Dating A Mob Boss (The Dating Series Book 2)

by Love, B. T.

  I rounded the block and hurried up the street. The icy wind nipped at my nose and I pulled the two flaps of my coat tighter together to cut out the cold.

  “Amber!”

  I stopped and turned around, only to see Manny jogging up the street in my direction.

  “Manny? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I just wanted to offer to walk you home.”

  “Walk me home? You came in later today didn’t you? You have the night shift to cover still.”

  “It can wait.”

  I clutched my purse closer against me. “No thank you. I appreciate it but I’m not too worried about getting home. See you tomorrow.” Turning my back on him felt like a mistake but I did it anyway. Without looking back I hurried along the sidewalk, hoping he was gone. I was wrong.

  “I hate women who tease men.”

  I stopped in my tracks and turned around. “What are you talking about, Manny? I’ve never led you on.”

  “Yeah right. All you do is try to make conversation with me.”

  “About work stuff yeah, but nothing else. I mean, come on, you know that.”

  “You’ve teased me for too long, Amber. It has to stop.”

  This guy was obviously psycho. I nodded, hoping to diffuse the situation. “Okay, Manny. I’m sorry I led you on. I’ll make sure I don’t do it again.”

  His jaw tightened. “But that’s not what I want. I want you to be with me.”

  “Okay Manny, this is getting really weird.”

  He shook his head. “Tell Trent you want to be with me. If you tell him it’s what you want then he’ll leave me alone and won’t cause me any problems.”

  I slowly started to back away from him. “I have to get home now.”

  With every step I took he took one as well, keeping the pace with me. “Let me take you home. I heard your house is nice; I want to see it.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “You just gonna keep walking backward all night? I’m not gonna leave you alone so you might as well turn around.”

  I reached into my purse to search for my phone but he lunged forward and grabbed it off of my shoulder, throwing it to the ground. He kicked it across the sidewalk, breaking open the cartons of soup that were setting delicately inside.

  “What’s your problem?” I yelled with fear. The situation was spiraling out of control fast.

  “You’re the problem.” He took a hold of my arm and pulled me off of the street and into a dark alleyway.

  “Stop! What are you doing?”

  “What I should have done a long time ago!” He pushed me against the wall, pinning his knees against me so I couldn’t move.

  I tried to punch him in the face but he grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the wall as well. “Stop! Somebody help!”

  The clicking sound of a bullet being lodged into a chamber stopped Manny in his tracks. A gun was being held to the side of his head.

  “Back away from Ms. Johnsom,” a man calmly demanded. My eyes finally focused on the familiar face: It was Mikey.

  Manny’s hands flew up in the air. “Okay man! No problem!”

  Mikey met eyes with me. “You okay?” he asked with his tough guy persona, not at all fazed by the situation.

  “Yeah,” I nodded shakily. “I, I think so.”

  He kept the pistol on Manny. “You stay put. I’ve got a call to make.” He pulled his phone out of his slacks and dialed what I assumed was Trent’s number. “Hey boss. We got a bit of a situation here. That guido from Amber’s work just tried forcin’ himself on her in an alley as she was walkin’ home. I got a gun on him as we speak.” He waited calmly while Trent said something on the other end of the line. He nodded. “Sounds good.” He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. “Looks like the three of us are goin’ for a ride.”

  “Please,” Manny begged. “Don’t take me to Mr. Falco. I was just joking I swear.”

  Mikey motioned his gun over at the black Bentley that was parked across the street. “Let’s go tough guy.” He grabbed his arm and tugged him along. I followed behind them, breathing a heavy sigh of relief that Trent had cared so much to have Mikey watch me. If Mikey wasn’t there then who knows what would have happened to me.

  * * *

  We pulled up to a dimly-lit gym on the other side of town. Trent had told me about it, it was where he went to box, which was something he did to relieve his stress.

  Mikey turned to the passenger’s seat, which was where he made Manny sit. “Don’t even think about runnin’,” he told him while pointing his gun at him. “Because make no mistake, I will shoot you.” I could almost hear the lump that Manny swallowed as he nodded back.

  We got out of the car and walked into the entrance of the gym. Mikey lead the way while holding tightly onto Manny’s arm; I followed behind them. The building was speckled with people working out on the various machines. At the back of the room there was a door that we went through which opened up into a smaller room with a boxing ring in the middle.

  I spotted Trent over in the corner talking to another man who was about the same build as him. They both had their shirts off and were soaked with sweat apparently from a fight they just engaged in against each other.

  “Hey boss,” Mikey called out across the room. “I got the asshole right here.”

  Trent turned around, his eyes focusing first on me and then on Manny. “Well well. Look who it is,” he said as he casually came over to our group. His damp hair was slicked back and his muscular chest glistened from the sweat of a hard fight. He looked very intimidating. And, you know, sexy as hell.

  Manny stiffened. “Good evening Mr. Falco.”

  Trent chuckled and crossed his arms in front of him, puffing himself up, appearing even larger than before. “So proper now, are we?”

  “I’m just trying to be respectful, Sir.”

  “Respectful?” He looked between him and Mikey. “You hear this guy? He wants to be respectful. Mikey, you think this douche bag was respectful this evening?”

  “Not at all,” Mikey replied.

  Trent stepped forward and came to Manny’s side, placing his arm around his tense shoulders. “So Manny, I heard you tried to force yourself on my girlfriend tonight. Now, was I misinformed with that little piece of information?”

  “Yes, yes, Sir, you were.”

  Trent nodded and slapped him harshly on the back. “Okay okay. So, what you’re telling me is this good man right here with the fully loaded pistol in his hand who can drop you in a second, by the way, is lying about you trying to rape my girlfriend?”

  Manny’s eyes darted over to Mikey; he was sure in a pickle. “I, I don’t mean any disrespect. I just want to correct the information you received. I only offered to walk your girlfriend home.”

  Trent drew in a slow deep breath and acted as though he was considering Manny’s explanation, which I knew he wasn’t. He turned around and came over to me, lifting his hands and placing one on each of my cheeks. His eyebrows came together as he looked into my eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked with gentle concern.

  I nodded. “Yeah. Because of you.”

  A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I told you I would protect you.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “What did he do to you tonight?”

  My nose crinkled at the disturbing memory. “Well, he followed me out of the restaurant and offered to walk me home. When I said no he started saying I was leading him on. When I tried to get my phone out of my purse to call you he ripped it away and then pulled me into the alley. And then he, he—”

  “He what?”

  My eyes glistened as I recalled the traumatizing incident from less than an hour before. “He pushed me against the wall and pinned my arms so I couldn’t defend myself. He pinned his knee against me too. I started screaming for help but thankfully Mikey was already there.”

  His jaw tensed. He leaned in and placed a kiss on my forehead and then caressed my cheeks with his thumbs
. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” I mustered a small smile as he stepped away and stood strongly in front of Manny. “You see Manny, we have a bit of a problem here. Do you know what that problem is?” Manny’s head shook quickly from side to side. “The problem,” Trent continued, “is that I’ve always told my lovely woman over here that no one would ever mess with her. I told her over and over again that no one messes with a mob woman, and if anyone were to mess with a Falco’s woman that they would be, well, they would just be an idiot. Am I right Mikey?”

  Mikey nodded. “Yes boss.”

  “See? Mikey over here gets what I’m sayin’. And then I come to find out that you tried to force yourself on my woman.” He moved closer, putting his face an inch away from his. “My woman,” he said with an eerie calmness. “Not yours.” Manny blinked with fear. Trent stared him down and then took a step back. “You know what that makes me look like?” Manny stayed quiet, afraid to say anything. “An idiot,” Trent said, answering his own question. “You made me, Trent Falco, look like an idiot. You made what I’ve been telling my woman all along a lie. And you know what? That really pisses me the hell off.” Everyone stayed silent as Trent paced slowly back and forth, watching Manny while his mind was reeling with how he wanted to teach him a lesson. “Well,” he finally broke the silence, “I think I know how to handle this situation.”

  Manny’s eyes widened. “Please don’t kill me Mr. Falco! I promise I’ll leave her alone!”

  “Kill you?” he laughed. “If I wanted you dead I’d have my good friend John already here waitin’ for you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I definitely want to kill you. Attempted rape on the love of my life is a pretty good excuse for me to call in that request.” He grabbed a towel from a barstool and wiped the sweat off of his neck and shoulders. “But I decided I’m just gonna kick your ass instead.”

  Manny tensed. “You mean you want to fight?”

  “Yeah smart guy, of course I want to fight. What are you, stupid?”

  He looked confused. “Do you mean like a fight to the death?”

  Trent and Mikey laughed in unison. “Man this guy really is an idiot!” Trent said, dropping the towel back on the chair. “I’m not my grandfather, Manny. I’m not gonna just go around killing people or beating them to death. But I am going to teach you a good lesson. And believe me, after I’m done with you you’ll remember to never ever try to touch my girlfriend again. Or any other woman in that way for that matter.” He walked backward to the edge of the ring. “Now get in here and show me what you’ve got.”

  Manny nodded carefully and then pulled his shirt off over his head. I had to admit he was very fit, but Trent surpassed him. He climbed in the ring and went to one corner. “Got any gloves?”

  Trent climbed in and went to the center. “We’re not using gloves.” His arms were to his sides and his fists were clenched as he stood confidently beneath the low hanging light, looking like a god beneath the iridescent beams. “You gonna fight me or what?”

  Manny hesitantly came forward and raised his fists in front of his face. “What are the rules?”

  “There are no rules.”

  He looked nervous. “Well what’ll you do to me if I hurt you? Am I gonna pay in another way when this is all over?”

  Trent chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. You’re not gonna hurt me.”

  For the first time since we got there I saw a sparkle of confidence in Manny’s eyes. He threw the first punch, putting all of his strength into it as he went for Trent’s face.

  Trent quickly darted to the side and upper-cut him in the jaw, sending him stumbling backward. “See, I told you you wouldn’t hurt me.”

  Manny regained his composure and lunged forward, swinging into Trent with a renewed energy, punching him in his chiseled stomach. Trent reacted instantly and put him into a headlock, bending him down and punching him over and over again, turning his face into a bloody mess.

  At first I grimaced at the sight but that was before I remembered what Manny was getting ready to do to me. He deserved the beating Trent was giving him.

  Manny threw a hand in the air, giving up the short-lived fight. Trent released the grip on his neck and dropped him to the floor. Manny gasped as Trent towered over him. “I want you to know I changed my mind; I will kill you if you ever touch my girl again. And I won’t have someone else do it for me. Hell, I’ll be proud to do it myself. Just remember that the next time you have a hard time keepin’ your dick in your pants, asshole.” He got out of the ring and came over to me. “You okay?”

  I put my arms around his neck. “Yeah. Are you? He hit you pretty hard in the stomach.”

  “I saw it coming; my stomach was clenched the whole time. That bastard can’t touch me.”

  I leaned up and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. “What about me? Can I touch you?”

  “Oh really?” he smiled with satisfaction. “Did that little fight turn you on?”

  “Yes it did. I knew you were strong but to actually see you in action was . . . I don’t even know how to explain it. I just want you, Trent. Can I have you please?”

  “Baby you don’t have to beg me. I’m a very willing participant.”

  I rubbed my body against his. “Take me back to my place.”

  * * *

  I stared up at the ceiling, using Trent’s arm as a pillow. The night had been so exhausting; I was having a hard time figuring out the thoughts in my head.

  Trent looked over at me. “Whatcha thinking about?”

  “Everything.”

  “You wanna narrow it down for me?”

  I smiled and looked over at his handsome face. “You saved me from something horrible tonight. My life could have been changed forever if you hadn’t had Mikey watch out for me.”

  His eyebrows pulled together. “It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. I told you no one would mess with you but I was wrong. I gave you a false sense of security.”

  “No, Trent, you didn’t. You can’t help what other people do. And it just goes to show you that even though you run this town there are still people who think you aren’t as threatening as people say you are. There will always be someone who will test those boundaries. So like I said, thank you for putting Mikey on my watch. You really did keep something horrible from happening to me tonight.”

  “It’s because I love you. I never want anything bad to happen to you.”

  “I know. And I’m sorry I was mad at first when I found out about it. I’m glad you didn’t put a stop to it after I complained.”

  “I listen to you about most things but this one I can’t budge on. You’re a mob woman now; you need protection.”

  I smiled and rolled closer against him, putting my hand on his firm chest. “I like how that sounds.”

  “So do I.” He looked up at the ceiling and sighed heavily through his nose.

  “Whatcha thinking about?” I asked, peering up at his face.

  “Oh, I was just wondering if you ever steam-cleaned this mattress.” We laughed and he squeezed me tightly for a few moments. “I mean, you did, right?”

  “Yes,” I chuckled warmly. “I made sure to steam it extra well to get all the STD’s out of it. My germaphobic personality wouldn’t let me do it any other way.”

  “That’s good to know. I can sleep better now.”

  I put my head on his chest and relaxed as it gently raised up and down from his calm breaths. “How did you learn to fight like that?”

  “I practice a lot.”

  “With that guy that was with you?”

  “Yeah he’s someone I train with. He’s a pretty strong guy.”

  “He looked like it.” I pushed up and rested on my elbow next to him. “Will you teach me how to fight?”

  “Of course.”

  “I didn’t have my gun on me tonight. Is that bad?”

  He raised his hand and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “No baby, that wasn’t bad. I know you don’t want to carry it around with you.
That’s why it’s a good idea that you learn some self-defense. I’ll be sure to show you some things to fend off an attacker like Manny.”

  “Thanks babe.” I looked over at the wall in thought. “Can I ask you something? You probably don’t want to tell me though.”

  “What is it?”

  “Back when I met your grandpa I remember you saying something about handling something with Stevie. What was that all about?”

  He sighed and played with my hair some more, silently pondering what I had asked about. “Well, that’s business.”

  “I know.” I looked back over at him and leaned forward, laying on his chest. “But, I was wondering if I could be more involved. You know, with the business you handle.”

  “I told you it’s better if you don’t know too much so you don’t get caught up in any mess that could possibly happen.”

  “But I just want to do everything with you. Don’t you want that?”

  “Of course I do baby but you know I don’t like you knowin’ about all that stuff.”

  I nodded with a down-turned smile and then crawled on top of him, nuzzling my face into his neck. “Okay.”

  He put his arms around me and squeezed me against him. “Jesus, what is it about you? You just always wear me down no matter what the situation is.”

  I smiled and lifted my head. “So does that mean you’re gonna tell me then?”

  “Does that mean you’ll keep it quiet then?”

  “Yes!”

  “Jeez, don’t get too excited. It’s not a good thing.”

  My smile faded. “What is it?”

  “We think Stevie might be workin’ with the cops.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How do you know?”

  “We don’t, really. He’s just been nervous that last few times we’ve done business. We have eyes on him.”

  “Well maybe it’s because of me and the conversation we had at the restaurant. Maybe he’s just afraid that he pissed you off or something.”