Endings & Beginnings (New Mafia Trilogy #3)

by E. J. Fechenda

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath while choosing my next words carefully. “Dom, setting up an interview is one thing, but this…this is too much.” My voice betrayed me when it cracked. He pushed off of the pillar and crossed the room quickly with his long strides.

  “Hey,” he placed his hands on my hips and pulled me close, kissing my forehead. “I don’t want you to feel obligated or forced into anything. I wanted to give you options. I know when we were together and how things were with Marco; you sacrificed so much and gave up your dreams of grad school. I feel horrible about that. I still want you to pursue your dreams, Natalie. Yes, I’ve presented some options, what you choose to do with them is up to you.”

  “But, this must have cost a small fortune.”

  “It’s a great space. Either way it’s a good investment and it was all acquired legally.”

  This made my eyebrows rise. “Really?”

  “Yes,” he said with a laugh. “In fact, since I’ve taken over for the family, I’ve been slowly getting things more legit. Like at Crimson no one is getting paid under the table anymore.”

  “So are you taking crime out of organized crime? This has to have some people pissed off.”

  “Nah, but how things were operating at Crimson made us easy targets. Running our public businesses legally gives the feds less ammo.”

  “That’s smart,” I conceded.

  “Yeah, Uncle Marco thought he was untouchable.”

  We both knew that wasn’t the case. Dom got quiet after that. He gently squeezed my hips and rested his forehead against mine. “Hey, you can’t undo it,” I whispered.

  “I know and he needed to go, killing him was the only way. He wanted you dead, Natalie.” Dom’s voice cracked and he stepped away, walking over to the window. Looking out on the street, he continued talking. “You know what’s funny though? Despite him being an asshole and me being a punk ass kid, I still managed to learn from him. Like this whole under the radar move? Uncle Marco did that a few years back when this rival gang, the Latin Kings, were under some serious heat.”

  “I think I remember that. It happened when I was like a freshman or sophomore in college.” I joined him at the window. Sun streamed in and warmed my face. A Septa bus rumbled by, coming to a squeaking stop at the corner.

  Dom nodded. “That sounds about right. Things were quiet for a couple of years after the Kings were basically eviscerated…until all of that Nucci shit.”

  That part I remembered and couldn’t forget since I was all too present last summer when a rival family tried to take over. It was hard to believe that just a little over a year ago I was a naïve college student. That person was long gone and it felt like she’d been missing for years, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be her again.

  I looked at Dominic then, noticed he didn’t miss a single movement on the street. It was almost predatory the way his eyes darted from pedestrian to car. He was very still where he used to always be on the move. He stood with his back straight and shoulders squared, strong and confident. While he looked the same and smelled the same, he wasn’t as quick to laugh and he was more guarded. Dominic had grown into a leader while I was gone, a man who bore a lot of responsibility.

  Who did I want to be? I thought I knew and Dominic was offering me some options for the future based on old dreams. Did I still want the same things? My mind was spinning as we walked back to the hotel. Dominic seemed content to just walk beside me. We passed by a fountain and I stopped to make a wish. Closing my eyes I wished for a sign, a point in the right direction. After kissing the penny for good luck, I tossed it into the water where it sank down to the bottom, joining its copper and silver brethren.

  When we reached the front entrance to the hotel, Dom handed his ticket to one of the valet drivers and only had to wait a few seconds for them to bring his car around. Instead of his Mustang, which we had steamed up the windows many times, I was surprised to see a new car, this was a Mercedes SUV. The steel gray paint shone in the sunlight.

  “Nice ride. Did you get rid of your Mustang?” I asked, not sure of its fate after it was shot full of bullet holes in a drive-by hit. The last time we were in it, Dom was critically injured; I was shot too and had killed one of the shooters. Dark thoughts threatened to move in, but I took deep breath and forced them back into the depths of my mind.

  “No, I had her restored – she’s good as new.” If it was only that easy; I thought to myself. Dom turned to me before he got into his new ride. “Think about what I said, but no pressure, okay?” He gently kissed my forehead and slid into the driver’s seat.

  “I will. Thanks for today.”

  Dom smiled and winked before shutting the door. I watched as he pulled out when there was an opening in the traffic and drove away like he owned the streets. In a way he did.

  When I got up to the suite, mom was in her room packing up. While I was staying another week, she had to go back to work in the morning. Her suitcase was opened up the bed and she was folding clothes. Her dress from the wedding was hanging up on the back of the door and the plastic sleeve protecting it rustled when I walked in.

  “Hi, did you have fun today?” she asked, glancing up from tucking a sweater inside her suitcase.

  “I did, but I’m exhausted.” A yawn escaped to emphasize my point. “Dom gave me some stuff to think about.”

  “Oh, like what?”

  Ordinarily I didn’t open myself up to her, but she seemed genuinely interested and I wanted to talk through Dom’s offers with someone. Setting my bag on the carpeted floor, I sat down on the edge of her bed. The mattress was so firm it only dipped slightly underneath my weight.

  She picked up a t-shirt and set it on top of a stack of clothes already folded and packed. She didn’t interrupt as I laid out what Dominic had offered. She cocked her right eyebrow when I told her about the commercial space.

  “Wow! What are you going to do?” she asked, zipping up her suitcase.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I appreciate Dom’s gesture, but both options are a little overwhelming and I don’t want to be indebted to him. Does that make sense?”

  “It makes perfect sense,” my mom said with a sigh and sat down on the bed next to me. “It sounds like Dom is trying to buy you back. You’re not for sale. If you want to own a gallery, earn it on your own. If you want to teach, while it’s helpful to know someone, get that job on your own and not on a favor. You’ll like yourself and appreciate your successes so much more if you do.” She paused and reached over, placing her hand on my knee. “Don’t concede out of guilt or anything either. There shouldn’t be any strings attached or ultimatums if he’s trying to win you back.”

  Oh, ultimatums, I knew all about those. A part of me wanted to tell her the truth about what happened over the past year, but the self-preservation part of me reined it in. Even if my mom and I had the best relationship in the world, secrets needed to remain secrets. “Thanks Mom, that’s actually some good advice.”

  She patted my knee and smiled before standing up. “I have to hit the road in order to get home at a reasonable hour. Let me know what you decide.”

  “I will thanks.” I stood and we hugged. For once it wasn’t awkward. Usually I could feel tension radiating off of her and her body was always stiff. This time she put everything into the hug and my eyes misted over at the comfort I felt being in her arms. The light floral of her perfume clung to her shirt and I breathed it in. We held each other for longer than normal and when we separated, I saw my mom’s eyes were teary too.

  “This past week was good, wasn’t it?” she asked.

  “It was, Mom. I want to forgive you, but give me time – more moments like this.”

  She smiled and wiped an errant tear off of her cheek. “I can do that. Don’t be a stranger now. I’m only a phone call away.”

  After my mom left, I walked to my room, shutting the door behind me. I called Chelsea and got her voicemail. So I hung up and texted her. She replied a few minutes later: At
brunch with Derek’s p’s, TTYL. I was anxious to get her perspective since she knew the history between me and Dominic. She was also my best friend and had never steered me wrong. Dom’s offers got me thinking and I’d been hiding away in L.A. from more than my mob problems. It was time to figure out just what the hell I wanted to do with my life now that I was back in control.

  Whenever my mind was in overload, I went for a run, so that’s what I did. Within minutes I was changed and lacing up my sneakers. With my iPod strapped in, I rode the elevator down to the lobby and headed out towards the parkway. It had been too long since I ran one of my favorite courses past the art museum and through Fairmount Park. After some stretching, I was off and running. Too bad I was distracted by my thoughts; otherwise I would have recognized a familiar dark blue sedan parked off to the side.

  Chapter 12

  By the time I reached the first of the large fountains along the parkway, I was tempted to dive in. To say I was hot and sweaty was an understatement. Just taking a few days of from running made a difference and my body was resistant to finding a pace, so I pushed back. By the time I hit my stride and the endorphins kicked in, I was determined to exhaust myself. The promise of a shower and a big bottle of cold water waiting at the hotel won out and I bypassed the fountains.

  Pulling a sweaty key card out of my sports bra, I unlocked the hotel room and stepped inside. I took my ear buds off and slipped out of my sneakers, leaving them on the tile in the entryway since I had hit some mud puddles along the way. I started walking toward the kitchen and froze, choking on a scream lodged in my throat.

  A man sat on the loveseat in the living room. My heart pounded in my ears as I took a few calming deep breaths. Finally my throat cooperated and I swallowed the scream down. “What the hell do you want?” I asked, continuing on my way to the kitchen. I jerked the refrigerator door open and grabbed a bottle of water before slamming the door closed. I took my time and chugged the cold water until it gave me a brain freeze. It was pointless to ask Agent Phillips how he got in since he worked for the FBI and probably took a class on breaking and entering.

  “Miss Ross, you know what I want.”

  I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. The last time I saw Agent Phillips was in Los Angeles when my ex-boyfriend, Jason, tried to get his lawyer dad to cut me a deal if I turned witness against the Grabanos. This also meant turning on Grant. When I discovered the FBI didn’t have any solid evidence and were hoping to get that evidence from me, I declined. I had no desire to be a rat. Bad things happened to rats and I certainly wasn’t going to turn against Grant or Dom.

  “Yeah, yeah, you want information I don’t have and will never have because whatever you think Grant and Dom are involved in, you’re wrong.”

  “That was quite the wedding. You were very pretty as a bridesmaid. Interesting dance partners you picked too.” He stood up and walked over to where I was standing in the kitchen. He had on is standard uniform of a navy suit with white shirt and a lighter blue striped tie. It must have been government issued because it was all he ever wore. He was carrying a large yellow envelope in his left hand. He took his time unfolding the metal clasp and pulling the contents out. He set a photograph down on the counter next to my water bottle. It was a picture of me dancing with Egan.

  “Is it illegal to dance at weddings now?” I asked, unable to keep the snark out of my tone. Sweat dripped down my back, along skin already beginning to cool in the air conditioned suite. The contrasting sensations made me shiver and I think Agent Phillips took that as a sign of weakness as he smirked.

  “No, that’s Egan Malloy, we suspect him of heading up the K&A Gang in Northeast Philly; basically Irish Mob wannabes.”

  I didn’t say anything, just took another sip of water as Agent Phillips set another picture down. This was of Dominic and Dante sitting around a table with two Asian men and the black man, Demetrius, who I had met briefly.

  “Do you know who these men are?” he asked.

  “Nope, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.” Again with the snark, I just couldn’t help myself. Agent Phillips was becoming a pain in my ass and the persistent fucker was standing between me and a nice, long shower. He was wasting his time if he thought he could make me change my mind.

  “That guy,” he said, pointing to the younger Asian man who was wearing a snakeskin style suit. “That’s Ji Seung and allegedly he’s the leader of the Red Scorpions, a notoriously vicious gang known for drug dealing and this guy,” he pointed to the older Asian man, “Is Heng Chan, he goes by Chan, and is rumored to be the head of the TRGs, or Tiny Rascal Gang.”

  I kept my face blank as I looked over the pictures and waited for him to continue because apparently he was on a roll. He didn’t let me down.

  “This guy,” he said, pointing out Demetrius. “He did a stint in prison and we thought he’d get out of the game, but suspect he’s still heading up one of the biggest street gangs in West Philly.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “You need to know who your brother is associating with. Don’t you want to help him?”

  I sighed and rolled my shoulders, my muscles were already beginning to tighten up. “My answer has not and will not change. No, no, and no. Got that?” I held all of the power now. Before I knew Agent Phillips and his Fed buddies were desperate for evidence, he easily intimidated me. That all changed after Jason’s betrayal and failed attempt to get me to join WITSEC. I strode to the front door and whipped it open. “You need to leave. We’re done here.”

  “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me, Miss Ross.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  His response was a tight smile and patronizing wink before he left.

  Chapter 13

  DOMINIC

  It might have been a little stalkerish, but I needed to see Natalie again. Hoping she didn’t have any dinner plans, I wanted to surprise her with a night out, just the two of us. I pulled up in the circular drive in front of the hotel and the valet’s eyes lit up when he saw the Mustang. When I revved the engine a bit, making it growl, I thought the guy was going to jizz. He eagerly tore off my half of the ticket and handed it to me, without taking his eyes off of my car. She did look sweet and had been detailed recently.

  I watched as the guy took off, making sure he didn’t lay on the gas too much. There was a lot of torque under the hood, but I was used to it. An inexperienced driver could easily lose control. As I was crossing the lobby, I recognized a man walking towards me. He was coming from the bay of elevators. Agent Phillips recognized me too and gave me a shit eating grin. He had an envelope in one hand and straightened his tie with the other, a knowing look glinting in his eyes. He didn’t say anything or slow down, but kept walking. I turned and watched him through narrowed eyes as he left the hotel. What the fuck was he up to? Had Agent Phillips been visiting Natalie or was it just a coincidence? I needed answers and didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Natalie wouldn’t turn, would she? I trusted her and she said she loved me, but then again she had moved on and had a relationship with fucking Jason; fucking surfer wannabe, pretty boy Jason.

  The elevator ride was excruciatingly slow even though it didn’t stop at any other floors. Finally I was in front of Natalie’s suite and knocking on the door. A few seconds passed and she didn’t answer so I knocked again and waited. There was still no answer. Pulling my phone of my pocket, I called her cell and heard it ringing on the other side of the door. The call went to voicemail, so I dialed again. In the normal world, my actions would be perceived as crazy, but not in my world where I was used to murder and other bad things happening. I pictured Natalie, lying injured and helpless just out of reach of her phone. Without giving it further thought, I kicked in the door. The deadbolt snapped and the metal latch that was flipped over, caught temporarily, but the screws holding it in place were pulled out of the wall as I shouldered the door open.

  Once inside, I pulled my gun and looked around. The suite was normal. There w
eren’t blood stains on the floor or broken furniture; any signs of a struggle. I moved through the suite slowly, scanning the suite for any surveillance devices and only when the water shut off did I realize it had been running. Natalie stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, a cloud of steam billowing out behind her. She saw me and screamed and jumped backwards, hitting the wall and bouncing off of it.

  “Jesus Christ, Dom! You scared the shit out of me!” Natalie clutched the towel in a tight fist. Her hair was wrapped up turban style and that towel was tilting sideways. “How the hell did you get in here?” She peered past my shoulder and her eyebrows rose as she took in the splintered door frame and door hanging crooked on its hinges.

  “I was worried. You didn’t answer and I called your phone. I saw that Fed in the lobby. You know the one who had been dogging you?”

  Natalie nodded and relaxed her shoulders, but still held the towel tight around her body. It took all of my willpower not to rip it off. “Agent Phillips,” she said with a sigh. “Yeah, he was here plying the same tactics as usual. The asshole was sitting on the loveseat when I returned from a run. Then you break in here…” she let out a nervous laugh.

  “Hold on,” I said, continuing my scan of her suite for any surveillance devices. I didn’t notice anything unusual, but stepped close to her and spoke in a low voice just in case.

  “Are you telling me the truth about the Feds?” I wanted to trust her and hated asking, but it needed to be done. Agent Phillips acted a little too cocky for my liking.

  This question surprised her and she widened her eyes, but none of the usual guilty signs appeared; she didn’t fidget, lick her lips or break eye contact. “Yes that’s the truth. That fucker made himself at home here while I was gone. I can’t believe he can get away with that.” She shivered and hugged her towel tighter.