Or, we’ve overestimated him and he’ll fail. Which means, he’s not cut out for the Brotherhood.
About twenty minutes goes by. There’s the sound of three hard knocks on the door. Turning my key, I open the door.
Jet’s standing there, cool as can be, not a spot of blood on his clothing. He brushes his blue-black hair away from his eyes. “It’s done.”
I give him a nod. Enter the club, locking the door behind me. Following him to the back, I take note—the place is spotless, there’s no sign of any struggle.
We reach the back closet, the one that leads to the alleyway. On the floor is a Theo-sized package wrapped in black trash bags, the ones we line the cans with at the club. There’s not a visible drop of blood in sight.
I’m impressed. This dude knows what the hell he’s doing. Rockland will be thrilled. “Well done. I’ll call a truck to meet us on the other side of the door and help us with disposal.”
He gives me a nod, a satisfied smile in his light blue eyes. “Thanks, man.”
I give him a slap on the back. “I believe you’re on your way to be a Brother.”
And one who’s going to move up the ranks quickly.
* * *
Victoria
My little staycation with Luke has come to a close. Once I had a commitment from him, I found it relaxing and wonderful. He spoiled me to no end, keeping me entertained, taking me out to eat, sending me on a shopping spree with Charlotte.
I don’t want to leave.
As we are packing up my things, I find myself falling into a foul mood, acting in a way I despise—like my mother.
I’m snipping at Luke over every little thing.
He goes to pack up my books and I’m telling him to make sure he doesn’t lose my place. He’s folding my clothes and I’m snapping at him that he’s wrinkling the fabric. He’s packing my shoes the wrong way.
The truth is I like the way my books looked on his nightstand. I like having my clothes hang in his closet. I want my shoes by his front door, where they look right at home.
When he accidently drops my makeup bag on the floor, I freak out. “What are you doing? You probably cracked all my eyeshadows.” Bending over, I snatch up the bag from his feet.
When I rise, I’m staring at the face of a very angry daddy. My throat suddenly feels tight from my harsh words. I swallow hard.
He crosses his arms over his chest. “What’s with the attitude? I’m just trying to help you out.”
I don’t know what comes over me, but I’m filled with anger. Furious that he’s not even mentioned wanting me to stay longer. He’s been nothing but nice to me and it’s completely irrational.
Following in the dreaded footsteps of my mother, I become a raving bitch. “Maybe I don’t need your help. Maybe I don’t want to be a helpless woman that has to bow to her man and be hidden away and protected by him.”
His eyes narrow. “Is that really how you feel?”
I stop my craziness long enough to take stock of my emotions. Deep down, I’m angry because my time here is up.
And he didn’t ask me to stay.
But I could never, ever tell him that. It’s too embarrassing. So I stay on the defensive. “Yes. That’s how I feel.”
He gives me a long, hard look. Turns on his heel, grabs my bag, and calls over his shoulder, “Let’s go.”
I follow him out of the apartment, giving it one more glance over my shoulder before I shut the door; my home for the past few days, and the happiest place I’ve been in a long time.
We get down to the car where the driver is parked. Luke’s going with me to drop me off. He waits for me to get in first. I don’t. I stand there, like a fool, wanting him to ask me to stay longer.
Waiting for him to say something, anything.
He looks at me, confused. “Are you getting in or what?”
I take my bag from his shoulder. “I am, but you’re not. Goodbye, Luke.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He throws his hands in the air, utterly confused by my actions. “Why have you been acting like this all day? You’re being crazy.”
“Crazy? You’re calling me crazy?” I shout.
“We had an awesome few days but all day you’ve been cold and snappy. And now you don’t want me coming with you. What else would you call it?”
I shake my head. “It’s just time for me to go. Goodbye.”
I get into the car. By myself. And he lets me.
Asshole.
But deep down, I know he’s not. I’m the one acting out. The driver pulls from the curb, carrying me home.
Alone.
Tears stream down my face. I whisper to myself as I wipe them away, “What have I done?”
I arrive at my tiny apartment. Throw down my bag. Throw myself face down on the mattress and cry harder than I’ve ever cried before. Mr. Stuffings shows concern, rubbing his cheeks against my face. He settles in beside me and I lie there, devastated, my pillow damp with my tears.
Rolling through the last few days, I think of how happy I was with Luke. How at home I felt at his house. Looking around my room, depression and loneliness adds to my sadness. “Ugh—what was I thinking.” I flip over, disturbing Mr. Stuffings in the process, getting an angry growl from him.
Staring up at the ceiling, I wonder why I got hurt feelings over my departure; I was only supposed to stay until the danger was over. “I’m so confused!” I cry out, throwing an arm over my face. There’s nothing I can do but call Charlotte.
She picks up on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean, what’s wrong,” I sniff, wiping away my tears. “Can’t I call you for no reason at all?”
Charlotte says, “Fact one; you never call me this late at night unless there’s a problem. Fact two; your voice has that weird high-pitched sound it gets when you’ve been crying.”
“Fact three, I think I accidently broke up with Luke,” I wail into the phone.
She gives a dramatic gasp. “Oh, no! What happened!”
“I’m not even sure. I had to stay at his house for a few days due to weird mafia crap and then today when it was time to leave, he just started throwing my things in a bag like it didn’t even matter that I was leaving—like he wasn’t even going to miss me.” I start to sob.
“Calm down, calm down, honey. Tell me what happened then?” she says, the voice of reason.
I try to take a deep breath. “So, then... I went a little crazy. I turned into my mother, snapping at him and complaining and I don’t even know. And then I just left in this big huff, basically breaking up with him.”
“No...” she gasps.
“Y-yes,” I sob out.
I can picture her shaking her head at me, her blonde curls bobbing. “You can fix this. Just call him and tell him you went a little crazy because you like him so much.”
“Oh, yeah, sure, that will make me look like less than a psycho then I already do. What do I doooooo?” I cry.
She says, “Listen. Just calm down. Get some sleep. And let’s make a plan in the morning.”
She’s right—there’s nothing I can do about it tonight. “I will. Thanks, Charlotte.”
“Anytime, friend. Now get some sleep!” We hang up and I toss the phone to the side.
A few moments later, there’s a ding from my phone. I pick it up, thinking it’s from Charlotte.
It’s a text from Luke.
Sleep tight, baby girl
I read the words and a whole new waterfall of tears comes streaming down and making Mr. Stuffings slink off under my bed. Even my cat doesn’t want to be around me. I cry myself asleep, alone.
Chapter Eleven
Luke
Things were going so well between me and Tori; her leaving in her storm cloud blindsided me. The truth is, of all the women I’ve dated, she’s the only one who knows the real me. The first woman I’ve ever shared my true self with.
Bared my soul to.
The only woman I’ve e
ver called my baby girl.
And now, she’s gone.
Leaving a Tori-sized hole in my aching chest.
An hour after she leaves, my phone rings. It’s Matteo.
My throat feels tight. I swallow hard, answering the call. “What’s up?”
He says, “I heard the news.”
There’s no way he knows about me and Tori already. I ask, “What news?”
He says, “She broke up with you. Man—that’s rough.”
The way news travels in this town makes my head spin. “Unbelievable. How did you hear so fast? She left here not even an hour ago. And I don’t think she broke up with me. Not for sure, at least.”
He chuckles. “You know how the gossip chain goes. I heard it from Charlie—the one that took over Victoria’s job at the jewelers—who heard it from Charlotte, who heard it from Victoria herself.”
Groaning, I say, “I swear, you’re just as bad as the Beauties. Why do you get involved in these crazy phone chains?”
He jokes, “Hey—was that a dig at my sexuality? Don’t stereotype me because I’m attracted to men.”
I quip back, “It has nothing to do with your sexuality. Straight or gay, you are one of the biggest gossips I know.”
He says, “Only when the news pertains to my little brother.”
I give a defeated laugh. “Right.”
He asks, “So what happened?”
I shrug. “A few days ago, I told her the truth. That I’m a member of the Brotherhood—”
He interrupts me, joking, “And she wasn’t jumping up and down, asking you for your Black Amex?”
I say, “Not exactly. We had some mafia drama and she had to stay with me for a few days to stay safe. We had a great time, but when it was time for her to leave, she got upset.”
“And here I thought she was dying to be a Beauty. What could possibly have upset her?”
I say, “I honestly don’t know.”
“Maybe she wanted to stay?” he suggests.
I think it over, remembering the way she looked kind of sad when I was packing up her books, just before she turned into a demon. “It’s possible.”
“There’s a way to fix this,” he says.
I’m more of a one-night stand man, not used to girlfriend problems. “How? How do I fix this? I was thinking I would just give her time—”
He interrupts me. “And leave the door open for another eligible Brother to step in? Hell, no. You need to do the opposite, in fact.”
“What would the opposite of giving her time be? Stalking her?” I ask.
He says, “No. You need to make a grand gesture. Show her how much you care.”
“Like, buy her a piece of jewelry?” I ask.
“Bigger.”
“What?”
He lowers his voice as if sharing a secret. “What’s the one thing a woman wants above all the trinkets and trappings?”
My eyes roll into the back of my head. “I have no idea, and seeing how you’ve never dated one, I’m getting kind of pissed that you know women better than I do.”
He says, “I really do. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret—the number one way to a woman’s heart is the ‘c’ word.”
“Through her you know what? I’ve done that. Many, many times. She’s quite happy with me in that department,” I say.
“No, you filthy bastard. I’m talking about the scary ‘c’ word. Commitment.”
“We are committed; I know she’s not seeing anyone else. And I’m sure as hell not.”
My brother gives me an exasperated groan, obviously at the end of his rope with how thick I am. “Come on. Think big. Think grander. You want to win back the woman of your dreams.”
I think... big.
Her tiny shoebox of an apartment compared with this spacious place that I’m living in. Alone. There’s plenty of room for the two of us and her grumpy old cat.
He’s right. A grand gesture. I say, “I know what to do. I’m going to ask her to move in with me.”
He laughs. “I was thinking a diamond ring, but a key is good too.”
“Slow down, Matteo. I know you’re dying to break your tux out, but marriage? Not yet,” I say.
He gives a dramatic sigh. “I do look damn good in that tux.”
I laugh. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got a key to copy.”
“Good luck, little bro.”
“Thanks.”
I’m afraid I’m going to need it.
I think of Tori’s disappointed face as she left. Will my gesture be enough to win her back?
The idea of Tori living here with me, cooking for her, waking up together, it makes me suddenly realize how much is at stake, how much I want her to move in, for good this time.
Will she say yes?
* * *
Victoria
Luke texts me in the morning. It says only this:
Be home at nine. We have some talking to do.
When I hear the knock at my door, my heart instantly picks up pace, just knowing he’s on the other side. I open the door and he storms through. He’s running his hand through his hair, agitated. “What the hell was that, yesterday?”
Hovering by the door, I say, “I honestly don’t know.”
“Well, come sit down and let’s figure it out.” He sits on the bed and I sit beside him. He heaves a heavy sigh. “Tell me—what happened?”
I shake my head. “It’s too embarrassing.”
He grabs my hand, holding it in his lap. “Tell me. Try.”
“Okay. I just, guess I got my feelings a little hurt that you didn’t want me to stay. Or at least tell me you were going to miss me.”
He strokes the back of my hand as he holds it. “That’s not silly. But the way you handled your emotions—that wasn’t right. You put us both through a lot of heartache when you could have just been honest about your feelings.”
“I know. I’m just not good at the emotional stuff. I’m really sorry.”
He leans down, kissing the top of my head. “It’s okay, sweetheart. In fact, your... outburst... made me mull things over and I have something to ask you.”
“What?”
I stare as he gets off the bed and goes down on one knee, holding out a gold key in the palm of his hand. I sit there, shocked, wondering what he’s up to. “What are you doing?”
Looking up at me, he says, “Will you make me the happiest man on Earth and do me the honor of moving in with me?”
Moving in together?
I think of our nights, being tucked in his arms. Waking together, the sun streaming in the windows, the smell of coffee. His gentle morning kisses.
I can think of nothing I would love more than to live with him. “Yes, I’d love to.”
He stands, slipping the key into my shirt pocket, and gathers me into his arms.
Giggling, I wrap my arms around his neck as he lays me on the bed. Tossing me down, he says, “Forgive me?”
“Yes.”
He asks, “And how would you like to be kissed by your daddy, Bachman boyfriend, now roommate?”
I give a giddy laugh. “I would like it very much.”
With a growl, he climbs his body over mine, kissing me deeply.
His gesture of commitment makes my heart so happy, I feel as if it will burst. I’m moving in with Luke. And now that I know he’s a Brother, I know there’s a chance I’ll be a Bachman Beauty one day.
Over the next week, I plan and prep for my new life, hardly able to believe we’re officially moving in together.
Moving day finally arrives and my eccentric but very fun friend from home, Lulu, is going to take over the lease for my apartment. She’s just starting out in the city and doesn’t have much either, so I’m leaving the bed, the mini fridge, the bookshelves, and the coffeepot for her.
She’ll be arriving any minute to help me pack.
Visions of Beauties dance in my head as I fill my few boxes. There’s not much here, I don’t own a lot of things, and besides,
Luke has everything I need at his house.
The door flies open, and Lulu comes bursting in, a cloud of turquoise and pink and sequins, her long red waves of hair flying around her face. “I’m finally here! Oh, Victoria, it’s so good to see you!”
Discarding her many duffle bags from her shoulders, they come crashing down onto the floor. She wraps her arms around me, hugging me tightly.
I hug her back. “It’s good to see you too, Lulu.”
Releasing me, she glances around the room. “You weren’t kidding. It’s a shoebox, but I don’t even care. I’m just so excited to finally be here in the city!”
Flopping down on the bed, she takes Mr. Stuffings into her arms, petting him and crooning to him. He’s been especially cranky since I returned—mad at me for having a neighbor drop in to feed him—but he’s purring for Lulu. She’s one of the few people he will let touch him. We catch up for a few minutes, then she asks, “When do I get to see your new pad?”
I say, “We just need to finish packing up these boxes and then we can call the driver.”
She looks up in surprise. “Driver? Seriously? This new boyfriend must be flush with cash.”
I laugh. “He... does okay. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“I feel like I know him, you talk so much about him. Lucky Luke-y boy, the dream boat,” she sighs, batting her eyelids and making fun of me. “Wait. He’s not one of those stuck-up Bachmans you used to work for, is he?”
“I can’t say,” I reply with a coy smile.
She rolls her eyes. “Oh, my God, and those rich, pretentious girls they hang out with. What do they call themselves? Beauties? How obnoxious. Please tell me you haven’t fallen in with that crowd.”
Amused by my overly opinionated friend, I say, “You don’t know them like I do.”
“Seriously? Aren’t they from the stone ages? I’ve heard that the men make the women submit to them and they have to be in charge.” She lies down on the bed, pumping her fist in the air. “All hail the patriarchy!”
I sit down next to her. “Lulu, it’s not like that. It’s hard to explain, but some women like men like that.”
She sits up, staring at me accusingly. “Really? There are women out there that like to have men bossing them around? Next you’ll be telling me he spanks you and makes you call him Daddy.”
Say Daddy: A Mafia Billionaire Romance Page 10
