Scarlett and the Feds

by Baker, S. L.

  “Hey, Victor.”

  “Curran and Luke are fifteen minutes out.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Is that Mr. Salvatore?” Ella asked holding out her hand.

  “Hold on, babe.”

  “Yes, ma’am, it is.”

  “I would like to speak to him please.”

  I handed her the phone.

  “Mr. Salvatore, I wanted to thank you for such a gracious gift. I’m very grateful for your generosity, but I insist on reimbursing you.”

  The corners of Ella mouth turned down and she raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes, I understand and thank you again.” She handed me the phone back.

  “I’m back.”

  “I’m starting to understand where you got that stubborn side of yours.”

  I laughed. “Oh yeah, absolutely. We had to hold our own with all that testosterone running through the house.”

  Victor chuckled. “Hey I got to go. I have a call coming in, see you soon.”

  Ella was staring out the window lost in her thoughts.

  “Curran will be here in a few minutes,” I said.

  “Ok, honey.”

  I got up to get another glass of bubbly. I still had to confess to Curran about what was really going on and that his brother had vanished without a trace.

  “Is he the one, Angelina?” she asked.

  Her question caught me off guard. I stopped and turned to face Ella. “Umm.”

  “Victor. Is he the one?” Her eyes locked onto mine.

  “Yes. He is.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  ***

  The alarm chimed on the front door as Curran rushed through. Hawke followed carrying his bag.

  Ella ran to Curran, arms extended.

  “Hi, Ma!”

  “Hi, sweet boy. I’m so happy to see you,” she said kissing his cheek. “Are you ok?”

  “Yeah, just exhausted from exams and the long car ride with Mr. unsocial.” Curran scoffed rolling his eyes.

  “Hi, bud,” I said hugging him.

  “What going on, Ang?” he asked his eye darting between me and Ella.

  “Go get settled and relax and then we will chat,” I said, showing him where he was crashing indefinitely.

  I peeked in thirty minutes later and Curran was sprawled across my bed out cold. I shut my door. Our conversation could wait. I was in no hurry to tell him that I was the reason why his life was in turmoil and that the list of people that wanted to whack me was growing by the second. Scarlett agreed she was responsible for keeping track and it was starting to make her head spin.

  I stayed with Ella until she went to bed and texted Victor to come get me. I was so in the mood to be ravaged by my smoking hot Italian Adonis and so was Scarlett. Sex was on the menu and she was ordering seconds.

  Chapter 19

  It was my first day back at work and I was nervous about leaving Ella. She was re-arranging the cupboards in the kitchen when I hugged her goodbye. I spent the night at the cottage with her, Victor was not thrilled, but understood. I didn’t want to add any more stress to her life. She was old school and felt that a couple should be married before they had sex. Scarlett smiled her naughty little grin. If Ella ever knew the hot kinky sex Victor and I had these last six months, she’d probably have a heart attack.

  Hawke dropped me off, I’d finally convinced Victor I would be fine without Hawke shadowing me at work. I hated having to give him the slip when I needed to meet with the Feds, like I did this morning. My first stop when the elevator door opened to the third floor was Nelson’s office for my morning drooling and gawking session with a dose of inappropriate touching. Scarlett fished her favorite brass knuckles out of her purse and shined them up with the sleeve of her blouse just in case, Nelson was over the top this morning and she needed them.

  Nelson was typing furiously on his computer when I peeked my head in his office.

  “Good morning, sunshine. I missed you.”

  Scarlett rolled her eyes and adjusted her brass knuckles.

  “Morning,” I replied.

  “Please, sit. We have a busy morning,” he said rubbing his hands together like he was on the verge of hatching a devious plan to take over the world. But with Nelson, that was every idea he cooked up. He darted around to the edge of his desk and sat in front of me. Leaning in close and looking around to make sure the coast was clear.

  “Remember the list of names I gave you before you abandoned me for the powder puff division?

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. Scarlett flashed back to the Conga line and the wedding cake and asked me why we came back to this asshole again. Her arms were folded and a frown graced her face.

  “Of course,” I said louder than he liked.

  “Shhh. Keep your voice down.”

  “Nobody can hear us. We’re in your office and the door is closed,” I said annoyed. Scarlett started looking in light fixtures and under Nelson’s desk for bugs. Nelson handed me a thumb drive.

  “There are three more names on the list. Set up the meeting. Let me know when it’s done. Remember tell no-one and keep that thumb drive safe.”

  Scar snatched out of my hand and put it in her bra. She dared Nelson to retrieve it. She pounded her fist in her palm. I shot her a look to stand down and she sighed mumbling how I was no fun.

  I clutched the thumb drive in my left hand and crossed my heart.

  “I promise I will guard it with my life.” I was trying to play down my emotions that were boiling over with anticipation. I had more ammunition with the Feds and I needed it to entice them to divert their focus to finding Luke instead of taking me and Victor down.

  I stood up, but before I could turn to leave, Nelson grabbed me by the hips. It caught me off guard. Scarlett drew back her right hand ready to strike any second. Jesus H! Nelson had no clue and didn’t give a shit about personal boundaries.

  Nelson’s eye locked onto mine like a sniper on its target.

  “Any progress on setting up my interview with Mr. Salvatore?”

  “Not yet,” I said trying to wiggle free. He dropped his hands from my waist and rose from the desk.

  “Have you even asked him yet?” he asked clearly annoyed.

  “No, it’s hasn’t been the right time. But I’m working on it. Just be patient.”

  “Shit, how hard can it be? You’re fuckin’ his son,” he snapped.

  “You know what, Nelson? Screw you. We’re not talking about some dirty Senator on your secret list! We’re talking about a ruthless, cold hearted man who will do whatever it takes to protect the Mob. You know what? If you want to get shot in the head, your hair shaved off, burned, and then your corpse fed to the hogs, then fine! I will call him right now and set it up,” I said failing miserably at maintaining my cool.

  Nelson was silent for a brief second and then blurted out, “Wait, you have Joe Salvatore’s number in your phone?”

  “Oh my God! You’re a dick, you know that?” I said, then turned and slammed his door as I left.

  I controlled my urge to sprint to my office. I shut my door behind me and locked it. Firing up my laptop, scrolling down the list, I found the two new names highlighted. I typed their names into Google and stopped cold when their information pop up. I copied the documents onto my hard drive and made a duplicate copy on a back-up thumb drive to give to the Feds. I was relieved knowing that for the moment everyone I loved was safe, except for Luke. I grabbed my cell to text Agent Parker.

  We need to meet earlier! It’s urgent!!!

  Angelina

  He replied:

  One hour under the Masonic Bridge.

  I put the thumb drive in my purse and headed to get a car.

  Nelson motioned for me to come into his office when he saw me open my door.

  “Shit,” I mumbled under my breath. Scarlett was frantically looking for her new Taser, but couldn’t find it.

  I peeked my head in.

  “Come in, clos
e the door.”

  “Are we good?” he asked looking worried.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re not going to run off and leave me again are you?”

  “No, Nelson. I think I’m the only one that can work with you,” I said. For an arrogant prick he was so insecure sometimes. I did have my moments, they were few and far between, that I felt bad for Nelson. But then he opened his mouth and that feeling vanished.

  “I gotta go. I’m following up on our secret project. I will be in touch.”

  His eyes lit up. “Great. I can’t wait for an update. I have to confess that I’m praying for an armed robbery or something exciting to happen, so that we can be out in the field together in the heat of the action.”

  “It’s early yet. Keep your fingers crossed,” I said, heading to the door before Nelson’s bag of crazy busted open and he had me flying to some foreign country to cover a military coup.

  “Touch base when you get back!” Nelson yelled as I closed the door behind me.

  Glancing at my cell phone, I picked up my pace to the elevator. I had forty minutes until my rendezvous with the agents.

  Jeff was under one of the vehicles and slid out on his creeper when he heard me call his name.

  “What can I do you for, Miss Ellington?”

  “I need a car for an appointment. I will be gone for about an hour and half.”

  The corners of his mouth turned down and his eyebrows creased together.

  “That’s going to be a problem. All the sedans are out and this one has a blown radiator.”

  Scarlett was ripping off piece of duct tape with her teeth and slid under the car.

  “What about the van?” I said pointing to the one sitting in the lot.

  Jeff was shaking his head. “Sorry. I can’t lend out the vans for only one person unless it’s an emergency.” The creeper slid out from under the car and Scar was applying her false eyelashes and bright red lipstick. Scar admired her ass from the reflection of Jeff tool box, enjoying the benefits of the buns of steel workout she’d been doing.

  Using a page out of Nelson’s handbook, I invaded Jeff’s personal space and gently grabbed his arm. I motioned for him to lean in closer. Scarlett unbuttoned the top three button on my silk blouse.

  “Jeff, I’m going on a covert meeting for Mr. Stone. We are the only people that know about this. That’s how important it is and if I don’t make it, I shudder to think about the consequences he will dish out to both of us. I promise I will have it back before anyone knows it’s gone,” I said batting my eye lashes. Scarlett was on her knees, hands pressed together pleading. I had less than thirty minutes to meet the Feds.

  “Okay. Give me a second,” he said clearing his throat, heading to his office. “Please get back as soon as you can,” Jeff said handing me the keys looking around to make sure the coast was clear.

  Scarlett kissed him on the cheek and ran toward the van.

  “I promise,” I said giving him a hug. His face turning crimson.

  I pulled out of the parking lot of the garage, tires squealing, and Scarlett high fiving me for taking the corner wide open. I really didn’t care if I made the Feds wait. I was ramped up about Luke. I promised Ella I would find him and I was keeping my word. Victor and Hawke were reaching out to their contacts that might have information about Luke. I imagined how that meeting would go down. Hawke grabbing a guy by the throat and Victor inches from his face threatening him. I’d never seen the intense frightening side of Hawke and Victor in raw form. I didn’t deny that it existed. If it got Luke back, then I would release Scarlett full throttle and stand right beside them and unleash my own brand of intimidation. I could feel my innocence slipping away and it scared me. Survival and protecting those that I loved was my only focus. The end game was to emerge on the other side of all of this in one piece and free from Joe Salvatore.

  ***

  The black SUV was waiting as I pulled up, dust flying behind the van. I shut off the engine and took deep breathes. Scarlett pulled out a brown paper bag in case I started hyper ventilating. My heart rate was racing. Both agents exited the SUV and headed my way. Grabbing my purse, I slid out of the van.

  “Follow us,” Agent Davis ordered. Agent Parker opened the door to the SUV and I climbed in. Both Agents climbed in front and started the SUV.

  “Wait. We need to do this here. I can’t be gone very long.”

  Both agents exchanged glances and Agent Davis cut the ignition.

  “Fine. What’s so urgent?” Agent Parker asked.

  “My cousin Luke Costa is missing. I want you both to open a full fledge investigation to find him,” I said my eyes darting back and forth between both agents.

  “That’s something for the local police to handle. It’s not federal,” Agent Parker stated very officially.

  “I understand that, but it’s not a priority of the local police in Rhode Island. My cousin has had some minor altercations with the local cops in town so to them his disappearance will just be thrown on some cop’s desk and he will get to it at some point.”

  “We have bigger issues then you’re missing cousin, Miss Ellington,” Agent Parker said.

  Scarlett was thumbing through the FBI handbook and found a page that contradicted both Agents. She took the top off her highlighter with her teeth and was marking that section. I needed a carrot and a fuckin’ big one to get them to help me.

  “I have two more names on that list I gave you and both are high value targets that, as you say, would be federal. I give you both names and agree to wear a wire if you will open an active investigation into my cousin disappearance.”

  Neither agent expressed any reaction to my revelation. Scarlett was so intrigued she was preparing the syringe of truth serum, she was going to find out how they pulled that off.

  “Wait here,” Agent Parker instructed and both exited the vehicle.

  Glancing at my cellphone, I started to get anxious. I suspected Jeff was looking at the door to the garage every few minutes, hoping I pulled in.

  Scarlett climbed into the front seat and was just about to switch on the blue lights when the doors opened.

  “Miss Ellington, this is the deal. You give us those names as part of our original agreement that keeps both you and Mr. Salvatore out of prison, and you agree to set up a meeting with Joe Salvatore and wear a wire.”

  “Why don’t you just drop me off on his doorstep wrapped in a big red bow and the word rat tattooed on my forehead?” I seethed.

  “That’s our offer. It’s non-negotiable unless you want to tell us the reason why Rhode Island’s finest is not good enough for you. I suspect there something about your cousin and his disappearance you’re not telling us. So unless you want to be upfront, that’s our deal take it or leave it. You have the next thirty seconds to decide.”

  “Fine. I’ll do it,” I snapped. “I need to get back to the station,” I said trying the handle to the door. “Could you please unlock my door?”

  “I think you’re forgetting something,” Agent Parker said, disdain dripping from his tone.

  I grabbed the thumb drive out of my purse and threw it at him.

  “Here,” I said, “Now unlocked my door please.” Scarlett had a hammer and was ready to smash the window.

  I heard the locks click and I opened my door.

  “We’ll be in touch very soon,” Agent Parker snapped.

  “I hope with an update about my cousin,” I seethed, slamming the door.

  I sprinted to the van worried that Jeff was in melt down mode because I wasn’t back yet.

  Scarlett pulled out two valium and a nip of rum as emergency supplies for Jeff just in case. He was pacing as I pulled into the station parking lot. I saw the look on relief flash over his face.

  “I’m sorry, are we good?” I said looking around.

  “Yup. I was getting worried, but all is fine.”

  “Thanks again. Mr. Stone owes you one, Jeff.” A big grin filled his face as I imagined
the favor he would ask of Nelson. Scarlett hoped it was embarrassing. She wanted to use her new camera and her face book page needed a makeover.

  Chapter 20

  I put on my running clothes and headed out the front door. I had to clear my head. I really had no clue how to tell Victor that I had sold our souls to the Feds and now I needed a sit down face to face with his father. My stomach was doing gymnastics and vomit rose in my throat. I fought it off. The crisp air bit into my cheeks and the sky was brilliant with millions of stars overhead. It was peaceful. I knew Victor would lose his mind that I ran to his house in the dark, but I had Scarlett and her arsenal of weapons, not to mention her bad ass bravery. Besides, lurking along the perimeter was a highly trained goon squad. They were always watching me and I was sure Victor already knew I was running up the dirt road to his house. I needed more time to find the words to tell him what I had done, and that once again, I had gone behind his back.

  I’d made a promise to him that night in my bedroom at Ella’s that I’d be more transparent and wouldn’t hide anything from him. The deal with the Feds was walking the tightrope between life and death, and it was swallowing me up. It was suffocating to know there was no easy way out. Scarlett used to only show up in a crisis or when I needed a burst of courage, but Scarlett and I were becoming one. Our lives were hanging by a thread and every option led to someone I loved getting hurt or even worse. Collateral damage of decisions I’d made. Luke would forever be a reminder of what I’d done. I had to make Victor understand the deal I’d made without him to the Feds was to protect both of us.

  I ran up the driveway and the front door opened. Victor grabbed me in his arms. I was panting from my run, but shivering from the cold air. Scarlett bolted to Victor’s stash of hard liquor and unzipped her special bag filled with emergencies supplies. She knew this was going to be a difficult few hours, but she was ready.

  “You’re shivering,” Victor said. Pressing my body harder against his own. “I would have driven down and picked you up, baby girl. You know how I feel about you running at night,” he said sternly.