Adored: Book 1 (The Beloved Series)

by MJ Masucci

  “Why were you hiding?”

  “I sneaked away. I was worried it was my family. I thought you left again.”

  “I couldn’t leave without knowing if you were alright. Are you?”

  She began to sob, “I’m miserable without you.”

  “Not more than me.”

  “I just had to come back for your birthday.”

  “How did you get here?”

  “Madison. They finally let her visit me a couple of days ago. We figured out a plan to get me home. They have my room bugged. I found a device under my bedside lamp. My own fucking father is listening to my every move.”

  “I found some things out tonight that might be the reason why they don’t want us together.”

  “Oh, God. I don’t want to hear them.”

  “You have to or your dad is right; they’re going to drive us apart. It’s better you know.”

  Julian led her over to the couch and wiped at her tears with the edge of his flannel shirt. He couldn’t resist and planted a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth and when he did, she closed her eyes.

  “Julian.”

  He kissed her again, this time harder and more insistent. He wove his hands into her hair and felt the vibration as she moaned into his mouth. Before their passions got the best of them, he pulled back leaving an empty feeling in his chest.

  “I need to tell you before we go any further. It’s ugly.”

  “It sounds like what you tell me might be the end of us.”

  “I don’t want it to be.”

  Nina looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

  “Please let me get this out. Your father and my father were bidding on the same building project. It was a large abandoned building in Manhattan on the waterfront. My father wanted to purchase it and make affordable apartments. Your father wanted to make luxury condos.”

  “What does that have to do with us?”

  “Let me finish. Your father warned my father and his partner to back off once it came out that they were interested in the property. My father refused, but his partner was on board. They didn’t want any trouble. One day my father came to the office late and Vito was just leaving. They had a screaming match and it almost came to blows.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Julian ignored her and continued his story.

  “For the next couple of weeks, my father had some strange occurrences around the office and our house. He found a dead fish wrapped in newspaper on the doorstep. His tires were slashed while we were in a movie theater. His office was ransacked. The day they died, he didn’t want me to be home alone but I’d been out late with Maureen and was tired so he gave in and let me stay home.”

  “You never told me what happened.”

  “The car blew up. The investigators said it was a leak in the gas tank that had dripped onto the exhaust pipe. It started a fire and then before my father could stop the car, a small explosion. Adam and Beth were in the back seat and were thrown from the car. My mother got the worst of it and died instantly when a piece of metal pierced her skull. My father was able to crawl out of the mess, but he was in bad shape. They all died within an hour of the fire.”

  “And you think my father had something to do with it?”

  “I do. Jesse, uh, Mr. Tallman, told me that my father confided his fear the day before they died. All the little occurrences around the house and at the office. It was too coincidental. He pointed the finger at your father.”

  “Julian, how do you know my father would do something like that? He wouldn’t kill a family.”

  “Maybe not a family, but my father. After his death, his partner avoided me. I thought it was grief, but I think it was guilt. That might be why Buddy acted like he did when we went to Windows. He knows something.”

  Nina was silent; she wouldn’t look him in the eye as he sat there staring at her waiting for her to speak.

  “I can’t fucking believe this.”

  “It’s true. I couldn’t believe it either. You think I want to carry this around? Do you think I want to know that the father of the woman I love murdered my family?”

  “Stop saying that Julian, just stop it.”

  “I’m sorry, Nina, you have to know. Your father is no choir boy.”

  She got up and paced the room, “Don’t you think I fucking know that? I’m not blind or stupid. I see how people look at him but he’s still my father.”

  “He’s a murderer, plain and simple. He belongs in jail.”

  Julian was just about to say something when he heard tires on the driveway below.

  “Someone’s here,” he whispered.

  “I don’t want them to take me. I can’t go back.”

  They heard the car door slam and then a voice.

  “Nina, you up there?”

  “It’s Frankie,” she whispered.

  “Up here, Frankie,” Julian called.

  “Are you crazy? He’s going to take me back.”

  Frankie pounded up the stairs.

  “Thank God. Rosie is worried sick.”

  “Frankie, you can’t tell my father I’m here.”

  “You gotta come home with me now. Vito is on his way up with Lou. If he catches you here, no telling what he’ll do to him,” Frankie said as he gestured to Julian.

  “I love him, Frankie.”

  “Go, Nina. I need some time.”

  “Are you mad? I’ll never get to see you.”

  “Fucking go, Nina.” he said angrily. “Take her home, Frankie.”

  “Julian?” Nina nearly sobbed his name.

  “Just go,” Julian turned his back on her. He couldn’t bear to look at her face as he heard her run down the stairs.

  Frankie clapped him on the shoulder, “Take care, kid. I’ll try to bring her back.”

  “Don’t.”

  “It’s up to you.”

  Frankie went downstairs and Julian watched the car back out of the driveway. After what he had learned hours earlier, he wasn’t sure if he could really love Nina. His heart ached as he walked to the cabin. Julian’s phone rang as he prepared for bed. He pressed the button to answer it.

  “Happy birthday, you big stud.”

  When he heard Maureen’s voice, he began to sob.

  “Julian? What’s the matter?”

  He placed the phone on the bed as his crying became uncontrollable. He wasn’t sure if he was crying for the devastating loss of his family or the loss of Nina. They both felt insurmountable at this moment.

  “God dammit, Julian, answer me,” Maureen screamed into the phone.

  Minutes went by and his crying subsided. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, then picked up the phone.

  “Moey,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  “What was that? What happened? Is Nina alright?”

  “I have something horrible to tell you.”

  Julian told her all he had learned from Jesse and his exchange with Nina.

  “Fucking hell. I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t hear it. Are you done with her?”

  “I love her. It’s not her fault her father is a fucking piece of shit. I bet that bastard driver of his, Lou, fucked around with my father’s car.”

  “I’m so sorry. I wish I were there.”

  “I wish you were, too.”

  “You should stay with me. Come see me.”

  “I can’t. You have no time for me.”

  “I’m worried about you. They’re ruthless. Suppose they want to hurt you.”

  “They already have. They took Nina away from me.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Suppose they want to make you dead?”

  “I might as well be without her.”

  “Don’t ever say that.”

  Julian heard her talking in the background to someone.

  “I have to be back on set for another retake. Will you be alright? If not I can tell them to wait.”

  “Go, Moey. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Please be ca
reful.”

  Maureen hung up and Julian closed his eyes, falling asleep where he lay with his feet hanging off the bed.

  Chapter 12

  Julian woke in the same position as he had fallen asleep. It was before dawn and the sun had not risen yet. He kicked off his shoes so he could move his aching body onto the bed.

  His sleep had been uneasy. Several times during the night, he had disturbing dreams as his subconscious processed the occurrences of the day prior. He accused Vito Caro of murdering his family and based on what Jesse had said, it was true. But something else nagged at him and that was the reaction of his father’s partner after his death.

  Derek Wagner had cut off almost all contact with Julian except to ask what he planned to do with the business. Julian had no intention of becoming part of it. His goal was to continue his path towards his art degree just as he had discussed with his father. Within months, Derek had given him a buyout for his share of the business.

  It had been obvious his father was the brains of the operation because in two short years, the GW Contracting firm was bankrupt. Julian was glad he had decided to sell rather than put aside his dreams to run his legacy. Derek Wagner moved onto other things.

  Julian thought back to an argument he had heard his father having with Derek a few weeks before the accident. It had been something about making payments under the table. His father had screamed that it wasn’t how they did business. He remembered his father coming out of the office red faced and breathing heavy.

  Right after that, the incidents like the slashed tires and the fish on the doorstep took place. He wondered if it had been Derek doing those things, not Vito Caro. If it was true, then he had accused Vito unjustly and risked alienating the woman he loved from his life.

  Julian hauled himself out of bed and just before he went to shower, he heard a banging on his door. Who the fuck could that be at this hour? Julian swung the heavy wooden door open to Frankie holding two cups of coffee and a white bakery bag.

  “Frankie, it’s too early for this shit.”

  “You know kid, I’ve helped you out in the past and the least you can do is drink this coffee and listen to me.”

  “Fine. Come in.”

  Frankie handed him a cup of coffee and plopped down on the futon while Julian sat in the rocking chair by the fireplace. He cleared his throat loudly and opened the bakery bag that held two cinnamon rolls and some Danishes. Frankie took a bite of one of the rolls before he began to speak.

  “Yesterday you accused Vito of murdering your family. That can’t be further from the truth.”

  Julian placed his elbows on his knees, listening intently.

  “Yeah, Vito had an interest in that land your father wanted, but he would never go to the lengths you suggest. And yeah, why should you believe me?”

  “Why should I? It all fits.”

  “Does it kid? You might want to look a little closer to home.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Lemme explain. When Vito found out your father wanted that land, he went to talk to him and his partner. Derek was on board because Vito offered them a large finder’s fee. Through the years I would say that Vito has gotten a little soft on the leg breaking,” Frankie laughed nervously before continuing.

  “Your father said absolutely not. They were going to bid on the land even if it cost them more to get it. Your father was very civic minded, wasn’t he? He believed in affordable housing.”

  “Well, yeah. He used to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity each year. We went as a family down to New Orleans a few times to help build houses after Katrina.”

  “Vito decided to let the project go. He wasn’t going to fight over the property. The day your father had that screaming match with him, he thought it was because he came to try to strong arm him. Vito never got a chance to explain but your father’s partner was angry that he wasn’t going to give them a finder’s fee.”

  “So you think my father’s partner was into shady stuff?”

  “I know for a fact that the stuff you told Nina is not Vito’s style. He wouldn’t waste his time throwing a fish on a doorstep or slashing tires. That’s old school crap. Suppose his partner decided to harass him and he gave up on the land? Then they go back to Vito, get a fat finder’s fee and pocket the money. It was all strictly under the table shit. It wasn’t like that fee was going on the books or nothin’.”

  Julian narrowed his eyes as a memory came into his head. It was about a year before his family died. He stopped by his father’s office and Derek and his father were having a huge argument. Something about Derek removing funds from the cash account without authorization from him.

  His father said the funds would need to be replaced immediately. They argued about it as Julian sat outside waiting for them to stop. After that, they didn’t see much of the Wagner’s.

  “Jesus, are you suggesting that my father’s partner had something to do with my family’s death?”

  “Think about it, kid. If Pops is out of the way then he gets the fat finder’s fee all to himself. Maybe your dad’s partner was cooking the books and he needed the money to fix it. Unless you can figure it out, then there’s no way of knowing. But I can tell you, it wasn’t Vito.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I’m sure, kid. Who do you think made the calls on who carried out that shit years ago? Before I was Nina’s babysitter, I was Vito’s right-hand guy.”

  Julian let out a string of curses.

  “Go ahead kid, get it out. I’d be pissed off, too. Now the other reason why I’m here is this. You gotta contact Nina. I’ve known the kid her entire life and in that time, she’s only cried about five times and three of them have been because of you.”

  “Frankie, explain something to me. If Vito had nothing to do with my family’s death, then why does he want us apart?”

  “One simple reason, you don’t belong. You ain’t part of that life; he don’t trust you. He don’t know you. You ain’t from the neighborhood. He wanted her down in Brooklyn because he knows the good and the bad. The bad will stay away because they know Vito. The good will rise to the top and make a good husband for Nina, respect her, love her.”

  “But I can be that for her. I love her.”

  “Whatever you do, you need to be good to Nina. Right now the girl is miserable. You didn’t treat her very well yesterday.”

  “I meant nothing by it. I just knew if she didn’t go it could mean trouble for us. I don’t plan on being on the other side of Tony’s fist again.”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I told Vito that you had nothing to do with her leaving his house.”

  “Can you tell her I miss her?”

  “Yeah, I can do that. I gotta go. I promised Rosie I would take her to breakfast this morning.”

  “Where is Nina?”

  “She’s still at Rosie’s. She told her father she wasn’t going back with Lou. Don’t forget what I told you, kid. You take care of her.”

  “I will if she ever forgives me.”

  “She will.”

  Frankie stood up to leave, “You might want to check out some things in the bag.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Humor me. I’ll see you later.”

  After Frankie had left, Julian picked up the white bakery bag from the table and opened it. Inside was a white envelope with his name on it. His hands shook as he ripped into the paper. A folded note on scented stationery was inside. Who uses stationery anymore?

  Julian,

  Never in my life have I been so attracted and repelled by someone. I can’t help myself when you’re around.

  Your sexy lips hold a razor-edged tongue behind them that has sliced my heart in two. I don’t know if I’m more miserable when we’re separated or together.

  And I don’t know which way to turn.

  I love you,

  Nina

  Her words greatly upset Julian and he backed up until he felt the chair against his legs. Was h
e that horrible to her? He needed something to get his mind off his misery and went to the bedroom to change into his work clothes. It was now cool out and he needed to finish packing up for winter.

  The past two weeks had been hell without Nina. Julian had barely done anything and two of his clients were upset with his progress on their projects. His normally regimented and organized life had been thrown topsy-turvy in the weeks since he first kissed her.

  He went to the garage and got his chainsaw and axe. Two more fallen trees needed to be cut into logs. He moved his cell from his shirt pocket to his back pocket and as he did, it vibrated. Nina was the first thought in his head, but it wasn’t her number so he let it go to voicemail. He didn’t want to talk to anyone but her.

  As he walked through the woods, he felt the phone vibrate again and he ignored it. The third time he took it out of his pocket, realizing it was the same number, he answered just in case it was important.

  “Julian, why didn’t you answer?”

  He felt his heart flutter, “Sweet pea, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

  “I need to see you. No, I have to see you.”

  “I can come get you.”

  “No, I’ll ask Madison to take me up there. She has the early shift and she should be awake. I don’t care if my father doesn’t like you. It’s not his life. It’s mine. It’s ours.”

  “I don’t want to come between you and your family.”

  “Fuck them. I’m an adult.”

  Her voice grew faint and then the phone clicked off. He checked the bars and realized he was too deep in the woods for reception. He should have stood still.

  “FUCK!”

  Julian ran towards the garage and kept checking the phone for bars.

  “Come on, come on. Of all the fucking days for this piece of shit to lose reception.”

  He kept moving around but he couldn’t get a signal. Finally, he went into the house and went to the corner by the window, two bars. He dialed her number and it immediately went to voicemail. Dialed again, straight to voicemail.

  Inhaling deeply, Julian wrinkled his nose, was that smell coming from him? He smelled his shirt; it was. He stunk. If Nina was coming to see him, he didn’t want to turn her off by his body odor. He quickly undressed and went into the shower.