by Sam Crescent
“So he went and picked up my brother?”
“Yes. They couldn’t reach you.”
She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and saw it was dead. “Shoot, I forgot to charge it last night.”
“Jack will be pissed.”
“I know. I can’t believe I interrupted his day.”
“He won’t be pissed about that. You know he cares about your and Brian’s safety. Always has. What he’ll be pissed about is the fact you forgot to charge it, and put yourself at risk.”
“I don’t get it. What risk was I putting myself into?” she asked.
“Did I not just see you talking to a strange man?”
“So, Jack was a strange man to me once.”
“Yeah, and you really need to learn not to talk to strangers.”
Even though it was childish, she stuck her tongue out at him, and then proceeded to laugh. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
“I can.” He laughed. “There are times I forget how much fun you can be.”
“And other times?”
“I really wish I can be like that. In this day and age, goofing around is just not allowed.”
“What do you do for Jack?” she asked.
“I drive him wherever he needs to go.”
“Not just that. What does he do? I don’t know anything about him other than he’s a businessman of some sort. Shouldn’t he be on the covers of magazines or something?” she asked.
She’d never questioned Jack as she didn’t want to appear rude. He was her savior, and she didn’t want to ruin that with endless questions about him.
“Jack’s businesses don’t allow him to be on the cover of a magazine.”
“You have to admit he’d look hot though,” she said.
He burst out laughing. “Totally. My boss would look hot.”
She looked to him, and smiled.
Drake was a nice guy. Jack was a nice guy. She couldn’t help but wonder if that was the truth. Something told her she was missing something.
You’ve seen the way people react to them.
Even at the restaurant they commanded a respect she’d never seen before.
Pushing it to the back of her mind, she settled into the seat, wondering what she was going to do about her brother.
****
“That was close,” Marshall said, hearing Ronald enter the classroom.
“He didn’t see me.”
“How do you know?” Marshall turned to look at his boss, and his brother. Marshall had tried many times to get Ronald out of his life, but like always, Ronald wasn’t above blackmailing his brother to get what he wanted.
“I wouldn’t be standing, talking to you now, would I?”
Marshall shrugged. “Is she the one?”
Ronald smiled. In years of wanting to take Jack Sosa down, he’d never found a single clue that would do it. Then out of nowhere a little rumor, a smidge of gossip, and Ronald had been trying to find the person responsible.
The rumor. Four years ago Jack Sosa helped a young girl escape her abusive mother. The girl and her brother lived, and her mother disappeared without a trace. Then, every single man her mother was attached to, turned up dead.
After brushing off the rumor for so long, Ronald decided to investigate, which brought him to Piper Johnson. A young woman, pretty, chubby, with a smile that truly did melt people. He’d stared into her eyes, and saw what Jack was attracted to. There was an innocence there, and when Ronald finally had her all to himself, he was going to watch that innocence dim day by day, little by little.
“We both know she’s the one.”
Marshall didn’t say anything. “Why do you need to have her?”
“Are you getting a little soft?” Ronald asked. “I’ve heard she’s got the smile of an angel and the soul of someone higher than us.”
Marshall shook his head. “She’s completely innocent. Jack’s simply helping her.”
“You like her,” Ronald said.
He’d put Marshall in the college in order to get closer to her. This was the only weakness he’d ever seen in Jack, and he knew the key to bringing him down was through that woman.
Some would consider it the cowardly way, but he considered it the brilliant way.
“She has a brilliant mind. I also know she’s completely oblivious to what Jack does, and how he operates.”
Ronald shrugged. “I don’t really care if she knows or not. All girls should learn to be careful around strange men, and believe me, Jack is a strange man.”
Marshall sat in his chair, running fingers through his hair. “What do you want me to do?”
“Fail her at her latest assignment. In fact do it in a string of assignments, and offer to tutor her. Late nights, I’ll be here, and in time, I’ll get what I want, but I’m not going do that until I know for sure she’s the right woman.”
“Will you kill her?” Marshall asked.
“After I’ve played a little with her first.” Ronald was going to enjoy taking everything from Jack Sosa, starting with the little morsel he’d tried to hide.
****
“I’m sick of being called an orphan,” Brian said.
Jack sat at the dining room table listening as Brian told him everything that led up to the fight. For an eight year old boy, he was really something.
“You can’t start fights.”
“Why not? I’m not really starting them. They’re being mean to me.”
“How do you think your sister will feel? She does a lot to keep you safe and well.”
Brian sat back, looking every part the victim.
He liked this kid. Brian had come a long way from the beaten kid he used to be. He wasn’t as frail either. From what he was told, he had quite the healthy appetite.
“She won’t do anything. She can’t. She’s just my sister.”
“Do you really want your mom and father back?”
Brian shook his head.
“I didn’t think so. You didn’t even know who your father was. Whatever the kids say at school, ignore them. They don’t know what you’ve been through.”
His door opened.
“Brian,” Piper said, calling out his name.
“We’re in here.”
She came around the corner, a bag on her shoulder. “Drake told me. Fighting again, seriously?”
“This has happened more than once?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, try every single week.” She dropped her bag and folded her arms.
Jack stared from Piper to Brian then back again. Both had their arms folded, and both looked mightily pissed.
“They started it,” Brian said.
“Really? The principal told me that if your behavior continued he was going to have no choice but to contact social services!”
That was news to Jack. “Excuse me?”
She turned toward him, her brown eyes flashing with concern. She was such an easy person to read. “He pulled me into the office. Brian’s refusing to listen to his teachers, back chatting, bad language, and being an all-around pain. What he doesn’t seem to understand is that me caring for him apparently comes with conditions. Some of those are me being able to cope with your mood changes, Brian. I told you this, and you promised.”
“You don’t know what it’s like! They call me an orphan. They tell me I’m not loved, and that I only have a sister.”
“At least you have a sister, Bri. God, ugh, I get it, okay? You don’t think I dealt with that myself?”
“No.”
“Yes, I did. I was called the daughter of a whore. I was trash, from the gutter. All the bad names you can think about, I was called it because of our mother. I don’t even know who my father is, okay? There were that many men.” Piper stamped her foot. “You’re only eight and you’re fighting. Do you want to live with someone else, is that it?”
He was advanced for his years, which surprised Jack.
Brian looked toward Jack. “Can they really take me away?”
Not on his
watch they couldn’t, and he’d be paying a special visit to the principal after this conversation was over.
“They can, Brian. Your sister is your legal guardian, but if they think it’s not working, they will remove you from the home.” Jack would never let that happen.
Tears filled Piper’s eyes, and all he wanted to do was protect her.
“I’m sorry,” Brian said. “Did they really say that stuff to you at school?”
“Yeah, they really did.”
She let out a breath and took a seat at the table.
Drake nodded at him, and Jack left the two alone.
“What’s the matter?” Jack asked, entering the kitchen.
“When I went to pick her up she was talking to someone.”
“Okay,” he said, frowning at Drake. “What about it?”
“You told me if at any time I felt something was off I was to come to you. This feels off.”
“Did you get a look at the person?”
“He kept his back to me, and even as she came toward the car, he didn’t look back. Tell me what person doesn’t look back.”
Jack flicked the kettle on, grabbing out some cups. “You think it was on purpose?”
“Yeah, I do. That’s what I’m saying. In my head I believe I’m overanalyzing it, but—”
“You were a bodyguard for a lot longer than you worked for me. I get it. Your instincts are taking over.”
“I know something is not right.”
Drake had once been one of the best bodyguards in the States. When he’d received an injury to his arm and leg, he was sent into early retirement, until he came to Jack for a job. Jack trusted him with his very life, and paid Drake handsomely to keep him alive.
“What else happened?”
“When the car door closed, he made his way straight into the building. I didn’t get a good look at him, and I believe it’s because he wants to stay as silent as possible.”
“Ronald was in the restaurant the other day. He killed Ben.”
“Fuck, he was a good guy,” Drake said.
“I know. His family has been compensated, and they know I won’t stop until I find his body, and bring justice to them.” Jack was a hard ass, a criminal, a drug lord, pimp, and every other kind of label, but he was also loyal to those that were loyal to him. Ben, Drake, Mark, Eric, and several others had his respect. He would do everything he could to protect them, including the two people sitting at his dining room table.
Most of the people he came into contact with wanted something from him. Piper had been the first person not to. In fact, she’d given him something in order to make him feel better. As far as he was concerned, she had his loyalty for life.
“Do you think it could have been him?” Drake asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll keep an eye out, and I want you to pick her up from college from now on. I want to see if you can get a good look at this guy.”
“I have some friends who can watch the apartment where they live.”
“Do it.”
Jack picked up the cups and took them through to the dining room table. The siblings were doing homework now, and he took a moment to watch them.
Piper kept tucking her long hair behind her ear as she pointed to the book that Brian was reading.
They didn’t look up at him, and he didn’t alert them that he was watching either. Neither of them knew who he really was, and when he was in their company, he got the chance to pretend for a little while.
His life up until meeting them had been filled with violence, sex, and death. It’s what he was known for, and it was exactly how he’d built up his empire.
Jack Sosa was feared. The name itself commanded respect, and he used every single means available to him to make sure he never failed.
Stepping into the room, Piper smiled at him. “Thank you.”
That smile. It had started innocently enough one evening with her coming home, and now he craved that smile.
Sitting at the table, he didn’t interrupt their reading, and he took the time to watch Piper. She was a beautiful woman. Some men would consider her on the fuller side. Seeing her figure he guessed she was a size sixteen. Her tits were large, and her hips were nicely rounded. He wanted to get his hands on her and fuck her hard. His attraction toward her had been slowly building for the past few years. When he first found her, he’d not felt anything other than a need to protect. Now he saw more of her, and adored her personality, and wanted it all to himself.
Drake and Jack had stopped anyone from asking her out. No other man was ever going to know what a gem she really was.
When Brian finished reading, and did his math homework, Jack questioned her about the man.
“Drake said you were talking to someone. A friend? A student? A professor?”
“I don’t know who he was to be honest. It was really strange. I bumped into him. I wasn’t watching where I was going, and the next thing I’d fallen down, and he helped me up. I think he was friends with one of my professors. Marshall Rivers, but he prefers for us all to call him Marshall.”
“You don’t know anything else.”
“Oh, yeah, he said he was at Exquisite and that I served him. I couldn’t say that I recognized him though. I serve a lot of people, and I know the regulars.”
“You’ll be careful?”
“Always.”
There was that beaming smile, which resulted in one of his own.
Chapter Three
Brian stopped the fights, and Piper was able to relax, at least for now. Principal Green called her into his office to actually apologize, shocking the hell out of her. He told her that he wouldn’t be calling any social services, and that all she needed to do was stop Brian from fighting.
She promised him that it wouldn’t even be a problem anymore. Her brother had learned his lesson, and wouldn’t be fighting. If she could handle name calling when living with their mother, then maybe he could handle it as well.
For the next couple of weeks, Piper was able to focus on her college assignments, and also her work at the restaurant. Jack came in every single night she was working. She worked three nights a week, and two evening shifts. The restaurant opened in the morning for breakfast meetings. From what Mark told her, they served alcohol from lunchtime onwards.
With the demand in the restaurant they’d employed a couple of new people, Mandy and Louisa.
Both were beautiful women, and Mandy was great. She was happy to make friends, and learn whatever anyone was willing to teach. Piper got along well with her. Mandy was also in college, but she was training to be a chef. On her breaks, Mandy would sneak into the kitchen, watching.
The head chef Ryan, loved it, and as Piper watched she was sure he had a crush on her.
Louisa was a whole different kind of person. She was mean, spiteful, and refused to help anyone. The problem was, no one actually complained. Her tables were always perfect. It was her just attitude toward the rest of the staff that seemed to be a problem. Piper had seen her trying to flirt with both Leon and Luther, which didn’t end well for Louisa. Both men ignored her.
Mark wasn’t happy, and everyone sensed that.
For some reason Louisa didn’t like Piper, and any chance Louisa got, she showed it. Once Piper was carrying two plates, and Louisa tripped her up, sending the food crashing to the floor.
Another time it was drinks, or Louisa would take over from Piper’s table, and the customers wouldn’t get their food, but the blame fell to Piper.
In the back room, Piper was cleaning her hand after she’d spilt her tray of drinks, because she’d cut her hand picking up the glass.
Luther entered the room, which the staff used to change and store their things. “I saw Louisa actually push you.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t give a shit about how good she is with the customers. Louisa needs to go.”
“How are things with you and Leon?”
“We’re friends, Piper. W
e’ll always be friends.” He knelt on the floor, taking her hand within his. “It’s not too deep.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll have worse than this by the time I’m old.”
He chuckled. “You need to complain to Mark.”
“And tell him what? ‘Mark, you need to fire Louisa, she’s bullying me’? It sounds very playschool, kindergarten stuff. I love working here, and if I can’t handle that, how am I going to handle any job I’m in?”
“Louisa is not like most people. She’s a first class bitch,” he said.
“You once told me everyone is a bitch. It’s the quiet ones you need to look out for.”
“And I am looking out for you. I don’t like this. She is targeting you.”
The door opened, and Mandy walked in looking concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Another little accident.” Once Luther secured the Band-Aid, Piper stared at it.
“Jack is at his regular table,” Mandy said.
“Work, work, work,” Piper said, getting to her feet.
“You really need to tell Mark.”
“I’ll tell him if it gets worse. Until then, I’m going to serve Jack.” She left the room with Luther and Mandy behind her.
Heading straight for Jack’s table, she saw that Louisa was already there, notepad in hand. Her heart started to race, and she felt sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to lose Jack to Louisa. It was strange, but she liked that she was the one who handled Jack’s order. It was the little things that helped her believe she was repaying a debt. He’d helped her and Brian, so the least she could do was bring Jack some food.
Just double check.
Taking a deep breath, she approached the table, keeping a careful distance from Louisa.
“Piper,” Jack said.
She noticed Drake was also sitting there as well. Jack hadn’t brought a lady friend in a long time.
“Jack, Mandy told me you were here, but I can see everything—”
“You can run along and try not to break everything. I can handle this order,” Louisa said.
Piper nodded, and was about to turn away when Jack stopped her.
“Piper always gets my order, and she will always get my order. I don’t want you,” Jack said.
Louisa glared, but then smiled. “Well, okay then.”