His Wicked Pleasure (Wicked #1)

by Christina Gallo

  Declan nodded. It wasn’t like him to be indecisive so he finished off his lunch before he attempted to call Kristie again...no answer. The third call had the same luck. Turning off his phone, he put it into his pants pocket and turned to his team. Kristie would have to wait, he thought as he went over his plan, making sure to include every detail and every angle.

  Each team member added their input and, finally, they were ready.

  ~*~*~*~

  Standing in her office, Kristie practiced what she would say to the media over and over again until she, herself, was convinced.

  “You’re a natural,” her uncle gave her a reassuring smile. “Which is great because we don’t want to give too much information nor do we want them to second guess us.”

  “We have to be on point,” Kristie agreed as her stomach turned from the nerves setting in. She stepped out of her office and called Stefan over. “Can you please order lunch for my uncle and a cup of hot tea for me? Oh and get yourself something too. Thanks so much.”

  “I guess you heard my stomach growling,” said her uncle. He was as handsome as when he was a young man.

  “No,” she laughed, thankful that he took some of her tension away. “I just know you normally eat at this time.”

  They returned to their files and stopped working as soon as lunch arrived. Choosing to distract herself, Kristie checked her phone for messages or missed calls. Nothing...she bit back the disappointment as she tossed her phone into her purse and zippered it shut.

  “I hope you don’t mind; I decided it was nice out and decided that we should set up the press conference outside the building.”

  “That’s fine,” said Kristie taking a deep breath and letting it out. “It seems better that way. More room so people aren’t right on top of me.”

  “Exactly,” her uncle agreed as he tossed his garbage in the trashcan.

  ~*~*~*~

  Declan was sitting at his desk reviewing the progress of the mission when his commander walked in.

  “At ease gentlemen,” said the commander in a bellowing voice. “I just received word that the hostages have been released and, so far, everything seems to be back to normal.”

  “So this mission is aborted?” asked Declan, making sure he understood.

  “Yes. You’re all dismissed and I’ll see you back here first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Declan held up his hand for his team to remain. The mission might be over but there were things that still needed to be done to wrap it up. Plus, his team needed to start training tomorrow to be ready for their next mission. Finishing up, Declan nodded and said, “See you all at 0500 tomorrow. Have a great day. Dismissed.”

  Paul watched as Declan sat down at his desk and began going through a bunch of different folders. “What’s going on? Why haven’t you left yet?”

  “Something is off.” Declan glanced up at the screens again and shook his head when he didn’t see anything suspicious, “I trust my instincts and sense something is terribly wrong.”

  “The commander just said the hostages were released,” said Paul in a soothing voice. “Is that what concerns you?”

  “No,” said Declan. He flipped through several files and then read them again. Sighing, he said, “Here, if you’re going to sit here, have a look at some of these files and see if anything stands out.”

  “Is there anything in particular I should be looking for?” asked Paul while he took the files from Declan.

  “Just anything that stands out. Read these dossiers on some of the potential threats.”

  “Yes sir!” Paul took a seat and read through the files he was handed.

  ~*~*~*~

  Kristie took a deep breath and walked up to the podium. She smiled at the crowd and made sure to give as much eye contact as possible. When it came to anything to do with the media, or handling a crisis, Kristie was the one front and center. Her late great grandfather groomed her since she was a little girl.

  “Welcome everyone,” said Kristie with her huge Rossi smile. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I’m extremely happy to report that Rossi Co. is doing just fine.” Kristie looked up and smiled at the paparazzi, nodding at a few of her favorites and continued.

  “To begin, I want to put all your worries at ease and remind you that it’s business as usual for Rossi Co. I absolutely love what the Rossi name stands for...”

  A loud crack tore through the air and Kristie stumbled back as something slammed into her shoulder, spinning her with such a violent force that she bit her tongue. Blood filled her mouth as a burning pain filled her arm. She gave a gut-wrenching scream as the world swam in her vision.

  People froze for a brief second and then all hell broke loose as the journalists began screaming and running away from her. Kristie’s mind spun as she tried to get her focus again and she noticed her uncle racing towards her. Looking down at her arm, she screamed again as she saw the blood covering her sleeve...and then she collapsed to the ground with a loud thump as blackness overtook her.

  Kristie’s uncle reached her just as she landed. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he searched in the general direction of the gunshots, “Someone call an ambulance.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Paul looked at his watch and noticed it was after six in the evening. It was definitely time to call it a day. “Dude, let it go. I don’t see anything in the files and there are other things we can be doing. We can stop by and see the girls.”

  “Yeah,” said Declan stretching. “I can’t find anything either.”

  Standing up, Declan closed up the room and then they walked to their trucks together. “I’ll see you at their house,” said Paul with a smile as he moved towards his vehicle.

  Declan got in his truck, started it up and drove out of the Naval base. His mind was racing and wouldn’t shut down. Deciding he needed distraction, he turned on the radio and realized it was still set to Kristie’s favorite station. It made him smile instantly.

  He pulled in front of Kristie’s house and navigated up the long driveway before parking. He found Paul standing at the door waiting. “I don’t think they’re home yet.”

  “Oh,” said Declan noticing the smell of freshly mowed grass that lingered in the air.

  Paul walked around the back and opened the backyard gate where he found a bunch of neatly tied trash bags lined perfectly near the garbage. “Nope, they’re not back there.”

  Declan had his cell phone out and was calling Kristie, “Straight to voicemail. I hope she’s all right,” he said as his stomach clenched with worry.

  Paul tried Lorie again, this time her phone rang. “It’s ringing.” Paul began pacing back and forth and, finally, Lorie answered the phone.

  ‘Hello,’ she answered between sobs.

  ‘What’s wrong baby?’ Paul asked with anguish in his voice.

  ‘It…it’s my sister Kr..Kristie’ cried Lorie as she sobbed hysterically into the phone. ‘She’s be…be…been sh…shhh…shot.’

  ‘Wh…what?’ demanded Paul in a shaky voice not sure if he heard correctly. He rubbed the back of his neck while he paced back and forth. ‘When? How?’

  ‘Today,’ cried Lorie unable to stop crying. Doing her best to breathe, she switched the phone to her other ear and took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  ‘Oh my god this is awful. Where are you?’

  ‘I’m at Rossi Co.,’ cried Lorie between sobs.

  ‘Don’t move. I’m coming to get you.’ Paul ended the call and turned to Declan with the look of sheer horror etched across his face.

  Declan watched his friend pacing and he felt the knot in his stomach twist tighter. The feeling that something bad had happened grew stronger.

  “No. No,” said Declan as he placed both hands on his head. “My gut was right. Something terrible has happened?”

  “We need to go. Now!” exclaimed Paul as he ran towards his truck. “It’s Kristie.”

  “What?” asked Declan, it felt like a knife was stabbing h
is heart repeatedly. “What about my girl?” asked Declan scrambling into Paul’s truck.

  “Put on the news. I need for us to listen because I think Lorie said Kristie was shot.”

  Declan couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, couldn’t begin to fathom what Paul just said. Without thinking, he reached out, turned on the radio and searched for a news channel.

  “Kristie Rossi of Rossi Enterprises, Rossi Industry, and sole owner of Rossi Co. has been taken to an undisclosed hospital in the New York area. It is believed she was shot today while addressing the press regarding rumors surrounding her company. We have no other details to report.”

  Paul felt his heart break as he turned to his best friend and saw the utter devastation on his face. Not knowing what to say, he started the engine and headed towards Rossi Co. to pick up Lorie.

  Chapter Nine

  Declan watched as a defeated Lorie walked out of the building with Paul. He jumped out of the truck and patiently waited for them to approach, even though he wanted to meet them to find out the details.

  Lorie looked up as she neared and her red-rimmed eyes filled with fresh tears as she began sobbing. Taking the few steps towards her, Declan opened his arms and welcomed her with a huge hug. Wiping her eyes, Lorie sucked in air and said, “I don’t know anything. I’m stuck here handling things while Kristie’s lying in a hospital bed.”

  Taking a moment to digest Lorie’s words, Declan asked in a shaky voice while helping Lorie into Paul’s truck. “What’s going on? Your sister owns Rossi Co?”

  “Yes. Kristie owns Rossi Co., and part of Rossi Enterprises and Rossi Electronics,” Lorie wiped away a stray tear. “Last time we spoke, she was meeting Paolo to go over the photos for some magazine article. I had no idea anything was wrong. She didn’t confide in me if there was something wrong.”

  Declan took a moment to digest the information and leaned forward. “I don’t understand why your family doesn’t have security. You own a freaking empire for God’s sake.”

  Lorie sobbed again and Declan felt a pang of guilt for snapping at her, “We’re not show offs. We’re humble people and do all we can to stay level headed...nothing has happened like this...until now.”

  Declan looked at Paul for a moment as he navigated his truck into Lorie’s driveway and said, “I need to let the commander know what just happened here. Not only is Kristie my girlfriend, she’s also a person of interest and I need to protect her.”

  “Call him,” said Paul as he watched Lorie pull tissue from her purse.

  Declan nodded and closed the door before he took a few steps away. ‘Evening Commander Thompson, do you have a few minutes?’ asked Declan tapping his foot nervously on the ground. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he continued. ‘I have something I wish to discuss with you and I’m not sure how to do this.’ Declan was filled with nerves-worried about Kristie, worried about what his commander would say, worried about whether he would have enough time to care for her before his next mission. Feeling his head pound, he looked up to the sky and waited for his commander to respond.

  Fearing the worst, the commander replied, ‘I have time. Go ahead.’

  ‘Okay. Have you been watching the news today?”

  ‘Yes,’ replied the commander not sure where the conversation was going but letting out a breath, he listened.

  ‘Good. Did you hear about Kristie Rossi being shot today?’

  ‘I did,’ replied the commander in a confused voice. ‘It’s all over the news.’

  Declan felt his heart rate pick up speed as a storm of bees took up residence in his stomach. Rubbing the back of his neck as he walked up and down the Rossi driveway, he continued. ‘Kristie Rossi is my girlfriend and I need to be with her. I can’t even think straight right now.’

  ‘Lieutenant, you handle your business. If I need you, you’ll be close enough for me to reach you.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘If there’s anything you should need, you have an entire unit at your disposal. We are here for you.

  While Declan called the commander, Paul pulled Lorie into the house and said softly, “We need to talk.”

  Feeling a knife plunge into her heart and stomach at the same time, she sucked in a breath in an attempt to pull herself together. “Okay.”

  “Is there somewhere we can go so we’re not going to interfere with Declan’s call?” asked Paul in an even voice.

  “Yes. Come with me,” Lorie said as she tried her best to keep from falling apart and making things worse.

  Paul followed her through the kitchen, past a few different doors and down a staircase of about ten stairs to some sort of family room. Taking a seat on a huge, brown couch, he took Lorie’s hand in his and said, “Listen. I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

  Her skin paled and she gasped as she pulled her hand away from him. “Don’t finish. Just go. Leave.”

  “What? I haven’t even told you what I have to tell you,” said Paul feeling his heartbeat quicken. Looking at her beautiful blue, now bloodshot, eyes, he moved her light brown hair out of her face and said, “I adore you. Please let me continue.”

  “If you’re married, don’t bother,” she said while attempting to stand up.

  Paul pulled her back down and hugged her tightly as he placed a kiss on her lips. Taking either side of her face in his hands, he said, “If there’s one thing you need to know about me Lorie it’s that I’m one hundred percent loyal. I would never do something like that.”

  “Oh,” said Lorie letting out the breath she was holding.

  Taking a few short breaths and letting them out, Paul said, “I do work for the government but it’s more than that.” He paused for a moment thinking how to explain and decided blurting it out would be the best way with Lorie. “I’m a Navy SEAL and have been for over six years now.”

  Feeling her stomach summersault a dozen times, Lorie looked at Paul with his pale blue eyes, thick, dark blond hair, and full lips—all she wanted to do was kiss and hold him tight. “I see,” was all she managed to say since kissing him at that moment, while her sister’s fate was unknown, just didn’t seem the right thing to do.

  Declan stood there waiting for Paul and Lorie to walk back outside.

  “So, what did the commander say?”

  Declan rubbed his jaw as he thought about everything he would have to do in the next few days. “He said that as far as he’s concerned I’m nearby and knows how to reach me if he needs me.”

  ~*~*~*~

  As Paul and Declan spoke, Lorie dialed her uncle to find out where Kristie had been taken. Giving the directions to Paul as they climbed into the truck, they rode in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts as they headed for the hospital.

  “That’s it,” said Lorie looking out the window of Paul’s truck as the massive and cold looking building came into view. Feeling a sudden chill run down her spine, Lorie felt every nerve in her body come to life as terror filled her. What would she find when they got to Kristie’s room?

  The moment the car stopped, Paul jumped out and helped Lorie. He gave her a worried glance before he squeezed her tightly and said, “I’ll be by your side. It’s okay. I got you.”

  Declan walked towards the entrance of the gloomy hospital and sighed. The thought of Kristie lying in a hospital bed, with all sorts of devices plugged into her, had his blood boiling. He wanted to hit something...actually, he wanted to hit the person who had done it.

  “Come on,” said Lorie as he hesitated upon entering the hospital. The moment the three of them stepped off the elevator Lorie spotted her uncle. Feeling her entire body begin to shake after absorbing the state he was in, she walked over to him and hugged him.

  “Lorie,” said her uncle in a groggy voice. “Have you called your brothers and Daniella yet?”

  “I did,” said Lorie pulling Declan and Paul forward. “I’d like you to meet two of my friends.”

  Paul looked at Lorie with a raised eyebrow and turned his at
tention to her uncle. “I’m Officer Paul Fisher and this is Lieutenant Declan Kavanagh.”

  “Frank Rossi,” he replied as he shook each of their hands. His handshake was firm but the man looked worn out and like he was ready to collapse on his feet.

  “Mr. Rossi,” said Declan.

  “Frank. Please call me Frank. My dad was Mr. Rossi.”

  “Uncle Frank,” Lorie interrupted. “Can I see my sister?”

  Frank nodded, “You can in a little bit. She’s not in her room right now since they took her for additional tests.”

  “Tests?” Lorie gasped as fresh tears brimmed her eyes, “What’s going on? Will she make it?”