CLASS ACT (A BRITISH ROCKSTAR BAD BOY ROMANCE)

by Julia Gardener

  As much as I loved my father, I needed my space from him. There was no way I was going to be able to bring a date home with him around. For that matter, I wasn’t sure he’d ever give a guy his blessings to marry me.

  For years, I just wanted to grow up. It wasn’t like I resented daddy for acting like a guard dog. Mom’s death had hit him pretty hard. It was just that I wasn’t his little girl anymore. I had begun my steady march into adulthood.

  That’s when I realized I had steadily marched into someone in the hallway.

  It was a man who didn’t look much older than me.

  His sharp handsome features stopped my breath cold. He had a Mediterranean complexion that went well with his dark hair. The man was tall with a muscular build under his tight clothing. I could see a series of spiraling, militaristic tattoos running down his arms.

  This had to be Jackie Baccalieri.

  And I had walked right into him.

  A pixie-looking young woman recoiled in horror after bumping into me. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

  I hated the mere act of walking in this apartment’s halls. It only led to awkward situations like this. With a sigh, I raised up my palms. “No harm, no foul.”

  I guessed her to be of college age. She was probably the daughter of that private security expert that had a stick up his ass. I didn’t plan on being on a first name basis with either of them.

  Unfortunately, the young woman was on a first name basis with me.

  “You must be Jackie Baccalieri.”

  The best way to hide was to stay in plain sight. As far as the other tenants were concerned, I was some ex-marine who worked in construction. I kept to myself and didn’t mingle with any other tenants. I didn’t attend the apartment’s social events. I didn’t do anything expect work and sleep.

  Most hitmen trip themselves up by trying to keep themselves hidden all the time. I never had the stomach for socializing but I knew the value of being a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “I see that my name is getting around.”

  She blushed. “Sorry, that was rude of me. My name is Kelly Chambers.”

  I glanced at the elevator. “It looks like we’re both heading down.”

  “We are,” she replied, still blushing like a schoolgirl. “I’m in apartment number six-three-two. Where do you live?”

  “Six-three-six,” I answered curtly. The professional in me had made a layout of the entire building. I would need it in case of an emergency escape. I had a rented a small suite in downtown as a safe house. I didn’t plan on retreating there if I could help it. Nonetheless, it paid to be prepared in this business. “It’s the one out of the main hallway and next to the staircase. Most people don’t even notice it when they pass by.”

  I preferred it that way.

  The woman followed me as I hit the down button the elevator. “So… what brings you here, Jackie?”

  I had hoped she’d take the hint that I wanted to be left alone. Some people couldn’t help but put their nose in other peoples’ business. Unfortunately for her, my business tended to cut peoples’ noses off and mail it to their families.

  “Work mostly,” I answered. It wasn’t too far from the truth. This side of the city had its fair share of contracts. I could find steady work from any number of mafia families, criminal syndicates, or even the CIA in some cases. I still had some of my old military contacts. For now, I was the Pastore family’s go to man for when someone needed to die. “And this was where I was born and raised.”

  The elevator came up quickly. I had to admit that the apartment complex wasn’t particularly fancy but the elevators moved like clockwork. In my line of work, you can appreciate things working on time.

  The girl’s next question got my attention. “Do you have any family?”

  The only family I had left was my grandfather from my mother’s side. I didn’t consider anyone who treated me like a living weapon to be family. “Not anymore.”

  The girl looked appalled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

  “Relax, you’re the first person I’ve had a real conversation with in days,” I chuckled. More to the point, I was actually enjoying the conversation. God, I needed to socialize more. It kept the killer instinct in me at bay. “Most other people lower the heads and walk past me.”

  The two of us entered the elevator. It was a long way down to the ground floor. This meant plenty of time for Kelly to interrogate me.

  “What do you do for work?” Kelly asked. Something about her enthusiasm was infectious but I had to keep my guard up. “I heard you were in the military.”

  “Two tours in Afghanistan,” I answered plainly, hoping she would lose interest. Those were four years of my life in which nothing good happened. I just ate, killed, and slept. Ironically, it might as well have been paradise for a man like me. “I work in construction now.”

  It wasn’t a lie since I did technically work for a construction company. A lot of mafia have ties to legitimate businesses. The Pastore family offered me a job of a foreman as cover. I did clock in at the construction site. Instead of building offices, I discussed the details of upcoming hits with whoever hired me.

  She nodded. “Sounds interested? You heading out for a party?”

  “No, it’s for work,” I answered truthfully. I didn’t know why I was so chatty with someone I barely knew. If she had been a spy from a rival family, she’d have me dead to rights. I needed to keep my distance from her. “I have to attend a meeting. It won’t take long. I’ll be back in less than ten minutes.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “A ten minute meeting In the middle of the night? Can’t you have a Skype conversation?”

  I shrugged. The mafia sure loved its short late night meetings. I didn’t think we’d get anything productive done, especially with my grandfather racking up absentee days. “My work is never done.”

  This felt like the longest elevator ride of my life. I felt like an idiot talking to some college kid like I was a regular human being. Then again, I hadn’t felt human since I killed my first man.

  Worst of all, I couldn’t stop but feel drawn to Kelly. I didn’t know what it was about the girl that drew her to me. It certainly wasn’t her looks.

  I’ve had my share of beautiful women. The mafia is no stranger to attracting sexy, gold-digging women who’d pretend to fall in love for you in exchange for the right price. They were never anything resembling romance. They were quick fucks that both of us would forget the next morning.

  Maybe that was just it. Kelly was so innocent. She was untainted by the wicked world I inhabited. I had slithered in the sludge with all the other bad men that true innocence looked like Moses appearing with the Ten Commandments.

  The elevator doors finally opened after what seemed like an eternity.

  I wanted to slap myself for acting so weak. Feeling such an attraction was just asking for a trip to the morgue. You couldn’t afford any attachments in my line of work. For Kelly’s sake, I’d best stay away from her.

  “I guess this is where we go our separate ways,” she said, looking a little dismayed. “I got to pick up some milk. It was nice talking to you, Jackie.”

  I nodded. “Likewise.”

  I headed to the other direction towards my destination. The Pastore family wanted to discuss the growing threat of the Russian gangs. They had gotten bolder over the past few months.

  It was also a chance to get more information on Sergei Petrov. Not that I expected to learn much. My grandfather never liked my personal vendetta against Petrov. He told me there was more at stake than chasing after some one-eyed Russian. I hated the man for not doing everything in his power to avenge his slain daughter.

  Nonetheless, discussing business usually cleared my mind. I could focus on the task at hand instead of some college girl. I was a wolf and she lived in the land of the innocent sheep.

  Yet, I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder and watch Kelly disappear into the distance.

  This side of the city was dirty. I don’t mean jus
t literally which I guess is true enough. The streets smelt of cheap beer and broken glass. I had to make sure I didn’t step on something dangerous.

  At night, it was dirty in another way. The city took on a darker atmosphere. On occasion, prostitutes and hustlers walked through the streets. It was as if the criminals wanted to show everyone that they owned the streets. Anyone of them would try to shake me down for the money I had.

  I didn’t know why they built a perfectly good grocery store on the other side of it. I always kept my head down and hoped no one bothered me. At least the area was nicer during the day.

  Thankfully, I reached the grocery store without incident. The owner was an elderly Indian man I made small talk with from time to time. I headed in to pick up the brand of milk I liked.

  It felt good to be able to get out of the apartment. I didn’t like being cooped up there after experiencing the freedom of college. I missed the friends I had made over there. I wished I had gotten myself a steady boyfriend. Someone who was handsome, mature, and could protect me.

  Someone like Jackie.

  I didn’t know where that thought came from. He wasn’t anything like the boys I knew. He looked only a few years older than me but talking to him was like talking to someone who was dad’s age. He seemed mature beyond his years. I wondered what caused him to grow up so quickly.

  I paid for the milk and left to go home. There were some services that delivered groceries to you directly at any time of the day. I wasn’t so keen on that since I liked to give my legs a stretch, even in the middle of the night.

  It would’ve been an uneventful trip if a luxury sedan didn’t stop right in front of me. A group of three middle-aged men in black suits stepped out of the car. I tried to ignore them and go about my business. However, one of them called out to me.

  “Excuse me, miss,” one of the men said, moving to block my path. He wore dark sunglasses in the middle of the night for some reason. “I need you to come with us.”

  They looked too professional to be street hustlers. “Is there a problem?”

  The man’s shades hid his eyes. “You’re under arrest for stealing.”

  “I paid for the milk,” I said incredulously. I looked back at the man as if this was a staring contest. His weird shades made it difficult to win. “Here’s the receipt-”

  “Just come with us,” he interrupted, speaking with a distinctly Eastern European accent. I had no plans of going along with these shady characters. “It’s about your father.”

  My eyes widened in shock. “My father? Did something happen to him?”

  The man grabbed me by the arm. “Come with us.”

  I slapped the hand away. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on!”

  The man held onto me again with an even stronger grip. “Come with us if you want this to be painless!”

  I wasn’t some trained fighter. Not by a long shot. But instinct overtook my fear.

  Dropping the bag of groceries, I yanked my arm free from the man. He wasn’t so eager to let me escape. My feet tried to kick him but he turned me around by my forearm. Then, he slapped the back of my head. “Quiet, you bitch!”

  I responded my kneeing him in the groin.

  He immediately dropped onto the ground and doubled over in pain. The two other men were stunned by what had just happened. I didn’t need to see through their sunglasses to know they empathized with their fallen comrade.

  Now was my chance to escape.

  The two remaining men yelled after me and gave chase. I wasn’t on the college track team but adrenaline gave me the spring I needed in my step. Thankfully, a crowd began to form and block their path.

  There might have been two grown men chasing me but I knew these streets by heart. I zig-zagged between the serpentine streets of the city. For good measure, I even double backed through an intersection to throw them off my trail.

  Finally, I took some rest in an empty alleyway.

  My heart raced like a jackhammer. I thought of my father who was in danger. Whoever these men were, they were trying to get to him through me. I had to get to Daddy and warn him. I cursed myself for not carrying my phone.

  I raced to my apartment. A part of me knew it would be dangerous. If they could ambush me in the middle of the streets, then they probably knew where I lived. However, I had to find my father and tell him what happened.

  Ignoring the elevator, I raced up the flight of stairs. Daddy had to be okay. I had already lost mom. I couldn’t lose my only remaining family to these strange men.

  More out of exhaustion than caution, I peeked into the hallway that led to my apartment.

  I instantly froze when I saw a pair of men wearing dark suits standing outside our apartment. The door was open and the men seemed to be on guard. Someone came out from the doorway who didn’t look like the other two men.

  One of the two strange men had one eye. The other eye socket was covered by an eye patch. I could tell he was dangerous from just the way his single eye scanned the hallway.

  I had to cover my mouth to keep myself from gasping when I recognized the man who had just come out of my apartment.

  It was one of the employees from my father’s job. I think his name was Harold Colman. My father had said he was the one to have brought in those people who tried to bribe him.

  I leaned in to hear what he had to say.

  “He didn’t put up much of a fight.”

  “Damn it!” said one of the other well-dressed men. He was the one with two eyes. “You didn’t need to make a mess. You’re tracking blood all over the floor. We’re going to have to call in the cleaners. Thank God everyone is asleep at this time.”

  My heart sank.

  My father’s killer spoke again. “Hey, I tried to offer him the easy way out but he tried to fight back. What can you do to a rabid dog other than put it down for good? Besides, you’re the one who told me to take care of him if he caused trouble.”

  The one-eyed man spoke. “Not like this. This is for only the most troublesome pests.”

  The other man warned Harold. “If this costs us, it’ll be your head on the line. Mr. Gregori is not going to like this.”

  “There’s still the girl,” Harold continued. “I’m not the one who let her get away. That’s your loose end to tie up. How’d some college girl even sleep past three of your best men?”

  The man with one eye paused before speaking. “I said we’d find her and take care of her.”

  I felt faint. My knees were turning into jelly. Worse, the two men we’re heading to me.

  I was exhausted from running up the stairs. I wouldn’t be able to escape or slip past them. I slumped against the door next to me in defeat.

  That’s when I saw the door behind me.

  It was apartment number six-three-six. That was where Jackie lived. I didn’t know the young man very well but I needed his help. I knocked on the door.

  I prayed that he returned from whatever business he had to attend to.

  I knocked again before whispering. “Please open up. It’s me Kelly.”

  I could hear the footsteps of the two men approaching me. Even if they took the elevator, they would still notice me. I needed somewhere to hide and fast.

  The footsteps got louder.