“If you've left a mark on that car…”
“You'll kill me. I've heard it before.”
He nodded at me. “Who's the girl?”
“Just some broad I picked up. A man's got needs, you know. That long in the slammer? I’ve got business to attend to.”
“Man, I’ve been there. Eighteen months was enough for me to miss pussy more than anything. I’d eat that shit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if it was up to me.”
“It's been four years, Marco. You still haven't found somebody to stick around with?”
He shrugged. “Not a lot of girls can handle this.”
I slapped him on the shoulder. “I missed you, man.”
He gave me a look of disgust. “I'm not going to fucking hug you. Besides your dad is all over my ass about getting you back to the office. So it wouldn't surprise me if he also had another person watching us. The last thing I need is for any of the eligible women that I haven't fucked to think I play for the other team.”
I let out a loud laugh. “You got it. Lead on, my friend.”
Marco got into a black SUV that was parked right in front of my car. I followed him out of the alley and down toward the west side of town. I breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled into the back of the strip club. Home. It may not look like much to some, but to me, it was all I’d ever known.
I got out of my car and walked in the back entrance. I snuck a peek at the strip club, seeing that they’d done some upgrades. It no longer looked like something out of an eighties porn set. “Bringing in the higher-end clientele yet?”
Marco shrugged. “You know that's not where your father's focus has been. That was your dream, and when you left, it kinda died. But they did do the remodel you suggested.”
A small smile stretched across my lips. At least my father believed in me enough to do that.
We walked down the back staircase and into the office below. The earthy scent of cigars wafted over me and I was met with dark wood paneling on all four walls. Gaudy chandeliers hung from every corner. My mother's take on Italian taste at its best. I wondered if the painting of the naked cherub was still right behind my father's desk. I stifled a small laugh. But before I could check, I saw a little Italian woman come running at me with her arms spread.
“Oh Luka!”
I smiled at her. “Mama. How are you?”
As I embraced her, I remembered that she only came up to my chest. She was such a tiny little woman, but that didn't mean that she wasn't as fierce as they come. I’d seen what my mom could do to people. She was hard-core.
“I'm fine, I'm fine. How are you, my son? Did they treat you terribly? Are you hungry? I'm sure you're hungry. I'll go upstairs and cook you something. I just made a new pot of gravy.”
“Mama, I'm fine.”
“You're skinny! They feed you nothing in that jail! I'll be back.”
She reached up to give me a kiss. She laid her right hand on my cheek before hustling up the stairs. Marco was trying to hide his laugh.
“How much lipstick is on me?”
He offered me a handkerchief. “More than the broad at your apartment left on you.”
I shook my head and wiped vigorously as I saw my father and two other men that I did not know stand from the table in the back corner. I knew better than to think that they would approach me. I'd always come to them; it was a way of demonstrating my respect. I unbuttoned my jacket and strode over to them. I extended my hand to the other two gentlemen, and then made my way to my father.
“My son returns. It's good to have you back, Luka.”
He kissed me on either side of the cheek and then sat back down. “Your mother already going to get you something to eat? She could hardly contain herself.”
I laughed. “Of course she is. I expect there to be spaghetti and meatballs in front of me in less than ten minutes.”
The other two men at the table nodded and laughed. “I don't think we've been properly introduced.”
My father extended his arm. “These two thugs? This is Armani and this is Gino. Friends of the family.”
“Pleasure to meet you both, I'm sure.”
The first man, Armani, spoke. “We were actually just leaving. We'll let you two get back to the reunion. Prison’s nasty business. Hated the place myself, except the ice cream. Damn good ice cream.”
Marco made a face at me as he escorted the two men out.
“So Pops, tell me what's been going on. I've been gone for a while.”
“That you have, my son. But doing time for the family is an honor, isn't it? Protecting those we love?”
I nodded solemnly. “Of course. Anything for the family.”
“Good. I have a job for you. Armani was just telling me about how his business has been suffering. And when his business suffers, we all suffer.”
“What's the business?”
“He owns a set of butcher shops.”
“Pops, this man does not need help with meat. Get to the point.”
“Are you in such a hurry? Ready to get back to that piece of ass in your apartment?”
“Maybe I do. But that's not what this is about. You don't keep me in the dark about business, you never have. Don't try to protect me just because I went to jail. I've done my time, I'm not giving up on the family. So don't try to hide things from me.”
“Fine, fine. On the front end, he deals with meat, on the side, he deals with arms. Weapons, rifles mostly, a few grenades here and there.”
Arms dealing? That had never been our family’s thing. We were a money-laundering scheme, top to bottom. Every once in a while, we helped somebody out with muscle that was running drugs, but weapons? They were so messy, not up to our caliber of business. Not to mention that the payout wasn't always worth the pain.
“Weapons, Pops? Really? Have things gotten that desperate since I've been gone? I gave you advice about how to run this place better. About how to bring in high rollers. All those guys in the casino Marco works with. You can make a killing off of them.”
He slammed his fist on the table. “I made this choice for the family when you weren't here. And now I have to make good on my word.”
I clenched my teeth together. “Fine, I get it. What do you need me to do?”
He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, looking more relaxed. It was all about respect to him. Sure, I was his son, but I was more muscle to him than anything else. Muscle that he could control because of our blood ties.
“I need you to clean up the little shit that’s been bothering him. He’s been taking some of his clients, and he needs to be taught a lesson. I sent Marco to deal with him a few months ago, but apparently that wasn't enough. He's back at it and even tried to steal from Armani recently. I need you to handle him.”
“I've been out of jail one day and you need me to kill some piece of shit?”
He lifted his hands and shrugged. “I understand your annoyance, it hasn't even really been one day. You don't have to do it right now, just watch him. Make sure he’s not making any big moves. Would that make you feel better?”
I had just promised Vienna that I wouldn't get involved in anything that would get me put away again. I was such a fucking liar. I knew the moment I said that, I wouldn’t be able to fully keep that promise. At least I'd been honest with her about how dangerous I was, and how I would always do anything to keep her safe. I was two sides of one dirty coin. I wondered if she really knew what she was getting involved in.
I was a monster. But I had a duty to do.
“Fine. I'll start watching him tomorrow. I've got other shit I have to do today.”
“You want a weapon? In case he steps out of line?”
“No, I’ve got my knife. And my fists. That's all I need.”
“You can dump him off at the docks, son. Our clean up crew can take care of it from there.”
“Pops, give the kid a chance, will ya?” But I knew he was right. I would find something on this kid. I’d end him in the end.
He put his hand on my shoulder. “It's good to have you back, my son. We missed you.”
Just then, my mother bustled toward us with a plate full of homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Exactly what I had expected. She sat down next to us at the table, and we didn't talk business anymore—it wasn’t allowed over family meals. It was as if our past conversation never happened. I just ate dinner and listened to my parents bicker like the old married couple they were.
It was moments like this that I felt like we were a normal family.
Sometimes, I even believed it.
9
Vienna
I turned my body to the side and reached for him. “Luka?” But as my hand felt the satiny sheets beneath my fingers, I didn't feel the warmness of his flesh. When he didn't reach out to touch me, I rolled over completely and found a handwritten note and a wad of cash. What the hell? I slammed my head back into the pillow and let out a frustrated groan. Jesus, he sure knew how to make a girl feel good. I wasn't some tramp he could just give money to. But then I read the note.
I want to see you when I get home.
I love you.
Luka
A love note? Maybe prison really had reformed him. The Luka I knew was the type to have sex and split, not really caring about the girl in his sheets. This note reminded me of what he said earlier. How he would protect me and keep me safe. About how this time was different, how we would be together. He promised not to make any decisions within the family that would hurt us. Nothing that would get him sent away again. And because I was stupid, I believed him.
But shit. How the hell was I supposed to complete my job now? I wasn’t supposed to fall for him. Roberto would kill me. I looked around me, I was lying in Luka’s bed. The man who may have killed my father. I couldn’t fall in love.
I shook my head in disgust. Did I really even want to do this job anymore? Given how I felt about Luka, how I always felt about him, I didn’t think that my heart would let me get the revenge I craved in the past. I knew I couldn’t pin all my anger on him anymore. Maybe I could stay and prove everyone wrong. Maybe Luka was innocent in all this.
Maybe I had been wrong.
I wanted to be.
But I couldn’t be sure. And that terrified me. So I did the only thing I could.
I ran.
I put on the clothes that I'd worn at the diner the day before. Luckily, it wasn’t a real uniform, just a black skirt and white blouse. My boss, as obnoxious as he was, deserved a phone call. I had overslept and missed my shift. I needed to get my job back, mostly I needed time. I had to create a new plan. This one had obviously failed. I fished my cell phone out of my back pocket and called the diner number.
“Jack? It's me, Vienna. Listen, I know I missed my shift today…”
“You don't have a job now because of it.”
“But I need this job. I’m really sorry. I mean it was only this once!”
He didn't even respond, and when I looked down at my phone, I realized he had already hung up.
Shit. That was the only real thing I had left. Everything else was a lie. My whole life here was fake. I lied to Luka when I told him that I was making something out of my life. The truth was, I was barely making it. I hardly had an apartment to go back to. Just some little studio spot that I found on Craigslist. But there were a few things there from my past. Things I needed, pieces of my life that I couldn’t just abandon.
My brain was spinning. I had to leave. I had to get out of this apartment and figure out what I would do next. I needed to call Roberto.
And there was Leah. I had to call her and explain what was going on, that I had lost my job. She had always been there for me.
I grabbed the rest of my things, which wasn’t much, and was about to dial a cab company when I realized I had no idea where I actually was. I opened up the maps app on my phone and was luckily able to figure out the address fairly easily. I called a cab company next, and they told me that it would only be about fifteen minutes before they showed up.
I sat down on the bed, and for the first time since we came in, I actually looked around and took in my surroundings. Luka had captivated all my thoughts from the moment I entered his car.
Luka’s apartment was just one bedroom, but of course, it was lavishly decorated. Exposed brick walls gave it a harshness that fit Luka’s personality, but the oversized bedspread that matched the white curtains were definitely a touch of his mother's style. I wondered if she had redecorated while he was in prison. Everything seemed so clean and put together. I got up from the comfortable bed and headed into the large open area that was the living room and the kitchen.
The kitchen had all stainless steel appliances and white quartz countertops. The floor was white tile to match. I opened up the refrigerator and was not surprised to find it stocked full of food. That was certainly his mother’s doing. I laughed slightly at all of the Tupperware containers filled with what I was sure was amazing, home cooked Italian meals. I grabbed a water bottle and an orange and walked down the steps to the street. I gently pulled at the label on the water bottle while I waited for the cab.
I was leaving the man I potentially loved. But I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want to break again. I wouldn’t let someone tear me apart. Not like I had been when my mother died. I could never love anyone like that again. I just wasn’t built that way.
I pulled my phone out and dialed Leah’s number, she would help me, I knew she would. “Leah?” I asked as she answered the call.
“Yes? Vienna, what’s wrong?”
“I need to stay with you for a while, is that okay? I gotta lay low.”
“Of course sweetie, you okay? Did something happen?”
“More like someone.”
“Say no more.”
I knew she would understand. I hung up as the cab arrived and I gave him instructions to my old apartment. It was about a twenty-minute drive from where we were. I gave him some extra cash to keep the tab running.
“I won't be long. And then I need to move on.”
He nodded to me as he lit up a cigarette, hanging his hand out the window. “Fine by me. You’re the one with the money, lady.”
I was. That was a new feeling. The money Luka had left for me would pay my way until I figured out what to do. I remembered having everything as a child, wanting for nothing. My mother and I lived in some big, beautiful home downtown, and we had a driver. But now? I had the keys and the cell phone that were in my hands. My wallet was in my back pocket, and a few mementos of my childhood were sitting in my small studio apartment. Everything else was gone.
As I used the key to unlock the three locks I had on my door, I realized that there would be certain things I would never have to be fearful of again. I would never spend the night alone, wondering if my electric would get turned off. Luka and the family would make sure of that. In that sense, I was finally protected.
I grabbed an old duffel bag that I had in my closet and I collected a few things around my bedroom. I just needed the basics. Some deodorant and perfume that I had gotten as a Christmas present from a friend, a picture from my 21st birthday, and then finally, my locket. I held the silver chain in my hands as I admired the engraving. I had seen it so many times before, but every time it felt new to me. I put the chain around my neck, clasped it, and let the delicate heart sit just above my own. It had been my mother's. I had taken it off of her lifeless body before the paramedics removed her. It was the only thing I had left of her. And I thought for the longest time that it would be the only thing I would have that would remind me of that past life, but apparently I was wrong. Now I had Luka too.
I fought back tears as I looked in the decrepit mirror that hung across from my bed. A kitchenette sat right next to it, but there was nothing there that I needed to take with me. I'd only put a curtain up around the toilet in the sink and shower; there weren’t even walls in this place. As I looked around and chewed my lower lip, I realized that this would only buy me
so much time. Luka would come looking for me, and I needed to figure out how to protect my heart before then. If I was going to complete this job for Roberto, I couldn’t love Luka. Those two things just didn’t work together.
But there was a battle raging in my heart, and Luka was still winning.
10
Luka
My mother went back upstairs to clean up the dishes. Our family moment was over. A part of me hated to see it end. My father drummed his fingers on the wooden table, assessing me, and I could tell he was getting impatient with our family bonding. He hated getting emotional with me. Sometimes, I felt he only treated me like a son to appease my mother.
“You know, we appreciate the time you spent serving the family.”
I nodded at him, still wiping my face off with a cloth napkin. “I know. There was a job to do, and I did it. It's as simple as that. Pops, no need to thank me.”
“You're right, I don't. But I should. I couldn't let them take her, you know that. She knew too much. She was a part of this family. I don't know why all of a sudden they took an interest in her.”
“I didn’t get it either. It all seemed so immediate, so messy.”
“It just didn't make any sense. After all that time? Why would he want her? Why would he want either of them? I mean, she didn't even know her father. And Maria? She left that drunken bastard years before.”
“I thought he left her.”
“Well, that's the way she told the story. Your mother and I knew her back then, and she left him. But it was because she needed to get out. She feared for her baby’s safety.”
My fists balled at my sides. I attempted not to rip the napkin right in half, but I settled down and placed my hands back down in my lap. I wouldn't let anyone hurt her.
“I bet Vienna wouldn't even remember him, not that she should. Poor child. Sometimes I think your mother worries about her. Wondering where she is. We never did find out what happened to her back then.”
Beauty and the Billionaire Boss: A Bad Boy Romance Page 14