by Sadie Jacks
“HELP!” she screamed, almost blowing out my ear.
A rough set of hands grabbed my waist and yanked me from the tub.
“I said help, not crash me into the toilet,” Tali said, grumpiness in her voice.
“Then you should have been more specific,” Ryker said.
My eyes flew open as I looked at my rescuer. His grass green eyes were steady on mine. “Still on that redemption kick, I see.” I curled myself against his chest so he couldn’t see my naked body.
His jaw firmed. “Something like that.” He lowered me so my feet could touch the floor.
Tali wrapped the towel around me from behind, her hands crossed in front of my body protectively. “Thanks for the assist. We’ve got it from here.”
“Damn fucking straight you do. Penn, you keep this up, I will kill you myself,” Dom said from the doorway between my bedroom and bathroom. “DA’s office. Now.”
Ryker’s jaw clenched as he gave me a tight nod and stormed from the humid space.
“I’d call dibs, but I don’t think it’s me he wants like a fat kid wants cake,” Tali said.
I snorted as the bottom of my belly dropped away. “He can want all he likes. All he’s going to get are cupcakes by the dozen and some heavy ass flirting. You know I don’t play those games.”
Tali rested her chin on my shoulder. “Maybe he’ll be different.”
I shook my head. “And probably he won’t be. Not interested, Tali. Leave it alone.”
She sighed as she straightened. “Towel secure?”
I nodded, tucked the free edge under my arm. “Ready.”
She helped me hobble back out into my bedroom. In the bright light of morning, the muted tones of a sundrenched village on a white-sand beach greeted me. Thin, layered materials, wide open space, and minimal furniture made up my gypsy oasis. This was my happy place.
In the closet, I got dressed. Going for comfort and ease, I pulled a sundress on. Panties were Satan’s handmaidens at the moment, so I’m free-balling it for the day. I’d just have to be sure not to be back lit for too long.
I pushed my feet into a pair of comfortable, girly flip flops and let my hair air dry. No fuss, no muss. Some moisturizing cream, a flick of mascara, a swipe of lip balm, and I was ready for the day.
Tali was sitting on my bed, her nose in her phone. She looked up when I came out. Nodded. “Beautiful as always.” She pushed up from the bed. Pecked my cheek. “I’ve got to run. Nathaniel is having a meltdown about the presentation today. I’ll be back around six tonight. Love you.”
“Be safe, tell Nathaniel to pull his tampon out. Love you, too.”
She dashed from my apartment, her chuckle wafting in the breeze behind her.
I slowly shuffled to the living room. By the time I got there, I was out of breath. Close to passing out. “When are the pills supposed to start working?” I asked Rafe as I took a breather leaning on the couch back.
“Any time now. And they won’t help with pain really. Or at least not mainly. We need to get that blood moving, pushed out of your joints so your lymphatic system can remove it. Movement and light stretching is going to be the best option. But you’re still going to have to go at quarter speed, Will. Moving too much or too fast will just make everything worse.” He looked me over, his arms crossed over his chest. “Good choice on the clothes though.”
“Thanks.” I pushed my hair back off my face. “Where do you want to start?”
He shrugged. “Wherever you do. I’m at your service.” He dropped into a bow.
I smirked. “Oh yeah?”
He straightened. “No. Not really. But you get to decide where we start. Everything after that is up to me.”
I held up the burner phone. “Let’s go get me a new phone first, then.”
He nodded and came over to help me. Grabbing my purse in his free hand, he helped usher me from the apartment. “Elevator this time, Will.”
I chuffed a laugh. “No shit, Sherlock. We don’t have a year for me to get down the steps.”
Chapter 11 – Ryker
What the fuck had I been thinking, charging into Willow’s bathroom like a hero? I hadn’t been thinking. That was the problem. The whole fucking point. She’d needed help and I’d just reacted. Like metal to a magnet, I was drawn to her.
That shit stopped today. Right now. From the sounds of things, she had enough men in her life who were more than willing to take a bullet for her. The only bullet I’d take was the one I’d put in her pussy before I fucked her.
“Penn, are you even fucking listening?” Amatucci snarled as his driver took us to the District Attorney’s office.
I flipped through my short term memory. “You want to know what other evidence I have. Well, you’re just going to have to find out when I tell Jerrod. I don’t share my secrets, Amatucci. Get used to it.”
He mumbled under his breath. Something about torture and pain. I blocked it out. I was used to people being pissed off with me. A good ninety-nine percent of them always were. I didn’t mind in the least. Usually preferred it, to be honest. Fewer expectations and easier to get what I wanted.
“What are you doing to keep Doctor Douche away from Willow?” I asked him. The question had been plaguing me. Eating at me for the last few hours.
Willow wasn’t weak, no matter what she thought. But she was broken somehow. Broken and hurt. And angry. Fuck, was she angry. Her body fairly vibrated with it.
I could understand it. Lived with the same monster deep inside myself. I didn’t think she was familiar with her anger, but I would have bet my considerable fortune that when that dam burst it was going to be a thing of sheer beauty.
My dick tightened at the idea of being inside her while I made her angry. How she’d fight and spit and scream. She’d use her nails on me, if I left her hands loose, that is.
“I swear to Willow’s goddess, you have the attention span of a gnat. What the fuck are you fidgeting about for?” Amatucci snapped, his light brown eyes sparking with anger and annoyance.
I felt my lips pull up in a smirk. I certainly wasn’t going to be sharing my musings. I wanted to keep my dick, thank you very much. “What I want to do to Doctor Douche…if you haven’t gotten to him first.”
The man across from me smiled. It made my balls stop tingling and hide for cover inside me. He was fucking scary. And I had zero problems admitting that—to myself. I wasn’t sure who did what in their organization, but I was glad we were on the same team for now.
“We’ve got the good doctor covered, don’t you worry.”
“How?”
He shook his head. “You keep your secrets, we keep ours.” He looked me straight in the eye. “Unless you want to join the family.”
I held up a hand. “I’m good with my current position at the moment.”
His chuckle was a little dry around the edges, but he relaxed. “And why does it matter to you anyway? Last I heard, you couldn’t be bothered to share a fucking snack. Now you want to avenge my girl?”
I heard the threat, the claim. I brushed it aside. I’d decided to have Willow. And no one, not even the lady herself, was going to stop me. Consequences be damned.
“If you’ve read anything about me, you know what kind of man I am.”
He snorted.
I dipped my head in acknowledgement. “But never once, in all the stories and pieces done on me, have I been accused of landing a woman in the hospital or terrifying her so badly that she refused medical care. Yes, I hit women. But only when they want me to. Whatever Doctor Douche did to Willow? His kind has special reservations in hell.”
Amatucci studied me, his dark brows low as he tapped his thumbs against his legs. “Not my story to tell. But I fully agree with you. If he touches her, he dies. He’s been made aware of the situation.”
“Then what the fuck happened at the hospital, Amatucci? Willow was about to die on those steps when she should have been in a fucking bed recovering. How did he find her if you used an assumed
name?”
His lips tightened. “I’ve got someone working on that end of it. If I find out that someone betrayed her to him, even if they aren’t in our territory, they will reap what they have sown. If it turns out that he was just in the right place at the wrong time, then we’ll deal with that a different way.”
I waited to speak until I could be sure my voice would be steady. Bland. “Have you heard of Good Shepherd?”
His brow furrowed as his gaze darted right and left. “No. I don’t think so.”
Thank fuck. I pulled my phone from my inner jacket pocket. “Here’s the info. They have an urgent care and emergency department. A little less than a mile farther away—in the other direction—than the hospital. If something else happens to her, take her there. Give them my name.”
His phone buzzed as he watched me. His eyes narrowed. He said nothing. Just sat there studying me.
The car finally slowed as it pulled to the curb. I got out. I wasn’t going to discuss why I had a private hospital’s info in my phone. I think he realized that.
He exited the car on the other side and came around to join me. “Ready?” He closed the top button on his suit coat.
“I’ve never had a bad experience in this office. Can the same be said for you?” I asked as I stepped away.
He chuckled. “I’m a lawyer. Most of my experiences here have ended well for me.”
I snorted softly. “Right. Because organized crime lawyers are so well liked.”
His mouth kicked up at the corner. “You’d be surprised.”
We pushed through the doors, shoulder to shoulder. Mafia man and billionaire. We made a very interesting pair.
Amatucci pulled ahead and stopped at reception. “Hey Josie, how’s Gregory?” he asked, not bothering to set his briefcase down.
The petite redhead startled as she looked up. A huge smile washed the surprise away. “Mr. Amatucci. He’s doing great. Tell your mama thank you for the remedy. Worked like a charm and I’ve actually gotten to sleep more than an hour at a time.”
He patted the countertop a couple times. “Great. My associate here and I have an appointment with Jerrod. Is he in by chance?”
Josie dropped her vibrant blue eyes to the screen that lit her face slightly. She tracked her gaze over the screen, nodded. “Yes. His last appointment ended just now. You should be free to go on up. Would you like me to call ahead for you?” She raised the phone.
The ass flashed her a megawatt smile. “No, thanks. We’ll just go on up. Give my love to your nonna.”
Josie smiled. “She’s still waiting for you to marry her.”
The ladies man beside me laid his hand against his heart. “She is too much woman for me. She’ll break my heart.”
Josie’s cooing laugh filled the lobby. “I’ll tell her you said so.”
“I hope you do. Bye now.”
“Bye, Mr. Amatucci.”
We headed for the bank of elevators. I waited until we were inside to start speaking. “Laying it on a little thick, yeah?”
Amatucci smiled. “Only if you’re not interested in special treatment. Like I said, most of my time here has been quite enjoyable.”
I huffed a laugh. “You guys seem pretty chummy with the law enforcement of New Trenadie. How does that work?”
He shook his head.
The elevator dinged, cutting me off before I could ask any other questions. He strode out of the car and straight through the lobby into the opposite office. Another assistant guarded this door.
I smiled when I saw it was Brian. I was looking forward to seeing how Amatucci dealt with a male assistant. This was going to be great.
“Mr. Hertman, how’s your mother?” Amatucci asked.
Fuck.
“Mr. Amatucci, welcome. She’s good. Sends her love to yours. Mr. Wright is ready for you.” Brian waved us back to his boss's sanctum.
Amatucci smirked at me as we headed down the short hallway. “Thought you had me.”
The door opened before I could say anything else. Games were forgotten as I remembered why I was here. Blackmail and threats. I didn’t take too kindly to either.
“Nico, what can I do for you today?” District Attorney Wright said, a glowing smile on his face. He rose to his feet, hand held out for a shake.
Damn. I really needed to learn Amatucci’s secrets.
Amatucci shook the proffered hand, turned to me. “This is Ryker Penn, personal friend of the family.”
I quelled the jolt of shock that ran through my body at that relationship tie-in. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a close personal friend of the Amatucci crime family. But apparently, I’d been granted the distinction anyway.
Wright stuck out his hand to me, a confused look on his face. “Mr. Penn, I’ve heard great things about you and your company.” He waved us to take seats. “What can I do for you gentlemen today?”
Well, at least now I understood why Amatucci said he would take the lead. I wondered if they played golf on the weekends.
“Mr. Penn was helping a family friend at the hospital yesterday evening. We have security evidence of such and I want it on record that he acted with my full support and permission.”
Wright’s expression froze in polite interest. “That’s great. We can always use more good Samaritans in New Trenadie. Why exactly are you coming to me with this?”
I cleared my throat, drawing Wright’s attention. “I was called very early this morning and threatened by John Cavendish, Jr. He stated that if I didn’t bribe you or the police into dropping the charges against his son, that my behavior in the hospital and the damning security footage would be leaked to the media with whispers of kidnapping.”
Wright interlocked his fingers on his desk. He looked back at Amatucci. “But you’re saying this is untrue. That the person he was taking from the hospital was not actually kidnapped. That he was helping you.”
Amatucci nodded. “Exactly. You’re aware of Willow Chase and the…incidents surrounding her divorce.”
Wright nodded, a quick dip of the chin. He set his jaw, his nostrils flaring. “And Ms. Chase was the woman who had been removed from the hospital.” He made it a statement, not a question.
Amatucci nodded again. “Exactly. We admitted her under a fake name due to issues with Dr. Errington.”
I blew out a low breath. I finally had the fuckers name.
“He somehow managed to discover her whereabouts. While he was having Talia physically removed from the room—by security guards, no less—Willow was able to escape. She made it to the stairwell where Mr. Penn found her. While helping her down the remainder of the stairs, she lost consciousness. He phoned me. After deliberation, it was decided that Willow should be taken to Mr. Penn’s penthouse where my brother, Rafe, could continue her care.” Amatucci’s fingers were wrapped around the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles were white.
Wright turned back to me. “Do you have proof that Cavendish threatened to blackmail you?”
“Yes. I recorded the second call after I hung up on him the first time.”
Wright and Amatucci whistled.
I shrugged. “I have not only the phone call, but I had my IT expert dig up the trail from him to the hospital. The security footage was obtained illegally. My expert has provided me with the evidence. According to her, the evidence is admissible in court by some kind of precedent.” I put a jump drive on the table, slid it towards him.
Wright didn’t touch it. He turned back to Amatucci. “Your evidence?”
Amatucci slid over a sheet of paper.
Wright’s gaze skimmed over it quickly, his eyebrows raising as he got to the end. “And you’re sure you want to go this route? Errington’s got deep pockets and a long reach.”
Amatucci nodded.
I spoke up. “I don’t know what’s on that paper, but I’ll throw my weight behind it if it’s against Errington personally. Ms. Chase was out of her mind terrified of him. She’s lost most of her memory from that night that can
be attested to by at least three Amatuccis.”
Wright scooped up the flash drive, added it to the paper. “What are the charges against the younger Cavendish?” He turned to his computer.
“Assault, battery, public intoxication, destruction of private property, lewd misconduct,” Amatucci reeled off.
Both Wright and I looked at him.
He shrugged. “Everett Cavendish is the reason Willow ended up in the hospital anyway. He attempted to touch my sister without her permission. Willow stopped that attack. In doing so, Cavendish stumbled into the table. It fell against her. Cavendish then proceeded to fall into the table that had crushed Willow. Her legs suffered extensive bruising. Her ability to walk has been impaired. She also suffered a concussion, scalp contusion, and frequent loss of consciousness.” Amatucci’s words were clipped, anger deepened the fire of his low voice.
Wright’s blue eyes widened. “And his father wants these charges dropped why?”
“According to the conversation with the older Cavendish, Everett won’t get to go to Harvard if he’s charged with all of this,” I said. The idiot was lucky he wasn’t fish food at the moment.
Wright shook his head. “And you’re bringing this all to me out of the goodness of your hearts?”
Amatucci laughed. “You know I don’t have any goodness in my heart, Wright. But I want him punished. If it hadn’t been Willow and Tali, it would have been someone else’s sister, daughter, friend. That behavior isn’t tolerated in my club.”
Wright’s brows rose. “Cavendish did all this in Chaos?”
Amatucci nodded. Pulled a flash drive from his briefcase. “Security camera footage.” He set it on Wright’s desk with great care. “He doesn’t slip the leash this time, Jerrod.” His voice was steel.
Wright nodded. “Everett has been in and out of here for all kinds of petty shit. His daddy usually buys off the plaintiff. If everything in your information checks out, I’ll prosecute him, Amatucci. You’ve got my word.”
Amatucci nodded.
Wright looked at me. “As to your involvement, Mr. Penn, this could open you and your company up to close scrutiny. Is that something you’re willing to have happen?”
