by Jenna Jacob
“What about the guy that was following Tony last night?” Vito asked in concern.
“His name is Arthur Feeney. When he found out Willis was dead, he started singing like a canary.”
“Hold that thought. I want to know who the fuck is talking to the press,” Tony barked.
“That’s the same thing the chief, half the damn precinct, and I want to know,” James groused.
“So what is this Feeney guy saying about Willis? Did Hayden hire them to kill me?”
“It wasn’t Hayden; it was Sloane,” James replied with a grim expression.
“Sloane?” I gasped.
“Yeah, she hired Willis to take you out. The story we got from Feeney is that Willis planted the C-4 in Leagh’s car, but when we interrupted him, he freaked. He called Feeney and told him to watch the club while he went to George’s house to get the rest of what Sloane owed him. Evidently, Willis didn’t trust her. I can’t imagine why,” James added sarcastically. “Anyway, he’d always planned to kill her after he got his money. The fire investigator found pieces of a homemade incendiary device. He must have planted the explosive in the basement. How or why it detonated with Willis inside the house, we’ll never know.”
“Did this Feeney guy say why he was following me?” Tony asked.
“Sort of, he’s not the sharpest crayon in the box. He was parked in back at the club and still on the phone with Willis when the cops showed up. Feeney said he was nervous and didn’t want to hang around. But Willis told him to stay put to watch for the girl, Leagh and her boyfriend,” James looked at Tony. “You’re the boyfriend. The two men had been watching you and Leagh for days.”
“Lovely,” Tony groused.
“Anyway,” James began again. “When they started to evacuate the club, Feeney said he tried to call Willis but couldn’t get an answer. It freaked him out even more, but instead of bugging out he did what Willis told him; tailed Tony.”
“What was he going to do to Tony after he finished following him?” Vito asked.
James shrugged. “Feeney said he didn’t know what he was supposed to do, other than try to find Leagh through Tony. Trust me. Willis was the brains between those two dip shits, and he obviously wasn’t very smart…dumb bastard got himself blown up.”
“Okay, we’ve got a bigger problem here,” Tony stated with a grim expression. “Leagh’s been trying to hide from someone for a number of years. Someone who might want to kill her. Now that the fire and deaths have made national news, Leagh’s face and location is being blasted to everyone in the country.
James snapped his head my way, concern stamped his face. “Who’s after you? Is it an abusive boyfriend? Ex-husband? Who?”
“No. Nothing like that. I worked for a very bad man and witnessed something I shouldn’t have. There’s nothing you can do, James. It’s big. Bigger than any of us can handle,” I explained, trying to avoid spilling the whole sordid story.
A shiver of fear rippled through me.
“Dad, we need to contact Uncle Enzo,” Tony blurted with urgency.
Vito’s brows furrowed. He turned a startled glare at his son. “No.”
“Dad. He’s the only one who can help us.”
“No. He’s dead to me. You know what he’s involved in, Tony. I cut him out of my life twenty years ago in order to keep my family safe.”
“I know, Dad. But he’s the only chance I’ve got to keep Leagh safe,” Tony implored. “I love her.”
Vito closed his eyes and issued a heavy sigh before staring back at his son. “Not a word of this to your mother, you understand me?”
“Yeah, I hear you, Dad. I swear.”
“If you’re talking about what I think you are, you two need to shut the fuck up,” James issued in a terse whisper. “I can’t know about this shit.”
“Then plug your ears,” Tony replied with a humorless chuckle.
“What do you want me to ask him to do?” Vito grumbled, disregarding James’ warning.
“I need him to find out all he can about a man named Matthew Price. Lives in Atlanta, or he did. A heavy hitter in drugs and guns. He could be anywhere by now. He may be outside the U.S.”
“Fuck me,” James whispered before slapping his hands over his ears.
“No,” I cried. “Tony, you can’t ask him to do that.”
“Shhh, it’s going to be okay. If Matt knows where to find you now, I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit idly by and wait for him to start scouring Chicago. Uncle Enzo lives in L.A. If his search raises any red flags, Matt may think you’ve already left the city. It might buy us some much needed time.”
“Time for what?” I trembled.
“Time for me to figure out what we’re going to do.”
“We’re not going to do anything. I have to get the hell out of here and start over someplace new.”
“That’s never going to happen, angel.” Tony shook his head. “Everyone else in your life has turned their back on you. I’m not going to be one of them and you need to get that through your head. You’re mine, sweetheart. We’re in this together… for the duration.”
As if he’d waved a magic wand, Tony’s pledge quieted the panic snaking through me.
“Do I even want to know who Matthew Price is?” James drawled.
“No,” Tony replied, his tone icy and cold. “And for fucksakes, don’t go snooping around looking for info on him either. We need that prick to think that Leagh’s left Chicago.”
“That goes against my grain, man,” James argued, running an unsettled hand through his hair. “I took an oath.”
“To protect and serve,” Tony interjected. “Leagh needs to be protected.”
“I get it, but there’s got to be something the department can do… I can do… to help her.”
‘“There isn’t,” I whispered.
“What did you get yourself into, girl?” James asked, his aqua blue eyes brimmed with worry.
“A mess,” I sighed.
“I’ll make the call,” Vito announced with a weary voice before leaving the room.
James glanced at Tony. “You guys doing okay here?”
“Yeah, we’re okay. Ma’s making me feel like I’m twelve again, but we’re making it work.”
James grinned. “Kind of puts a crimp in the sex department.”
I bit my lips together and cast a guilty gaze downward.
“Having to be quiet sucks. That and not having any toys with me,” Tony mumbled with a sly grin.
“Poor bastard,” James commiserated with a roll of his eyes. “The reason I’m asking is that I got a call from Stephen on my way over. He doesn’t know anything other than what’s been reported on the news, but he wanted me to let you know if you and Leagh needed someplace to stay, he’s got a loft near the club.”
Tony smiled. “That’s generous of him, but Carnation and Leagh don’t get along. I don’t want to add more stress onto an already fucked up situation.”
“Oh,” James made a strange noise. “He and Carnation…they’re not together anymore. He uncollared her yesterday.”
“What?” I gasped as my eyes grew wide.
“Really? You’re actually surprised?” James chortled. “I’d have cut that bitch lose months ago.”
“Good for him. He needs someone more…human,” Tony replied wryly.
Vito entered the room, holding a cell phone to his chest. “How old is Matthew?”
“He’s in his sixties,” I stated, mentally calculating my father’s age. “Sixty-one. He’s about six foot three, thinning blonde hair, and blue eyes. No scars or tattoos that I know of.”
With a nod, Vito relayed the information with firm resolve. The thank you that rolled off his tongue was forced at best before he ended the call. Appalled that I’d put him in an uncomfortable position with his brother, I sucked in a deep breath.
“Thank you, Vito, and I’m sorry you had to—”
“It’s not you, Leagh. My brother… well, he made his choices.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Tony offered with a sullen expression.
“Now, we wait,” Vito said, sending us a ghost of a smile meant to reassure.
“I need to get back to the station,” James stated, rising from the couch. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll keep you guys updated if anything new happens.”
After we said good-bye to James, Alisa appeared with a tray of coffee. “Oh, I guess I’m too late.”
“It’s okay. James had to get back to work,” Tony explained.
“Oh, well, I’ll take this outside and see if the boys would like some,” she nodded.
Vito held the door for her and followed his wife onto the front porch.
“Who are all those guys outside?” I asked looking up at Tony.
“Three of them are my brothers, the rest are cousins. I’ll introduce you.”
“And they stayed out there all night?”
“No, they camped out in the den in the basement. When I called dad yesterday, he rallied the troops. They’ll be here until the threat against you is over, sweetheart.”
“Don’t they have jobs? Families?”
“Yeah, they work for my dad,” Tony replied with a cryptic edge.
“So what does your dad do? He’s not in the mafia. I know that.”
“He owns a produce company,” Tony growled. Leaning in, he nipped my earlobe. “What do you want to do today, angel?”
“Well, I don’t want to watch anymore television,” I replied with a dour frown.
Tony helped me into the kitchen where I sat at the table and chatted with his mom as she combined ingredients for two apple pies. The woman was a machine when it came to cooking. I suspected baking helped her cope with the drama I’d brought to her doorstep, but as the brawny men from outside trailed in and out of the kitchen, snagging pastries and sandwiches, I realized she was simply trying to keep them fed.
Alisa introduced me to Tony’s brothers and cousins as they filed in, one at a time, while I helped measure ingredients for a batch of chocolate chip cookies. As the woman began rolling out dough for another pan of cinnamon rolls, Tony re-appeared in the kitchen.
“Want to come with me and check out some of the books my dad has in his office?” Tony invited with a wink.
I could tell it was a ruse to get me out of the kitchen while keeping Alisa in the dark about the call Vito made on my behalf. It bothered me that the two men shielded her from what was going on around her. As Tony helped me waddle down the hallway, I issued him a sideways glance.
“Please, don’t ever do to me what you do to your mom, okay?”
“What are you talking about?” Tony asked, his brow wrinkling.
“Hide things from me like you do Alisa.”
“My dad is a dominant man, Leagh, but he’s not a Dom. While he would never outright lie to my mom, he keeps things from her as a way to protect her. I’m not saying it’s right; I’m just saying this is how their marriage works. I won’t keep a damn thing from you, sweetheart. That’s not the kind of relationship I want with you.”
“Good. Because it’d be a deal breaker, Tony. Just so you know.”
He shot me a probing gaze. “That goes both ways, angel.”
“Deal.”
When we entered Vito’s office, he was sitting behind a wide wooden desk, staring at the green, spring foliage out the picture window on his right.
“Dad?”
“Come on in.” Vito nodded. “And close the door.”
Anxiety spiked as Tony shut the door behind us. We both took a seat as Vito opened his mouth to speak.
“Uncle Enzo called back. There’s good news, Leagh. At least I think its good news.”
I held my breath, clinging to his every word.
“Matthew Price died two and a half years ago in a parasailing accident off the coast of Belize.”
Exhaling as relief flooded through me, I blinked. “Died?”
“Thank god!” Tony exclaimed.
“Yep, it says so on his death certificate.” Vito grinned.
Reality slowly started to sink in. Matt was dead. Sloane and Hayden were dead. There were no more threats hanging over me. No more reasons to carry a restraining order or constantly be looking over my shoulder. A giant boulder had been lifted off me, and I began to giggle.
“I’m free. I’m finally free.”
Suddenly, the sunlight seemed brighter. The air thinner and life took on a whole new meaning.
“Not totally,” Tony grinned with a knowing wink.
“Yeah, but with you is exactly where I want to be.”
Tony leapt from his seat and pulled me into his arms, wearing a smile so bright, it almost blinded me.
“Let’s go home, angel.” Lust teemed in his eyes.
“Yes, please,” I replied on a wistful sigh.
“Thanks Dad. I asked a huge favor of you with Uncle Enzo, but I think you understand how fantastic this news is for Leagh and for me.”
“Of course I do, Tony. It was well worth it. I’d do it again in a New York minute just to see the smiles on your faces.”
“Oh, thank you, Vito. Thank you so much,” I gushed.
Back in Tony’s room, he packed the duffle in seconds flat. After showering Vito and Alisa with my heartfelt thanks, Tony and I were back in the car, headed toward the club. Along the way, he placed a call to James and filled him in on the wonderful news. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.
My new found freedom tasted better than chocolate.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was good to be ‘home.’ My pseudo apartment in Genesis, and the privacy it afforded, felt like a breath of fresh air. A new chapter of my life had begun, one as a liberated adult, and my mind raced with opportunities like a job and a real home of my own...someday.
“You haven’t said much since you found out Matt was dead, angel.”
“I know.” I frowned. “For some strange reason, a part of me is sad. Another part of me wishes I’d paid more attention to the outside world when I was with George. I should have at least read the Atlanta newspaper online. When I think of all the years I spent hiding from Matt, so afraid he’d find me… god, what a waste of precious time.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You did what you had to in order to stay safe and alive. I’m proud of you, sweetheart. It just goes to show how incredibly brave and strong you are.”
I snorted. “I wasn’t strong or brave. I hid like a big wuss.”
“No, you used your head. You methodically sought a city and a job where Matt couldn’t easily find you. Then, day after day you stepped outside and kept right on living in spite of that fuck-nut. That, my love, takes guts.”
Tony painted a picture far more courageous than I considered myself to be, but it warmed my heart that he saw me as gutsy.
“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Tony asked from the bathroom, unpacking my toiletries.
“Tomorrow? I don’t even know what day it is; everything’s been such a cluster. What’s going on tomorrow?”
“You have an appointment with Dr. Coleman, remember?”
“Yes! I totally forgot.” I blinked. “Please, please let this be the last night I have to wear these damn casts.”
Tony strutted in from the bathroom, his thigh muscles rippled beneath his jeans. Every time I fixated on his mouth-watering body, my pussy wept. This was no exception. Prowling onto the bed, his body heat surrounded me before he lay down and pulled me against his hard chest.
“Think positive, angel, and we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
“I will.” I nodded, snuggling deeper against him. “You feel good.”
“I do, huh?”
“Yes.” I smiled.
“I bet I can make us both feel even better.”
His innuendo sent a shiver snaking up my spine. Tony shifted above me, and the hunger dancing in his eyes almost took my breath away.
“Make me feel…everything. Please?”
A sly smile tugged his mouth. “Have I ever
told you how hard I get every time you beg?”
Pressing his hips to mine, he ground his rigid erection against my pussy. I sucked in a gasp. The friction stung my sore folds.
“Maybe we should hold off another day or two.”
“It’s not that sore,” I vowed.
A wicked chuckle vibrated the back of his throat. “I’ll have to take a look and decide for myself, angel.”
Kneeling up, Tony peeled off my soft cotton pants. With his hand beneath my knees, he lifted and spread my thighs wide. Leaning in low, his warm breath caressed my juncture, and I closed my eyes and moaned. He trailed soft kisses over the tops of my thighs, edging nearer to my throbbing center.
“You’re driving me insane. Please,” I begged impatiently.
“Oh, sweetheart, the torture I have in store for you hasn’t even started yet.” Tony feathered a kiss over my clit, and I cried out. “Yes, I see how swollen and red the lips of your cunt are now. We’ll need to hold off until you’re all healed up.”
Bolting upright, I felt my eyes grow wide. “Are you out of your mind? No!”
Both his brows arched high, and he shot me a look of warning.
Shit.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” I stammered. “I just meant that I’m not that sore. We don’t have to stop…honest.”
“Is that for you to decide or me?”
“You, Sir,” I mumbled, duly chastised.
“That’s right. And if I think you’re too sore, then you are. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” I grumbled, feeling a pout form on my lips.
“Don’t look so forlorn, angel. Do you honestly have such little faith in me?”
“I have all the faith in the world in you. I just don’t know what you’ve got planned.”
“Good, at least you realize I have the ability to improvise.”
With a slight nod, I settled back down on the bed, anxious for whatever deviant trick he had up his sleeve.
“Let’s talk about your limits for a minute, angel.”
Narrowing my eyes, I shot him an apprehensive look. “What are you planning to do to me?”
An evil laugh rolled off his tongue before he slid one forearm beneath my knees and hoisted them to my chest. Without a word, he dipped his thumb into his mouth, coating it in saliva. I knew exactly what he intended, but before I could squeeze my butt cheeks together, he ran his slickened thumb around my puckered opening. Arousal and fear churned inside.
