by Chelle Bliss
“What are you saying?” he asks her.
“What do you think I’m saying?” she replies.
I keep my eyes closed, not moving, barely breathing.
Is she talking about…
No. She wouldn’t.
She’s my mother. She may be a bitch, but she wouldn’t hurt me any more than I’ve already been hurt. Would she?
“You’re the dumbass who used a gun, Jamison. I told you to bring her to me, but you took it upon yourself to go further than I ever imagined.”
“Madeline, you said do whatever it takes. I did that.”
“You’re a fool. Go. I’ll take care of her.”
“Where am I supposed to go?” Jamison asks her, his feet no longer moving across the floor.
“I don’t care. You’re useless.”
“You promised me a role in your upcoming film if I brought her to you, Madeline.”
She laughs again, sounding more hysterical than sane. “You’ll probably end up in jail after this…this stunt. I’ll be lucky if I’m not in the cell next to you too. Jo is such a drama queen. I’m sure she’ll go straight to the police when she wakes up.”
I open one eye a crack, wide enough for me to see where I am. It’s a room I’ve been in before, the suite Jamison and I had booked before he decided to enjoy a little more than the average maid service.
“Goddamn it. We can’t let her do that,” Jamison says. “Maybe we should…”
What the fuck?
I move quickly, taking off from the couch, heading toward the door since they’re on the other side of the room. I make it within a few feet, lunging toward the handle when a hand comes around my waist and hauls me backward.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Jamison grumbles in my ear as he lifts me off the floor, my legs kicking wildly. “The party isn’t over, princess.”
21
Nick
Jo’s screams echo through the hallway as I run down the corridor toward the suite where I’d had my face-to-face with Jamison less than a week ago.
My dad and uncle are only a few minutes away, Pike and Mammoth are heading up in the elevator, having dropped everything when they heard what happened and where I was going.
As soon as I’m at the door, I lift my leg, kicking it open. Jo’s in Jamison’s arms, her legs swinging and kicking like a wild animal. Both of them swivel their heads around, and Jamison’s eyes widen and then harden with hatred.
“Put her the fuck down,” I order him, lifting the gun I have fully loaded, ready to put every bullet into him.
“Fuck you,” he spouts, not releasing his hold on her.
Two shadows fill the doorway behind me as the first round of backup arrives.
“We can do this the easy way or the deadly way,” I tell him, aiming straight for his head, knowing my aim is dead-on. I’ve been shooting since I was a little kid, my father finding the skill necessary even at that young an age.
“You won’t shoot me with her in my arms.”
“Do it,” Jo tells me, tears trickling down her cheeks. “Shoot him, Nick!”
My gaze swings to the right as her mother moves into the room, dressed in a white suit, looking like class instead of the pure trash she is.
“Oh. If it isn’t the gun-toting roughneck from the other day,” she quips, lifting her hand and motioning toward me with her fingers that are covered in diamond jewelry. “And his goons.”
There’s the glint of sunshine off something in her other hand, drawing my attention, and I see her gun.
Pike and Mammoth step into the room, flanking me with their guns drawn too.
“You’re outnumbered, Madeline,” I tell her, holding my aim steady and my voice even. “Don’t even think about whatever crazy-ass thing you have floating around in that Hollywood head of yours.”
“You two deserve each other,” she snarls, eyes flickering to her daughter. “Trash begets trash.”
I grunt, doing everything I can mentally not to pop her in the leg for kicks.
“Ma’am,” Mammoth says at my right. “He’s a much nicer guy than me. I would’ve already shot the lot of you and given no fucks or shed any tears as you gasped for your last breath.”
“The cops are almost here,” Pike adds with his arm outstretched, finger hovering over the trigger of his Glock 43. “There’s no escape.”
I keep my gun pointed at Jamison, knowing the guys have Madeline covered. I’m pretty sure, even at this close range, she’s a shit shot.
“You’re worthless.” She turns her venom on Jamison. “You had one job to do, and you couldn’t even do it correctly. They’re here because of you.”
“We’re here because of her.” I tick my chin toward Jo. “Couldn’t care less about the rest of you, but I told you before and I’ll say it again, you do not get to do bad shit to her. She’s mine, and I, along with my family, protect what’s ours.”
Madeline cackles. “She sounds like property.”
“You’re the one who treats her like property. To me, she’s the most precious of things. You don’t deserve her love or another moment of her life,” I tell Madeline, but I keep my gaze pinned on Jamison.
“Shoot him already,” Mammoth mutters at my side. “Let’s get this shit over with.”
Jamison slowly lowers Jo to the floor. “Promise me you’re not going to shoot me if I let her go.”
“I won’t,” I promise. “But you have three seconds before you take one in the head.”
His eyes widen, and his arm immediately slips away from her body. She runs toward me, slamming into my body with so much force, I stumble back a step.
The bang of a gun goes off, and Jo stiffens in my arms at the sound of a loud thud. She tips her head up and follows my gaze to where she was just standing.
“Fuck. You shot me!” Jamison screeches from the floor, rolling around.
“I never promised I wouldn’t shoot you,” Mammoth laughs. “Son of a bitch deserved that shit.”
“Call an ambulance. I could die.”
“It’s your fucking leg. You aren’t dying, you miserable bastard,” Mammoth adds, his smile growing wider. “Fuckin’ pussy.”
Madeline drops her gun to the floor and steps back, looking like a trapped animal resigned to her fate.
“Well, fuck,” my dad mutters, entering the room behind us. “That escalated quicker than I thought.”
“I couldn’t help it. Sometimes you have to take shit into your own hands,” Mammoth tells him.
“Babe, you okay?” I ask, glancing down at my girl wrapped tightly around me.
She peers up at me, her blue eyes filled with tears. “I’m as okay as I can be. Better now that you’re here.”
“This is some fucked-up shit,” I hiss.
“I know,” she says, her mouth pulling down at the corners. “But you came.”
“I’ll always come for you,” I promise. “Always.”
“Get her out of here,” Dad demands, touching my shoulder as he stalks by us. “We got this. James and I will handle the cops. The sheriff and I go way back.”
“Come on,” I command, speaking softly to Jo. “Let’s get you out of here.”
She clings to me, her legs wobbling on the very first step. I bend down, scooping her into my arms, knowing the shock of everything is kicking in.
“I got you, babe. Ain’t going to let nothing bad happen to you.”
She places her head on my chest, curling into me and crying quietly. “You saved me,” she whimpers into my T-shirt. “You saved me.”
I hold her tighter, keeping her secure against my body as I make my way down the hallway toward the elevator. “I’ll never let you go without a fight. Move heaven and earth to find you and do everything I can to save you, even if it costs me my last breath.”
She tips her head back, her blue eyes locking with mine. “I love you,” she admits, her cheeks wet and eyes glossy, as she reaches up and touches my cheek.
“I love you, babe. That crazy,
wild kind of love that makes a man do dumb shit. Never loved a person the way I love you either. Fucked me up right from the start.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” I lean forward, placing my lips on hers for a moment until the elevator door opens.
She winces as I pull my mouth away.
“What’s wrong? Did he hurt you?”
“He hit me with the gun, and my head is pounding.”
If I wouldn’t go to jail, I’d go back and beat his ass within an inch of his life, gunshot wound, or no gunshot. He deserved so much worse than he got for laying his hands on her.
“I’ll take care of you,” I promise as the doors close and I take my girl home.
Her eyes flutter open as I sit down on the bed next to her. “Hey.” She smiles sweetly.
I brush the hair away from her forehead, exposing her temple and the bruise. “How’s your head feeling?”
“Still hurts, but not as bad.”
“I brought you ice to help with the swelling and bruising.”
She winces as I place the pack near the spot that’s already changed shades. “Thank you.”
“It’s ice, sweetheart,” I tell her, speaking softly, knowing she probably has a headache worse than any hangover she’s ever experienced in her life.
“No.” She places her hand on my arm. “For everything. For coming after me. For rescuing me. For saving me. I don’t know what…” Her fingers tighten against my arm, and her eyes fill with tears.
“Shh, Jo. You’re safe. Nothing will hurt you here,” I promise her.
The tears spill over her light eyelashes, sliding down her cheeks and falling to the pillow. “I know that. I feel that. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so safe in all my life.”
I slide closer, resting my back against the headboard. She moves, curling into me as I lift my arm. “That’s fucked up, babe.”
“I know.” She places her head on my stomach, sliding her fingers under the edge of my T-shirt. “But it’s the truth.”
“Guess Hollywood isn’t as glamorous as they make it seem.”
She peers up, a sad smile on her face as her fingertips drift underneath my shirt to stroke my stomach. “Every ounce of it is fake, even family.”
“I can’t imagine living like that.”
“Nick.” Her eyes lock on mine as she tilts her head back, giving me a full view of her face. “Can I ask you something, and you promise you won’t think I’m totally insane?”
Moving the ice back to her temple, adjusting for her movement, I smile softly at her and say, “Always.”
“Would it be okay if I stayed here? Not here, here,” she adds, speaking faster than before. “But in this town. I don’t want to go back to Hollywood, dodging the paparazzi everywhere I go. There’s nothing for me there. No friends. No family. Nothing. But here—”
I place my finger against her lips, stopping her from going on. “Babe, I thought the whole ‘I love you’ talk made it pretty fucking clear where you were meant to be and stay.”
Her eyes widen, and her lips part behind my index finger as she sucks in a breath. “I thought you…”
“Thought I what?”
“I thought you were saying that in the heat of the moment.”
“Were you?” I ask her.
“No, of course not. I meant every word,” she whispers, her beautiful blue eyes staring into mine.
“Then why would I be different?” I lift an eyebrow.
She shrugs her one shoulder that’s not tucked next to me. “I don’t know. I figured since you were a—”
“Don’t start with the ‘you’re a man’ bullshit. I say what I mean and mean what I say.”
“Okay. So, then you’re good with me getting a place and staying?”
I let her words move around my mind, soaking into me. “No. I’m not okay with that.”
Her smile falls. “But you…”
“You’re going to get your own place?” I ask.
“Well…I…” She blinks, gawking at me.
“Babe, you’ve been in my bed for days. My sheets smell like you now, which is a nice change. Your shit’s all over my house. My counter in the bathroom has never had so many little tubes of whatever that shit is. You’re already here. I don’t know why you’d want to go anywhere else.”
“Wait,” she says, pushing herself up into a sitting position but leaves her one hand on my stomach. “You want me to live with you?”
“Uh, yeah, Jo. What the fuck else?”
She lifts her hand to her mouth and chews on her thumbnail. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea. So much could go wrong.”
“I can make the spare bedroom up for you so you have your own space. Hell, use both spare bedrooms. One we can make into a giant walk-in closet, and the other can be a study or office for you to do whatever the hell you do in LA.”
Her cheeks turn pink. “Well, I really don’t do much in LA besides charity events and attending Hollywood parties.”
“My grandparents run a charity organization. I’m sure they’d love to have you on board.”
“They do?” she asks, looking shocked.
I nod. “They’re loaded, but they love helping the community. My aunt Mia too. She’s had a medical clinic for years to help the underserved and less financially fortunate members of our community.”
“How were you born into all this goodness? You don’t know how lucky you are.”
“Oh. I do. Trust me. I know I was blessed the day I was born a Gallo. So, it’s settled, then?”
“Which part?” she asks, sliding her hand a little farther up my T-shirt, raking her nails across my skin.
“All of it. You movin’ here and staying with me. The closet. The office or whatever. Us.”
Her face gets all soft and sweet. “You’re going to regret this,” she teases.
“Probably,” I tell her, reaching underneath her and lifting her on top of me.
As soon as her middle lands on my dick, I know there’s going to be a lot of upside to having Jo around forever.
22
Jo
One Month Later
“Who the hell are these people?” Kimberly asks, leaning into me. “It’s like you hit the hotness jackpot out here.”
“I know.” My smile couldn’t be any bigger as I punch her shoulder.
“I mean, this is Florida, for fuck’s sake, and we’re in the middle of nowhere. Do they have a hotness breeding farm around here that I missed on the drive?”
“It’s the genes, girl.”
Her gaze dips to the crotch of Mammoth. “Them’s some impressive genes too,” she whispers.
“Kimberly. Stop it. That’s Tamara’s husband.”
Her eyes widen, and she throws up her hands. “What? There’s no law against looking, and I don’t know Tamara from the next person.”
“Tamara will rip those extensions right out of your head.”
Kimberly pales, quickly turning her eyes somewhere else. “She sounds lovely.”
“She is a lovely person, but in this family, you don’t mess with anyone’s man—or woman, for that matter.”
“That sounds hot too.”
“It is,” I tell her, sounding like a weirdo schoolgirl with a crush.
In many ways, Nick has that edge to him. He doesn’t let anyone walk all over him, but he never threatens people or is cruel. Not unless they deserve that treatment, like Jamison and my mother.
“Hey there,” Rocco, one of Izzy and James’s twins, says, giving Kimberly a chin lift followed quickly by a wink as he walks by. “How you doin’?”
Kimberly has always been a no-bullshit person and is used to putting up with some of the most arrogant and self-centered human beings, so Rocco Gallo stands no chance. “Have you been watching Friends, little boy?” Kimberly laughs.
He lifts his arm, flexing his muscles for show, and slides his hand back through his floppy black hair. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing little about me.”
&nb
sp; “I don’t date or flirt with minors,” she tells him, crossing her arms over her chest as we stand in the driveway of Nick’s house, which is now also mine too.
“I’m nineteen. Totally legal, baby.” He smirks, raising his arm higher, exposing his perfectly tanned abs along with a happy trail.
“Cocky fucker,” she teases, shaking her head.
“Rocco—” Mello, his twin brother, smacks him in the back of the head “—leave the poor woman alone.”
Rocco turns, glaring at Mello. “Dude, she look poor to you?”
Kimberly glances at me, and I shrug, unable to hold back my laughter. “Men.”
“Girl, don’t even get me started,” she mutters.
“No, dumbass,” Mello replies, grabbing the last box out of the moving truck. “But she’s way too classy for an asshole like you.”
“I clean up well, and I bet she knows how to get dirty,” Rocco replies, giving Kimberly another wink.
“Oh lord,” she mutters. “You sure you want to stay here?”
“I thought you said they were hot,” I tease her, still laughing.
She loops her arm with mine and moves me toward the front of the house, leaving Carmello and Rocco behind. “They are, but Jo, these people are…”
“Unbelievably kind. Completely loving. Welcoming. Warm. Everything my mother and my life in California aren’t,” I remind her, earning me a quick nod in response because she knows how my life was. “But these men…” I smile as soon as my eyes find Nick, hauling my desk down the hallway with Pike. They’re both shirtless, the material hanging from their back pockets, and looking all kinds of delicious. “They’re the absolute best, along with the entire family. I’ve been surrounded by so much bad, I’m not giving this up for anything, including the glamour of Hollywood.”
“There aren’t any red carpets here. Nowhere to wear your designer gowns.”
“Ah. That’s where you’re wrong. I’m going to be working at the Gallo Family Charity as head of donor acquisition and retention.”
“Oh,” she says, her eyebrows rising.
