The Vault Collection [Volume One]

by A. D. Justice

  My tears increased, turning from single droplets to flowing torrents.

  “Here’s how you’ll do it. When he’s discharged from the hospital, I’m sure you’ll stay with him to play nurse while he heals. Wait until he’s asleep, then slit his throat.”

  I gasped audibly then my hand flew over my mouth. My heart thumped against the inside of my chest, and my body trembled. Speech eluded me, and I was scared out of my wits. Kill Damon or they kill my mom? Cut Damon’s throat in his sleep?

  Could I simply tell Damon and let him help me out of the impossible scenario I faced?

  “No wonder Marchetti picked you. I’m sure he can read your every thought like a book, too. Don’t even think of running to him or his daddy with this. We’re watching your mom, but we’re watching you too. I’ll know, Jillian. Do what I told you to do and your mom will be fine. You can move back to Louisiana with her, but you’d better never show your face here again.”

  He stood and walked to the door before turning to face me one last time. “You have twenty-four hours from the time Damon leaves the hospital. Tick-tock.”

  “Why? Why would you want Damon killed? I don’t understand.”

  He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at me. “My men should’ve taken both you and Damon out on the street yesterday. But they underestimated how protective Damon is of you and how fast Benny is on his feet. With you taking care of the dirty work, my family can avoid an all-out war with the Marchetti family, while still taking out their top capo. They’ll be busy mourning the loss of their son and leader while we finish seizing control of their considerable assets. You have easy access to him, and we have easy access to your mother. It all works out nicely in the end. Don’t you think?”

  He closed the door behind him, and I collapsed into a sobbing mess on the couch. An unimaginable choice was put on my shoulders. One that left me with no way out. No possible escape. No Plan B. How could I live with myself either way?

  My mom was my world. She’d done everything for me. She’d sacrificed so much to send me to college and give me a chance at a life better than she had.

  And Damon. I had fallen for him in a big way. My heart connected with his. My body craved him. His family had become my family.

  What could I do?

  Chapter Eleven

  Damon

  My father surprised me with what I had thought would be a long and painful lecture about security and keeping myself safe. Instead, he praised me for the way I protected Jillian and didn’t flinch when the shots rang out. He said he would’ve done no less for Mama, and that act was the only proof he needed to know I was in love with Jillian.

  Love? Really?

  After he’d left my room, his words made me examine her place in my life more closely. The mere thought of her returning to Louisiana for good greatly bothered me. Imagining her in the arms of another man created a great rage in me, from zero to a hundred in one second. She’d been away from my hospital room for a few hours, but I missed her terribly and watched the door like a hawk every time it opened.

  Also, I had to face the fact that, I did, in fact, take a bullet for her. My safety didn’t even cross my mind. But I couldn’t bear the thought of her being hurt.

  Fuck me. My father was right. I was in love with Jillian.

  For the first time in my entire life, I was utterly and completely in love with a woman. Someone who didn’t know exactly who I was, what I’d done, what I did on a daily basis. One who was as likely to turn me away when I told her as she was to assure me she loved me anyway. Another first for me was feeling apprehensive over revealing my true profession.

  In my world, the strong survived. The stronger gained a reputation. The strongest were feared and revered for cruel and imaginative ways of keeping subordinates under their thumbs. But after admitting my true feelings, that wasn’t how I wanted her to see me. She’d fallen in love with the man behind the silenced gun and cement shoes. I could only hope the light of love didn’t diminish in her eyes when I told her the truth.

  My plans for declaring my love for her were put on the back burner the second she walked through the door. She wheeled a small suitcase behind her and a large bag hung from her shoulder, but her eyes were covered with sunglasses and the smile on her beautiful face was forced.

  “How’s the patient feeling now? Any better?” She had her back to me, putting her things away in the small closet in the corner of the room.

  “Some. Pain meds help. They tell me tomorrow will be the worst day of soreness. We’ll see. How are you?”

  She turned toward me and pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head, taking her hair with them and revealing more of her features. Her eyes were bloodshot, red-rimmed, and puffy. The end of her nose had a slight red tint to it, and her demeanor fell pitifully short of her normal cheerful self.

  Without saying a word, she walked directly to my bed and slid in beside me. Her arm wrapped around my torso and squeezed lightly, holding on to me like she’d never let me go. She tried to hide the sniffles and soft sobs, though the evidence fell in big wet splashes onto my arm.

  “Talk to me, doll,” I prodded gently.

  She shook her head but didn’t look up at me. “Just so much has happened.”

  “Jillian, I know you’re shaken up. You’ve been through a lot in a short time. There’s something about me you don’t know, so consider this your only warning, doll. My life isn’t safe and secure. Shit like this happens frequently enough that I’ve accepted it. If you want to be with me, you have to understand that.”

  I began to reveal my true life to her slowly on purpose. If she decided the danger was too much to take, I’d let her go without disclosing the rest. If she walked away, it would hurt like hell. Of that, I had no doubt. But to protect her and the family, I would do it. But if her love for me outweighed her fear of the unknown…if she wanted to be with me despite the bullet wound in my upper chest…if she put her trust in me, she’d be treated like a queen. My queen.

  “Damon, I’m pretty sure I know what you’re telling me. In fact, I’ve known since the day I met you after the fender bender with one of your dump trucks. If you’re trying to scare me off, I’m afraid it’ll take more than this.”

  I knew she was the one.

  “Then why the waterworks? What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”

  She raised her head to look at me. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you, Damon.”

  “You won’t lose me, sweetheart. I wasn’t about to let those guys hurt you. My wound isn’t as bad as you think it is.. But, if it makes you feel any better, my mom has already called Doc and told him to keep me an extra day.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head, but I was resigned to my fate.

  “Are you very sore?”

  “Some, especially if someone touches it. But I’ve been moving my arm and shoulder so it doesn’t get too stiff. It’ll be as good as new by the time I’m discharged.”

  “I took off work the rest of the week. I’m not leaving your side for any length of time.” She laid her head back down on my shoulder, claiming her place beside me.

  “I’m glad to hear that, doll. Do me a favor and don’t go back into the office to get anything.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that, Damon. Work is the last thing I want to do right now.”

  At least I knew she wouldn’t be anywhere near Lorenzo for the rest of the week. I’d already considered how to convince her to leave her position permanently. I was glad to hear I had several days and plenty of time to persuade her. The hospital room wasn’t exactly the ideal setting to discuss the details of my family and the Sanfratello family. In a couple of days when we were back in my apartment and I knew we’d be uninterrupted, I planned to tell her everything. Once she understood what going back into that office meant, she’d quit working there on her own.

  “You know, I’d love to strip you naked and give you a bed bath with my tongue.”

  Her shoulders starte
d jumping before her laughter burst out. “I’m almost tempted to let you. But since your nurses visit your room three times more than they do any other patient, I’m positive we’d get caught.”

  “They do come in here a lot, don’t they?” Jillian just confirmed my suspicions. With the pain meds fogging my brain most of the previous day and night, I wasn’t sure my suspicions were valid.

  “Yes. I got no sleep last night with that nurse coming in every few minutes. Has the day nurse been in as often?”

  Before I could answer, my door opened and the current shift nurse walked in. She checked my IV, my vitals, and casually glanced around the room.

  “Looking for something?” I asked pointedly.

  She smiled, hiding her discomfort after being busted checking out my room. “No, just doing my job.”

  “Well, I feel fine. No need to come back in here until I call you.” She met my gaze head on as I stared her down. Finally, she nodded once and left the room.

  Jillian looked up at me with her eyebrows drawn down. “What was that all about?”

  “I have a feeling my father had something to do with me getting extra visits from the nurses. That needs to stop because if they wake me up every few minutes tonight, I won’t be a good patient at all. I’ll call him in a few to put a stop to this.”

  Her warm body snuggled up to mine, combined with the pain killers I’d taken earlier, made it impossible to stay awake. When I recognized her breathing had evened out and her tensed muscles had relaxed, I leaned my cheek against her head and let sleep overtake me. My father’s words from earlier echoed in my mind when the darkness shrouded my consciousness. With Jillian in my arms, I couldn’t deny my feelings for her.

  I loved her.

  What was meant to be a short nap turned into an entire afternoon. My father’s chuckle from the foot of my bed woke me. Jillian was still sleeping soundly. She apparently needed the rest after all the stressful events of the last thirty-six hours, on top of the constantly interrupted sleep from the night before.

  “Hey, Dad. You checking up on me again?”

  “You know I have to. Your mother makes me.” He laughed as he took a seat beside the bed. “She looks comfortable there beside you.”

  “She didn’t get any sleep last night. The nurses you paid extra to check on me more often have excelled at their jobs. But the one last night also woke Jillian every few minutes.” I raised one eyebrow at him, daring him to deny he was behind it.

  “Son, someone tried to kill you both yesterday. I couldn’t take a chance that they’d come back and attempt to finish the job.”

  “Call off the bulldog nurses and put someone on the door. We need our sleep tonight.”

  “Consider it done. Joe found the guys who shot you. I have more information to relay to you. In private.”

  Two nurses appeared in the doorway carrying trays of food. Only none of it was hospital food. I cut my eyes to Dad. “Mama cooked.”

  One side of his mouth lifted. “Your mother’s cooking can make anyone feel better.”

  I woke Jillian to eat, and she quickly sat up, acting as if we were teenagers caught by our parents. “Easy, doll. It’s just time to eat. You hungry?”

  “Starving. It smells so good.” Jillian’s hands went to her hair, and a panicked look overtook her face. “I’ll be right back.” She dashed off to the bathroom while the nurses set up our trays.

  “Is the threat over?” I asked while Jillian was out of earshot.

  “Not by a long shot, son. Eat up. We’ll talk about it later. I’ll fill you in on everything.”

  “I’m surprised Mama didn’t deliver this herself.”

  “She wanted to. I got a tongue-lashing over keeping her away, but it’s for her own safety. You’ll have to come by and see her when they let you leave.”

  “Don’t act like she didn’t call my doctor and have him keep me an extra day. I know she was behind that.”

  Dad shrugged. “He’s her nephew. You think he’ll tell her no?”

  Jillian emerged from the bathroom with her hair smoothed down and an embarrassed grin on her face. “The food smells delicious. There’s no way that’s hospital food.”

  “Mama cooked for us. Come sit down and eat.” I motioned to the chair and bedside table the nurses arranged for her.

  “How are you holding up, cara?” Dad asked.

  “Honestly, I’m having a hard time with it, sir. All I can do is take it one anxiety attack at a time.” She chuckled nervously as she took her seat.

  “You’re a strong little lady,” Dad replied. “Don’t lose heart just yet.”

  Jillian bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Be sure to thank Mama Lina for me, please. She really didn’t have to send a plate for me, but I appreciate it very much.”

  “She’s claimed you as her daughter now. You should expect her to treat you the same as she does Damon.”

  “Good and bad,” I interjected, to my father’s amusement.

  Jillian smiled, and her eyes became glassy before she averted them. “Mothers are simultaneously one of a kind and all the same, aren’t they?”

  “Doll, you should call your mom soon. I know you miss her.”

  “I do miss her. I’ve been thinking about making a weekend trip back home to see her soon.”

  “Let’s go. I’d love to meet her.”

  Jillian’s eyes, filled with shock and surprise, flew up to meet mine. “You’d go with me?”

  “Of course, doll.”

  “I’ll leave you two to make your plans. Damon, we’ll talk tomorrow night, yes?”

  “Sounds good, Dad. Give Mama a kiss from Jillian and me. Tell her we said thank you.”

  Jillian was quiet during most of our meal, only giving short replies to my nonstop chatter. The weight of her stress must have been greater than I realized. A long weekend away on familiar turf would help calm her nerves. Seeing her mother after months apart would relieve the constant, nagging concern I knew plagued her. She was an only child, and her mother was in bad health. Jillian felt guilty for being away so much.

  I’d have to find a way to bring her mother to New York because I had no intention of letting Jillian leave.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jillian

  The past two nights flew by despite my attempts to stop time. I even tried to keep Damon in the hospital longer—even just one more night to give me time to figure out what to do. But other than a little soreness at the surgical site, there was no apparent indication he’d even been shot.

  I thought he was bluffing a little though, being a tough guy for my benefit. There was no way his shoulder didn’t bother him.

  Benny waited at the curb and opened the door for us to get in. Damon wrapped his good arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side. Stir-crazy didn’t come close to describing how he’d climbed the walls over the last twenty-four hours. Even so, I was in no hurry to leave. After he was given the all-clear by Dr. Falco, nothing could’ve wiped the smile off his face.

  “I can’t wait to get you back to my place. Alone. All to myself. I have so many plans for you. Don’t plan on walking normal for a month.”

  His sexy voice in my ear made my temperature soar. His full lips against the shell of my ear sent chills pebbling across my skin. His hand possessively gripping my shoulder erased my resolve to make him rest.

  I’d already decided to tell him everything once we were in the safety of his apartment. The embezzlement. Lorenzo. My mother. I couldn’t wait to unload everything I’d been holding inside. He’d know what to do and how to help me. I’d wanted to tell him what Lorenzo had threatened while he was in the hospital, but I couldn’t take the chance of him leaving against medical advice then developing an infection. Damon would’ve walked out while wearing his hospital gown and headed straight for Lorenzo to settle it man-to-man.

  I was a little nervous about telling him. I’d never seen Damon mad, and I wasn’t sure how he’d react to my keeping something like that to myself.
His sense of honor dictated he defend and protect his own. He’d told me many times he’d claimed me and I was part of his family. My only hope was he’d understand I’d never been in such a predicament before and wasn’t certain how to handle it.

  My mind was reeling with all those thoughts when his mouth found mine. Soft yet firm, he captured my lips with his, holding them as a willing hostage while I became a molten puddle of need and want. While the city blocks ticked by, everything except him disappeared. I was so lost in the man beside me, in his arms, in his kiss, in his entire being, I didn’t care who was watching or listening.

  My heart raced, and my breathing kicked up a notch. My hands shook and my insides quivered, but my mind stayed focused on the wicked pleasures he gave me.

  His other hand reached up, his fingers gripping my hair, when I felt him flinch and immediately withdraw his hand. I pulled away, breaking our kiss, and gave him a knowing look. “I know that hurt you. Stop trying to hide it from me.”

  The sweet smile I’d only seen a couple of times made another appearance and completely wiped away my aggravation with him. A good heart beat underneath his tough exterior, and I was a lucky woman to have experienced it.

  “I’m all right, doll. Nothing to worry about. I can still take care of you.”

  “What if I want to take care of you?”

  His eyes darkened with desire. “Oh, you can take care of me all you want. But don’t think for a second that fine ass of yours isn’t mine.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  The car stopped in front of Damon’s building, and Benny opened the door for us. With a quick step through the lobby, we reached the door of his penthouse in record time. By the time we entered his enormous apartment, clothes were haphazardly flung wherever they landed in our quest to reach bare skin. He slowed only long enough to get his arm out of his shirt without injuring his wound.

  He guided me as I walked backward to his bedroom. Our lips were fused together. Our hands were everywhere on each other’s body, every bit as hungry to touch and feel as any other part of us. When the backs of my knees hit his bed, I broke our kiss and sat on the edge. He gently pushed my shoulders, telling me to slide back, but I slowly shook my head.