CLASS ACT (A BRITISH ROCKSTAR BAD BOY ROMANCE)

by Julia Gardener

  I turned on the car and began driving us to my safe house. “Mission accomplished.”

  Kelly murmured. “He died anyway…”

  “Who?”

  “Colman died after I spared him,” Kelly said, staring out the window. “Petrov killed him. What was the point?”

  There was a pause for some time. “You made a choice, Kelly. That’s something no one can take away from you. Whatever happened to Colman was out of your hands. It proves you’re a better person than him. Than me, even.”

  Kelly turned to look back at me. I wasn’t the type of guy you came to when you needed to pour your heart out. However, I could see that my words had made an impact on her. “Let’s go home, Jackie.”

  I had never thought of my safe house as a home, especially for someone other than me. “We could do with a little rest.”

  The ride home quiet. We listened to some news reports about the mysterious attack. A body was found that was identified as Harold Colman. There was no mention of us so the security recordings must have been scrambled as I had planned.

  As we reached the entrance to the safe house, I knew something was wrong. My sixth sense was going off. Kelly saw the look on my face. “What’s wrong, Jackie.”

  I got my gun out. “Someone was here. Stay quiet and follow me.”

  My suspicions were confirmed when I saw that the door was unlocked. I prepared to breach my own safe house. With gun in hand, I opened the door.

  With two men standing by his side, a wheelchair bound man waited for us in the living room. He looked gaunt as his Italian tailored suit hung off him. I knew that man.

  And the old man in the wheelchair knew me. “Hello, Jackie.”

  I kept my gun pointed at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  He chuckled before coughing. Then, he dismissed his bodyguards who quietly left through the front door. I heard them close the door. “Can’t a grandfather drop by to say hello to his last remaining family member?”

  Kelly glanced at me. “That’s your grandfather?”

  “And the Don of the Pastore family,” he added. “I suppose proper introductions are in order. I am Joseph Pastore, head of the Pastore family. And you must be Kelly Chambers.”

  She looked at me again before speaking. “You know me?”

  “Everyone knows about you,” the elderly man laughed. “You’re the powder keg that’s blown up half the criminal underworld. Anyone worth a damn has to deal with Gregori and his little army tearing up this city as he tries to hold onto his money. Now, you’ve blown up a penthouse in uptown.”

  “What do you want?” I asked, lowering my gun. “I made a deal with Frank. The Black Fang brought the police to my doorstep. That makes them fair game.”

  “Please, everyone knows you needed an excuse to go to war against Sergei Petrov,” he sighed. “Don’t think you’re on some righteous crusade to purge this city of the profane Black Fang. You just used the death of the girl’s father to investigate the Russians. It’s bad enough with that stunt you pulled trying to take down Krause. Now, you’re starting a war that can set this city back to the Stone Age.”

  “It’s still within our code,” I argued. “Why are you even here?”

  “Because you’re starting a war that might never end,” he continued. “The Black Fang has declared a blood war on everyone who stands in Gregori’s way. It’s bad for everyone’s business. The Russians are turning a blind eye to Gregori so they don’t look weak. The Armenians are skirmishing with the Irish Mob. All of the great Italian families are a hair trigger away from declaring war on each other due to their entangling alliances. It hasn’t been this bad since the sixties. Hell, the prohibition might look like a picnic with what could come.”

  “The Black Fang brought the war to us,” I spat back. “Sergei killed my mother. Now, the Black Fang are the only thing that stands in my way from avenging her death. I won’t let anyone stop me.”

  He glared at me. “Don’t forget you still work for me. I get the final call.”

  “I kill people for you and you stay the fuck out of my person life,” I growled. “I’ve been nothing but an attack dog for you. That’s been our relationship for years. What’s this about? Do you want Kelly?”

  The man laughed as Kelly stepped behind me. “Well, Gregori might call this whole blood war off if someone hands him the girl.”

  I stepped forward. “Over my dead body.”

  Knowing him, he could easily arrange that.

  My grandfather laced his fingers under his chin. “No, this isn’t about the girl. This vendetta of yours against the Black Fang has to end.”

  “What?” I said in surprise. “You want me to stop just when I’m about to get my mother’s killer? Did you even care about her? Did you even love your own daughter?!”

  Gathering what strength he had, my grandfather rose as much from the wheelchair as he could. Then, he slapped me. “Don’t you dare say that! Don’t you dare say I never loved my little girl! I’ve spent my entire life trying to keep you safe from my enemies. I trained you to be a killer so you could protect yourself. You’re the only family I’ve got left Jackie.”

  “Then why?” I asked. “I’ve tracked down her killer. He’s in this city. I have to get him before he leaves with Gregori. I have all the intel I need for one last hit.”

  “I’m dying Jackie,” my grandfather revealed to my shock. A coughing fit confirmed it. There was blood in his mouth which he wiped with a handkerchief. “I don’t have much time left. As the most important Don in the damn country, I have to get my house in order before it all goes straight to hell in a hand basket.”

  “What is it?” I asked. “Lung cancer like my old man?”

  “Pancreatic,” he answered, taking out an inhaler. “I found out four months ago.”

  Kelly asked. “What stage is it? If it’s early, there’s still some time left.”

  My grandfather gave a cynical laugh. “The one where it’s too late for them to do anything. I’m already living on borrowed time due to the medication.”

  “Why did you come here?” I replied. “Try to mend fences with your estranged grandson? Micromanage my life for one last time before you kick the bucket?”

  “To stop you and your vendetta before it destroys the city,” he answered. “I don’t have much time in me. I know I have to make things rights before I go. I have to stop you before you destroy yourself and half the city with it. Petrov almost killed you today.”

  I rubbed my eyes and massaged my forehead. Nothing ever got past him. No wonder he was the most feared Don in the city. “Who’ll take over after you? Your two sons died in firefights. Your brother’s family died in that boat accident a decade ago. Are you going to give the title to someone outside the Pastore family? Promote Frank from Underboss to Don?”

  “You’ll be the new Don, Jackie.”

  Kelly was equally surprised. “Jackie? As the new Don?”

  This was crazy, even for my grandfather. “Me? I’m not even a full-blooded Italian. I’m a mutt with German blood.”

  “Times change, Jackie,” he answered. “You’d make a great Don if you put your mind to it. Our men respect you. Our enemies fear you. Most importantly, you have my blood. Frank and Little Joey will be your second in commands. They’ll have your back.”

  I folded my arms. “I’m a hired gun, not some criminal mastermind.”

  “It’ll be a regency council for a few years before you learn the ropes,” he continued, completely serious about the proposition. “Frank will handle most of the day-to-day dealings before you’re ready. He’s my underboss and he’ll be your underboss. Trust me, this is the best for all of us. The Pastore family needs to help keep the peace. That means making amends with the Black Fang.”

  Kelly sighed. “So that means Gregori will get away.”

  “I’m sorry about what’s happened to you and your father,” my grandfather sighed. “I always hate it when a civilian gets hurts. Nonetheless, this has got to sto
p before more girls lose their fathers to the Black Fang. If we all had our revenge, then there would be much of a world to live in afterwards.”

  “This isn’t just about revenge,” I argued. “Petrov and Gregori are dangerous. They don’t have a code or any rules. The world is better off without them.”

  “Sergei Petrov was nipping at your heels just now,” he said, glancing at my shoulder that had been grazed by a bullet. “You’re good, Jackie, but you’re not good enough to protect her forever. Sooner or later, you’ll slip up or lower your guard. That’s how I lost your mother. How long before Petrov gets her? Let this end.”

  “You’re wrong,” Kelly said, stabbing a finger at the Don. “Gregori had my father killed in his own apartment for defying him. Petrov shot up a penthouse to take care of a loose end. Do you think men like them will honor a deal? How long before they end their truce?”

  My grandfather shook his head. “That’s a problem for when Jackie is in charge.”

  “No, that’s a problem for now,” she said, staring down my grandfather. Not too many people were able to stare down a mafia Don. The woman had guts. “He’s going to lick his wounds and come after you with an army. He’ll want to hurt anyone who so much as inconvenienced him. You can stop him now or wait until he kills everyone you’ve ever loved. It’ll be so terrible that you’ll feel it from beyond the grave. Stop Gregori now when you have the chance.”

  “You remind me of my daughter,” my grandfather said, a smile on his face. “I can see why my grandson has taken a liking to you.”

  He would be the one to know any similarities. “Kelly has a point. Gregori is a loose cannon. We can get him off the deck or let him pull us beneath with him.”

  The great Don Pastore stared at the college-aged girl.

  “So what do you suggest we do?” he asked, genuinely interested in an answer. “Gregori is harder to reach than the president. He rarely appears in public. I can ask for a meeting but he’ll probably send some henchman to speak on behalf of him. Between his rivals and the KBG, I can’t blame him for staying holed up.”

  The college girl took a deep breath before speaking. “Then use me as bait.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Kelly. “Bait?”

  “Tell Gregori that I was on my way to talk with the FBI before you intercepted me,” she elaborated. “As a show of good faith, you’re going to hand me over to him. He can have me if he’s willing to talk in the open. He’ll think we’re coming in to discuss a truce.”

  “He’ll sooner kill you and the rest of us before agreeing to the truce,” I said. “This is stupid and dangerous. Even if we get him out in the open, he’ll still have a small army with him.”

  “That’s the plan,” my grandfather said, clearly interested in the idea. “Nothing gets a kingpin out of his house than a chance to kill a snitch.”

  “It’s not your call, Jackie,” Kelly added. “If we get him to agree on our terms, we can get him to meet with us in a nice, quiet place. No one else has to get hurt. We can stop him once and for all.”

  “I didn’t spend these past few weeks protecting you from Gregori to just have you waltz straight into his hands!”

  “I’m thankful for your help,” she said plainly. “But this is my life. I get to decide what to do with it. I’m putting it on the line so we get a shot at Gregori. Petrov will probably be there as well.”

  My grandfather interrupted us. “Then we’ve come to an agreement. I’ll put out word that I’ve caught you. Gregori won’t be able to resist bait like this.”

  I shook my head. “This isn’t happening…”

  “She’ll be safe,” my grandfather consoled. “After all, you’ll be watching her back once we put this plan into motion.”

  Kelly gave a small smile and reached out for my hands. “We’re partners, right?”

  I mustered as much of a smile as I could. “Partners…”

  “This girl’s a keeper, Jackie,” my grandfather smiled. “I’ll come up with a plan. You just keep the girl safe until then.”

  I held Kelly’s hand. I had lost my mother. I wouldn’t lose Kelly as well. “I will.”

  Jackie was scared.

  I had been with him through firefights. I had never seen the man falter. He always had a plan up his sleeve. He was always so cool and composed.

  Not this time.

  It was the night before our meeting with Gregori. That despicable man had agreed to meet in the back of a warehouse that belonged to the Pastore family. It would be just outside the city limits near the docks. No civilians would be in the way.

  Other than me.

  I watched Jackie as he cleaned and maintained all of his weapons. He inspected the biggest sniper rifle to the small handgun for any problems. Even the smallest problem could be the difference between life and death in this business. An untimely jam was what helped us escape Petrov back at Colman’s penthouse.

  I knew he hated the plan. He had said as much. His feelings for me had overwhelmed his desire for revenge. He would rather have me alive than have Petrov dead.

  I guess that was progress.

  I thought about my dead father. I had read on the news that his body would be buried next be next to his wife. Some anonymous donation had paid for a small funeral service and incidental expenses. I guessed Jackie had a hand in it.

  I prepared a small meal for both us. It was roast chicken and vegetables. It was the same meal I had cooked for daddy that night. The morbid part of me considered it a last supper for Jackie and me.

  I called out to him. “Dinner’s ready, Jackie.”

  He put down the handgun he had dissembled. The hitman sat at the table as I served him. “Smells delicious.”

  “Thanks,” I said, sitting down opposite him. “How’s your arm?”

  He looked at the wound I had treated. “Better, thanks to you.”

  Dinner went well enough. Jackie even popped open a bottle of wine. We talked about everything but the plan. It felt like this would be our final moments together. Whether we succeeded or not, Jackie and I would have to go our separate ways.

  His grandfather was grooming him to take over the mantle of Don Pastore. There wasn’t a future for me beside a Don. For that matter, Jackie wouldn’t want me entangled in the criminal underworld any more than I already was.

  Afterwards, we sat on the table and watched television. I leaned against his side and rested my head on his chest. I heard his slow, steady heartbeat. Any onlookers would’ve thought we were your average, everyday couple.

  Finally, I broke the silence. “We’ve had a pretty wild week.”

  “Tell me about it,” he said with a small smile, his hand trailing through my hair. “I haven’t been in a firefight like that since the war.”

  I giggled. “Just your average day as a hitman.”

  However, there was a serious expression on his face. His hand slid down to cup my cheek. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Kelly.”

  I stared into his beautiful eyes. “Jackie, do you trust me?”

  “I trust you with my life,” he answered without hesitation. “I’d rather be in a foxhole with you than anyone else. What’s this about?”