by Harley Stone
“Bones, I need you at my back for about an hour. You got time now?”
Like most of the family, Renzo only ever took me in on a job if he needed extra muscle, or if he wanted a witness outside of his team. I had my own shit to do—like finding Joey Durante so Carlo would stop breathing down my neck—but I could spare an hour. I glanced at the clock on the stove. It was a little after seven a.m. “Yeah, man. I’m good. Do you want me to meet you somewhere?”
“Nah. I’m close. I’ll pick you up in about ten.”
I hung up and dressed before heading back to my place for a quick shower and a change of clothes. By the time I got downstairs, one of the family’s black SUVs, customized with tinted windows and safety features not found in typical off-the-lot vehicles, was idling in front of the complex doors, kicking out exhaust into the crisp morning. Renzo had one of his security guards—a wiseguy by the name of Paul O’Brian—in the passenger’s seat, so I climbed in the back. Since it was just me, Renzo, and Paul, I figured I’d be needed as more of a witness than muscle. Still, I removed my Glock from its holster and flicked the safety off before sliding it back into the holster.
Renzo parked behind a small restaurant not far from the strip and studied his phone. “Our mark’s name is Jimmy. He’s alone in a booth on the northwest corner.” His tone was angry, and his words were clipped, as he punched the keys of his phone. “He’s angled so he can see all entrances, but I just sent him a distraction. Bones, you and I will go in while Paul stays behind.”
Since Jimmy was alone, taking more than one guard would make Renzo appear weak. Since he needed me as a witness, he’d leave his normal guard behind. Paul didn’t look happy, but he understood how this shit worked. We all did. The families were all about politics, posturing, and perception.
“Warn or whack?” I asked.
“Just watch. I’ll handle it.”
Renzo’s jaw tensed, betraying how pissed he was. This job had to be personal. Wondering who this Jimmy fool was, I followed Renzo to the back door of the restaurant. He tapped twice, and a waitress let us in. We hurried through a dirty kitchen that smelled of pancakes, bacon, and sausage into a darkened dining room with the shades drawn against the rising sun. The muted light made it easy to find the booth in the northwest corner. A waitress stood with her back to us, coffeepot in hand, partially blocking a man wearing a blue cap. I couldn’t see anything below the cap, which meant Jimmy couldn’t see us, either.
The booths on either side of Jimmy’s were empty. Diner traffic this early was low, but there were still enough tourists to get a possible witness on the stand. Wondering how Renzo planned to play this out, I followed as he slid into the seat across the table from Jimmy and leveled a gun at him. The waitress excused herself and I took her spot, standing to block the view of onlookers.
Jimmy looked familiar. He was in the middle of taking a bite of his waffle, and it took him a second to figure out what was going on. When he finally homed in on the gun in Renzo’s hand, he stiffened, and the color drained from his face. Then he slowly lowered the fork back to his plate and offered Renzo a sickly smile.
“Ren. Hey man, I’ve been looking for you. My phone broke and I—”
“Cut the shit, Jimmy,” Renzo said, gesturing at the phone on the table. “I tracked you through that, you dumbass. Thought you’d never leave the house. I’m glad you did so I didn’t have to go in there after you.”
Renzo filched a piece of bacon from Jimmy’s plate and stuffed it in his mouth. “Goddammit, I can’t believe you put me in this position,” he said around bites. “Of all the low-life, scum-sucking, bottom-feeding bastards out there, she had to choose you.”
Sweat beaded across Jimmy’s forehead. “You gotta listen to me,” he pleaded. “I… I made a bad bet, but I’m workin’ my ass off to get the money, I promise. I’d have it for you now, but Ellie has to get braces and my insurance doesn’t—”
“Shut the fuck up!” Renzo snapped. He shoved the last bite of bacon into his mouth and then wiped his hands on a napkin. “Stop using my niece as an excuse to be a fuckin’ loser.”
What? His niece? That meant Jimmy had to be Isobel’s husband, and therefore Renzo’s brother-in-law. No wonder he looked familiar, Angel and I had been at their wedding. I swore under my breath as all the pieces clicked together. No wonder Renzo was pissed.
“You should have made wiser bets,” Renzo said between gritted teeth. “I told Isobel not to marry you. I can’t believe I let her talk me into throwing you some business. You got my ass called to the carpet, and now I have to deal with you or appear weak to the family. You left me no goddamn choice.”
Jimmy’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. It would have been comical if the situation weren’t so deadly. “W-w-what do you mean, deal with me?”
Renzo gave him a flat stare. “What the fuck do you think I mean?”
“You c-c-can’t. Isobel will n-n-never forgive you.”
Renzo calmly slid his gun back into his pocket and pulled on a pair of gloves. When he was finished, he leveled his weapon back at Jimmy, and said, “Search him, Bones.”
Taking my cue from Renzo, I released the grip on my holstered Glock to pull on the gloves I carried in my jacket before frisking Jimmy and relieving him of his Beretta 92, which I then passed to Renzo.
“Now pick up your phone and text my sister. Tell her you screwed up and you’re sorry. Tell her you can’t live with the guilt anymore.”
Jimmy’s eyes went wide. “N-no.”
“Think, Jimmy. Don’t make this harder than necessary. I can still protect her and Ellie, but I can’t protect you. You made damn sure of that when you screwed over my family. Pick up the fucking phone and be a goddamn man for once in your pathetic life.”
Hands shaking, Jimmy did as he was told. His fingers flew over the face of the screen as he composed the message.
“Show it to me,” Renzo demanded.
Jimmy held up the phone. Renzo scanned the screen and nodded. “Send it.”
Jimmy hit the send key and showed Renzo again.
“Ren, it doesn’t have to be this way. You know I’m good for it. Just give me a little more time.”
Renzo’s eyes narrowed. “You know I don’t make the rules, and mercy isn’t mine to give. I told you how it would be if you didn’t come through. I warned you not to fuck with the family.” He pulled out his own phone and thumbed a message.
“No, Ren, don’t do this.” Jimmy turned from Renzo to me, searching for hope.
I had none to give him.
The building’s fire alarm pealed, deafening in its steady screech. Renzo tensed. Ignoring our booth, waitresses herded diners toward the exits.
Renzo scooted around to Jimmy’s side of the booth. He grabbed Jimmy’s hand and positioned it on the Beretta, raising it to Jimmy’s temple. Jimmy struggled, but Renzo quickly overpowered him and squeezed the trigger. Jimmy’s body jerked. Blood and tissue coated the wall behind him. Jimmy’s gun fell to the seat. Renzo pushed past me and walked back toward the way we’d entered.
Behind us, Jimmy’s cell phone rang, the happy tune competing with the high-pitched squeal of the fire alarm. It was probably Isobel, freaking out about his text.
By the time we reached the kitchen, the staff had been evacuated. No witnesses. Even had they seen us, no local would be stupid enough to testify. Not in this city. Not unless they wanted to end up just like Jimmy. We escaped through the back door. In the chaos, nobody noticed two wiseguys slinking out of the supposedly burning building. Nothing out of the ordinary for Vegas.
We made it back to Renzo’s SUV before his phone buzzed. He took the call and put it up to his ear. “Hey Izzy, you’re up early. Everything okay?”
As Renzo assured his sister he’d find Jimmy and make sure the chooch was okay, I watched out the back window. The restaurant where Jimmy sat with a hole in his head disappeared behind us as we turned the corner.
Eyes full of torture and frustration, Renzo dropped me
off in front of my building and took off. It was still early, and I thought about going upstairs and climbing back into bed with Ariana. After what I’d just witnessed, I could use the press of her soft body and the distraction of her warm mouth and tight pussy.
But I had shit to do, so instead, I had the valet bring my Jeep around. As I waited, I got the feeling I was being watched. Ducking behind a pillar, I checked out the area, but didn’t see anyone. The feeling didn’t go away, and by the time I climbed behind the wheel, the hair on the back of my neck was standing up. Worried, I called Angel. He answered and confirmed that he and Markie were both fine.
I hung up and called Ariana.
“You left,” she said, still sounding half asleep.
“Work.”
“Damn. I was kind of hoping we could go for round two.”
That idea had serious potential and had me once again wanting to head upstairs. “Maybe later. What time do you work today?”
“I’m off.”
“All right.” I rubbed a hand through my hair, glancing around. The feeling of being watched had gone away, but I still kept a look out. “Our date with the gym will have to wait.”
“Oh, darn,” she said, not sounding the least bit upset.
I chuckled. “Promise me you’ll call if you need to go anywhere?”
“I can get around this city by myself just fine. Been doing it for a year. And now I’m armed with two elbows, a cell phone, and knowledge of how to use them.” She was such a damn smartass.
“Humor me?” I asked.
She sighed. “Fine.”
I chuckled at her dramatics. “Say the words, babe.”
“I’ll call you if I need to go anywhere.”
“Good.” I went to hang up, but she called out my name to keep me on the line. “Yes?” I asked.
“Thank you for last night. I needed that.”
I smiled against the phone. “Yeah, me too.”
“We should do it again. Soon,” she offered.
My mind kept pointing out that Ariana was becoming a liability, but my body didn’t give a single fuck. Last night was supposed to be a one-time thing, but I already wanted to be deep inside of her again. I wanted her moaning against my neck and scratching the hell out of my back. I wanted her pussy squeezing my dick so hard I saw stars. I wanted her lips wrapped around my shaft.
And she wanted it, too.
But since I couldn’t make any promises, I didn’t. “I gotta get to work, Ari,” I said before hanging up. Then I tossed my phone aside, so I wouldn’t be tempted to call her back. I needed to pound pavement and find Joey.
CHAPTER TEN
Ariana
I TRIED NOT to feel hurt and disappointed at the way Bones had taken off without saying goodbye, but his absence stung. Last night had been so amazing, but now I wondered if he’d felt anything at all. Maybe I’d been the only one affected.
Maybe he’d gotten his fill of me.
Refusing to let my lonely thoughts take me down that dark alley, I dragged myself out of bed and showered. Then I put my hair up in a messy bun, threw on some jeans and a T-shirt, and headed next door to see how Markie was doing. And to ask her some difficult questions.
Angel answered the door and stepped aside, letting me in. “Hey Ari. Haven’t seen you in a couple of days.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I went back to work and…” And I couldn’t come up with any other excuses. I should have made time for Markie, but I’d been too busy working and chasing after Bones. Guilt settled around my shoulders as Angel led me to his bedroom door.
“Let me make sure she’s decent,” he whispered before slipping into the room.
It felt weird to have him checking on her before he let me see her. Like I’d never seen my sister without clothes on. Apparently, Angel was the only person allowed to see her naked now. The way he protected her should have comforted me, but instead, it made me jealous. I wanted someone to protect me like that.
Not someone, Bones.
I wanted Bones to make sure I was decent before he let people into my room.
But he couldn’t promise me anything. He’d been super clear about that fact before we’d done the nasty. I assured him I didn’t need anything, but now… now I wanted more.
I wanted everything.
Which was stupid since we’d only spent one night together, but the lack of sense it made did not change my feelings one bit. I no longer wanted to seduce him, I wanted to own him.
And, I wanted him to own me.
“She’s awake,” Angel said, interrupting my fantasies as he opened the door.
I entered, and he walked out, closing me in with Markie.
“Hey,” she said, giving me a weak smile. Her coloring looked more normal, the dark circles around her eyes seemed lighter, and the shaved side of her head was now covered with blonde fuzz. The rest of her hair was brushed and French braided to the side. She was seated with her back against the headboard, wearing a T-shirt while her lower body was covered with blankets.
“You look good,” I said, relieved to see her recovering.
“Not good. I think the word you’re looking for is better, but definitely not good.” Her hands went to her braid. “Angel watched a video and learned how to braid my hair.”
He was sweet. They were so fucking sugary together they gave me a toothache.
I wanted that, too.
After all my sister had been through, I should have been happy for her. I was happy for her, but I was also so damn jealous I hurt inside.
“He did a good job. Think he’d do mine?” I asked.
She smiled. “Maybe.” She patted the bed beside her. “Come sit with me and tell me what you’ve been up to. I’m bored out of my mind here.”
I sat, and Markie leaned her head against my shoulder.
“It’s almost Christmas, isn’t it?” she asked.
I nodded. Christmastime in Vegas felt weird. The temperature had dropped, and there was holiday crap everywhere, but there was none of the snow we were so used to from back home. “It’s next week.”
She blew out a breath. “I missed your birthday.”
“You’ve been a bit busy.”
“We need to do something. Preferably something with cake and ice cream. Maybe we can even go out for dinner. Then on the way home, we can stop and get a Christmas tree to decorate. You don’t have any Christmas decorations, do you?”
My sister was a force to be reckoned with when she set her mind to something. The mischievous glint in her eye told me she was bound and determined to fill the world with Christmas spirit. I’d disliked the holiday ever since mom and dad died, and I wasn’t looking forward to her making a big deal out of it. “Are you sure you’re ready for all that?” I asked.
“Yes.” She threw back the covers and put her feet on the floor, gingerly standing as she held onto the bed. “I have been dying for a long time, Ari. I’m ready to live again.”
Her words made no sense, because Markie lived harder than anyone I knew. My thrill-seeking, daring, crazy big sister was the most courageous person I knew, and she’d be jumping from the Ozone again in no time.
“No, I don’t have any Christmas decorations. You know how much I hate the holidays.”
Last year I’d celebrated at a rager, and I couldn’t remember a damn thing about it. It was the best Christmas I’d had in a long time.
“Angel’s parents invited us to Christmas dinner. A huge family dinner. I can’t wait! You’ll come, right?”
Christmas dinner with a scary, dangerous mob family. Only Markie would be excited about that. “I’ll think about it.”
She beamed a smile at me.
It was good to see her healthy and happy, but I could feel the weight of secrets between us. I needed to get everything off my chest and clear the air. I’d never been good at beating around the bush or pulling my punches, so I just came right out and asked, “Did Matt come visit me at the hospital?”
Markie’s expression fel
l. “I take it you’ve spoken to him.”
“Yeah. He said you threatened to call the cops if he didn’t leave me alone.”
She spun around, losing her balance. I reached for her as she planted both hands on the bed and held herself upright, wincing in pain.
“You okay?” I asked.
She took a couple of deep breaths. “Will be. I think I moved a little too quickly. My head is spinning.”
“Want me to get you some pain pills?”
“No. They’ll knock me out.”
“You need your rest,” I replied.
“I have been doing nothing but resting. I swear I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t get out of here soon. Christmas is coming, and I need to buy presents and do things. I’m sure the orphanage needs all kinds of help right now. I don’t even know if the kids have presents.”
“I get it.” She sounded so worried and frustrated it made me feel bad for even brining Matt up. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this now.”
“No, we need to.” She collapsed back down on the bed, seemingly worn out from standing for a couple of minutes. “I should have told you he stopped by. I’m sorry, Ari.”
Her apology caught me off guard. I’d been expecting her to list off all the reasons Matt was bad for me as she justified keeping me away from him. I expected her to treat me like a little kid she needed to protect and shelter, but instead, she’d come clean.
She rolled onto her side, facing me. “Forgive me?”
How could I say no to such an honest request? Still stunned, I nodded.
Her smile returned briefly before faltering again. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”
I nodded again. “What happened to Mom and Dad?”
She chewed on her lip, studying me. “How much do you know?”
“Bones said something about a cover up.”
“Their death wasn’t an accident, Ari. They were going to rat out some dirty cops and…” She looked down.
“And they were murdered for it,” I said.
She nodded.
It didn’t surprise me at all that our parents were killed for taking the high road. Truly honorable people rarely lived to old age. Knowing they’d been betrayed by other cops did sting, though. “And Uncle Jay?” Our uncle was our hometown’s district attorney. He had the power to bring guilty people to justice, but he was an asshole who rarely used his power for good.