by Allen, Sara
Both Kelly and Sydney worked together to get the duo to one of the many hotels in the area under fake names. Once they made it to the safe house undetected, they were guarded by a private, out-of-state security firm to help ensure their safety.
Now with Megan and TJ secure, Sydney went to work on finding out who Mr. Blackwell truly was.
***
Sydney was still at her office. It was after ten at night, and she was nowhere near finished researching who Mr. Blackwell was. She worked another couple of hours when the clock struck midnight; the chime could be heard throughout the empty office, but Sydney was still hard at work.
Sydney was exhausted; not being able to see Marco everyday was affecting her more than she anticipated. She knew she missed him and she would eventually get over their argument, but he had to earn her trust again, even though she knew where he was coming from. She still didn’t like the idea of him keeping secrets. They would need to come to an understanding on how to deal with information they couldn’t tell each other and keeping their trust in one another.
Sydney didn’t need to think any more about Marco, however. With Megan’s case, her stress level was through the roof. She decided as soon as she finished helping Megan, she was definitely taking that much needed vacation.
An hour later, Sydney was in the building elevator heading to the parking garage. At this time of night, the building was dark and empty, and the parking garage would be equally dark and very eerie. Sydney shuttered at the thought. Why she stayed after Sam left when she could’ve just did the research at home, she would never know. In the end, it was worth it because Sydney had found out who Blackwell was. Megan was right; Blackwell was a fixer of sorts. He was definitely Thomas Moore’s go-to guy for any problems he needed to have solved. Any questions that seemed to be raised concerning Moore’s business or even personal life somehow vanished before they gained any traction. The only connection Sydney was able to find with Megan’s help was the outgoing of funds to an off shore account that had dates that coincided with the problem being solved. Blackwell himself was another problem though. Because like another man in her life, there was hardly any trace of him anywhere. She knew what she had to do, but calling for Marco’s help wasn’t something she wanted to do. However, she made a promise to help and that’s exactly what she was going to do.
As Sydney hurriedly walked to her car, she sensed that she wasn’t alone, but after looking around, she didn’t see anyone. Her hair on her arms seemed to be standing on end, and she didn’t like the feeling. This was the first time that she felt unsafe in the three years that she’d worked in this building.
Sydney exited the elevator and reached in her purse to retrieve her keys. She held them out, ready to open her door with her finger already on the key fob. She remembered in a self-defense class that she took once that the instructor told them to always have your keys out and ready and to hold them like a weapon just in case an attacker is waiting for you. Ever since that class, Sydney was always mindful of her surroundings. Sydney’s stiletto’s clacked against the concrete floor of the silent garage. The lights flickered on and off, making a low buzzing sound as if she was in some sort of horror film.
When Sydney heard a noise, she looked around without stopping while quickening her pace.
She thought to herself, I will not be the silly bitch that falls while running from the monster with the machete. Get it together, Syd. You’ve walked this garage a million and one times.
She took a deep calming breath when she made it to her car. Just as she unlocked it and reached for the handle, a big masked man came into view in her driver side window! Her eyes went wide and she let out a blood curdling scream that was cut off when the man’s hand holding a cloth came up and locked over her mouth. His other hand held a weapon that she couldn’t see.
“Shhh. Don’t struggle….”
Sydney fought against her instincts to do just that…struggle. Her mind was racing and her body was tight with fear.
The masked man spoke again. “He’s watching us…and you have to close your eyes and pretend to pass out. Otherwise, we are both dead.”
Wait…I know that scent; that manly woodsy smell I love so much, and I know that voice….Marco??? What in the holy hell is going on? Sydney’s thoughts raced, but she followed Marco’s directions and relaxed her body, falling into his arms.
***
Marco caught Sydney in his arms. His left hand held, not a weapon, but a device to call his guy, Frank. The wheels of the white van Frank was driving screeched as he quickly stopped in front of Sydney’s car. Marco jumped in with Sydney and they sped away, making it look like a successful kidnapping.
Once they were in the van and some ways away from the parking garage, Sydney sat up, staring at Marco like he was some kind of mad man. He had removed the mask and she took in his disheveled hair and his five o’clock shadow. He looked sexy as hell, and she missed him, but she needed to know what in the world was happening.
“Marco, what the hell?!” Sydney yelled.
“I’m sorry that I scared you, Bella Donna, but I couldn’t tell you what I had planned. It had to look real, like you were really being snatched from your job.”
“I am so confused right now,” Sydney said shaking her head. “I feel like I’m in a Liam Neeson movie…I need answers from you!” Sydney responded in a raised voice.
Marco responded in one word. “Blackwell.”
Chapter 14
Frank drove them to a small cabin at Lake Texoma. Marco often used this place as a getaway, and only he and Frank knew about it. Not even Mel knew exactly where the cabin was located. Once they arrived, Frank dropped them off and headed out to ditch the van and go back to the office.
Marco had the cabin stocked with supplies, although he wouldn’t be staying for long. He was checking the cabin when he came face to torso with a petite vixen with her hands on her hips. Marco looked down into the face of the smooth, mocha beauty that he missed so much.
“Bella Donna…I missed you,” Marco said as he rubbed his hand down Sydney’s lovely face.
“Don’t you Bella Donna me,” Sydney replied, but she still leaned into his touch, wanting to feel his masculine hands against her soft skin.
Marco smiled inwardly, knowing he was breaking down her walls….walls regretfully that he himself help to erect.
“Sweetheart…I know you don’t have a clue as to what’s going on or where we are, but I promise to explain it to you…I promise you will see it was for the best this way.”
Sydney sighed. “Okay, let’s sit…Lay it on me, big guy…What the hell is happening?”
Marco just got straight to the point. “You were being followed by Ron Blackwell. He’s a man of many talents, but is best known for making problems…disappear. He, like myself, is known for his discretion and is very hard to find. He’s had you under surveillance for at least a month, maybe longer.”
“But why? Why is he following me and not Megan?” Sydney asked in confusion.
“So you know who he is?” Marco asked curiously.
Sydney nodded as he said, “Good…at least Megan didn’t keep that from you,” Marco mumbled to himself. “Blackwell is a hired gun. He only does what he’s paid to do. Moore must want his wife alive, that’s why he had Blackwell following you, and not her anymore. He wanted to hurt you. If something happened to you, Megan wouldn’t be brave enough to go to anyone else for help, and she would fall in line.”
Sydney suddenly felt like she was freezing from the inside out, even though it was May in Texas. “So I was in some sort of danger; that’s why the theatrical pickup was necessary.” Sydney was trying to lighten up the tension that had suddenly filled the room.
Marco gave her a small smile. “Baby, I know you’re scared, but I told you I would do anything to protect you, and I meant that. Blackwell is a dangerous man, and he needs to be put out of business. Frank has been tailing Blackwell, and we felt that he was about to make a move; especially since y
ou have so much evidence to support Megan’s abuse claim. So yeah…we had to make the ‘theatrical pickup’, as you so eloquently stated.”
Sydney nodded, taking in all of what Marco was saying. She had never in her life dealt with anything like this.
Marco continued, trying to gage Sydney’s reaction while he spoke. “Thomas Moore has way more problems than his wife wanting custody of his son. A friend of mine at the DA’s office let me know that he is about to be indicted; another friend of mine, a detective at the Metro police department, is investigating Moore and Blackwell’s prior dealings. He’s the one that let me know that Blackwell had been spotted in town…at the Haley House Domestic Violence Center.”
“So he followed me to the center?”
“He followed you everywhere…which was one of the reasons I was driving you everywhere.”
Sydney’s eyebrows rose high in surprise. “I thought you were just being polite…and you wanted to get to know me better.” Sydney’s shoulders slumped, and her head lowered at the realization that maybe she was the only one with true intentions of getting to know Marco.
Marco hooked his fingers under Sydney’s chin, lifting her head up to look him in the eyes. “Yes, Bella Donna, I was being polite, and I wanted to get to know you better. Blackwell just gave me the reason I needed to do it without feeling like a perv for wanting to be around you all the time.” Marco gave Sydney a megawatt smile.
“I love spending time with you, and the more I got to know you, the more I knew that I would do anything to make you mine. You. Are. Mine….Nobody will hurt you…That I promise.”
Sydney was captivated by his hypnotic hazel gaze. She knew what he was saying was true, and he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her, but she was reluctant to let go of her heart again.
“Bella Donna…You know I speak the truth, right?” Marco questioned.
“Yes, I know, but we can’t keep secrets that’s going to hurt one another. My mind knows that it was your job, but my heart can’t take it,” Sydney told him sincerely.
“I know, baby, and I am truly sorry. It wasn’t my intention to hurt you, and it won’t happen again.”
Sydney sighed loudly. “Okay, I guess I can let it go….as long as you don’t do anything like that again.”
Marco smiled. “I promise.”
“Well, alright t…I mean, I have never been a person that holds grudges…and I’ve missed you terribly this past week,” Sydney said smiling as she wrapped her arms around Marco’s neck.
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Amore Mio.”
Marco straightened to his full 6’4” height, sliding Sydney up his muscular lithe body as he stood. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him like she had never kissed him before. He took in her tantalizing taste as their tongues wrestled for dominance. His hands moved from her waist to squeeze her ample ass. He massaged and rubbed her round supple globes as he walked towards the bedroom in the cabin.
Sydney moaned into Marco’s mouth. She loved the way his hands roamed her body, touching every part of her and setting her skin on fire. She was so hot for this man that she couldn’t think straight. All she knew was she wanted him…badly. Sydney stopped kissing Marco long enough to catch her breath and look into his eyes.
He took in her kiss swollen lips and tousled hair, and he grew even harder in his relaxed fit jeans. Marco moaned his appreciation as he wrapped her hair around his hand, pulling her head back so he could kiss her down her neck and suck on her pulse point. He licked back up to her earlobe and behind it to the spot that he knew would give her chills. She shivered and groaned her approval of his ministrations.
He stood her on her feet and stripped off her purple wrap dress. This time, he was able to leave the sky high heels she wore on her feet. She stood in her matching purple bra and panties, and he knew he was, not only in lust, but in love with this woman.
Sydney bent to unstrap her heels when Marco stopped her.
“No, Bella, leave them,” he said in a husky lust-filled voice.
Sydney left on her shoes as Marco stripped her naked and then himself. He dropped to his knees and pleasured her with his tongue. He spread her legs as he got between them. Dipping his tongue in and out of her core while simultaneously rubbing her clit with his nose, Sydney was swiveling her hips to the rhythm he made with his mouth. She came quickly as he held her by the waist, pumping in and out of her with his long tongue.
Marco swiftly sheathed his manhood and slipped into home. He was standing with her legs wrapped around him. He slid her up and down his cock with a fierce passion of lost lovers. They were only apart for a little over a week, but it felt like forever to Marco being without his Bella Donna. And to know that some paid psycho was watching her made him see red. He wanted to make sure that she knew that she was his, and he was hers.
Sydney could feel Marco putting his mark on not just her body but her heart. He rolled and flexed his hips in a way that he had never done before. Since the first time they had sex, they had been going at it like rabbits until their argument, but this time was different, and they both knew it.
“Oh, baby, you feel so fuckin’ good,” Marco groaned as he stroked in and out of Sydney’s wet heat. “Can you feel how hard I am? Huh? Can you feel what you do to me?” Marco was moving in and out, picking up the pace with each question. All Sydney could do was hold on and pant, trying her best not to pass out in pure ecstasy.
Marco lifted her higher, putting her legs in the crook of each arm and leaning her against the wall.
“You need to cum for me, baby…Cum for daddy.” Marco sucked on Sydney’s bottom lip as it began to shake, a sure sign of her oncoming release.
“Yes, daddy, give it to me.” Sydney panted, then she began to moan her release. She came hard while Marco pumped into her.
Marco growled his release. He could still feel Sydney clenching and unclenching around his manhood. He could feel how her body still quivered as she came down from her orgasm.
“Amore Mio,” Marco whispered into Sydney’s sweat soaked hair. “My love.”
Chapter 15
Ron Blackwell sat in his car stunned into silence. He couldn’t believe that someone got the jump on him and snatched Sydney Hamilton before he got the chance. He couldn’t even get back to his car in time to follow the obviously stolen white van that picked her up.
Shit! How could this happen? To me of all people?
Blackwell slammed his fist against the hood of his dark sedan as he grabbed his cell and dialed a number. He was the best at what he did, so how did he not know someone else was looking to snatch her? He had to call Moore and let him know what went down. There was only two possible answers to this conundrum; Bradford Murray or Marco Bellomi.
When he heard the line pick up, Blackwell immediately barked, “Moore, shit hit the fan. Meeting place in twenty.”
Then he disconnected the call before Moore even said a word.
****
Thomas Moore looked wide eyed at the detective that had answered his phone.
How could Ron Blackwell be so stupid? He knew to only call me on my burner phone. We have been working together for almost fifteen years, and Blackwell has never made a colossal fuck up like this. Of course I got rid of the burner as soon as I caught wind of the investigation against me. Now, because of this idiot, I will have to do some very fast covering up.
Moore shook his head, his façade of being unfazed cracking slightly.
“So you want to explain that call?” Detective Wells asked.
“I will wait for my attorney,” Moore responded in a snooty tone as he looked the detective over as if he were beneath him.
“Suit yourself, but just to let you know, that call was the final nail in your coffin. We finally have a solid connection to you and Ron Blackwell. So would you like to talk and make a deal before we find him, or continue to wait for your attorney?” Detective Wells asked with a smirk on his handsome, caramel c
olored face.
“Hmmph. I’ll continue to wait…alone,” Moore responded.
“Again…suit yourself.”
The detective left the interrogation room. He was now watching his suspect through the two-way mirror. He could hardly believe that after seven years of investigating the scum in a suit, Blackwell had finally slipped up. Letting Cindy Collins live was his first mistake. She had proof of everything that went down between the two of them. She had waited until the perfect moment to tell everything she knew. Cindy refused to let his threats keep her down, and she was determined to get revenge for the beating Thomas gave her all those years ago. Another mistake was how he underestimated his estranged wife and her tough as nails lawyer. But the biggest mistake of them all was overlooking a woman scorned.
***
Blackwell had been waiting for ten minutes with no sign of Moore. He hated waiting on people, especially in a dire situation such as this.
Where the hell is he? Blackwell thought to himself as he punched the redial button on his smart phone.
Moore’s phone rang several times before disconnecting, the voicemail didn’t even pick up. He knew there was something fishy going on, which was his cue to leave.
Blackwell put out the cigarette he was smoking and started walking back to his car. It was time he left the city of Dallas -hell, maybe even the state of Texas altogether- and go somewhere warm, maybe Mexico or maybe even further south. He knew that it was time to get the hell out of dodge, but before he left, he had some loose ends to tie up, starting with Marco Bellomi.
***
Marco and Sydney had passed the weekend making up. They spent most of their time naked and wrapped in each other’s arms. But Marco knew he had to put the second part of his plan in motion and that Sydney was not going to like it.