by Soraya Naomi
Cautiously, I carry Fallon to my room and lay her on the bed.
After I run downstairs to get a glass of water and some fruit to take back up with me, I lock the door to my private room, storing the key in my pants pocket. Then, from the top drawer of my dresser that’s positioned next to the door, I choose a clean white t-shirt and boxer briefs to change Fallon into.
Raking her hair back from her face, I touch her lips before I slide under the sheets next to her and grip her hand, entwining our fingers. She’s sleeping peacefully, and tranquility fills my veins now that she’s with me.
Though I don’t know if Fallon will ever be able to trust me again, and I don’t know if she can accept my lifestyle – even in time – I’ll do anything to keep her safe. I’m not deserving of her love, but I want it. I need it, and I will not give up on us.
CHAPTER 28
Fallon
I’m in that dream state where I slowly sense myself waking. Warmness surrounds me as my spirit rouses, and Luca’s familiar scent fills my lungs. Pushing my nose into his chest, I grimace when I feel pain. I try to roll onto my back, but Luca holds me to him, so I look up, and his eyes are intently analyzing me.
Confused, I glance around, taking in the black and white colors of an unknown room where we apparently slept together on this king-size bed, and my memory overflows with my situation.
The shooting.
Two men took me.
Luca’s part of the mafia, the Chicago Syndicate.
I’m being held captive.
Again, I make an effort to move, without success, and I tense up in Luca’s embrace.
“Calm down, dolcezza. You’re in my room. You’re fine. How are you feeling?”
That’s a good question. I was in a basement when I fell asleep, and the fear that crippled me last night is less distinguishable this morning. As last night replays in my mind, I still can’t understand what exactly happened. And I hate that he makes me feel safe.
Luca sits us up, and I gasp when the skin on my knees tightens.
He tries to pacify me by gently sweeping my bangs to the side. “We need to clean you, dolcezza.”
I twitch away from his touch. “Please don’t call me that,” I say as I begin to make mental notes.
To my left is the door, probably locked. Next to the door is a black dresser with five drawers. Straight ahead is an ensuite bathroom with an adjacent walk-in closet. To my right are two huge windows, decorated with floor-to-ceiling curtains.
“Fine,” he comments as he stands up. “We have to shower.”
Are we just going to play happy couple?
“Come,” he urges, guiding me to the enormous, spotless white-tiled bathroom with a toilet, two sinks, and a shower with two showerheads.
Uneasily, I stand in the middle of the room and catch my reflection in the mirror, not recognizing my face with its pale skin and a purple bruise. I hesitantly touch the swollen area under my eye.
Luca places his hands on my shoulders. “Go ahead and get in. Afterward, I’ll take care of your wounds and we’ll talk.”
Talk? I need to escape.
“I want to shower alone,” I whisper.
“Fine, but the door stays open.”
“Please, I’d like some privacy,” I plead, to no avail.
“Shower however long you want, but the door stays open,” he tells me in an authoritative tone he’s rarely used with me before. Then he pauses, searching for his next words. “Look at me, Fallon. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll clean your injuries after you’re done.” Luca wants to add something but decides against it.
The silence is weighing around us, and neither of us moves.
Eventually, Luca reaches into the shower and turns on the faucet. He expels a heavy breath and leaves the bathroom, keeping the door ajar while sitting on the bed, facing me. That’s all the privacy I get.
I self-consciously strip out of the shirt and boxers with my back to Luca, shielding my nakedness from him as much as possible. Stepping into the shower, I shriek when the hot water connects with the cut skin on my knees.
“Are you okay?” Luca asks, concerned, reminding me of when he was just my boyfriend and not some mafia underboss.
But I don’t speak. The steam of the warming water is clouding the shower stall, yet Luca and I can still clearly see each other. His eyes are stained with repentance. Mine are teeming in tears. With simply his stare, he forces the happy memories we’ve created over the last six months to the surface of my mind, which only adds to my inner turmoil in this moment, so I tear my gaze away from him and scrub my body clean while trembling. The physical pain isn’t as bad as it was, and the bruising on my face is more uncomfortable than sore. Standing straight under the showerhead with my head tossed back, I let the droplets rinse my face and try desperately to achieve some calm to arrange my thoughts.
Luca’s part of the Syndicate. I’ve been kidnapped. What will happen to me? What will happen to us? The last question pops up and instantly certifies my resentment. I will not think about us. There is no us in this situation, and very least important is my love for this man. What’s most important now is for me to focus on getting out of here.
Luca has already started to provide me with answers, but pushing my confusion and anger aside is easier said than done. So many emotions swirl chaotically in my tightly-wound body. I blow out a puff of air and turn off the faucet. Boxer briefs and a clean white t-shirt have been placed next to the sink for me to wear.
When I’ve dressed and return to the bedroom, Luca’s rummaging through one of his drawers. “Sit on the bed, dol—Fallon.” He comes over and crouches before me to apply antiseptic to my knees and cover them with bandages. Quietly, he uncaps Arnica cream and I close my eyes under his affectionate touch as the pad of his thumb gently wipes the lotion over my bruised skin. I hear him heave a sigh but refuse to meet his gaze, as he’s too close, and my hurt and fear are far greater than this lone bruise implies.
“I’m going to shower quickly, and then I have to take care of some business before you and I can talk.”
My eyes fly open. “You’re leaving me alone again?”
“Yes, but just for a little while. Listen. You’re safe in this room. Do you understand?”
I simply stare at Luca. Think. Think. Being alone is perfect. It gives me time to find a way to escape.
“Yes,” I answer to appease him and don’t move an inch from the bed as Luca showers and dresses.
I lean forward to watch him in the walk-in closet, just in time to see him stash a gun in the back waistband of his pants. He has a gun? Did he ever carry it when he was with me?
He comes out of his closet wearing navy dress pants and a white dress shirt without a tie. “Are you hungry?”
I shake my head, ignoring my empty stomach as he stops in front of me and I have to look up at him.
“Try to drink the water and eat the apple or orange.” He motions to the nightstand. “I’ll bring more food later.” Luca laces his fingers through my still wet hair. As much as I want to pull away, I let him. “Nothing’s going to happen to you, Fallon. I’ll explain everything tonight.”
Then he retrieves the room key from his pocket and slips out, obviously upset about our current situation as well – there’s an uncomfortable distance between us. It’s giving me the same feeling I’ve been experiencing all week while we’ve been falling apart.
Immediately, I jump up and press my ear to the door – listening to his receding footsteps – and push down the door handle, but, of course, it’s locked. I race to the other side of the room and check the window frames, unable to find any way to get them open. There isn’t a single handle on either of them and nothing to see outside, only land, trees, and a river in the distance ahead. No neighboring houses.
The sun is hanging low in the baby blue sky, so it must be early morning. I look down and see that we’re pretty high up, definitely not on the first or second floor. It’s impossible to jump down anyway,
so I give up my effort to open the windows and rummage through the dresser drawers. The first one is filled with men’s underwear. The second has first aid kit material. The other ones are empty. Next, I search the bathroom but come up empty there as well. I don’t know what I expect to find though. Maybe a weapon to defend myself, if needed.
The walk-in closet is my last hope. It’s a small room with several of Luca’s tailored suits hanging on the rack. Shirts and pants are folded in square compartments next to the suits, and two pairs of shoes are on the floor. I check all the pockets of every suit jacket and pair of pants. Nothing.
Disheartened, I collapse back onto the bed to glare out the window.
What to do now?
CHAPTER 29
Luca
I hear Fallon running to the door as soon as I lock it behind me. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I compose myself after having to deal with her cold behavior. She needs time to process everything.
After my discussion with James, I hope to tell her that I’m taking her home. I need to convince James that she won’t contact the police. A soldier or I will guard her at all times until I’ve gained her trust again. And she will trust me again. I’ll make sure of that. I still feel her love for me through the animosity and mistrust, so it hasn’t been overpowered by her current hate for me, yet.
On the second floor, I knock on James’s office door.
“Come in.”
I open the door, closing it behind me, and approach James as he stands beside his desk. “James.”
“Good morning, son.” James pours me a cup of coffee and sets it on his desk as he unbuttons his tailored suit jacket. “Let’s cut right to business; we have a busy day. Have a seat.”
Sitting down, I take my drink and James leans back against the edge of his desk.
“Luca, I need to commend you for being on top of everything these last few months while I’ve been arranging our new ventures in southern Illinois. I’m, as always, content with your smooth and swift execution of all businesses and liabilities.”
I rest my ankle on my knee. “Thank you.” Then I decide to cut to the chase. “I have to talk about a private matter first though.”
“Sure.”
“I met a woman.”
James smiles.
“You know of her too.”
James’s brows knit together.
“It’s Fallon Michaels.”
“Danny’s girl?”
I grit my teeth. “She’s my girl. But yes, Danny’s ex-girlfriend.”
“And you’ve been dating her?” His lips thin into a hard line for a brief second.
“Yes. Initially, it was only to find out if she’d had any contact with Danny – she hasn’t. There hasn’t been any communication between Danny and Fallon, except for that one time she received a call from him, which she never returned. She’s of no importance in regards to catching Danny.” I look him in the eye, and instead of disgruntlement, I believe I recognize fatherly pride, so I continue. “But there’s a complication. She witnessed a kill last night by accident. Frank screwed up and kidnapped her. Adriano and I took care of Frank after he tried to attack her in this house, and she’s up in my room now. She didn’t know about the Syndicate until yesterday, but after her initial shock wears off, I know I’ll be able to persuade her to avoid contacting the police. She loves me, and I love her.”
James slides into his chair, not betraying his emotions as I place my coffee on the desk.
“Hmm. I’m not happy you didn’t tell me about her from the start.” He pauses and cracks one knuckle. “But I do get it. I never told you how I met my wife, did I? Alessa was a friend of one of my girls, and when I saw her, I was a goner. I was in a situation similar to yours, and I didn’t tell anyone about her because I thought it was the only way to keep her. To this day, she doesn’t know everything about what I do, but over the years, she’s found out things that made her question her love for me. Luca, not every woman is cut out for this world. Is she trustworthy? Can you vouch for her? I protect Alessa by keeping her in the dark, but Fallon has now been exposed to our Syndicate.”
Leaning forward, I vouch, “She’s trustworthy and smart. It’ll take time for her to trust me again, but she won’t go to the police if I ask her not to.” I relay all this as if it’s a done deal, even though it’s not. But even if she does go to the police, many of Chicago’s officers are on my payroll. I can make her statement disappear if that’s required.
James starts to toy with a pen, tapping it on the desk. “I trust you. If you believe she’s worth it, then you have my blessing. She’s your responsibility though,” he stresses. “From now on, she’ll be under the protection of the Syndicate. Our members need to be informed that she’s in a relationship with you. So I presume she’s coping well with all that happened last night?”
“She is,” I lie.
“Good, good.” James nods and adds, “Do you know I call you son because you are a son to me, Luca? I’ve always wanted you to find someone. A good woman will make this life bearable. We can be ruthless men. That doesn’t mean we don’t deserve the love of a good woman.”
“I just don’t want all of this to change her,” I admit, rearing back in my seat.
“It will change her. This life changes everyone. However, you can still be happy with her. I had a suspicion you’d met someone. There’s been a distinct change in you, and it hasn’t been a negative one. But I am disappointed you didn’t entrust me with this earlier. I would’ve backed you. I’ve chosen you as my underboss for a reason.”
“There was so much going on, James. I wanted us to focus purely on southern Illinois. “
“Well, make sure it doesn’t happen again. And you must settle things with Fallon.”
“I’m taking her home tonight.”
“Good. It’s definitely better that she’s not here. I wouldn’t want Alessa here. Since the drug traffic is set up in the South, Danny is now our number one priority,” James reminds me.
“Someone must be helping that hacker hide. It’s like he vanished from the face of the earth.”
“Did we contact all associates?” James asks.
“All of them. There isn’t any trace of Danny Mancuso.”
“Is he being protected by feds?” he muses aloud.
“No.” I shake my head in denial. We have men everywhere, even in the FBI.
While I’m still brainstorming about Danny, James suddenly announces, “We have a meet with Leggia in an hour, by the way.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea. You know how it goes – if a meet is requested, I must go. If it’s not important, we’ll leave. I don’t trust Leggia. He’s frustrated with Crystal Lake.”
I’m thinking he resents purchasing it, and then remember that I need to update James regarding Leggia, so I mention, “Leggia knows about Fallon. He had someone following her after she was spotted with me. He has a hidden agenda, but I can’t figure out what he’s up to.”
In reaction, James’s hand clenches in anger. “He also had Alessa followed this week. Leggia’s a jealous, power-hungry idiot, and his Syndicate isn’t thriving because he makes ignorant decisions like buying Crystal Lake, which is an unprofitable area. At least his underboss, Biagio, is smarter than he is. Let’s keep an eye on Biagio. It’s only a matter of time until the New York Syndicate implodes because none of them look after each other.” James then stretches and cocks his arm to check the time on his watch and rises to his feet. “Let’s go. We have to drive to the city.”
“I need someone to look after Fallon. And as a precaution, let’s take Adriano with us to the meet with Leggia. Is Salvatore coming here or meeting us there?” Our Consigliere and lawyer, Salvatore, always accompanies James and me to meetings.
“Salvatore’s meeting us there. Get Adriano and meet me at the car in five minutes.” James clears out of the room, and I walk out behind him, stewing over what to do with Fallon while I’m gone.
Damian could stand guard at
Fallon’s door, but I wouldn’t want to risk him having to go inside. It would scare her to see him again. So my only other option is Cam, who’s ascending the stairs when James heads down.
I wait for her at the top. “Cam, I need your help. Fallon’s in my room, and to keep her safe, she’s locked in. Long story. Adriano or I will tell you everything tonight.”
Cam looks appalled, but I don’t have time to ease her into it.
“I really need you to do this for me, Cam. Fallon’s fine, but she needs food today. I have to leave now, and I don’t want to send one of the men to her, understand?”
She glances at me uncertainly, obviously hesitant to get involved. “Okay...”
“Get savory food, one thing with no carbs and some chocolate pastries. Take it to my room. Can you do that? I’m entrusting you with her. Just leave the food in my room and then lock it again. Here’s the key. Understood?”
“Yes,” she replies and accepts the key before I carry on down the stairs as Adriano appears from the kitchen eating a sandwich.
“Let’s go. You’re coming with us to meet Leggia,” I instruct him.
“Right now?” he asks with his sandwich hanging out of his mouth.
“Yes. But first, talk to Cam quickly,” I order. “You have to fill her in on the situation with Fallon later, but for now, explain what’s needed to calm her down, because she’s going to give Fallon food today. Fallon will ask for Cam’s help, so inform her of what to do.”
“I will. Don’t worry about Cam.” Adriano eases my apprehension.
***
New York Syndicate’s boss, Giacomo Leggia, has reserved an executive hotel room for a meet, which is highly unusual. Meetings are normally held in cafés or restaurants run by our associates.
Consigliere Salvatore awaits us in the lobby of the hotel, and we go straight to the room.
