by Rose Cody
“Yeah,” The other one notes. “And you know how we worry about our boys… So are you mad, baby?”
“Well, maybe I’m just changing things up?” Johnny offers, closing his eyes again and leaning back into the couch.
“Changing things up?!” They gasp. “Johnny! Tell us you aren’t seeing other dancers!”
“Yeah, Johnny.” One of them says as she walks around the couch and rests her hands on his shoulders. “You know that would break our hearts!”
Johnny smiles as he sits up and places his glass on the coffee table in front of him before leaning back into the couch and grabbing the girls by their wrists, pulling them towards him.
“Well then, I guess we better get down to it.” He whispers, his voice deep and husky as he runs his palms over their naked sides.
“Johnny!” He hears someone call for him from behind the bar.
He looks up, lifting his arm and shrugging his shoulders.
“Joe!” He calls back. “I’m a little busy here, if you can’t tell!”
“Hey, trust me, I can tell!” Joe says. “And you know how I hate interruptions, but the boss wants you Johnny.”
“Boss wants me?” Johnny says, gently pushing away the girls. “Sorry, girls.”
He gets up from the couch, lifting his drink with him and taking the final swig before walking back behind the bar.
“Did he say what he wants?” Johnny asks Joe as they make their way down the hall.
“Yeah, it was something about that case you’re on.” He says before turning off into another room. “I didn’t really listen. Not really my business…”
Johnny nods before stepping up to his boss’s door. He knocks on it quickly before stepping back and waiting for someone to open up and let him in.
“Yo.” He hears one of his boss’s gruff, bearded bodyguards grunt as he opens the door.
“Boss wants me. It’s Johnny.” He says, straightening his tie as he watches the door swing further open.
He walks in, taking a seat across from his boss’s desk as he watches Mr. Ambrosini scratch his pen against the newspaper as he fills in a few letters on the daily crossword.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Johnny asks, watching his boss drop the pen and slide the paper out of the way.
“Well, you know we’re doing our drive-by’s, Johnny.” He says, his voice weak but still commanding. “But apparently just our presence in the neighbourhood isn’t enough to scare these guys off.”
Johnny nods his head up and down as he listens to his boss talk and watches his lean back into his chair.
“Earlier today, someone tossed an entire brick through that poor woman’s window, nearly hitting her.” Mr. Ambrosini says.
“Oh my God.” Johnny says, unable to hide his shock. “And she’s alright?”
“Yes, yes, of course.” He says. “She wasn’t hit, but she could have been. And unfortunately that’s a failure on our part.”
“What do you want me to do, boss?” Johnny says, sitting up straight, ready to make the next move.
“Her and her family are scared.” The big boss starts. “They need some more proactive protection, someone in the house. And since she already knows who you are, you’ll be the one going and staying there for a little while.”
Johnny’s heart flutters as he lets out a shaking breath.
“You got it, boss.” He says, nodding. “When do I go?”
“I told her I would be sending someone immediately.” Mr. Ambrosini says, reaching for the newspaper again to finish his crossword. “So you better get going.”
“Yes, sir.” Johnny says, nodding his head as he stands up from the chair before turning and hurrying out of his boss’s office.
He jobs down the hall and out from behind the back of the bar before passing the women who were fawning over him earlier.
“Sorry, ladies, got to work.” Johnny says, giving them a little nod as he passes.
“You really don’t have time to finish, Johnny?” One of them asks.
“Yeah, Johnny, I’m sure you can make some time for us!” The other says.
“No way, girls!” He calls out to them as he pushes open the backdoor to the alley with his back. “I got a job to do!”
His heart flutters as he reaches into his blazer’s pocket for his keys as he makes his way down the street to his car.
He unlocks his driver’s side door with the press of a button on his keychain before pulling it open and sliding inside.
Johnny closes his eyes, sighing out as he grips his steering wheel before shaking the cobwebs from his head and putting the key into the ignition and turning it over to start his car.
Finally. Finally he gets to see her again.
Chapter 12
Amber hands her father a cup of milk and tea as she places a small plate of brownies on the table in front of him.
“Don’t worry, daddy, okay?” She whispers to her father, pressing her fingers gently against his cheek as she kneels down in front of him. “I know things are looking bad, but we’ll get through this.”
She stands, picking up the sugar bowl and placing it down beside his coffee.
“Nothing else will happen, they’re just trying to intimidate us.” She starts.
“Amber, oh my, God!” She hears her mother yell from the living room.
“Mom, mom, what?” Amber says, rushing to meet her mother as the old woman grabs her.
“There’s someone here!” Her mother says, her voice filled with dread. “I just saw someone pull up outside a little bit down the street and then turn off their headlights and get out of their car! They’re coming our way!”
“Just one of them?” Amber asks, rushing her mother into the kitchen.
“Just the one. He was in a black car!” Her mom says, hushing her voice.
“Just stay here, mom…” Amber starts as she walks back into the living room to make her way to the front door.
“What?!” Her mother yells. “You can’t be serious, Amber, you can’t go out there!”
“Amber, please!” Her father says, getting up from his seat at the table.
“Just stay here.” Amber says, hating the fact that she’s lowering her voice towards her parents. “Please. Trust me.”
Amber steps outside, glancing back towards the kitchen momentarily to watch her mother sit down beside her father, her dad resting his hand in the small of her back for comfort as she buries her face in her palms.
She takes a deep, shaking breath as she wraps her cardigan around herself tighter as she meets the dark figure in the middle of the street.
“Johnny?” She asks, her voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah, I’m here to stay with you and your parents.” He says, nodding his head. “Mr. Ambrosini sent me.”
“Oh, Johnny!” She runs up to him, wrapping her arms around him as her eyes well with tears. “My parents are scared to death!”
“Shh…” He says, wrapping his arms around her and brushing his hand up and down her back. “It’s okay. I’m here. He told me what happened.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to tell my parents, I mean…” She says, shaking her head, flabbergasted. “I didn’t even tell them anyone was coming.”
“I won’t tell them why I’m here. I’ll leave that up to you.” He says, picking up his duffle bag from the ground.
“What’s in the bag, Johnny?” She asks, wiping her eyes as they walk back towards the house.
“God, you’re nosey.” He says jokingly, but his smile quickly turning serious as they step up on the curb. “The less you know, the better, Amber.”
“Oh, okay.” Amber says, nodding her head as they walk up her front sidewalk to the door.
She nervously opens the front door, holding it open for Johnny as he walks inside before she slips inside behind him.
“Who is this?” Her mom says, standing up from her seat and storming into the living room as she raises her voice in confusion.
“A friend, mom.” She says, step
ping out from behind him. “I invited him over to stay for a while just to be safe.”
“Oh…” Her mom says, pausing for a second before turning to look back in the kitchen at her father. “Well, if he’s hungry…”
“No, he’s not.” Amber says, grabbing Johnny’s hand and pulling him through the house.
He nods at Amber’s parents as he passes them as they make their way down the hall and into the laundry room.
“Look at that!” She says, pointing toward the broken, newspaper covered window. “Like I don’t even know how we’re going to fix that!”
“Wow, gotta say, that’s busted up more than I thought it was going to be.” Johnny says, stepping into the room.
“Careful, there’s still glass.” Amber says, warning him.
“I got my shoes on…” He says, walking forward and bending down to brush his thumb over the scuff on the floor. “It’s harder than you think to throw a brick, so to get it all the way back here they must have been pretty close, like, right up against your window almost.”
“So obviously it was meant to hit me…” Amber says, sighing. “I was still kind of hoping there was a tiny chance it was a kid just fucking around or something…”
“That’d be a mean fuckin’ kid.” Johnny says, walking back over to Amber. “Nah, this wasn’t no kid.”
“Do they think they know?” Amber asks, shrugging her shoulders and sinking her chest as she crosses her arms. “Do you think they know I went to you guys? Like, that must be why they did it, right?”
“Hm.” Johnny says. “No, I don’t think so. If they did know, well shit, I doubt they’d be so bold about it, right? They burned down your bakery because of money and I think they’re still trying to get more out of you.”
“There’s nothing else!” Amber says, leaning against the doorframe as she wipes her eyes.
“I know.” Johnny says, hesitating before finally stepping up to Amber and wrapping his arms around her once again. “Don’t worry though, okay? You got to stop with the worries, Amber, I’m a professional and Mr. Ambrosini does not let his customers down.”
She nods, sniffing as she lets out an embarrassed giggle.
“Now,” Johnny says, peaking his head down the hall. “I’d like to set up in your living room… lights off…the main ones anyway, that would be ideal…”
“Um…” Amber starts, lowering her voice. “We can’t until my parents go to bed.”
“What are you talking about?” He asks dumbfounded.
“They don’t know! A lockdown like that would only freak them out more than they already are.” She says.
“Amber, you can’t be serious.” Johnny says. “You got your bakery burned to the ground, some crazy person just tossed a brick at you through your window… and now you’re asking me to work on your schedule? Are you for real?”
“They don’t know, Johnny!” She whispers to him forcefully. “They don’t know at all that I went to the mob. They would be so fucking pissed you have no idea! Don’t say anything! Business as usual, Johnny.”
Johnny stands there, his mouth agape before he shakes his head.
“I’m in the fuckin’ mob!” He whispers to himself as he begins to walk out of the room. “I earned my fucking place and now I can’t believe I’m dealing with this kiddie bullshit…”
“Johnny, please.” Amber whispers to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward her.
He sighs as he brings his hand up to rub the back of his neck.
“Alright.” He says. “Alright. The last thing we need is more panic.”
“Thank you, Johnny.” She says, hugging him again. “Thank you so much.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay…” He says, his face flushing wildly as he gently pushes her away.
They walk back down the hall into the kitchen as the microwave beeps and Amber’s mother jumps up from her seat and rushes over and reaches inside before pulling out a steaming plate of leftover roast beef, mashed potatoes and glazed carrots.
“I know you said he wasn’t hungry…” Amber’s mother says, walking the plate over to the kitchen table before hopping back over to pull a fork out of the drawer. “But I thought I should warm him something up anyway…”
Johnny looks towards Amber, biting his bottom lip awkwardly before he feels a hand push him on the small of his back.
“Come on, dear.” Amber’s mom says, leading him over to the table. “Come and eat.”
Chapter 13
Johnny tries his best to focus his attention out the front window and onto the street as he tries to avoid the glare of the TV as he sits uncomfortably between Amber and her mother on the couch.
He smiles, letting out a soft “hmpf” as he feels her mother ball her fist and whisper a quiet “yes” as he favorite contestant scores a point.
It’s been a long time since someone had heated him up a home cooked meal and he thoroughly enjoyed every single bite. Hell, it’s been a long time since he’s had any actual family time what-so-ever, so as uncomfortable as it is to be wedged between the two women, it’s exactly what he’s been longing for for a very, very long time.
He shifts his glance down to his black duffle bag stuffed under the coffee table as he leans back into the couch relaxing.
He’d much rather have the bag wide open, then he could be truly comfortable, but he’s sure everyone else would be more comfortable with it closed.
He chuckles quietly to himself. It must be nice to live life not even considering that the strange man who just entered your house with an overnight bag could possibly have it stuffed to the brim with ammo and guns.
People can be in direct danger and still go out of their way to pretend like they’re not.
“Well…” Amber’s father says, breaking the silence as he stretches. “I think it’s time for mom and me to head to bed.”
Amber turns to her dad and smiles as the couch shifts as he mom gets off of it.
“Good night.” She whispers to them. “Try and get some good sleep, you guys. Don’t worry about a thing.”
She watches as her parents walk out of the living room, through the kitchen and up the stairs to their bedroom before grabbing the remote and turning to Johnny.
“We can watch whatever you want, I know that gameshows can be kind of obnoxious…” She says, handing the remote to Johnny.
“Nah, I don’t want to watch anything.” He says, bending forward and pulling the black duffle bag out from under the coffee table. “You can go to bed, too, if you’re tired. I’ll be here all night, so you may as well take the chance.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me, Johnny?” Amber asks, squinting her eyes at him playfully.
“No, ma’am. Not at all.” He laughs softly, smiling at her. “But if you want to get some sleep, you can. You had a long day.”
“Honestly, Johnny.” She says, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I don’t want to go to sleep. I’m too scared…”
“Well then.” He starts, gently pushing the duffle bag back under the table. “Come here.”
Johnny holds out his arm and Amber leans against his side as he wraps it around her shoulder, squeezing her.
“There’s no reason to be scared.” He says, whispering into her ear, his hot breath tickling her. “There’s going to be people driving by all night. And I’m here, too. There’s really nothing to worry about at all…”
“I think I’d just rather stay with you tonight.” She whispers back to him, resting her head on his chest.
He watches her closely as his chest raises her up and down as he breathes. Johnny gently brushes her hair away from her face as he watches the coloured light from the TV paint her delicate features.
He grasps her chin with his fingers, tilting her head up as he presses his lips against hers, each kiss getting deeper as they lazily explore each other’s mouths.
“Johnny…” She whispers, her face flushing deeply as he sinks deeper, pressing his lips against her neck before nipping at her skin.
<
br /> He pauses, hesitating before pulling away from her as he sits up.
“Lay back…” He says, gently pushing her down to lay on the couch.
Amber gulps, her heart beginning to race as she lays against the couch cushions before sighing as Johnny gently drags his fingers up and down against her thighs.
Her body begins to tingle as he reaches up to the waist of her jeans and unhooks the button before dragging down her zipper to loosen her pants.