Resist Me

by Samantha Lee

  “We believe she escaped while we were distracted but we can’t be sure. We have been looking for her everywhere and nobody can find her.” Sal took the seat by Antony’s bed, “And before you ask the first thing we did was go to her house and the job. We are monitoring her credit cards and bank account, but she hasn’t made a purchase in more than twenty-four hours. Somehow she has vanished.”

  “Impossible, she must be dead.” Antony said. Grief threatened to overwhelm him at the thought, but there was something that didn’t feel right. He couldn’t explain it. It wasn’t a feeling he could put into words. He didn’t feel like he lost something or someone. He felt the loss of someone he respected before, the irreversible end to something with potential. The snuffing of a bright light. He felt it in his soul, but he didn’t feel it now. He didn’t feel an end to the bright beginning he and Yvette shared. Something was not right. Antony’s own words didn’t resonate within him. She wasn’t dead, he could feel it.

  “It’s too soon to draw that conclusion,” Sal said.

  Antony agreed, but he didn’t want to share that information with Sal yet. “She doesn’t have the skill to vanish like that, and before she met me, she hadn’t been involved in anything dangerous at all. I am sure of that.” Antony said. He sighed, “Do we know who’s behind this shit?” Antony asked and swiftly changed the subject.

  Sal nodded, “Donato is taking the fall for it. The police got one of his men they arrested at the hospital to talk. A few hours later they arrested Donato.”

  “What’s my father saying?” Antony asked.

  “I don’t know. He has locked himself up and he and Torre have been handling things.”

  “Did you let him know that I am awake?”

  Sal shook his head, “No, but I am sure someone has by now, and he is on his way here.”

  There was a knock at the door. “Mr. Carbonaro,”

  “Come in,” Antony answered. Doctor Davis was back with gauze and tape. Sal stood, “I am going to wait on the big boss out front while you and the doctor chat.”

  “I want answers Sal, work on getting those.”

  The doctor began bandaging Antony. While he worked Antony replayed everything he could remember. He thought about what Sal said. She was in the car when they arrived. They hadn’t been followed, but they did forget about her. If he were her, he would have taken that moment to run too. The fact that she ran from him stung his pride, but that was overruled by the joy he felt that she was probably alive. He wouldn’t tell Sal, because he would tell his father, and his father would look for her to eliminate her, because Yvette knew too much about the Family.

  Antony would find her on his own, and keep her hidden until the right time. Then he would bring her back, kicking and screaming if he had to. She was his, for how long he didn’t know but he knew, right now, she belonged with him, and if she couldn’t be next to him, she needed to be under his thumb.

  The doctor finished his check. “Everything looks good, be careful turning and moving, you don’t want to open this wound again.”

  “What is the recovery time for this? When can I get back to work?” when can I start looking for Yvette, Antony thought. “Give yourself at least ten days before you are back on your feet for no more than three hours at a time. We can increase your standing time gradually. How does that sound?” Doctor Davis said.

  “Lets speed up that process when we can. I have shit to do Doc.” Antony said.

  Someone wanted B&E and he was in their way, but whoever did this hadn’t seen shit yet. They woke a sleeping tiger, and they would feel the consequences. Antony only knew two people who wanted B&E, Donato and Torre. Donato wanted something but it wasn’t the company. It was against the code to take from him like that. Sure, he could take his clientele, but he would never take his company. That left Torre, he was the more likely suspect, he could take B&E under the guise of Familial support, but even that puzzle was missing pieces. There was more, he was still missing something.

  The door to his room burst open, and pulled him from his thoughts, his mother and father rushed in. “Figlio mio,” his mother ran toward him and peppered his face with kisses. Each move hurt his body, “Are you okay,” she fluffed his pillow, pulled up his comforter. “Where is the wound, let me see it.” He jerked his head to his right side, she pulled the cover back and saw the white gauze taped to his abdomen.

  His mother turned to his father. “What are you going to do about this? Someone hurt our baby.”

  His father calmly walked his mother to the chair near his bed, and helped her sit down. His mother was a small Italian woman. but her personality was large. His father used blunt force to move people out of his path, where as, his mother used a scalpel. Both of his parents were deadly in their own right and nobody tried to fuck with them. There were times he remembered thinking he needed a woman exactly like his mother. A woman that wouldn’t judge him for the things he did for the Family, but would stand by him and comfort him. That was what his mother did for his father.

  His father bent down and kissed his mother on the cheek. When he stood he said, “You leave that to me, and I will leave the caring of our son to you.” Antony’s father looked at him, “You get better. Torre and I will handle things until you are back on your feet.”

  The idea of Torre running B&E rankled, but he knew at this point if he said anything about it, he would be met with stern objection from his father. He kept his opinion’s to himself, “Yes, papa.”

  His father walked to his bed and patted his cheek, “Fuhgetaboutit all, okay, focus on getting better, eh.” Antony had nothing to say, he couldn’t tell his father that Torre was the worst person to put in charge of the business, he couldn’t tell him his suspicions about Torre.

  Torre was using Antony’s injury as an opportunity to get what he wanted, but Torre wouldn’t have it long. Antony would make sure of it, but for now he would do as his father wished. Then he would violently snatch everything that belonged to him back.

  Antony looked at his mother, he could tell she was holding herself back. She wanted to cry, and rail but she knew her position. She had to remain calm and strong. Antony was proud of his mother. He turned to see his father staring out of the window. He wanted to know what his father was thinking, was he thinking about the Family business or something else. He couldn’t ask with his mother still in the room. Both he and his father didn’t like to talk about the Family around her. “Madre, can you please get me something to eat? I am not sure what I can eat, but I am starving.” Antony said. She gave him a knowing smile, she knew what he was trying to do. “Of course, I will be back in a little while.” She stood and left.

  Antony watched his father as he took his mother’s seat. His father’s narrowed eyes and grim expression told Antony his father was in a foul mood. “Sal told me they arrested Donato for the shooting.” Pio’s expression darkened, his lips narrowed and a violent rage danced in his father’s dark eyes.

  “I talked to the piece of shit Donnie Belmonte, he said he would take care of his son. I thought he meant kill him, but instead he made him turn himself in. If I knew what he was thinking, I would have killed the boy first. That entire family is full of cowards. I am working on getting him taken care of inside.”

  Antony thought about it, he wanted blood too, but he couldn’t think about revenge. He needed to think about his long game. Antony’s goal was to build an East Coast Empire under the Carbonaro name. He couldn’t do that, if he couldn’t bring the Families under him, and that wouldn’t happen if he went around killing everyone. Donato had to stay alive, for now. But eventually, Antony would deal with Donato.

  “Leave him be, I have a plan, let him rot in a cell for a while and before he gets out, I would have moved on his entire Family.” He smiled at his father, “Why should we only deal with Donato when we can obliterate the entire Crime Family?” Antony asked Pio.

  His father smiled, “What’s your plan?”

  “I am still working out all the piec
es, it’s more of a thought right now. But as soon as I figure it out, I will tell you. But I can tell you my goal is the same as yours. The Carbonaro Family will takeover the East Coast, and all other Crime Families will pledge allegiance to us.”

  Antony looked at his father, his face was contemplative, “When you are ready I will step down and let you do this thing you are planning.” Pio smiled, Antony watched the rage that danced in his eyes minutes before, recede to paternal pride. Antony knew his father wanted the coast too. But he would have gained it a different way. His father would have used brute strength to eliminate his enemies and force his way to the top. Antony preferred more subtle ways to get the job done, but in the end, both he and his father used forms of violence, except Antony used violence as a last resort.

  Pio and his mother left, a few minutes later Sal came in and sat next to his bed. “What are you going to do about Torre?”

  There wasn’t much Antony could do about Torre now, but when he was deemed healthy again, he would tear B&E out of Torre’s hands if he had to.

  “I can’t do anything right now. My father made that clear, but I still want to know what is going on with my business, even though I am not there. Get Sandra on the phone, she should earn her keep.”

  Sal pulled out his phone and dialed Sandra’s number, then handed the phone to Antony, the phone rang three times in his ear. “Hello,” her voice was all business.

  “Sandra, this is Antony, how are you?”

  “Oh Mr. Carbonaro are you okay? I haven’t been able to reach you at your number, and with the explosion, I thought the worse.” Antony could hear the distress in her voice.

  “I am fine. I was slightly injured, but Ms. Bradford, she was-” he paused trying to think of what to say, “She was killed in the explosion.”

  There was an audible gasp and a moment of silence.”Oh no, the staff will be upset, she was liked by everyone from what I understand.”

  “Get a psychologist to host a few office hours for those who need immediate counseling, and draft up an email and send it to me that explains all of it.”

  “Yes sir,”

  “Thanks, what about the damage to the building?”

  “They are already working on it, but they said it was safe for us to return to work yesterday. Almost everyone came in, but there was more chattering than working in my opinion.”

  Antony smiled against the phone. “That’s to be expected. I won’t be in for a while a man named Torre Pini will be handling company business in my stead. I want you to report any changes he makes to any business process, any important meetings he schedules and anything else that you believe I should know., should be placed in a daily report. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Mr. Carbonaro,” she answered.

  Antony hung up and handed Sal his phone.

  “Do you think it was wise to tell everyone about Yvette? I mean, we don’t know for sure that she is dead.” Sal asked.

  Antony believed Yvette was still alive, but she needed to be dead to everyone else, so he had a role to play, “Then what else is it!” Antony demanded. “Have you heard any kidnapping demands?” Sal shook his head. “Have you been able to find a trace of her?”

  “No,” Sal said.

  “Then what else do we have left! People disappear all the time in our business. I have yet to find someone who disappeared in a situation like this, found alive somewhere on a beach. These people are dead Sal. She. Is. Dead!” Antony closed his eyes, yelling at Sal caused the pain in his stomach to intensify, his stomach throbbed. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this. “Leave Sal, I am tired. Keep an eye on Torre and keep your ear to the ground. I want to know what Torre is up to. Report back to me daily.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Kick your leg higher, hit harder, this is not a game, and your life is at stake Archer.” Yvette hit harder. “Again.” Daemon said. “I can’t kick any higher! I can’t hit any harder!” Yvette threw her helmet and gloves to the floor, then bent over, she was trying to catch her breath. Sweat dripped down her face onto the matted floor “I can’t do this, it has been two weeks, and my body feels like it is dying. I can barely walk down the stairs without every muscle in my body yelling in protest!” She yelled and fell to the ground. Daemon just watched her, he didn’t say anything.

  Daemon sat down next to her, “You have to want something bad enough to achieve it. Do you want to be able to protect yourself?”

  Yvette looked at him and rolled her eyes, “Of course I want it, and I need it, but your pace is relentless.”

  “I am training you to kill. I am training you to protect yourself and the men we are hired to protect. I have to be relentless ,because your opponent will be relentless in their need to survive in a fight with you. The fact is as with any fight there can only be one winner, and I will not lose a member of my team because I didn’t prepare them. Think about why you are here, and if you can’t figure it out then maybe you aren’t a good fit here.” Daemon stood and left her sitting on the mat.

  When Daemon found her standing in front of his studio two weeks ago, she didn’t have a future. She didn’t have any hope, just dread and defeat. But since she started training with Daemon, she hadn’t felt like that for days. She woke up with purpose. She wanted to become stronger and honestly, she was feeling stronger. She felt that strength every time she hit her mark on the firing range, every time her kick connected where it was supposed to, and every time her fist connected and made an impact. Two weeks ago she couldn’t do any of those things. Two weeks ago she was being pulled by an imaginary collar by the Mafia men. These same men who would be relentless in their pursuit of her, if they ever found her. Daemon was right, the only way to survive was to be relentless in her pursuit to survive, and to survive she had to learn and grow stronger. She would find her place here, and she would thrive.

  Yvette stood and pulled on her helmet and gloves, she walked to the hanging punching bag. “One kick, two punch, three move,” she said. “Higher and harder Yvette,” she had to keep pushing herself, determination would become her motivation.

  ***

  Four weeks later, the ground trembled when Daemon fell. Yvette stood over him her fist angled to punch him in the face. “Good Archer, really good,” Daemon said with a look of something close to pride in his eyes. Yvette dedicated herself to her training. She hadn’t complained again, no matter how hard or how tiered she was. Yvette was determined to become stronger and to survive. Yvette unfolded her fist and extended her hand. He grabbed it and she helped him up.

  Yvette had been with Daemon for six weeks, she soaked up everything he had to teach her, how to kick, block, attack, and defend. Most importantly, he was teaching her how to shoot. It was hard for Yvette to hold a gun the first few times she went to the firing range. She knew she was holding death in her hands, and it made her uncomfortable. She never wanted to do harm to another individual, and a bullet hitting its target could result in irrevocable consequences.

  It wasn’t until she remembered the guns carelessly pointed at her, the arrogance of her captors that she understood its usefulness. This was an extension of her survival in a world filled with violence and violent men. Those men wouldn’t hesitate to shoot her, so she couldn’t hesitate to shoot them. When she understood this important lesson her point of view changed. She looked at the .45 as protection, another tool in her survival arsenal. She pulled her arms up, did all the things Daemon told her, sighted the weapon, held it firm, identified a target, braced for the kick back and fired. “Bullseye!” Daemon yelled. “Try it again,” he urged her. Her thoughts on survival, the target was someone she had to defeat to survive, she sighted and fired again. “Another bullseye!” Daemon whooped. He came behind her and messed her hair, “We have a natural Archer in our midsts,” he said and that became her moniker. Everyone had a moniker and they rarely called each other by their real names. Yvette asked Daemon why monikers were so important and he told her, it was to avoid mistakes in the field. The l
ast thing someone wanted to do was say their real name when they were out on one of their dangerous missions.

  Daemon stood. “Let’s end here for today.”

  “It’s still early,” Yvette said and walked over to the weight bench where she left her towel and wiped her face dry. Her hair felt disgusting, she could tell it was getting curly and matted to her scalp and neck without looking at it.

  “I know but you need time to get dressed, because we are going out tonight?”

  Yvette had only been to the store around the corner, and early morning group runs with the guys for the last six weeks. The idea of going out caught her off guard, “Why?” Yvette asked.

  “Because I have been stuck in here with you for six weeks. I need a lady and a drink. Everyone will meet in the studio at eight tonight. Don’t be late.”

  Yvette smiled, she could use a night out now that it was on the table. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Yvette said to Daemon’s retreating back smiling at her lifesaver, without him she didn’t know where she would be. She didn’t miss her old life at all. She had settled in with the men of Daemon Security, she had more supportive people around her now, than she had her entire life. She wasn’t alone anymore, people cared about her and she cared about them. Sure, eventually she would have to face the music with Antony, but so far, she hadn’t seen or heard a peep out of the Carbonaro Family. Instead, Yvette was more concerned about her first mission. She didn’t think for a minute she was here as a charity, she would need to earn her keep, and soon judging by the way Daemon was pushing her training lately.

  ***

  “What’s up Tony, what can I do for you?” Daemon said when he answered his phone.

  “I’m calling to check on Yvette, how is she doing?” Antony asked.

  Daemon laughed, “Better than you probably. Are you still laid up?”

  Antony laughed, “For now, but when I get out of this bed, I will come and kick your ass.”

  “Sure, sure, tough talk over the phone Tony.” Daemon hesitated, “I have been curious about something. Archer never mentions you or talks about you, yet you call her your woman. Is she aware that you have this claim on her?”