I should stay away from this one, but my interest was piqued and I’d yet to figure out how to walk away from a good fight. Until I knew for sure Emilia Prado was who she said she was, I had to assume there was a price on her head.
Did Emilia keep tabs on the chat rooms in the deep web like I did? Pulse beating fast, I stuffed the Levi case folder in my briefcase. This couldn’t fucking wait. I shut down my laptop and jerked to my feet. With a bit of luck, she went straight to her office.
“Late lunch?” my assistant asked from her desk.
“Yes. If anything comes up call me.” I pressed the button for the elevator and hopped on when the doors slid open. As far as plans went, I didn’t have any, but Emilia had to know something ugly was coming for her.
Down in the garage level, I climbed into my car, input Emilia’s work address in the nav system and drove off. As luck would have it, she was only a few blocks from me. How long had she been working at this firm? It seemed, one way or another, Emilia and I were meant to run into each other again. I shook my head and smiled like an idiot. Cole would be happy to hear his divorce brought me back to Emilia.
I parked outside the building and waited. If I went up, no doubt my presence would raise questions among her coworkers. The best thing to do was to be patient and wait for her to come out.
I messed with the satellite radio while excitement built up in the pit of my stomach. God, Emilia had always had that effect on me. Back in law school, I sensed there was more to her icy persona, that underneath the Little Miss Proper act was someone not too different from me. Could she sense it too? Was that why she avoided me like the plague? I picked up my phone off the center console and dialed her firm’s number.
“Gallardo and Associates,” a male voice answered on the first ring.
“This is Dom Moretti, I’m handling the Levi Smith case. Could I speak with Ms. Prado?” That was innocent enough.
“She’s in a meeting. Could I take a message?”
“No. I’ll call back later. Thanks.” Or I’ll just wait out here until she goes home. I hung up and dialed Vic. If anyone could dig up information on Emilia Avellanos, it’d be him.
“Dom. Make it quick.” Vic’s voice boomed over the speaker. Talking on an open line made him nervous.
“Need help finding someone. Can I shoot you a name?”
“Send it to the usual inbox,” he said and dropped the call.
“Good talk.” I tapped the end button, emailed him the information I had on both Emilias, and settled in. My eyes glared at the main entrance to the building while I ignored the tiny voice in my head telling me this was the creepiest thing I’d ever done—stalking a woman who up until last night had pretended I didn’t exist.
Just fucking awesome.
I put the car into gear. Maybe I could send her a text to warn her about the chatter on the deep web. She’d made it clear she didn’t want my help. I wasn’t required to do more than tell her about what I saw, right? But then, I wouldn’t be able to see her again. And fuck me if I didn’t want to see her again. I killed the engine and rested my head on the headrest.
The whispers in my head grew louder as I sat there. Before I had to answer any of them, Emilia strolled out of her building and climbed into the black sedan that met her at the curb. I turned on the engine and followed her. An hour later, the car dropped her off at a house up in North Scottsdale, a swanky part of Phoenix. Judging by the size of her home, Emilia was doing well for herself. I waited at the end of the street. If they had security cameras, I couldn’t see them. When she crossed the threshold, I climbed out of the car and walked the rest of the way to her house.
As I took the stone steps up to the massive front door, I rehearsed in my head what I would say. What was the best way to let someone know there was a mark on their back? When I reached the entrance, though, the doors stood wide open. An eerie stillness blanketed the space around me. Out of habit, I reached back for a handgun that wasn’t there.
I stepped lightly into the foyer. Large framed mirrors lined the walls, directing me toward the living area, where side tables had been knocked over. My heart twisted, pounding hard in my throat. Holy shit. She’d come in not a minute ago. Thirty seconds was all it took to grab someone. I would know. Was someone already waiting for her? I’d come in too late. I should’ve stopped her the second she climbed out of her car.
A click and the all too familiar cold metal dug into the nape of my neck. Shit. How did they sneak up on me? I hadn’t felt or heard anyone in the room.
“Why are you following me?” Emilia’s voice was strained like she was trying to catch her breath.
My pulse slowed, and my shoulders relaxed. She was safe.
“We need to talk.” I turned to face her. She’d taken off her jacket, and a silky beige top with spaghetti straps hugged her perfectly. The click of her gun stopped my wandering mind in its tracks. I shouldn’t be thinking of her like that. She stuffed the weapon in the back of her skirt and stepped back, shooting daggers at me. Holy shit, if that wasn’t a turn on.
“Stop looking at me like that and tell me why you’re here.” She scanned the room, her feet slapping the travertine tiles as she strode toward the front door to close it. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Why so twitchy?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” She extended her arms, her gaze darted around the ransacked room. “Someone was here.”
“And you don’t know if they were here for Jess’s lawyer or Emilia Avellanos.”
“Right.” She picked up a side table and put it back in place. She froze and hung her head. “How do you know that name?”
“That’s you, isn’t it? I mean, you didn’t even bother to change your first name.”
“It’s my dad’s name.”
“You can trust me. I’m here to help.” She opened her mouth, but I pressed on. “This morning, I was ready to let you walk out of my life again, but after everything that’s happened here, I can’t just leave you. I can help you.”
“No. I can do this on my own.” She met my gaze, brows furrowed, lips pressed together—certainly not the look of someone who wanted to be left alone, except I was out of things to say or do to show her I was a friend.
The faint beeping of numbers being pressed on a keypad came from behind us. Emilia’s eyes went wide but showed no fear. A few seconds later, the bookcase lining the wall split open.
An older version of Emilia stepped out and offered me her hand as if she just hadn’t come out of a secret room. “You must be Dom. I’m Sofia, Emilia’s mom.”
“I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I smiled, squeezing her fingers gently.
“Did you mean what you said?”
So, she heard the entire conversation. Had she already figured out I had the hots for her daughter? The look in her eyes told me she was on my side. Honesty was the only way to get her to help me talk sense into Emilia. “I was scanning the online chat rooms…”
“You do this often?” Emilia asked, her eyebrows raised as she met her mom’s gaze. As if this particular habit proved I wasn’t to be trusted. Sofia wasn’t buying it.
“It’s always good to keep your finger on the pulse. Today’s pulse is telling me there’s a hit on you.”
“Emilia?” Sofia treated Emilia to an ‘I’m disappointed’ stare. “You said everything was fine. That we had nothing to worry about.”
“And we don’t. Levi is pissed at Emilia Prado, his wife’s attorney.” Her light tone was meant to put her mom at ease, but her mom was smarter than that.
“The ad wasn’t for Emilia Prado and you know that.”
Sofia dropped her head in her hands. “I knew taking Jess’s case was too risky for you. Why didn’t you listen?”
I’d been wondering myself the same thing. “You both need to leave Phoenix. Tonight.”
Sofia wiped her face, eyes stern and determined. “Yes, we do. Emilia. Go pack. Now.”
“We can’t let Levi run us off again. I
’m done hiding, Mom.”
“No. I won’t lose you too.” Sofia gripped Emilia’s hand and walked her past the living area, down the wide hallway to the right. I followed them. If I helped them pack, we could get out of here in less than an hour. Sofia stopped at the first door. “Just a few changes of clothes. We can buy more once we’re settled.” She pushed Emilia’s bedroom door opened and rushed down the hall.
“She’s right.”
I went in first. Emilia’s signature vanilla scent hit me square in the face. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Emilia and I in the same room, alone, wasn’t a good idea. I shook my head to clear it and headed for the walk-in closet. The faster we got out of here, the better. I slid all the hangers together, picked them off the rod, and dumped them on the bed—her bed. Desire pulsed fast and hard through me. Shit.
“Where do you keep your suitcase?”
I turned to face her. She stood in the threshold as if there were some invisible force keeping her pinned there.
“Under the bed.” Her voice was hoarse and sexy. Did she feel it too? I braced my hand on the mattress and reached under it, taking in the faint smell coming from her pillows. “I got it.” She rushed to my side when I dropped the suitcase on the down comforter and started throwing shit in.
“Fine.” I stepped back, giving her—and me—space.
Lips pursed, she folded her clothes, dropping each item in a stabbing motion. Her mom had bullied her into this, but it was for the best. Going against the cartel was a horrible idea. What was she thinking?
“How did you know the ad was about me?” she asked after what felt like hours of silence. “A first name isn’t enough.”
“Wild guess.” I shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers toying with the silvery knickknacks on her nightstand. “Not so wild, really. You keep poking a sleeping bear, you’re bound to wake him up.”
“Levi deserves everything coming his way. The man kills for a living for Christ’s sake.” She slung a dress across the room, balling her hands into fists. “He can’t win. I can’t let him win again.”
“You’ve been on the run for a while.”
“How do you know that?”
“Well, for starters, you have a panic room and you can handle a gun better than any other lawyer I know.” I stood and stepped closer, her scent filling me. “Why risk everything to help your cousin. Why now?”
“Jess is family. And I’m tired of running.”
“If Levi is who you say he is, you can’t go against him. It’s too dangerous. This is the cartel you’re talking about. Your life means little to them.” The cartel. Why didn’t I think of it before? I shook my head.
“What is it?”
“Why is the cartel going to the deep web to put a hit on you? Why not keep the job in-house? Don’t you think that’s peculiar?”
I’d been on the other side of the law when I ran around with Mickey’s crew back in Jersey. No way Mickey would have ever trusted an outsider, a random bounty hunter, to do his dirty work. And he had a reason for it…he liked things done right. Based on the two attempts on Emilia, we weren’t dealing with professionals here. Why risk it? What was Levi Smith trying to hide? Not that it mattered anymore. Emilia and her mom would be out of his reach before nightfall.
“Earlier today you offered to help me. Any chance that deal’s still on the table? I don’t want to leave.”
I didn’t want her to leave, but her mom was right. This was too dangerous. She couldn’t stay. Although, if she kept looking at me like that, with those eyes full of longing and asking for help, I’d be done. No way I could say no to her. She rubbed the inside of her wrist, looking so lonely and exposed. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything was going to be fine. I reached for her hand, and she squeezed my fingers.
“Dom, please. I need you.”
Well, fuck.
5
Kill Levi
Emilia
“Dammit, Emilia. Of course, my offer still stands.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, a smile pulling at my lips before I let go of his hand. “First things first. How are we going to get past the Dragon Lady?”
He chuckled. A sexy sound that reminded me Dom Moretti was in my room—and we were alone. “Your mom? She seems like a sweet woman.”
“Yeah, until you say no to her.” When it came to the cartel, Mom didn’t fool around. She’d seen firsthand what they could do and how fast. No way in hell she was letting me stay in Phoenix another night, but I had to. After all this time, I finally had a chance to go after the asshole who killed my dad.
“Why are we saying no to your mom?” He sat on the bed, toying with the small flower vase on my nightstand. Nervous energy.
“Because I’m not going with her.”
“Yes, you are. What part of there’s a hit on you do I need to explain again? You’re leaving with your mom. Tonight.”
“You said you were going to help me.”
“And that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’ll allow you a continuance. Thirty days should be plenty of time for me to find out who Levi is. If he is what you say, I’ll nail his ass to the wall. I promise you that.”
He sounded so convincing. If he hadn’t used his lawyer voice, I would’ve believed him. Dom didn’t understand who my cousin’s husband was. He wasn’t just another crook. I kneaded the numb spot below my hip bone where his bullet went through me the day he killed Dad. The scar he’d left behind was an IOU. And it was time he paid.
“You know that’s not what I need from you.” I threw a pair of jeans in the suitcase, which took up half the bed.
“You’re wasting time.” He adjusted his weight on the mattress, moved a few decorative pillows out of the way, and then froze. Oh, shit. “What is this?” The infuriating smirk on his face said he knew exactly what was in the small lingerie bag he pulled out from under my pillow. Why didn’t I hide it better? Oh, yeah, because never in a million years did I think Dom would end up in my room. “Wait. Don’t answer that. What I really want to know is why is my name on it?”
“It was a joke.”
“How long have you had this joke?” He pressed his lips together, his chest bouncing a little. It was all he could do not to burst out laughing.
“Your inflated ego must be loving this, but trust me, it’s not what you think.” I resumed the task of folding my clothes and arranging them in my luggage. Maybe if I pretended having a dildo with his name on it wasn’t a big deal, he’d let it go.
“There’s a vibrator under your pillow with my name on it. You betcha my ego is loving this.” He bit the inside of his lip, gripping the contents of the bag. Why was this turning me on? He planted his feet on the carpet and stood, taking his time. His prowl was a promise that the real Dom would be a thousand times better than the chargeable device in his hand. “You want me. Why do you push me away?”
He pressed his chest against the side of my arm. I couldn’t turn to face him. If I did, we’d end up doing what we had started last night at the bar.
“I’ve spent the last ten years in hiding because of what my dad did for a living. You saw today what Jess is going through with her husband. I don’t want that for myself.”
“I am not like them.” His tone was terse and cold. “But you’re right. You have your hands full as it is. I have no right to spring my bullshit on you. So here’s what we’re gonna—”
Shouts came from the other side of the house. They were faint, but they unmistakably belonged to Jess. “My cousin is here.”
“Time’s up.” He moved so fast around the room, I felt like I was going in slow motion. I dropped the bathroom essentials into a toiletry bag while Dom stuffed the rest of my clothes in the suitcase and squeezed it shut.
He was right. If Jess recanted her story this morning, it could only mean her husband had gotten to her somehow. Had Levi convinced her to give me up? Selling out family was definitely Levi’s MO.
Dammit, Jess. Please don’t
back out on me now. You owe me.
I threw my toiletry bag in my messenger bag along with my laptop and headed out of the room with Dom behind me, carrying my oversized luggage as if it weighed nothing.
Through the kitchen, in the main living room, Jess fell back onto a sofa chair. The one where Mom sat every night since Dad had died to knit him scarves he’d never get to wear.
“He made me, Tia Sofia. Levi—”
Mom struck her across the face again. “I raised you like my own daughter. And this is how you repay me? By selling out the only family I have left.”
“The Dragon Lady,” Dom said under his breath, setting the suitcase down.
I rushed toward Jess, standing between her and Mom. Jesus. I’d been here before, defending Jess for something she did to me. “Mom. Enough. What’s going on?”
“Ask her.” Mom pointed at Jess, her eyes red, hand fisted at her side. “No. You know what? Don’t. She’ll just lie again. Like always.”
Mom let out a cry, a desolate sound that cut me deep. When I turned to face Jess, tears streamed down her face, but her eyes didn’t show the same pain as Mom. Mom squeezed my hand.
“We have to leave now. Levi knows you’re alive. Yeah. She told him.”
“Jess. Why?” I kneeled in front of her. “We’ve gone through this already, and it ended with you spending the better part of your life in a hell your own husband created for you. I’m the only person that can help you. Why would you do this to me? To you?”
Dom stepped into the living room, wrapping his fingers around my forearm. “Emilia, we don’t have time for this. Now you know for sure. That ad on the deep web is for you.”
I freed my arm. Yeah, we had to leave. Whoever broke in earlier today would no doubt be back tonight. The mess they left behind was more than a warning, it was meant to instill fear in me, to make me lose my shit. I needed Jess to come with us. Even if she’d switched sides yet again. She was the only witness to Levi’s crimes. “Jess…I still have the scars from the last time you betrayed your family. I stood by you and Dad ended up dead. You fucking owe me this.”
Ignite You: A Second Chance Mafia Romance (Cole Brothers Series Book 0) Page 4
