by AA Lee
Ella lost her balance, but Angelo grabbed her arm with his other hand. Chills formed on every limb; her head started spinning. How had she fallen for a mob boss? She had never pictured anything like this. Ella worked hard to separate herself from rules. Now she found herself thrust back in the middle. Even so…being around Angelo felt natural, yet she could not come up with a logical reason. It felt like déjà vu.
“Are you going to let me leave?” she asked.
“Well, your fingerprints are on those guns now. What do I have to worry about?”
“What? You tricked me,” she huffed.
“I like to think of it as covering my ass,” he smiled. “I knew your curiosity would get the best of you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Fair,” he mocked. “There is nothing fair about this life, but if you want to leave, Brett will escort you wherever you go. I have added your thumbprints to our sensors, and I expect you back here by six.”
“And what if I don’t come?” Ella asked but regretted the question as soon as it came out.
“Do you really want to provoke me?” His voice was low and crisp. Angelo pulled one part of her sash loose from the other. Ella’s robe fell open, exposing a narrow line of bare skin straight down to her feet; but even though Angelo could have looked, his eyes never left her face. “If you don’t come, I will show you why they call me boss. Don’t make me have to come get you.”
Ella understood. She gazed at him and did not look away. It was as though he put her in a trance with the strong hands that wrapped around her cheeks. She imagined his lips. His warm breath made her yearn for the show of affection; instead, Angelo took a step and turned around. He never glanced back and left her in the room alone again.
CHAPTER 18
Ella did not know how she would survive the night after most of the day with Brett hanging out in her office and admiring his gun. All Ella wanted to do was to go home and sleep, but she stepped into the club at six as was told. Angelo had personally purchased her dress and delivered it to Santiago’s. One single strap adorned the top of the evening gown with a long slit down the side and a pair of black heels to match.
“Are you ready?” Rafa asked from the main entry of the club. He adjusted the gun inside his jacket and led her by the arm up the stairs to the VIP room.
“Not really,” she said. No part of her mind felt like a party; her head still hurt and her neck felt stiff. “I think I need a drink.” She hoped that a drink would take the edge off her aching muscles.
“Then go,” he said as he opened the door to the VIP room. “I will meet you at the bar in a minute, but remember that there is no way out of here for you; so don’t try anything funny. Understand?”
“I understand perfectly; you don’t have to remind me,” she muttered under her breath.
Ella approached the bar and rested both arms on top, waiting for the bartender to come. She smiled at him. It was the same bartender as the previous night. “I left without paying for my drinks yesterday. I would like to take care of that now.”
“The boss already took care of them,” he said and pointed at her ring.
“He did?” she asked. It surprised her to hear people refer to Angelo as Boss. “All right, then will you get me the same thing I ordered yesterday?”
“Of course,” he said and grabbed a shaker.
“My name is Ella,” she said while she waited.
“Yes, I know. That ring is a big statement around here.”
She ignored the attention she received for wearing the ring and changed the subject. “I think I will probably see a lot of you. What is your name?” she asked.
“You can call me Thomas or Tom if you’d like. I am usually the bartender at all of the boss’s big events.”
“It is nice to meet you.” She picked up her drink and smiled. “I am going to walk around for a bit, so I’ll see you in a little while, Thomas.”
This time Ella scanned the room. She looked at the hanging pictures and the tables. She walked to the poker sessions and observed the players around them. None of the men who played poker with her the previous night was present, but she did receive a couple of glances her way.
Ella paid no attention. She spotted the hallway and thought back to the guns. The familiarity of the situation was on the tip of her tongue. Why could she not remember why?
“Going somewhere?” Rafa looped his arm through hers and pulled her in the opposite direction.
“Of course not,” she responded flatly. “I would never want to face the consequences from an attempted discovery.” His sudden intervention made her suspicious. Was there something else in that room now? “So when can I expect Mr. Tomassi to join me?” she asked.
“I guess when he feels like coming down. He might not come down at all, knowing him.”
“So he wants to introduce me as his girlfriend without being here. How does that make sense?”
With a mocking smirk, Rafa gave a small wave of his hand. “I don’t know what goes through Angelo’s mind. I couldn’t give you an answer even if I wanted.”
“He can’t mean to exploit me like some sort of trophy. That can’t be the only reason for having me here tonight. It doesn’t really seem like his style,” Ella declared.
“Actually, there are people eager to see who he chose against his father’s wishes. His father wants him to marry the daughter of another boss from Orlando, and Angelo has flat refused to meet her.”
“So he’s using me to dodge a wedding.” Ella shook her head. No wonder he would not kiss her. He might not even like her.
“He’s not using you,” Rafa answered her silent doubts immediately. “But don’t get excited by dating him. In the end, he knows good relations with this other woman will benefit both families. He would be stupid not to go through with the marriage. If that happened, the most you could be to him is his mistress, but who knows. He doesn’t always do what is expected of him, so he could be looking at you long term. I’m not him, so I don’t know.”
A mistress, Ella frowned. She did not like the sound of that at all. She deserved more in her life than the title of mistress. She needed to know what Angelo planned for her, and she intended to find out. No wonder there was tension between Angelo and Antonio when they ate lunch. His father did not like the idea of her.
“Hey, just follow my lead. I need to introduce you to a few associates.”
Rafa led her past several men in suits. Ella felt like a spectacle, degraded since Angelo was not even there to introduce her himself. She found the entire situation strange.
“Hello, Ferron.” Rafa greeted a man with brown hair and hazel eyes. His beige suit jacket covered his slim physique.
“Rafa, I’m happy to attend. Tell me, is this the lovely young woman that Tomassi told me about?”
“Yes, this is Ella Collins. Ella, this is Ferron Patenzo.”
“A pleasure, Mr. Patenzo,” Ella greeted. She could hold her own in the business world even if she did not like it.
“Pleasure is all mine,” Ferron replied. He brushed his lips to the top of her hand and turned to Rafa. “Let me escort Ms. Collins for a while. I will take good care of her.”
“All right, but remember whose girlfriend she is,” Rafa warned.
“Of course.”
Ella glared at Rafa. How could he just pass her off to a stranger like that and treat her like some meaningless object? She did not care how closely Rafa kept watching them. His actions were unacceptable.
As Ferron circled the bar, Ella wondered about his motive to introduce her. If the ring she wore gave her status, it must benefit him too. Being entrusted with the boss’s girlfriend must have increased his respect among peers.
Ferron approached a man wearing a red tie playing craps and waited in his direct line of sight. The man seemed involved in the game and made no effort to turn his head although he acknowledged Ferron with a huff. He seemed aggravated by Ferron’s interruption.
“Ferron, you dumbass,
” the man quipped. “Can’t you see that I’m in the middle of a game? Craps is not something I can walk away from to meet your latest fling.”
That voice. Ella froze. The malicious tone of his words sent fear pulsing through her veins. Her eyes looked off to one side and then the other. Somebody toasted at another table while Ella searched her mind. Where had she heard that voice before? Then it hit her.
Glasses clinked. Her father had brought her to a party, except he did not allow her to attend. Ella was tired of staying hidden in their suite and crept near the door of the large banquet hall. Her father was inside. There were many other men and women in formal attire enjoying live music and eating from expensive china. She was old enough now. At seventeen, she finally thought he would allow her to enjoy the event, but he still made Mr. Sullivan keep her occupied.
Ella figured out ways to escape his sight. There was no way he would find her anytime soon. He thought she was taking a shower, even though she had secretly left the room. Now she could see through a crack in the open door. She just wanted to peek. Anything was better than being stuck in their suite for the night.
“Look,” a man said and turned his head. There was a distinct bald spot above his left ear. “Bonadio isn’t going to wait much longer. He wants to know what day you two can discuss future plans.”
“Next week,” said her father. “Tell him that the owners of the property he looked at decided not to sell. I should find something else by Monday.”
“You are procrastinating,” said the man. “You realize that you are playing with fire, don’t you? Bonadio will not go for that. I would suggest that you find something else for him quick. If he comes here, it isn’t going to be good for you.”
“I’m afraid that he is just going to have to be more patient.” Her father sneered and turned around. “Now if we are through, will you please excuse me?”
“Then you don’t leave me much choice,” said the man. Ella heard the click of a gun but no sound when he fired. Then she saw her father go down.
“Hey…stop!” Ella shouted and ran inside.
“What an unusual shade of blue…damn near clear.” The man said, looking straight in her eyes but walked past her, paying little attention to what she had said. Ella dropped to the floor beside her father. She tried to press his slacks against the wound in his leg, but her father shoved her away.
“Go back upstairs!” he yelled. “Get out of here now, Ella.”
Her eyes welled up with tears. How could he be so cruel to her when she only wanted to help? She had already lost her mother. Would she lose him too? Ella frowned at him. Nothing could match her hurt and shock by his tone; then she jumped to her feet and ran.
“But, Merrick, this is Tomassi’s girlfriend. I am showing her around tonight,” Ferron announced with pride.
Merrick paused for a second and turned around, revealing the same missing hair over his ear. He stared at her. Surely, he would not remember her from five years ago. For all he knew, she was another guest at the party with no connections to him or her father. Still, Ella wanted to run. Every muscle in her body pleaded for safety, but she played out the introduction. She did not want to look suspicious.
“You look familiar,” he said and touched the end of her hair.
Ella smiled to throw him off. “I get that sometimes, but I don’t recognize you. My name is Ella,” she said.
“Ella what?” he asked.
“Collins,” she answered but hoped he would consider her last name a coincidence.
“No.” His eyes gave a blank expression as he tried to remember the name. “It doesn’t ring a bell. I am Merrick Frasier.”
Ella believed him, but then his brow creased. His gaze became troubled; then his expression cleared as the realization hit him. Merrick remembered her eyes.
“A pleasure,” she said and started to back away. “Now if you will both excuse me…”
Ella walked straight back to Rafa, who was already walking to her. He took her arm and led her to the bar. “Sit down,” he said and sat beside her. “How do you know Merrick?”
Her pulse felt double what was normal. Ella breathed hard, trying to catch her breath as she stared behind the bar. “I didn’t know his name. I knew his voice. Why is he here? Is he one of you?” she asked.
“He’s one of Bonadio’s men, not ours. Does he know you?”
“I saw him…” Ella was interrupted by the phone in Rafa’s pocket. He pulled it out and started talking into the receiver almost immediately.
“I have no idea what’s going on, but we may have a problem – Yes, those are my thoughts exactly. I am going to send her up to you and find out what just happened.” Rafa hung up and looked back at Ella. “You have to go to the third floor; you might be in danger.”
“How is it you threaten to kill me, force me to stay, and then save me from danger?” Ella whispered back as he dragged her behind the bar.
“Just move your ass and shut up.” He led her past several shelves with glasses and more bottles of liquor than she could count. Then he placed his thumb over a dark plate on the end and a door opened up. “Go all the way up the stairs. You will be fine. Angelo will be waiting for you at the top.”
Ella ran. She nearly tripped on her heels when Angelo grabbed the top of her arm and prevented her from falling head first to the steps. He looked at her, deep in her eyes. His were serious and concerned—worried. They must have also known Merrick and realized the danger she was in.
She followed right behind Angelo. There was no time to watch where she walked. Her only focus was on the back of Angelo’s coat. Next thing she knew, he pulled her into an office. There were two sofas, a desk and computer, and surveillance screens that mounted all over the walls. Ella stared at the display with fascination.
Angelo pushed her to sit in one of the sofas and then took out his phone. “Brett, you went back to the hotel, didn’t you? Okay, get Jim and Ray and get here ASAP. We are going to need assistance.”
He dropped the phone on the other sofa and adjusted one of the cameras to follow Rafa around the club. Then Angelo wrapped a headset over his ears and turned up the volume. Ella could not hear a sound, but she did watch the screen and saw Rafa arguing with Merrick. It looked as though their exchange was getting worse with the glares and angry glances they cast back and forth. Rafa stopped talking; the next second he was slipping his hand underneath the buttons of his coat. He was reaching for his pistol.
“Shit.” Angelo slammed the headset on the desk. “I have to go help Rafa, so stay here and don’t touch anything.” Angelo leaned both his arms around either side of her shoulders and grabbed the back of the sofa. “Behave yourself and you will be safe here. Brett will be here in a second, so don’t try to leave.”
Angelo ran out of the office. The anticipation was making it hard to sit still. Ella turned her attention back to the screens and pressed her hands over her mouth. She started to slide off the edge of the sofa when two other men joined Angelo and Rafa. She watched them on the camera. Angelo took a phone out of Merrick’s hand as the two other men who joined Angelo escorted Merrick down the hall.
Ella let out a breath when her phone buzzed from the inside of her white clutch. She bolted from her seat. If it had not been for the chain around her wrist attached to the clutch, the small purse would have hit the floor. Who would be calling her at this time?
“Hello,” she answered. Ella listened to a series of fast chatter; then time stopped. “What did you say?” she asked although she clearly heard the message the first time around. Her mind ceased to function. The room was spinning before her eyes. It could not be true. She would not believe until she saw.
CHAPTER 19
Ella screeched to the outside of Santiago’s and nearly slammed her car into one of the attending officer’s vehicles. The police car was blocking the scene, but it was not going to stop her from entering. Her car jerked as she threw it in park before it ever fully stopped, and Brett’s head almost hit the dashb
oard with not wearing his seatbelt. The flashing lights around her almost blinded her to the fateful situation. Smoke soared high above the building. The heat had shattered the windows. Flames engulfed the beautiful wooden exterior and ash was all that remained of the patio.
Ella stood in disbelief. Her eyes closed and opened back up. She did not make a sound, too distraught to say a word. Tears fell down her cheeks as she watched her most prized possession burn to the ground.
“Ms. Collins?” asked one of the service workers. She looked over at him and looked back at the restaurant. It was gone. There was no point for the volunteer fire department to spray any more water. She could recover nothing at this point.
“Ella Collins?” he asked again.
“Yes,” she muttered.
“We have contacted the owner. He said he would be right over.”
“Sure,” she replied and swiped her hands across her cheeks. “Do you have any idea how it happened?”
“We won’t know anything until we investigate. It could take a day or days before we determine the cause. Can we get you anything, Ms. Collins, anything at all?”
Ella shook her head. There was nothing that anyone could do for her that would make her feel better. She smoothed down the seat of her dress and sat down on the pavement. Her eyes never left the building. No one could know how her heart broke with the flames.
She heard a vehicle pull into the lot but hardly paid attention as she was mesmerized by the blaze. One door shut and then another. Normally, she would have looked to see who it was. Now, being cautious was the furthest thing from her mind.
