East Rising (Naive Mistakes #2)

by Rachel Dunning

  "Thank you."

  He walked over to the window. "Flowers aren't usually my thing. I hope you like them."

  "I love them." (Pause.) "Been boxing?"

  He nodded, turned to me, then turned back to look outside.

  "I thought you'd run away..." I said.

  (Pause.) "I did." An anvil fell on my chest. (Pause.) "But then I turned back."

  "I'm glad you did."

  "I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it." He bowed his head. I wished I could see his eyes.

  "It's OK to be afraid," I said.

  "I'm not afraid."

  Sure you're not, baby. "OK, well, I am."

  "I'm going to give up my fortune."

  Whoa. Really!? "Why?"

  "It's not worth it. They wanted ransom, that's why they took you. As 'payback' for Alex. They used to work for Istvan — renegades, mercenaries. The last remnants of his erstwhile empire."

  "Erst-what?"

  "Erstwhile: Former, as in, no more. As in, there is no more Istvan and no more of his goons and no more empire. It's over for this crowd. But there are others. There will always be others. They're like sharks to blood when it comes to money. So I'm giving it up."

  "OK."

  "OK?"

  "Yes, OK."

  "And all this time I was convinced you were just a gold-digger, Miss Upper East Side."

  "Maybe I'll give up my own money as well."

  He shook his head, sighed heavily.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "If only it were that easy. You come from money, so do I..."

  "So even if we give it up, we'll always have it kind-of-thing, right? If only by connection?"

  Silence. Damn it, his thoughts were so loud he might as well go out and say them. The only way you'll be safe is to leave me, Leora.

  I preempted: "I'm never gonna let you go, you know? You're stuck with me. I'm gonna stalk your ass all over the world. And now I know where you live. And I know your friends. And I know how to flirt with men so that they do what I want."

  He laughed.

  "My men are honorable. They wouldn't do anything against me."

  I didn't miss his reference to them as "his men" but those questions would come later. "Exactly, which is exactly why all of them, and me, will always find you, because they like me!"

  He turned and smiled at me. "I really made a mistake introducing them to you, didn't I?"

  "To your secret mafia? Hell yeah, you made a mistake. I'm Italian, brother. I'm gonna be the new frickin Head Capa of this English Mob, bro!"

  He shook his head, turned fully toward me. "Only problem is, they're not the mafia. They're the good guys."

  My eyes widened. "Wh — what?"

  "They're the good guys. Trey is some type of intel. He doesn't tell me much either. All I know is that I can count on him when I need him. He's able to clean up messes like these. These goons who took you were into other things as well. They could've come peacefully, I guess." He shrugged, thinking. "Then we might've had to go to court. But, they chose to pick a fight. It worked out well. The other guys, the Smokey's crowd, well..." He shrugged. "You know, they've 'got your back' as you Americans say. They've got my back as well, I guess. I really don't know how many of them work with Trey, or if they're all lone rangers helping each other out..."

  "Fuck me, that's cool. And you? Are you like fucking Delta Force or some shit?"

  He laughed. "Not a chance. I've never been in the military."

  "Of course, but if you were, you probably couldn't tell me..."

  "No! I'm not! I really am not!"

  "OK, I believe you...sort of!"

  "Leora, I swear it!"

  "So what are you?"

  He shrugged. "A man with friends, that's all."

  "You must've done something very decent to gain those friends. Because mere companions don't just put each other in death's way for another mere companion."

  "Maybe I did. Maybe they just have big hearts. Or maybe they're your friends more than mine. They like you, you know?"

  They like me because of you; because they, for whatever unknown reason, think I can "take care of" you. No pressure, Leora. "Yeah, right... You! You, Mr. Williams, are a mystery, an endless mystery."

  He sat by my side, held my hand. "Leora, there are sides of me that you've seen which no one else has. There are other sides that, maybe, you will never see. But there's only one thing you need to know about me. I'm crazy about you. And I will never hurt you. And I will always be there for you."

  I squeezed his hand. "Damn it, if I didn't hurt so bad, I'd love to go 'swimming' again."

  He smiled.

  Kayla shot her head in the door. "And, did you say yes!?"

  Conall shooed her away. Yes? Oh no, don't ask me to marry you, bro. I mean, love is cool, but... My mind whirled. Why was I suddenly so nervous? What about home? My dad? Why was I feeling so anxious? Isn't this what all girls want?

  "Leora, I need more 'friends' to keep us safe. And I need someone to head up security at the house. Trey can't because of his commitments, neither can any of the other guys because they work for him or because they need to stay low-key or something. But even if they could, if you and I are going to be together, and if we're stuck with the magnets of filth — money! — to us no matter what we do, then we need protection. Lots of it. I thought of asking Kayla's boyfriend if he'd come over and work for me, head up security for my home."

  "Brad from Bushwick?"

  "I think his name is just 'Brad.'"

  "Whatever. That's how I remember it. But why?"

  "He's a good guy. I remember how he stood by us when..."

  Yeah, when you beat the shit out of that Raphael punk. "I see, but if he came here then — "

  "Then Kayla would have a reason to stay."

  "Uh-huh?"

  "And so would you."

  My face flushed. "Goddamnit, I so need a swim right now."

  "So, is that a yes? Will you stay?"

  "Yes! But only if we swim every night!"

  "I was thinking more like twice a day."

  My eyes rolled back, I squeezed my legs.

  Darn it, where's a pool when you need one?

  THE END (for now...)

  EPILOGUE

  It took over a week before Conall and I could do any sort of swimming. Finally we did, in his room, to one of his magnificent playlists.

  "I booked us a place in Switzerland," he said when we were done. "Three weeks from now."

  "Why so long?"

  "Just to be safe."

  "The recommended waiting time for the pill is two weeks."

  "Leora, in all honesty" — he rubbed my stomach — "I have no problem creating a child with you..." Oh motherfucker, that just made me so hot and I have no idea why! "...but part of our deal of you staying here is that you'll go to university next year. So, I'm not risking that."

  I rolled my eyes. Heck, I did want a college education, but these things are so friggin hard to think of after a good, nose-diving swim.

  "It's 'college.' I told you that. Not 'university.'" OK, fine, maybe I was being a little childish.

  "A college is a section of a university. You Americans have it all wrong."

  "No, the English are wrong!" I put my hand down between his legs. Damn, he was ready for another round... "Conall, how do you do it?"

  He shrugged.

  My phone buzzed. I ignored it. I started rubbing him, kissing him. It buzzed a second time.

  Then it rang. "Damn it!"

  "Just let it ring," said Conall.

  "No, if it's Kayla I have to answer. That's our agreement."

  It was Kayla. I sighed. Fine, I'd interrupted her in much worse circumstances...

  Conall caressed my crotch as I answered the phone and I giggled. "Bad timing! I hope it's important!" I said.

  "Bianca's dead."

  Suddenly Conall's hand felt uncomfortable. I moved it away.

  I fought myself to a sitting position
. My ribs still hurt big-time.

  "Wh — what?"

  "Bianca Henshaw, she's dead, Leora. Dead. They found her at Raphael's place. She'd been..." Kayla was frantic. We'd hated Bianca at school. And we'd tried to warn her about her drug-dealing scumbag of a boyfriend; Kayla's ex.

  "I see... That's horrible."

  "That's not the point, baby. Raphael's missing."

  Well, good riddance. "So what?"

  "That means he's no longer Mr. 'I'm The Man For Drugs in NYC.' That was the only thing he was holding onto that kept him from coming to get you and Conall, and me. And Brad. Leo, what if he's coming for us? No one can find him. What if he knows we're here?"

  I lost all strength in my arm. "I — I see. Th — thanks, Kayla, I'll tell Conall."

  I put the phone off. "Tell me what?" said Conall.

  A floorboard creaked outside the bedroom.

  In my mind, I screamed.

  BOOK THREE,

  GETTING IN TOUCH,

  (AND A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR)

  Hi, I'm Rachel Dunning. I suffer from the dilemma of believing too much in the characters I create (and sometimes even considering them more real than actual people.)

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  Book Three

  Thank you for reading Book Two of Naïve Mistakes. Book Three will be released...soon! (I'll post on my blog as soon as I know more certainly.)

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  Let's do it again in Book Three, OK?

  Love,

  R