Lisset: The Men of Treasure Cove
Page 9
Devlin had managed to find a decent hotel just outside the city limits of Chicago. He was tired and he needed to call his brother. He hadn’t heard anything from Damien in almost two days, which was unlike him, especially when they were supposed to be checking in with each other every twelve hours. So, after getting himself and Lisset a room for the night, Devlin reached for his phone only to discover it was dead.
“Lisset, do you know what I did with my charger,” He asked going through his bag and coming up empty.
“Well, let me see,” she replied sarcastically, leaning against the wall near the bathroom. “I didn’t see it when we left the house, I didn’t see it in the car. I didn’t see it in the hotel last night and I didn’t see it at restaurant.”
Devlin cringed. This was not going to be good, especially when Lisset slapped her forehead and shouted,” Oh, now I remember…because I can’t see!”
“Sorry I asked.”
“You should be sorry! I am not some animal who can be retrained. I am a person. A real human being with feelings.”
“I know.”
“Do you? You just assume after one night together that you can fix me. I don’t need to be fixed. I am perfectly perfect just the way I am.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Go to hell!” she shouted before turning to enter the bathroom and slamming the door.
“I’m already there.”
Grabbing his wallet and the room key, Devlin didn’t bother telling Lisset he was leaving. He just left. Knowing that she would probably take a long bath, he headed downstairs to the main lobby. After asking if there was an electronic store nearby, he hopped in his car once again and went in search of a new charger.
Lisset wished she was anywhere but where she was, stuck with Devlin. She missed Skylar terribly and Damien too. She wondered if they were doing okay, but then smiled, knowing that Skylar was probably having the time of her life. Between the two of them, Damien was the more fun brother. He loved to joke, kid around and have fun. As for the stuck in the mud she was with, well he could stay gone for as long as he wanted.
She had the most beautiful night with him the night before and then he had to go and screw it all up by talking. And men thought women talked too much. Ha!
Nope, Mr. Insensitive was a class-A jerk!
What hurt the most was that deep down, she kind of knew he was right. She’d rather burn in hell than ever tell him that, though. So, she wasn’t as adventurous as she once was, and yes, over the last two years she relied heavily on her bullet and dildo, but damn it, that didn’t make her a robot. She had feelings, lots of them.
What made matters worse was that Devlin was a dominant lover.
She craved that and needed that side of him. From the moment she experienced her first sexual act, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what she was. She made no qualms about it. She was a submissive…a bratty one, but submissive none the less.
She loved being ordered and pushed to her limit, culminating in highly explosive orgasms that could curl her toes and have her seeing stars. She loved the body worship, the devotion only a dominant could show her, making her feel as if she were the only woman on earth. But mainly, she loved the forcefulness of the whole experience. She never met a dominant that she didn’t like, well…there was one.
Masterson Summerfield was the most handsome man she’d ever met, but then again, she was young, stupid and naïve of the real world. Just out of college, she had her whole life ahead of her. She first met Masterson at a party being held by His Grace, the Duke of Avalon, Gabriel Sexton. God, she’d loved Gabriel forever and when opportunity provided her with a chance to be the woman he wanted, she grabbed on with both hands. She was young, beautiful and very rich and nothing was too good for her, even a Duke.
Raised privileged, everything she desired was given to her, so when Gabriel wanted her, she made him work for it, he did and so did his best friend, Alexander. She learned a lot about Gabriel in those months, especially what he was really like and when he offered to train her, she accepted, hoping deep down that someday she’d be the future wife of the Duke of Avalon.
However, like most things in her life, she managed to find a way to screw it up. When Gabriel and Alexander found out that she’d been lying to them, they left her, only offering to find her another dominant, one more suited to her needs. Oh, she bitched and complained but, in the end, Gabriel had left the country and Alexander wasn’t a Duke, so she accepted.
That was when she met Masterson. He was older, refined, and dangerous. He was purely sin and sex on a stick. She wanted him and all his millions, and for a short time she had them, until she realized who the man was behind the mask. Masterson wasn’t a dominant, he was an evil sadistic abuser with a taste for pain and blood. The night she tried to break off their relationship was the night Masterson took everything from her, her dignity, her strength, her power, her sight. That night, he took his pound of flesh and never looked back.
In the days that followed, Lisset never did remember the attack. The doctors said it was for the best that she didn’t. She knew that Alexander was with her and sometime later, Gabriel arrived. They tried to help her, but after her humiliation, she wanted nothing to do with them. She asked that they just leave her, and they did.
In the months that followed, she recuperated as best she could and attended all the therapy required of her. When the doctors told her that she’d never see again, she left, returning to her small flat in London. It was all she had left, and she stayed there, ready to live out the remainder of her life alone. She never planned on the course of action she took, it just happened, and when her brother found her months later, nearly dead, she was in no condition to stop him from saving her. Sasha whisked her away to Scotland, where she’d have round the clock care. He even flew in specialist from all around the world to confirm what a doctor had already told her. She was blind and her eye sight would never return.
It was a hard pill to swallow and given the opportunity to return to London or stay in Scotland, Lisset chose solitude. She refused to return and to see anyone that mattered. The only one she allowed near her was Sasha.
After a while, and sheer determination, she managed to learn to survive. She still couldn’t tell what color socks she wore, but she was getting up every morning. She loved living in the countryside. The air was crisp, the sun was warm on her face and in the spring, the flowers smelled beautiful. Life moved on without her, and she accepted that. Sometimes it was a hard pill to swallow, but there was nothing that could be done. She was blind and reserved to live her life alone until she died.
She should have known that life wasn’t done teaching her a lesson, so when she met the quiet and reserved Sergio Pavlov, she didn’t know what to expect. He was different than anyone she’d ever met. He was Russian and she loved listening to him talk about his homeland. The way he described it, he made it sound magical. He was kind to her, gentle, always peppering her with fresh flowers, chocolates and even a puppy. She really thought that he wanted her.
So, when Devlin and Damien arrived and took her away from everything, she’d known for the last ten years, she was angry, but her anger turned to fear, when she found out the man, she thought she loved only wanted her to get to her brother.
Lisset retreated once again and gave up. If someone had told her that eight months later, she’d be a mother and married to two strange men, she would have thought they were cruelly playing a joke on her, but she learned that when one door closes, another one opens, and it did.
She didn’t want to marry Devlin and Damien, but she did for the sake of her daughter. The American men were determined to protect her. Like two white knights riding to save the damsel in distress, that was exactly what they did. During the months of her pregnancy, they pampered her the best they could, but constantly running from danger was starting to take its toll. When she finally gave birth to her daughter, Devlin and Damien, took her to the United States, and did everything in their pow
er to give her and her daughter some sense of normalcy. For a time, life was wonderful. She felt safe and loved and over time, she realized that the men who swore to lay down their lives for her, were the ones who showed her what real love was all about.
Love wasn’t something that she could catch, buy or obtain, it was offered, freely and unconditionally. When she held her daughter in her arms, she knew what unconditional love felt like. When Mrs. Fratteli welcomed her into her home graciously, Lisset knew what it felt like to be freely loved, and when she made love to Damien and then Devlin, she knew what it felt like to be offered true love.
Sitting up, Lisset sighed because she knew she was messing everything up. Devlin and Damien had done everything for her and Skylar, giving up their own lives to ensure that she and her daughter were happy and safe. They never asked for anything in return and the moment Devlin let his guard down, she berated him. He was gentle with her last night when she sensed he wanted more. Yet, denying his own urges, he wanted to protect her.
It was right then that Lisset knew this must be new to him too. Could he love her as much as she’d grown to love him? Was he scared too? He had to be. That was the only explanation. Devlin had never been in love before, and he didn’t know what to do any more than she did. Like her, he was scared shitless of messing it up. It was no secret that they both had volatile tempers and tended to speak their minds frequently. They were more alike in many ways. Though they both fought valiantly with every fiber in their being, they were both scared of the unknown. God, had she screwed everything up already? She hoped not, because when she peeled everything away, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Yes, he was a pain in the ass who liked having his way, but damn it, so did she. There was too much history between them to give up. If she didn’t do something, she was going to put herself on the same destructive course she always did. Only this time, she had more to lose.
This time, she wouldn’t do it.
Knowing what she had to do, Lisset, let the water out of the tub, stood, reached for her towel and hoped that Devlin was back, because she needed to talk to him. She didn’t know how she was going to explain everything, but she was going to start with the words, ‘I’m sorry’. As she dried off, she heard the front door open and smiled. He was back. Quickly finishing, she left the bathroom and said, “I know you probably don’t want to talk to me right now, but I have to say something to you.”
“You’re right,” a dark familiar voice said. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
Lisset screamed.
Chapter Eight
“Let me get this straight,” Garret Riley said looking about the room. “Once again, I get to prepare this town for an international criminal and his Hench men, but to add to my growing headache, I also get the wonderful privilege of welcoming the Giovanni Rossi and his gang of misfits?”
“Who you callin’ a misfit,” Phillip asked affronted.
“You,” Garret replied annoyed. “You can call your boss and tell him I take care of this town. I don’t need the mafia interfering.”
“We’re not interfering. We’re just taking care of our family.”
“That’s my job!”
“And I’m sure you’re a real good sheriff, but we take care of our own.”
“Garret,” Richard Masterson interrupted. “I can vouch for Big Gino. He helped me on a case before. He’s a good man, who just wants to take care of his family.” Thanks to Zander, when Phillip and Anthony showed up and mentioned the big bossman, they put in a call to Richard and his brothers, letting them know that the town was about to have company. Of course, Richard insisted on coming over, and helping in any way he could.
“His family is all of Atlantic City!” Garret shouted.
“Not all of it,” Damien grinned. “Just half.”
“Real funny asshole,” Garret quipped. “And just what in the hell am I supposed to tell the residents when they see men in Armani Suits and Gucci loafers roaming around. Tell them not to shoot?”
Damien thought Garret was handling it all rather nicely. It wasn’t everyday one’s job got really interesting. Of course, for a former federal marshal, Garret Riley should be used to dealing with his family. Hell, he already relocated several of them. This was his opportunity to meet the rest. However, it was going to be real interesting to see how the new local sheriff handled the company about to befall the town.
“The fact is that my brother and wife are running for their lives right now,” Damien said, instantly quieting the room. “Pavlov’s men were following them. As we speak, my brother is trying to get Lisset out of danger. He is alone, which I don’t like. Lisset can’t help. She must rely on Devlin for everything, including her life. So, I don’t care who helps as long as Lisset and Skylar stay safe.” Damien looked at his daughter sitting on his mother’s lap, who was talking with Violet in the kitchen. Just looking at his daughter, Damien knew he would work beside the devil himself if it meant that Skylar would never know fear. He’d do anything for that little girl, her mother included.
Damien hated the fact that Dev didn’t have back-up. God only knew what trouble they were in. He was beginning to worry when Dev didn’t check in last night, but when his phone rang, there was some relief knowing they were okay. Only they weren’t. The whole plan was solid, and they thought they had plenty of time, but time was running out. After getting his brothers call, Damien called Big Gino, and his cousin filled him in on the pertinent details. It wasn’t good, since Devlin and Lisset had been followed since they left Atlantic City. Damien called his brother back and warned him. Gino made arrangements for a pick-up just north of Chicago. All Devlin had to do was get himself and Lisset there safely.
The road trip was over. They were flying home.
“As much as I hate saying this, I agree with Damien,” Sasha said. “My sister and niece come first. Their protection is paramount. So, if Damien’s family wants to help, then I say let them Garret.”
“But they are thugs. Wanted men, with wrap sheets a mile long. Hell, those two men sitting over there, are wanted for theft, burglary and arson. Not to mention they are wanted for questioning in the disappearance of Marlon Brogotti.”
“Hey, we had nuttin’ to do with old Marlon. We were busy on another job,” Anthony said speaking up for the first time.
“Not helping Tony,” Damien whispered.
“I ain’t goin’ down the river for something I didn’t do,” Anthony replied stubbornly. “Frankie was the one who did old Marlon, not me. Besides, Marlon deserved what he got. You have to pay your bills and Marlon did…with Frankie’s help.”
Okay, this wasn’t going to end well, and Damien knew it. If he wanted to keep Lisset and Skylar safe, he was going to have to take the bull by the horns. “Look folks, for the time being, we all have to learn to get along. Sasha’s right. Lisset and Skylar come first. I don’t care if the fuckin Manson Family wants to help, as long as they protect my girls. So, if Big Gino and the rest of my family shows up to help, I will not turn them away. I know you’re worried for the town Garret, but Pavlov is coming. So, my advice to you is to get whomever you need ready, because I will do everything in my power to see to my family’s safety.”
****
Devlin heard Lisset’s screams from the parking lot. For the first time in his life, he knew what real fear felt like. Leaving the car running, Devlin exited the vehicle in a rush. With his gun cocked and ready, he raced up the stairs. Without thinking, he kicked open the door and started firing. He quickly took out two of Pavlov’s goons, and the one who was holding Lisset. As for Sergio himself, that coward ducked between the beds. Devlin didn’t waste any time as he reached for Lisset’s hand and dragged her out of the hotel room. Together they raced to the car.
“My purse!” Lisset cried. “Dev, we have to go back and get my purse.”
“Forget about it. There’s nothing in there that matters. We’ve got to go.”
“But my wallet,” she shouted getting into the car.
“Dev, you don’t understand. I have a picture of Skylar in my wallet.”
And that was when Devlin really got scared. Instead of taking a few seconds to think before he spoke, he said the first thing that came to his mind. “Damn it Lisset! Why would you put a picture of our daughter in your wallet? I’ve told you a thousand times, you can’t do that. Now that bastard will know what she looks like. You’ve endangered her life even more. Fuck!”
“I know Dev. I am sorry,” Lisset sobbed next to him. Devlin didn’t like it when Lisset cried. Hell, he hated it when Skylar cried, but this was serious. Since Skylar’s birth, they rarely took her picture, not wanting any physical evidence of her existence. The only camera that had pictures of Skylar was in Damien possession in Montana. Devlin knew it was hard for Lisset, and a mother should be able to have a picture or two of their children in their wallet, but her circumstance was different.
Devlin didn’t know what to do about Lisset’s wallet. It wasn’t like he could go back for it. Hell, Pavlov probably already had the damn thing. All he could focus on now was getting Lisset to the airfield and hoping the plane that Damien said would be waiting for them.
“Stop crying,” Devlin said, trying to calm his anger. “It was bound to happen eventually. We couldn’t hide her forever.”
“I should have known better.”