A Perfect SEAL

by Jess Bentley

  “If you so much as blink in a way that pisses me off, I will crush your ribs and make your heart explode, do you understand me?”

  He reaches up and rubs at his throat where I’ve left a deep red handprint. “I could have you arrested for assault.”

  I snort. “And I could have you arrested for stalking. So, let’s cool it with the idle threats, huh?”

  He shakes his head. “I’m just a man talking a walk. You’re the one who came up to me out of nowhere and put his hands on me… Mr. Cochran.”

  I feel my blood run cold with a combination of fury and confusion. “How the fuck do you know my name?”

  “I know a lot of things, Mr. Pierce Cochran. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll mind your business where it comes to me and my associates. Understand?”

  I feel a wave of my old, reckless self come back, and I slam him against the wall again. “Did you just threaten me? I know you didn’t just threaten me. No one could possibly be that stupid.”

  The man reaches up with both hands and shoves my hands away from him, never losing his overconfident smile. “Listen, kid. You’re in over your head. Just stay out of our way and you and your kid won’t get hurt. It’s not complicated.”

  I don’t have time to say anything else. A black sedan flies up along the side of the street and the man saunters off, then jumps into the back seat, before the car speeds off. And I’m left standing in the alley, completely baffled as to what the hell just happened.

  Arie

  “Arie, I want to know what the fuck is going on and I want to know right now.”

  Pierce has just stomped back into the apartment, and he looks furious. His hands are shaking, his face is red, and I get the impression he wants to punch a hole in the wall. The only thing stopping him is the fact that Chloe is still awake and watching him carefully. It’s like she knows exactly what is going on and is just waiting to judge his next move. I’m sitting on the couch, and I grab a pillow to hold for comfort, even if it’s only emotional.

  “Maybe if you tell me what you’re talking about, that might help,” I say, trying to play it as innocent as possible until I know how much he knows. He crosses his arms, clearly impatient and not in the mood for games.

  “Oh, I don’t know, Arie. Some goon in a tracksuit just threatened me and my daughter, in extremely vague terms. He was following us down the street for blocks, watching you, specifically. So, I’m going to ask you one more time, Arie. What the fuck is going on? What have you gotten yourself, and by extension my family, into?”

  I start running scenarios in my head. He’s going to kick me out. He’s going to turn me into the cops. Can he turn me into the cops? He’s going to hand me over to the Cannizzo family. I’ll have come this far only to lost Chloe again. What the hell do I say?

  “I didn’t get you into anything, Pierce. I’ll handle it. I promise.” He’s not going to accept that.

  “That’s not an answer, Arie. This guy was not fucking around, and it wasn’t me he was interested in. So, are you going to tell me or not?”

  “Not,” I respond, trying not to make eye contact, afraid he will see right through me.

  “Goddamnit, Arie. Fine. You want to play it this way, fine. But the Arie I knew would never have gotten mixed up with people like that. And the fact you’re refusing to tell me the truth makes me believe it’s even worse than I can possible imagine. You’re putting me at risk, but worst of all, you’re putting Chloe at risk. I can’t have that. As far as I can tell, there is only one way to handle this.”

  My stomach drops all the way down to my feet. He’s going to make me leave. I think I’d rather he just drop me off in front of Cannizzo’s headquarters and let them kill me. I can’t go through all of this again.

  Pierce sighs. “That Auckland meeting dad was talking about? I’m supposed to fly over there tomorrow and set up a satellite office in the city, then meet with some new clients. I was supposed to be there for two or three weeks while I get everything organized and acclimate the new clients to our way of doing business. I was going to go alone, and leave Chloe here with you. Instead, I think you should both come with me. And maybe, while we’re there, you will decide it’s in everyone’s best interest that I know what the fuck you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  My jaw drops. I’ve never been outside of Manhattan, even when we were dating as kids. I’ve never even been on an airplane. So, the idea of flying all the way to New Zealand is absolutely amazing. And terrifying. I also feel like a jerk, because Pierce is only taking us with him so I don’t get him and Chloe hurt. How could I possibly have thought I would just skate my way through this with no consequences?

  Chloe toddles over and crawls up into my lap with a smile, then lays down in my arms and starts to doze off. I have to bite my lip to stop from crying. I missed my little girl so much, but have I been selfish? Should I have just stayed out of her life, and Pierce’s, for their own good? I feel like I am just making a mess of everything, and Pierce is doing more than he should have to, to make up for my stupidity.

  “Are you sure? This seems like a lot of expense, and effort, on your part… for me. Maybe you and Chloe should just…”

  Pierce shakes his head. “First of all, I can’t take Chloe to New Zealand by myself, look after her, and get the work done that I need to on my own. Second, what kind of asshole would I be if I abandoned you here in the middle of whatever the hell this is?”

  “Pierce, I…”

  He holds up his hands. “I’m not going to push you, Arie. But don’t think this is over either. When we get back from Auckland, you’re going to tell me what is going on. Deal?”

  “Deal,” I say, choking back tears. I’ve never cried, or almost cried, this much in my life. Even when I was sick, even when I thought I was going to die, I didn’t cry this much. I’m starting to feel like a bigger baby than my child, who is an actual baby.

  “Okay, go pack up your stuff. You have a passport, right?”

  Shit. Bailey. He was getting me a passport. I wonder if that’s gone through. “Um… I was in the process of getting one. I need to make a phone call and see where I am in the process. How long do I have?”

  Pierce scowls and looks at his phone. “I can put the trip off for a day or two, but not far beyond that. How are you getting… You know what? Never mind. Just add it to the list of things you owe me explanations for.”

  As he leaves the room, I grab my phone to call Bailey. He answers on the first ring.

  “Twice in one day! To what do I owe this distinct pleasure, Miss Blanchard?”

  I peek around the corner to make sure Pierce is safely ensconced in his room before I say anything else. He’ll get his explanations, but today is not that day. “You mentioned getting an expedited passport for me. Any chance you can make that super expedited?”

  “Speak of the devil and he shall appear! Your passport arrived just this afternoon. I checked my office mail on my way home. Wait… why? You’re not running, are you? Did something happen?”

  The concern in his voice actually gives me a sense of comfort. It’s been a while since I believed anyone was truly looking out for me, even though I’m not sure why he’s been doing so much for nothing in return. “No, not exactly. Though I think Cannizzo is having me followed? I don’t know, honestly. Something is going on. But Pierce wants to take Chloe and me with him to New Zealand for a work thing until it blows over.”

  “He knows?” Bailey asks, his voice skeptical.

  “No. But I will tell him. Eventually. Just not now.”

  “Uh huh. Well, I’m not going to bust up in your business since Mr. Cochran knows I am little Chloe’s former guardian. I will have a bike messenger bring you over the passport now. Keep an eye out. And Arie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Watch your back. If Cannizzo is having you followed, this may be worse than we thought.”

  When I hang up, I look down at Chloe’s sweet face as she sleeps, and yet again, I have to choke b
ack tears.

  What the hell have I gotten her and Pierce into?

  Pierce

  Apparently, Arie hasn’t caught on to the fact that the entire apartment is equipped with a state-of-the-art security system. Security is my job, and my life, and I wouldn’t allow for Chloe to be protected by anything less than the absolute best. That means every room has a motion-activated camera, a sound system, and the ability for me to monitor it all from the computer in my bedroom. It’s not so much about spying on anyone, as it is about making sure Chloe is safe and secure at all times.

  The fact that I am able to listen to Arie’s phone call is a just a perk.

  I hadn’t intended to listen, but I’d forgotten to turn off the computer earlier, and the camera in the living room had been activated when I walked out. The right thing to do would have been to close the computer and walk away, but it wasn’t just her safety in question now. Or mine. It was Chloe’s.

  Now I am looking up the name “Cannizzo” on the web and I am not happy with what I find. The first thing that comes up is an article from the Times, and I feel my face going red with anger just at the headline.

  Sonny Cannizzo Convicted of Bankruptcy Fraud! 48 Murders Remain Unsolved

  I almost walk away from the computer; afraid I might flip out if I read anything that makes me believe this Sonny Cannizzo character is connected to Arie in anyway. But I know I have to keep reading. I have to know what is going on, especially if Arie isn’t going to tell me.

  The trial of notorious mob boss and career criminal Salvatore ‘Sonny’ Cannizzo was concluded on Friday afternoon, and while Cannizzo went before a jury facing charges including murder, securities fraud, racketeering, extortion, money laundering, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, and attempted bribery of a federal official, he was convicted of the lone charge of bankruptcy fraud.

  Among the initial charges were three accusations of murder: Cannizzo was accused of ordering the killings of police officer Janice Trumbull from the borough of Brooklyn, FBI agent Martin Morrison, and FBI agent Leslie Brookwood, both of Washington D.C. Prior to the trial, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Penny Elliot believed they had a slam-dunk case against Cannizzo.

  “The evidence on all of the charges is overwhelming. The grand jury saw fit to file all of these charges against Salvatore Cannizzo and I trust that his reign of terror over the good people of Manhattan will finally be coming to an end,” she said outside the courthouse on the first day of her case-in-chief.

  But something went wrong along the way. Accusations of jury tampering ran wild, and despite numerous requests from Elliot that the jury be replaced, Judge David Monaghan refused. When the verdict was returned after just two hours of jury deliberation, Cannizzo was convicted of one count of bankruptcy fraud due to misfiled paperwork, and sentenced by Judge Monaghan to six months in a white-collar prison.

  As she stood on the courthouse steps, a visibly shaken Elliot seemed baffled and frustrated. “We had ample evidence that Sonny Cannizzo ordered the murders of three innocent civil servants. We can connect him to forty-five more murders across several decades, in multiple states. There was no justice in that courtroom today.”

  Cannizzo’s only son, Sebastian ‘Angel’ Cannizzo, had a very different take on the trial’s outcome.

  “My pop fought the good fight. He showed those assholes that you can’t fight the Cannizzos and win. In six months, we’ll see who is back on top.”

  The FBI Director and Brooklyn Chief of Police could not be reached for comment.

  I feel my blood pressure rising. What possible connection could Arie have to people like the Cannizzo crime family? Was she on the jury? Did she accept a bribe? My mind is racing with a thousand different possibilities, when I see another link, further down the page, and it makes me even more nervous.

  Sebastian ‘Angel’ Cannizzo Arrested in Connection with OTB Attack

  It hasn’t been a good year for the notorious Cannizzo family. Mere months after Sonny Cannizzo found himself sentenced to time in a federal, white collar prison, Sonny’s oldest child, Sebastian “Angel” Cannizzo, was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. The alleged attack took place at the off-track betting parlor owned by his family.

  Ardin McManus, 24, of Newark, was stabbed repeatedly in what at first appeared to be a random attack at Barney O’Toole’s Pub and Grille, an OTB. McManus survived, and directed police to Angel Cannizzo, claiming that he had been stabbed as the result of a disagreement over missing funds. It was later revealed that McManus worked for Cannizzo at Barney O’Toole’s as an enforcer, and authorities believed that Cannizzo had accused McManus of stealing money from the pub.

  However, according to reports, when police arrived at the pub to question suspects, despite the fact the pub was full at the time of the attack, no one saw anything. All of the security footage from the day of McManus’ stabbing had disappeared, and the bartender who had directly witnessed the event, one Juliette Stratford, had suddenly moved to an unknown country.

  Detective Jonathan Holtz has stated that the police have no intention of dropping the case, but for the time being, they are at a stalemate with the Cannizzo family.

  “These guys think they have the city by the balls. But we are going to take them down. One-by-one if we have to. But I swear on my mother’s grave, we’re going to get them.”

  When reached for comment, Angel Cannizzo said, “Go f*&k yourself.”

  Nothing about what I just read is surprising. A lot of mafia kids in the city get their start by taking over gambling empires, and it seems like this Angel guy is no different. But there is no way Arie would ever get involved with gambling. Her Uncle Sal was in Gamblers Anonymous thanks to years spent squandering what little money they had at the OTB on horse racing. Arie loathes gambling. I can’t even process the possibility that she would have lost money betting on anything. No; it has to be something else.

  I’m just about to look up Angel Cannizzo specifically when there is a knock on my door. I close the laptop quickly and try to wipe any trace of guilt off of my face.

  “Come in,” I whisper shout, in case Chloe is asleep. Arie pokes her head through a crack in the door.

  “Can I come in for a second?”

  I nod, and she tiptoes into my room, just far enough so that we technically occupying the same space. “My passport is on its way. A bike messenger should have it here in an hour or so. So, we can leave whenever you want.”

  “How did you get your passport that quickly?”

  She shrugs. “A friend was getting it together for me anyway and apparently, it arrived today. The timing just worked out. I’ll give it to you when it gets here, so you can book flights.”

  I cross my arms and turn toward Arie. “You have a friend who can get you a passport on short notice? And then bike messenger it over to you in the middle of the night? But you have to work as a nanny for your ex-boyfriend to make ends meet?”

  Her mouth opens and closes like a fish, and then she scowls. “He owed me a favor, and we’d ordered the passport a while ago. It’s not like I called up the US government, asked them to send me a passport, and they did it.”

  I get up from the chair and cross over to her. Arie starts to inch away, but I put my arm up, blocking her exit. She shrinks a little at the closeness between us, but I don’t give her an inch. “Arie, we have a lot of history. I screwed things up, I was an asshole to you. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t know you like the back of my hand. That doesn’t mean I don’t know you now.”

  I don’t know what comes over me, but I find myself leaning in even closer to her, until our faces are barely a breath away from each other. The tension is so thick I can practically reach out and touch it, and all I want to do is throw her down on my bed and fuck her the way she deserves, the way I should have that night all those years ago. Like she’s a queen, a goddess. But right before our lips can touch, before the tension can be released in any sort of mea
ningful way, she ducks under my arm and out into the hallway.

  “You don’t know me now, Pierce. You think you know everything, everyone, just because you can read people now. But you don’t know anything.”

  She heads down the hallway toward the guest room I’ve designated hers, but she turns right before she walks through the door. I think maybe she will change her mind, that she’ll come back and kiss me, admit she still feels the passion that exists between us.

  “Let me know when the messenger gets here,” she says before going in the room and shutting the door.

  My shoulders slump, and I’m left standing in the hallway, feeling like a complete ass.

  Some things never change.

  It took a few days for me to sort out our travel plans, but now the three of us are sitting in JFK waiting for the first leg of our flight to Auckland. It’s going to be a long day, especially because I didn’t have time to stretch out our travel and linger on the way. We’re going from New York, to Los Angeles, to Sydney, to Auckland, and I have a feeling Chloe is going to be a cranky mess by the time we finally get to New Zealand.

  However, crankiness can’t begin to compare to Arie, who is sitting next to me in the first-class lounge, shaking like a leaf and downing way too much herbal anti-anxiety medication.

  “I can’t believe you’ve never been on an airplane before. You’re how old now?” I ask as I sip from a frosty mug of beer and help Chloe with a wooden puzzle. Arie frowns at me.

  “What does my age have to do with it? I’ve never had a reason to go anywhere. Or the time. Or the money. So, I’ve never been on a plane. And instead of being a snob and judging me about it, maybe you could offer some advice on how not to freak out for the next twenty-four hours?” She leans over and puts her head between her legs, which makes Chloe giggle.