scene.”

  “Jace hasn’t been back to the scene, you and I both know it. You owe me a marker Adam, I want the truth.”

  “I want nothing to do with him.” Adam spat. “I was only looking for him as a favor for a business friend.”

  “What’s your friend’s name?” I asked giving Adam’s neck a tight squeeze.

  “What the fuck D. You use to be the sane one.”

  “Name Adam?” I growled.

  “Darcy.”

  “Darcy, redhead, works for Mika, Darcy?” Shot my fucking father Darcy.

  “By the look on your face I’d say we’re talking about the same girl.”

  Shit was Mika back in town? Did they somehow find out Jack was the cop working with Jonah’s father?

  “What does she want with Jack?” I asked my voice shamefully coming out a little shaky.

  “She didn’t say and I didn’t ask. Come on Denny boy even you know the code we live by. Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

  Adam wasn’t lying; I could see it in his eyes. He was not only living by the business code, he was scared shitless of Darcy. Letting go of his neck, I stepped away from the table.

  Giving Jonah a nod we calmly left the restaurant. No point showing Adam how screwed we were with Darcy back. Fuck if Mika had Jack we had to work fast or he would be as good as dead. Probably already was.

  Once we were outside my mind started moving a
mile a minute. If something happened to Jack it would kill Rachel.

  “Is there any way Olivia can get a hold of Nick and find out if Mika has Jack?”

  Jonah’s yellow-green eyes turned dark. “Olivia has no way of contacting Nick. That fucker left Olivia with nothing but a promise to one day see her again and went back to his boss who may or may not want Olivia dead. Fuck him and fuck you. No way.”

  So Nick was still a sore subject. Jonah thought he was a piece of shit. Olivia worshipped the ground he walked on. Yeah that wasn’t going to end well.

  “I’m sorry, I know. It’s just I don’t know how to fix this. If Mika has Jack I don’t think there is anything I can do about it.”

  Opening his car door and then slamming it shut Jonah stalked towards me with a look of pure rage on his face. “Why the fuck do you care what happens to that bitch’s father?”

  Without hesitation I brought my fist up and punched Jonah in the jaw. Calling Rachel a bitch was taking things too far. No one called Rachel a bitch, not even my brother. Wiping the blood off his bottom lip, I gave Jonah a hard look. “Watch your mouth Jonah or I’ll hit you again.”

  “You better get use to hitting me then because I don’t like her. She fucked you up brother. You were an asshole following in Vinnie’s footsteps before she came along. You fell in love or whatever the fuck you call it and you stopped being an asshole. Then she pissed off and you turned into a reckless asshole whose daily needs are get drunk and get fucked.”

  Jesus Jonah really did want to get hit again. Fuck no I wasn’t going here with him. Not now, not ever. “If you’re not going to help me find Jack leave and stop wasting my time.”

  Jonah looked at me like he’d just seen a ghost. Maybe he had. Maybe my fears were finally coming true and I really was turning into Vinnie.

  Running a hand through his blonde hair Jonah let out a long sigh. “Jack’s a cop right? Rachel goes to the police station reports him missing, they deal with it, job done.”

  “Yeah we’ll do that.” I said not liking that plan at all, but needing to get away from Jonah I took it and ran.

  Driving to the coffee shop to get Rachel I almost crashed when Vinnie’s eyes popped into my head followed by his voice. Running won’t help you Denny, unless you can find away to run from the blood flowing in your veins. Seeing Vinnie and now hearing Vinnie’s voice was two shades past crazy, something had to give or I was going to lose it.

  Chapter 7

  The evening air was cool against my bare arms; Colorado was already turning to spring temperatures even though it was only the beginning of March. The night manager had taken over from me so all I had left to do was pick Lucca up from Emma’s. I was in the back, behind the coffee shop walking towards my car when Denny calling my name pierced the air.

  Turning around I watched Denny jog up to me. “What are you doing here?”

  “Nice to see you too.” Denny said flatly.

  “That came out wrong. I meant why are you here?” That really didn’t sound better either.

  “When’s the last time you talked to your dad?”

  “Odd question Denny. But um, last week at the coffee shop I think, why?”

  “And you haven’t talked to him since?”

  “No.” I said starting to feel an uneasy sensation in my stomach. “Is something wrong?”

  “I’ve been trying to get a hold of him all week but can’t.” Denny said using his lie voice.

  “Why have you been trying to get a hold of my dad?”

  “Not the point, I think your dad might be missing.”

  My heart stopped for half a second before speeding up in a fear induced rhythm. Staring at Denny I noticed the hard line of his lips and the slight twitch in his jaw, something he only did when seriously stressed out. Taking my cell out I hit speed dial for my dad’s phone.

  “He’s not picking up.” I said after listening to the dial tone for over a minute.

  “If he wasn’t at home where would he be?”

  “Work.”

  “Let’s go to his work then.” Denny said grabbing my hand and pulling me towards my car.

  “I need to get Lucca before we go to the station.” I said following after him like a lost puppy.

  “Fine.” Denny said opening the door for me. “Lucca, then the station.”

  Denny was really worried about my dad and considering how much I knew Denny hated my dad his behavior was scaring the shit out of me.

  “You’re really going to go into a police station?” I asked as Denny drove towards the babysitter’s house.

  “I’m not working for a drug lord anymore, I should be fine.”

  It was weird to think that Denny no longer worked for Vinnie. But my God was it good. Every time Denny would come back from seeing Vinnie while we were together he would come back a little more broken. Vinnie had a way of getting under Denny’s skin. I wonder how Denny was dealing with Vinnie’s death after being emotional and sometimes physically abused by him for so long? Was he feeling grateful? No I didn’t think so, Denny looked like shit. A grateful man probably wouldn’t look like they hadn’t slept for weeks. Nor would their eyes look so dead and sad. Denny was not handling Vinnie’s death well at all.

  One year earlier…

  Denny was working at Risk, so it was just Rocco and me, oh and the baby. It was still kind of weird to think that there was a little human growing inside my stomach. I was thirteen, almost fourteen weeks along, but you couldn’t actually tell unless you looked closely as I only had a very small bump.

  Smiling as I patted my bump, I walked into the kitchen to feed Rocco.

  Rocco was happily munching away when there was a knock at my door. It was only seven so I didn’t even think about looking to see who it was before I opened the door.

  “Hello Rachel, I’m Vinnie, Denny’s father.”

  Oh no. Vinnie Garcia, Denver’s most ruthless drug lord. The man responsible for Denny working in the drug scene, the man who beat Denny physically and emotionally, a man I wanted nothing to do with.

  “Can I help you with something Mr. Garcia.” I said my voice holding no warmth for this asshole.

  Glaring at me Vinnie put his hand to the door and started pushing, “You can invite me in.” By the time he finished asking to be invited in, he had already pushed his way past my door and into my hallway. “So it is true.” He said staring at my stomach.

  Putting my hand protectively over my bump I stepped away from him. “What do you want?” I asked backing up until my back hit the wall.

  Taking black leather gloves off, which Vinnie made look both intimidating and scary, he ran a hand through his hair and looked at me with dark evil eyes as he pulled a thick wad of cash out of his coat pocket. “How much to make this go away?” He said pointing to my stomach.

  Anger like I’d never felt before pushed away any fear I had for Vinnie and all that was left was a need to protect my unborn baby.

  Pushing myself away from the wall I pointed to the front door, “you need to leave now. This,” I said touching my stomach, “is not your business, not now and not ever.”

  “That,” Vinnie hissed with disgust, “is my business. It affects Denny, which in turn affects my business. A business I worked too damned hard building to let some little bitch come and mess all up.”

  Bastard, he cared for nothing but his stupid business. “This little bitch is about to call the police if you don’t get the fuck out of my house, now.” I snapped, surprised my voice didn’t shake. Little baby was giving me strength I didn’t even know I had.

  Chuckling Vinnie shoved the money back in his pocket. “Call the police Rachel or better yet just call your daddy. But if I go down Denny goes down too.” Fuck. “Didn’t think of that did you?” Vinnie said moving towards the door with a smile on his face. “This isn’t over Rachel. I want you out of my son’s life, and I always get what I want.”

  Gripping the door so hard it hurt I watched as Vinnie got in his car and sped away. Once the
car was out of sight my strength left me in a rush and I could do nothing to stop myself falling to the floor. Vinnie would do anything and everything to get rid of me and my baby. I was scared and I needed help, but calling the police was out just like Vinnie said. If I took Vinnie to the police Denny would go down too. What a mess. Who could I ever talk to about this? No way could I tell Denny, he would kill Vinnie, Jonah too. Mason, he’d know what to do and I could tell him without having to worry that he was going to run off and kill Vinnie before I even finished talking.

  ****

  After I calmed down enough to drive safely I went to the town house. Denny and Jonah would be at Risk until three so I had plenty of time to talk to Mason. So far the only thing I’d come up with was to flee the State but that was stupid because Denny wouldn’t be able to come and there was just no way I was leaving him. Denny was the love of my life, why would I want to be anywhere that he wasn’t? It was like everything was dark when Denny wasn’t with me, but as soon as he showed up everything was light again. Simple things like just watching TV or cooking dinner were so much better when I was doing them with him.

  When I pulled up to the town house I was surprised to see all three cars parked outside. Risk was only a five-minute walk away but normally they took at least one car to the club just in case Vinnie needed them to go somewhere. Today was also a safe house run, which meant they wouldn’t have time to come home before the club opened.

  Walking up to the front door I knocked even though I had a key. It still felt weird to let myself in.