“Sure thing, Mr. Christakos, sir.”
“Don’t push me sweetheart, or we might never leave this room,” I growled, giving her a good slap across the ass.
Deep baritone voices filtered from downstairs. Hackett and Eamon were having a chat with our good friend, Agent Dooley. Sighing, I sped up my steps as the conversation began to veer into dangerous territory. My men were loyal to a fault. I didn’t know exactly what they had been talking about, but it was time I broke it up before the agent got himself into a world of hurt that I would have a hard time putting a stop to; not because the boys wouldn’t listen when I said stop but because I’d enjoy seeing the little jackass suffer just a little.
Stepping into the room, Hackett snapped a glance in my direction. From the look on his face, I could tell he was right pissed off, too. Eamon remained silent, never taking his eyes off Dooley. They didn’t trust him anymore than I did. Good boys.
“What the hell is going on here?” I asked flatly, looking back and forth between the three of them. You could hear a pin drop, the room was so quiet. Fuck. This couldn’t be good.
Hackett pointed a meaty finger in Dooley’s direction, his face as red as a tomato. “He’s barking about your freedom slipping away. He hasn’t done a fucking thing to help catch this bastard.”
Dooley just shook his head, frowning. I held up my hand in an effort to put a stop to this insanity. I should’ve been worried… and to be honest, I was. It was just that at this moment, I didn’t want to think about the possibility of Theron not being caught. Spending another moment in prison grated on my nerves, and tonight I wanted to keep my mind calm. Tonight was the night I would do my damnedest to win the heart of the woman I had fallen in love with.
When I won the bet with Haven at our little paintball date, I had held off sharing what I wanted to ask of her. Now I was ready to lay it all out on the line. She promised as part of the bet not to refuse whatever was asked of her, and I hoped like hell she wouldn’t. If this Theron shit wasn’t taken care of, I may not get to go with her to Paris, but at least I’d know that she had gone and that would be enough. It would have to be enough. Just imagining her walking the streets of Paris, seeing everything she’d dreamed of seeing for so long, would touch my heart. It would provide happiness in a place where happiness was in very short supply.
My heart and mind were so heavy with worry and anticipation of tonight’s dinner date with Haven. The ability to push her out of my mind long gone after so many weeks – actually months now – together. The plan concocted to lure my dear old brother out of hiding had failed. Two long fucking months and not a damn thing to show for it. He was smarter than I had hoped, and it looked as if he’d have the last laugh.
The joke was on me, I suppose.
Chapter Twenty - Sebastian
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.”
- Robert Schuller
I wanted tonight to be perfect. I wanted to see Haven’s eyes light up when I handed her the ticket to Paris, only seconds later I would show her mine. I’d never imagined myself falling in love with a woman as perfect as her. The moment she walked into my life, I was done for. Finished. That was why I wanted so much for tonight to be perfect. She hadn’t spoken those three little words, even though I could see that she loved me just as much as I loved her.
Our first actual date under the guise of drawing out my deranged brother had been at a casual restaurant; my favorite, as a matter of fact. It only made sense to circle back to that moment and see where it took us. For a woman like Haven to be with a man like me wouldn’t be easy for her. Her world – a world where law and making sense of things mattered as much as the opinions of others – wasn’t a place for me. Well… not as a mafia boss. The last two months I had caught myself on numerous occasions debating on getting out of the life. Had I made a decision to let it all go? Not yet, but I could feel the forked road drawing nearer as the clock ticked heartily on. The time to make a decision would come soon enough, and like in all other things, I’d be ready.
Eamon pulled the car to a stop in front of Dominick’s Italian Restaurant and my nerves, normally lying dormant, fluttered to life. It was such a foreign feeling that I had a difficult time placing it at first. But as soon as I met those gorgeous blue eyes, the feeling faded into the night. Bringing my hand to her chin, I tilted it up, brushing my lips over hers slowly. A sweet little moan escaped her lips and I couldn’t help but swallow it, taking every little piece of her into me that I could.
“You are quite lovely tonight, Haven. So beautiful.”
“Thank you. You’re very handsome yourself, Sebastian.”
Taking her soft little hand in mine, I helped her slip from the vehicle, the short black dress she wore sliding down her gorgeous thighs, the long sheer lace sleeves teasingly showing her soft sun-kissed arms. The woman was killing me. She looked so fucking hot. I was forcing myself to remain a gentleman tonight, all the while wanting to remove her from that little black dress and have my way with her, as I had for the last couple of months. Fighting the urge was harder than it ever had been before. But if tonight went the way I wanted it to, I’d have her forever. If she’d have me.
Inside the restaurant, Dominick the owner led us to a quiet room reserved for larger parties. I’d spoken with him briefly and set up a romantic candle-light dinner for two so that we would be alone. Pulling her against my side, I inhaled the sweet floral scent of her perfume. It was a light and wonderfully relaxing scent that calmed me as it wrapped itself around me. Dominick led us to the room, opening the door and stepping to the side. Haven gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
“It’s so... beautiful. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble, Sebastian.”
“Oh, but I did. This is a special night for us,” I said with a wink. With my palm flat on her lower back, I eased her to the table, pulling out her chair as she took a seat.
“Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Agapi mou. Always.”
The candle light danced between us erotically, as if sensing the emotions floating between us, the sparkle in her eyes driving me mad with need for her. But there was something beyond the lovely sparkle, something that ate away at me. There was a darkness there that I could sense would ruin our night if it wasn’t squashed like a bug. And quickly.
“You are worried about something? Tell me what it is. Let me carry your burden for you,” I said, covering her hand with mine. A tingle spread through my body like an electrical current.
Silence filled the room and Haven averted her eyes, looking down at her hands clutched in her lap. Her lower lip pressed snuggly between her pearly white teeth as she wrestled with what to say. I was good at reading people. Always had been. It was a blessing and a curse. Right now, it was a hearty helping of both, and that worried me so. If it weren’t for the light in her eyes, I’d assume she was pulling away from me. Dear God, I hoped that wasn’t what was happening. We were good together.
“Haven? Please. What’s wrong?” Unable to stay in my seat, I made my way around the table to her. Easing down beside her, I took her sweaty shaking hands in mine. “Please don’t pull away from me.”
“Our time together is almost over, Sebastian. Dooley will be taking you back to the prison in a few days. I... I just can’t...” Her eyes filled to overflowing with tears. This amazing smart and lovely woman was worried about me. Me, of all people. It was a new experience.
“Agapi mou, do not worry. Dry your eyes, sweetheart,” I whispered into her ear, my thumb brushing gently across her soft cheeks, erasing the tears she cried for me. “I was going to wait until dessert to give you your surprise. But I think now would be better. Maybe it will make you smile.” Pulling the envelope from my jacket, I laid it in her open palm.
“You didn’t need to get me anything. Spending time with you has always been enough.” Flipping the edge of the envelope open, she withdrew the contents slowly. I watched my angel’s eyes go wide as she read the ticket, her swee
t little mouth falling open in shock. “Oh, Sebastian. This is... is this for real?”
“It is. And if you would like a bit of company, I have a ticket, too.”
Her smile faded. I felt my heart begin to crack. Splinter. Another look of utter sadness from her and my heart would shatter like glass as I stood before her. “You do not wish for me to be with you in Paris?” Of all the things she could say right now, I wanted to hear her say that she wanted me to go with her, that the trip wouldn’t be the same without us sharing it together. My heart thudded, blood slamming in my ears like drums.
“It’s not that, Sebastian. Of course, I want you to go with me. I just... what if you can’t? What if the next few days are all we have?” Another tear slipped from her eye, rolling down her face. Without thought, I wiped it away.
Pulling Haven to her feet, I held her in my arms. She whimpered at the contact, but not for a sexual reason. No. This was pure emotion. Her heart was breaking, just as mine was. Being apart wasn’t going to be easy for either of us.
After several minutes, she finally calmed down. I pulled my chair around the table beside her, neither of us wanting to be any further apart than we had to be. The night wasn’t going as I had planned, but she hadn’t resisted my gift or my wanting to go with her. Now I just had to make sure that I was able to go.
Dinner went smoothly. We talked about Paris and what we would do while there. We avoided the elephant in the room, pushing it aside to enjoy what we both knew could be one of our last moments together. We’d make the most of the time we had, no matter what. The reality of it all hit me hard, though. I couldn’t ask Haven to wait for me if I did go back to prison. Too much time would pass, and that wasn’t fair to her. She was young, with her entire life ahead of her, and she deserved to live it, to take chances, have adventures, and I would make sure that she could. With or without me, I needed to know that she would live a happy life.
Haven shivered as we stepped into the chilly evening air and I slipped my jacket around her shoulders. We walked to the car in silence, smiles on our faces. Other than the slight bump in the road at dinner, tonight had been great. That was until we reached the car.
Eamon had worked in my employ for as long as I could remember, and under my father before me. He wasn’t exactly young anymore, but to look at him, you wouldn’t be able to guess his age. The moment we got within a few feet of the car, I knew something wasn’t right. He always stood by the car, waiting for our arrival, but he wasn’t there now.
Haven was smiling so brightly, I don’t think she even noticed. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I sent a quick text to Hackett, alerting him that something was wrong. He had been trailing us everywhere we went for two months now. My phone pinged and I scanned his text before opening the back door of the car. We slid inside, getting comfortable.
I pulled Haven into my side, wrapping my arm around her. I didn’t want to worry her, but I had to keep her safe. I’d be willing to bet every dime I had that Eamon wasn’t driving the car. Deciding to go with my gut, I leaned over towards Haven as if I were kissing her and begin whispering in her ear. “My love, listen to me very carefully and do your best to stay calm. I need you to look down. Do not look up while I speak to you. Okay?”
Her voice was low, almost a shaky whisper. She knew something was wrong. I felt her body go stiff at my words. “Yes. I understand.”
“I believe my brother is driving the car. Hackett is following behind us so do not worry. We will be fine. Okay?”
Haven nodded, a single warm tear landing on my hand. I pulled her into my lap, placing her head on my shoulder. If the tinted window dividing the driver from us should go down, I could push her into the floor, keeping her safe. I showered Haven with kisses, doing what I could to keep her calm and in control as I cautiously took notice of our surroundings. Several miles back, we had passed the exit for my house. Where the fuck was he taking us? The only thing out here was miles and miles of empty road.
I returned my attention to Haven, avoiding looking out the windows. Theron was watching me. I could feel his eyes on me, watching every move I made. He’d caught us off-guard, that was for sure. We had all expected him to come for me earlier, and when he hadn’t bothered us, we believed we had failed. We hadn’t. He was playing his own game. He saw himself as the big cat, flicking the little mouse around, waiting. But I was no fucking mouse. The tables would turn soon enough, and my brother, a man I had never met before, would learn that he had screwed with the wrong man.
Some thirty miles into the bare stretch of Texas road outside Austin, Theron finally pulled the car over to the side of the road. Before the dust cloud outside the car settled, he flung the door open, a gun aimed straight at me. Or was it aimed at Haven curled up in my lap? A deep ragged growl emanated from the depths of my chest as I saw my brother for the first time. It was like looking in a distorted mirror at what I could have been had my father sent me away. Theron was a carbon copy of me, only slightly thinner, with dark circles under his eyes. The hollow look in his brown eyes screamed rage and vengeance. I’d worn that look many times myself, but not since my youth. I’d found other ways to settle scores. The man holding a gun on me and mine was a cold-hearted killer. Ruthless. Angry. And all of that rage was pinpointed on me.
For what seemed like an eternity, we sized each other up like men. I slowly moved Haven across my lap into the seat beside me, putting my body between her and Theron. If he fired, I’d take the hit. I’d protect her with my life if that was how it had to go.
Facing my brother and breaking the silencing between us, I cleared my throat and spoke. “My brother, finally we meet. Do you really need the gun?”
Theron stepped forward, tossing a set of handcuffs at me. The cold hard steel snapping together as they hit my chest and fell into my lap. I picked them up, flipping them back and forth. “What is this for?”
“Put them on your bitch. Deny my request and she dies. Test me and you both die right here.” Theron growled. I had expected to hear a Greek accent when he spoke, but there wasn’t even a hint of one, although he did sound like my father. More so than I did.
“Fine. Calm down. We will not resist,” I said, making sure I kept my voice calm and even, showing no signs of anger. Allowing my emotions to rule now would not be good. Keeping things calm and controlled was best. I pulled Haven’s arms into her lap.
“NO!” Theron shouted. “Behind her back you idiot. Now!” The gun swung wildly but still remained pointed towards us.
“Shit. Okay. Okay.”
Haven was trembling and sobbing uncontrollably. I kissed her forehead before returning to the handcuffs. As I pulled her arms behind her back, I whispered softly, begging her to stay calm, to take deep breaths and stay quiet. She nodded, taking one breath, then another, her breathing slowing, her body finally showing signs that she was regaining control. The handcuffs clicked into place and I slid away from her, facing my brother once again.
“You,” he shouted, pointing the gun at me. “Get out of the car. Keep your hands where I can see them. Move!”
All he did was shout. I almost pushed the door to the car closed as I climbed out, but thought better of it. Leaving it open allowed Haven a means to escape and hide from this lunatic. I eased away from the car, hoping Theron would forget about her. The headlights showed bright into the darkness, swirls of dust from our movement kicking up like a small tornado in the beams. Theron jammed the gun in my back, forcing me to keep moving into the light. Anger boiled inside me, threatening to crack its confines, breaking free into the night. With each push of the muzzle into my back, the crack widened.
“On your knees, brother!” Theron shouted, the last word cracking as it slid across his dry lips. I eased down onto my knees, rocks digging into my skin. I turned my head towards the car, and even though I could not see Haven, I knew that she could see me. I could feel her pain. I didn’t want her to see me die. I didn’t want her to be left alone with this jackass. Where the fuck was Hackett?<
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Out of nowhere, Theron begins raging on about his life, swearing at our father and me for stealing what he should have had. He yelled and screamed, the years of pain and sorrow giving birth to rage and vengeance evident in every word he spoke. I felt sorry for him. He had been done wrong even I could see that. If things had worked out differently, we would have been close. But he chose this road. He had the chance to come to me and share his story, his life, and I would have given him anything, welcomed him with open arms. A brother. A twin. But he crushed that chance, killed it as he had Astra and Davis and that poor sweet innocent girl, Meg.
Now all I could see was a man so filled with hate that it ruled every fiber of his being. There was no saving him. He was well past the point of being forgiven for all of the things he had done. All of the lives he had taken. Innocent lives that would never have the chance to come to fruition. Taking a sobering breath I raised my eyes daring to meet the cold heartless eyes of my brother and waited for whatever came next.
Chapter Twenty-One - Haven
“Courage is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway.”
- John Wayne
I never thought I would fall in love with a man like Sebastian Christakos but he had touched my heart and gotten under my skin. My taste buds had been saturated in fear for weeks as the days rolled by, one by one, each day ending faster than the one before it, speeding like a race car to the finish line, leaving me alone and him behind bars. Again.
When he handed me a ticket to Paris, my heart swelled with joy. The feeling didn’t last long though. The excitement was quickly replaced with the darkness that overshadowed everything we were building together, but like all things between us, he somehow managed to swallow the fear and give me hope; hope that he would be by my side in Paris. I wanted to believe it was possible. I really did, but I feared it was only wishful thinking on my part. Still, we managed to salvage our lovely romantic dinner together, pushing aside all of the darkness closing in on us. Sebastian held me close, his warmth insulating me from the cold as we walked to the car.
Convicted: A Mafia Romance Page 11