“And that includes getting a car,” she sighed heavily. “…first thing in the morning. Hopefully, insurance will cover flood damage. Oh, and a cell phone…how could I forget that? How in the hell am I going to remember all of the contact numbers? The messy downside of speed dial---you never remember the actual phone numbers.” She groaned out loud. “Problems, problems, problems…What would the world be without them?”
She bypassed the living room and made straightway for the kitchen.
“I’m starving,” she murmured, just as her tummy grumbled. The bright light shone across the tiled floor as she cracked the refrigerator door, and then groaned with further disappointment. “Just wonderful.”
Of course, it was poorly stocked.
She hadn’t had time to go to the supermarket. Apart from the stale chunk of cheese, spoiled milk, and bottled water, the refrigerator was bare. The cupboards were equally empty and carried measly crumbs left behind by the last tenant.
“Guess you’ll have to do.”
She snatched the bottled water from the top shelf and slammed the refrigerator shut. Then, she wandered to the counter and propped against it instead of taking a stool. After sipping some water, she stared moodily across the kitchen.
All her carefully made plans were shot!
Nothing was going right.
The case against Vitali was grounded at zero.
“And I’m the one to blame,” she said miserably, giving a mock toast with the water bottle. “Way to go, Agent Spencer. In two words, ‘you suck’.”
During these last weeks, she’d been selfishly focusing on her womanly wants and needs. Even worse, she thought, inhaling a painful breath. She’d fallen headfast for the enemy, and with every passing second, she wanted him more and more.
“Why can’t I get you off my mind?” she whispered, closing her eyes tight, and again, hot tears seeped behind her lids. “You’re all I think about---all that I want. But, the possibility of you and me is completely hopeless.” She opened her eyes and stared across the darkened space. “Why can’t my foolish heart accept that?”
Naturally, her selfish nature had caused chaos.
Point one---she’d failed to find any damaging information against Vitali. Point two---surely, that’d given him free reign to engage in sordid deals and terrorize humankind.
Plus, wasn’t Braden supposed to a vital part of her scheme?
Wasn’t she supposed to be seducing him?
Instead, she’d been seduced.
She was the one hopelessly lost.
“My feelings for you are clouding my judgment,” she whispered again. “But, deep in my heart, I know that I’m right about you. You’re nothing like your father.” Then, a sudden idea loomed, and she straightened against the counter with renewed hope. “Maybe I can prove that fact to the rest of the world.”
The doorbell chimed.
Jumping at the sound, she almost dropped the water bottle.
“What the hell?” she grumbled, stiffening in stunned surprise.
She placed the water bottle onto the counter.
Who was crazy enough to visit at such a late hour?
Rowell, maybe, she frowned.
Of course, not!
They had an unbreakable code.
All their meetings were held in discreet and clandestine places.
The doorbell pealed again.
Over, over, and over---chiming with an unrelenting endless rhythm…
Finally, growing impatient herself, she treaded towards the living area, and as she did, she was rewarded with more endless chiming.
Whoever it was wasn’t giving up.
For a crazy second, foolish hope bloomed in her chest.
Was it possible that it was Braden?
Of course, he was all alpha male!
The kind of man that’d fight and never give up…
But, what if he stayed away as she’d instructed, she mulled with a sinking heart, once reaching the door. He’d vowed to always respect her wishes and had done so. Too, it hadn’t been long since she’d left the mountainous area, and he’d still been asleep.
Still, though, she couldn’t halt her budding hope.
She stared at the door panel.
If he were standing on the other side, what would she say?
What would she do?
She peered through the tiny peek hole.
Instantly, her mouth opened in pure shock, and it reverberated throughout her entire system. Any hope that she had died in that very instance and was replaced with straight up dread.
She stumbled away from the door.
How had he found her?
Suddenly, rather than ringing the doorbell, her culprit pounded a hard fist against the door. “Open the fucking door, Isabella! I know that you’re in there.”
“Shit,” she whispered, angered, and closed her eyes. “Not now. Not tonight of all nights.”
She opened her eyes and took a steady breath.
For months on end, hadn’t she been preparing for this very moment? When she faced her nemesis again? Yet, there was hardly any preparation for the venomous hatred festering within her right now.
How could she stop herself from killing him in a murderous rage?
Think about Gage, think about Gage, think about Gage….she chanted repeatedly and silently in her head. That was the only plausible stopping force against her raging anger.
There was more heavy pounding against the door.
“Open the motherfuckin’ door, or I’ll kick it in. On your life, Isabella, I swear that I will.”
“Damn it,” she mouthed with hopelessness.
She closed her eyes tight.
What choice did she really have?
Taking a collective breath, she scurried back to the door.
After a brief pause, she freed the lock and opened the door.
On the other side, a belligerent Carlo Vitali faced her.
“Carlo,” she gasped, feigning shock, and batted her eyelashes fast. Falling headfast into a full performance, falsely displaying a meek nervousness, she grasped her nape. “W---what are you doing here?”
“Is that the best you can do?” Vitali asked coldly, staring her dead in the face. His eyes shot past her into the darkened apartment, and then, they met hers again. A brutal lethalness filled them. “You disappear for months on end, and that’s all you say to me?”
Staying silent, she returned his stare.
Again, it was uncanny how closely he resembled Braden in looks. Still, there were differences that set them apart. While Braden was well-stacked and muscled in all the right places, his father was tall and lean. A sexy ruggedness exuded from Braden while the father was outright pompous. Gray tinged the edges of the elder’s dark hair, and his face showed signs of aging.
But, there was one single thing that truly set them apart.
Pure evilness…
All of which was Carlo Vitali.
The crazed murderous criminal was completely soulless and irredeemable.
Her gaze slipped past Vitali.
She suppressed a groan.
Could it get any worse?
She was in the presence of yet another soulless creature!
To no surprise, Akumu, his faithful lapdog flanked his side. The goon passed a long disapproving glance over her, and she easily returned his glare. No surprise there. It was like old times. Certainly, there was no love lost between them.
“Akumu, you wait out here,” Vitali ordered sternly, locking a fierce stare on her. Even at this late hour, the mafia kingpin was dressed impressively. The black business suit was sans a tie. Again, his signature look of criminality, one that signified that, regardless of the dark earthly hour, he was readily available and fully operable. But, now, edginess marked his stern features, and it was coupled with a burning impatience. “We’re not to be disturbed for any instance.”
The beefy goon gave a curt nod. “I’ll keep it straight out here, Pops.”
Then, to n
o surprise, without even asking, Vitali brushed past her and entered the dark apartment. With reluctance, she shut the door behind him, but was sure to flick on the overhead lights. As she turned, she found the criminal regarding her accusingly from across the room.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were back?” Vitali demanded in a steely tone and inhaled a fast breath. “When Akumu told me that he spied you at the club, I thought that he was shitting me. When you took the taxi, we followed you here. Imagine my surprise to learn that it really was you.” He paused for a brief second. “How long have you been in town?”
“N---not long,” she purposely stammered, and at his cross look, she stopped midway the room. With a volatile temper such as his, it wasn’t safe to test it. “Just a short time.”
“And you didn’t find it fit to tell me?”
“I thought it best---”
“You thought it best?” he interrupted rudely, and a heavy scowl seized his features. “How many times have I pointed out that there are no secrets in this relationship? In the end, I call all of the shots! You know that better than anyone. Perhaps my grave mistake was giving you more space than my other women. Give a woman a little freedom and it goes to her fucking head.” A harsh breath escaped him. “I’m highly disappointed in you, Isabella. The moment that you returned, you should have contacted me. I find your blatant action of defiance slightly unforgivable. Right now, I’m struggling to find a way to accept your transgression.”
Oh hell, was she really supposed to take this?
The rudeness, open disregard, demoralizing attitude….
If it meant staying in his criminal fold, then yes, her inner voice shouted back. Getting the goods on the sadistic bastard was worth the sacrifice!
She dropped her eyes to the floor meekly. “I’m sorry, Carlo.”
“Damn straight, you should be. Don’t let that shit happen again or I won’t be responsible for my actions.” He let out a deep sigh. “I’ve missed you, Isabella. Admittedly, once you left, I didn’t hang around the joint. Without you there, it was like a big vacant hole.” A violent expletive left him. “Damn it! That fucking kid ruined everything! Him dying just upset our perfectly ordered little world.”
The anger fired through her.
Fucking kid, she raged inwardly.
His name is Gage, you murdering asshole!
But, she couldn’t say that out loud.
She moved again, this time stopping a few feet away from him close to the couch. Still, the criminal’s very presence sullied the air that she breathed in. But, didn’t she have to exist in the muck and mire?
“After everything that happened,” she mumbled quietly and kept her stare on the ground. “I had to get away. Being here just made it hard to think.”
“The little asshole shouldn’t have been there to begin with.” Again, he was hardly remorseful for anything. “When I’m making a deal, there’s no time or place for interference from anyone. Who knows? The little motherfucker was probably a mole anyway, and you shouldn’t have gotten attached to him.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Shit, just chalk it up to bad timing and move on with your life, Isabella. Get over it. Maybe that little lesson will teach you about latching onto homeless strays.”
“I suppose that you’re right,” she lied. “Getting attached to him was stupid on my part.”
“Where have you been all this time? It’s like you disappeared off the face of the Earth. I checked everywhere that I could think, and even questioned some of your loser friends.” Vitali gave a humorless laugh. “Even after my threats, they refused to talk or feigned out right ignorance. I must say that they’re quite loyal.” He paused momentarily. “Again, where were you?”
“Different places,” she shrugged uncomfortably. “Moved around a lot and didn’t stay in one place too long. Guess you can say that I was pretty much a drifter.”
“Well, it pleases me that you’ve drifted back in this direction.” Slowly, his eyes slid over her clothed form, and a lust-filled gleam shone in them. “Keeping that body of yours tight, aren’t you? What’s your secret?”
She forced a smile. “I can’t say that I do anything special.”
“You have a God-given gift no doubt---all too perfectly endowed with a curvy hour-glass figure and a beautiful face. You won’t get any argument from me on that it all comes naturally,” Vitali stepped closer to her. Too close, as a matter of fact. Reaching out, he caressed her face gently. “Finally, we’re reunited. In no time, we’ll reconnect.” He gave his version of a smile. “And I can’t wait for us to get close and personal again.”
Pray tell, she didn’t want that---she loathed the idea!
While he traced along her face, she stayed rigid.
His touch….
It was one that she knew and never wanted to feel again.
True, they’d become lovers towards the end. But, it’d all been part of a ruse, a daring attempt on her part to become a relevant fixture. One where she’d discover the hidden secrets to trap him and his cohorts… However, she’d derived no pleasure from their sexual encounters. Like before, whenever he touched her, a grave repulsion festered inside of her. All she wanted to do was hurl. Puke a nasty stinky mess on his shiny black shoes. In the end, like now, his touch left her in a perpetual distressed state.
Suddenly, she couldn’t bear the torture any longer.
“Let me get you a drink,” she said stiffly. But, as she acted to move, he grabbed her in a strangle hold. Startled, she gasped past the splitting pain in her nape. “What are you doing? You’re hurting me, Carlo.”
“And with good reason…w---what the hell is this?” Vitali stuttered in utter disbelief, angling her head to the side, and easily saw the hickeys. Releasing a disgusted breath, he hugged her to him and squeezed her tightly, so tightly that breathing was difficult. A different air of cruelness stiffened his face, and along with it, there was a mix of hostility, rage, and lust. “Now, it makes sense why you’re being standoffish. You little whore. I don’t believe it. You’re fucking someone.” An ugly snarl turned his lips. “Who is the bastard? I’ll kill him---better yet, torture the son-of-a-bitch.”
She struggled to breathe from the pressure.
A violent fear stirred in her chest.
Without a doubt, he would.
His special brand of punishment would be cruel, vile, and debilitating. Plenty of rumors circulated about his acts of vengeance, especially when he’d been ‘wronged’ by one of his women.
Acts that were clearly unspeakable…
Decapitation, dismemberment, acid bathing…
If he discovered the truth about her relationship with Braden…his son…his flesh and blood…what would happen? Though, initially, the plan had been to pit father against son, she was totally against it now. Especially since Braden meant so much to her…especially since she really knew and understood him…especially since she’d found an undeniable happiness with him, even as brief as that time had been…
Glassy-eyed, she stared at Vitali’s chest.
No, he could never find out about him!
She had to protect him, regardless of the cost.
“I--it meant nothing to me,” she said weakly. The lack of air was so depriving, it felt that her lungs would burst. But, she couldn’t die now, not when so much was at stake. Somehow, she managed more words. “Back in Thompson City, I met this guy at a bar, a local. One thing led to another and we screwed. It was a quickie hookup and nothing more. It shames me to admit that I don’t even remember his name.” A cough racked through her, making the lie convincing. “I just needed to be with someone.”
“Be with someone?” Vitali asked with open rage, tightening his hold. As she whimpered under the pressure, it only delighted him further. “I own you. The only man that should touch you is me. Don’t you understand that?”
She strained against his hold. “L—let go of me.”
“I still smell his fucking stench on you.” Giving her a look of disgust, he shov
ed her away from him. Taking a few steps backwards, he pointed an accusing finger at her. “You know what? I’m seriously fighting against the urge to beat the hell out of you.” He pinched his fingers, leaving only a scant space between them. “But, I’m this close to fucking you up. You’re lucky that I’m showing some restraint.”
“No, you’re lucky.” Inhaling a much needed breath, she straightened from her stooped over position and faced him. With every ounce of her being, she struggled to hide her animosity—for if she released it, wouldn’t he discover the truth? But, she freed the burning defiance anyway, and her chest heaved unevenly while she drew more breath. “Don’t you ever put your hands on me like that again. If you do---I swear, I’ll kill you.”
“What? You’re threatening me? Girl, have you completely lost your mind? Do you know who the fuck I am?” Vitali eyed her incredulously. To emphasize his point, he pounded a fist against his chest. “I’m mother-fuckin’ Carlo Vitali---ATL’s most feared.”
“You’re weak. Insolent. Shallow. Pathetic. Only a coward puts his hands on a woman. Put yours on me again,” she said coldly, and the deadly warning played in her dark brown eyes. “…and you’ll find out firsthand what I’m capable of. When I bring my damn ammo, it’ll be more than stilettos and lace stockings. In fact, I’ve learned that silver bullets are very piercing.”
“A badass bitch, aren’t you? A dangerous beauty that’s unafraid of her madness. I have to say that it’s your most impressionable quality.” Suddenly, his hard expression changed, and approval gleamed in his eyes. “You’re breathing your street smarts. I like that. That type of intelligence always understands the necessity of violence and when it’s called for.” He slid his gaze over her. “That iron-clad strength of yours---it’s what drew me to you in the first place. Rather than cowering at my feet, you fight back like a hellion.” A lust-filled gleam returned to his eyes. “That’s what makes me want you.”
Rise of the Titan Page 28
