Naked Choke

by Vanessa Vale

  I passed an eighteen-wheeler when my cell rang. I pushed the button for the handheld. “Green.”

  “They’re painting their toenails.” Paul. “She’s safe here.”

  “Thanks. I’m almost out of Delaware. Once I find him, it won’t take long.” I gripped the steering wheel. Hard. “I should be back before dinner.”

  “Do what you have to. We’ll be waiting.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “You’d do the same.”

  I would.

  Now I knew what Paul had been telling me all along while he trained with me. He told me about Christy and I’d seen him change. He became…more. He wasn’t pussy whipped either. Christy was perfect for Paul and I knew she was everything to him. Everything.

  Just like Thor. He would do anything for Laura, even buy a toilet brush. I understood now. Emory was everything to me and I’d even go buy a fucking toilet brush for her. If that wasn’t a sign I was in love, I didn’t know what was.

  EMORY

  I had cotton balls wedged between my toes as I sat on Christy’s couch. Paul was working at the kitchen table, papers spread out before him and he had his phone set to mute as he listened in on a conference call. I was being babysat and I knew it. A pedicure was just something to do to wile away the time. I didn’t think I needed to stay indoors and under supervision until this whole house break in thing was resolved, but if it eased Gray’s mind, I’d do it at least until he got back from Atlantic City. At least if he was watching me, we could be busy doing more…enjoyable things.

  I could feel my cheeks flush just thinking about what we’d done together and I darted a glance at Christy, who was fortunately leaning forward and putting a top coat on her right foot. I was sore in places I forgot even got sore. I wasn’t a virgin, but the way my body ached—in good and bad ways, mostly good—I had probably reverted back to one. The way I felt with Gray was nothing, nothing, like it had been with Jack. If I’d known what I’d been missing, I’d have divorced him years earlier. But then I wouldn’t have met Gray. It seemed that he appeared just when I was ready for him. Was I ready for him? Was one ever ready for love?

  “You must have been so scared,” Christy whispered. Paul could be heard talking about some kind of brief from the other room.

  I propped my feet on the coffee table. “Yeah. Very.” I didn’t want to go into details. I didn’t really want to think about it ever again and perhaps Christy could sense it, because she switched topics.

  “Gray thinks his dad’s behind it?” She dipped her nail polish brush into the bottle. “He sounds like a complete ass.”

  I didn’t want to tell her that the guy was well known in the business community. It didn’t matter what his job was, how much power or money he had. A child beater was a child beater.

  “Mmm,” I replied, trying to remain neutral. If Gray wasn’t telling people about his past, I wasn’t going to do so. “I don’t know much, but it’s possible.”

  Christy must have picked up my vague responses. “So you and Gray?” She waggled her eyebrows.

  I flushed just like a schoolgirl.

  “Yeah,” I said on a sigh.

  She turned to look at me, eyed me carefully. “This isn’t some fling, is it?”

  I shook my head and she grinned. “Is he good?”

  Oh yeah, he was good.

  My cell rang in my bag, saving me from answering. My heart skipped a beat at the thought that it was Gray, but I quickly squelched it. He was most likely driving, focused on dealing with his dad. He needed to work on that, not me, and I understood.

  I didn’t recognize the number on the display. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Emory, this is Angelo Casale.”

  I relaxed, thinking of the man who had given me the delicious dinner. “Hi, Mr. Casale. How are you?”

  “Fine.” He didn’t seem interested in lingering on small talk. “I have heard that your home was broken into last night. Are you all right?”

  Concern laced his words.

  “Yes, thank you for checking. It was scary, but it’s over.”

  “I would like to invite you and your friend, Mr. Green, for dinner at Casale’s tonight. I have some things I would like to talk with you about, but not over the phone.”

  “Oh.” I paused. “That’s very kind of you. Gray is in Atlantic City today visiting his father, but should be back by dinner.”

  “You are alone?” He sounded concerned. “I will have Frank come and stay with you, wherever you are.”

  I frowned. Why would he want Frank to stay with me? “I am with my friends. I promise I am well supervised.”

  I heard his laugh through the phone. “You can’t trick a mother,” he said. “I am glad you are with others, for it is not safe for you right now on your own. Have your friends join you as well.”

  Christy was watching me as she screwed the top back on the nail polish bottle. I pasted a fake smile in the hopes to hide that I was worried by Mr. Casale’s words. What did he know that I didn’t? He obviously thought I was still in danger if he would send Frank to watch over me.

  “You’re sure it’s all right to come?” I didn’t mean about eating, but about showing up at the restaurant and remaining safe, not that Christy would know that.

  “Yes, my restaurant, I assure you, is quite safe. You, as well. As I said before, you took care of Marco, so I will take care of you.”

  “Then there will be four of us.”

  “Good. Seven then,” he replied, then hung up.

  I tossed my phone back in the bag.

  “What are we doing tonight?” Christy asked.

  “We’re going to dinner at Casale’s.”

  “Casale’s? I’ve always wanted to eat there. That’s right, you said you met the owner.”

  “Who’s going to Casale’s?” Paul asked as he came in from the kitchen. He tilted his head from side to side, trying to release a crick. “I hate conference calls,” he muttered.

  “We are. With Emory.”

  Paul’s brow went up.

  “And Gray. I hope that’s okay,” I said. “Mr. Casale wants to talk with me about something.”

  “You know who he is, don’t you?” Paul asked, dropping down into an overstuffed chair that sat perpendicular to the sofa.

  “Sure.”

  “I don’t mean restaurant owner.”

  I frowned and Paul leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, much like Gray did.

  “He’s a made man.”

  “You mean the mafia?” Christy asked, her voice full of awe.

  Paul looked to Christy, then me. “He’s connected, that’s for sure. He keeps his nose clean, so the cops aren’t interested in him.”

  “You know this because…?” I prodded.

  “Because I work for the District Attorney’s office.”

  That made sense. Paul would know more about Mr. Casale’s underworld affairs more than most.

  “Is he dangerous?” I asked.

  “To you?” Paul shook his head. “You helped his grandson, right?”

  I nodded. “He was hurt and I gave him Band-Aids. Plus Chris’ old bike helmet.”

  “Christy told me he had his son fix your front lights and bring you food,” Paul added. “I’d say you’re under his protection.”

  “His protection?” When his expression didn’t change, I went on. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  Paul nodded.

  “I had no idea there was the mafia in Baltimore. Gangs I’m very familiar with, but mafia?”

  The ER was filled with gang bangers who’d been shot or beat up and I was becoming well versed in the tattoos and colors to know there was a war on the streets of the city, but I’d never once heard of any kind of organized crime.

  “It’s not exactly what you’re thinking, it’s not like The Godfather or anything. Casale’s connected to Chicago and New York, but is on a lower, much smaller branch of that family tree. Still, no one messes with him around town.”


  The man did have a sense of authority about him, and his son Frank did whatever the man said, but I related that to Old World custom than do-as-I-say-or-you’ll-be-wearing-concrete-shoes type power.

  “Hang on.” I remembered the card Frank gave me and went back to my purse and dug through it. “Here. I was given this.”

  Paul took it, flipped it over. “Jesus, you have Angelo Casale’s cell phone number. You’re definitely under his protection.”

  “What does that mean exactly?” I sat back down and finished tugging off the cotton balls from between my toes.

  “It means Gray’s not the only one watching out for you. What time tonight?”

  I told him.

  “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  GRAY

  My dad wasn’t too hard to find since I knew where to look. Atlantic City meant gambling, and to my dad, gambling meant horses. When he needed a break from work, he didn’t go for the shabbier hotels on the boardwalk, but the newest and nicest. Once inside, even with the powerful ventilation systems, smoke hung thick in the air and the sound of the slot machines—the digital music, the pinging of the game and the clinking of coins falling into little plastic cups—was quickly going to give me a headache.

  He sat in a plush chair with about thirty flat screens on the wall in front of him, broadcasting races from all over the country, stats and race information a ticker tape across the bottom of it all.

  I dropped down in the chair beside him and stared blindly at one of the screens.

  “I figured you’d show up.”

  The man was in his late sixties, his hair long ago gone to white. His skin was overly tan and had the weathered appearance of a three-pack-a-day smoker. Even now, a cigarette rested in an ashtray on a side table by his right elbow, a glass of what I knew to be whiskey and water beside it. It was early to drink, but this was Atlantic City and this was dear old Dad.

  “What do you want this time?”

  I’d never given him money. He’d never needed a dime from me, even with his gambling habit. He always wanted me to fix a fight or take a fall in one of my own so he could win. I never did anything he requested. Never. In retribution, he fucked with me, calling me—I’d ditched one phone number for another more times than I could count. He’d even sent people to my gym to make trouble. It had all worked; I’d wasted time and energy thinking about the guy, dealing with his shit.

  “Nothing.”

  I shook my head slightly, wishing I had a drink of my own so that I could dull the feelings this meeting brought out. My jaw clenched. “Nothing? Since when have you wanted nothing?”

  My cell vibrated in my pocket. Worried it was Emory, I glanced at the screen, then, when it wasn’t her number, or Paul or Christy’s, I tucked it away.

  “Don’t worry, your guy’s going to lose on his own poor skills, your own fuck-all training, and then I’ll win.”

  I slapped the armrests of the chair and stood. “Great.” I looked down at him. His eyes held no warmth, no love, nothing. He wasn’t a father. He was just some fucking loser who’d somehow spawned me. “Then leave me alone.”

  “And your girlfriend, too?”

  My phone vibrated again, but I ignored it. The fact that he mentioned Emory had my fists clenching. I knew how to fight with fists and was used to a verbal sparring match with my dad, but that was over inconsequential shit, not Emory. I wanted to beat the shit out of him, kill him with my bare hands—that’s how much I hated him, but this was a casino. There were cameras everywhere, and he knew it. This was his sanctuary and he was safe.

  If I made her out to be something important, he’d pick at the very idea of her like a scab. So I shrugged it off. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “Oh? She wasn’t any good between the sheets?”

  My eyes narrowed, but I kept my cool. Barely. “If you want to fuck with me, fine, but let’s leave everyone else out of it.”

  His cell rang. Neither of us would have noticed it in the loud casino noise if it hadn’t vibrated across the small table beside his drink.

  He picked it up and glanced at the screen. I swear his skin paled beneath the fake tan.

  My cell vibrated once more but I just watched my dad. He actually looked…afraid.

  “Answer your phone,” he said, without looking up from the screen of his.

  I sighed, pulling mine from my pocket. “Green.”

  “Hello, Gray, this is Angelo Casale. I believe you’ve met my son and grandson. I apologize for reaching out to your father while you’re visiting, but you wouldn’t answer your phone.”

  What the fuck? Angelo Casale had Dad’s number and texted him. What the hell did the message say because it looked as if my dad just pissed himself. Besides that, how the hell did Casale know I was with my dad right now? I looked around. There were people all around, but too self-involved to be interested in either my father or me. It was a casino; there were cameras everywhere. How far was this man’s reach? Did I really want to know?

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I’ve spoken with Emory and invited both of you to dinner tonight at Casale’s. She’s accepted and will bring two friends. I believe they are spending the day together. Very smart of you to keep her protected.”

  I was trying to keep up. I knew about Casale’s dealings, for it was more than just lasagna. From the way my dad was reacting, he knew about them, too.

  “If she’s accepted, then it will be my pleasure,” I replied. I didn’t want to say Emory’s name in front of my dad, so I kept it neutral. I didn’t want him to know anything more about her.

  “Good. Please ask your father if he would like to join you.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. I had no interest, ever, in eating dinner with my dad, but Casale had a reason for it. “Angelo Casale wants to know if you want to join me for dinner tonight at his restaurant.”

  Dad turned to look up at me and he swallowed. This was the first time—ever—I had seen him weak and vulnerable. He cleared his throat. “Please offer him my thanks, but I will be staying in Atlantic City through the weekend.”

  “He offers his regrets,” I told Casale.

  “Hmm, yes, I figured as much. I assume your meeting is over, so you should easily be back in time to get your girl. I’ll see you at seven.”

  I put the phone away and put my hands on my hips, waiting to see if my dad was going to say anything else. I saw him sitting there, shoulders slumped, skin orange and pale all at the same time, for what he was. An old, pathetic man. He might be a powerful businessman, but he had nothing on me. Nothing. I could deal with whatever shit he tossed my way, but it seemed I had an ally with Angelo Casale. I had no idea what he had on my dad, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about my dad at all.

  “We’re done here,” I said, my voice hard. “We’re done, period. Leave me the fuck alone and you stay away from Emory. You forget she even exists. I’d be happy to beat the shit out of you and I’m sure Casale would be more than happy to hide your body.” I leaned forward so he could hear me clearly over the din of the casino. “You think I care what you do? I don’t think about you at all.”

  I shook my head and looked at my dad one last time. I wasn’t trying to remember, I was trying to forget.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  GRAY

  I got caught in traffic on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, some semi jackknifed and brought the highway to a standstill, so I had to meet Emory, Christy and Paul at the restaurant. I’d spent the extra two hours in the car thinking about Casale’s hold on my dad and the reason for the dinner.

  Mr. Casale himself met me by the hostess stand. I shook his hand and he clapped me on the shoulder. “I trust you had a good visit with your father?”

  “I didn’t realize you two were friends,” I countered.

  He offered a small shrug. Very Italian. “Friends? Absolutely not. We have…an understanding. While he will still be your father, I am sure he will not offer you too much trouble.
”

  I narrowed my eyes and felt threatened. A guy like Casale didn’t do something like this without wanting something in return. “What do you want, Mr. Casale? I have no intention of having my fighter blow the fight, or a fight three years down the road when it suits your needs. I don’t need a partner in my business.” I tried to keep my voice even. My father was an enemy I understood. Mr. Casale was in a completely different league.

  He shook his head, kept his hand on my shoulder. “You’ve misunderstood. Emory is in love with you, therefore I just reminded your father of a few things. If Emory’s happy, I’m happy.”

  While I was curious about Mr. Casale’s connection with my dad, I decided there were some things I didn’t want to know.

  “She’s…she’s not in love with me.” I could hear the surprise, the uncertainty in my voice. “We met last week.” While I said the words, I knew them to be empty. Time didn’t seem to make a difference when it came to me and Emory. It was as if I’d known her forever, yet everything was brand new.

  The older man actually tsked me, led me around the corner so I could see Emory sitting at the table chatting with Christy and Paul. She hadn’t seen me yet. “You’ll keep her happy?” he asked, as we both watched her.

  I nodded. It’s all I could do because the sight of her was like the worst sucker punch I’d ever taken. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything but wonder what she saw in me. When she looked up and looked at me, she tilted her head and gave me the most perfect smile. Her eyes brightened with what I hoped was pleasure and excitement and they were both for me.

  I was thankful for the small nudge the older man gave to my shoulder, prodding me to move toward the table. She stood and met me halfway, taking my hand as she leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Hi,” she whispered. “I missed you.”

  Those words, God, they were the best thing I’d ever heard. This woman wanted me. I wanted to think it was love that made her eyes bright, made her smile so broad. I couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread across my face, but I had to push her back and get a look at her. She wore a sundress, a bright blue that was soft and flowing and hit just above the knee. On her feet were a pair of sexy high heels and she wore makeup. Gone was the girl next door I woke up to and in her place was, shit, a siren. She pulled me in all right and I never wanted to leave. I closed my mouth and tried not to look like I was drooling.