Mine: a Dark Mafia Romance

by Paula Cox

  “Oh.” There was a brief silence. “I still think there are some things I’d like to share. May I come out to you?”

  Liana looked around uncertainly. Could she give this woman Gus’ address? Was that safe? Ultimately, she decided that even Colin couldn’t pull off impersonating Michael’s mother. And what if the thing she wanted to talk to Liana about turned out to be very useful?

  “Just give me a sec,” Liana said. “I’ve got to go find out where I am.”

  ***

  The rumbling ride was long and uncomfortable. The men who grabbed Cliff certainly seemed to pay no mind to the welts forming where they’d tied his hands together with coarse rope. Bastards. He would kill each and every one of them—he just needed the chance.

  “Where are you taking me?” Cliff repeated for the fifth time.

  The only answer he received was silence. For the fifth time.

  The men didn’t even talk with each other, which Cliff found odd. It was a long time to ride in complete silence, without so much as radio chatter to listen to. His body ached from being cramped in the small seat. His head ached from the after effects of the Taser. Everything ached.

  The van rolled to a stop on what Cliff presumed was the side of the road from the gravel under the wheel. He heard a metallic shriek as the door slid open, then someone yanked him forward by the shoulder. They’d tied his hands behind his back. Smart. He’d had his hands tied in front of him before, and even with them compromised in such a way, he’d still been able to bring hell to his attackers.

  But now he was vulnerable. And he fucking hated it.

  “Get out,” a gruff voice instructed.

  Cliff knew it would do no good to fight. He was outnumbered. They’d taken his sidearm, so he was outgunned. And he was clearly at a disadvantage, being both blindfolded and tied. So Cliff did as the man said, following his voice out into the cold.

  The breeze whipped rain at Cliff’s exposed hands. He could barely feel it. He’d started to lose feeling in his fingers about twenty minutes ago. He could hear traffic whizz by. The cars were going fast, so they were on a highway. But they were infrequent, which meant they weren’t anywhere close to town.

  Without warning, the bag was ripped off Cliff’s head. He blinked, adjusting to the dim light afforded by the stormy skies above. He absorbed his environment. A highway, just as he’d thought. It was crowded on both sides by evergreen trees. Behind him, the gravel gave way to mulchy forest.

  Cliff turned to his attackers. There were four of them, all wearing ski masks. It was impossible to tell if any of them were Colin, but he squinted at them anyway. The view of the road was blocked by the massive silver van, door open. Inside, his attackers crouched, training their guns at him.

  “Odd place to shoot somebody,” Cliff remarked. “Bold.”

  “We’re not going to shoot you,” the furthest right one said. “We’re just playing a little game.”

  Cliff snorted. “And what would that be?”

  “It’s more of a race,” another said. “To see who can get to the prize first.”

  “And let me guess,” Cliff said. “You’re going to drive, and I get to walk for… what? Forty-five miles?”

  “Fifty.”

  “Fifty,” Cliff mused. “Just a hop, skip, and a jump, then.”

  The first one who’d spoken shook his gun at Cliff. “There’s another option for you, of course. If you don’t want to play.”

  “On the contrary.” Cliff grinned. “I love games.”

  They all laughed. Cliff tested the restraints on his wrists to see if they’d loosened up at all since he’d last pulled. They hadn’t. His flesh burned, but he kept trying to pry himself loose without them knowing.

  “We’re going to pay a little visit to your girlfriend,” one taunted. “If you can get to us before her, then we won’t touch her. But if you can’t…”

  They all burst into laughter again. Cliff felt sick at the thought of any of them touching his girl. His Liana. He pulled harder at his restraints. Yeah, they had guns, but he could still probably take them out if he wasn’t tied up.

  “I propose a different game,” Cliff bit out. “How about you untie me, and we fight like men?”

  The masked men renewed their laughter. The heat in Cliff’s chest built to a searing level. He was ready to explode. On them. On Colin. On the whole fucking world if he had to. Cliff would do whatever it took to keep Liana safe.

  “Good luck, Cliff.” The door screeched closed.

  Chapter 27

  “I simply love having visitors,” Gus cooed. “You never have people call on you anymore. It’s always text this, Skype that.” He placed the glasses of bourbon down in front of Liana and Michael’s mother. “I miss the conversation. The class.”

  Liana gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you for the drinks, Gus.”

  He winked. “Anything for a dame in distress. I’ll be in my study having a cigar if you need me.”

  Gus sauntered away, leaving Michael’s mother staring after him like she’d just seen a typewriter compose an organ ballad.

  “He seems like an interesting young man,” Lorna commented.

  Liana chuckled, taking a sip of the bourbon. It had such a sharp bite that she wondered if all his alcohol was from the 1920s as well.

  “Gus is a trusted friend of Cliff’s, so he’s a trusted friend of mine. Though I won’t pretend I don’t find him a little bit perplexing.”

  “Indeed.” Michael’s mother donned a small, sad smile. “Cliff was always so good to my son when he was alive. We knew Cliff was involved in some shady dealings, but he was careful not to bring any of it into Michael’s life.”

  “He’s a good man,” Liana said. “And from what I’ve heard, Michael was too.”

  Lorna nodded and sipped her drink. She didn’t so much as flinch at the taste. Liana admired her self-control.

  “How have things gone with Colin?” Lorna asked. “Or have they gotten worse?”

  Liana sighed. “Much worse. He’s threatened almost everyone we know, and it doesn’t look like he intends to stop anytime soon.”

  “I feared as much,” Lorna replied. “Which is why I contacted you. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course, Mrs. Sinclair.” Liana rested a hand on Lorna’s arm. “I find it touching that you’re looking out for us, after everything you’ve been through. I think most other people would withdraw into themselves and let the outside world continue on at its peril.”

  Lorna patted Liana’s hand. “You’re a dear. Can you tell me, is this sofa safe to lean against?” She shifted in her seat. “I’m worried I’ll be stabbed with a spring.”

  Liana laughed and leaned back against her own cushion. “It’s pretty safe. I think he keeps everything in good working order.”

  Lorna seemed unconvinced but relaxed against the couch backrest. “I’ve been trying to recall any information I can about Colin, hoping to help you and Cliff in any way I can.”

  “You knew him?”

  She shrugged. “As well as any parent can know the acquaintance of their child, I suppose. He came around for dinner once or twice when he and Michael were small, but it was Cliff he was really friends with.”

  “Cliff mentioned that. He said they stopped being friends when Colin moved away.”

  Lorna furrowed her brow. “From what Michael told me, I don’t believe it was so simple. There was quite a bit of lead up to Colin’s breakdown and subsequent move.”

  “I’m listening,” Liana said, taking another sip of the acidic liquid.

  “We lived next door to Cliff’s family when the boys were young. Colin’s family lived on the other side of Cliff’s house. Originally, Michael was more of an outsider than Colin. He often struggled to make friends in those early years because he was a bit shy.”

  Liana was desperate to hear what Lorna had to say, but she was worried about her. She’d only just started recounting a story of Michael’s youth, and the woman was already glassy-
eyed. Was it too soon? Should she stop her?

  “Mrs. Sinclair, you don’t have to tell me this if it’s too painful,” Liana said.

  “Oh, hush.” Lorna waved her off, sniffling. “I buried my son. That kind of pain won’t ever go away. Whether I dredge it to the surface or not makes no difference.”

  Liana was quiet.

  “Until recently, I could never remember what it was that drove Colin and Cliff apart. It had never been a concern of mine, of course. But I do recall something I heard a few years afterward.”

  “And what was that?”

  Lorna pursed her lips. “That Colin and Cliff’s friendship had ended badly. Back when Colin lived beside Cliff, he was implicated in the death of a local cat. Cliff, being an animal lover, hadn’t wanted anything to do with Colin afterward. Then Colin became furious, obsessed with re-establishing their friendship.”

  “So this is all happening because Colin wants to be friends with Cliff?” Liana asked. “Hurting the people he loves doesn’t seem to be the best way to do that.”

  Lorna smiled grimly. “Well, I don’t think Colin’s quite right in the head. He was given a therapy puppet to work through his anger issues. He named it Lando. I don’t think it worked.”

  Liana cringed at the name.

  Lando. A bottle of champagne from an old friend. Lando.

  “How do you know all this?” she asked.

  “I kept in touch with his parents a little after the move,” Lorna replied. “His mother and I were a part of the same book club at one point, and I felt bad for her. She didn’t know how to help her boy.”

  “Was there anything else she told you about him?”

  “She asked if Cliff and Michael were still friends. I told her they were.” Lorna looked down at the drink in her hands. “That was the last time I talked to her, actually. She said she was worried about her son’s obsession with Cliff. How he’d talked about Michael like the people in Cliff’s life were his competition. She didn’t think it was wise for us to stay in contact anymore.” Lorna sighed. “She thought that if her son found out, it would have an adverse effect on his therapy.”

  “That’s horrible.” Liana gritted her teeth, watching as the woman beside her began to quietly sob. “Mrs. Sinclair, I am so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Lorna wept. “The only one to blame for my son’s death is the man who poisoned him. I just hope that by telling you what I know, you’ll be able to stop him hurting anyone else.”

  Liana reached over to clasp Lorna’s hand. “We’ll catch him,” she said. “If there’s one thing I know about Cliff, it’s that he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. He’s out there right now, figuring out a way to take Colin down.”

  At that moment, a loud bang emanated from the direction of the front door. Liana sprung to her feet, placing her body between Lorna and the entrance. If Colin had found her, he would have to go through her before he even thought about hurting Michael’s mother.

  Heavy footsteps pounded down the hall, and a tall man rounded the corner with eyes like mercury. “Are you okay?” Cliff asked.

  Liana raced forward, latching her arms around his neck. He held her stiffly, patting her back until she released him.

  “You’re back so soon! Are you okay?” Liana asked.

  Gus stumbled into the room, cigar still smoking in his hand. “What’s going on? Why such a dramatic entrance? Is everything okay?”

  “It’s fine,” Cliff said. He put his hands on Liana’s shoulders and stared down at her as if studying every line and color of her features. “I had a run in with some friends of Colin’s,” he said. “They dropped me off outside of town and told me they would race me to you.”

  “Well clearly you got here first,” Liana observed. “Though you look pretty neat for somebody who just ran a couple of marathons.”

  Cliff’s lip twitched up at the corner. “I managed to catch a ride. The idiots should have untied me. Nobody’s going to leave a man with his hands tied behind his back stranded on the side of the highway.”

  Liana wrapped her arms around him again, though his response was even less affectionate than before. He slowly peeled her off of him and set her a few feet back, frowning. Then he turned to Lorna.

  “Mrs. Sinclair. I didn’t realize you’d be here.”

  The older woman rose from the sofa and came to stand beside Gus. “I wanted to share some information with Liana that I remembered about Colin.”

  Cliff wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Thank you for coming over to do so,” he said. “Could you two excuse Liana and I for a moment?”

  Liana was not fond of the way Cliff was acting. He was cold. Cliff was only ever this cold if he had to do something he didn’t want to do. If he were mad at her, he’d yell. She preferred it that way.

  “What is it?” Liana asked once Gus and Lorna had stepped out.

  Cliff took a step back from Liana. “I’ve been stupid to risk you as much as I have,” he said. “Today, I spent the entire road back into town wondering if you’d even be here when I got back. Maybe you would disappear, like Peter, and your body would be found a month later.”

  “But I’m okay,” Liana said. “The men were clearly bluffing. They don’t know where to find me.”

  “But are you going to stay here the rest of your life?” Cliff questioned.

  “Of course not.” Liana crossed her arms over her chest and furrowed her brow. “We’re going to find Colin and neutralize the threat. Until then, laying low makes sense. But it won’t be forever.”

  “Who says it won’t be forever?” Colin walked over to Liana’s abandoned drink and tipped it back in one mouthful. “Who says we’ll ever catch Colin? We certainly haven’t so far.”

  “Don’t be so negative,” Liana replied. She walked over to him, reaching out to place her hand on his chest. Cliff jerked back a few steps.

  “I can’t keep you in danger anymore,” Cliff said. “I just can’t. I am poison for you, Liana. Don’t you see that?”

  Liana’s heart dropped into her stomach. The first wave of panic hit her full on, drowning her. “Cliff.” It was a plea. It was a curse. “We’re going to figure this out.”

  He rubbed a hand over his face and turned from her, shaking his head. “If it’s not Colin, it’ll be something else. My life is dangerous.”

  “But you don’t want this to be your life!” she challenged. “Don’t give up on us just because you don’t know what the future holds. Nobody does. That’s why it’s the future.”

  But she may as well have been talking to a brick wall. “Stay here while I sort some things out,” Cliff said. “But don’t come looking for me. We’re over.”

  Liana’s limbs froze with shock. When Cliff turned toward the door, she wanted to run after him. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to do anything other than stand there and watch him go. But her feet remained rooted to the ground.

  Cliff’s dark head disappeared into the hallway. His footsteps faded away as the distance between them grew like a yawning black hole. The door slammed. The silence returned. And Liana collapsed to the floor like a discarded doll.

  Chapter 28

  Cliff turned his collar up against the cold. The rain blasted his face incessantly, and the unpleasant sensation was only made worse by his determined gait. It had been a week with no word from Colin. Cliff wasn’t sure whether the silence was because Colin knew Cliff was no longer in contact with any of the others—including Liana—or if it was just the calm before the storm. Either way, at least everyone else would be safe. If Colin was gearing up for a greater assault, at least there was nobody around to get caught in the crossfire.

  That was why he’d found it so odd when Janelle called him up out of the blue this afternoon, telling him she needed to speak with him urgently. He’d asked what about, but she claimed she couldn’t talk about it over the phone. And that it had to do with Colin.

  So despite the fact that he had been trying to keep a safe distance from
everyone, including Janelle, Cliff trudged down the boulevard toward her apartment. He reached the stoop and instinctively looked for a champagne bottle out front. He found himself checking every doorway he passed these days. It was a habit he hoped to break before long, but one that had a purpose for now.

  He buzzed for Janelle, and she let him in right away. Cliff fingered the cool metal of the gun in his pocket as he walked. He would have been a fool not to think that Colin was using Janelle to get a face-to-face with him.

  But it was only Janelle’s bright and smiling face that greeted him at the door. “Welcome, welcome,” she said.