Mafia Mugs and Sexy Hugs

by Kitty Parker

  "Ready to go?" He asked.

  "Perfect timing." I stated walking over to meet him.

  He stood in the hallway looking like he had just stepped out of a catalog. He was dressed in black slacks, with a dark green button down shirt that made his eyes brighter than they had ever appeared.

  "You look gorgeous." He said placing a small kiss on my cheek.

  "You look hot!" I exclaimed.

  He let a low velvety laugh roll out of his mouth.

  "Thanks. Now, would the lady like an escort to dinner?" He asked holding out his arm.

  "Why thank you." I said taking his arm and starting for the stairs.

  He led me outside where a black car was waiting. He held the door open as I climbed inside. Seconds later he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. We rolled down the driveway and down the road.

  "So where are we going?" I asked looking over at him.

  "Don't want to ruin the fun." He said casting a playful glance in my direction.

  "Come on. I won't tell anyone."

  "Who's there to tell?"

  "Um.. Angus!"

  "Who?" He said turning his head to look at me.

  "The imaginary leprechaun!"

  "Right." He said looking back to the road.

  "Fine! Maybe I'll go be Angus's girlfriend instead." I said crossing my arms and pouting.

  "Thank him for me."

  "UH!"

  "We're hear." He called before I could slap him across the head.

  I looked out my window to see a small classy restaurant. I climbed out of the car and latched onto Andrew's arm as he led me inside.

  "Reservation for Cressin." He told a guy standing behind a dark oak desk.

  "Right this way please." He said making a small mark on his paper.

  We were led past several tables, with couples at them. We finally stopped in front of a set of glass doors. The host opened the doors to reveal a small table draped in white cloth sitting outside overlooking a lake.

  "You like it?" Andrew asked as he pulled my chair out for me.

  "It's so pretty." I proclaimed looking out at the lake.

  "Glad you like it."

  After we had finished our food. We climbed back into the car. The night had been perfect. The food was wonderful, Andrew was wonderful, life was wonderful. I was living the fairytale, chic flick, romance novel, happily ever after life, and I was loving every minute of it.

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  I heard a car pull up into the driveway and looked out the window. Andrew and Emma climbed out of the car. Both were laughing at some unknown comment. She looked really good in her dress. She looked so happy. Too bad it was all about to end.

  I turned out my light and climbed into my bed. Mere hours separated me from my new life. Her fairytale was about ready to turn into a nightmare. She just didn't know it yet.

  Chapter 20

  Today was the day, the waiting was over. I would no longer have to worry about getting caught, the plan going to hell, I would never have to see these people again, she would be mine, and best of all would be the look on their faces when they saw me.

  I jumped out of my bed and threw on a pair of dark jeans with a black T-shirt. The clock sitting on the end table glowed 10:00 AM. Two more hours. With a smile plastered onto my face, I walked out of my room and made my way outside. I slipped behind the house and pressed the one on my phone.

  "Hello?" A voice answered after only a single ring.

  "It's me."

  "Good. Are you ready?"

  "Yeah. Everything is perfect. They have no clue. It should be easier than we thought."

  "Good, the sooner we can get this over with the better."

  "You do remember our deal right?"

  "Yes, yes. You'll get the money."

  "And?"

  "And the girl."

  "Good."

  "We should be there in about an hour."

  "They should be up by then."

  "I'll see you then."

  "Bye." I flipped the phone shut and shoved it back into my pocket.

  After all of this waiting and planning it was finally here. One more hour. That was all, now all I had to do was pull it off.

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  I woke up next to Andrew. Now don't go getting any ideas! Nothing like that happened. When we had come home from dinner we went to his room and I just happened to end up falling asleep there. I rolled over and saw Andrew lying there in a pair of dark green boxers.

  Obviously I had fallen asleep before him, because I didn't remember him changing. I however was still in my little black dress. I tried to slip out of the bed without waking him, but failed. He groaned as he rolled over and pulled me back into the bed.

  "Let go. I need to go change." I said prying his hands off.

  He gave a jumbled answer and rested his head back on the pillow. I smiled looking back from the doorway. It was like watching a child sleep. So innocent, so cute, so peaceful, so perfect.

  I slipped out the door and down the hallway, into my room. I stripped out of my dress and threw on a pair of jeans with a green T-shirt. I hurried back out into the hall and headed back towards his room. I shut the door and caught sight of the clock, 10:55. The bed was empty and as I turned I saw Andrew emerge from the closet. He was dressed in loose fitting jeans with a white T-shirt.

  "Good morning beautiful." He said walking over and kissing me.

  "Good morning to you too."

  "You ready for breakfast?"

  "Yep." I said smiling.

  He took hold of my hand and led me out of the room. We reached the bottom of the staircase, and just when we were about to head off for the kitchen, I heard a loud crack. Our heads swiveled around to find the front door busted open and several men pouring into the house.

  Andrew's grip on my hand tightened as he drug me down the hallway. He veered to the left and headed down another hallway. He burst into the room, where I had first met everyone. They were all lounging about, oblivious as to what had happened.

  "They've broken in!" He yelled.

  All heads snapped up.

  "Everyone get out there and do whatever it takes."

  They all jumped up and rushed for the door. Andrew caught Mason by his sleeve before he could get out with the others.

  "Take her to the third floor, seventh door, lock it, and don't leave her side." He said dropping my hand into Mason's grip.

  "Wait!" I called out to him before he could leave. "Where are you going?"

  "To get my father." He said running out the door.

  "Come on!" Mason ordered as he began to pull me down the hallway.

  He twisted through several halls before stopping.

  "This isn't the third floor!" I urged.

  "I know!" He snapped at me.

  He gave a sharp tug on my wrist, causing a jolt of pain to emit through my arm. He pulled me along until we came out into the front entrance. I caught a glimpse of a limp body lying on the floor. Thank God I didn't recognize it.

  "I told you to take her to the third floor!" Andrew bellowed as he punched a guy in the nose causing him to drop to the floor.

  "I don't take orders from you anymore."

  I felt cool metal being pressed up against my temple. I heard the click of the gun, and almost fainted.

  "All of you stop!" He ordered.

  Strangely everyone listened to him, upon seeing the predicament I had been placed in. All of the guys looked on in horror. All except for the men that had broken into the house. They had sick sinister grins plastered onto their faces.

  "Let her go!" Andrew yelled at Mason.

  "You actually think I would do that?"

  I noticed the movement of two men as they began walking towards me. One I hardly recognized. As he approached and was only as mere five feet away from me I recognized who it was. It was Aidan. I hadn't seen him since the first days I had arrived here. Were they going to hurt him?

 
The man standing next to him I knew. How could I not know him? He could not be forgotten, and never would be. His image imprinted into my memory until the day that I would die. Hopefully today wouldn't be that day. My eyes narrowed in disgust as the man smiled at me. This disgrace of a man was my father.

  "Hello Emma." He said in what I use to think as an endearing tone, but now sounded like grinding metal.

  I stayed silent letting my deathly glare bore into him, hoping that he felt all of my hatred towards him.

  "Aren't you going to say hello to your father?" Aidan asked from beside him.

  My gaze shifted over to Aidan to discover a sinister smile upon his face. They weren't going to hurt him. They wouldn't hurt one of their own. Two betrayers in one household.

  "That man is not my father." I spat out.

  "Actually you're right about that." I heard Mason snicker from beside me.

  "What are you talking about?"

  He looked towards the man that had raised me, who gave a slight nod of his head telling him to continue.

  "He's not your father and your mother isn't who you think she is either."

  "I'm not stupid."

  "Looks like you are."

  "The truth is Emma" My former father interjected." My wife was pregnant when we left here. Unfortunately she lost the baby. She was so upset about it we decided to….'select' another one."

  "So you stole me from my own parents?"

  "Of course not. We saved you, your parents were dead, after we got rid of them of course and then we took you in. You should thank us."

  "Thank you? Thank You! For killing my real parents just because you lost your own child! What the hell is wrong with you?" I shouted in his direction.

  "You act as though it is a big deal." He said waving it off as a simple chore.

  My eyes shifted around the room and fell upon Andrew. His hands were tied behind his back with coarse rope and he was kneeling on the ground. His head was held high and his green eyes were dark with anger. Tears welled up in my own seeing him like that.

  I began to push and pull against Mason's grip, trying to get away and over to Andrew. His grip held firm and prevented me from any form of escape. I could feel the cool metal of the barrel of the gun dig into my temple.

  "You're not going anywhere near him anymore." He hissed into my ear. "You're mine now." His breath was hot against my neck causing me to go frigid with fear.

  Would this really be the last time I would ever see Andrew? Would this be how I would remember him, how he would remember me? Would they even let him live? He was going to die and it would be all my fault.

  A sudden movement across the room caught my attention. Jett had broken free of his captors and was running at full speed towards Mason and I. His hand reached behind his back and pulled out a gun that had been hidden in the back of his pants.

  Everything happened so fast. The gun was pulled away from my head, but my body was still in a firm grasp. A single shot rang out through the silent room, and then there was blood. Blood everywhere, the floor, the walls, clothes, and skin.

  Jett lay in a pool of his own blood on the ground. The opened wound in his chest quickly staining his light gray shirt, a dark crimson. His eyes were bright and filled with tears he refused to let fall.

  I stood in utter shock. My mouth agape at the man before me. Mason lowered the gun and smiled down at Jett. I heard Jett let out a ragged breath and the struggle to take in another.

  "Looks like you're just like your brother now." Mason sneered down at him.

  Jett tried to reply but it only came out as a gurgled mess. His midnight black orbs glazed over and stared lifelessly at the ceiling. He was gone, taking with him his pain, sorrow, guilt, and suffering.

  I noticed that my face was wet. Tears were streaming down my cheeks and I couldn't breathe right. I took in a deep shaking breath that rattled my insides. How could life be taken away so quickly.

  "Why?" I managed to choke out. "Why did you do this? All of this!" I screamed at Mason. Bucking against his hold on me.

  "If you don't stop that I'll have your lover boy be next."

  I stopped struggling.

  "I think I should start at the beginning. Well you already know that you were adopted-"

  "Stolen." I corrected.

  "Whatever. I did it for money, for a new life, and for you. Well okay, you were a last minute bonus." He said waving his gun around in the air.

  "How could you do that to the people that took you in after what had happened to your parents?" I asked in disbelief.

  "I thought you were smarter than this. I guess I gave you too much credit. That was a lie. My parents aren't dead; they're alive and kicking. Aidan brought me into this as part of the plan. I was brought in to help him. Now that I think about it I don't know why I thought you were so smart, I mean if you actually fell in love with you kidnapper and then trusted him and everyone else in this place! You really are just some stupid, naïve, little girl."

  "So you did all of this for money? You killed a man for money, you deceived people for money, and you turned your back on people who believed you and were willing to help you? You are one self centered bastard." I spat out at him.

  "Like I said before, money, a new life, and you."

  "There is no way in hell you will ever get me!"

  "You don't have a choice. You were thrown in as a part of my payment, and I intend to take full advantage of all of my rewards."

  "I'm not a piece of property to be traded away! You can't just trade people of give them away, that's illegal!" I shouted in protest."

  "Look around you honey." He said motioning around the room at everyone. "Does any of this look legal to you?"

  My eyes crawled slowly across the room. Seth had a gun digging into his side, both of the twins had two men guarding them each, Andrew was kneeling on the floor, hands tied behind his back, with a gun at his head, and then there was Jett. Lying on the floor still, and unmoving; lifeless.

  He was right. None of this was right. Everything was wrong, nothing in my life had ever been right. There was only one thing that was right. One thing that stood out from everything else, like a single star shining alone in a dark night sky. Andrew. My own star that kept me going, guiding me, and now I was about to lose it all.

  "That's what I thought." He cooed in my ear.

  "We have to go, now." The man that I had called my father for the past seventeen years of my life, announced.

  Mason's grip tightened around my arm as he began to drag me towards the door, and away from Andrew. That's when it fully hit me. He was taking me away, I was never going to see any of these people again, who knew if they would even be alive after I had left.

  Panic rose up inside of me and I began to fight. I dug my heels into the floor and pulled back. Mason turned around and gave a sharp tug on my arm. If he thought I was going to follow him out of here, he was dead wrong. I pulled back with as much force and continued to thrash about. His other arm came down and wrapped around me hoisting me over his shoulder.

  I kicked, hit, and bit, as hard or harder than when I had been taken. I gave him hell. I managed to get a good kick into his stomach and he doubled over. I broke free of his grasp. He hit me over the head with the end of the gun as I turned to run. I fell to the ground, my head pounding, and my pulse loud in my ears.

  I saw Andrew jump up and kick his captor's legs out from under him. He started towards me. A final glance over my shoulder allowed me to see Mason. One hand was on his stomach the other pointing his gun at Andrew.

  Horrified I turned my gaze back to Andrew. That's when I heard the gunshot. My vision faded out, becoming hazy, finally turning black. My entire being wished that I would never wake up, that this was the end. If Andrew was gone, than so was I.

  Chapter 21

  You know that feeling you get when you're in between a dream and reality? Where you're still asleep but you can hear what is going on in the real world, and somehow what happens out there end
s up in your dream. That's where I was, at least that's where I hoped I was. Either that or I was dead.

  However mine was a little bit different. I wasn't having a dream. I was having a nightmare. I couldn't see what was going on, but I could make out different voices that sounded muffled and far away. I could detect the rusty smell of blood close to me. I could feel the hard ground beneath me, but what stuck out most to me was one voice.

  My eyes slowly opened, quickly shutting do to the blinding white light. So I really was dead. Well at least I made it to heaven. I slowly reopened my eyes, to find a familiar face peering down at me.

  "Oh no! Seth! You died too!" I groaned out in agony. How many people had died because of me?

  "I'm not dead. You're not dead." He said in a soft voice.

  "Yes we are. I remember. There were guns, and shooting, and blood, and darkness."

  "I promise you're not dead."

  I finally believed him, and accepted the fact that I indeed was still alive. I slowly sat up against Seth's protests. My eyes lazily circled the room. When realization dawned on me I scampered to get up. Seth gently pulled me back down and held me there.

  I needed to find Andrew. I needed to know he was okay. I needed to know he wasn't dead. I needed him.

  "Where's Andrew?" I asked frantically trying to get up again.

  "Calm down." He said holding me tight.

  "No! Where's Andrew?"

  "Emma, you need to calm down."

  "I NEED ANDREW!" I screamed becoming hysterical.

  If he had died I would never forgive myself. How could I go on living without him, knowing that because of me he was gone? I couldn't plain and simple. It was out of the question. Without Andrew there was no life for me.

  "Emma. You're going to hurt yourself. You have to relax, stop struggling."

  "I DON'T CARE!"

  I closed my eyes, feeling hot tears leak from under my eyelids. I needed him.

  "Emma."

  I needed him.

  "Emma."

  He was gone.

  "Emma."

  It was all my fault.

  "Emma!"

  My eyes flew open as I recognized the voice. There he was, standing above me, like an angel. I flew out of Seth's grasp and flung my arms around Andrew's neck. His arms encircled my waist as I buried my head into the crook of his neck.