“Uncle,” she said and leaned in to kiss each cheek as he held her and then looked her over.
“Where were you last week?” he asked, sounding pissed off. She wondered why. She had taken care of all her work responsibilities.
“Florida, taking a little time to soak up some rays and relax a little.”
“Alone?” he asked.
She was taken aback by his question.
“Does it matter?” He looked at Creagan and then back at her.
“We had a situation.” She squinted at him. She had just returned two nights ago and had heard nothing.
“What situation?”
“You didn’t hear?”
“No.”
“Product was stolen from our warehouse in Chicago.” She was shocked. Her father had a team that was in charge of that warehouse. She had just been there a few weeks before she left for Florida.
“What exactly was stolen and how?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Seems that items that should have been inventoried weren’t. Your father was supposed to be on top of this and he screwed up. That isn’t acceptable.”
“Nor is it the first time,” Creagan added. She was shocked. She’d known nothing of her father ever making any mistakes either.
“I don’t even know what you’re referring to. My father has never screwed anything up. We run a tight, secure business.”
“Apparently not tight enough, and we aren’t the only family that got screwed in this hit.”
“Who else?”
“Let’s just say main families and leave it at that. They want blood, and if they were to find out who the negotiator is, you’d be dead,” her uncle told her.
“That’s ridiculous since I know nothing.”
“Well, you’d better find out who stole the shit. If not, your father will suffer,” Nuvon told her. Her anger boiled immediately.
“You mean your brother,” she said, reminding him that her father wasn’t just some guy. He was his brother.
“Business is business. I get screwed over, I don’t care if you’re blood or not. You’re dead.”
He gave Creagan a nod and both men walked away, leaving her there feeling speechless and definitely concerned. Who the hell would be stupid enough to rip off made men?
She headed out of the room and to a private hallway away from people. She pulled out her cell phone and called her father. He sounded funny. “Dad, are you okay?”
“Fine. Are you at the event?”
“Yes.”
“The painting?”
“Here. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Be sure to be careful. Have extra security on it. This can’t go missing, too.”
“I heard what happened. We have no leads?”
“Did he threaten you? Touch you, hurt you in any way?”
“No Dad, of course not. He’s angry though.”
“Rightfully so. It was an inside job. Someone is doing this to others besides us and Nuvon.”
“Any leads?”
“None.”
“Dad, want me to try and find out?”
“If you can, but be careful of your cover. There isn’t anyone to trust right now. Things are getting worse. Our allies are few,” he said and then coughed.
“Something is wrong, I can tell.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Son of a bitch, he sent men to hurt you, threaten you? You’re his damn brother.”
“Anastasia, please. I’m fine. Just stay out of this.”
“And watch him take things out on you? Whomever is responsible will be caught. I promise to make sure we find them.”
“Watch yourself, Anastasia. Like I said, our allies are few. No one can be trusted.”
“Believe me, Dad, I know.”
She ended the call and then tapped the top of the phone to her lips and debated about making the call. She looked up the number.
“Hello?”
“It’s Anastasia. I need a favor,” she said and then told her contact what was going on.
“You know how this works. No one states who brought the shit in. It’s put out, transferred to the right location, and then advertised and distributed out. If it was that rare then it’s already overseas.”
“So no way of getting it back?”
“Nope.”
“Shit, then if I can’t have back what was stolen, then how about who did the stealing?”
“Give me some time. I’ll do some digging, but you may want to start with Detrix Vane. Heard he was flashing some Russian jewelry. Could be a clue.”
“Thanks a bunch. I’ll check it out.”
“Anytime.”
She ended the call and thought about Detrix Vane. He was making his way up the chain in dealing and delivering goods. Could be him and his boy Murdock were the ones stealing. They worked for a few other big shots. Not too smart on his part. But they could do the job considering that Detrix would have access to the inventory at the warehouses since he’d done some jobs for Nuvon recently. She couldn’t go making accusations though. Detrix and Murdock, that scumbag, had a lot of friends. She wouldn’t risk her position, her contacts to hand him over to her uncle. No, she needed to be smart.
What she did know about Murdock was his love of cocaine, need for steroids, and how he beat his pregnant girlfriend who’d disappeared. She overheard Detrix talking to a few of the guys who had asked about the beautiful woman. Anastasia was good at eavesdropping, at picking up on conversations and information then storing it in the computer of a mind she had.
Anastasia thought about what to do next. How could she find out for sure if it were Detrix and his buddies that had stolen the paintings and other things from that warehouse? She worried about her father. What had Nuvon done to him? Or better yet, what did he have his cronies do?
She turned around in time to see Creagan coming down the hallway toward her. She placed her phone in her purse and stared at him.
When he didn’t slow his steps or seem like he was going to stop, she retreated only for him to grab her tight and press her up against the wall. His hand was at her throat. His arm wrapped around her midsection tight. She gasped.
“I hope you’re not involved with this. I really do. I’d hate to have to kill you.”
She was scared. Nuvon really thought it was her that was double crossing him.
“I’m not involved in this.”
He stroked her jaw, his lips close to hers. The man would be considered very attractive if it weren’t for the long scar down his cheek. Someone had tried to slice him in a fight. The other man had died.
She gulped.
“Nuvon doesn’t trust you and so you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together.”
“What? Why?”
He stared at her lips and squeezed her so tight she could hardly breathe.
“To ensure where your loyalties lie. He owns you, and you must remember that.”
“He doesn’t own me.” He gripped her throat and jaw, putting pressure on it.
“Oh yes, he does. There’s no way out of his grasp, nor mine. He has plans for you, Anastasia. Let’s find out who stole these things from him. It will be the beginning of a new journey together.” He pressed his lips to hers, forcing a kiss upon her. She struggled to get free, and when he released her she growled.
“Don’t you dare do that to me again.” He chuckled, his hold so firm and strong she had no way of fighting him or getting free.
“We are going to be very close. Tell me what you found out and we’ll go after them together.”
* * * *
Murdock bought another round at the club and the people around him cheered. He was a big shot tonight. He’d made a shit load of money on his latest score, along with Detrix. That warehouse they’d ripped off was worth the trip to Chicago. He made more fucking money in one hit than he’d ever done in his lifetime.
He downed another shot as two blondes hung on him, kissing his neck and runn
ing their hands all over his chest and his cock. He was going to be getting laid all night. He was a fucking king. What would Vye say now? He wondered and then almost sobered a moment. His joy dissipating at thoughts of her and the baby she had. He stared at the blonde. She was nothing compared to Vye. Sweet, classy, petite Vye. He cupped the woman’s breast and she gasped and then purred. He leaned into her, suckled her neck, and imagined her being Vye. It wasn’t her though. He’d fucking lost her. He’d fucked up because he was under pressure and didn’t know if this job would ever come to fruition. He’d done it though. No more slumming for shit jobs. They hit it big and there was more to come. More to accomplish.
He looked at Billy Zay. “Hey, you go by the aunt’s house at all while I was gone?”
“No, didn’t think you wanted me to. Thought you were over Vye.”
“I want to know where she is.”
“So you want me to fucking go by the aunt’s again, maybe rough her up for info?” Billy asked.
“Yeah, do it this week. See if she breaks down. That bitch couldn’t have gotten far with a baby.”
“You really want to even bother, man? Look around you. You can get any woman you want. We all can,” he said. The blonde licked his neck, then nipped the skin. He reached down and ran his hand over her ass and squeezed.
“No one is saying I’m turning it down. Vye was good, sweet, and I was her only man ever.”
“So you want to find her and raise a kid with her?”
“Fuck, no. I don’t give a fuck about the kid. I want her in my bed again. At my beck and call and to show her what I’ve accomplished. She’ll see my success and want in. I’ll make her beg while she sucks my cock,” he said and laughed. Billy did, too.
“Fuck, yeah. She was hot, maybe she still is after popping out that baby.”
“Oh, she will be. I know Vye. She took good care of herself and she knows I’ll always own her and she’d better take care of that body.”
“Well then, to finding Vye,” Billy said and raised his mug of beer.
“To finding Vye,” Murdock said and they clinked glasses and Murdock downed another drink. He was on top of the world, and sooner than later Vye would be back in his bed, and punished for leaving him the way she had.
He grabbed the blonde and kissed her hard on the mouth. He was the man. He was in charge, Vye would always be his bitch and there was nothing she could do about it.
* * * *
“What did you find out? This is fucking bullshit,” Fedaro Fiorre said to Turbo and his men.
“We heard from Grisha. Dmitri has him heading to New York. Nuvon Perchaveck had a warehouse hit, too, and it contained millions of dollars’ worth of paintings and guns. By the looks of things and what Bailey and I came up with, it was an inside job,” Turbo reported.
“Fuck. If Dmitri sent Grisha then he’s super pissed, and also knows something more. Goddamn, this isn’t good. Find out what you can. Any leads and then I’m sure Grisha will contact us. Give him whatever you got and work with him on this.”
“Who is Grisha?” Bailey asked.
“Dmitri Sanclare’s right-hand man. A mean son of a bitch and definitely not a man you want hunting you down,” Covan said.
“Sounds like my kind of enforcer,” Bailey said.
“He isn’t a man to take lightly. He also doesn’t talk much either. He gives orders, you do it. No questions asked,” Fedaro stated.
“Got it,” Bailey said, then they headed out of the room.
“We’ll wait to hear from Grisha. In the meantime, I had some friends look into Tex and his brothers’ new woman’s ex. Sunny and Vinny Costanza do some business with liquor sales and distribution. They own a few smaller businesses and have a bar near a dry cleaning place this guy Murdock owned and operated. Sunny said he found out the guy and two friends do some side jobs for Nuvon here and there, and last night they were partying it up big time like kings at a place in the Bronx,” Turbo told Bailey.
“So you thinking maybe their celebrating their earnings and were part of the hit on the warehouses?”
“Could very well be, Bailey. What do you say to a little surveillance?”
“I’m in. If this ex of my friends’ new woman is trouble and is looking for her, I want to know so we can cut things off before they get bad,” Bailey said.
“Okay. I have an address of a club they hang out at. Since you and the guys aren’t from around here, you won’t stand out as enforcers for Fiorre. I’ll tell you how we’ll play it as we go look. I’m sure Grisha will show up soon. More than likely he’ll do his own form of investigating.”
“Sounds like a scary dude.”
“Six-foot-five Russian hit man. What do you think?” Turbo asked and Bailey exhaled and followed them out of the back offices ready to do whatever needed to be done. He had a bad feeling in his gut. Somehow this trouble here in New York, and Tex’s girlfriend’s ex were connected. He just knew it.
Chapter Seven
Lou followed Evonna into the house to put Benny down for a nap. It had been a little awkward at first, coming to the farmhouse and being greeted by everyone and socializing. Him and his brothers really didn’t do barbecues even when they were asked in the past. They kept to themselves and they were fine with that. However, he and the guys knew this was a big step for Vye, inviting them here to spend time with her family and accepting their guardianship of her. Right now, Tex, Kendrick, Pierce, and Frankie were talking with Ford, who’d stopped by to visit.
Lou watched Vye gently place Benny into the crib, her bare shoulders flexing and showing her toned muscles. She looked angelic, sensual in the light blue sundress that hugged her body like a glove. Tex and the others were right. She looked thin, and they were concerned. They even tried adding more food to her plate, but she ignored them and pushed the plate to the side, barely eating half.
As she stood by the crib, her arms crossed in front of her, watching her baby sleep, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her and leaned his chin on her shoulder. He stared at Benny.
“He’s so adorable, Vye. You’re doing a great job with him. Is it getting better leaving him with Ella so you can work, or are you still having a hard time?” he asked.
She leaned back against him and his heart lifted with joy. It was a slow sign of acceptance of his embrace and maybe made her feel safe and protected.
“Not so bad anymore. Ella and her husbands take such good care of Benny. They spoil him,” she said and chuckled. The baby stirred at the sound of her voice. She pulled forward, placed her fingers over her lips, and went to move away, but before they got to the door, he took her hand and pulled her back into his arms. He wrapped one arm around her waist and used his other hand to cup her neck and cheek. Staring down into her gorgeous blue eyes, he held her gaze and slowly lowered toward her lips, testing to see if she would turn away or accept his kiss. When she closed her eyes and gripped his waist he pressed his lips to hers kissing her tenderly.
They explored one another with tongues, lips, and hands. He felt her fingers slide up his lower back as she pressed her body snug to his. He ran his palm along her sexy, round ass, and as he deepened the kiss he stroked a finger along the crack of her ass, feeling the thin string of her thong panties. His cock hardened and she moaned into his mouth. He couldn’t get enough. He wanted a little more. He eased her to the other side of the door, then lifted her up and pressed her against the wall. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back.
He pressed his palm along her thigh to her ass and slid a finger along the crack. She pressed her lips harder to his. He pushed a little further and maneuvered his fingers between her cheeks and right to her pussy. She gasped and pulled her lips from his and tilted her head back as she gripped his shoulders.
He nipped her chin. “Easy, darling. Nice and slow. Just exploring this sexy little body. Getting you used to my touch. You okay with it?” he asked. She gripped his shoulders and held his gaze.
“We shouldn’t.�
�
“Yes, we should. We both feel it. Want it. It’s just some petting, nothing more.” He stroked a little firmer and felt her pussy moisten. “Yeah, baby, just like that. Let go and relax. I won’t hurt you,” Lou said to her. She gulped and tears filled her eyes.
“Trust me. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to protect you and Benny. Take care of you, make you realize how special you are to me and my brothers.” He pressed his lips to her chin, to her cheek, and then the corner of her mouth as he stroked his fingers into her pussy. She was super wet.
She gripped his shoulders and then hugged him to her. Her hips rocked and he thrust a little faster, deeper into her cunt.
“Just like that. So wet and tight. Come for me, baby. Come all over my fingers like it’s my cock and you’re riding me,” he whispered into her ear.
“Oh, God.” She moaned and grunted against his shoulder, trying to be quiet, and he held her and she came.
He eased his fingers from her cunt and hugged her tight. She was breathing heavily and holding onto him. Vye was so light in his arms and feminine such a protective and possessive feeling came over him as he squeezed her to him and held her there. She kissed his neck.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” he asked her and stroked her back and her ass under her dress.
“I think so.”
He chuckled and pulled back. She looked at him and, holy shit, he was done for. The woman had him wrapped around her finger and permanently had a place in his heart. Her lips were swollen, her face flushed, and her eyes sparkled.
“Let’s sit down a few minutes and catch our breaths before we head back out.”
She nodded and they spent the next few minutes just talking about the farm and about plans for the rest of the week. Including spending a little more alone time with her.
* * * *
Aunt Gay headed back home to New York promising to visit in another month or so. That was three weeks ago. The baby was getting bigger. Time was flying by. Vye smiled as she watched Kendrick talking to a couple of police officers from a group he just trained. She had been peaking around the corner and taking in the sight of the classes her men taught. She paused, then felt her cheeks warm and a giddy feeling fill her heart. She was referring to them as her men.
The American Soldier Collection 18: This Cradle Won't Fall (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 9
