by Chelle Bliss
“Tell me what happened with Johnny.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.
“That piece of shit,” he muttered. “I knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut.”
“I’m going to give you thirty seconds to explain to me what happened, and then I’m going to beat you until you’re unconscious. Lie, and I’ll make sure you’re never found.”
I wouldn’t have done it, but he didn’t know that. All he knew was how my fists felt against his face and that he didn’t want any more.
“Johnny worked for my kid. I’ve been keeping track of him for years—checking in on him and my ex-wife. Well, I got in deep with a bookie and needed some cash. I went down to Florida a few times and thought about asking for a loan, but then I knew neither of them would give me one. So I went to the track and hung out for a few races. I watched carefully and saw that Johnny was close with the family. I thought I could get him to do what I wanted. He looked like an easy mark, and I used it to my advantage.”
“Go on,” I said, keeping my eyes pinned to his and straightening my back.
“I did some digging and found out Johnny has a kid. I told him that if he didn’t find a way to get me $50,000, I would go after his kid and then I’d start on Fran and Morgan.”
“So you threatened him to get what you wanted?” Just needed to be sure I didn’t hear him wrong. Plus, the confirmation would be good since we were recording the entire thing.
“Yeah, man. Johnny made it too easy. He was too worried about everyone else that he caved quickly.”
“How did he get you the money?”
“I met him in some shitty-ass motel room in Alabama. He brought the cash and fulfilled his end of the deal.”
“And what was your end?”
“I promised never to bother anyone else again.”
Fucking thief and liar.
The thing about thieves was that a promise was never kept. Once you caved to their demands, they knew they had you for life. I’m sure Johnny knew it too. It was a mistake that too many people made.
Plus, how would Johnny ever be able to face Fran, Race, and Morgan again? He was just trying to keep them safe, but he went about it the wrong way. If he’d only told Morgan, we could’ve gotten involved and Johnny would still be alive.
“Where’s the money now?”
“Joey Two Fingers has it.” Ray’s shoulders sagged, his torso still secured to the chair.
I rolled my eyes. Damn people with their stupid-ass nicknames.
“Can I go now?”
“The only place you’re going is the police station.”
“For what? You already beat my ass.”
“You’ll be safer there. I’m sure Joey will be looking for you once I have a talk with him.”
His head snapped up, and his eyes widened. “You can’t talk to him. He won’t give you shit anyway.”
“I have my ways.” I smiled and figured Santino probably knew Joey and could help. It wasn’t Ray’s money to begin with, and once Joey heard the story, I’m sure he wouldn’t want the dirty money anywhere near him.
“Bullshit.”
I leaned forward and grabbed Ray by the hair on the top of his head, getting in his face. “I’m sure the cops will want to talk to you about Johnny’s death too. So between Joey and death row, I’m sure you’ll be busy.”
He gasped. “What? Johnny’s dead?”
“Yep, and he left a note that pointed right at you.”
Okay, so I lied a bit, but simple police work could uncover the connection, especially with the recording of him confessing his part. Ray DeLuca was going to pay for what he did.
“Fuck,” he grunted and struggled to break free from the bindings. He gritted his teeth, bloodied spit spewing from his mouth as he pulled at the restraints.
“I have one more visitor for you,” I said, unable to hide my smile as I stood. “Come in!”
“What is this shit?” he seethed, still moving around but not going anywhere.
“Hey, Ray,” Morgan said as he walked in and let the door slam behind him.
Ray flinched at the impact and squinted in the direction of the voice. “Morgan?”
“Can you leave us?”
“Sure,” I told Morgan, but I glared at Ray. “If you need my help breaking his legs, just holler.”
Morgan placed his hand on my shoulder when I was about to pass him. “Thanks, Bear.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll go talk to Santino, and you can talk to your father.”
“He’s not my father. He’s just a low-life piece of shit.”
I wondered if Ret thought the same way about me. I’d never pulled this shit with him, but I was never in his life for him to have a connection to me. I hoped he didn’t feel the same. My heart ached at the very thought.
I gave Morgan a nod before walking toward the door. Turning back, I watched as Morgan pulled the stool closer and said something to Ray that made him break down in tears.
Morgan DeLuca impressed me.
The man had his shit together and stepped up when necessary. Even though Ray was his father, Fran was his world. He made sure Ray walked out of her life over a decade ago, but I’m sure Ray was about to pay the price for coming back and stealing from Morgan’s wife too.
“That went well,” Santino said as I walked outside and he took off the headphones. “You know, if you ever need a job, I’m sure I can get you one within minutes up here.”
“I’m good,” I said and held up my hand. “I’m clean, man. I only do this shit when necessary, and usually only for family.”
“You’re an interesting man, Bear.”
“Yeah, yeah. What can we do about this Joey Two Fingers?”
He waved his hand and grinned. “I’ll talk to Joey and get the money back. Just like you said. For being clean, you know a whole lot about dirty.”
I laughed. “I have a past, but I’m leaving it there, Santino.”
“All right.” He held his hands up. “All right. I won’t push you any further.”
“Should I go back in?” I asked and glanced toward the door.
“Nah, Morgan can handle him.”
Twenty minutes later, Morgan walked out with Ray handcuffed and a little more bloodied than I left him. Ray’s feet dragged on the ground as Morgan pulled him by the wrists.
“Ready?” I asked, looking between Morgan and Santino.
“Where are you taking me?” Ray tried to pull away, but Morgan yanked him forward.
“To the cops with the recording and the evidence.”
Ray faltered in his steps and almost fell forward. “They’re going to hear you beating me and know I was coerced.”
“I took care of it,” Santino said. “I’m not worried about them believing your story, Ray. You’re about as friendly with the cops as I am.”
“This is bullshit.”
“Well…” Morgan motioned toward me with his head. “I can let Bear take care of you if you don’t want me to turn you over to the authorities.”
He eyed me for a moment and grumbled under his breath. “I’ll take my chances with the cops,” he said before Morgan shoved him in the back of the car.
“Meet me back at the bar after you drop him off. I’ll talk to Joey and have an answer for you.”
“Thanks, Uncle.”
“You’re welcome, kid.” Santino climbed into his car and drove away.
“You okay with this?”
Morgan nodded and blew out a breath. “I finally feel like everything is going to work out and that Ray will be out of the picture for a very long time.”
“He’s going to have a hell of a time getting out of this one,” I told Morgan as I slid into the car and he did the same.
“Fella, we don’t have to do this,” Ray pleaded before Morgan started the car and turned up the radio loud enough to drown out Ray’s bullshit.
The grittiness of Chicago fit the people I’d met since I stepped off the plane. Santino himself was a prod
uct of his surroundings, and Joey Two Fingers, I assumed, wouldn’t be any different.
The sky was gray with fluffy clouds that were as dark as those in Florida when a thunderstorm was looming. Rain began to fall as we pulled up at the police station, and when Morgan opened the door, a quick rush of cold air filled the car.
“Don’t do this,” Ray pleaded when Morgan pulled him from the back seat without any hesitation.
I stayed in my seat, letting the kid handle his father. I wouldn’t want anyone taking that moment away from me, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to do it to him.
Ray didn’t go like a man. He screamed and tried to break from Morgan’s grip as they moved toward the doorway of the police station. When Morgan opened the door and pushed Ray, he kicked him in the ass to give him a final shove inside.
I’d have felt sorry for the guy if he wasn’t such a piece of shit.
My phone rang, and it was Fran. I picked it up quickly before she started to call every five minutes until she knew we were safe.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I said, watching the door for Morgan. He’d be a few minutes, turning over the evidence and the perpetrator into their custody.
“I wanted to check in on you guys. You two okay?”
“We’re great. We’ll be home in the morning as scheduled.”
“Great, baby,” she said and covered the phone, murmuring something. “Maria says hi.”
“Tell her hello. So I’ll be at your place around noon to give you all the details. I can’t really discuss them on a cell.”
“I know, Bear. I’m not new.” She laughed nervously and a little over the top. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Oh, yeah?” Excitement filled me. “Am I getting my payback for the other night?”
“You are. Don’t be mad if it isn’t what you expect.”
“I’m up for anything you’re gonna give me, Franny.”
“Remember that. Love you.”
“Love you too,” I said and hung up as soon as I saw Morgan walking toward the door through the glass.
Fuck. I was so excited to get back to Fran and whatever kinky shit she had planned that I was about ready to catch the next flight out of Chicago and be there before she closed her eyes.
“How did it go?” I asked when he climbed back in.
“They’re going to listen to the tape and review the evidence. In the meantime, there was an active warrant out for him, so he’s not going anywhere soon.”
“For what?”
“Assault and battery.” Morgan shrugged. “A leopard never changes its spots.”
“Morgan, I need you to know something.”
Something had been gnawing at me for a while, and I needed to get it off my chest.
“What’s up?” he asked as he turned on the car.
“I’ll never lay a hand on your mother. I know sometimes I get carried away when we’re dealing with some bad people, but your mother is someone I love. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
He stared at me for a minute before he finally smiled. “One thing I know about you is that you’re a good man, Bear. You’re not Ray. The thought never crossed my mind.”
My face wrinkled. “It hasn’t? I’ve done some pretty fucked-up shit in front of you.”
“Each one of them deserved it. I see how you are with my mom and all the women in the family. I never worry about how you’re going to treat Ma. Plus, she’s not the same woman she was before. Her revenge will be worse than anything any of us could do to you. That much I know.”
“Yeah,” I laughed. Fuck. He was right. Fran had a wickedness about her sometimes.
If I ever hurt her, I was sure I’d disappear, never to be heard from again. But not before she tortured me in ways I’d never dream possible. I think that’s what I loved about her most—her unpredictability.
I sat in silence, thinking of all the ways she’d exact her revenge as we headed toward the bar. By the time we parked the car, my stomach was in knots.
“You’re looking a little green,” Morgan said as he stared at me.
“Just thinking about Fran. We made a bet, and I lost. Tomorrow, I get my payback.”
“I’d be scared if I were you.” He laughed and climbed out, slamming the door behind him.
I sighed and waited a minute before following him. “You think I’m in for some shit?” I jogged to keep up.
“I think you should be ready for the unexpected.”
My mind wandered to places I never imagined. Hopefully, Fran had planned something sexy. The one place I didn’t expect to go was in her beautiful round ass. I wanted it so badly my entire body vibrated at the thought. Maybe I’d done such a good job with Ray that she’d offer it to me as a thank-you.
I shook my head and laughed.
“It ain’t that.”
My head jerked back just as we approached the door. “What?”
“If it makes you laugh, it isn’t what you’re hoping. Ma doesn’t work like that.”
“You’re right,” I grumbled, and the hard-on that had started to form immediately vanished.
“Morgan!” Angelo waved us over.
Morgan gave him a quick nod. “Hey.”
“Shit go alright?” Angelo asked as he leaned over the bartop.
“Hey,” I interrupted. “I’m going to go talk to your uncle.”
“He’s in the back room,” Angelo replied and jerked his head toward the hallway behind him.
“Thanks,” I said and excused myself.
Not that I was above small talk, I just wanted to get the fuck out of this bar and back to the hotel. I already knew I wasn’t going to get much sleep tomorrow when I got home, and I wanted to be ready for whatever Fran was going to throw at me.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Fran
“You have a lovely home,” Ret said, sitting on the couch in the living room as I sat across from him.
“Thank you.” I smiled, but inside I was slowly dying.
What the fuck was I thinking? There was going to be hell to pay afterward. I was known for pulling some shit, but even this was beyond me. I was sticking my nose in places that I never thought I’d be willing to take a whiff and live with myself.
“I talked to my sister,” Ret said, filling the uncomfortable silence.
I smiled at the spitting image of Bear. The tiny lines around Ret’s eyes weren’t near as deep as Bear’s, but everything else about him matched. From his wide shoulders, large arms, gruff voice, and hard face—there was no mistaking that they were father and son.
“How is she?”
“Ready for her pregnancy to be over.” He laughed softly, and the faintest lines appeared near his eyes.
“I’m sure.” I plucked at the nonexistent lint on my jeans. “She’s so beautiful.”
“She said nice things about you, ma’am. It’s one reason why I came. She said it was time I talked to my father and set shit straight.”
“She sounds a lot like me.” I chuckled, covering my mouth with the back of my hand.
“She’s a bossy thing. When we were little, she’d pretend I was hers. My entire life, she’s told me what to do.”
“Women,” I muttered because I knew we caused more shit out of our need to be helpful.
“When’s he getting here?” Ret glanced down at his watch and tapped the glass.
“Any minute now.” My voice was shrill, and my stomach was jumping around like I had gymnasts inside.
“What has he said about me?”
Even though a man sat across from me, all I saw was a little boy who wanted to hear that he was loved and wanted. It was the basic need of any child. When Bear left Ret with his sisters, it stripped him of that.
“He told me what happened with your mom and how his sisters raised you and Janice. He’s never gotten over the regret from that.”
“He could’ve come back for us.”
“Oh honey, your dad went down a dark path. It’s hard to come back from how far he fell.”
“How far?” He crossed his arms over his wide chest and leaned back into the sofa.
“He was in and out of jail a lot before you were even five. I think he got mixed up in drugs and drank a lot too. He knew he wasn’t good for you.”
“Fran, I would’ve taken a fucked-up dad as long as he loved me.”
“You say that now, but it’s easy to say without living it, Ret.”
“I guess,” he sighed.
“He loved your mom so much that he didn’t think he deserved any happiness. I think he was trying to find a way to join her without actually doing it himself.”
“That would’ve been tragic,” he muttered.
“It would’ve.”
“I spent a good portion of my teenage years in therapy, Fran. It’s hard to know your mother died when she had you. There’s a guilt that comes with that knowledge.”
“God,” I said and stroked my neck. “I never thought of that.”
“Dad could’ve helped me get over that quicker. His rejection made it easier to believe that I killed her.”
My entire body rocked back at the horrific admission he had just made. I’m sure Bear never thought of it that way. He figured he was doing a favor to his kids by leaving them with his sisters, giving them the love of a woman over his.
“Your father never blamed you. He blamed himself, sweetie. I think you’ve both been feeling the same pain for far too long.”
His eyebrows drew down over his eyes. “Why would he feel that way?”
“Men are supposed to protect their women, and your father wasn’t able to do that for Jackie. Naturally, he’s going to feel like he messed up somehow. You’re a man. You should understand the need to fix everything.”
He smiled and it was genuine. “I know the feeling well.”
I stared at him, lost in his eyes when I heard Bear’s bike outside. I froze, my body going rigid and my stomach kicking back into action.
“Well,” Ret said, standing up and taking a deep breath. “I guess it’s now or never.”
“It’ll be fine. Your dad is easygoing,” I lied and walked toward the door, clutching my stomach and praying that Bear didn’t walk back out as soon as he saw I’d ambushed him again.
