CHOKE: A Dark Bad Boy Romance

by Ella Wolfe

  “What do you mean?” I asked anxiously.

  “Send him up when you get down, will you? Him and I need to have a bit of a talk.”

  My heart went into overdrive as I left his office and went back into the lift. What did Milano want with Knox? Was he planning on doing anything to him? Maybe he wanted to teach him a lesson about the prospect. Maybe he was going to threaten him, or try and recruit him, or make him do something.

  The possibilities were endless, and I had no trouble overreacting and thinking of every possible scenario as I descended in the lift.

  It’s okay, I told myself, in an attempt to calm myself down. Knox knew what he was doing. He could handle a little talk with Milano, if that was all that was going to happen. He’d probably get more out of it than I did during my chat, not that that would be hard to do.

  I made my way back to the courtyard and saw the men standing exactly how they were before. Knox rushed over as soon as he spotted me.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said.

  “Milano wants to see you,” I blurted out.

  I saw a multitude of thoughts flash over his face before he settled on calm and accepting.

  “All right. It’ll be okay. These men won’t hurt you. Just stay here, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Okay?”

  I nodded apprehensively, and Knox gave me a reassuring smile, though I knew it was just a front.

  “I’ll be back before you know it,” he said again, turning around and making his way quickly inside the building.

  It didn’t really matter what he said to comfort me. I wouldn’t calm down until he returned. Turning slightly to eye the men behind me, I felt a sliver of fear run down my spine. I hoped to God that he’d be back soon.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Knox

  When Skye had left me alone with the mafia men, I was surprised that they didn’t try to say or do anything. In fact, it had felt like a standoff, me on one side of the courtyard, and them on the other. We stared each other down, but did not go near each other. The entire vibe of the place was extremely intense and uncomfortable, and I wanted nothing more than to leave. I hoped to God that Skye would come back soon, so we could get the hell out of there.

  Who knew what Milano would be up to when she met with him? I didn’t know his motivation, or what he might ask from her. For all I knew, she would never come down.

  I should’ve argued, or fought, when they said only one of us could go up. What had I been thinking, letting Skye go up alone? I should’ve stayed with her and protected her. If they still refused to let me go up, then we should’ve just left. Now that we were here, I sincerely doubted that anything good that could come of our visit. Would Milano really be able to help us? Or was this just a thorough waste of our time? I wouldn’t know until Skye came back down, but that didn’t seem likely to happen any time soon.

  The moments passed sluggishly, and I was glad there wasn’t a clock around, for I was sure to have gone crazy watching it and waiting for Skye’s return. I was getting uncharacteristically impatient, when Skye finally appeared, walking out with worried eyes and slumped shoulders. I didn’t need to be a genius to realize that something was definitely wrong. Maybe he didn’t want to help. If that were the case, then I’d be almost relieved.

  When Skye announced that Milano wanted to see me, I had mixed emotions. I wouldn’t have minded getting out of there that very moment, but the opportunity to meet up with Milano was one that I couldn’t refuse. How could I say no, when we’d come all the way here to try and get his help? Trying to assure Skye that I would be back soon, though there would be no way to know for sure, it was my turn to make my way into the depths of the Mafia building, hoping I came back out unscathed. Even more, I hoped that Skye would be okay until I returned. The men had kept their distance from me, and I could only hope they did the same to her.

  The same man that had escorted Skye away, took me up in the lift to Milano’s floor. Of course, it was the top floor, a large open area that seemed very fitting. I didn’t even hesitate to make my way over to the lit office, knowing that I couldn’t waste any time while Skye was alone downstairs.

  “Milano,” I said upon my arrival, eyeing him carefully, as if he was about to bite. I couldn’t be too careful around him.

  “Knox,” he returned. “Take a seat.” I hesitated but decided to accept, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot. I sat there, waiting. He was the one who wanted to speak to me, so I would sit there waiting until he did so. Thankfully, he seemed to read my mind and wasted no time in opening his mouth.

  “I suppose you’re wondering why I asked to meet with you, yes?” I nodded mutely, and he continued. “I’m very interested in men like you, Knox. Men with your special set of skills.” Milano was leaning forward in his chair, elbows on his desk and hands clasped together. I wasn’t sure where he was headed, but I felt decidedly uncomfortable with the whole situation.

  “Oh, yeah?” I almost scoffed. “And what skills are they? I’m just a bouncer.” I wasn’t going to come forth and spill my life story on a platter for him. Until he said something concrete, I was content to deny anything he knew of my past.

  “You and I both know you are much more than a bouncer, Knox.”

  I took care not to display my apprehension on the outside, though, internally, I had stiffened up like a statue. There was something about his tone that implied he already knew everything about my life, and my confirmation was unnecessary. Did he really know as much about me as he was implying? It probably wasn’t hard for a man like him to do some digging on my background and find out what I’d done earlier on in my life, but it was still incredibly disconcerting.

  “Let’s talk about your childhood, shall we?” He said cryptically.

  “What about it?”

  “Born poor, had to work your way up from practically nothing. Turned to a dangerous crowd. Sound familiar?” The way he rattled off the information was beginning to worry me.

  “I’m not ashamed of my childhood,” I said, unemotionally. I didn’t know where he was going with this, but I didn’t like it.

  “No, of course not. Nothing to be ashamed of. You supported your mother. Petty theft and small crimes here and there.”

  “I was young. It was a phase.”

  I didn’t need a rich son of a bitch like Milano combing through every detail of my life. He’d probably been born without a care in the world, and had never worked a day in his life, until he took over the family business. Isn’t that how it worked?

  “A very long phase, don’t you think? And then, you moved on to breaking and entering and formed a crew with your street gang. You were successful, too. Surprisingly successful.”

  “I don’t see where you’re going with this, Milano.”

  “I’m just establishing that I know about your skills, and I admire the way you acquired them.”

  “Well, I’m not in that business anymore. I told you. I’m just a bouncer.”

  Milano let out a little smirk and leaned back in his chair, spreading his hands out.

  “Just a bouncer, huh? So, where do your loyalties lie, then, Knox? To John Cassetti? Or maybe to your old crew.”

  I let out a dry laugh at that. “They’re unreliable, and they’ll betray you. They only work together.”

  “Yes, betrayal can be very… unfortunate. Working together, however? That comes as a surprise to me.”

  “I’m almost certain it doesn’t. You seem to already know all of this. What do you want from me?”

  I was sick of Milano’s games. All I wanted was a straight answer so I could leave and deal with Cassetti, instead of whatever bullshit Milano had for me.

  “What I want from you, Knox, is quite simple. I have a proposition, of sorts, that I think might catch your interest.”

  “A proposition?” I asked. No way would anything he said be of any interest to me. I could predict what he would ask me anyway. He would want me to join him, and then he would help Skype. Or he would
help me get revenge. Either way, I would say no. How could I willingly make a deal with the devil? Especially when the devil wasn’t even in disguise. The entire situation made me want to leave, even from the start. No, I wasn’t an idiot. He could take his proposition and shove it up his ass.

  “Yes, a proposition. Before you say no, hear me out. I have been dealing with Cassetti for years, and I have to say, I don’t want to. I’d gladly get rid of him myself, but I have come to a better idea. You can kill Cassetti, prove your loyalty to me, and take over his business. Your girl will be happy, and she won’t need to start a place of her own because all the work will already be done for her. Cassetti will be out of the way, revenge will be complete, and everybody wins. Except for John, of course, but that’s to be expected.”

  “You want me to kill my boss?” I asked, confused.

  “Well he’s not your boss anymore. But if you really insist, Cassetti works for me, so I am your boss. And this is my offer. Take him out, and get his business. Simple.”

  I hadn’t expected this scenario at all. Kill Cassetti? I wasn’t sure if I was willing to do that. Not that I cared about Cassetti at all. He could go rot in hell, for all I cared. But, if I did it, it seemed like I would be having to answer to Milano for the rest of my life, and I wasn’t up for that.

  “So, then I would have to work for you? Is that it?”

  “Not at all. We’d go our separate ways if you wish, with perhaps a brief nod of recognition if we were to ever meet again.”

  No, I wasn’t buying it. It seemed way too good to be true, and I wouldn’t go around killing men, just because the Mafia boss demanded it.

  “And if I refuse?” I asked. What would he do to me? Threaten me? Threaten Skye?

  “Ah, that wouldn’t be the best idea on your part.”

  Of course not. Why would anything ever be as simple as that?

  “Why not?” I ground out, sick of this back and forth we were partaking in.

  “Cassetti is— let’s just say that Cassetti is unstable. He wants to kill you and, frankly, I don’t really care if he does. I’ve told him not to for the time being, and he won’t go against me. But I will allow him to kill you, if you don’t kill him first. I can’t have both of you alive, after one another. Messy business, you understand. No, one of you needs to go. It’s kill, or be killed.”

  Great, an ultimatum. This was going to be hard to figure out, regardless of how obvious the answer might seem. There weren’t really two options in this scenario, as much as Milano tried to make it seem there were. I was sure I could figure out a plan C, if I had a little time. Most of all, I wanted to talk it out with Skye.

  It wasn’t as if I was going to let myself be killed, but I knew that killing Cassetti might lead to worse problems for myself. I was already on the run from the cops, so did I really want to risk this? Guilt probably wouldn’t be a factor, considering what Cassetti was like. I guess I was just a heartless bastard, because I knew what Cassetti would do to Skye if I wasn’t around to protect her.

  “Can I have some time to think about it?” I said finally.

  “Of course. You know where to find me. Don’t take too long though,” he said.

  I stood and left quickly, not wanting to be around the man for a second longer. I was still undecided on whether coming here was a mistake or not, but I knew for certain that staying here would be.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Skye

  Could this night get any worse? Knox had been gone for only ten minutes, and I already felt more anxious than I could handle. I wondered if this was how Knox had felt when I’d ventured inside the building. My eyes were almost transfixed on Milano’s men before me, my mind a flurry of thoughts that didn’t even make complete sense. What was going on up there?

  It wasn’t as if I thought that Knox couldn’t handle himself. I was more than confident that he could. But Milano was a different breed. He was the kind of man who would convince a nun to do his bidding, just because he seemed to make so much sense. That was my biggest fear—that Milano would convince Knox to do something that he shouldn’t or wouldn’t normally do. Guys like Milano got into your head, picked it apart, and turned you against your best friend.

  All in all, he was dangerous, though a completely different kind of dangerous to Cassetti. Cassetti was direct, upfront, and forthright, a mammoth compared to the slippery, snake-like behavior of Milano, silent, lethal, and cunning.

  The longer Knox spent up in Milano’s tower, the more anxious I became. I longed to pace in the courtyard, to release even the smallest amount of tension, but I didn’t want to show any weakness in front of his men. Call me stubborn, but I would fake it until my last breath, if it could grant me even the slightest upper hand.

  The minutes kept dragging by, and I could feel every second that passed like a weight, pressing further and further onto my shoulders until I would soon collapse. If Knox didn’t come down soon, I was tempted to just go up there myself and drag him down, consequences be damned.

  Luckily for me, Knox appeared about five minutes later, trudging down into the courtyard and gesturing for me to come to him. I didn’t hesitate, hurrying over without a backward glance.

  “Can we leave now?” I whispered. We’d spent entirely too much time there, and I was more than ready to leave and never come back. What had we been thinking when we decided to do this? A small voice in the back of my brain spoke up and suggested that I would have gone anyway, even if I had known the danger we would be in, but I stifled that voice easily.

  “Yeah, let’s go,” Knox agreed. I didn’t need to read his mind to know that he was just as eager as I to leave.

  Knox and I left quickly after that, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who breathed a sigh of relief once we were clear of the building. It had been a long night, and I was more than ready to go home.

  “So, what did Milano talk to you about?” I asked Knox, while we were walking down the street.

  “He wanted to give me a proposition,” Knox replied hesitantly. The word ‘proposition’ immediately set me on edge. That could mean anything.

  “A proposition?” I asked at last. It seemed very dubious to me. I didn’t even know what it was, and I was already hoping that Knox hadn’t agreed. I had a strong feeling that all that would come out of it was trouble and danger, and we’d had enough of that to last a long while. I trusted Knox’s decision making, especially since he was the calm and rational one, but a little part of me was still worried about how Milano might have manipulated him. A deal with the devil was not something we needed, now or ever, and I prayed that I was mistaken in my assumption.

  “He told me that I either had to kill Cassetti and take over his business, or he’d give the order for Cassetti to kill me.” The words came out in a rush, and it took a moment for me to comprehend what Knox had just said.

  “What?” I screeched in outrage. “You can’t be serious. One option will land you in prison, and the other means that you’ll die? What kind of proposition is that?” This was crazier than anything I’d ever imagined Milano might propose.

  “A smart one. He’ll either get rid of Cassetti, or get rid of me. Either way, he wins.”

  Yes, it was a smart proposition, but that didn’t mean it was in any way good for us. Milano had lived up to my expectations of him, being just as sly and cunning as I predicted. But, in saying that, I never expected he would ask Knox to murder someone. That wasn’t a small task. Murder was a big ask for anyone, and Milano had just thrown it out there, like Knox would just say yes and get on with his life.

  But what was the other option? Letting Knox die? That wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t as if I even cared about Cassetti’s life, but killing him was still a bit of a stretch. I didn’t know what it would mean, if I was okay with Knox doing something like that, but if it was a choice between Knox living and dying, I knew which one I would go with. Knox was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I had no idea what he should do.

  �
�Did you give him an answer?” I asked hesitantly, trying not to sound like I expected him to say either option. Of course, I had my opinions on it, but I didn’t want to impose them on him—not until I knew what he was thinking about doing.

  “I told him I’d think about it.”

  I almost groaned at his answer. Knox was being purposefully vague, and I wondered what was going through his head. Did he feel like he couldn’t tell me? Did he feel like I would judge him, or think any differently of him? I thought we were close enough that he could tell me things like that. Though, I supposed it was a little different when you were discussing someone’s life. Even someone as horrible as Cassetti didn’t deserve to die at the whim of a mobster.

  Sensing Knox wanted to move on from it and hoping he felt like he could tell me once he’d decided, I decided to change the subject for now.