I furiously started to message Peyton back before deleting it and starting over. For a few minutes, I kept doing this until my alarm went off again. With a bitter taste in my mouth, I simply typed Okay before putting away my phone. I still had a business to run even though my heart felt like it was torn into a dozen small pieces. Peyton wouldn’t get me down. I had to be strong like always. As I stormed past the messy kitchen and table, I slammed the door and stomped out to my car.
Cranking up the music loud, I made myself a promise. No man was going to control how I felt. I would never tell anyone my secret again.
Decisions, Decisions
Peyton
I drove through the night back to my small apartment on the other side of town. Leaving Rosa alone was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, but Kane had contacted me. He’d made it into town earlier than expected, and if I was going to keep Rosa safe, I needed to get a plan together. When I pulled up to my apartment building and saw the slender man, I couldn’t help but smile. Kane always was a character.
“Well, you are a sight for sore eyes,” I said as we shook hands.
“Same to you, old friend. Nice digs. You want to tell me what I’m doing here?”
I looked around and ushered him into my first-floor apartment. “I found her.”
His face went pale. “You mean Brandi?”
Nodding my head, I locked the door and told him everything I knew about Rosa. He listened quietly as I told him the entire story, including the part about us having sex on more than one occasion. His eyes lit up as I finished.
“Wow, you must really care about her.”
“I do. I don’t know the kind of person she was before, but I know who she is now, and she wouldn’t hurt a fly. She is wild and wonderful. You see why I needed your help?”
“Yeah, you’ve managed to get yourself into a pickle. Any idea if he’s sent more men down yet?”
“I can’t be sure, but I think so. I remember Rosa telling me about a couple of Irish men who came into the store and freaked her out a few days ago. I don’t know why anyone would pass through here from our neck of the woods unless they were looking for someone.”
“Any idea who it was?”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t there and I didn’t want to press her too much and raise her suspicions. Were you able to find anything out in the city?”
“Well, you were right. Collins has sent others down here, but I don’t much more than you do at this point. I’m happy to help in any way that I can though. You said he told you Shannon was still alive?”
Nodding my head, I thought about Shannon. I was taking a gamble by bringing in Kane—or anyone, for that matter. I didn’t have many other options in the situation. I couldn’t ask for the help of the elders. They would side with Collins to protect their own skin unless I had evidence against him, which I had nothing. Even then, it would have to be something far worse than wanting a woman dead before they would step in.
If things didn’t go as planned with the elders, assuming I even spoke to them, then I would be dead and Rosa would too. I was backed into a corner, but no one realized what kind of wild animal I became when I was in that situation. I was a fighter, and not just for the mafia. I grew up on the streets. I leaned to fight as a kid before I even started school. If Collins wanted a war, I would give him one.
“There might be another way,” I muttered to him. “You work for the elders, right? What kind of thing does it have to be for them to consider eliminating someone?”
Kane snorted. “If they knew half the shit that Collins did—if they had proof of it—he would be six feet under in a heartbeat. No one goes against Collins, though, because he’s always had the backing of the elders.”
“Yeah, because they think that he’s working with their best interest in mind, but what happens if he isn’t?”
Kane shrugged. “Then we’d better find some proof.”
“I don’t even know where to start, and I can’t leave Rosa,” I muttered.
“I can do some digging for you. I know that he has secrets he doesn’t want the elders to know about.”
“We have to be quick. He’s given me three days to get results, and I don’t know what’s going to happen to Shannon.”
Kane shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Peyton, about Shannon.”
I held up my hand. “I don’t want to think about whether he’s lying. It’s a little bit of hope that I want to hold onto.”
“So, what do you want to do about the two goons that he sent down here? I can get rid of them for you.”
I sighed. It was going to be harder than I thought to get my friend to see the big picture. Two brutes were nothing, but when four came, then maybe six, or possibly the entire clan that followed Collins, it would be a different story. I needed to make Kane understand what the endgame was—a life of peace away from the Irish mafia altogether, and not just for me, but for him and both women too.
“What’s the point? If we take them out, he will just send more. There’s always going to be more. Then what happens when I’m not around to protect her or she learns the truth and runs?”
“Yeah,” he muttered. “I didn’t think about that. So, we have to cut the head off the snake then?”
“It looks that way, but he’s always guarded. I’m fine with bringing down Collins, but not the entire crew. Most of those guys have families too. They haven’t done anything but follow orders.”
“You really are a good man, do you know that?” he said.
I snorted. “Nah, I just don’t want to see more people get killed than needed. I want to be done with this life. I want a fresh start.”
“So, Collins knows where Shannon is. Okay, so let’s talk about Brandi.”
“You mean Rosa?” I offered. “There is nothing to talk about. I don’t want either of their death on my hands.”
“Listen, I get it. Even if it wasn’t true love, she’s still an innocent woman who shouldn’t be killed because of one psychopath. But you’ve been hot and heavy with her for a few weeks now. Are you sure that she’s innocent and it’s not just good sex?’
I glared at him and he took a step back. “Do you know why I was brought into the organization? It was because I could read people. Rosa is a good person. You’d do well to remember that.”
“Hey,” he said, raising his hands. “Don’t shoot me, man. I just want to make sure I’m not going to risk my life just for your dick. Can you blame me? The last time I saw Brandi, she was just as wild as Shannon.”
I glared at him a second time. “Are you going to help me or not?”
“Of course I am, Peyton. I know where to put my bet in a dog fight. Give me a day, maybe less, to see what I can dig up, and I’ll meet you back here.”
“Thanks,” I muttered as he left.
“Hey, Peyton?” he said before leaving. “We will figure this out together, okay? We will save them both, one way or another. I’ve got your back.”
“That means a lot. Be safe out there, okay?”
“Be safe here. Women are fickle.”
I laughed at him. “You haven’t met Rosa. She’s as sweet as chocolate syrup.”
Kane laughed and left me alone. I slumped down on the black leather sofa in my living room and held my head in my hands. Rosa would no doubt be awake and pissed that I was gone again. Maybe Kane was right. Maybe I needed to take a few days off from Rosa and clear my head. I was wild about her in so many ways. Sure, the sex was out of this world, but that wasn’t all. She was becoming something more, and it was a little terrifying.
Maybe I could just tell her I had a business trip and needed to skip town. It would be better than trying to dive into everything again. She had trusted me with her darkest secret, but I wasn’t ready to trust her yet with mine. I wanted to make sure that if she left me forever, she could do so safely. No matter what the end of our romance held, she had a right to live her life without looking over her shoulder for all eternity.
I looked d
own at my phone and hoped to see a message from Rosa. When her name appeared on my message list, my heart started to race. She was my world. The moment I read the message, a sinking pit in my stomach set in. Something was wrong. I quickly grabbed my jacket and headed out to my car. I knew Rosa. She wouldn’t send a message like that unless there was a problem. Everything had been fine when I left last night, but now, something had changed and I didn’t like that.
Don’t come over tonight. I don’t want to see you anymore.
Fear Of Abandonment
Rosa
“See? Now was that so hard?” asked Mary.
I nodded my head. “It was very hard. I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. I hate to think of life without him.”
“He’s just a man, honey. One man who got under your skin and into your bed. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”
“Not like him, though,” I muttered.
“Maybe not, but you can’t dwell on it forever. I can watch the shop for today if you want me to?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. I like being here. It gives me something to do at least.”
The door opened and I looked up, ready to greet another customer, but when I saw who it was, I started to shake. Peyton was standing in the doorway, heading over to the counter where I was struggling to stay standing. Mary glared at him and stepped in front of me.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you. Find another bakery,” she hissed.
He looked around her to me. “Rosa, we have to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk to you. I thought I made that pretty clear. Or at least you did.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
I glared at him. “One second, everything is fine and the next, you’re cold. I think I can take a hint.”
“Please,” he begged. “Can we go somewhere private and talk about this? It’s not what you think. I don’t want this to end between us but we need to talk.”
“No,” interjected Mary. “She isn’t going anywhere with you.”
My heart raced as I looked away from him and started to head back to the kitchen. I couldn’t stand looking at him without wanting to give in to everything that he was saying. I had to be strong though. If he wanted to be with me, then I deserved some answers. There was still so much that I didn’t know about him because we never talked about his life. Instead, it was always about me. I chuckled. Most women would be thrilled to have the world revolve around themselves, but not me. I wanted to know who he was.
“Brandi,” he said softly.
I froze for a second before spinning around. “How do you know that name?”
“I told you, we need to talk,” he said softly.
I stumbled backward, and within seconds, he was behind the counter, holding me steady as he led me to the kitchen. Mary didn’t protest this time, and thankfully, she didn’t follow us, though I knew that she wanted to. I kept an eye on Peyton as he took a seat across from me. I hadn’t told anyone, including him, what my real name was. In a panic, I looked around to the nearest exit. The only way he would know that name was if he worked for Collins. Sensing my emotions, he reached out for me but I shrank away.
“Please, Rosa, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Who the hell are you?” I muttered. “Did Collins send you?”
He nodded his head. “He did, but I don’t work for him anymore. Now I’m just trying to keep us both alive.”
“This entire time was a lie? What were you supposed to do? Seduce me then kill me?”
He swallowed but said nothing. I had hit home. “You are disgusting. I can’t believe I let myself fall for you.”
“Rosa, like I said, I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want to keep you safe, but others do want to hurt you. Collins will send more.”
“Now that he knows where I am, thanks to you.”
“Yeah, I know this is my fault. I’m trying to clean it up, but I need to get you somewhere safe.”
I jerked away from him. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“I can’t keep you safe from here, Rosa. How do you expect me to protect you if you won’t listen to me? At least come home with me and let Mary run the place. Just for today.”
I looked at the door and saw Mary standing there looking shocked. She had heard everything. Even if I kicked Peyton out, I would still have to talk to her about who I really was. I needed to make a decision—follow Peyton and hope he was telling the truth or face Mary and her dozens of questions I was sure she had. Or, I could just ignore them both. In an instant, I made a choice.
“I’m going home,” I said as I grabbed my purse. Peyton rose to follow me but I shot him a look that would stop a train. “Alone.”
“Rosa,” he said. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Those fateful words broke the dam that I was trying to keep under control. “You don’t think that’s a good idea? What the hell makes you think I give a damn what you think? You are just as bad as Collins, a liar and a killer.”
His eyes narrowed as he looked back at Mary. “Can you please give us some privacy?”
I nodded to her and she left as Peyton took a few steps closer to me. When he pushed me up against the wall, I felt the familiar flutter of desire as it coursed through my body. My passion knew something about him that my broken heart wouldn’t face. I didn’t resist him. I didn’t want to.
“Rosa, I care about you so much. Please don’t let my secret break us apart. You told me yours so I trusted you with mine.”
“How can we be together when your boss, my ex-boyfriend, wants me dead?” I asked.
“I am going to deal with him, then that’s it. No more running, no more hiding. Just me and you against the world.”
“Oh, Peyton,” I whispered as I pulled him down to my level and kissed him tenderly. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Rosa, I want you but we have to wait. There are other cards at play right now, but when you sent that message, all I could think about was getting to you and making sure that you were safe. I was so scared. I thought they’d gotten to you.”
“They?” I said as it dawned on me. “The Irish men from the other day. I knew there was something off about them.”
“You’ve got a good gut. Keep that in mind for the next few days. Let Mary run the shop and stay at home as much as possible. Don’t let anyone in.”
I didn’t like the way that he was talking. It sounded like the death speech a soldier gave his girl before going off to war. “This is silly. We have each other. Why don’t we just run again? I have you to protect me now. We can go global. I have a good bit of money in savings.”
He shook his head. “I would love nothing more than to run off to Cabo with you, Rosa, but we can’t leave just yet. Just promise me that you will go back to your house and stay put until you hear from me, okay?”
“Won’t you be there with me?” I asked.
He nodded. “Every second that I can be with you, I will. I need to get this plan underway though.”
“I still think we should just run. Neither of us has anything holding us down here, right?”
Peyton shifted under my gaze. “Collins . . . he said I had to bring him your head or Shannon would die.”
“Shannon? I didn’t realize she was even still with them. You would think after what happened, she would have left like I did, but when I tried to get her to testify against him with me, she skipped town. I found her again a few years ago, but it wasn’t safe for me to approach her. God, he really fucked her up. Talk about Stockholm’s.”
His face grew pale. “What the hell are you talking about? I know that you covered for the rapist and I’m willing to let that go. You were in a similar situation with Collins, right? You got away, so I can’t place too much blame on you, but right now, I could use some information.”
“What in God’s name are you talking about? I didn’t cover for any rapist! Why would I cover for h
im and then help the FBI to convict Collins? That just doesn’t make any sense.”
I watched his face change from shock to realization, and finally, it rested on rage. In that moment, I realized why he’d been so willing to hunt me. Collins had lied to him and told him I was the cover for Shannon’s rapist.
“Oh, my God,” I whispered. “You didn’t know Collins was the one who raped her.”
Confession
Peyton
“You didn’t know,” she whispered again.
I shook my head, my mind racing with new information and rage. Suddenly, everything made sense. Of course, Collins didn’t want me to know Shannon was alive. Then I would find her and know the truth. He never could have known that I would befriend the very woman I was hunting for him and learn the truth. Now that I knew, it changed everything. If I was hell-bent on finding Shannon and bringing down Collins before, it was set in stone now.
“I had no idea. He told me he’d killed the man who did it and that you’d basically fed Shannon straight to him.”
“I am so sorry. I never would have done that to her. She was my best friend. I tried to get her out when I left but she was a broken woman. She was too terrified to leave, and by the time the police searched his hideout, she was already gone.”
“Rosa, all this time, I thought that you were a monster like her rapist. I am so sorry. She used to tell me about you, talk about what a good friend you were to her.”
“I don’t feel like a good friend. I feel like I left her behind,” she said as she sank to the floor of the kitchen.
“Come on,” I said soothingly. “We need to get you back to the house. We can talk more there.”
Dangerous Indulgence Page 6
