Katherine patted Tammy on the knee. “Don't you worry, child. There’s enough booze here to make everyone forget that there’s no entertainment. And if not, we’re gonna go and grab those hunky bodyguards and make them take it off.”
Tammy couldn't help but laugh. She placed her hand over Katherine’s and kissed her cheek.
****
Two hours and ten bottles later, Katherine had been proven right. Even without hot, naked men, they had had a ball. Maybe the fact that most of them, including Tammy, were drunk off their asses. Or maybe it was watching Tammy’s former co-workers teach the Storm women, which included Katherine and Catarina, how to work the pole.
Tammy stumbled, barefoot, out of the club behind Victoria. Tracy, who was sober, helped Emily, who was not, out of the club. Once outside, Tammy breathed in the fresh air, hoping that it would help her walk straight. Nope. No such luck. She leaned against the brick wall and observed the rest of the rowdy women coming out of the club.
Lorenzo and Bruno, one of Luca’s other soldiers, hopped out of a black Suburban and headed in her direction, no doubt to assist her and the other drunkards into the limo.
“I gotta pee,” Amy whined in a high-pitched voice.
“No. If you break the seal, you’ll never make it home,” Mia warned.
“Am I lying, Tasha?” Mia asked for confirmation.
Natasha, who surprisingly, didn't seem inebriated in the least, ignored Mia and turned toward the street. It was only when Tammy noticed that Victoria had done the same did she follow their line of sight. But she couldn't see past Lorenzo’s large frame. It was only when she heard the sound of screeching tires did she startle. Then there was gunfire; a lot of gunfire. Before Tammy could react, Lorenzo dove on top of her. He did his best not to fall on her, but half of his big body landed on her. The heavy half. Tammy screamed out in pain—the pain of hitting the concrete and having his heavy body landing on her.
Tammy tried to move, but she was paralyzed beneath Lorenzo. After calling his name over and over with no response, she pushed at his broad shoulders. It was then that she noticed the blood. She didn't know where it was coming from, but since Lorenzo wasn't moving, she deduced that it was him.
Tammy raised her head and called for help, but with the screaming and mad scrambling to avoid catching a bullet, there was complete pandemonium. She was wasting time. She needed to get from under Lorenzo and help him and her family. She used all the strength that she had to push his shoulders as she scooted from under his heavy body. Once free from his protective blanket, she rose to her knees and pulled at Lorenzo’s suit coat to roll him onto his back.
Turning Lorenzo over was not easy, but she managed. She ripped his shirt open in search of gunshot wounds when she heard Tracy screaming Victoria’s name. Tammy’s heart stopped. Unable to look back, Tammy gasped for air. She was suffocating from fear as she prayed that Victoria was okay.
CHAPTER 25
NATASHA
The ladies seemed to have moved the party to the sidewalk in front of the club, but the noise and laughter that filled the night air didn’t stop Natasha from noticing a vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed. She paused to see if the car would slow down. When it didn't, she eased her hand inside of her purse, feeling for her weapon.
“Tash,” she heard Victoria say from behind.
“I see ‘em,” Natasha confirmed.
Once the vehicle was maybe fifteen feet away, the passenger side window was lowered.
“Get down!” Natasha and Victoria screamed simultaneously, but the inebriated women were so loud, no one seemed to hear them.
“Everybody get down!” Natasha repeated, just before shoving Catarina to the ground.
“Get down! Get down! Get down!” Victoria shouted, shoving family members to the concrete.
Natasha snatched her 9mm out of her purse and pointed it at the moving car, but she couldn't get a clean shot. When she heard the first round of shots, she took cover in the doorway of the club. Over the screams, Natasha could hear the sound of tires as the car peeled from the scene.
She hurried from the doorway, taking a quick surveillance of the chaotic scene. Her family seemed to be distraught but physically okay. She ran for the Suburban that Lorenzo had left running. If the drive-by shooter thought for one minute that the battle was over, they were terribly mistaken.
Natasha climbed into the driver’s seat and shifted into drive, but before she could take off, the passenger door flew open. Victoria jumped in and slammed the door. Ignoring Tracy’s screams for them to stop, Natasha hit the gas and gunned it in the direction of the speeding vehicle.
Natasha tucked her weapon between her thighs as Victoria racked the slide of her 9, sending a round to the chamber. It didn't take long for them to catch up to older model Cutlass.
As she chased the vehicle, Natasha wondered when the mafia started using the old-school Cutlass to do a hit.
The driver took a hard right when they realized that they were being followed, but Natasha was on their ass.
“Come on, Tash. Get me up there, Tash!” Victoria shouted.
Thankful that it was so late and there wasn't much traffic, Natasha floored it, driving at a reckless speed. Nonetheless, they swerved left, coming up on the driver’s side of the Cutlass. Victoria pointed her weapon out of the window and fired on the driver. When someone from the Cutlass returned fire, Natasha flinched but kept her eyes on the road. She trusted Victoria to handle the shooter.
After a quick duck, Victoria began to fire again. On her third shot, the Cutlass swerved and veered of the road, clipped a high curb, and hit a pole. Natasha pulled behind the car, and she and Victoria climbed out of the Suburban. Weapons ready, they approached with caution.
They stopped at the rear of the car just as the driver’s side rear door flew open. Natasha was shocked to see that the man crawling from the vehicle was black.
This was no mafia hit.
When the man pointed his weapon, Natasha didn't have time to figure out the motive behind the drive by. She put two in him and quickly aimed at the car. There was no way to know how many people were in the car.
“The passenger is dead!’ Victoria yelled from the other side of the vehicle.
Natasha slowly approached the driver’s side and leaned to peek into the window. She was less shocked by the bullet wound on the side of the driver’s head than she was by who the driver was.
“Vic, come here! You gotta see this!”
Victoria walked around the car and looked inside the vehicle.
“Get the fuck out of here!” she gasped. “You gotta be kidding me.”
In their wildest dreams, they would never have guessed that the person behind the shooting would be, none other than, Katlin Greene.
VICTORIA
As she and Natasha stared in disbelief, Victoria heard the sound of screeching tires. She turned to see who was approaching.
“Fuck!” Victoria hissed under her breath when Jack and Luca jumped out of a car.
Jack was visibly fuming as he walked toward them. With every step he took, Victoria would swear that she could feel the ground shake beneath her feet.
“Jack—” she started.
“Shut up, Victoria!” he boomed. “You and you, get in the car!” he shouted at both her and Natasha, pointing toward the vehicle that he and Luca had abandoned.
Without a word, both she and Natasha hurried to the vehicle. Natasha kept her eyes pointed to the ground as they walked past the men, but Victoria dared to look when she passed Luca. His expression was murderous. She quickly looked away and picked up the pace.
Natasha climbed into the back seat, and Victoria slid in beside her. They watched Jack and Luca from the window, but they couldn't hear the conversation. After making a phone call, Luca slid in the driver’s seat of the Suburban, and Jack walked back to the car. He jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed the door loud enough to make them both jump. As he sped off, Victoria stared at the back of his
head. She wouldn't have been at all surprised to see smoke coming from his ears.
****
Thirty minutes of excruciating silence had passed by the time Jack circled the driveway. Gianni was waiting with his arms folded when they pulled in front the house. When his eyes landed on Natasha, Victoria could see a hint of relief in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He ran his fingers roughly through his hair and gave Natasha a look that would have frightened the devil.
Jack hopped out, slammed the door again, and yanked the back door open. Victoria hesitated, reluctant to get out of the car. She knew that Jack had a temper, but at that moment, he was downright threatening.
“Get out!” he shouted. The bass in his voice caused Victoria to flinch.
She stepped out of the backseat and stood on nervous legs. Whereas Gianni allowed Natasha to walk into the house on her own, Jack grabbed her by the arm and led her to the front door. His touch was nowhere near gentle as they entered the front door.
Victoria could hear her family thanking God for her and Natasha’s safety, but their faces were a blur as Jack whisked her past them. Victoria almost tripped, trying to keep up, as he nearly dragged her up the stairs.
“Jack, I’m sorry,” she whispered softly as they approached their bedroom door.
He opened the door and basically threw her inside. Victoria stumbled, but she was able to catch her footing. She turned and walked toward the doorway, where Jack remained.
“Jack…baby...I—,” she started to say before she was silenced by Jack’s murderous glare.
“Leave this room, Victoria, and see what happens to you,” he hissed.
Without another word, he slammed the door shut. Victoria was taken aback by Jack’s demeanor. Normally, she would have been compelled to defend her position, but she could see waves of rage radiating off her husband, and she would've been a damn fool to challenge him. With Jack, Victoria had to pick her battles. And this battle...she had already lost.
CHAPTER 26
TAMMY
Taking advantage of the warm weather, Tammy closed her eyes and pointed her face toward the sky. She relaxed against the plush lounger beside Victoria’s Olympic-sized swimming pool and allowed the sun to bathe her in warmth. After a ten second break, she took a deep cleansing breath, exhaled, and returned to her sketch pad.
Planning a wedding, getting ready for New York fashion week, and dodging bullets was taking its toll. Tammy was exhausted, but she couldn't allow that to show in her collection. September was just around the corner, and Tammy’s creativity had been stifled. She was thankful for her team of fresh, new designers, but the House of Giovanni was her baby, and she needed to show her own aesthetic.
She’d been sketching outside for at least two hours, but none of her designs gave her that feeling of excitement that she was looking for. If she weren't excited about her designs, no one else would be. Nonetheless, she put her pencil to the pad and went back to the drawing board.
Fifteen minutes into her last sketch, the sky went dark. It was Luca. His big body had blocked the sun. Tammy knew that it was her man before his familiar aroma of masculinity invaded her senses, before she smelled his cigar, even before he’d said one word. Her body, the way her skin tingled, the way her core tightened, and the way happiness washed over her completely alerted her to the presence of the man that she loved.
“Hey, baby,” she greeted without looking up. “How’s Lorenzo?”
Lorenzo had been shot in the shoulder while protecting her. Thankfully, it was only a graze.
“He’ll live.” Luca took a seat at the foot of the lounger and placed his hand on Tammy’s foot. “Take a break, cara. I need to speak with you.”
Tammy looked up at Luca. The seriousness in his tone caused her to become instantly concerned. She sat up straight and placed the notepad on a table beside the lounger. “What’s wrong?”
Noticing Tammy’s unease, Luca gave her ankle a gentle squeeze and smiled. “Nothing is wrong, mon amour. I would like to talk to you about David.”
The mention of her son’s name made her anxious. “What about David?” she asked.
She turned her head and looked around the yard. “Where is he?”
“Tammy, David is fine. He’s in the playroom with Jasmine,” Luca reassured.
Tammy relaxed. With everything that had happened, it was no wonder why her nerves were on edge. “Okay.” She sighed with relief. “Wassup?”
“Do you know much about his father’s family?”
Tammy wrinkled her brow, wondering why Luca was asking about Javier’s family.
“Not that much. I know that Javier’s mother died when he was young, and I think his father is in prison somewhere in South America. Why?”
“Did he talk much about his family?”
“Umm…he talked about how much he missed them. Why?”
Ignoring her question, Luca asked, “What did he say about his father?”
“Luca!” Tammy snapped. “Why? Why are you asking about Javier’s family?”
Luca exhaled sharply. Tammy knew that he hated being questioned, but she didn't care. She needed to know why he was asking such questions.
“I’ve met Javier’s father,” Luca responded calmly. “He wants to meet David, but I haven't made a decision.”
Tammy’s jaw dropped. “H-he…w-what?”
Since he wasn't in the picture, Tammy had never given any thought to Javier’s father. It never crossed her mind that he would fall out of the sky and want to meet her son. And now…
Wait!
Tammy looked at Luca and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Did you just say that you haven't decided?”
“That’s what I said,” he confirmed.
“So, am I to understand that you and you alone will decide whether or not David gets to meet his grandfather?”
“Yes. He is my son.”
Normally, Tammy would get a special feeling every time Luca referred to David as his son, but his total disregard for her authority only pissed her off.
“He’s also my son,” Tammy scoffed. “And you're telling me that I have no part in the decision-making progress?”
Luca shook his head. “Not this time.”
Tammy’s face warmed. She was burning with anger. She knew that Luca was the type of man that demanded control, but he was more than controlling. For lack of a better word, Luca could be a dictator. There were times when Tammy had to remind him of exactly who he was marrying. It seemed that that time had come again.
“Luca...I don't know who the fuck you think—”
“Tamara!” Luca shouted, interrupting her rant before it started.
“Naw! You got me confused with the women you're used to dealing with,” she told him, throwing her hand up.
Tammy loved him deeply, but if she didn't stop his controlling behavior, she would spend the rest of her life being treated like a child.
“Tammy, please listen to me. I’m not trying to be your boss. There is a reason why this must be my decision.”
Tammy was still angry, but she was also curious to hear what Luca had to say.
“Really, Luca? Okay, tell me the reason.”
“He works with me. And, no, that’s not the only factor. Other than his time in prison, I haven't been able to get much info on him. That’s why I am asking you what Javier thought of him. This has to be my decision because you don't have the means to find out who Alejandro Medina really is. I will protect my son, Tamara, even if that means that I have to fight you to do it.”
Tammy softened. Luca was right. He was the best one to assess the situation. After all, David’s safety was more important than Tammy’s need to assert her independence. Besides, she wasn't sure that she wanted David to meet Javier’s dad. She just didn't like being left out of the decision.
“I’m sorry, babe. You're right. I know you want what’s best for our son,” Tammy relented. “Just let me know what you decide.”
Luca nodded, no doubt sati
sfied by Tammy’s submission.
“Did Javier talk about his father much?” Luca asked again.
“Yeah. He loved him. Javier was heartbroken when his dad went to prison. He used to write him all the time before…” Tammy paused for a few seconds to swallow the sadness. “... before he was killed.”
Luca placed a comforting hand on Tammy’s shoulder. She looked into beautiful brown eyes that were filled with such love and concern. She smiled. It was impossible for her to be sad around Luca. His very presence gave her peace.
“I love you, Luca,” she whispered.
“I know you do,” he said with a smirk.
Tammy chuckled and climbed into his lap. She placed her hand on his chiseled jaw and kissed his lips. Luca palmed her ass and pulled her closer.
“I love the way your ass looks in these little shorts. You're making my cock grow, chérie,” he growled into her ear.
“Yeah?”
“Oui,” he confirmed with a smack to her ass. “Go and change before you make someone else's cock grow.”
“Luca, there’s nobody out here.”
“For now,” Luca replied. “Go!”
He gave her another smack and helped her to her feet. Before leaving, Tammy asked, “How does Javi’s dad work with you?”
Luca contemplated the question. It seemed as if he was trying to decide if he should answer or not. After what seemed like an an inner debate, he responded.
“He controls the docks in South America, and we utilize those docks.”
Luca’s explanation offered very little details, but it would have to do since it was clear that he obviously had no intention of elaborating.
“Okay. I’m gonna go change,” Tammy said as she turned to walk away.
As she walked toward the patio door, Tammy made sure to add a little extra sway to her hips. Before entering the house, she looked back at Luca.
“I might need some help getting outta these little shorts.”
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