Mafia Princess (The Manning Sisters #2)

by Christina Escue

  “Sir, you can try,” Morgan responded and ended the call.

  “FUCK!” Mike yelled and gripped his phone. “Son of a fucking bitch!”

  “Michael?” Rachel asked quietly from the door of the library. “The dress designer is here and wanted me to ask you if you’d thought about tuxedos?”

  “Rachel, I don’t have fucking time for this right now. Go play bride and I’ll be with you shortly.”

  “Michael, you’re the one who wants the fucking wedding in a month. Either choose or wear whatever the fuck I choose for you.”

  “Fine, whatever. Just go. I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

  “Fine,” she responded and left the room.

  “Fuck,” Mike said again before looking at his phone screen and sighing.

  When his phone vibrated in his hand, he swore again and answered, “Morrison.”

  “We have a problem,” the manager of one of the recording studios he owned said quickly.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “We’ve had a small explosion in the studio. Happened about two minutes ago and the police are everywhere.”

  “Fuck!” Mike shouted into the phone. “Was anyone hurt?”

  “Jill was hit in the face and neck by flying metal. Not sure she’s going to survive and even if she does she will never be able to go on stage again.”

  “Wasn’t Jason in studio today, too?”

  “He was, and he was also hit by flying metal. He’s okay though. It hit his right arm and side, but nothing major.”

  “That’s good. His face is one of our money makers.”

  “Cops are here, gotta go boss,” the manager told him quickly before he ended the call.

  “Fuck,” Mike said again before he walked out of the library and straight up the stairs to Rachel’s bedroom.

  After a quick knock, he opened the door and walked in. “I need you three downstairs and in the panic room now.”

  “What’s going on, Michael?” Rachel asked as she grabbed the dress magazines off the bed.

  “You have five minutes,” he told them without explanation and walked back out of the room.

  “Here we go,” Tiffany grinned and grabbed her tote bag from the floor beside her.

  “Let’s do this,” Steve added and walked to the door. “You both be ready for anything once inside the panic room. I don’t want to have to shoot ourselves out.”

  “Neither do I,” Rachel added before she opened the door and walked into the hall.

  They made their way downstairs and into the panic room without incident. Once inside, Mike sealed the door and sighed.

  “There has been a series of bombs throughout some of my businesses and I am having the house searched for explosives. The crew will be here in about an hour, so until then we will hang out here. We will be safe in here for a few days if necessary.”

  “What if the house blows up?” Tiffany asked in a squeaky voice.

  “We will be safe no matter what. This room is designed to keep us safe from anything,” Mike answered and smiled. “Do not worry your pretty little head. My men will clear the house and we will be out of here in a matter of a couple hours at most.”

  Tiffany smiled and nodded before turning back to Rachel and winking.

  “Michael, who would want to harm your businesses?” Rachel asked, wondering if he’d be honest with her.

  “Chakravarthy, apparently,” he answered and shrugged. “Not really sure what he would gain from it though. If I go under my territories will be up for grabs because I don’t have an heir.”

  “Hmm, maybe he wants both of our territories,” Rachel mused and shook her head. “He was always close to my parents, so him doing something to harm my family doesn’t make sense.”

  “Nothing in this life makes sense,” Mike told her and shook his head. “Now, don’t you three have wedding plans to make?”

  “Oh, we have plans to make, but the wedding is definitely off,” Steve said from behind Michael as he pressed the barrel of his gun to the back of Michael’s head.

  “Fuck,” Mike spat out almost silently and glared at Rachel.

  “Michael, I’d like for you to meet Steve, my ex-husband,” Tiffany introduced the two as a grin spread across her face. “And the person who is going to get Rachel and I out of here.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “That was the last explosion before the house,” Chris told Lis after checking his phone. “We have about fifteen minutes before we can safely move in.”

  “Think they have Morrison contained yet?” Lis asked quietly.

  “I’m sure they do. Tiffany said they’d contain him as soon as they were safely in the panic room. All we need to do is make sure they are safely away before the police show up.”

  “So, we have about half an hour total,” Lis confirmed and Chris nodded.

  They sat in the woods behind Morrison Manor in silence as the minutes ticked by. When they saw movement in the tree line opposite them they looked at each other and smiled.

  “That’s got to be Dakota and James,” Chris said quietly.

  “If not we’re in trouble,” Lis responded and grinned.

  “Nah, we got this no matter what comes at us.”

  “Here we go,” Lis grinned and looked at the house just as the south wall blew out.

  “Let’s do this,” Chris told her as he rose to his feet and sprinted toward the gaping hole in the side of the house, Lis on his heels.

  “Beautiful,” Lis commented when she saw the safe they were looking for lying on the ground in the rubble. “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to actually go into the house for this.”

  “Me too,” Chris agreed and started shifting debris off the safe. Once it was cleared, Lis sat on the ground and started to open the safe.

  “Idiot didn’t change the combination after we broke up,” Lis mumbled as the safe opened on the first try. “You’d think he’d be smarter than that.”

  “Umm, Lis, this is Morrison we’re talking about,” Chris reminded her and she laughed.

  “Very true,” she agreed as she pulled the papers from the safe and slid them into her bag. “Let’s get out of here and head to the safehouse. James, Dakota, and David are supposed to meet us with Tiffany, Rachel, and Steve in under thirty minutes.”

  “We need to leave through the front gate so Morrison’s men are sure to see us,” Chris reminded her.

  She nodded and walked straight down the drive.

  ****

  “Dakota, where are they?” James asked impatiently a couple minutes after the bomb went off.

  “Chill, bro. They will be out in just a minute,” Dakota replied, but he was just as anxious as James.

  Less than two minutes later, David pointed to the tree line to their right, “There.”

  Before James or Dakota could respond, gun shots filled the air.

  “Fuck,” Dakota said under his breath as he sprinted out of the woods toward the girls.

  James and David were right on his heels as they reached the girls in time to see Steve fall to the ground.

  Gun drawn, David raced past the girls and stopped beside Steve’s lifeless body. “He’s dead,” he shouted as several of Morrison’s men sprinted out of the tree line. “And we will be too if we don’t get the fuck out of here.”

  Tiffany halted at David’s words and turned back to Steve. Not missing a step, David scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder as he ran toward the SUVs they’d parked in the trees.

  “Put me down!” Tiffany yelled as she punched his back.

  “Not gonna happen. I like you much better alive than dead,” he replied as he opened the back door and tossed her on the seat. “He’s gone, Tiffany, and we will be to if we don’t get out of here right fucking now.”

  “Fuck you,” Tiffany spat as David climbed in beside her and shut the door.

  “Now isn’t the time nor is this the place, but we can discuss that any time you want,” he replied as Rachel climbed in the other
side of the SUV.

  James and Dakota were already in the front and as soon as the door closed behind Rachel, Dakota floored it.

  “Hold on, this will get bumpy,” he told them as he raced through the trees, missing hitting some by inches.

  “We have to go back!” Tiffany yelled as shots pinged off the bullet proof glass. “Steve could still be alive.”

  “Tiffany, he was shot in the head,” Rachel told her calmly. “If he did survive, which is doubtful, then he wasn’t alive for more than a couple seconds.”

  Tears filled Tiffany’s eyes as Rachel spoke. When she started shaking, David wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his side. “It’s okay to cry,” he whispered softly.

  “Fuck off,” she told him half-heartedly, causing him to chuckle softly.

  “Hang on, everyone,” Dakota told them as he maneuvered the SUV out of the trees and on to the paved drive. “Lis and Chris should have the gate open, but if it isn’t, I’m crashing through it.”

  “It’s open,” Rachel yelled and smiled broadly. “I knew Lis would get it open for us.”

  “Lis has never let me down,” Dakota reminded them with a smile. “She’s my girl after all.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you can fuck her later. Right now though, we need to get back to the safehouse,” David reminded his twin and Dakota glared at him through the rearview mirror.

  “Shut up,” Dakota told him and grinned. “Just ‘cause you aren’t getting laid doesn’t mean you can nag those of us who are.”

  “Fuck you, Bro,” David told him with a chuckle.

  “Not my type, Bro,” Dakota responded and James laughed.

  “God damn, it’s good to be back with all of you,” he told them and glanced back at Rachel, the look in his eyes telling her just how much he loved her.

  “We will be at the safehouse in just under twenty minutes,” Dakota told them.

  “Good,” James said and looked at Rachel again, the heat in his eyes causing her to squirm a little in her seat.

  “Everyone is going to get laid when we get back, Tiffany. Wanna find a room and have fun too?” David asked and wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Not if you were the last man on earth,” she responded in a serious tone that hit him hard.

  Hiding the way her words made him feel, he grinned and ran his hand down her arm. “Well, if you change your mind,” he told her and left the implication hanging in the almost silent SUV.

  When Dakota pulled the SUV into the garage he sighed heavily in relief when he saw the other one sitting there. He knew Lis and Chris were safe and inside.

  “We need to talk to Chris and Lis before breaking off from each other,” Dakota reminded them all as they got out of the SUV. “We need to see if they got the papers we needed out of the safe.”

  “That’ll take all of two minutes,” James told him as he watched Rachel walk around the front of the vehicle. “Maybe less.”

  “James,” Rachel breathed out almost silently as she stopped beside him.

  “Rachel,” he responded, his eyes locked on hers and everything around him disappeared.

  “Five minutes,” Dakota reminded them and they both looked at him and nodded.

  “That’s all I can promise,” James responded as he pulled Rachel against him and brushed a soft kiss across her forehead.

  “I give them two before they disappear behind the first lockable door,” David chuckled and opened the door to the house. “And that’s being generous.”

  “Thank God you’re all okay,” Lis said as soon as they walked into the house. “We heard the shots, but were being chased by Morrison’s men and couldn’t turn back to help.”

  “Steve is dead,” David told them and looked at Tiffany. “He was shot in the head while trying to keep Tiffany and Rachel safe.”

  “Oh no. Tiffany, are you okay?” Lis asked and wrapped an arm around Tiffany’s shoulders.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. He and I divorced almost five years ago after only being married for a few months. We were better friends than spouses,” she told them and shrugged out of Lis’ arms. “I need some air; is there anywhere I can get some?”

  “Sure,” Lis told her. “I’ll show you were we go when we feel cooped up here.”

  As Tiffany and Lis left the room, James took Rachel’s hand and pulled her silently from the room.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Rachel,” James whispered as he pulled her into a bedroom and locked the door behind them.

  “James,” she started, but he silenced her by pressing his lips against hers.

  As his lips moved against hers, his hands wrapped around her hips and he lifted her off her feet. Pain shot through his shoulder where he’d been shot, but he ignored it as he carried her to the bed and sat down. She straddled him and he moaned, deepening the kiss.

  Her hands tangled in his hair as she moved against him, feeling his hardness pressing against her. The denim of their jeans rubbed together as his hands grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and he slipped his hands underneath to caress the soft skin at the small of her back.

  Breaking the kiss, she leaned back slightly and gazed into his eyes. The heat shining out of them engulfed her, causing her to press harder against him.

  “My God, I missed you,” he told her and lifted her shirt over her head.

  “I love you, James,” she responded and pressed her lips against his once more.

  This time the kiss took over, causing what little control James had to snap. Groaning loudly, he picked her up and laid her on the bed. “I love you too, Rachel,” he responded and bent down to kiss her again as his hands trailed down her stomach to the button of her jeans.

  “James,” she whispered and he looked up at her. The look in her eyes showed him her desire mimicked his own.

  Not needing any more encouragement, he quickly stripped her and dropped to his knees. Spreading her legs, he lowered his head and softly kissed her inner thigh. Her soft moan brought a smile to his face as he let his lips trail to her knee and back up again. Moving his head, he kissed her other thigh, letting his tongue and teeth cause her to moan again.

  “Mmm,” she moaned out almost silently as he gently blew across her.

  “Yes?” He asked with as soft chuckle before pressing his lips against her, causing her to moan again. “You like that, baby?”

  She responded with another moan and he opened his lips, letting just the tip of his tongue press against her, gently stroking her clit.

  “Oh, God,” she cried out as he pressed against her.

  Continuing to stroke her with his tongue, he slid a finger inside her, bending it just enough to hit her g-spot, causing her to cry out loudly. Feeling her body shake, he increased the pressure of his tongue. When she tightened around his finger, he slid it out and replaced it with his tongue, drinking her sweet juices as she filled the room with cries of pleasure.

  Rising to his feet, he quickly removed his clothes before grabbing her legs and spreading them. “My God, you’re beautiful,” he told her, looking at her spread open for him, wetness dripping from her.

  “Please,” she whimpered quietly.

  “Oh, baby, you don’t have to ask twice,” he replied, then entered her with a deep thrust. Her cries echoed around the room as he raised her ankles to his shoulders and stroked deep inside her, his hips grinding slowly with each thrust.

  “Oh, God,” she cried as her hips raised off the bed to meet his. The sounds of their love making filled the room as he continued to thrust slow and deep.

  Grabbing her ankles, he lowered them from his shoulders before sliding his hands under her and raising her ass off the bed so he could delve deeper into her. When he felt himself losing restraint, he reached between them and gently rolled her clit between his thumb and forefinger, causing her to explode around him. The feeling of her gripping him tight caused him to spill into her with a shout.

  He released her ass and bent down, trailing his lips across her sweaty stomach before latching his
mouth on hers. As the kiss deepened, she felt him start to grow hard inside her again and she moaned.

  “I want you again,” he whispered and shook his head. “But I can’t right now. If I do, I may hurt you not meaning to.”

  “James,” she whispered and he locked his gaze on hers. “I want you again, too.”

  “God, woman, you aren’t making this any easier,” he told her with a chuckle as he pulled away from her. “If I take you the way I want I will hurt you, and myself.”

  “Then let’s rest,” she told him and tried to stand.

  “Stay right there,” he told her as he walked into the adjoining bathroom. He returned a moment later with a warm, wet washcloth. After he wiped her clean, he wiped himself off and pulled her to her feet.

  “I missed you so much,” she told him and rose to her tiptoes to brush her lips across his.

  “I missed you, too,” he responded.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered as realization hit her. “James, we didn’t use protection.”

  “I know, and I probably should be freaking out about that, but honestly, the thought of you having my baby is amazing,” he told her and pulled her against him. “But if it worries you that much I’ll send David or Chris out for that pill you can take to stop pregnancy.”

  “It does worry me, but only because of the turmoil we are facing at the moment,” she confessed and smiled.

  “Then don’t worry so much, baby,” he told her and caressed her face. “We will get through this and the family will be stronger afterwards.”

  “James,” she started then stopped, not knowing how to tell him about her time at Morrison Manor.

  “Rachel, don’t, please. Anything that happened at Morrison’s doesn’t change things between us. You thought I was dead and you did what you had to in order to stay alive.”

  “But nothing happened. Nothing sexual anyway. I didn’t let him touch me, James. I couldn’t.”

  “Then what are you afraid to tell me?”

  “I killed a man last night,” she told him and looked at her feet.

  “Rachel, baby, I have killed many men, and even some women, in order to survive.”