by Posey Parks
“Hello.”
“Good morning, Dom.”
“Dillon.”
“What the fuck crawled up your ass this morning?”
“Shit, that’s what. Dillon, what do you think? I miss my wife.
Dillon’s shoulders relaxed. “I hear you, brother.”
“Last night, I had an hour of FaceTime with her. Even though I jacked off to the sight of her pussy, I’m still grouchy as fuck. I want to see my woman in person.”
“Dominic, in a few days we all will.”
Dillon ran his hand over the nape of his neck.
“All right, Dillon, I’ll talk to you when I wake up.”
“Yeah.”
Dillon ended the call.
“Not sure how long he’ll last without seeing Carmen.”
“Why isn’t Dominic joining us in Chicago?”
Dillon peeked at Brandon. “My brother may go on a killing spree in Chicago if he joins us. All it will take is one or two guys laying a hand on Carmen, and that’s it. Tonight, the only person watching over the ladies is Tone. He’s great at being invisible. We’ll hangout at the penthouse and argue about your cousin's love for the Dallas Cowboys.”
Brandon chuckled. “Sounds good, Dillon.”
“If I need backup, I’ll call you guys. But I’m sure I can handle it.”
The flight to Chicago was short and sweet. I’d take advantage of the time difference and grab a longer nap.
I pulled two gold carts piled high with luggage and hanging garment bags. We didn’t trust anyone with our belongings. You could never be too careful.
I shoved the room key in the door slot, then pushed the tall gold luggage carts inside. Rich cigar smoke lit my nostrils. Stalking inside, my eyes narrowed at the sight before me. Legs spread, relaxed on the blue sofa, one arm stretched across the top, and brown Cole Haan dress shoes shined on his feet. Smoke released from his lips as he clutched the cigar.
The guys fell beside me.
A wide smile curled Dominic’s lips. “What took you fellas so long?”
Dapper as always in a crisp navy suit. He walked toward us.
I gripped his shoulder. “How did you know we were coming to Chicago?”
He smirked to my left at Dillon. “My cousin Sebastian. Real family. I guess you forgot to tell him not to send me the condo info. Good to see you, Brandon.”
“Good to see you too, Dominic.”
He glared at Marco. “I have no words for you either. We are friends.”
“Dom, what the fuck? I had no idea you weren’t coming until we were on our way to the airport.”
Dillon hooked his arm around Dom’s neck, shook his head at Marco, then strolled toward the vast floor to ceiling windows. “Dominic, you fly off the handle sometimes.” He halted and faced him.
Brandon and Marco wheeled their suitcases toward the bedrooms.
I kept my focus on my cousins.
“You can’t rip through the city, dropping bodies right now. You’re running for office in case you forgot.”
“How the fuck could I forget? Between you and dad reminding me every two fucking seconds.” He puffed the cigar and released the sweet-smelling smoke from his lips.
“Why do you think I’d run around killing people?”
“Did you?” Dillon twirled his finger in the air.
“Yeah, my guys swept the place an hour ago.”
“Oh, I see. You slept on the plane.”
“I did.”
“Answer the question, Dillon.”
“The girls are going to a club tonight.”
“And?”
Dillon glanced over his shoulder at us then back at Dom. “They’ll be riding a mechanical bull. You know now that I think about it. She may not last over twenty seconds.”
“You’re telling me, my wife’s body will swing around in a circle, then jerk back and forth for men to feast their eyes on?”
Dillon gruffly rubbed his face. “When you say it like that it sounds dirty. But...” He gripped Dom’s shoulder.
“It doesn’t bother us. Tony will be there in the shadows watching over them.”
Dominic’s lips ticked up at one end. “Tone, come here a sec.”
“Shit,” I muttered and tossed my jacket on the one of four sofas.
“Yeah.” I leaned against the wall dividing the windows.
Dominic moved closer. “If a guy disrespects my wife, I want to know about it. Matter of fact, call me and we can meet. I’ll handle the fucker myself.”
I shook my head. “What the fuck, Dom?” My hand shot out to the side. “Did you listen to anything your brother said?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I heard him. No fucking man will disrespect my wife,” he growled.
“Tone I know your main focus is Nadine, but I’m asking you to let me know if shit goes left. If you plan to take orders from my brother, I’ll send my own men.”
“Not necessary, Dom.” I smacked his chest with the back of my hand.
“Consider it done.”
He slapped Dillon’s face twice. “I love you, big brother. But sometimes you worry too much. If it makes you feel better, I’m invisible while I’m here.”
Dillon gripped the back of Dominic’s neck, pulling him into a hug. “Ok. I love you, baby bro.”
“I know, Dillon.”
“Jacob and Sebastian should be here in two hours. I’ll take a quick nap. We’ll eat dinner around five.”
“Tone, sounds good.” Dillon’s heavy hand landed on my shoulder before he stepped away.
∞
LAUGHING ERUPTED DOWN the hall, shaking me out of my sleep. Brandon wasn’t in the bed across the room. I sat straight up. How long had I been asleep? I jumped up and hopped in the shower.
After slipping into a black suit, I strolled down the hallway. Extreme pieces of colorful art hung on the stark white walls throughout the condo.
Leave it to the movie star to find the most extravagant place to lay our heads for one night.
My brows lowered as I glared between them. “Why did you guys let me sleep so long?”
Dillon sat at the end of one sofa, puffing on a cigar. His hand swayed over his pink tie. “You needed to rest. Besides, the ladies aren’t going to the bar until nine.”
Brandon gripped a low-ball crystal glass filled with scotch, his usual drink of choice. “Why couldn’t we take our wives to dinner before they hit the club?”
I sat beside Dillon, grabbing a cigar from the box on the oval glass coffee table. “Because we aren’t supposed to be here,” I growled.
“Please tell me no one told the wives we were coming to Chicago.” My eyes fell over their faces.
“No, I said nothing to Emoni.” Marco sat in one of three white chairs to my left, blowing smoke O’s dressed in a heather gray suit.
I peeked at Brandon, Dominic, and Dillon. “What about you guys?”
“I’ve been hush, hush. I’d rather surprise Carmen.” He leaned back in his gray suit, showcasing a burgundy tie.
“Dominic?” I palmed my forehead.
“Tony is right. We are supposed to let them have time to themselves.” Dillon pointed his head to the ceiling. The smoke o’s rose.
“Says the guy who weaseled his way into sex on FaceTime with his wife last night.” Dom snickered.
“But hey, I got it.”
Dom dropped his head against the sofa. “We should wake Jacob and Sebastian.” His head turned toward the hallway.
“Speak of the devil.”
Sebastian grabbed Dominic’s hand and hugged him.
He stepped back. “What’s going on guys?” He sat in the chair next to Marco and slapped his shoulder.
I glanced between Sebastian and Dominic.
“Happy you remembered to wear suits on this trip.”
“Tony, I’m not wearing a suit all week. Two times is all you get. I wear suits to the office every day.” He straightened the black lapels.
“A few days during our trip won’t kill
you. Where’s Jacob?”
“He’s in the shower. Jacob made six o’clock reservations at a restaurant up the street. We’ll have a private room so fans won’t know he’s in town. He said he didn’t feel like wearing prosthetics.”
“Understandable. Even though the skin is breathable, I get it. He’d like his friends to see him as himself.” I tapped the thick ash off the end of my cigar over the ashtray.
“They sure come in handy on a mission.” Brandon sipped his scotch.
“Yeah, they do.”
We turned and glanced toward the deep voice.
“Jacob, how nice of you to join us.” I grinned.
Decked to the nines in a dark green suit, he leaned over each of us giving a bro hug.
“It’s so good to see you guys. Getting together while the girls are on their trip was a great idea.” He walked over to the bar.
“Jacob, was it a hassle for you to wear a suit this evening?” I placed the cigar between my lips again.
He poured vodka over a glass of ice.
“No, you know it’s not a big deal. As long as it’s not every day.” Jacob pointed at me.
“See, Tony, Jacob feels the same way I do.”
I shrugged Sebastian off.
Jacob’s fans only knew what he presented on the outside. He was a talented guy who was flawed like the rest of us in this room. Not naturally flawed either. Every man in this room was a trained killer. Well, other than Dominic, he was a natural-born killer. Shit, now that I thought about it, so was Marco. Maybe once we learned the art of killing, it became second nature to us.
“We needed a little male bonding time too,” Dillon chuckled.
“True, Dillon.” Sebastian threw his hand in the air.
“Since you’re making drinks, Jacob, I’ll take a vodka on the rocks too.”
Jacob glared at him; eyebrow arched. “Guys, did he tell you who put Bella to sleep?”
We shook our heads.
“I did it.” He walked over to Sebastian and placed the glass in his hand.
“I thanked you this morning. You just couldn’t help yourself. Who watched the kids earlier yesterday while you were on a call with the studio and the nanny was at the grocery store?”
Jacob rolled his eyes as he brought the glass to his lips.
Dominic walked toward the bar. “Have you guys been bickering the entire time your wives have been away while you two ran daddy daycare?”
We burst into laughter.
Dominic pointed at Marco. He nodded.
“You guys had it rough,” I snickered.
“Did you two really plan to take care of the kids the entire week?” My brow rose.
“Yup.” Jacob gulped the harsh contents as he sat in the chair beside Sebastian.
“The ladies should be here by now. I’ll pull up surveillance on the bus.” I tapped the spy app.
A side image of the bus popped up on the screen. “They’re parked in the RV parking lot near Navy Pier.”
“Is that a safe place?” Brandon grabbed his laptop off the side table.
“I’ll flip on the drone. I want to check their surrounding area. Hold on, I’ll be right back.” Brandon jogged down the hall in his navy suit.
Dillon turned the laptop sideways, allowing us to see the screen.
“Do we agree we’ll let our wives fight their own battles?” I peeked at each of them.
“Samantha will be fine. She lives for action.”
“No, Tone.” Dominic shook his head.
“You know there’s no fucking way I won’t come to my wife’s aid.”
“We trained them. They will be fine. We won’t be that far behind.”
“You should have led with that, Tony.” Dillon walked over to the bar.
Brandon returned, running a cord from his laptop to the TV. “Now everyone should have an excellent view.” He dragged a white chair closest to him a few feet from the seventy-inch screen.
He pressed buttons on the laptop. The top of the bus came into view. Brandon wiggled his fingers over the remote.
“We have visual.”
“Good shit, Brandon.” Jacob sat on the edge of his chair, ogling the screen.
My eyes narrowed. “Are those guys walking toward the bus?”
I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and called Cruise on speaker.
“Hey, Tony, how are you guys doing up there?”
“Good. I have a little situation at the RV park near Navy Pier. I need you and Jasper to drive over and monitor the girls’ surroundings. Don’t let them see you.”
“No problem, Tony. I’ll call you once we arrive.”
“Thanks.” I ended the call and tossed my phone on the glass table.
“The girls parked along the main road. The other RV’s are deeper in the park and clustered together.”
Carmen opened the door.
“Brandon, can we get sound?”
“Yeah.” His finger circled the wheel on the remote control. The drone zipped around the back of the bus, hovering midair at the corner of the motor coach.
“May I help you guys?” She stepped out; desert eagles visible in her shoulder holster.
“Nothing’s sexier than seeing my wife hold her own.” Dominic grinned.
“We were just admiring your bus,” the short pale guy said, dressed in jeans and a black jacket.
“Yeah, it’s a beauty.” The taller, hefty guy stated sporting a buzz cut.
Carmen placed her hand on the butt of her gun. “You fellas can admire all you like from a distance.”
The short guy smiled. “What’s a pretty woman like yourself doing with all that fire power? Those weapons were made for strong men.”
She yanked the guns from her holster. The guys took two steps back.
“I love a gun with bite.” She held one of the guns at eye level, admiring the muzzle.
“Is that a silencer?” The hefty guy's dark eyes widened.
“It is. Would you like to find out what noise the gun makes? Maybe it’s a loud pip, or it’s so quiet the only sound heard is your body hitting the ground.”
Their shaky hands flew in the air. “No, that’s all right,” the short guy stated.
Carmen laughed. “Ok, have a good evening.” She walked back on to the bus.
“Watch this.” Brandon tapped a button and flew the drone toward the guys. “You heard what the lady said, fucking beat it.”
The guys sprinted toward the front of the RV park.
We fell back, bursting into laughter.
I extended my hand toward the screen. “Carmen, put them in their place. See, we can hang back.”
They grumbled, nodding as they stood.
CHAPTER EIGHT
TONY
MOBSTER
BRANDON PARKED THE drone on top of the bus. Jacob glanced down at his phone and cursed under his breath.
My brow wrinkled. I knew it wasn’t Samantha calling. She sent his calls to voicemail. Besides, he’d be eager to speak to her. Jacob sauntered down the hall. I followed at a distance, then walked into my room across from his.
Jacob peered out the window. “I’m on vacation.”
I may have eavesdropped a little.
“There’s no need for us to read lines together. Listen Cassey, I understand you’re new on the show. Read with a set assistant.” He sighed.
“In two weeks. We aren’t having drinks together. Don’t view our relationship any different from what it is. We’re colleagues, that is all. Nothing more. Why? What the fuck do you mean, why?” He pounded his fist on the window.
“I’m married. My wife is the only woman who’ll get my time. It’s a shame?” His voice rose an optimum. “We can end this conversation right now. Don’t call back. Once I return make sure you’re ready to film. Shit.”
I glanced across the hall. Guess he ended the conversation with the actress. I shoved my Glock into my shoulder holster, then halted at the threshold of his room.
“Everything all right?”
“No.” His head thudded the wall, staring at the ceiling. “Another woman wants to be more than my co-star. I only want Samantha. Our family means the world to me. Sometimes I think about ending the career I love. Just so I don’t have to worry about my wife killing another woman who’s obsessed with me.” He sat in the chair near the window.
“Have you told Samantha you thought about quitting, again?”
“Not as of late. She wouldn’t hear of it in the past. Maybe I’ll speak with her.”
“We both know she doesn’t want you to end your career. After five years, she might be open to the idea.”
He hung his head, wringing his hands. His eyes bore a hole in the floor. “If Samantha finds out about Cassey, she’ll torment and kill her. I don’t want Cassey at all.”
I sat on the bed. “Jacob, I know that. Sometimes women sense you’re in a good place in your relationship and find it challenging to pursue you. I have a similar situation I’m dealing with. Eventually I have to tell Nadine. The conversation won’t go over well.”
Jacob peeked up at me. “Wait, the country star...” He snapped his fingers. “Rayleign. She hasn’t given up on you yet?”
“No.”
“Shit, now I feel guilty for asking you to assist us in L.A. with security.”
“Jacob, it’s not your fault. You aren’t in the wrong about your costar coming on strong. If you weren’t famous, another woman would beg you to fuck her. And just think I’m not famous and Rayleign’s begging to have sex with me.” I threw my arms up.
We laughed.
“Tony, thanks. You’re like a big brother to me and Brandon.”
“You guys are my family. Don’t ever forget that.”
Jacob grinned as he rose. “I won’t.”
My heavy hand landed on his shoulder as we walked toward the hall. “What would possess you to hang up on Samantha?” I buttoned my suit jacket as we made our way toward the living room.
He shook his head. “Stupidity.”
“Yeah, had to be.”
“Seriously, I’ve asked her to stop taking birth control so she could get pregnant with our fourth child. She avoided the subject. She’d fuck me longer or work it just right so I’d forget I asked. One day I said forget it. Decided maybe we’d only have three children. Then your friend told me she wanted to have a baby after she arrived in New Jersey. I don’t know why, but that pissed me off.”