by Amy Starling
“C-Ceci? No, it can't be,” she murmured.
“Yeah, mom, it's me.” I jogged up the stairs and threw my arms around her. “I'm back.”
“But how?”
“I managed to escape. Still, it won't be long before Alec figures out what's going on. I have to act fast.”
The commotion drew dad's attention. When he saw me there, the anger on his face turned to relief.
“My little girl,” he cried. “Thank God you're safe. How did you escape? Did anyone hurt you?”
“That's a long story, but no. Alec was good to me.” I followed them back indoors. “Don't worry about me. We need a plan to get out of this mess.”
“Right, the mess your father got us into.” Mom grumbled and reached for a beer in the fridge. She never drank. “Getting you back doesn't change the facts – he gambled away everything, and now these horrible men won't leave us alone.”
“So does that make it okay to cheat on me with this asshole? Jesus, Lonnie, how long has it been? Is this what you've been doing while I was out there trying to make ends meet?”
Oh, man. I seriously didn't want to get caught up in the middle of this. Unfortunately, they were both too busy attacking each other to listen to anything I had to say.
It pissed me off somewhat. I mean, I'd just gone through a kidnapping, been imprisoned, nearly stolen away by another gang, and had finally managed to escape with my life. You'd think they would show a little compassion.
Once again, for the millionth time since this started, I was seeing another side of my family that I never thought existed.
“You were always gone,” mom sobbed. “You lied to me so many times. Told me you were at the office working late, but I know you were at the track, gambling away the money you stole from our account.”
“Doesn't give you the right to sleep with another man.”
I growled. “Damn it, would you guys shut up and find some other time to fight about this? If we don't get the Ciarellos off our backs, you won't be alive long enough to worry about anything else.”
“But –”
I paced the room and held up my hand to quiet dad. Had to stay calm about this. Think rationally. What would Alec do? He was smart. He refused to play the victim, and from now on, I wouldn't either.
“We've got limited time here. Alec said if I got away from him, his family would send someone else after me until that money got paid.”
Dad sneered. “How can you believe anything that man says? He stole you off the street. Took you away from us.”
“I trust him. He's not like the rest.”
Mom, already tipsy from her single light beer, laughed a bit too loudly. “Oh, sweetie. Don't make the same mistake I did. You trust a man, and look where you end up in life.”
Dad's jaw clenched. “We'll get the money, okay? There's still time.”
She shuffled away, cursing under her breath, and left dad and I alone.
We stared at each other for an uncomfortably long while. Strange – it was like seeing a different man, a father I thought I knew but never really did.
“We can't possibly come up with that much,” I said quietly. “And you know it.”
“But, sweetie –”
“Why did you hide this from us?” Tried not to cry, but it was too late. “You got us into so much trouble, the house is about to get foreclosed. And you're not a doctor anymore. You're a grocery cashier.”
He opened his mouth to deny it, then sighed. I hoped he had some kind of reasonable answer, but he didn't.
“Alec told you these things, didn't he?”
“Are you going to tell me he's lying? Cut the bullcrap, dad. If it weren't for him, I'd never have known until it was too late. Now what are we supposed to do?”
His face fell. “I've got a problem, Ceci. I admit that. I should have stopped, but I didn't, and everything that's happened to this family is my fault. If you and mom never forgive me, I would understand.”
“Look, you made some stupid choices in the past, but all that matters is figuring a way out of this nightmare right now.”
He fell onto the couch and clutched a pillow to his chest. “I don't see how we can get out of it. There's no money and no way to get any, short of taking out a massive bank loan, which won't happen.”
I remembered what Alec said, how one of his gang propositioned dad to kill Leo. It seemed like such an easy solution, except that it was just wrong.
I didn't believe for a second this Lucas guy was set to take over after Leo. That meant he was probably lying about wiping out our debt, too.
“You're not thinking about killing Leo, I hope.”
Dad's jaw fell. “How did you... No, I'm not. I could never take a human life. And now that I have you back, I've even less a reason to do it.”
There was only one solution I could see, and it was possibly the most idiotic thing I could have done.
I had to speak with Leo. Mob bosses apparently liked to make deals, and I was prepared to make him one.
“Where are you going?”
“To get us out of this for good.”
It was no secret where Alec's father lived. He had an opulent mansion in the richest part of town, on a hill overlooking most of the city.
Strange that Alec himself lived in such a small apartment. I pondered why as I sped up the long driveway toward the house.
Was I scared? Oh, terrified.
These people were mobsters. No – Leo owned this gang. For all I knew, he'd shoot me in the head soon as he figured out who I was and what I'd done.
But it was my only chance. Alec had been brave for me so far. Now it was my turn to be brave for myself.
At the top of the hill, a closed gate stopped my progress. I rolled up, put the window down, and tried to steady my nerves before speaking into the intercom.
“Alec? Wasn't expecting you to drop by tonight.”
A woman's voice came through the speaker. She sounded nice and reminded me of my grandmother.
“I'm not Alec,” I told her. “My name is Ceci Trenton. I want to speak with Leo, please.”
The woman said nothing for well over a minute, then the gate slid open. Figuring that must be my cue, I drove inside.
I parked in the driveway and studied my surroundings, just in case I had to make a quick exit. A large, fancy garden wrapped around the mansion, with guards passing through every few moments. Another guard was posted at the front door with a gun on his hip.
I'd brought my own weapon, but maybe bringing it in would give the guards the wrong idea.
Someone knocked on my window – a man big enough to be a football player. He didn't look happy to see me.
“Who the hell are you, lady? What are you doing in Alec's car?”
I stepped out. “I'm just borrowing it for a bit. Like I told that woman, I have to talk to – ow!”
The jerk grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into the house, dragging me with ease like I was nothing more than a ragdoll.
“Stop it. You don't have to be so rough,” I muttered. “I came here willingly, you know.”
Up the stairs we went, then down the hall, and finally the thug stopped and knocked on a big white door.
“Sir, I got her.”
“Come in.”
The voice made me tremble even before I saw the man himself. I wasn't sure what to expect when that door opened, but I sure as heck had never been so scared in my life.
At a fancy mahogany desk sat an older man who looked very much like Alec, but with more wrinkles and a head of gray hair. A cigar hung from his mouth and plumes of smoke came from his nostrils.
He looked me over, his icy eyes full of questions. The guard let my arm go and shoved me forward.
“Explain yourself,” was all he said.
“You're Leo, right?” I crept closer to his desk. “You're the one who ordered my kidnapping. You're forcing my father to pay back a debt he's got no chance of repaying.”
He set the cigar down. “I believ
e my son was supposed to keep you under lock and key. Yet here you are, standing in front of me. Funny, that.”
“I escaped.”
“And in his own car, too. You've also got the balls to march in here and demand an audience with me.” He grinned. “I must say I'm somewhat impressed. Certainly, you're a lot braver than your cowardly father.”
“You're not getting that money back,” I informed him. “My dad has no way of getting it. So what happens then? You really intend to have Alec kill me?”
“That had been the plan.”
“And what purpose does that serve? You won't get the money no matter how many people you kill.”
Someone knocked on the door and entered without waiting. It was an older lady, holding a tray of some yummy-smelling baked goods.
“Sir, I made your favorite biscuits,” she twittered. Then she spotted me and smiled. “Oh, so you must be Ceci. I'm Janet. How did you like the gingersnaps? Hopefully Alec remembered to give them to you. That man can be such a scatterbrain sometimes.”
The woman's warmth put me at least a bit more at ease. Leo huffed with annoyance, but I took a biscuit from her tray when she offered me one.
“They were fantastic. Alec told me about you,” I said between bites. “Said you're an amazing cook. I was pretty jealous.”
She giggled. “He sure can be a charmer. Y'know, I'm so glad he's finally looking to settle down with a nice girl. Oh, I know he's a bit rough around the edges, but he's got honor. He'll treat you right.”
“Janet, please,” Leo grunted. “I'm in the middle of a meeting.”
“Ah, all right, carry on.” She placed a biscuit and napkin on his desk, then batted her eyelashes at me. “If you want another one, honey, find me down in the kitchen.”
I was unsure how such a sweet old lady could be working for the most vicious criminals in the city, but that was a point to be pondered some other time.
Soon as the door shut behind her, Leo was all business again.
“So what exactly is it you've come to me for, Miss Trenton? I'm a busy man.”
He was trying to scare me. I thought of Alec, of what he'd do, and decided not to let that happen.
“I'd like to make a deal with you.”
He seemed very amused at my insistence. Well, at least laughing at me was better than reaching for that gun he had on his desk.
“Roger owes me a lot, sweetie. If you insist he can't pay up, what could you possibly offer me of equal value? It had better be something... worthwhile.”
To that, I had no good answer. Not even grandma's antique heirloom jewelry would be enough to pay him off. But there had to be a way. Didn't there?
Another man entered the office. He was rather large and wore an expensive shirt with gold chains around his neck, looking rather like what you'd expect a typical mobster to look like.
“Yo, boss,” he grunted. “You wanted to talk to me about –”
He stopped in his tracks and gaped at me. I didn't recognize him but it was clear that somehow, he knew me.
“Yes, Lucas. I'll be with you in just a moment. Alec's lovely companion has decided to pay me an unexpected visit.”
Wait a minute. Lucas? Lucas... Oh, yeah!
Alec said that name before. Said it was the man plotting to kill his father. And here I was, standing between them.
“What's she doing here?” he sputtered. His red face quickly beaded with sweat.
“I said just a minute.”
Grumbling, Lucas shuffled outside. The wheels in my head began to turn. If I ratted the guy out, if I told Leo about the possible attempt on his life, maybe he'd be thankful enough to let dad's debt go.
He might not believe me, but it was my best shot.
“So, where were we.”
“Sir, uh, there's something very important I have to tell you. It's about that man just now,” I said softly.
He waved me closer to his desk and gestured to sit, so I sank into the plush leather chair across from him. With a wave of his hand, a butler appeared out of nowhere and poured him a drink.
“Brandy?” He offered the bottle to me. “Forgive me for not asking earlier. You are a guest, after all.”
“No thanks. How am I to know you didn't poison my glass?”
His eyes twinkled. “You know, Miss Trenton, I'm beginning to like you. You've got a sharp mind. Clever girl. I could use someone like you, somebody smarter than the dumb punks I got working for me now.”
I sat up straight in my chair and tried to look intimidating. This only seemed to amuse Leo more.
“That man, Lucas, is planning to kill you,” I whispered.
His smile faded. “Dear, don't be ridiculous. Lucas has been one of my most trusted men for years. If this is how you intend to escape me, lying about others isn't going to work.”
“I'm not! Alec overheard him talking to my father. He was bargaining with him. Said if he took you out, he'd be in charge. That he promised to wipe away the debt he owed and let me go.”
Leo stared at his desk and swirled the brandy in his glass. He was deep in thought but said nothing.
“I know it sounds crazy,” I added. “Especially since Alec told me that when you passed on, he'd be taking over.”
God, how I wished that weren't true. Some small, dumb part of myself still hoped that perhaps he could be changed.
But even if he could, even if he managed to leave the mob behind, he'd still killed people. How could I ever get that image out of my mind?
“My son seems to have shared an awful lot with you.”
“I guess he has.”
Didn't mention how he'd shared that gorgeous body of his with me, too – but Leo obviously knew it already.
“My dad would never kill anyone, not even if he thought it'd get him out of trouble. But if he won't, who's to say Lucas won't find someone else to do it?”
The door flew open. Alec stood there, and our eyes met. A mixture of anger and relief crossed his face.
“Ceci, there you are.”
Uh-oh. Didn't think he'd track me down so fast.
“Ah, son.” Leo sipped his second round of brandy. “Thought I told you to keep better tabs on your hostages. This is a disgrace.”
Alec totally ignored him, came to me, and dragged me out of the office by my hand. Out in the hall, once the door slammed behind us, he cornered me with a furious glare.
“How could you?” he hissed. “All this time, I warned you it wasn't safe out here alone. I've been giving everything to protect you. And this is how you thank me? By running away after...”
There was genuine hurt in his gaze. Did it really mean something more to him when we made love in his bed?
Because it was hard to admit it, but it definitely meant something to me.
“I'm sorry,” was all I could tell him. “I just felt so hopeless. Knowing my dad couldn't pay, and to just sit there and do nothing while I waited for the inevitable, I couldn't go on like that anymore.”
“So you trick me into bed, steal my car, and come here, of all places?” He turned his back to me. “When I woke up, I expected to feel you beside me. I reached for you, but there was no one there. I was afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“That someone had taken you. Hurt you.”
We were standing in a mob boss's house, probably one of the most dangerous places in Summerset, yet I couldn't resist putting my arms around him and resting my head between his shoulders.
His body tensed at first, then relaxed. One of his hands settled over mine.
“I didn't trick you,” I said quietly. “That was real. I wanted you.”
He trembled and bit his lip as if to keep from crying. Before one of us could say another word, Leo emerged from his office, catching us in mid-embrace.
“Damn it, son,” he growled. “I warned you to forget about this girl. You let your guard down with her, and look what happens.”
“It won't happen again,” he said, steeling himself. “I'll return her t
o the lock-up immediately.”
I pushed him away. “Like hell you will! I've had enough of being tied up and pushed around by you people. I came here to do something about it.”
Alec was about to scold me, but Leo hushed him.
“It's too late for the original plan. Get your asses in here, both of you.”
We followed him in. Suddenly, I felt much like a little girl who'd been sent to the principal's office.
“Ceci is a brave woman,” Leo said as he stared out the window. “She has guts. Takes initiative, unlike her deadbeat father.”
“I just want to find a solution. Whatever it takes for you to forgive that debt, I'll do.”
Alec shook his head. “Don't, please. Any bargain you make with him's like making a deal with the devil.”
His father snickered. “Aw, son, you flatter me. Would you rather I kill her 'cause her daddy can't pay what he owes?”
He said nothing to that, so Leo continued.
“Where's Lucas?”
“He was on his way out when I came in,” Alec said.
“And what's this I hear about him plotting to murder me?”
Alec winced, then shot me a nasty look. It was obvious who'd tattled on him, and even clearer that it pissed him off. Well, so what? What other option did I have left?
“It's... It's true. Nico planted a tracker on Roger's car, and we figured out he and Lucas were meeting. When I got there, that's what I heard him talking about.”
“I don't exactly doubt you, but I can't just believe you either. Not without proof.”
“What kind of proof? Are you just gonna wait around for him to pull the trigger himself?” Alec threw up his hands. “He's obviously the traitor you were trying to root out. And he's completely lost it, besides. How could he think he'd take over the family when you died?”
Leo started to puff on his cigar again. “Kid, there's some pertinent information I gotta tell you. Lucas, he's like another son to me. I always told him if something happened to you, the family would belong to him.”
Alec stood and pushed the chair into the wall so hard I thought it'd break. The last time I'd seen him this angry, he'd been beating that loser to a pulp in the alley.
It terrified me then. I had hoped to never see it again. If a man could be that violent, that vicious, then what if he got really mad at me?
