D&G Bakery mixed old world elegance and new age whimsy, just like the partners themselves.
Dolly McCabe stood near the front entry, greeting her guests, wearing stylish jeans, supple tan suede boots, and a brightly embroidered silk blouse. Auburn curls sat in a riotous display on top of her head while long swirls of gold hung from her ears. When she spoke, her hands fluttered like bejeweled butterflies.
Next to Dolly, as if in contrast, was Gianni Abruzzi, in a custom cut Armani suit, a starched white shirt and Fratelli Borgioli shoes. A heavy gold bracelet circled his wrist, while a diamond ring winked from his pinky finger. His dark hair was worn short and peppered with grey.
More than once Glory had thought that if you looked up mob boss in the dictionary, there would probably be a picture of this guy. And although she had never seen Gianni rocking anything but calm, the power and controlled violence that emanated from the mobster had always made her a bit uneasy. Truthfully, if it had not been for Jules being so stubbornly and unreasonably obsessed with her not working for Gianni for reasons of his own prideful macho bullshit, she probably would have found a way to curtail their business relationship on her own.
Now, as Glory watched the two new business partners greet their guests side by side, she smiled to herself. Because apparently, Dolly McCabe had no such reservations about Gianni Abruzzi. But then again when a man comes to the rescue to save your potentially fatally wounded son, you tend to think the best of him. And Gianni had done that for Dolly. He had stormed past the gates of the locked down HSMC to help his lady love in her most desperate time of need.
The affection in Dolly’s eyes when she looked at Gianni was hard to miss. And when Dolly burst out into small gasps of musical laughter, Gianni smiled at her with amused indulgence and adoration.
The opening was every bit the success that Glory thought that it would be. As was to be expected—the place was packed with friends and family from both the Hells Saints MC and the Bonzini crime family. And although Glory had been a witness to the Saints and Gianni’s boys mixing it up together before, it always looked like a dangerous and strange pairing to her. But when she thought about it, it maybe wasn’t so odd after all. The Italians might be clean shaven and sporting expensive suits instead of scruffy chins and black leather vests, but underneath all that fine wool and worn leather, the men weren’t so different after all.
“You ready?” Jules bowed his head and whispered against Glory’s ear.
“Uh-huh.” Glory nodded. When she turned and smiled at him, his lips brushed against her cheek and she felt a tingle of warmth spread through her like a slow blazing fire. Jules kept up the warm reassuring touch at the small of Glory’s back as he led her through the crowd to where Raine and Claire were standing close together in conversation. After he greeted the women with a smile, he surprised Glory by giving her a quick kiss on her mouth before he went off to join his brothers.
The two women raised a delighted brow at the gesture, but when they saw Glory’s furious blush, they said nothing.
“I hate being late to these things,” Raine told them. “But Patience is going through the whole separation anxiety thing and Willow dropped a glass of grape juice on me just before I left. Does this shirt look too wrinkled? I didn’t have time to iron it.”
“You look beautiful as always.” Glory smiled at her. “I love that color blue on you. It matches your eyes.”
“Yeah it does. You look great,” Claire agreed, then took a closer look. “Hey, wait a minute. Isn’t that mine?”
Raine made her pretty blue eyes wide. “Is it?”
“Yup. It is,” Claire insisted. “It definitely is. I left it at your house by mistake last weekend after our shopping trip!”
“Okay. All right. It is.” Raine fessed up. “But honestly, I had nothing else to wear. Everything decent I have is stained with baby vomit or is in the wash. I bought something new for today, but I never expected a grape juice incident. I’m sorry, Claire.” Raine’s apology was sincere.
“It’s okay. Looks better on you than it does on me, anyway.” Claire wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, baby vomit is definitely not a preferred look.”
“Tell me about it.” Raine grimaced. Then she scanned the room before she turned to Claire. “Is Hal here?”
“No.” Glory shook her head in regret. “His appointment at the center got changed at the last minute.”
“So I heard Claire came to the party with Jules.” The girls all turned as a familiar voice rang out from behind them. Pinky gave each of the girls a close tight hug. Claire felt her cheeks warm at the proclamation.
“Uh-huh, she did,” Claire chimed in while Raine shot out a grin.
“You heard? Or you snooped?” Glory teased the older woman, who was known far and wide for her well-meaning but nosy ways.
“Oh. It’s not the same thing?” Pinky’s laugh was infectious. “By the way, this time I didn’t have to snoop. Prosper was the one who told me that you and Jules came together.”
“Hmmm— came to the party together. That does sounds promising, doesn’t it?” Claire nudged her sister, who nodded in pleased agreement.
“Settle down, ladies.” Glory couldn’t help but giggle at the eager smiles on the faces of the three women. “I didn’t come to the party with Jules, Jules gave me a ride to the party. There’s a world of difference there.”
“Sure there is, honey, sure there is. And the fact that, even though he’s halfway across this crowded room, and still can’t manage to keep his eyes off you? That probably means nothing either.” Pinky’s eyes sparkled as she nodded to where Jules was standing with Diego and Reno.
When Jules caught Pinky’s look and volleyed an all too sexy smile to Glory, she blushed and concentrated on grabbing a handful of cookies from a passing tray.
“Oh, boy.” Raine’s smile turned to a frown as she leaned in and perused the selection of decorative wafers that Glory had put on her plate.
“What?” Glory knitted her brow as she watched the two sisters exchange a meaningful glance.
“I just wish that Dolly had left out the owls when she was cutting those little animal cookies.” Raine shook her head in consternation while Claire nodded in agreement.
“Why?” Glory asked.
“Because they are bad luck,” Raine answered soberly.
“Bad luck? How?” Pinky looked at the small, intricately frosted shapes.
“I remember my mother telling me that her people, the Lakota people, believed that some breeds of owls are not even birds at all. They believe that they are witches who shape shift in order to swoop down, spy on their victims, find out their weaknesses, and cast them in their spells.” Raine voice was low and ominous, as if saying the words would unleash a siege of demons.
“So even one little ol’ owl shaped cookie could be a bad omen?” Pinky asked in incredulity.
“Oh yes.” Raine nodded with vehemence and Claire agreed.
When the women all turned and looked at her, Glory bit her lip in consternation.
Because her plate was full of them.
*****
Maybe it was the whole cookie conversation.
Or maybe she was feeling the controlled violence that filled this room of men.
Or maybe she was just prone to paranoia.
But whatever it was, Glory could not shake the feeling of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Feeling the need for fresh air, she pushed her way through the press of bodies and headed for the set of double doors that would lead to the central courtyard. As Glory excused herself through the sea of guests she glanced up to see someone bearing down on the crowd and coming fast in her direction. Oddly, the man seemed to be focused solely on his path straight to her. As he got closer, a sudden recognition sparked in the pit of her stomach.
“Glory, stop!” The sound of her name on his lips sickened her and she fought the bile that rose up like acid into her throat. She kept her head down and pushed as quickly as she dared t
hrough the crowd, weaving and dodging and searching for the nearest exit.
With Santino Abiatti in hot pursuit, Glory plowed her way through the heavy doors only to find herself trapped in the courtyard. Before she could reach the other side of the gated garden she felt her arm wrenched almost out of its socket with a bruising force.
“Let go of me, Santino!” She hissed as she whirled to face him. The terror she felt at finding him standing before her was momentarily eclipsed by a quick and sudden burst of fury. She had thought that she had left the nightmare of all things Abiatti behind her long ago. How was it possible that this family had the power to keep screwing with her life? As she attempted to wrench herself free from the man’s grip, it angered her beyond reason to find, that despite a lifestyle filled with addiction and debauchery, that the years had been kind to Vincenzo’s oldest son.
If anything he was leaner, meaner and more dangerous than ever.
She twisted in his grasp, trying to wrench herself free.
“Stop it, Glory. You’ll make me hurt you.” His hand slid down from her arm to her wrist where he held it in a painful vise grip.
Back when he ran the club in Vegas, Glory had become well-acquainted with the particular kind of pain that Santino Abiatti was capable of delivering. With that in mind, she immediately stopped her struggle. And when she did, to her surprise and immense relief, he let go of her.
“What do you want? How did you find me?” She stammered out and winced as she rubbed the throbbing pain in her wrist.
“Find you? I never lost you, sweetheart.” He smiled at her with a menace he clearly enjoyed. “I have just been waiting for the right time to collect on what you owe me. You and I have got unfinished business.”
“You’re crazy. I don’t owe you anything.” Glory struggled against the dizziness that threatened to overtake her. The last time she had seen Santino Abiatti he had been standing over her in the cramped dressing room that she shared with five other dancers. Santino had watched on with barely controlled violence as Glory had quickly packed up the few things she still owned. Then with a hard shove he had sent her reeling down the stairs to the parking lot where Gino, Santino’s cousin, sat waiting in a shiny new Cadillac to take her away. Glory had jumped into the car blissfully unaware that she had just traded one hell for another.
Now she cast a frantic look past Santino then another look behind her. One part of her was scared to death of what would happen if Jules came through the door and found her with a man as smoothly menacing as Santino, and the other half of her was frightened of what would happen if he did not.
“My debt to your family is paid, Santino. Gino told me that he squared everything up with your father when he took me away from the club.” She made her voice strong even as her knees weakened. She fell against the brick wall that was suddenly behind her.
“You sure about that?” Santino shrugged in his custom made suit, while he smoothed an imaginary crease. Then he pinned her with his gaze.
“I’m dead sure,” she answered him, even as she fought to keep the tremor out of her voice.
“Interesting choice of words.” His tone turned sinister.
“What are you talking about?” she asked in a voice filled with loathing.
“You used the word dead, Glory. I just think that is an interesting choice of words considering—” he paused dramatically.
“You didn’t come across the country to talk to me in riddles. Spit it out!” Glory hissed at him in a show of false bravado. Adrenalin coursed through her body, sending her a signal to run for her life.
Glory’s gut twisted with the knowledge that she could never run fast enough or far enough to escape the long arm of the Abiatti family.
“Gino’s dead, Vincenzo’s dead—” Santino continued.
“Your father’s dead? When? How?” Glory stammered.
“The when is about a year and a half ago—the how? Well, that’s something I need to talk to your brother about.” He regarded her carefully. “My associates and I were delighted to hear that Captain Thomas made it back alive. I know it was touch and go for a while. Too bad about his face. That’s gotta be hard on a handsome guy like Hal. Every time he looks in the mirror, he sees a constant reminder of the men he let down. Of the soldiers that he let die on his watch.”
Glory fought the urge to scratch Santino’s eyes out, but instead forced herself into cool regard.
When he got no reaction from Glory, he continued nastily,” I can help Hal out with that—with his fucked up face. You know—even it out for him.”
“You go anywhere near my brother and he’ll kill you,” Glory whispered, as a cold creeping dread began to grow in the pit of her stomach.
Santino regarded her for a moment before an amused danger lit his eyes. Then he leaned in close to her and said softly into Glory’s ear.
“Not if I kill him first.”
Chapter 14
A few minutes later Glory watched as Santino Abiatti left through the back gate of the courtyard. Her hands clenched the business card he had given her with the address written on the back. The cold sweat of her hand had dampened the ink, causing it to run slightly and stain her fingers.
Five minutes alone with him and she was already marked.
Santino Abiatti.
Son of Vincenzo. Cousin of Gino. And all around bastard. He was a ruthless, dangerous man who hid under a veneer of good looks, considerable wealth and his family ties to the Cosa Nostra. For a long time his people had held her future in his hands, had owned her in almost every way a person could be owned.
Except for one.
Thank God she had never had to service him like some of the dancers had. She had seen the bruises, and the dull looks of pain that the other strippers had after spending time with Santino. But she had been spared that.
She was never sure why, but from the start Santino’s father had taken a proprietary interest in Glory. Vincenzo had protected and shielded her as much as a headlining all-nude dancer could be protected and shielded. But then again she had made him a lot of money. A lot of money. Glory shivered in a cold sweat and tears stung her eyes as the memories washed over her. They threatened to pull her under in a wave of despair.
“Hey, babe, I’ve been looking for you. What are you doing out here?” The sudden sound of Jules’s voice startled her and brought Glory crashing back to the now. She jumped and cried out in nervous display.
“Glory?” He moved quickly towards her. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m all right.” When she felt his muscled arms wrap around her, she almost fainted with relief.
“I’m okay,” she repeated as she took a deep unsteady breath and attempted a small smile.
Jules kept a tight hold on her. “You’re as white as a ghost. What happened? Why are you out here alone?”
“The crowds, the noise—I guess I’m just not used to it. I just needed to get some air,” Glory replied in a tumble of words. “I’m feeling better now.”
“Really? Cause you look like shit.”
Glory gave in to a slight hysterical laugh.
Jules made a quick sweep of the now empty courtyard. “You wanna sit for a minute?” He began to lead her to the small sitting area.
Glory tugged on his hand. “Actually, do you think we could just leave now?”
“Sure, babe. Let’s get the hell out of here.” Jules grabbed her hand and led her out through the gate that Santino Abiatti had just minutes before exited through.
Once they had cleared the courtyard, Glory did a quick sweep of the area and stiffened slightly when she saw that, even though Santino had left the party, he hadn’t gone far. He was sitting across the street in a black Escalade. Perhaps the bastard had come to finish what his cousin Gino had started when he had caught Glory in her attempt to escape his brutality. Glory’s vocal cords still had not and never would recover from the screams Gino had gotten such pleasure from beating out of her. And now Gino was long dead but Santino was here to —to do
what?
God help her.
I’ll be in touch in the next few days, in the meantime you’re gonna want to keep your mouth shut. And I’ll be watching to see that you do—
The only thing that kept Glory from stumbling in fear was the tight grip that Jules had on her hand. Glory felt a long overdue burst of self-pity as she swallowed hard around the lump in her throat.
When would her life stop being a nightmare that she had to fight to survive?
Maybe she was cursed, maybe she had done something awful, so terrible and unforgivable in a past life that she was doomed to roam this earth fighting battle after battle after battle to atone for it.
That must be it. That had to be it.
She just couldn’t imagine what that thing could have been.
The strong urge to put her hands up and wave a white flag in surrender filled her.
Because seeing Santino Abiatti— being threatened and taunted by Santino Abiatti— in what was supposed to be her safe-start-over place, was more than she could handle.
The camel’s back was finally and irrevocably broken.
Glory was done.
*****
Jules struggled to keep his focus on the road ahead but his eyes kept darting over to where Glory sat rigid and tense beside him.
"Just tired” my ass. That was a bullshit excuse if he ever heard one. Jules thought darkly. This was a woman who had been through trial by fire. She didn’t get that kind of look on her face because she was tired. Or needed some air.
He cast another furtive glance at Glory sitting next to him in the truck. Her eyes looked too big in her face and she was twisting her hands with such anguished intensity that Jules was afraid she would hurt herself. He didn’t know what had happened to spook her, but he would bet his left nut that it was something pretty damn bad.
Chapter 15
Sick fuck.
Saving Glory (Hells Saints Motorcycle Club Book 4) Page 9
