by Ginger Ring
The song ended and the DJ gave the weather report for tomorrow, mild and partly cloudy.
Valentina shook off the fantasy that had floated through her mind for the last few minutes. To heck with shoes being dangerous, driving while thinking about Ryan Donavon could be deadly. Just thinking about a kiss had her eyes closing for a brief moment.
It was all a dream. The man didn’t know she existed, wouldn’t be interested in her if he did, and a man in law enforcement would never end up with mafia royalty. End of story. She rubbed her eyes and yawned again.
Out of nowhere a huge buck hopped onto the road. Holy shit! It happened in a flash. Her foot hit the brake. She jerked the steering wheel. The deer stopped but not fast enough to avoid hitting the side of her car. Her car skidded out of control and off the road. The front hit a tree and came to a stop.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” Her hands shook like the leaves on the oak she just hit. A few of them dropped down and landed on her cracked hood. The car looked totaled but at least she was alive.
Chapter Two
Ryan
Officer Ryan Donavan took a sip of his gas station coffee. After wrinkling up his nose, he dumped the rest of it out the car window. It was best not to drink caffeine this late in the night anyway. Insomnia kept him up most evenings. The java would just aggravate the situation even more.
It was a quiet evening, as were most nights. Lake Genoa was a peaceful place to live. The moon above wasn’t full, it was Monday, and the Packers had a game so there was no reason for any traffic to be on the road until the game ended. Then he’d have to keep an eye out for anyone driving under the influence. If there was one thing he hated, it was drunk drivers. The need to get out of town was strong so he picked a side road to park, listen to the game on the radio, and get a few minutes of peace.
He preferred to eat alone. There was nothing worse than sitting down at a diner to eat and then be pulled away on a call before he could even lift his fork. Then there were those who just wanted to talk and talk. They often wanted to complain that he should be out chasing criminals and not taking time for a break. Everyone had to eat, even cops. Especially if they were working a twelve-hour shift or longer.
The gas station sandwich wasn’t much better than the coffee. Placing the sandwich back in the wrapper, he settled for the bag of chips instead. It would be very dark soon and then he’d have to get back to town and see if anything was going on at the station. The radio had been silent for an hour, just the other patrolmen checking in and signing off. It was fall so there were even less people working. In the summertime, the force hired an extra eight to ten part-time patrol officers, but the tourist season was over so things had really slowed down. It was a nice break.
A set of headlights hauling ass down the road caught his attention and he halted the chip halfway to his mouth. Ryan grabbed the radar gun and pointed it at the oncoming car. The gun read fifty-eight. Not fast enough to ruin someone’s evening. The driver was probably in a hurry to get home and watch the game; that’s where he’d be if he had a choice. It’d be great to be home with his feet up on the coffee table, a can of beer in one hand, and, if he was lucky, a girl on the couch next to him. Good luck with that. Ryan set the gun to the side and bit into his chip. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a date. He worked too much, dated too little, and that left him with the disposition of an angry bear.
With much prodding from his patrol buddies, he’d asked out the new girl in town, Arianne, a waitress at the Waffle House. She was a known badge bunny. The kind who got their kicks from dating, if you could call a one-night stand dating, cops. He wasn’t looking for that kind of relationship but he’d caved and asked her to a dance at the town’s western bar, The Dew Drop Inn. As he’d waited for his midnight plate of waffles, he reluctantly agreed to take her there Friday night as there was a big name singer in town. With any luck, the evening would end with her in his bed, but for some reason it just wasn’t as appealing as it should be.
A flashy red sports car flew by, causing him to bite his tongue when he recognized the vehicle. Valentina Caponelli. What he wouldn’t give to have her naked and pressed up against him. The car was a perfect match for the bright red lipstick she usually wore and the soles of those fancy dancy shoes she pranced around in. If there was a list of women out of his league, that mafia princess would be at the top. Yet, he couldn’t help thinking about her anytime he got a spare moment. He’d run into her sister-in-law not too long ago and found out she was a lawyer now.
Valentina had been a few years younger than him in school, but even then she was very smart and very snobby. The girl would never even look at him and ran whenever he was near. Still, a man yearned for what he wanted whether it was a good choice or not. Maybe that was why he didn’t date much—every woman paled in comparison to her. A man could dream though. He finished the chips, crumpled up the bag, and tossed it on the passenger seat. He’d clean up the mess at the end of the shift.
Turning up the volume of the game, he hoped to clear the vision of her beautiful face. It didn’t work. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. The fact that she was super smart and driven to succeed just increased his admiration. Ryan yawned and stretched.
“Donavan?” the dispatcher called out his name.
“Here,” he responded on the radio pinned near his shoulder.
“We have a deer versus car out your way. Can you handle it?”
“Sure.” He started the engine. “Any injuries that you know of?”
“Not sure, but the woman said she didn’t need an ambulance.”
“Okay, give me the location.” It was right over the hill from him, less than two miles to be exact. Holy shit, could it be Valentina? Unless someone had come from the north, that was the only car he’d seen go by lately. Ryan put the car in gear, hit the siren, and turned onto the road.
“I’m on my way,” he radioed.
It was less than a minute before he could see that his worst fear was true. Valentina’s car sat by the side of the road, the hazard lights blinking. The driver’s door was wide open and a pair of shapely legs stuck out, a shoe dangled off one foot and the other sat on the road.
Shit. He flew out of his car as fast as he could and rushed to the car. “Val? Val?” Her body lay face down and her head was near the floor of the passenger seat. Was she dead? His throat tightened and he leaned over to touch the side of her throat for a pulse just as she reared up and knocked skulls with his. He jerked up and his hat flew off, landing on the ground with an empty thud.
The woman he feared might be dead sprang at him like a wild cat. “Don’t touch me,” she screamed. Her eyes were wide and blood dripped from her nose.
Ryan raised his hands in surrender. Maybe she was in shock. “It’s me, Valentina. Ryan, Ryan Donavan.”
Her shoulders dropped and she leaned back against the seat. “Am I ever happy to see you.”
“Well, you weren’t a second ago. I thought I was going to have to tase you.” He hoped the jab would set her at ease, but what worked on most people didn’t mean it would work on Valentina.
She carefully got out of the car and took a step. Valentina wobbled. One limb was at least four inches shorter than the other. He bent to grab her lost shoe and set it next to her bare foot. Valentina slipped it on and was on level footing again.
“What were you doing anyway? Are you all right?” He tried to get a good look at her eyes to see if she was having trouble focusing or for any sign of a head injury.
“I hit a deer. A huge deer. It came out of nowhere.” She waved her hands in the air to show that the animal was at least ten feet high. “I was getting out of the car and realized my nose was bleeding. I thought I had some tissue under the seat.” Her hand went to her nose and was covered with more fresh blood. “Oh no.” Valentina paled and Ryan guided her back to the driver’s seat.
“I’ll be right back. I have a first aid kit in the car.” He grabbed his
hat on the way and placed it back on his head.
Ryan hurried back. A pair of latex gloves on his hands as he draped a blanket across her shoulders and gently touched some tissue to her nose to stop the bleeding. It didn’t appear broken.
“Did you hit your head on the steering wheel?”
She shook her head and the fresh scent of her shampoo flirted with his nose.
“What happened that your nose is bleeding?” After much prodding, Valentina finally admitted that as she got out of the car to check the damage, her ankle turned and she hit her nose on the door. The woman may have been hot, but she was obviously not very coordinated. “It also has been known to happen when I am under stress.”
The radio attached to his shoulder broke the silence and the dispatcher asked for the status of his situation.
Valentina spoke up before he could answer. “I’m fine and I don’t need a wrecker. I can just call Arlo.”
Ryan pressed the button on his radio. “Everything is under control. No further assistance needed.”
Ryan handed her an ice pack to hold over her nose as he rose and checked out the damage to her car. It would need to be towed. The passenger side front end was toast. It was probably even totaled. A small sports car was no match for a buck, even a small one. Using his flashlight, he searched the ditch but saw no deer. Hopefully, the animal escaped with only a few bruises.
When he returned to Valentina’s side, her hands shook as she struggled to push the right buttons on her phone. She was eventually successful and he heard someone answer on the other end of the line. He recognized the voice of her brother, Roman.
Taking the phone from her hands, Ryan said, “Roman, this is Officer Ryan. Valentina is fine but her car is out of commission.” He paused as her brother asked the usual questions. “Looks like a deer ran out, she hit him on the side, and then slid in the ditch and hit a tree. She’s a little shaken up but I can take her to the hospital and get her checked out.”
That brought out a long string of Italian and grabbing for the phone by his patient. After giving the cell back to Val to argue it out with her sibling, it was finally settled that Ryan would drive her to the Caponelli compound and Arlo would take care of sending a tow. He radioed back to the station where he was going and what was going on. The Caponelli family liked to keep a low profile, that was for sure.
After gathering all her belongings, which included several suitcases, a laptop, briefcase, and purse, he loaded them and her into his squad car.
“It smells in here,” Valentina commented.
It figured the vehicle would be beneath her status, but he laughed anyway. “You have tissue stuck up both nostrils and can still smell?” He was used to the stench of a squad car. It was a nauseating combination of stale junk food in the front seat, and puke, sweat, and other bodily fluids from not so clean previous inhabitants in the backseat.
Ryan buckled his seatbelt and checked to make sure Val had done hers, but she just sat there crying. The hot shot lawyer, wild cat mafia princess he’d heard could stare down anyone but her father, sat there sobbing. Her shoulders jerked and silent tears streamed down her cheeks.
He’d comforted many people in very stressful situations, but suddenly, with Valentina, all that training went out the window and joined his gas station coffee on the pavement. Ryan briefly considered handing her the comfort teddy bear for kids but somehow that didn’t seem right either.
“It will be okay, Val. I didn’t see any blood, I’m sure the deer will be fine.”
“It’s not that. Not that I’m not relieved that I didn’t kill Bambi, but it just added to my already messed up day.”
“Want to talk about it?” He reached across to buckle her in.
“No.” That was her answer, but it didn’t stop her from talking and talking. It all started with a conversation with her father, a stressful morning, too much traffic, too much coffee, and ended with a run-in with wildlife. The most shocking information was that tidbit about her crime boss father. It was common knowledge that Roman had tried to cut as many ties as he could and go into legit businesses, but it shocked the hell out of him that his sister did as well.
Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Valentina had always dressed the part. She was always the submissive daddy’s girl, at least that was what he remembered from school. Maybe things had changed. What hadn’t changed was that whenever he caught a glimpse of her, the woman was always impeccably donned in designer clothes and shoes that probably cost more than he made in a month. As much as he always admired her from afar, right now she seemed almost within reach.
Without even thinking, and as much as the seatbelts allowed, Ryan pulled her into his arms. The tears continued to fall as he gently stroked her hair and whispered soothing words. Her dark hair had fallen from its clip and some of the curls lay along her back. It was softer than he could have ever imagined. Having her in his arms was more than he could have ever imagined. She was always the unattainable one. If her brother could see them now, Ryan was positive there would be hit called out on him in no time flat. Roman would probably have his buddy, Dominic, carve him up in little pieces and toss them into Lake Michigan. Ryan couldn’t prove it but there was no doubt in his mind that the two were behind the deaths of not one but a few missing people. Obviously, going legit didn’t include not killing people. Sure, those misfortunate souls were bad to the bone and the town was better off without them, but it still didn’t sit well. Laws were meant to be followed.
There was no resisting the urge to pull her closer. The fact that she didn’t seem to mind was heaven on earth. The moment was cut short by the buzzing of her cell phone. Sniffling, she twisted out of his embrace and answered the call.
“Yes?”
He heard the unmistakable voice of her brother asking where she was.
“We are on our way. Don’t worry. I’m in good hands.”
Ryan couldn’t help but notice the pink blush to her cheeks before he started the car. If he didn’t get her to Roman’s soon, there would be a convoy of black SUVs here any minute to retrieve her. Her brother continued his inquisition.
“Yes, yes, we are on our way.” She ended the call with a growl. “Sometimes he drives me just as crazy as my father.”
“You are lucky to have so many who care for you. Never forget that.” He’d lost both parents at an early age and had no siblings. Ryan made a U-turn on the road then turned off the lightbar on the roof. There was no hurry, and the thought of her leaving his car so soon left a sense of loneliness he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I am. It just gets a little suffocating sometimes.”
He remained silent as they drove the short distance to town.
“I’m sorry, Ryan,” Valentina said after a few minutes. “About your parents, I mean. I know you think that—” He took his hand off the wheel and she paused.
“Don’t. It happened a long time ago.”
“But…” she tried again before stopping. It really needed to be said, but he obviously didn’t want to hear it.
It was a quiet ride to Roman’s house.
Chapter Three
Valentina
Valentina slammed the squad car door harder than she intended. Her brother came out the front door, followed closely by Madison.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
They spoke at the same time and Madison enclosed her in a hug. It was hard to admit but she needed that embrace more than she could imagine.
“I’m just a little shaken up.” Valentina took a step back and gave a nod to Officer Ryan, who now stood by the front of the car. He looked so handsome in his uniform. The tie and hat were more formal than the fantasy she’d had of him but he was none the less for it. “I’m very thankful Ryan was there so quickly. I’m probably overreacting but it scared me.”
Her brother stepped over to the officer and held out his hand. “Thanks, Ry. Appreciate you coming to the aid of my sister.”
; “Just doing my job.” They shook hands. A few crickets sounded and you could hear the soft waves of the water off the lake. “Well, I’d better get back. Take care, Val. Madison.” He nodded to both of them, got in his car, and drove off.
“That was odd,” Madison said. “We should have invited him in.”
“He’s on duty, dear.” Roman kissed her on the cheek. “But I love how thoughtful you are.”
Valentina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She loved Madison like a sister but sometimes they were too much. Way too much for someone with no love life. Her eyes focused on the taillights as they headed down the driveway. He appeared to hit the brake lights once and she could have sworn their gazes locked in the rearview mirror, but that would have been too much to hope for. It was clear that Ryan Donavan wanted nothing to do with her and her family. It was foolish to think there could ever be anything between the two with her family history. She couldn’t blame him. They were from two different worlds.
“Val?” Roman called from the front of the house, holding the door open for her. “Are you coming in?”
“Oh, yes. Sorry.” Her heels clicked on the cement sidewalk and up the stairs. “I guess I’m still a little shaken up.” If her brother knew about the daydream she’d had about Ryan just minutes before the crash, he’d be shaking her by the shoulders, trying to knock some sense into her.
Warmth surrounded her as soon as she stepped inside. Since Madison had moved in, Roman’s house had become more of a home. The mansion had always been impeccably decorated but now it had a lived in aspect that wasn’t there before.
The roaring fireplace drew her closer and she held her hands out to the flames. What did Ryan’s home look like? Dammit, there she was thinking about the handsome patrolman again. Was it possible she’d hit her head, because she seriously had Ryan on the brain.
“Here, I made you a hot toddy.” Madison held a mug out and Valentina eagerly wrapped her fingers around the warm ceramic. It smelled wonderful.