Hearts of Darkness: A Valentine's Day Bully Romance Collection

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  That made me bristle at his command.

  “I’m not anybody’s. I’m my own. No one own’s me.” My glare should have cut him to pieces but he only guffawed at my assessment.

  My hands curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I wanted to slap him but not a good idea while he drove.

  Somehow I would need to get away from Carlos as well but my money was in the backpack in my car. “I need my car.”

  “We can’t stop there. It’s too far in the opposite direction.” He argued mildly.

  With me he had only been gentle but being a mafia kingpin I knew he could be as harsh and controlling as they can be. Murder was not an unpleasant word in their vocabulary.

  “I want my own life.” I wanted to try and make him see reason as we drew closer to Denver.

  “Married to me you will have as much as your own as you possibly could.”

  “I want to finish my education.” I argued, pissed at his dominating attitude.

  “What do you want to do? You can finish on line I’m sure.”

  Everything I said he had an answer for except the main one. “I don’t want to marry you.”

  The silence hung heavy between us. I think maybe he hadn’t considered that.

  “You either marry me or go back to your father and he’ll marry you to someone else. I’m really not so bad.” Carlos glances my way for a second with a big toothy grin on his face before he concentrated on the road again. He made me so angry I wanted to hit him.

  I leaned back in the seat burying myself my arms crossed in front as I thought about what he said. I wanted to experience the whole college way but I had never been without money before. I don’t think I would like to be poor. How would I buy food? An apartment? Pay bills? How do you go about getting a job without skills? Besides, what kind of classes would I take at school? I did like to work with flowers and plants.

  Huh. Maybe he was right?

  “When we get back after I take care of this mess maybe tomorrow we can look at on line universities or you could do that tonight and see what interests you and tomorrow we could look together? How does that sound?” His suggestion was real as if he wanted to spend time with me. As if he would be interested in me. But now I’m back in a full circle. I wanted to do this on my own. I didn’t want to be married.

  “I don’t want you to take care of things for me. I want to experience life. Get a boyfriend my age. Have a job.”

  “Mi amour. That’s all well and good but it’s not going to happen. You were kidnapped twice already, someone will try again. You are a salable commodity on the black market. The Italian Mafia mobster’s only daughter. You would be worth a lot to blackmail. You are precious.” His voice was gentle again.

  Shoved forward the straps of my shoulder harness caught me, the straps bit into my shoulders and chest as a loud crunching entered my ears. Throwing a glance to Carlos his face now glowering as he risked a glare behind us our car being hit from behind again.

  Carlos studied the empty road ahead of us a two lane road as he clomped his foot in the gas pedal we jumped forward at a high rate of speed but were unable to escape our tail. They dogged us as we flew along the state road just barely staying ahead of them. Whoever they were.

  “They don’t have the kind of car I have Ginevra. I’m going to have to suddenly go off-roading because they’re going to do something desperate soon and I don’t want an innocent to get hurt. Brace yourself on that strap up there and the dash.” Carlos ground out his hands steady on the wheel his eyes hard on the road in front of us.

  He must have X-ray vision because he whipped the wheel to the left swerving into the opposite lane bouncing onto the uneven lane. You couldn’t call it a road with how overgrown and rock strewn. Lucky this truck was raised so we could fly over all the debris of branches and small logs as I bounced in my seat. He had to swerve around the largest boulders and logs. A loud crash made me swivel my head but I couldn’t view anything with how far ahead we were.

  Carlos continued at his breakneck speed for another couple of miles until he finally slowed down and stopped, his capable hands still clenched on the steering wheel. His breaths sharp and heavy slowed until his hands unclenched.

  Still staring straight ahead he commented as if he were talking about the weather, “sorry about that. I don’t let myself lose control like I just did. Merde! The thought of something happening to you.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. Did he mean he had feelings for me?

  “Come on. We need to hurry and get out of here. Not sure if we’ll have internet to get ahold of nine one one but while we’re walking I’ll give it a try.” He threw the door open as I opened my side up more slowly stepping out onto the crackling brush. Did we need to be quiet? Kind of hard around all this wilderness with branches and leaves lying around.

  Carlos grabbed my hand into his, the warm and comforting strength evident with how hard he tugged me after him. We ran through the forest as he led me around and lifted me around the worst of the obstacles.

  The strength in this man. He wasn’t just some mobster that sat around and ordered everyone to do his bidding. No. I bet he got down and dirty himself.

  We stopped for a moment so I could catch my breath as he tried to make a call a second time. Still no bars. His phone was amazing with all the apps and gadgets it had. There was even a compass which he used now trying to align where we were.

  “Ready?” He wasn’t even breathing hard and here I was bent over trying not to vomit with how hard I huffed as he slid his phone into his back pocket.

  I nodded as I straightened my spine concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other. As we walked I realized I couldn’t marry him yet. If I did I would hate him forever. Some how I would have to escape from him and run and stay running until I was far away.

  With my head staring at the ground I missed Carlos’s arm across my chest until I ran into it. “Ooomph.”

  Glowering at him for not giving me advanced notice that he stopped I opened my mouth to berate him but he held up a finger for silence. I closed my mouth with a clack of teeth that earned my own scowl from him as he crept forward. As much as a man his size could creep. He wasn’t bulky with muscle but he was lean and his muscles were taut.

  I made sure to stay in my place not having his ability to move and not snap any twigs or leaves. Carlos motioned with a hand for me to move forward and I did carefully trying to make each step count until I stood by his side.

  Up ahead was a cabin. From the looks uninhabited but what did I know about that. The outside was empty with grass grown halfway up the calf height. No smoke from the fireplace and windows grimy. Looks like the other cabin.

  I was really starting to get angry with his pompous attitude toward me but I’d have to worry about that later right now we needed to be safe.

  Still not saying a word he inched forward until he stood at the edge of the clearing his head tilted listening for any noise.

  One step at a time. He would stop and listen to take another step until he reached the stone entry. Carlos turned the handle not expecting the door to open by his expression. Neither did I. He held his hand up again for me to stay put and I grimaced in disagreement but I did as he asked.

  Carlos opened the door his gun out, pointed into the room as he inspected every empty one. As he left a room the door stayed open but there weren’t that many to worry about. Only the main one that opened into a galley kitchen, one bedroom and a bathroom. That was it.

  “Okay. Come on in. You can sit on the sofa.” Which was a faded and threadbare beige, a spring stuck into my butt as I sat lifting my leg up to rest.

  The room empty of decorations except for an old, tattered elk head nailed to the wall, only one window in the front room in the whole place that I could see.

  My ankle hurt like crazy now that the adrenaline was winding down from its high after all the running we did. I shifted on the sofa trying to find a more comfortable position for my a
nkle. “Have you tried your phone yet? Any bars?” I turned sideways gazing over the top of the couch in his direction as he bent over checking through the lower cabinets for canned food.

  “There’s two. Not sure if it’s enough for a call but I wanted to look at the food situation first. We have chili.” Carlos held the can up with one hand and another large can in the other. “And a spaghetti substitute.”

  He gazed at the spaghetti one with a doubtful expression. “Not sure how mushy noodles will taste.”

  “I really don’t think my stomach will care as long as something is in there. Whether it’s real food or not won’t matter.” We hadn’t eaten earlier and I had no idea how long I had been unconscious, my battered face starting to ache almost as much as my ankle.

  “Tell that to your body when you’re hunched over vomiting from this god-awful mess in here. We’ll do the chili first. There’s a package of mashed potatoes that will use water and not milk. Of course no butter.”

  He turned away from me to the clatter of a pan which he lifted into the air, “one plate and fork and one pan. I’ll make the so-called potatoes first, plate those out and then heat the chili. The potatoes will probably be cold by the time the chili is hot but that will reheat the potatoes.”

  Carlos set the pan in the sink twisting the spigot for water to fill the pan, hopefully hot water. When it was full he shut the water off to soak and yanked his phone out of his pocket again.

  “Three bars.” He crowed this time and set to punching numbers in and waited for the ringing to stop.

  He must have put the volume on speaker because I listened in when the ringing stopped and a crackling voice said, “hey boss. Where are you?”

  “Charles I need you to get about ten men together and come to the coordinates I’ll send you. We are being targeted for elimination and are hiding out right now. Ryan Jennings is our culprit in my organization. I don’t know if anyone else is involved so choose carefully. Bring only the most trusted. Tom and Sam are dead.” Carlos turned back to me as the voice crackled and missed over the speaker. “I didn’t catch all...Tom a...Co...?” The phone cut out after that.

  Carlos set the phone down hard on the counter I’m surprised it didn’t crack or break into pieces. Lifting the phone again this time with an irritated growl he punched into the keys hard and set it down again.

  “It said sent so hopefully we’ll get some info soon.” He shook his head as he twisted the handle for the water again this time a brittle scrubber available for the pot and dishes.

  “Aha.” He held up a tiny sliver of soap, “no dishwashing soap but maybe this might work.”

  He worked the soap against the scrubber until bubbles filled the pan and plate and he went to work making everything as clean as possible. One dish towel that appeared clean but he set the pot on the stove turning the knob until the gas caught. “Stupid to not shut the gas off. Whoever lives here got lucky.”

  Watching him work made me feel guilty but with the pain that was now seeping into every part of my being I knew I wouldn’t be any help. “Did you see any pain meds anywhere?”

  He jerked his head in my direction shooting an eyebrow up as if he hadn’t considered any such thing. “I’m sorry I wasn’t paying any attention. Let me get this going and I’ll look better.”

  The bang of a shotgun made my head spin on my neck in the direction of the crack. “What now?” I whined in exasperation.

  CHAPTER SIX

  CARLOS

  “WHAT NOW?” I ASKED myself that same question turning the gas on the stove off.

  We were both exasperated by everything that had happened to us so far. We ducked down with me holding Ginevra’s head, her cheek practically touching the floor for safety.

  Crawling army style along the hard wood I inched my head up until I could barely observe out the window.

  At first I couldn’t see anything but then a little movement in a tree. A camouflage jacket that wasn’t being camouflaged.

  Glad I had the foresight to stuff more bullets in my pants pocket I hid myself again as I slipped more bullets in to my empty gun.

  “Who is it?” Ginevra whispered to me.

  I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug, “I have no idea.”

  Inching myself up again the fingers of one hand steadying myself as I leaned the barrel of the Beretta against the wooded sill. I studied the bottom of the window not wanting to bust it out. For one thing, if we had to remain here, we would get damn cold, well that was the only thing.

  What was that? I leaned forward my eyes squinting as I scanned a knot in the wood plank of the wall. It was thick yes but the knot...there was something missing. “Ginevra, toss me that fork.”

  Her eyes widened almost as wide as her mouth at my suggestion. “Come on. It’s important.”

  My impatient nature coming to the forefront. She crawled to the kitchen and her scrambling for the one piece of silverware ringing in my ears. Mimicking my army crawl with her ass way to high in the air. She better not get that delectable object shot but she made it over to me in one piece. I mouthed a thank you as she handed me the fork, her mouth pressed tight together in a thin white line.

  Deciding to ignore her petulance I took the end of the fork and began to dig at the knot, wood easily being scraped away. It could be termites had already started the work for me. I was thrilled it only took a few more minutes for a hole to appear large enough for the barrel to fit through.

  It was difficult to lean up to look out the window to see where the enemy was lying in wait and hold the gun a good foot underneath that. Sight and shoot with accuracy this way was going to be damn near impossible. But I had to try.

  I was getting so tired of this I wanted to run outside shouting what the fuck do you want? That would be a no go.

  It would be near impossible to actually hit someone this way unless they decided to waltz in front of the cabin but so far you didn’t know what the fuck these guys would do.

  I hated being a sitting duck. Especially with limited bullets. I’d filled my front pocket yes but still... not unlimited.

  That got me to thinking that if this was a hunting cabin then maybe there was another gun left over here?

  “Ginevra, can you look through what there is of this can see if there’s another gun and shells?” Sparing her a glance I observed her nod and crawl off her head searching high and low for a hiding place.

  If the guys that owned this place were stupid enough to leave it unlocked then maybe they were stupid enough to leave a weapon behind.

  I continued my spying on the perps attacking us but so far no more attempt at assault yet. My eyes kept wandering to Ginevra unable to stay away from her statuesque beauty. She was like a Romanesque painting. All full beauty in a spicy package. Good thing I liked habanero.

  A slight cry made me jerk my head around in the direction of the sound to ask quietly, “are you all right?”

  “Fine. Found a shot gun with a bunch of shells. It’s an older gun. Maybe one they didn’t consider worth taking with if they got newer models. I’m trying to find something to bring the shells out in. There’s a lot.” She murmured almost as if she were talking to herself.

  “There’s nothing going on here so far.” I grunted my eyes back outside scanning the area as I tapped my fingertips against the wood frame of the window.

  A quiet, “ha!” Interrupted my surveillance.

  The swish swish of her crawling back terminated my scrutiny of the area in front of me my eyes centered on her as she crept back dragging a shotgun and pack with must be the shells behind her. She was magnificent. The strength in her determined face made my heart balloon with feelings I had never assault me before. I shook my head telling myself I could never tell her. Otherwise she could take advantage of my feelings. People have done that to me a lot over the years so I showed them my asshole side.

  Turning back to my surveillance post I note things have started to heat up a bit. The branches of the trees started to thrash aroun
d. Shadows of men moving about.

  “Here.” Ginevra pants as she shoves the weapon and bag at me.

  Still scanning the goings on outside I peeked down at the items before glancing back up again. “Here let me watch while you check the shotgun out. See if it works.” She whispered.

  Relief washes over me as I glance gratefully at her and we traded places, me hunching beside the find. Grabbing the old gun in my hands I turn it around to see no safety so handle it more carefully. I don’t have time to take it apart to check it out better so flip open the slot to shove the shells in and swivel to the bag which I unzip and marvel at the amount of ammunition Ginevra had uncovered. Shoving them into the groove I hoped the weapon wouldn’t blow up in my hands. That shit would hurt.

  Clicking the slot closed I sat up briefly to get a glimpse at what had happened in the time I had been concentrating on the weapon.

  This time I could observe men hunkered down behind boulders, thick trunks of trees and tall clumps of grasses and bushes.

  The end might have finally reached us. There must be at least ten men surrounding us. There was no way the two of us would be able to fight that many off especially if there was more than what I could see.

  If I had been a give up kind of man this would do it for me but that wasn’t me. I was a go all out and finish the job kind of guy and I intended to do just that.

  My eyes flicked from one opponent to another trying to discern their weaknesses as they hid. There a quick flash of light in the oncoming darkness. The guy lit a cigarette. Bored?

  I bit my bottom lip as my scowl deepened considering my options. Nothing would happen to Ginevra. With my last breath I would keep her from harm.

  Indecision was not me and I shot a glare at the men outside the window. I considered busting the window out and starting the war but would Ginevra survive. That was my dilemma.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  GINEVRA

  BULLETS RANG OUT BANGING against the logs of the cabin making me duck to the floor, my hands over my head curled into a ball. A soft ping but blasting through the otherwise silent room.