“You’re a sick son of a bitch you know that. You wouldn’t let me out so you had to drag Olivia into your clusterfuck of a business so you could use her for your own personal gain.” Jonah yelled his fear and anger coming out clear. “No Vinnie. You can have me but you cannot have Olivia. She is mine goddammit not yours.”
“Calm down son.” Vinnie said as cool as a cucumber ignoring the fact Jonah was looking at him with murder in his eyes.
“I am not your son.” Jonah snapped disgust dripping from each word.
“You’re mad now Jonah but you had to know the truth.”
The truth?
“More games Vinnie?” Jonah laughed.
Vinnie signaled one of the men over. Standing beside Vinnie the man dropped my purse onto the coffee table separating the couches, followed by four pill bottles.
Jonah and Denny looked confused, Vinnie looked happier than hell and I was horrified.
“Should I tell him or would you like to explain Olivia?” Vinnie asked smiling at me.
“How did you get those? They all came from my apartment.” I whispered.
“Olivia?” Jonah whispered shock all over his face.
“Who do you work for? Adam or maybe your one of Mika’s bitches trying to move back into my town?” Vinnie hissed his eyes narrowing into slits.
“Work for?” Oh no he thought I was some kind of drug dealer. “No those pills are mine I use them to treat my panic attacks.” I whispered ashamed I had to admit I was messed up in front of all these people. Oh well wouldn’t matter I was never going to see anyone in this room again.
“Panic attacks?” Jonah questioned.
“I started having panic attacks after Alex...For about a year they were random now they only happen when something triggers them.” I said tears starting to fall.
Pulling out of Denny’s hold Jonah dropped to his knees in front of me again.
“You can’t honestly believe this sob story.” Vinnie snapped.
“What’s the trigger Olivia?” Jonah asked softly ignoring Vinnie’s comment.
“When I get upset about Alex and−”
“His death.” Jonah finished for me before I had to say the other half of the trigger.
“That doesn’t explain why you have medicine that is not in your name.” Vinnie yelled his controlled tone slipping.
“The names on the bottles are one of my mother’s maids. She makes the doctor use a different name so no one will know that her daughter has a problem.”
“I’m so sorry Olivia.” Jonah whispered so only I could hear, his hand sliding along my jaw into my hair.
Gosh that hand felt so good against my skin, I wanted to lean into him, take comfort from him but I couldn’t because Jonah was working for Vinnie, a person I was pretty sure was a big player in the drug scene. “Please don’t touch me.” I whispered pulling away from his touch. Looking at Vinnie I tried to put on a brave face but it wasn’t working, I was hurt, broken and scared. “I want to leave now.”
“You can leave.” Vinnie said coldly.
Standing up Jonah stayed on his knees his head hanging low. Grabbing my purse but leaving the pills I walked to the door.
“One more thing Olivia.” Vinnie said the smile back in his voice, “Do you love Jonah?” My whole body froze. “If that’s a yes I would keep what you saw here tonight to yourself, you wouldn’t want something to happen to him.”
Turning around I met Jonah’s broken look, “I won’t tell anyone.”
Letting my eyes drop and more tears to fall I left the room finally understanding why Mason chose not to feel at all.
Chapter 16
What had I done, I knew Olivia would find out sooner or later I just didn’t know it would be this bad. Who was I kidding I knew it would be this bad from the very beginning that’s why I tried to stay away. But I just couldn’t stay away Olivia was mine, my other half, my soul mate.
“Move your ass Jonah. Don’t let her get away now.” Denny hissed pulling me off my knees.
Could I go after Olivia? The way she looked at me had broken my heart and told me she was never going to forgive me so what was the point? The point was she was mine whether she wanted to be or not and now she was on Vinnie’s radar. Slamming the door shut on my self-pity I pulled away from Denny, “Stay put Vinnie I’m not done with you.” I said so full of anger and hate venom was literally dripping from each word.
Without giving Vinnie another look I took off on a full out sprint.
Olivia was standing at the end of Vinnie’s drive, her head in her hands softly crying. Jesus I’d caused her so much pain, how did I even begin to fix it.
Taking a risk I wrapped my arms around her body pulling her back in to my chest and burying my face in her neck. Her body stiffened and a small tremble shot through her body but she didn’t pull away. “Olivia I know you’re hurt and confused just please let me explain baby.”
Honestly I hadn’t put my face in her neck to do anything other than be close to her but I was feeling desperate and needy. My lips begun kissing a long her neck moving to the sweet spot just below her ear, I sucked a little letting my tongue taste her skin. A gasp left her lips her hands fell and her head dropped back on to my shoulder. Spinning her quickly I crushed my lips over hers needing her kiss more then I need air to breath. Pushing my tongue past her lips I made her open for me. A whine left her mouth, her hand grabbed on to the back of my hair almost painfully pulling my lips harder into hers. Her mouth moved under mine in a kiss that said everything we couldn’t.
The hurt and pain was making us borderline aggressive and the kiss was moving to a place we couldn’t go right now. “Olivia stop.” I gasped for breath yanking my lips off hers.
Letting me go, tears escaped her closed eyes.
“You coming or not?” A man said leaning his head out of the taxi window.
“Give them a minute.” Denny said from somewhere behind us.
Goddammit had everyone seen what had just happened?
Still not opening her eyes Olivia took a sharp breath in. “Goodbye Jonah.” She whispered a sob leaving her throat as she turned and ran for the taxi.
My heart stopped beating as I tried to grab for her, “This is not goodbye Olivia.” I screamed Denny’s arms catching me before I could reach the car door.
“Let her go brother. You both need to cool off.”
I couldn’t watch her leave her crying face was already imprinted on my brain I didn’t need to see her leaving over and over again too. Closing my eyes I felt like crying for the first time in twelve years.
Waiting till I no longer could hear the taxi I opened my eye searching my pocket. Pulling my keys out I pushed them into Denny’s chest, “Make sure she gets home?”
“What are you going to do?” Denny asked not taking the keys.
“I’m going to go talk to Vinnie.”
“Maybe I should stay.” Denny said sounding unsure of what he should do. Whether he would admit it or not he cared for Olivia, he wanted to make sure she got home ok just as much as he wanted to stay and help me with Vinnie.
“No, go I don’t want you to be a part of this.” Letting the keys fall into his hands I stormed back into Vinnie’s house.
Vinnie had moved into his office his bodyguard surrounding him. Good move on their part because I was going to kill Vinnie.
“You brought Olivia to the bar you knew we were meeting Shark at, why?” I demanded not stopping till my legs where touching his desk.
Rubbing his hand over his beard Vinnie studied me for several seconds. “I thought she was using you. I was looking out for you.”
Rolling my eyes at that bullshit answer I didn’t even give it a reply, Vinnie looking out for anyone but himself was laughable. “How did you know about the medicine?”
Giving me a quick smile he leaned back in his chair. “I had her apartment searched.”
Moving faster than his guards I lunged myself over his desk smashing my fist into his face. “You son of
a bitch.” I screamed as guards piled onto me hitting and kicking as they tried to pull me off. Fist and feet where flying, pain and blood were running down my face and sooner or later someone was going to pull a gun.
Two guards finally got me off Vinnie slamming me into Vinnie’s desk as another helped a laughing Vinnie up.
“Let him go.” Vinnie chuckled, wiping blood from his lip. “That was fun but uncalled for; I was only trying to help.”
“This wasn’t for me, this was all for you.” I yelled fighting against the two guards.
“You’re right Jonah.”
Stopping my struggle to get free I stared at Vinnie, “What?”
“It seems this little drama is in my favor. Your girl knows too much. I can’t have someone running around with that kind of information.”
“I will kill you before I let you harm her.”
“I’m disgusted that you would turn on your family for some girl.”
“Funny thing Vinnie I would have turned on you for a lot less.”
Vinnie’s eyes blazed as his fist hit into my cheek so hard blood instantly started to flow down my face dripping on to my neck.
“Listen you little shit,” Vinnie snapped his hand grabbing onto my face a finger pushing into the cut he had just made. “You’re mine and if you want that girl to stay safe and alive you will continue to work for me and you will do it with a little respect.” Pushing his finger a little further into the cut making me want to scream Vinnie pushed my head back violently. “Get out.”
Pulling away from the guards I stared at Vinnie for half a heartbeat disgusted that we were related.
****
Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand I pulled off my stupid heels not caring that the ground was so cold it burned my skin.
A car door slammed and Denny’s angry voice yelled across the parking lot, “What the fuck are you doing? Put your shoes back on or get your ass in that house faster.”
“You’re following me now?” I barked really wanting to throw my shoes at him.
“Jonah asked me to make sure you got home ok.”
“Go away Denny.”
“Not till you move your ass into your damn house.”
“Screw you Denny I will do whatever the hell I want.”
“God you and Jonah are perfect for each other you get your feelings hurt and you both turn self-destructive.”
“There is no Jonah and me.” I screamed throwing my shoes at him this time, “Go the hell away Denny.”
Running at me Denny picked me up and threw me over his shoulder firemen style, “Where are your fucking keys.” He growled ripping my purse out of my hands. Emptying my purse on the walkway he bent down picking up my keys leaving everything else in the melting snow.
“Put me down now.” I yelled smacking into his back with my hands, “I’m serious Denny put me down.”
Holding me with one hand Denny unlocked the door kicking it open with his foot.
Still beating on his back and screaming for him to put me down red and blue lights flashed across the walls.
“Fuck me.” Denny cursed dropping me to my feet, “Not a word.” he hissed turning to face the approaching police officer. “Oh goody Officer Owen. Perfect.”
“Of course a call about a guy harassing a girl in the middle of the night who else could it be other then Denny Garcia.”
“Nice to see you too Jack.”
“My daughter wasn’t enough for you. You have to go after this nice girl too.”
Swallowing hard Denny started to look uncomfortable, “How are they?”
“That’s none of your business anymore.” The officer said harshly giving Denny a cold mean look before turning his attention on me giving me the same look only slightly nicer. “By the looks of things it doesn’t matter how Rachel and her baby are.”
Who was Rachel? If everything hadn’t went to hell tonight I might care why Denny was looking like someone had just ripped his heart out but everything had gone to hell and I didn’t care. “Look if you guys want to bitch at each other do it somewhere that’s not my apartment.”
“Is this man bothering you?” The officer asked pointing to Denny.
“No, he was just leaving.”
“Fine, keep the noise down. And you remember our deal Denny.”
“How could I forget.” Denny whispered as the officer walked away.
“Leave Denny.” I said once the officer was by his car. “Or I will scream and tell that cop you are bothering me. Looked like he was just itching to arrest you.”
“You could tell him I was about to kill you and he couldn’t do shit to me. Officer Owen and me have a deal in place.”
Great.
“Please just go Denny.” I whispered so tired I probably could have slept standing up.
“I’ll go but you should really let Jonah explain. What you saw tonight is Jonah’s job, it’s not who he is.”
****
I had blood everywhere, Vinnie had done a number on my right cheek and my eye and lips were swelling up. Searching for my cell to call Denny to come pick me up I almost missed Mason sitting in his car across the street from Vinnie’s.
“What are you doing here?” I asked walking up to Mason’s car.
“Denny asked me to come, said you might need my help.” Mason said eyeing my face with a frown.
“Unless you can turn back time you can’t help me. No one can.” I was seriously screwed, Vinnie was going to use Olivia to keep me in and dammit it was going to work. I came out with the determination to get Olivia back but who was I kidding it would never work. I would stay and staying would mean Olivia would go. Could I really just let Olivia go? She was it for me there would never be another person that I would love more than her. She was mine, was I still hers?
“Actually you can help me.” I said already moving to the passenger side of Mason’s SUV.
“Anything brother.” Mason said starting the car.
“Take me to Olivia.”
“Is that a good idea?” Mason asked looking over my face.
“No matter what I’ve done or what has happened, I love her Mason I have to fix what I can.”
Smiling Mason started the car.
After Mason had dropped me off and I’d convinced both him and Denny who was sitting in his car watching Olivia’s apartment to go home, I found Olivia asleep in her bed holding one of my t-shirts tightly to her chest. Pulling her desk chair over to the bed I sat and watched her sleep deciding what I was going to tell her when she woke.
Chapter 17
My eyelids felt like sandpaper scraping against my eyes as I opened them to bright sunlight streaming through the window. Instantly I became aware that I was not alone, turning slowly I took a sharp breath in at the sight of Jonah sitting in my desk chair staring at me. His beautiful face was battered, his lip was split, his eye was swollen, and a large cut across his cheek and dried blood all down his face and neck.
Jumping into action before I remembered I was done with him I had his head in my hand, my fingers feeling around the cut and bruises making sure I couldn’t feel anything broken. Looking me in the eyes his hand came up holding my hand against the side of his face that was banged up. “What happened to your face?” I whispered.
“I got in a fight with Vinnie.”
Like he’d physically pushed me my hand fell away and my butt hit the bed. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to explain.” Jonah said softly his tongue licking at the split across his lip.
“You need a doctor.” I frowned shaking my head; he needed stiches in the cut across his cheek, to change out of his wrecked suit and to get some sleep. What Denny had said last night about us being self-destructive when we got our feelings hurt, Jonah was making that statement more than true. And damn him I loved him too much to let him be self-destructive. “Will you see a doctor if I let you explain?”
“Yes, I’ll call my doctor if you let me explain everything.”
Nodding
my head Jonah leaned his elbows on his knees letting his head drop slightly. “You have to understand this all started because of the accident that took my parents and sister. After they died I was left with nothing, my parents had no wills and no money. My mother had me when she was only seventeen, her parents would have nothing to do with her or my father. With no family or money and a baby on the way my father went to work for Vinnie.” Jonah’s voice was tight, his knee was bouncing shaking his whole body and he refused to look at me. “When I turned eighteen I had nothing, I’d been living off Vinnie since I was thirteen, pride started to creep up on me, I was embarrassed I had nothing. So the day I graduated high school Vinnie came to me and Denny and said he was done paying our way that we had to get out and start on our own or we could come into the family business. Vinnie sealed the deal when he told me he wouldn’t let me end up like my father living off of someone else, that a man should take care of his own family not let his brother do it for him. At the time Denny and I had no idea the family business was a drug business we thought Vinnie made his money off the club. When we found out what the business really was I should have walked away but I took a risk telling myself it was ok I’d just stay a little while make some money then move on.” Finally looking up at me Jonah moved on to the bed cupping my face in his hands, “I hate the risk and choice I made that led me to working with Vinnie but I can’t change the past Olivia. Isn’t there something you’ve done or a risk you’ve taken that you wished you hadn’t that you would give anything to take back?”
God yes I’d done something just as stupid, I’d taken a risk I wish I’d never taken and if Jonah ever found out I wish he would understand that I’d made a mistake I’d do anything to take back. Was Jonah’s risk really that different from mine? Not really my risk had gotten Alex killed, it was just as bad as Jonah’s but the heart of the matter was what I did was something I would never do today, what Jonah did was something he still did today.
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