by Theresa Papa
Mimi texts me from the pool house that Liz has no clue what’s going on today. I’m excited to be able to surprise her. This woman inspires me to want to give her everything and most of all a happy and safe life. That reminds me to call Charlie and see what he’s come up with to stop Richard Harrington.
“Hey Tone! How’s it goin’?” Charlie greets me his usual way.
“It’s all going as well as can be expected. I’ll feel much better if you have some good news for me.”
“We did finally pinpoint the bastard, so we know exactly where he’s hiding in Rio. Richard pays the Brazilian police off. They leave him to do what he does in his remote compound, and he, in turn, doubles their salaries. But the bad news is Richard Harrington no longer exists since around the time we found out that Club Beta was for sale. He dumped the dummy corporation as soon as he closed the club. Club Beta was the only direct link to him through his daughter, and now he’s gone totally dark. We haven’t been able to contact his daughter, Amanda Harrington, for comment as of today.”
I rub my forehead with frustration and plop down on my dad’s desk chair.
“Charlie, you mean to tell me this guy can hide all his cash under a fucking mattress in Rio?”
“I don’t know, Tone. But that could be the case. There’s no trace of any money anywhere in his name. We have no chance at all of cutting off his assets,” he answers.
“Okay, we are going to have to change our plans and work with the fact that we know where he is. That’s if he stays there and hasn’t disappeared by the time we get to him. Get together a task force and prepare them to go to Rio.”
“You got it, boss!”
I hang up the phone and take a deep breath. My disappointment needs to be wiped out of my mind. Today I’m going to enjoy spoiling my girl.
When I go back to the kitchen, my mother is at the stove stirring the pot. The aroma of lasagna is heavenly.
“Anthony, your sister just came out to say about fifteen more minutes until Liz is finished. Are you all ready? We can have dinner right after the surprise.”
“I’m ready, Mom. The lasagna smells great. I’m happy that Sunday dinner is early instead of at six o’clock. An Italian tradition I’m very thankful for today!”
Mom chuckles and turns back to the stove. I reach into a drawer and pull out the velvet box with the bracelet I bought Liz inside. When I hid it there this morning, it was with the intention to ask Mom’s opinion. My mother and I are alone now, so I can’t wait to show her.
“Look at the gift I got for Liz. It’s similar to yours that she admired the other day.”
“Oh honey, it’s lovely! Am I to assume since you are giving her a jewel-encrusted symbol of our surname, that she will one day take it as her last name?” Her eyes tear up, and she smiles ear to ear.
“So subtle, Mom!” I wink, kiss her on the cheek, and return the box to the drawer.
Chapter 23
Elizabeth Pope
My body, hair, and nails have been pampered throughout the day thanks to Mr. and Mrs. D. We never had to leave the pool house; they even had a light lunch brought in of finger sandwiches and fresh veggies with dip. It all feels amazing, and I am relaxed.
As I thank the nail tech and she turns to leave with her bag under her arm, Tony appears at the door. A wave of pride washes over me when she admires my man, especially when he only has eyes for me. I welcome his arm around me and realize that I missed him all day. The low buzz of sexual arousal appears again in my lower belly. I want him to make love to me again here in the pool house.
The door closes, and we are alone when he looks down at me with such love and appreciation in his eyes. I smile and reach up to kiss him on the lips. When we part, he takes my face in his hands.
“Liz, you are so exquisite and strong. I’ve never known another person as strong as you are. Please keep an open mind when we leave the pool house and remember everything I do for you comes from love and admiration.”
I can feel my expression of surprise take over my face as I implore, “What are you talking about? What have you done?”
“Come with me.”
He takes my hand and leads me outside where it seems as if I’ve walked into a celestial wonderland. All around the pool are twinkling lights that reflect off the sheer white floor-length drapes hanging from the gazebo. The whole family stands alongside the pool waiting for us.
Vincent, Lucia, Daniel, Dominic, and Mimi all yell, “Surprise! Happy Birthday!”
I look up at Tony, and he’s beaming down at me.
“Happy Birthday, Liz.”
“Thank you. I mean but my birthday isn’t until next week.”
“I know, sweetheart, but I wanted to surprise you, so I made the celebration a little early.”
Everyone comes over to hug me and wish me happy birthday, even Daniel.
As they lead me into the house, the grandeur of it all takes me over. The fragrance of the fresh flowers hits me, and I realize they are gardenias, my favorite. I take note of the fine china, cut crystal, and the silver on the perfectly set table. There are place cards written in calligraphy and linen napkins in spangled rings. It all just takes my breath away. I remember the last time someone honored my birthday. Tears fill my eyes as the celebration of my fifth birthday comes to mind. My cousins Nico and Jaxson were at the table singing “Happy Birthday” to me. Stunning azure eyes smiled down at me lovingly when my aunt Fiorella told me to blow out my candles. My life could have been so different had she lived.
“Please don’t be upset with me. I know you said you don’t acknowledge your birthday and it’s just another day—” Tony whispers in my ear.
I cut him off midsentence. “Never! This is so magnificent. Thank you!” I whisper back, looking up at him with watery eyes.
“I have one more surprise for you. Look at the front entrance,” Tony says as he points toward the entry hall.
To my surprise and delight, Nico, Samantha, and Jaxson walk in on cue with a big bouquet of pastel balloons. I run into Nico’s open arms elated that he’s here. When I look into his eyes, I cry because they are exactly his mother’s that I was just reminiscing about. I am so grateful to see him. Now I understand how wrong I was for alienating my cousins while I went undercover at Club Beta.
“I’ve missed you, Lizard! Sorry I couldn’t ruin the surprise on the phone last night. How are you? Is the Dragon keeping you safe and happy?” Nico inquires.
“You bet I am! That’s my new reason for living as you know,” Tony exclaims as he sidles up behind me. He shakes Jaxson’s hand before moving on to Samantha with a hug. Then does the same all at once with Nico. Dominic comes over to hug Samantha also. Apparently, they’ve become close friends while working at the law firm together. Then he turns to me with his arm still around her shoulders to inform me.
“Liz, when I told Sam that we planned to have a birthday party for you, she insisted these three be included.” Dominic gestures with his nod.
My mind recalls Tony saying something about Samantha and Dominic attending law school together too. I smile genuinely at Sam, and say, “Thank you, Sam, it’s a pleasure to meet the woman who finally caught my cousin Nico. I hope you know you have the best guy in the world here.”
“Well, Sam’s pretty great, too! I would have asked her out if Nico hadn’t beat me to it. The lucky bastard,” Dominic confesses.
Samantha blushes at the revelation from Dom. And Nico jokingly lets me go and grabs his fiancée enthusiastically. We all laugh together.
Lucia announces that dinner is on the table, and everyone moves back into the lovely dining room. There’s a champagne toast, and we all dig into the Italian meal that I helped Tony’s mom prepare. I’m pretty stoked at how great it turned out when Tony leans into me. “You did a great job cooking all this with my mom. It’s delicious.”
I give him a peck on the cheek in gratitude and get right back to eating. It’s so good.
&n
bsp; After the dinner dishes are cleared away, Daniel and Dominic stand at the entrance to the kitchen, each grasping a side of a large tray. On top is the tallest birthday cake I’ve ever seen with twenty-six lighted candles.
“Dat ... Da … Da Tada!” the brothers exclaim.
All the birthday guests begin to sing “Happy Birthday” to me. The twins set the cake in front of me to admire while the last few bars of the song fade away. I’ve already composed my wish inside my head when I blow hard to extinguish all the candles in one try. Vincent snaps a few pictures, and we cut the cake.
I’m so stuffed that I need to walk around, so I get up with the intention to help with the dishes when Tony plops me back down in my seat.
“You can’t go anywhere until you open your presents,” he says.
“Presents, too?” I reply, shaking my head at him. “Tony, the party is enough. I don’t need presents.”
“Nonsense! On your birthday, you open presents!” Lucia encourages as she hands me an expertly wrapped box.
“Oh, my gosh! You’ve already given me a spa day!”
“Shush! Open it,” she reprimands.
Inside is a lovely new designer wristlet to carry my essentials in. That is, if I ever get my wallet back from the club and if Marcus didn’t destroy it.
As if Nico read my mind, he comes over to me with a plastic zip lock bag, and I can see my wallet inside.
“Oh my God, Nico! How did you get this?”
Nico smiles at me and addresses just Tony and me with his answer so no one else can hear.
“The reason I found Elizabeth’s wallet is because I just purchased Club Beta. I found it in her locker exactly where she left it when Marcus abducted her. It was locked up there all this time until we had our walkthrough yesterday, and I checked the contents of the lockers.”
“What? You bought Club Beta? Why?” I inquire with my mouth still hanging open in shock.
Samantha comes over to us and hands over another wrapped confection.
“Open the rest of your gifts, and we can talk later,” she says.
I nod and accept the package. It’s a lovely set of sterling silver earrings.
Several gifts later, Tony holds out the last one. His eyes sparkle with anticipation while I unwrap it to find a velvet box. I gasp when I pull up the top and find a jewel-encrusted charm bracelet almost like his mom’s. I understand the significance of each of the two charms immediately. There is a hockey stick to commemorate the first time we met many years ago. It was at a hockey game Tony and my cousins played just before we were introduced. The other charm is a dragon similar to his mother’s lovely one I admired the other day. Is this his subtle way of telling me he wants me to become a Dragonetti one day? I can’t think of anything I would love more. Now if only my wish would come true, life would be perfection.
Chapter 24
Anthony Dragonetti
The light in Elizabeth’s eyes when she sees the bracelet takes my breath away. I can tell she consciously knows the significance of each charm. When I clasp it around her wrist, she takes my face in her hands and kisses me on the mouth in front of everyone. My stupid brother Daniel whistles while Mimi yells, “Get a room!”
Liz blushes as she backs away and acknowledges each person warmly with a thank you for all her gifts. My mom corrals everyone out onto the pool deck where after-dinner drinks are set up under the gazebo. Limoncello, Amaretto, and Sambuca shots are passed out, and we all salute the birthday girl.
An hour or so later, Daniel is the first to excuse himself followed by Dominic. I assume they both have plans for the late evening. Mom and Dad say their good nights and retire to their suite upstairs. Elizabeth and I all relax in the seating area around the outdoor fireplace with Mimi, Sam, Nico, and Jaxson. The moon is bright in a clear, dark blue sky, and the small movement of the lake water serenades us in the background.
“So, cousin of mine! What made you fathom buying Club Beta?” Liz asks.
“Sam and I have been looking for a project to do together, and the building is perfect for our needs,” Nico replies.
“It’s scenic lakefront property, and it has sentimental significance to us both,” Samantha interjects as she places her hand on Nico’s knee.
“Really? What could possibly be sentimental about that place?” Liz asks, rolling her eyes.
Jaxson intercepts that question.
“When we scoped out the place to see if we could find you, I set up an appointment with a VIP experience. When the night arrived, I had to go to some bullshit meeting with a judge, so Nico had to go in my place.” The brothers smirk at each other. “It turned out that the lucky bastard got Samantha as the girl in the chamber.”
Elizabeth’s mouth hangs open as she zeros in on Sam. Samantha giggles before she explains why she was there that night.
“I was looking for my friend Jennifer who was missing and last seen at Club Beta. The way I got into the underground to look for her was to volunteer to take Jen’s shift when she didn’t show up for work. We all thought that you both had been taken together!”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry my quest to bring down Richard Dickface got me kidnapped and made all of you worry about me,” Liz apologized.
“Sam and I are fortunate it happened because our relationship—” Nico begins.
“Although we would have gotten together anyway,” Sam interrupts with a grin.
“Was set in stone that night we found ourselves in the chamber at the club,” Nico continues.
“To have been a fucking fly on the wall … Whew, just my shit luck as usual,” Jaxson jokes.
Samantha hits him on the shoulder as a blush rises from her chest up to her cheeks.
“Speaking of Dickface… can one of you clue me in on the backstory please?” Mimi pleads.
Liz and Sam get up and gesture for Mimi to follow them down to the beach so the girls can fill her in on the history. Nico, Jax, and I stay on the pool deck, and I pass out a few beers.
“What’s been going on with the game lately? Have any other players surfaced since you found Liz with Shadow Walker?” Nico asks.
“We have mostly stayed here on the estate with the guards so no one has access to her here. But when I took her into town to buy some clothes, she went into the dressing room where some woman cornered her. Liz said the woman mentioned a David that she was in high school with. Elizabeth remembers him,” I explain.
“Do you think it has to do with those assholes in the game?” Jax asks.
“I’d be willing to bet it does,” Nico says.
Then I inform them both about my call with Charles earlier and let them know about the two tracking devices, one in Liz’s phone and one in the dragon charm on her bracelet. We decide to have a conference call the next day to discuss further plans when we hear the girls coming back into earshot.
Nico gets up and announces their departure to drive back to the city tonight. Elizabeth hugs all of them tightly and tells them she hopes to see them soon. We walk them out to the drive. With my arm around Liz’s shoulder, we watch the taillights go through the gates at the end of the driveway. Mimi says her good night and retreats back into the house.
Elizabeth’s palms skate around my waist as she rests her head on my chest. I kiss the top of her head and rest my chin there, just holding her.
“Thank you for the most perfect birthday I have ever had. I love you for making me feel so very special.”
Using my right forefinger, I lift her chin to look into my eyes so I can tell her what I’ve wanted to for years.
“I love you for being you,” I whisper.
Her eyes water, and I lean down to place my lips against hers. We kiss gently at first, and then she takes it deeper. I bury my hands in her hair and pull her in closer, feeling like I can’t get close enough. After a few seconds, she pulls away abruptly, her chest rising and falling with each breath.
“Take me to the pool house so I can sh
ow you how much I appreciate all you’ve done to celebrate my birthday. And especially this lovely, custom-made bracelet.”
We turn and walk up the steps back into the house hand in hand.
“I’m dying to know for sure if you get the significance of each charm,” I implore as we quickly walk straight through the house out the back French doors and down the path to the pool house. I open the door, and she stops me at the threshold with a mischievous smile on her face.
“Obviously, the hockey stick represents the day we met.” Her emerald eyes sparkle up at me when she continues. “The dragon is because you saw my tattoo, and you know I like dragons … right?”
She giggles and pushes me over the threshold with both hands against my shoulders. I allow myself to be propelled backward a few steps. She steps in and closes the door. When she turns back around, her hands unbutton her blouse and reveal the tops of her breasts. I lose my mind, and my pants become tighter just watching my sexy woman undress for me. The dance we do together with her moving forward and me backward leads us into the bedroom. Along the way, she drops her blouse first. Then she unzips her shorts and lets them fall to the floor, stepping out of them. By the time my calves hit the bed, she has my pants down my legs along with my boxers in one fell swoop. I pull my shirt over my head with one arm. She kneels before me like a goddess sent from heaven, making me lose my mind when she runs her tongue up my entire length. A deep groan escapes my chest as my eyes close and my head falls back. I tighten my abs and struggle to keep this all from ending too soon.
