“It’s been brought to my attention you didn’t have much of a relationship with your brother over the last few years, so how exactly would you have taken care of my situation?”
“We’ve been allies for quite a few years now Vic, have I ever questioned you? When I’ve asked for your assistance, have I ever doubted that you would get the job done? No. I haven’t and to be fair any time you’ve asked for my help I have delivered. So if you’re asking me if I would’ve whacked my brother the answer is no. If you’re asking me if I would’ve made the investigation on you disappear then the answer is yes. No need for you to know how I would’ve done it; just know it would’ve been taken care of just like I got your kid out of the line of fire and into a safe house. No questions asked.”
I let his words fester a moment before continuing.
“I lost a brother too, you know. Val wasn’t my blood brother, but he was a brother where it mattered. He sacrificed his own life to spare mine and I never could repay him for that. I lived a good part of my life trying, fighting tooth and nail to avenge his death and I put my children and innocent men in jeopardy,” I sighed. “I know what you’re feeling right now. I know how bad you want revenge, so bad, that you can taste blood.”
“I like you Jack, I have respect for you, and I don’t have respect for many people. I’d hate to see you end up like me, I look at you, I see that blank look in your eyes, and I know where you’re headed. It’s an ugly road, and it’s fucking lonely.”
“For the last three months, Anthony has been working with Mr. Jarvis,” I said, tipping my chin towards my lawyer. “He didn’t feel comfortable getting his end of the bargain without giving you yours and so he paid me a visit and explained everything.”
“Everything?” Jack asked.
“Everything,” I confirmed. “You were very good, Jack. Even I believed that the shoot-out and Jimmy’s place being broken into, was a double hit. But you didn’t get far because of your loyalty and I thank you for that. You could’ve stayed, got what you needed, but you left your own quest and got my daughter and Michael to safety. Like I said before, I repay my debts.”
“I don’t follow. You brought me here and asked me to take care of Bianci, how is that repaying anything?”
I smiled, tapping my fingers against the envelope that sat between us on top of the table.
“Do you remember when I told you about the body they had found? You asked me how I knew it was one of Jimmy’s, you remember that?”
Jack blew out a raspy breath before nodding his head. His eyes darkened as his eyes followed Jarvis’s hands that opened the envelope and pulled out two pictures. The first photo was of a man lying dead, eyes open, gunshot wound to the chest. The second was of that person’s decomposed body lying in a ditch. Jack’s eyes maneuvered over both photos until his pupils paused.
Bingo!
“The pinky finger is missing,” he said, peering up at me as he kept his head down.
“It’s Jimmy’s calling card. We’re all pretty fucked up to be in the business we are in, to choose this life, none of us are sane but he’s outright mad,” I shook my head in disgust. “He’s been warned countless times, but he doesn’t give two fucks, he does it every single time.”
I looked at Jarvis and tipped my head.
“Upon Victor’s request, we did a little digging of our own and we found information on your brother. You never identified the body.”
“I was told by the bureau they weren’t through with their investigation and they haven’t release his body yet. As far as I know, he’s still sitting in a freezer waiting to be buried.”
“Inside the envelope are graphic photos. You may not even want to look at them but the proof you’ve been chasing is in that envelope.”
Jack stared at me for a moment, knowing very well that when he opened that envelope he’d see photos of his brother’s remains and he’d be counting his fingers. He reached for the envelope but I laid my hand over it first.
“There was a woman, she came home to find him dead, but before she could call for help the house went up in flames. She survived but was badly burned. Her address is in the envelope too. The information is yours to do whatever you want with.”
“You know exactly what I’m going to do.”
I nodded.
“We all gotta go sometime, someway.” I lifted my hand from the envelope so that Jack could take it. He didn’t open it in front of me, he tucked it into the back of his jeans before tapping the palm of his hand on the table.
“Thank you,” he said hoarsely, pushing back his chair and standing up. “I’ve got Bianci, no worries,” he took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his hair before meeting my gaze. “And I’ll make sure no one fucks with your daughters either. We’re even now.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“Take care, Vic,” he said before walking away. I watched on as he left the visitor’s room, dismissed my attorney, and asked the guard to escort me back to my cell.
The metal bars slid closed, the key was turned, locking me inside the confinement of these walls. I used to be the king of New York, now I was nobody. I sat down on the edge of my cot and lifted my pillow, pulling out the photograph I kept underneath it. I stared down at the smiling faces of my two daughters, wiping away the tear that fell from my eye and laid my head on the pillow.
I have done a lot of things in my life that will eat away at my conscience until the day I die but at least I did one thing right. I gave my children the chance to have a happy future. I will never walk either of them down the aisle on their wedding days. I’ll never spin them around a dance floor and whisper I love them in their ears. They’ll always be my little girls, the two girls who stole my heart. They may never know how much I truly loved them but when I leave this earth, it will be their smiling faces that lead me to my maker.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Present Day
I glanced over towards the passenger seat, staring at Adrianna as she looked out the window of the car. I reached down and took her hand in mine causing her to look at me and smile. The past few months have been grueling on both of us living amongst chaos had consequences. I wish I could say that once we came home from Florida, we jumped right into living a normal life but that wasn’t the case. Adrianna had a rough time dealing with the backlash of her father’s confession and trial. The whole family did, but made it her job to take care of her mother, providing comfort to a woman who had lost her husband after thirty years of marriage. She sat in that courthouse every day until they sentenced Victor and shipped him to a federal prison. She hasn’t found it in her to visit him yet and I think that once she does she can finally be healed. I won’t push her though, that’s something she needs to do on her own terms.
I spent the duration of Vic’s trial trying to live up to my end of the bargain I had made with Jack. It was true I was going soft. After Vic cleared the path for me to be with his daughter, I couldn’t forget I had promised Jack I’d help him uncover the truth about his brother’s death. The old me would’ve said fuck it, and told him he was on his own. I may have gotten Adrianna but not due to the original plan, still, I was a man of my word.
I took a chance, and asked Victor for help. I don’t know why I caved and went to the man I felt had always been against me but after the shoot-out I felt that Vic had changed. I will not lie, he impressed me with his actions. A man in Vic’s position, with the power he had, didn’t just turn himself in, not for anyone or anything, but he had. I didn’t think the man had it in him not to be a selfish bastard, I thought he was just an evil fuck who cared for himself. That wasn’t the case, that man loved his children.
The mob boss came through one final time for me, giving Jack the information, he needed to put his brother’s death to rest. I don’t know what Jack plans to do to Jimmy. If I was a gambling man I’d bet the house Jimmy’s days were numbered.
Vic summoned Jimmy and me up to Ryker’s before his sentencing. He told Jimmy he knew
all about the murder and that he had the proof Danny hadn’t died because of some faulty attic fan. Jimmy went ballistic, the key to the kingdom was still in Vic’s possession until the day he was sentenced, and Jimmy was next in line. He figured he had blown his chance at being the boss but Vic assured him he’d still be the one to run things as long as he cut me loose. In exchange for my pardon, Vic vowed to destroy the evidence against Jimmy.
Of course, Jimmy agreed.
I was pardoned, released from my duties as an enforcer.
Vic handed the evidence over to Jack.
Jimmy’s fucked. Vic’s fucked.
But me? I’m free. Free to reclaim my life and do the things I should’ve done years ago.
“Where are we going? C’mon Bianci, you know I hate surprises. Loathe them,” she said exasperated.
I tore my hand from hers, leaned over her, opening the glove box, and threw the bag onto her lap.
“When in doubt…” I murmured.
She glanced down at the bag of Reese’s Pieces and laughed.
“Reese’s,” she said, tearing open the bag and pouring some into her hand.
“You wouldn’t happen to have a bag of popcorn, would you?”
“Sorry, the bodega was out of the freshly popped,” I said sarcastically as I made a turn.
“We’re almost there.”
“You’re lucky I love you,” she said, with her mouth full. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, watching as she closed her eyes and moaned. A grunt escaped my mouth and she grinned. I couldn’t wait to fill her mouth with something else. My dick strained against my jeans causing a groan to slip from lips.
“Problem?” she asked innocently.
“Cut it out,” I gritted, as I pulled the car over and turned off the ignition. She leaned over me and glanced out my window.
“Oh, hell no!” she said, staring up at the sign plastered to the building we’d parked in front of.
I chuckled slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “It’s not what you think,” I said, softly.
She diverted her eyes, staring at me skeptically.
“You trust me, Reese’s?”
She sighed. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean…” I placed my finger to her lips and winked at her.
“Just say yes, okay?” I cleared my throat quickly trying to mask the emotion in my voice. I pulled my finger away from her lips, replacing it with my mouth and kissed her softly. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she leaned further over the console to deepen the kiss. I could easily be distracted by her mouth and forgo everything I planned so I slowly tore my mouth from hers.
“There’s something I want to show you,” I said huskily, staring into her lustful eyes.
“Fine, but I’m not exerting myself,” she said pointedly, sliding back into her seat and opening the door. I reached for her, tugging on the hem of her shirt so she fell back into her seat.
“I promise you, you’ll be exerting yourself once we’re done here.” I released her shirt and climbed out of the car. She slammed the door and walked around to meet me on the sidewalk. I took her hand, watched as she lifted her eyes to the building we were standing in front of, zeroing in on the sign.
“Xhonerated?” she asked, turning to face me.
“Yeah,” I replied, as I shoved my hands in my pockets and stared up at the building I owned.
“Anthony is this…”
“Mine? No, baby it’s ours,” I turned to her, watching the shock that radiated from her face and smiled easily at her. Taking her hand in mine, I walked her towards the door. “Let me show you inside.”
She remained silent, in shock, as I unlocked the door and escorted her inside the gym. I purchased the building after I had been released from jail hoping I’d be able to one day turn this place into something I could be proud of. I had taken the bankbook my mother gave me, and with every red cent of the money I had made working for Victor, I built this gym. I didn’t earn that money by working hard but I wanted to put it to good use. I hope this place will be a watering hole for young kids, that, it will give guys like me a chance to stay out of trouble.
Adrianna looked at everything, her eyes scanning the room, taking it all in, every square foot.
I pointed to the right side of the gym to where a small boxing ring was set up, a replica of the large one that centered the room.
“See that? It’s for kids. I’m going to offer boxing lessons to children from ages four and up. I even made a separate locker room for them.” I crossed the room to where there were two dozen heavy bags lined up in front of a mirror. “Over here is where I will teach the adults and, in the back, we’re going to put a juice bar.”
She turned around, closed the distance between us, and finally smiled. “It’s amazing. You’re amazing. I am so proud of you,” she whispered, lifting her hand to run her knuckles along my jaw.
“Yeah?” I asked cupping her face in the palm of my hands. “What do you think about the name?”
“I love it.”
I swallowed. “I don’t want to forget the past. Yeah, it would be easy to forget it, but every bump in the road led me right here. It’s a tribute to what we lost but it’s a promise of what’s to come.”
“It’s perfect.”
“You’re perfect,” I said, leaning in and kissing her forehead. “There’s just one thing though.”
“What’s that?” she asked, looking up at me through the fringe of her lashes.
“All this means nothing if you and Luca aren’t a part of it.” I slowly pull back, dropping my hands from her face.
“Whatever you need help with, of course I’ll help. I’ll run the front desk, I’ll make smoothies, but I will not put gloves on ever again.”
I smiled. “That’s not what I meant,” I released a breath and reached into my pocket. I took her hand, turning it over so her palm was facing upward and dropped the diamond hoop into her hand.
She glanced down staring at the earring she thought she had lost and then lifted her head.
“Where did you find this?”
“You left it at my apartment the night you ran out on me.”
“I went back for it …” she trailed off, running her fingers over the trinket. “My father gave me these.”
“I know and I’m sorry I didn’t give it back to you sooner.”
“Why now?” She asked.
“Well,” I said, as I scratched the scruff that lined my jaw. I had rehearsed this a thousand times in my head, and then I said fuck it because moments like this you can’t plan or rehearse.
“I figured you’d wear them when you marry me.”
The earring fell from her hands, her lips parted but she remained silent. I knelt down, picked up the earring, and held it out to her.
“It would be like having a piece of him with you when you walk down the aisle.” I closed her palm so she held the earring and took her other hand. “And then you could hand them down to our daughter and tell her all about her grandpa.”
I didn’t forgive Victor for everything he had done but I let it go because in the end, when it mattered, he gave me back all he had taken from me. Tears slid down her cheeks and I couldn’t help but think she was even beautiful when she cried but maybe that was because they were tears of joy and not sadness. The sad look that lived in her eyes was gone and now replaced by hope.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring I had bought all those years ago and heard her sobbing as she watched me
“Don’t cry. I don’t want you to cry anymore,” I said, sincerely. “I will spend the rest of my life making up for all those tears you shed. All you gotta do is say yes. Just say yes.”
She took a breath and giggled. “You didn’t ask me anything yet.”
I squeezed her hand, hiding my grin. “Marry me, Reese’s.”
“Still not a question,” she said, and then whispered the words I used to tell myself I would never hear. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she smiled widely, falling to her knees
before me and wrapping her arms around my neck. I closed my eyes and took her body into my arms, holding her close.
“I love you, Adrianna,” I whispered against her ear. “Thank you for fighting for me, even when I made it impossible.”
She pulled back, our eyes meeting before she leaned her forehead against mine. “I’ll always fight for you because nobody will ever love me like you do.”
The End
Epilogue
“Why are you so damn calm?” Mike asked, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror I stood in front of. I raised an eyebrow at him as he wiped the sweat from his brow then turned around and grabbed my suit jacket, shrugging it onto my shoulders.
“No reason not to be,” I said, buttoning one button of the jacket. I reached for the tie that was out on the bed, held it in my hand, and contemplated whether I should wear it. I tossed it back on the bed and unbuttoned the top two buttons of my dress shirt before glancing back at myself in the mirror.
“Oh, okay,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Of course, it isn’t because you’re about to get hitched. Did you ever hear the term ball and chain?” He paused, frowning in deep thought. “Are chains a sore subject?”
“Depends on who chains who I suppose,” I replied, turning around and patting him on the shoulder and treating him to a rare smile. “Relax, Mike it’s all good.” He looked at me blankly.
“You have the rings, right?”
“The rings? What rings?”
My eyes narrowed into thin slits as I stared at him trying to hold back my temper. He flashed me a smile and winked.
“Just kidding,” he patted his suit pocket. “I got the bling.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and loosened the death grip I hadn’t realized I had on Mike’s shoulder.
“Don’t fuck with a man on his wedding day,” I grunted.
“There’s my grumpy friend I love!” He smiled widely, smacking me on the back. “I miss your brooding ways!”
The Tempted Series: Collectors Edition Page 59