by Nicole Fox
His laugh was eerie through the car’s stereo. “Kenzie, you think you know so much, but you have a lot to learn. Flynn was putting on a show for you. He doesn’t want you to know that he’s terrified of what we’ll do to him.”
She hated that the “we” included her, in Matteo’s mind. “That’s not how it sounded, or looked.” Still, Kenzie felt a shot of hope spring up through her chest. If her father was right and Xavier was willing to pay, then her part in this would be over. She had done everything her father asked, and now he would leave her alone. “At any rate, I’m on my way home.”
“I’ll see you this evening, then. I’m leaving the house right now to go check on a few of my properties.”
Kenzie knew what that meant. Matteo usually had his mobsters check on the businesses that paid him for “protection,” but when they got behind on their payments it usually warranted a personal visit. It irritated her that he hadn’t even bothered to wait for her to get home. What if Xavier had killed her? Maybe her father didn’t care, either way. She wasn’t entirely sure that she cared. Things would be a lot easier if she was dead. “All right. Bye.”
She stepped in the door twenty minutes later and took a moment to bask in the silence of the house. Her father was gone, and he had taken his men with him. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been home alone, and she planned to enjoy it. Taking an ice pack out of the freezer and pressing it to her face, she jogged up the stairs to her room.
* * *
She had been in such an intense frame of mind for her studies—finally getting her paper completed—that she jumped in surprise when the doorbell rang. Kenzie listened carefully, but she knew there was nobody else home to get it. The Labriolas’ house was the constant destination of numerous packages and messages, so she headed downstairs and flung open the door.
She should have been more careful. She knew that, somewhere in the back of her mind, but she had ignored it. Xavier shoved his way into the house as soon as she opened the door, much as she had done at his place. But he was much stronger than she was, and he wrapped one arm around her neck as he kicked the door shut behind him. He turned her around so that her back was pressed against his wide chest, his forearm against her throat. Cold metal pressed at the side of her head as he growled in her ear. “Tell your father to get his ass in here. We need to talk.”
With every heartbeat, Kenzie’s emotions swung from terrified to pissed. She didn’t want to die, and especially not over something as stupid as this whole thing was. And just what made Xavier think it was okay to hold her at gunpoint and make demands? Sure, she had done the same thing to him, but that was only because her father had made her do it.
“What are you doing here?” she spat. “You’re going to get us both killed, and he’s not even here.”
“Then it’s your job to get him here,” Xavier replied. “Now.”
With little choice, Kenzie reached in her pocket for her phone and dialed.
Chapter Twelve
Xavier
When Matteo returned home, he had several men at his back. Xavier expected nothing less, but he still kept the gun pointed at Kenzie’s head. So far, she had been cooperative, and he was grateful. She’d been beaten enough as it was, and he wanted to keep the allegations against him false. The truth was the only thing he had going for him.
“Mr. Flynn, how nice to meet you in person.” Matteo gave a smile that extended up to his dark brown eyes. His dark hair was streaked with silver, but his olive skin only showed signs of aging in the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised or upset to see his daughter held hostage as she was, and he acted as though he was at a business meeting in a conference room. “I understand you want to talk business.”
“You’re damn right, I do.” Xavier was tempted to shoot him right there. He knew he would be shot immediately after, but it might be worth it. Then he realized that someone else would simply step up to take the boss’s place. Xavier wouldn’t be saving any of the businesses that forked their profits over to him, and he probably wouldn’t even save Kenzie.
“I assure you, we can conduct our business like men. Put the gun down.” At Xavier’s hesitation, he withdrew his own pistol and laid it on a side table. “You can step into my office and we can discuss this, just you and I.”
It sounded like a trap, but it was one that Xavier had walked right into. There was no way he could win this anyway. He slowly took his arm from around Kenzie, keeping his eyes on the other mafiosos. If they decided to make a move, there was almost nothing he could do to stop them. But pointing guns and yelling wasn’t fixing things, either.
Matteo turned to his men. “Keep an eye on my little girl, would you? I’ll be right back.” He waved toward a door on the other end of the room and led Xavier into his office.
It was a plush affair, with a tall leather chair behind a heavy oak desk and numerous expensive statues and knickknacks on the bookshelves. Several framed pictures dotted the wall, including some of Matteo with men who looked like they were other crime bosses. In one of them he stood next to a little girl with long dark pigtails and eyes that matched his own. Matteo made a show of stopping at a sidebar and pouring a shot of whiskey for each of them. He set the crystal glass politely in front of Xavier before stepping around the desk and sitting down. “Now, what can I do for you?”
Xavier refused to sit. He was too angry, and he didn’t want to play into Matteo’s hands or make him think he had an advantage here. “You know what you can do for me. Stop this nonsense. I’m not going to give you shit, and you know it.” He could have used the whiskey, but it seemed a better option to consider it poisoned.
Matteo spread his hands, palms up, and lifted his shoulders a little. “Mr. Flynn, you and I both know this is just business. Your club stole some major markets out from under me, ones that served as significant sources of income. I’m sure you understand what it costs to keep so many people under your wing. I can’t just go without that money. So you’re just going to give me what I’m rightfully owed. It’s all really very simple.”
“I don’t owe you a fucking thing.” Xavier was much better at keeping his temper when he was dealing the members of the Reapers. He knew what to expect from them, and they never tried to stab him in the back. “You want to say this is just business. Well, guess what? Stealing those deals from you is also just business. As you said, it takes a lot to keep a large group of people happy, and I’ve got to do it just the same as you do. And what about Kenzie? Is what you did to her just business as well?” A whole new flood of anger swept over him, and he pounded his fist on the desk. The whiskey glass jumped.
Matteo lifted his hands in the air, shrugging as if he had absolutely no control over what had happened. “An unfortunate side effect of making sure my little scheme worked out.”
Xavier evaluated his chances of strangling Matteo and escaping through the window. “Did it feel good when your fist went crunching into her eye socket? Did that make you feel like a bigger man?”
The older man actually laughed. “That’s the difference between you and me, Mr. Flynn. I’m important enough that I don’t have to do any of the dirty work myself.”
“You’re disgusting. If you’re all about business, then you aren’t the kind of man I want to do business with.” The fact that he had made one of his thugs hit Kenzie didn’t make things any better. He had still ordered it, and that almost seemed worse.
The mob boss nodded slowly, steepling his fingers under his chin as he thought. He looked up at Xavier. “So you won’t pay up.” It was a statement, not a question.
“No,” the biker confirmed.
“Very well.” Matteo picked up his phone and dialed. After a moment, he said, “Release the documents,” and hung up before turning back to Xavier. “The police will have everything in just a few minutes: the affidavit from Kenzie, the pictures, everything.”
A shocking sense of calm that Xavier hadn’t expected washed ov
er him. He hadn’t wanted this to happen; he knew how devastating this could be for him. There was no way he could continue being the vice president of the club if he was in jail, and nobody would believe that he was innocent. Still, it was almost a relief to have it all over with. “That’s fine. I don’t care. I’m not going to let you control me with lies like you do with everyone else. You’ve made your living by extorting people, twisting their arms or threatening to break their kneecaps, but it’s time someone stood up to you. You’ve already killed two of my men over this, and if that’s not payment enough, then nothing will be.” He turned and stormed out of the office.
“Don’t let him leave!” Matteo called after him so that his goons could hear. “I’m not done with him yet!”
But Xavier wasn’t about to stick around. As soon as he was back in the living room, he assessed the situation and made his plan. The mafiosos were lounging on the couch, just getting up after hearing their boss shout. But Kenzie was in an armchair with her back to him, and he had easy access to her. Xavier whipped his pistol back out of his waistband and snatched her out of the chair. She screamed a little, but she didn’t fight him all that hard. He kept his body in front of hers, using her as a shield as he backed toward the door. If Matteo was willing to have her killed in order to get to him, then she was better off dead anyway.
“Easy now,” the big thug said, inching forward. “Just let her go. We don’t have to do this the hard way.”
“You guys have been doing it the hard way right from the very beginning. It’s clear to me that you like to play dangerous games.” He kept the pistol pointed in the air, so he could swing it down and aim at anyone who tried to get too close. Kenzie’s body was pressed against his, and even though he was just as pissed at her as he was everyone else, he was tempted to take her with him. It would only be fair, after all, since Matteo had taken out two of his members. He could just have Kenzie in exchange. There were some significant advantages to that, but no. She was just as guilty as the men were. Wasn’t she?
Instead, he backed up to the door. He threaded his gun hand under her arm so that he could still keep a hold on her without putting his weapon down while he turned the knob and backed out. It wasn’t until he was out the door that he let her go. Xavier knew they might still take him down while he got on his bike, but at least he’d made it out of the house. Surprisingly, there were no gunshots ricocheting through the neighborhood as he jumped on his bike and kicked it to life. No, Matteo was going to bide his time. He was going to let the system work with him instead of against him, which was why he had been so successful in the first place. Cursing up a storm, Xavier headed toward the clubhouse.
Chapter Thirteen
Kenzie
Kenzie hadn’t missed a word of the discussion between her father and Xavier, and they could both go rot in hell for all she cared. Even when the biker had used her as a human shield, she had been too angry to be scared. Let them shoot her. It would put her out of her misery.
But of course Xavier had let her go, his hand running suggestively down the side of her body as he did so. Had he done that on purpose? She would never know, because she never planned on seeing him again.
Her father watched calmly as Xavier shot out of the driveway before turning to her. “Come with me,” he said calmly.
“You’re taking all of this rather well,” she snorted. She would have thought he’d be stark raving mad at having his big plan fall through.
“What do you mean?” he asked as he led her into his office. “There’s no reason for me to do otherwise. Flynn didn’t do what I said, so I’ll follow through with my threats. It’s very simple. Just business.” He closed the door behind her.
The sound of the door rattled down Kenzie’s spine. “And it didn’t bother you that he held me at gunpoint? Or that he used me as a human shield to get out of here?”
“Maybe you need this more than Mr. Flynn did.” Matteo slid a shot of whiskey to the edge of the desk and pointed at the chair. “Sit down and drink up. You’ve got work ahead of you.”
Kenzie pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth. She didn’t want to do anything her father asked, but a drink seemed like exactly what she needed at the moment. Downing it in one shot, she glared at Matteo as he sat in his big leather chair like a king. “I don’t have any work ahead of me. I’ve done what you asked. It’s over.”
He raised an eyebrow. “We both know that’s not true. You’re a smart girl, and you know how the law works. You’ll have to go to court to substantiate the rape claims. I’m following through with this.”
She blinked as she let those words sink in. “I … can’t do that,” she stammered.
“You can, and you will,” Matteo corrected. “That’s the only way I get to throw his tattooed ass in jail. And I’ve got a few boys on the inside who can make his life a living hell.” He laughed at the thought. “Flynn will regret the day he ever tried to steal from me!”
“I can’t perjure myself in court! It will ruin my whole career!” She was bursting with anger once again. How could he ask her to do this? He didn’t know her true dream of becoming a police officer, but that didn’t matter. Even if she wanted to become a lawyer, lying on the stand wasn’t a good way to launch her courtroom career.
“This is only going to be the first of many times that you’ll go to court on behalf of the family, sweetheart,” he crooned. “I can just see you now, taking down anyone who tries to accuse the Labriolas. You’re going to be a great lawyer, and we all know that lawyers lie in court. So you fudge a little. Who’s to know?”
“There’s no hospital record,” she sputtered. “If someone is raped—legitimately raped—they’re supposed to go to the hospital to have certain tests done. I didn’t do that. There’s no evidence other than my word.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “your word as an upstanding citizen who’s never been in any trouble her entire life. You’re young and beautiful, you’re pursuing your degree, and—most importantly—you were scared. You didn’t want to know what might happen, so you didn’t say anything right away. It was only when your dear father noticed that you were injured that you had to confess. It’s not your fault, and you just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” He sounded so genuine.
If Kenzie didn’t know the truth about him and about her then she would have believed him. He was too good at this, the slimeball. “I see you’ve got this all figured out.”
“It’s what I do,” he said with a smile. “I plan, and I know how people work. No judge or jury is going to think a man like him is innocent, even if we don’t have all the evidence in our favor. And I’ve got a good attorney for now. I’ll have an even better one once you’re through with school. I can’t wait to see your name on an office door.”
She chewed her lip, so tempted to tell him the truth. It would break Matteo’s heart into a thousand pieces when he saw her name on a badge instead, and she couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when it happened. But now, Kenzie had to play it safe and keep that secret to herself. “Still, I’m not doing it. I’ve done enough, and he’s innocent.”
Her father’s face changed. He had been calm and businesslike while discussing the plan, but his anger slowly purpled his cheeks. “If you keep talking like that, I’m going to start wondering whose side you’re on. You will do it, Kenzie. I’m tired of you trying to fight me on everything. You’re a Labriola, and you’re part of the family. What does it say about me when my own daughter doesn’t want what’s best for everyone?”
“I don’t care what it says, and I don’t care what you say. I’m not doing it.” She had to stand up now, before it was too late. Hell, it was already too late, but she couldn’t just let all this happen. If Matteo was willing to treat her like this, what was he doing to others?
He stood, his finger in her face. “You’ll do exactly as I say, or else.”
“Or else what?” she challenged. She was tired of the idle threats. “You’re going to throw me out f
inally? Please do. I’d rather be living in the streets in a cardboard box if it means I don’t have to deal with you.”
“You deserve something much more than that,” he growled. “I can sell you on the sex slave market and make plenty of money to recoup my losses.”
A sense of horror crept under her skin and made it itch so badly she wished she could crawl right out of it. There were some fates worse than death, and that was one of them. “No.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve got plenty of connections, Kenzie, and if you aren’t going to be any good to me the way I’d like you to be, then I’ll find another way.”
Her stomach roiled with disgust. Kenzie had known for many years that her father was involved in illegal activities. When the possibility of human trafficking crossed her mind, she had always brushed it off as being too disturbing to contemplate. “I’m … I’m going to my room.”
“I’ll let you know when the court date is set,” he called after her, confident that she would have no more arguments with him.