“Why does that sound like she is fishing for information and not just shooting the shit?” Denny whispered to me as we walked to the stairs.
“Because she is.” Stopping beside the stairs but out of sight I put my hand up to stop Denny from walking down the stairs. “Last night Mason went to pick up Olivia’s cell after she went to bed. Caller ID said ‘Alex’s Cell’ calling.”
“What?” Denny whispered.
“Mason tracked the number back to Olivia’s apartment.” Putting my finger to my lips I shushed Denny’s cussing so I could hear Darcy’s next question.
“I need to talk to you alone.” Darcy said, lowering her voice with a slightly alarmed tone.
“Talk, Jonah and Denny are upstairs.” Olivia said sounding anxious.
Fucking Darcy was scaring my girl, didn’t like that at all.
“What do you really know about Jonah?”
“What?” Olivia said, shock clear in her voice.
“He seems kind of dangerous. Have you noticed anything odd?”
“Darcy what’s going on?”
“Nothing I just wanted to make sure your ok, Jonah’s not really your type.”
“Darcy−”
“Forget it Liv, I’ll let you get back to your evening.”
Sounding confused Olivia said her goodbyes.
Shaking his head, anger flashed in his dark eyes, “You have a problem brother.”
Oh yeah I did, Darcy was up to something and she wanted to know what Olivia knew about me. Darcy was working with someone. Question was who were they and what kind of business were they involved in?
Walking straight to the front door I looked out to see Darcy sliding into a sliver car with Ty behind the wheel.
Did Darcy have a partner in crime?
“What did Darcy want?” I asked Olivia as I walked into the kitchen.
“I really don’t know she was acting kind of weird.” Olivia said eyes focused on slipping her foot into shoes that were way too high.
“Weird how?” Denny asked coming into the kitchen, as I poured out the water in the two bottles I had taken out of the fridge. “What are you doing?” Denny questioned as I refilled the bottles with vodka.
“I don’t know, maybe she just misses me and yes what are you doing Jonah?” Olivia asked staring at the bottles with raised eyebrows.
“Olivia and I are going to play a drinking game. Every time your mother says something mean I will take a sip, every time your father does, you take a sip. And then when we both come home perfectly fine it will prove my point that dinner with your parents is not that bad.”
“Denny we’re going to need you to pick us up from my parent’s house; also you’re going to need someone to cover for Jonah tonight at the club.”
“We’ll see.” I said, confident I was right.
If I could eat dinner with a drug lord and survive, eating with her parents would be a piece of cake.
****
We had gotten as far as the foyer when I regretted my earlier statement, eating with her parents was going to be far from a piece of cake as one could get and if I was being honest I would rather eat dinner with a drug lord.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Olivia’s dad mumbled face strained so tight a vein was popping out of his forehead.
Hand held to her chest Olivia’s mom looked like she was about to cry, “Oh Olivia.” She whispered.
Gripping my hand so hard I feared she would break my bones, Olivia grabbed the water bottle from my hand. Giving me a big fake smile she lifted the bottle in the air, “Cheers sweetheart.” She hissed taking a huge sip of vodka.
Sweet Jesus what had I done.
****
“So how was dinner kids?” Denny asked smugly, leaning out the window as Olivia and I stumbled our way to the car.
I was kind of drunk. Olivia was very drunk.
Giggling we fell into the backseat of Mason’s SUV.
“The drinking game was a bad idea.” I said laughing harder for no reason at all.
“My mother was mean, so was my father.” Olivia slurred.
“Well did they at least like Jonah?” Denny asked in a mocking tone.
“Nope!” Olivia answered her head falling on to my shoulder.
“It didn’t help when Olivia unbuttoned my shirt to show her parents the tattoos on my chest.”
“Yes!” Denny yelled smacking his hand against the dashboard.
“Oh Olivia.” Mason said shaking his head.
“Or when she described what my tongue ring feels like against her skin.”
“This just keeps getting better.” Denny shouted.
“I didn’t help; you didn’t help by telling my dad you knew someone who could take care of ‘Christopher the asshole’.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered what I said they took one look at me and decided they hated me.”
“Don’t worry they hate me too, my dad called me jailbait.”
“That wasn’t directed to you baby it was a jab at me because I’m nine years older then you.”
“You’re nine years old than me?” Olivia shouted spinning around to look at me.
“Damn Jonah how much did you let her drink?”
“Too much.” I groaned.
“What else are you keeping from me?” Olivia screeched.
“There’s a conversation.” Denny laughed.
“Shut up Denny.” I yelled trying to slap his head but completely missing.
“Oh my god I don’t know your last name, you don’t know my last name.”
“Your last name is Rees and mine is Diaz.” I said kissing her forehead.
“Oh yeah I knew that. Where are you glasses?” Olivia asked her hand hitting into my face.
“I haven’t been wearing my glasses all night.”
Her glazed over baby blue eyes stared at me hard, “No shit?”
“I love drunk Olivia.” Denny laughed turning in his seat, “Olivia sweetheart are you one of these girls that tells the truth when they’re drunk?”
“Denny.” I warned.
“I don’t know ask me something.” She said biting on her finger that was surprisingly a huge turn on.
“What do you think of me?” Denny asked.
“I think you’re a hottie but you’re also a super pig and if you keep using your thing like that, it’s going to fall off.”
“Truth girl it is then.” Denny snorted, “Now tell us about Darcy?”
“What do you want to know?” Olivia said closing her eyes.
“Denny this is not funny.” Although it wasn’t a bad idea, maybe I could ask her right now why she didn’t want me looking in to her brother’s death and I bet she’d tell me. Feeling guilty for even thinking about taking advantage of her drunken state I shook my head away from the thought.
Denny however did not have any such feelings, “When did you meet Darcy?”
“About a week after Alex died.”
Her answer had my guilt taking a backseat and Denny putting on a serious face, “How did you meet her?”
“She just walked up to me and Ty introduced herself and I guess we hit it off.”
It may be the alcohol or maybe I was just paranoid but warning bells were going off all over my mind. “Babe what does Darcy do?”
“Nothing she’s a trust fund kid. She spends her time partying and going out of town. Come to think of it, she is as big of a pig as Denny is.”
“Is there any way Darcy could have known Alex?” Mason asked joining the conversation.
“No, they never met but sometimes Darcy says things about Alex that I know I didn’t tell her.”
The rest of the ride home was done in silence. Well, kind of Olivia giggled the whole time while I was running through every option that would explain what the hell was going on.
By the time we got home I had nothing and I was beyond pissed. “Olivia baby go get ready for bed I’ll be up in a minute.”
“Ok but don’t keep me waiting long.” Olivia sa
id giving me a seductive look that had me sweating.
I waited till I heard the door shut and her little feet walking across the room. “I want to know everything,” I said turning to Denny and Mason, “There is to know about Darcy and I want Olivia out of that apartment.”
“I’ll search the database at the office, see if she has a record.” Mason said running his hands over his face.
“Why he does that I’ll ask around about her. If people think it’s coming from Vinnie they’ll talk.” Denny said his hand automatically going to the gun in his shoulder holster.
“And I’ll take getting her out of her apartment.” I said feeling like I’d taken the worst job.
“How are you going to do that?” Denny asked giving me a smug look that was just asking to get slapped off.
“I’m going to do it without asking.” I said back just as smug as his smile.
“You’re a dead man walking brother.” Denny shook his head laughing.
“We’ll see.” How hard could it be? Most of her stuff was here already and the rest could just stay, I’d buy her new shit.
See, easy.
“Right I’m going to the club, Mason you’re in charge of those two crazy kids.”
Flipping him off I headed up the stairs to deal with my very drunk Olivia.
“Holy sweet Jesus.” I said out loud hanging onto the door. After the look she’d given me on the stairs I expected to find her half naked on the bed waiting for me, I did not expected her to be half naked and crying. “Olivia, what’s wrong?”
“I was drunk at my parent’s house. They know I drink now.” She cried.
“Yeah they do.” I said chuckling, which was the wrong thing to do as she started to cry harder. Ah shit. “Baby why are you crying?”
“I haven’t done anything bad since I was sixteen and they didn’t know about that. They know I’m bad now, that’s why they’re leaving for the next two mouths.”
Sixteen, Alex died when she was sixteen. Sitting on the bed I pulled Olivia into my arms. “What did you do that was bad baby?” It wasn’t taking advantage if she brought it up first…Right?
“What didn’t I do, but he always told me it was fine. But the party…He was so pissed he blamed Alex but Alex didn’t take me I followed him. And then...” Her voice trailed off lost in a sea of tears.
What the fuck? Who the hell was ‘he’ and where had she followed Alex too.
Jumping so violently she almost knocked us both off the bed her red puffy tear soaked face looked up at me, “I can’t be a vet I’ve never had a pet before what kind of vet doesn’t have a pet.”
Where the fuck did that come from? “Do you want a pet baby?”
“Yes.” She cried pushing her head into my neck clinging to me for dear life.
A light knock at the door had me looking up to find Mason staring at me with wide eyes, “Umm…Is everything ok?”
“I have no idea what is going on.”
“Looks like your girl cries even more than usual when drunk.” Mason said lips twitching trying to hold back his laughter.
Pulling the blanket around her with one hand thinking she’d fallen asleep I started to lay her down.
Nails dug into my shoulders and her head snapped up. “Mason’s broken and won’t let anyone love him, Denny is trying to pretend he’s not miserable for whatever reason and you Jonah, you’re unhappy about something and I can’t fix any of you.”
Mason shook his head, “Guess we’re not fooling her.” he mumbled walking away.
Rocking Olivia to sleep I thought about how unhappy I really was. When Olivia first came into my life I was unhappy with the way I’d let me life turn out, now it was getting worse by the day. I loved Olivia more than anything in this world and I was lying to her every day. It was the fear of losing her that had me holding her a little tighter and thinking once again that I had to get out of Vinnie’s business before she found out.
Chapter 14
“Merry Christmas baby.” Jonah whispered his lips traveling down my neck waking me from my dreams. Groaning I threw my arm over my face, last night I’d been like a kid, I was way too excited to fall asleep. Jonah had to get quite creative to finally make me tired enough to sleep but now I was seriously tired. But tired or not I was determined to make this Christmas amazing, so pushing Jonah off me before we got carried away I got up and got to work on breakfast.
After breakfast we opened presents which I’m not even sure why I wrapped as they all knew what they were getting because the boys had turned paranoid on me and wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone so I had to take one of them shopping with me. This was a big mistake as none of them could keep a secret to save their life. However I did manage to surprise Jonah with a new leather jacket and a whole bunch of different tongue rings, Mason a watch and Denny a leather wristband. The boys got me new kitchen stuff, that let’s face it was really for them but they more then made up for it with the jewelry and shoes.
After this, I crashed in front of a Christmas movie but my sleep was short lived when the doorbell rang.
A man who had more tattoos than both Jonah and Denny put together started setting things up in the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” I asked putting my arms around Jonah’s waist.
“Jake owns a tattoo shop; he owes Denny and me a favor so he agreed to come to us.
“Ok…so what is he here for.”
“I’m going to tattoo Denny’s new tattoo on.”
“Really?” I asked panicking a little, surely you didn’t just tattoo someone; didn’t you need some kind of skill?
“Who do you think did the tattoos he already has?”
“You?”
“Yeah, I’ve done all of his and he’s done all of mine.” Jonah said smiling at me over his shoulder.
“I don’t let just anyone touch this beautiful body.” Denny said gesturing to his body.
“You should really take that same approach to sex, might keep you from getting a disease.” Circling around to Jonah’s front I laid my head on his chest. “Will you tattoo me one day?”
“No.”
“What, why not?” I screeched.
“Olivia baby you can’t take pain, you stubbed your toe the other day and cried for like an hour.”
“It hurt.”
“Point being, I could never do anything that might make you cry.” He whispered as that haunted look I hated came into his eyes.
“I’ll do it!” Denny yelled giving me an evil smile.
Shaking his head Jonah sighed, “Come on let’s get this done I still have a surprise for Olivia.”
“What surprise?” I asked.
“Later.” He said brushing his lips against mine.
I was going to go back to my movie and fall asleep but I was fascinated watching Jonah work. The look on his face as he drew the art onto Denny was a look I cherished. You could tell he truly loved tattooing, and he was good at it and as I’d had an up close view of all Jonah’s tattoos, Denny was pretty good too. “Why are you guys working at a club and not as tattoo artists?”
Both Jonah and Denny looked at me with a mixture of anger and sadness.
“Maybe one day.” Jonah whispered.
For some reason the men in the kitchen had all turned into brooding moody types. Feeling I was to blame I left them to it and went back to my movie.
After dinner just before night darkened the world, the snow started to fall harder and Jonah brought me my jacket and boots mumbling for me to put them on and come into the backyard.
Doing as I was told I opened the kitchen door to an empty backyard except for a huge pink box in the middle of the grass. Walking across the deck I looked around waiting for one of the boys to jump out at me. “Jonah?” I called and got nothing.
Well ok then.
A whimper came from the box, that had me running towards the box, I didn’t care if one of them jumped out or hit me with a snow ball there was something alive in that box. Not wanting to scare whatever i
t was I opened the box carefully and just stopped myself from screaming.
Standing in the middle of a fluffy pink blanket was a tiny German Shepherd puppy. Yelping at me I pick the mostly black fluff ball up, her little pink tongue timidly coming out to lick at my face as I hugged her gently to my chest.
Arms came around my waist and a head leaned onto my shoulder, “I think she’ll do for your first pet.”
“You got me a puppy?” I whispered.
Letting go of me Jonah picked up the pink blanket wrapping it around my new little puppy and me. “Yes.” He said simple.
“How did you know I wanted a puppy?”
“Just a good guess.” Jonah chuckled.
“Thank you Jonah, but where am I going to keep her my apartment doesn’t allow pets?”
“That brings me to my next surprise, come baby.”
Back in the house I found out why Jonah gave me the dog outside, Mason and Denny had decked out the house in dog things, a pink food and water bowl was in the corner, toys lay all over the floor and a princess bed that matched the blanket was on the table with a big ribbon around it. Lying in the middle of the dog bed was a key. “Move in with us?” Jonah said taking the dog from my arms and putting her on the ground where she went straight to attacking the toys.
“Jonah,” I said pulling my eyes off the dog so I could look at him, “I can’t move in with you it’s too soon.”
“Who says it’s too soon?” Searching for an answer I dropped my head on to his chest.
Tilting my head up with his fingers under my chin Jonah kissed my forehead, “Don’t answer yet, I’ll give you till New Years to decide.”
Was it too soon? Could I really move in with Jonah?
****
The New Year party at Club Risk was always the place to be for New Years, this year even more so as the hit rock band Seduction was playing live. The club was packed, every employee we had was working their asses off, Denny was running around like a chicken with his head cut off and I was sitting in a booth trying to get Darcy drunk enough to tell me all her secrets.
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