by Sarah Curtis
She backed out carefully, still not seeing anyone but feeling pretty safe now that she was in a moving vehicle with two tons of machine between her and whoever tried to stop her. Halfway down the drive, she started pressing buttons again, praying under her breath that one of them would activate the gate.
She heard muffled shouts and turned her head to see three men running toward her. The one in the middle had a phone to his ear. Shit. The gates were barely parted wide enough by the time she got to them, and she heard a grinding scrape on the passenger's side as she squeezed through.
In her panic to flee, she got lost trying to find her way out of the neighborhood, but she didn't stop, wanting to put as much distance between her and the house as possible. She was sure she'd run into a street she recognized eventually. The car had GPS, but there was no way she could figure out how to operate it while driving, and stopping was out of the question.
Finally, she found a street she knew intersected with Las Vegas Boulevard. She stopped to make a right then put her foot back on the gas ready to floor it and get the hell out of dodge, when the car came to a stuttering halt. She repeatedly pushed the start button but nothing happened. No lights, no engine roar, no... nothing.
A black—all too familiar—town car pulled up behind her, and four men in suits got out. Panicked, she double checked the door locks while continuing to push the start button, hoping for a miracle and praying the men wouldn't want to damage the car to get her out.
But her hope diminished when Al materialized at her side window with a smirk on his face, dangling a key fob from his fingers.
Chapter Five
"Boss?"
Nico looked up from his computer when Marco stuck his head in his office door.
"Carmine Vella's here."
Nico raised an eyebrow but honestly, he wasn't surprised. After all, Travis Scott was on the Vella family payroll. "Let him in."
Marco retreated then returned ten minutes later with the underboss for the Vella family in toe. Marco didn't leave but advanced farther into the room to stand at Nico's side.
Dressed in a well-tailored suit, his slicked back hair stylishly trimmed, and his jaw closely shaved, Carmine was the epitome of class and refinement. On the outside. Inside, Nico knew he was a product of his environment. Cold, calculating, and ruthless. They had a lot in common.
Nico didn't bother rising from his chair. Instead, he sat forward, folding his hands on top of his desk. "How can I help you, Carmine?"
Seeming a bit put off at not being properly greeted, Carmine took a seat across from Nico's desk. "I believe you have something of mine, and I want it back."
Nico's jaw hardened as he ground his teeth, anger coursing through his gut. He didn't care if the fucker was second-in-command of the Vella family. No one came into his home and issued him demands. Keeping the anger from his tone, he replied, "Do I?"
"Don't play stupid. We both know you have the girl."
Nico narrowed his eyes. "Careful."
Carmine's lips thinned and his right eye ticked. "What do you want in exchange?"
Nico sat back in his chair, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He knew he looked calm and relaxed. He was anything but. "No exchange. The woman is collateral."
He could see Carmine's wheels spinning, trying to understand the situation. "Explain."
"Were you aware your Mr. Scott was running a side business?" The Vella family had control of Vegas's prostitution. Nico's family was in charge of gambling. That Scott was loan sharking meant he was stepping on the Conti family's toes.
Carmine's tick grew stronger. "I wasn't, but I am now."
Nico could tell that was a lie. "Well it seems Mr. Scott's practices were not aboveboard, and as a result, a friend of mine's woman was hurt. You can have your woman back when we learn our woman is alive and healthy and that the Scott situation has been taken care of. I'll keep the girl as insurance until that happens."
Nico watched Carmine's face turn red, and his hands clenched the arms of his chair.
Marco's phone rang, interrupting the conversation. "Boss," he said, handing Nico his phone.
Nico listened then handed Marco his phone back. Concentrating on keeping his expression emotionless, Nico stood. "I'm sorry but something important has come up, and I need to cut this meeting short. I'll be in touch in a few days."
Carmine surged from his chair. "You touch one hair on her head and I'll–"
Nico cut him off. "You'll what?"
"It'll mean war."
Nico quirked his eyebrow. "Over a woman? What, does she have a golden pussy?"
Carmine stepped forward, finally showing some balls. "Make no mistake, I meant what I said. One week, that's all you've got. Then I'm coming back."
"Relax, Carmine, you'll get your girl back safe and sound as soon as I get word on my friend's."
As soon as Carmine left the office, Nico turned to Marco. "What car did she take?"
"Your Porsche."
"Track it, disable it, then bring her back."
"Got it, Boss."
"Oh, and Marco?" Nico smirked, recalling Carmine's warning. "Don't harm a hair on her head, yeah?"
Marco gave him a rare grin accompanied by a nod. "Yeah."
As soon as Marco left, Nico made a phone call. "I want info on the woman within the hour. No excuses." He hung up before his man could reply, fully expecting his order to be carried out. As of now, he had more questions than answers, but that was about to change.
An hour later, Nico made his way up the stairs. Al was positioned outside the door, and he gave him a nod before he entered the room. Olivia was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Her head snapped up when he entered, but she didn't say a word.
He looked at the damaged connecting door then back at Olivia. "Pretty impressive." He really couldn't help but applaud her ingenuity.
Still, she remained silent.
He walked over to the dresser and leaned his ass against it, crossing his legs at the ankles and arms across his chest. Nico took a moment to really look at her. Her long chestnut brown hair fell in soft curls around her face and down her back. Her skin was sun-kissed, flawless, and looked as soft as a flower petal. His fingers itched to check if that were true. Her eyes that he'd thought were gold were actually a dark honey and surrounded by incredibly long, thick, black lashes. She really was beautiful. Exquisitely so.
He'd received her file not fifteen minutes before. Her name was Olivia Miller, and she was a prostitute who worked for Scott so, in turn, worked for the Vella family.
But now she belonged to him. For a while anyway. "You damaged my Porsche."
Finally, she spoke. "Are you going to kill me?"
That spark was back in her eye and fuck if it didn't make his dick twitch. "For a scratch? No. If I planned to kill you, it would have happened already."
"Why am I here? No one will tell me anything, and I need to go home."
"You need to go home bad enough to risk my wrath by escaping?" What was so important she needed to go back to Scott and that life?
"Yes."
The word came out clear and sharp, making no mistake she'd meant what she'd said. He hadn't expected such an honest answer. He was intrigued. "Tell me why."
"If I do, will you help me?"
Nico quirked an eyebrow. "You're not exactly in a position to make requests."
"No, I'm not. But then, it doesn't hurt to ask, either."
Nico smirked. "No, I guess it doesn't. Tell me," he said, straightening from the dresser and slowly walking to the bed to lean against the bedpost, "why would Carmine Vella come
to visit me, asking about you?"
Her eyes widened, but other than that, she showed no reaction. She also didn't answer.
He wanted to know why this woman was so special it had required Carmine making a trip to see him when he had hundreds of other girls at his disposal. "Answering my questions would go a long way to gaining my... favor."
She shook her head. "I don't really know. He comes to see me sometimes, but other than that..." shrugging she let her sentence trail off.
He knew she wasn't telling the truth. She was a terrible liar, her eyes not meeting his as she spoke. The question was, why lie? What was she hiding?
"Lying won't persuade me to help you, either."
Her shoulders sagged, and she looked down at her fingers as they played with the hem of her t-shirt. Finally, she looked up. "Why should I trust you?"
Nico shrugged. "You shouldn't. But I'm all you've got right now, and I am in a position to help you."
"And what do you get in return for helping me?"
Nico stood from the bedpost and took a few steps until he was at the side of the bed. She'd tilted her head back to keep him in sight. The sun, shining through the window, caressed her face and made her eyes sparkle. Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips, and he felt it in his dick.
Unable to stop himself from touching her, he picked up a lock of her shiny hair and ran the silky strands through his fingers. The contact triggered an animalistic response, unleashing the desire he felt for her and had him saying something he hadn't planned to say. "You."
Chapter Six
Nico's stare lingered, taking in Olivia's features as if memorizing each one. For what purpose? She didn't know, and that was the scariest part of all. His gaze clashed with hers, and with eyes such a dark shade of brown it was hard to differentiate between his pupil and iris, it seemed to penetrate straight to her soul. Olivia closed her eyes wanting to block the ferocious intensity of the man standing before her.
"Look at me."
Her eyes snapped back open at the gruff harshness of his tone. Feeling braver than she probably should, she asked, "And what do you want from me in exchange for your help?"
His fingers, no longer fondling her hair, were now caressing the skin of her upper arm. Goose bumps sprouted under his feather-light touch and a tingle spread through her limbs. "Nothing more than a bit of your time."
She wasn't stupid. He was aware of the kind of an establishment he'd taken her from, and she could read between the lines. Dinner and a movie were not what he had in mind. Could she do it? Barter herself and ignore the sacrifices her mom had made to keep her from that life to save that same person?
Absolutely. Her mother had given her life and kept her safe from a world that was anything but. It was now her turn to do the same in return. With a small nod, she swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Deal."
His fingers stopped mid-stroke before continuing their leisurely glide along her skin. "Then you need to answer my questions, and this time, I want honesty."
She nodded, willing to answer anything he wanted to know.
"What's so important you needed to go back to Scott?"
Olivia took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pain squeezing her heart. "My mom. She's sick. She needs medicine and no one there will care enough to make sure she gets it."
The room was so silent, she heard the intake and exhale of his breath. "And Carmine?"
That was a trickier question. She'd caught Carmine's eye by accident about six months ago. She'd been coming home from her shift at the diner, and she'd literally run into him as he was exiting the building. Handsome, classy, and suave, she'd never met anyone like him before, and she'd been instantly flattered by the attention he'd paid her.
Her life had been sheltered, but she wasn't naive. It was impossible to grow up in a whorehouse and not learn a few things about the physical act between a man and a woman. The women talked—bragging and gossiping, many times complaining—and while her mother had tried to shield her, it had been difficult to protect her from everything. She'd witnessed all manner of copulations and had even had a few mistaken close encounters herself.
Carmine had been different from any of the other men that had visited. He'd never availed himself of the women or even seemed to want to, and she'd soon learned why. He was the boss. The big boss. Travis's boss. Then she'd started hearing the whispers. Words like mob, gangster, and criminal had been bandied about.
At first, Olivia hadn't known what to make of the attention Carmine had paid her. He would come to see her every couple weeks, bringing her flowers or candy. She'd been told to look pretty, wear makeup, and her clothes had been selected for her.
Travis had also started treating her differently. He'd never paid her much attention—her mother having worked out some kind of deal with him early on that Olivia had never been privy to—but had soon found herself spending her free time in his office. At first, her mother had objected, but when Olivia had assured her that nothing untoward was happening, that in fact, it was all very boring, her protests had quickly died.
And then her mother had gotten sick. It had started as a lingering cough after a bout of flu that wouldn't go away and had soon turned into wracking spasms that had left her weak and coughing up blood. The few clinic visits she'd been allowed to take her mom to had treated her symptoms but hadn't bothered to check for the source of the problem.
After a month of no improvement, she'd dared to mention it to Carmine. She'd been grateful he'd seemed so concerned, sending her mother to a specialist, after which, she did seem to improve. But she'd learned the disease infecting her lungs, would eventually be fatal and only medicine and ongoing medical care would prolong her life. With her mom unable to work, she'd had to drop the few classes she'd been taking in order to work extra shifts, but even still, she couldn't afford all the medicine her mom needed. Without Carmine's continued support, her mother would die. Thankfully, he'd agreed to maintain her care without batting an eye.
But all good things come with a price, and he'd made it clear what his would be.
She must have waited too long to answer because the soft caress of Nico's fingers along her skin turned into a grip around her arm. Not strong enough to hurt, but enough to gain her attention and give her warning. Not really sure how to answer, she replied with the basic facts. "He comes to see me, helps me with my mom. Without him, she would be dead."
The hand gripping her arm squeezed tighter, this time enough to cause pain, but she hardly noticed, enthralled by the words Nico spoke. "I'll protect you and your mother while you're under my care, but you need to promise you won't try to escape again."
"But why?" At his narrowed eyes, she shook her head. "I don't mean I won't promise. Of course, I won't try to escape if you're serious about helping me. I meant why would you bother. Why not just send me back? Why did you even take me in the first place?"
"Don't mistake my generosity for anything more than what it really is. You're collateral. You're also very beautiful. Two reasons enough for what I did." He stared at her a bit longer before giving her a small nod as if coming to a decision. "I'll go collect your mother this afternoon then collect your gratitude tonight."
He didn't stick around after making that announcement. Olivia watched as his purposeful strides took him swiftly from the room. The closing door and fateful click of the lock reminded her she was just a pawn. As if the word collateral hadn't been enough of a reminder.
Hours passed and all Olivia could do was wait. The one brief visit from Maria to drop off some food netted her no answers. In fact, Maria knew even less than she did at that point. She paced, she sat, she stared out the window. Time had never ticked by so slow.
Finally, just as the
sun was starting to set, Maria returned. "Signorina? Please, come with me."
Olivia didn't ask any questions, just quickly followed Maria down the hall to a set of stairs that led up to the next level. Mid way down another long hall, they stopped at a closed door. Words of explanation weren't needed once Maria opened the door and Olivia crossed its threshold.
Her mom, awake but pale, lounged back against several pillows in the center of a king-sized bed. Olivia rushed to her side, gingerly climbing on beside her and taking her hand. "Mom, are you okay?"
"I was so worried about you, Livvy, when you didn't return and no one could tell me what happened to you."
"I'm fine. More than fine now that you're here." Olivia lightly squeezed her mom's hand and tried not to feel distressed by the frailty of the squeeze she received in return. "Now tell me how you're feeling. Have you been taking your medicine?"
Her mother let out a labored sigh. Olivia was concerned how frail her mom looked from just a few short days ago. Her mother had been so beautiful before she'd gotten sick, the men always flocking to her, and Olivia had always suspected that had been Travis's draw. But although her mother would always be beautiful in her eyes, it was hard not to notice her sickness was taking its toll on her body and spirit.
"I'm fine. Stop worrying about me, my sweet girl, and tell me what's going on."
Olivia recapped for her mom the events that had taken place only leaving out one small bit. The terms she'd negotiated in return for Nico's help.
"You stole his car?"
There was a sparkle in her mom's eye she hadn't seen in a while, and she couldn't help but laugh while nodding. "Put a huge scratch in the passenger side door, too."
"But I still don't understand. Why would he help us after all that?"
And now came the tricky part. The little white lie she would need to tell to keep the peace. "I promised I wouldn't try to escape again, and he could keep me for as long as he needed so long as he brought you to me. He agreed with the added promise that I not damage anymore of his belongings."