Risk

by Grady, Samantha

  Oh no.

  My body froze but my mind stared to race, Russian mob, DEA agents, Nicky, oh my God, I couldn’t do this.

  Shark spun around ripping his hands from my face as his body leaned into the guy who had just said Nicky’s name. My heart was beating so fast I was getting light headed but I couldn’t focus on the panic that was fast ripping through my body I had to get to Jonah, I had to warn him.

  Shark was yelling at the guy Vince and the group at the table were moving towards us but they only had eyes for Shark and the Vince guy. Grabbing the door handle I tugged the door open swinging my body in and started the car before I even had the door shut.

  Shark swung around and reached for the door as my foot hit the gas ripping the door from his hands.

  I sped out almost hitting two cars before I was on the right side of the road. Looking in the rear view mirror I saw Shark with all the men on his heels running to their cars.

  Driving at a speed I’d never driven at before I couldn’t call Jonah like I wanted to instead I keep speeding pulling off the main road.

  I was having a panic attack and driving like a fool, the Russian mob wouldn’t have to worry about killing me I was going to do that myself.

  ****

  One hour earlier….

  I was sick no question about it, I’d thrown up food I never even eaten and I was so fucking cold my teeth were chattering. I knew karma wasn’t a big fan of me and my life decisions but this was just cruel. I didn’t have time to be sick right now I needed to find Denny and keep his ass from doing something stupid. I’d been to every property Vinnie owned, and every place I knew Denny went but the little fucker was in the wind. And thanks to his meeting with our boys last night if they did in fact know where Denny was, which they said they didn’t, they weren’t talking. I was out of places, sick and more pissed off with Denny than I’d ever been in my life.

  Lifting my head out of my hands I cranked up the heat and reached for my ringing cell. “What?” I snapped without even looking at who was calling.

  “Jonah? What’s wrong?” Mason asked worry in his voice.

  I didn’t have time for this. “What do you want Mason?”

  “Right.” Mason answered taking note of my tone, “Was out with Olivia this morning Vinnie has one of his boys following her.”

  Fuck, fuck fuck.

  “I’ll deal with it.”

  “Maybe you should meet me at the house you're not sounding too good.”

  “I’ll deal.” I snapped ending the call and throwing the phone into the passenger seat.

  Deal with it I would, I was fucking done.

  ****

  “Jonah this is a nice surprise.” Vinnie said drink in hand, body lounging comfortable in a black leather armchair.

  “Shut up Vinnie.” I snapped not stopping till I was standing in front of him.

  “God you are your fathers son, such a bad attitude.”

  “I want Olivia off your radar for good.”

  “You’re not looking too good.”

  “I want Olivia off your radar.” I yelled causing Vinnie’s face to lose the lazy grin and replace it with a shit-eat-grin.

  “And I want you to stop acting like you want out.”

  “It’s no act Vinnie.” I barked.

  “Why are you so desperate to leave me Jonah? This life I have given you can offer you everything you will ever need.” Vinnie said calmly.

  “No the only thing this life can offer me is money and a early death.”

  “Fine leave but don’t come crying to me when the money dry’s up and Olivia leaves you.”

  “Olivia is not like that.”

  “Really,” Vinnie said pulling his body up right, “Because I did a little research into her background she comes from a lot of money Jonah just like your mother. You know your mother was going to leave your father.”

  I couldn’t do this, not sick, not any day.

  “Shut up Vinnie.” I whispered hating the hurt that sounded in my voice.

  “It’s true after she got pregnant with you her parents cut her off and your father had no money, she only agreed to stay when I found out her plans and gave your father a job that paid enough to satisfy her.”

  “Olivia's not like that.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Vinnie was wrong. But arguing this was pointless and now my head was pounding so hard the room was starting to spin. “Look Vinnie just tell me what I have to do to get you to stay away from Olivia.”

  Standing up Vinnie leveled his eyes on mine, “I want your word that you're in for life.”

  No.

  “Anything but that Vinnie.”

  “That is my only offer.”

  Fuck.

  “No Vinnie.”

  “Think how close I was to Olivia today I had a man follow her from the minute she left your house this morning and where were you Jonah? Just think how easy it would have been from me to give my boy the go ahead to put a bullet in her. When I decide to do it there will be nothing you can do about it.”

  Olivia with blood pouring from a bullet hole filled my vision causing me to stumble back and grip on to the side of the couch to keep from falling.

  Without thinking I started talking, “If I agree to this not only do you leave Olivia alone, I want her under your protection. That means you can never harm her and the other scum around face punishment from you if they harm her.”

  “I can live with those conditions. Does that mean we have a deal?”

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent.”

  ****

  It wasn’t till I got to the club that I realized what I’d done. The realization had my knees hitting the floor. I’d made a deal with the devil. A deal that would keep Olivia safe but a deal that would mean I would forever be stuck with Vinnie, a forever without Olivia. Pain ripped through me so violently it felt like a physical blow that had my eye fluttering before everything went blank.

  ****

  I’d been driving for over two hours, I was back in Denver but I couldn’t stop. I’d lost Shark outside of town but I didn’t want to stop just in case. I wanted to call Jonah but my cell hadn’t stop ringing since I started driving. After I lost Shark I slowed down and chanced a look at my cell, Mason had called a couple times but more than half of the calls were from Shark and an unknown number. Which I figured was also from Shark just a different cell, DEA agents probably had two cell phones.

  Driving by Jonah’s house I saw a blue SUV sitting across the street with a man at the wheel, the same car but a different man was also at my apartment, they were waiting for me.

  Mason had stopped calling so I figured Shark and the people he was with had already gotten to Mason and as Jonah hadn’t called at all I feared they had him too which meant they probably had Denny.

  Pulling my car into a middle class housing development I put my car in park and grabbed my cell as it started to ring, unknown caller flashing across the screen.

  Taking a deep breath I picked up the call.

  “Olivia thank fuck where are you?” Shark yelled through the phone.

  “Do you have my boys?”

  “Olivia I need you to tell me where you are right now I had no idea your brother was Nick.”

  “Shut up.”

  “This puts you in danger Olivia.”

  “You’re lying. I trusted you and you lied.”

  “I need to know where you are so I can protect you. Where the fuck are you?” Shark roared down the phone as my door was ripped up.

  My phone fell from my hands as a scream left my throat and a black bag was pushed over my head.

  Chapter 24

  Olivia was running the devil dog Miss Daisy through the wet grass, her long black hair flying around her. I wanted to catch up so I could hold her hand but I didn’t want to give up the view. Yesterday I’d come too close to losing her, so seeing and hearing her having a full conversation with her dog was heaven.

  Hearing the car pulling up al
ong the outside fence I silently cursed them for making me have to give up my view. Jogging towards them as Miss Daisy felt the need to protect Olivia from the dangers of other dogs and people. Despite still being small she thought she could take everyone on just like Olivia.

  Hearing me coming Olivia turned around, a gasp left her mouth as her facial expression turned to complete horror.

  “Olivia?” I asked turning to see what she was looking at.

  Vinnie stood in the middle of the open field.

  What the hell was he doing here?

  Turning back to Olivia a gun going off rang out followed by a high-pitched scream.

  Olivia touched her chest, blood was seeping through the hole in her shirt and covering her hand.

  As her body began to fall towards the ground I ran to her grasping for her body.

  Screaming for her my eyes snapped opened.

  Breathing heavy I blinked several times trying to adjust to the sun lit room. The picture of Olivia bleeding from a bullet wound slammed into me knocking the wind out of me. Franticly I spun around reaching out for her but all I got was an empty spot where she should have been.

  Flying off the bed I sprinted to the bathroom flinging the door open, Olivia gave a small cry from inside the shower that had my heart restarting.

  Not stopping I opened the shower door and pulled a soaking wet Olivia into my arms crushing her against my body. “You scared me.” I whispered into her neck.

  “I scared you?” She whispered back in a breathless voice that went straight to my heart.

  “You weren’t beside me when I woke up.”

  “Jonah you're burning up are you ok?” Olivia asked her voice muffled by my chest.

  I felt like shit but I was ok because Olivia was ok, we were ok, everything was fine.

  “Jonah? Jonah?” Olivia said her voice sounding funny.

  “Yeah baby right here.” I said as the weight of her body left my arms.

  “I don’t know what pisses me off more that you’re dreaming about my Olivia or that you’re bleeding all over my shoes.”

  What the hell?

  Like an earthquake Olivia and the shower shook violently away replaced by a man with dark black hair and baby blue eyes crouched down beside me.

  “Good my boys didn’t kill you. I was getting worried because no one gets to kill you but me.”

  “I know you.” I pushed out my throat so tight it came out just above a whisper.

  “Yes you do but enough about me lets talk about you and your relationship with Olivia.”

  “Stay the fuck away from Olivia.” I spat trying to sit up but failing, I was so cold my fingers were numb, my stomach turned in that going to throw up way and my head hurt so bad my vision was fuzzy and I was bleeding from somewhere on my face.

  Fuck me.

  “How about you stay the fuck away from Olivia because I’ve worked too damn hard to have you mess everything up.”

  “Who are you?” I asked knowing I’d seen his face before I just couldn’t make my mind think straight enough to figure it out where and when.

  “I’m Nick, Olivia’s brother.”

  ****

  The bag was ripped off my head, the bright light stung my eyes making me snap my eyes shut as Vinnie’s awful voice came at me. “Oh Olivia I’m very disappointed in you.” Opening my eyes slowly I found Vinnie standing in front of me and myself tied to a chair in Vinnie’s living room.

  Ahh eff.

  “You should have stayed away from my business Olivia. Now not only do I get to kill you I also get Jonah for the rest of his life.”

  “You kill me Jonah will never stay working for you.”

  “He’ll never know it was me not after he finds out you were poking your nose into the drug world. It’s a dangerous place Olivia people die in it all the time. Plus just today me and Jonah made a deal.” Oh no. “Jonah continues to work for me, no more trying to get out as long as no harm comes to you from me and if harm does come to you from another, I punish them. Now I get Jonah for life and all I have to do is find someone to take the fall for your murder. Win, win for me Olivia dear.”

  “Jonah would never make a deal with you,” I screamed pulling my hands against the rope holding my wrist behind my back so hard I felt the rope rip my skin.

  “You're right Jonah normally wouldn’t do something like that but he would for the person he loves most in this world.”

  “You’ve taken everything he loves you sick bastard.” I yelled tears falling down my face because I knew there would be no rescue. Shark was holding everyone that could or would save me. Vinnie was going to kill me. “Why Vinnie? He's your nephew and you killed his family.”

  “As I’m going to kill you I’ll give you this one. My brother betrayed me working with a fucking cop to take me down after I gave him everything.” Vinnie spat putting his face within inches of mine.

  “You betrayed him first by working with someone from the Russian mob.”

  Surprise flashed across Vinnie’s face before he started to laugh, “You found out quite a bit didn’t you.”

  “Yeah but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know.”

  “And what did sweet Olivia already know?”

  “That you’re the worlds biggest coward.” Vinnie’s eyes flashed dangerously as the back of his hand hit me across the face. “I’m a young woman Vinnie five foot nothing and you’re a grown man who had to tie me to a chair just to get me to listen to your stupid ass. Not to mention you had to kill your own brother because you fucked up by going to someone from the Russian mob.”

  “Look around Olivia does it look like I fucked up with the Russian mob, I’m living the dream. Business is booming, I got more money than I can count and half of Denver is scared of me.”

  “Wrong Vinnie you fucked up big time Mika works for the Russian mob dipshit and the people he works with are on their way.”

  Vinnie’s whole body rocked backwards as his face went bright red he threw his head back and screamed. And as I was going to die anyways I burst out laughing.

  “Shut up.” Vinnie screamed which only made me laugh harder.

  As Vinnie pulled out his phone the guy that had been following me punched me in the mouth. My head flew back as my lips split open and blood pooled into my mouth.

  Throwing his cell across the room Vinnie yelled, “Get me Jonah and Denny now.” Vinnie’s boys started moving as Vinnie stomped toward me, grabbing a handful of my hair he snapped my head back so I was looking up at him. “Tell me everything you know, now.”

  “Go to hell Vinnie.”

  Snarling like a wild dog Vinnie pulled a sliver pocketknife from his pants pocket. The cold mental of the knife bit into my neck causing me to scream out and blood to run free. “Tell me or I turn the small cut I just made into a big one that will cause you to bleed out.”

  Before I could say anything one of Vinnie’s boys came into the room speaking, “Jonah’s missing, Denny's looking for him.”

  Vinnie pulled away from me so fast I felt the knife cut across my skin. “What do you mean Jonah is missing?” Vinnie yelled.

  “Nick’s got him.”

  Nick no not my Nicky please God don’t let it be my Nicky.

  “Where?” Vinnie asked.

  “Some place called the fire house we're trying to find it.”

  Oh God it was my Nicky and he had him at the firehouse my brothers old house, an old fire station that Alex and Nicky had converted into a house. What the hell was Nicky doing with Jonah?

  “Get a lock on that place and have all the boys meet up at the club. I’m done with Nick its time we met face to face.”

  “What about the girl?”

  “Leave her, I want the fear to eat at her for the next couple of hours.” Turning toward me Vinnie looked me straight in the eyes, “Enjoy the last hours of your life Olivia and know that I’m not going to kill you fast it’s going to be slow and very painful.”

  As soon I heard the front door shut a
nd the house turn a deadly quiet, I frantically tried to pull my wrists free. I did this for God knows how long it felt like hours but really I guessed it was less than ten minutes. The cut on my neck was stinging and every time I moved more blood would flow down and my wrists were burning like hell. I didn’t want to give up but I was getting nowhere, I was screwed.

  A loud crash followed by heavy footsteps had me whipping my head towards the door.

  Shit.

  I started franticly pulling at the ropes; I was so focused on what I was doing when the hands touched me I screamed so loud I’m surprised the glass in the room didn’t break.

  The hand on my arm slammed down over my mouth as Shark’s face came in to view and his words for me to be quiet sounded in my ear.

  Once I stopped he immediately started asking questions. “How much do you know about the drug business?” Shark asked moving his hand away from my mouth.

  “What?” I croaked out my throat now added to the list of things that hurts.

  “Vinnie’s business, how much do you know about it?”

  Ah shit he was here to arrest me.

  “Nothing.”

  Sharks eyes flashed as he pulled a small knife much like Vinnie’s only smaller. “Fine, do you know where your brother Nick would take Jonah?”

  “I didn’t even know my brother was in the drug game, Alex yes Nick no.”

  Nodding his head Shark moved around me, “These ropes are tight and you’ve done a number pulling on them. I’m going to cut them off but it’s going to hurt really bad, no matter how bad do not pull away or I will cut you with the knife.” They already hurt like hell I wasn’t sure I could take any more pain. “Answer me Olivia do you understand?”

  “Yeah.” I whispered already cringing.

  Sharks hands were cold against my heated skin, scrunching my eyes shut the ropes started to move. Holy mother of God a nasty pain like a thousands paper cuts shot up my arm causing me to jerk my arms and Shark to cuss. Finally the ropes gave and my hands fell free, pins and needles ran into my fingers making the rope cut hurt worse.