Caught and Caged: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Vonna Harper

  His attention to detail was impressive, which made her wonder if he’d taped the last conversation he’d had with his brother. In addition to what Nate had told him on that fateful day, Joe supplied her with considerable background information.

  Two years ago Ethan had hired Nate Risinger to be his personal driver after watching Nate behind the wheel at several local stock car races. When he wasn’t chauffeuring Ethan around in Ethan’s fleet of automobiles, he kept them in top running condition. One of Ethan’s companies sponsored Nate. In the beginning the races had been legitimate, but even then Nate had suspected Ethan was gambling on Nate’s success.

  Then Ethan had ordered Nate to participate in a street race using a Corvette Ethan owned.

  “My brother blew away the field. The way Ethan acted, Nate figured he was both drunk and on drugs. He paid Nate twice what he’d said he would. More races came with the Corvette winning most of the time. Ethan told my brother to increase the Corvette’s horsepower, but to make it impossible to determine how he’d accomplished it.”

  “Can that be done? Increasing horsepower, I mean?”

  Instead of chastising her for speaking, Joe nodded. “There are ways of pushing it. My brother knew most if not all of them. He kept winning. Ethan kept raking in the money. He didn’t give a damn who he pissed off until he started having trouble finding fools willing to blow their money. That’s when he told Nate to throw a race.”

  “Deliberately lose, you mean?”

  “Yeah.” Joe scrubbed his hand over his eyes. “There wasn’t much at stake. Not much of a purse so Ethan wouldn’t be risking much. He just wanted to get the gamblers to pay attention so they’d be more likely to continue betting, but it didn’t turn out like Ethan wanted.”

  Joe’s voice had taken on an edge she hadn’t heard before, raw and hurting. His nostrils flared. Hurting for him, she waited for him to continue.

  “My brother’s straight up. He always was. He never cheated. The way he saw life, it had to be in the open. Honest. He didn’t say anything when Ethan presented his plan to him, but he let me know there might be trouble.”

  Joe was pacing, turning abruptly and retracing his steps only to do it again. His barely controlled anger warred with deep loss. She wished she had the courage to risk touching him.

  “I told him to quit. Go to work for someone else. But my kid brother didn’t want me telling him what to do. He hung up on me. I tried to get time off so I could come down here. I don’t know what the hell I thought I’d do. Maybe corral him.”

  Like you did me.

  “He won. Smoked the competition.” Joe watched his hands clench and unclench. “Then he made the biggest mistake of his life.”

  What? she asked with her eyes because she didn’t want to break his concentration. He was scaring her.

  “He told the other drivers what Ethan had tried to put him up to. Like I said, Nate sucks—sucked at anything that isn’t on the up and up. The drivers passed what they’d learned onto the gamblers. My stupid kid brother double-crossed a mafia boss. The boss made him pay.”

  “How?” She croaked the word.

  “Ethan didn’t say a word to my brother.” Joe studied his fists. “Not a word. Nate admitted Ethan’s behavior freaked him, but he refused to back down. I told him to get the hell out of town and stay gone, but the other drivers praised him and the gamblers thanked him. Those things went to his head.”

  She waited for Joe to punch something. Instead, he walked and stared. Breathed. “The day before the next race, Ethan told my brother he’d been wrong to try to pull a fast one. The gamblers were on his case insisting everything be run straight up. Nate belonged behind the Corvette’s steering wheel. In fact, if he won, Ethan would double what he’d been paying him.”

  “Did you tell your brother to go for it?”

  “Hell no. I told him it was a trick. Nate said he was sick and tired of me thinking like a cop. It was damn time for me to trust his instincts. To want him to make some serious money so I’d be proud of him.”

  It hadn’t been the same thing, but she’d tried to convince her mother not to marry Ethan. Two years into the marriage and she still wasn’t sure whether her mother had done the right thing.

  Joe’s breathing hitched. “By the time it was over there wasn’t anything left of the Corvette. According to the accident report, Nate lost control. Hit a guard rail. The Vette caught fire. My brother had won. Then he lost. Everything. There wasn’t enough left of him to bury.”

  Sick to her stomach, she slid off the counter and went to the sink so she could splash water on her face.

  “I can’t let Ethan get away with killing my brother. Whatever it takes, I’ll make him pay. Nothing else matters.”

  Water had soaked the front of her shirt so the fabric clung to her breasts, but she didn’t think Joe noticed. She’d never seen so much anger in a human being. Her lips were numb, her heart going like a hammer in the grip of a crazy man.

  “What did Ethan do to the car to make it wreck? That’s what happened, isn’t it?”

  “Not him. His soldiers. But it was his idea. His way of getting revenge and so everyone who worked for him would have no doubt of who was in charge. A young man’s life for his damn ego. His need for power.”

  She had to remind Joe that Ethan wasn’t her father. No matter how much he hated Ethan, she wasn’t responsible.

  So what was she doing here?

  Chapter 9

  Joe made several calls while they waited for their meal to bake. She gathered that he’d gotten back in touch with whoever had contacted him earlier. He also talked to Korbin Aldrich. The older man had done most of the talking while Joe took notes and jotted down a number. After ending the conversation with Korbin, Joe punched the numbers he’d been given.

  Because she was only privy to Joe’s side of the conversations, she didn’t understand everything. There was something about a gathering, not a party or meeting, but a gathering. She figured the word was a code.

  “It’s done,” Joe said as he placed slices of meatloaf on their plates. “Plans settled.”

  “What plans?”

  “Your stepfather’s. Now to your role.”

  She put down her fork. “Whatever’s going on, I’m not part of it.”

  “Yes, you are.” He pointed at her choker. “I was right about—you’re perfect for this.”

  Her stomach had settled a little as she’d listened to Joe talk to whoever he’d talked to, but no way could she eat. The leash felt as if it was wrapping itself around her. She could probably remove it, but he’d just snap it back in place, locking it this time. She’d feel even more like a prisoner.

  “Ethan’s under a lot of pressure.” Joe spoke around a mouthful. “From the outside the mafia looks like a unified organization with one man at the top and everyone with assigned jobs. Sure, there’s envy and some hoping the boss will die or get arrested, but the public doesn’t realize that under the surface, the wolves are fighting.”

  She pictured a pack of wolves, the males snarling and attacking each other while the females waited to see which would be victorious. The leader, she supposed, had sole access to the females and biggest chunks of meat. So the mafia wasn’t much different from carnivores—if Joe was right.

  “He needs to take things up a notch if he hopes to hold onto his position. Street races are nothing but a blip on the screen. The mafia doesn’t give a damn that a man was sacrificed for Ethan’s ego. They’re just relieved it wasn’t them. As for Ethan—it’s time for him to move onto something else.” He stared at her. “Sex.”

  “That’s hardly new.” Even as her core tightened, she struggled to keep her voice light. “We’ve talked about this.”

  “In the abstract. Eat. Like they say, you’re going to need your strength.”

  She was hungry all right, but she didn’t trust her belly. “All right.” She picked up her fork. “What do I need my strength for?”

  “Sex. Fucking.”

&n
bsp; “If you’re saying you expect me to fuck Ethan—I’d rather die.”

  The way his mouth jerked, she knew she’d said the wrong thing. “I’m sorry. I just—is that why you kidnapped me? So you could force me to—that’s disgusting.”

  “Disgusting or not, it’s a possibility if your stepfather got his hands on you.”

  “Maybe,” she reluctantly admitted.

  “Don’t downplay what he’s capable of. Ethan is surrounded by men without morals. Like being drawn to like.”

  “Do you want me to hate him? Is that what this is about?”

  “There’s no love lost between the two of you, but he holds the upper hand in the relationship.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “I keep asking myself why you haven’t stood up to him.”

  “I have.”

  “Really?”

  “All right. Maybe I should have been more forceful.”

  “Why haven’t you?”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “Tell me.”

  In other words, reveal everything. Hold nothing back. “I didn’t know how to be in charge of my life anymore,” she whispered. “I’d been doing it for years. Was pretty successful at it. Then I lost a battle with pavement. In a moment everything turned into a mess.”

  “I know what you’re talking about.”

  He was referring to his reaction to his brother’s murder. Feeling helpless. Sick. Consumed by the need for revenge.

  “Do you want me to apologize for what the collar represents?” she asked. “Admit I’m ashamed?”

  “Not at all. I don’t care why you do what you do. You’re entitled to privacy. Motivation. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to capitalize on what it represents.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I know you don’t.”

  When he sighed, it struck her that he didn’t want to be doing this. In a normal world, he wouldn’t probe into her private thoughts. Neither would she care about his.

  “I believe you owe me an explanation,” she said.

  “Maybe I do.” He stared at the back of his hand. “The first call I got this evening was from a fellow cop. According to Caleb’s sources, your stepfather is ready to pull off something he’s been working on for a long time. There aren’t any drugs involved.”

  She popped the meatloaf in her mouth because she needed something to do. “Go on.” Her voice sounded as if she hadn’t used it in years.

  “BDSM. Sex slaves. A blending of the two. Submission and dominance.”

  “That—that isn’t new. There are clubs that…”

  “Those are play. Consenting all the way around. But it’s different if the women are there against their will.”

  “Like I am here.”

  “Yeah.”

  He wasn’t denying anything, damn him. Why then didn’t she hate him?

  She’d never fixed a meal that tasted worse so why did she keep shoveling it into her mouth? She’d give a great deal for a drink—of anything.

  “Friday night,” he said. “Sooner than I expected.”

  “Is that a problem?” She sounded sarcastic.

  “Could be. Maybe not, at least when it comes to your role. One way to find out. Finish eating. Then we’ll talk.”

  “We’re already talking.” Determined to battle the sense that the walls were closing in on her, she took her plate to the sink and dumped the rest of her meal in the garbage disposal. “What’s my damn role? Wait. Before you get going, I’m going to point out that my mother’s the actress in the family. I work, go to school. Continue my physical therapy.” She pointed at the scar on her arm. “The doctor said I’ll probably get arthritis there which is why it’s important to keep it moving. It doesn’t show, but my hips are messed up. Not as mobile as they used to be.”

  “Are you done?”

  “No. I need you to tell me why you sucked me into this plot or plan of yours.”

  “Because you can get closer to Ethan than anyone else. He’ll tell you things he won’t tell anyone else.”

  “The hell he will.” She wanted to laugh. “We sniff each other out. Like you’ve already pointed out, there isn’t much trust.”

  “Which is smart on your part. Fortunately, he won’t see through you. His guard will be down, his ego up.”

  Joe was right about Ethan’s ego, but she still didn’t understand where she factored in.

  She just wanted out. Away from Joe Risinger. To not see the pain in his intense eyes.

  Sometimes silence can be so damn heavy it makes a person want to scream.

  Lainey had had that thought more than once while waiting for Joe to free her from the cage. She probably hadn’t been in there an hour, but it seemed much longer. He hadn’t explained what he intended to do, hadn’t come close to answering her questions.

  Damn him, he should have at least given her something to occupy herself with, she thought as she resolutely kept her hands off her body. The TV was off, and he wasn’t around to argue with, not that she wanted to.

  She might not understand the man, but she had figured out one thing. Getting into a verbal battle with him wasn’t wise.

  “Why am I here?” she asked the camera aimed at her. “What the hell does he want from me?”

  Whatever it was, she wouldn’t agree.

  But could she get her point across?

  Her hips ached from endless pacing, forcing her to hold onto the bars while she slowly bent one knee at a time.

  “I miss my mother,” she whispered, even though miss wasn’t quite what she was feeling. Mostly she wanted to talk to her. It wouldn’t take much on her part to get Megara to expound on what she’d been doing since they’d last seen each other. Hopefully, things had gone well regarding being chosen for a role. If Megara had been busy enough she might have barely noted her daughter’s absence.

  The same might not be true for Ethan. Now that she had a clearer understanding of what the man stood for, she guessed he’d be trying to reach her via Korbin. Either Korbin would repeat his lie about her helping him entertain some clients or he wouldn’t respond to Ethan’s call.

  Ethan wouldn’t like either scenario. He’d made it abundantly clear that he intended to exploit their relationship.

  Forcefully stilling a shudder, she rotated her neck. One thing about being under Joe’s control, she hadn’t had to concern herself with Ethan’s threats for a while.

  When Joe opened the door, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d read her thoughts and had deliberately chosen that moment to make an entrance. He held up her cell phone.

  “I’ve been listening to your messages. A number of your fellow students have been calling. So has your boss. It sounds like you’re well thought of.”

  “How—I have a password.”

  He shrugged. “She’s anxious to hear from you. Sounds like she’ll do everything she can to get you back.”

  “She’s a good woman. Hard working. Dedicated.”

  “That’s what she says about you. There was one call from your mother.”

  She moved as close as she could to Joe. “What did she say?”

  “She’s excited. Sounds like she got the role.”

  “Already? That’s—did you talk to her?”

  “No. I want you to do that.” He jerked his head. “But not yet. Two messages from Ethan.”

  Her stepfather’s name chilled her, but she made herself wait without speaking.

  “He talked to Korbin, but it’s clear he isn’t satisfied. He wants to know what the hell you’re doing with him. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Korbin Aldrich makes Ethan nervous.”

  “I’m sure he does. He’s uncomfortable around anyone who is higher on the pecking order than he is, not that there are many.”

  “I like the idea of him losing sleep because he can’t get in touch with you.” Joe sat in the recliner, but remained upright. “He needs you to make an appearance Friday night. It was an order, not a request.”

/>   Joe had said something about Friday night. Pushing aside her anger at him, she folded her arms over her chest. What was it about being barefoot that made her feel like she was the one at the bottom of the food chain?

  “Listen,” he said.

  Against her better judgment, Lainey did. Ethan wasted no time making it clear he wasn’t happy with her disappearance. She owed him accountability.

  “You better respond to this. I’m sure you’re listening. You must admit I’ve been more than generous and patient. As responsible as you’ve proven yourself to be, I fully expect you to do what I require of you. Unless you don’t care what happens to your mother, you will show up where and when I want. Got it?”

  Her hand went to her mouth. “My mother? What—”

  Joe held up a hand to stop her.

  “Friday night is going to be special,” Ethan continued. “I’ve gone to considerable effort to make sure certain people will be there. A handful of politicians. Two judges. Lawyers in abundance. The wealthy, Korbin included. Maybe I should say Korbin Aldrich in particular. You’ll figure out the agenda within a few minutes of your arrival, but I don’t want to take a chance on you expressing disapproval. Your compliance is mandatory. Essential. Don’t forget what I said about your mother’s welfare.”

  Ethan paused long enough that she wondered if he’d hung up. Then: “My guests have one thing in particular in common. They love having access to beautiful, compliant women. Cowed perhaps. Women they can play with without the game adversely affecting their careers.”

  As the pieces came together, Lainey sagged against the bars. “Dominance and submission,” she managed. “Powerful men and helpless women.”

  “Yes.”

  “I can’t believe—why?”

  “You can’t figure it out?”

  At the moment she was so shocked she could barely remember her name.

  “You’re the real prize,” Ethan went on. “I’m not sure why. You are attractive, but you don’t have the kind of breasts that appeal to certain men. Not big enough.” Ethan snorted. “Oh hell, what am I saying? I know exactly why you appeal to them. It’s me. The connection between us. The judge or politician who jams his tool in you is making it clear that they’re in charge. Play with you. Play with the mafia. Forcing you to suck them is the same as telling the mafia to screw it.”