Love Me (The Lucky Family Book 3)

by Eden Rose

  We walk out of my house and I make sure that it is locked and the alarm is set before we leave. All of my brothers are standing with me as I do my routine.

  “What time is Savannah coming back?” John asks as we walk towards the black Escalade.

  I shrug and then climb in. I’m not wanting to draw attention to the fact that I would rather be with my wife right now than them. This is my fucking job, but it’s getting on my damn nerves. “I don’t know, man.”

  Quietly, we drive to the building that the Dice own and I get out of the car by myself. This part of the job is something that I normally handle by myself because I don’t bring this shit home with me.

  That is a major problem that many people do. Bring their work home with them. I don’t bring the construction company shit home with me. Hell, I barely go there. I hired people to have that stress on them and not bother me with it.

  Plus, when I’m at home, I’m losing myself inside Savannah. She has the warmest fucking body I have ever had the pleasure of sinking in to.

  Without another word, I walk around to the back of the Escalade and grab the gasoline. It’s in a nondescript canister so if we get pulled over, no one could tell what it is. I don’t need to explain to the feds why I have gasoline in my truck.

  I slide the lighter out of my pocket and walk along the perimeter of the building. Slowly, I pour the gas out of the spout and it coats the ground. The pungent smell is invading my nose and it makes me want to throw up.

  Once the front of the building is coated, I take the zippo lighter and flick it open. Once the cloth I am holding is saturated with fire, I drop it on the ground.

  My mother used to tell everyone I was her little pyro. Personally, I always hated being called that but as I watch the fire, I can’t help but agree.

  Boom!

  The whole building goes up in flames and I run to my truck. “Drive!” I yell as I throw myself into the back seat. Vinny drives down the driveway when I yell again. “Stop. This is my favorite part.”

  About twenty people come running out of the building like they are being chased by the Devil himself. Some of them are running without shoes on and I can hear them yelling. This is my favorite fucking part of starting fires.

  I fucking love the finality of fire.

  At first, I was worried about having a dog, but it’s nice to see how much he and Savannah have bonded. He’s been a good puppy for the most part even though he’s spoiled rotten. It’s nice to see the maternal instincts that she shows.

  I kid you fucking not, Savannah would put a mother fucking diaper on the damn dog if I allowed her to. Every time we go out, she always has to pick him up something. Cherub’s bed is more comfortable than my own and he has pillows on top of pillows.

  Anne and I have both tried to get her to enroll him into some obedience school, but she won’t do it. Savannah says that she can do it all herself. While she’s doing the best that she can, I feel as if Cherub knows that my wife would do anything for him.

  Many times, I have asked Anne what the hell is going on with this and she just tells me to shut up and relish the fact that she’s fucking happy.

  Jason is obviously fucking useless. He can’t even complete the tasks that he was hired for without messing it all up. I’m pissed the fuck off that Sal suggested a dumbass contractor that has no ties to us. If there are ties, then typically the person won’t try to fuck us. The last thing I want is for Savannah to be taken advantage of.

  I’m weary over admitting that looking at Anne’s little bump is making me want a baby. God damn it.

  One of these days, Savannah’s stomach is going to be filled with my babies and our house is going to be full of the useless and loud toys that babies are obsessed with. I know that having a family is nothing to be rushed, but it’s killing me that Rossi gets to have one before me. Fuck.

  I have turned into a little bitch.

  “Come on, girls. let’s go home.”

  Cherub comes running up to us and starts barking and jumping. It’s funny watching him try to be big and bad like he’s a mafiso.

  I rub my wife’s head with my lips over her forehead and she sighs as she relaxes against me. “Hey, what have you been doing today?” She asks and rubs her nose over my jaw. “You smell smokey.”

  Mother fucking son of a bitch.

  Savannah

  For some reason, Vincent smells like smoke and it’s not the cigar kind that he normally smelled like. It’s a pungent smell that filled my nose and is giving me a headache.

  “I smell it too. Gross, I’m going to puke!” Anne runs away from us and into the bathroom that has been hooked up to work. Hopefully, the bathroom has been completed the way I had wanted it to be.

  My goal for the bathroom is to be rich colored. Gold and red and all of that. In my mind, it looks great but it must be done right.

  I look at him with questioning eyes and he shrugs. “My lovely, don’t worry about it. It doesn’t concern you.”

  One of these days, when I find out all of these things, I just know they are going to have to commit me into a psych home. Padded walls and everything.

  When we get home, Vincent immediately takes off and I’m stuck in the house trying to find something to do. Ronnie came and picked up Anne from my house saying that they have an appointment or something like that.

  I’m soaking in the hot tub as I’m trying to cool my jealousy. Not only am I not the one who is pregnant, but I don’t get to go to these appointments with Anne. It’s like I have been replaced and it fucking sucks.

  My ears perk up when I hear the slider open. “Savannah! What are you doing?” Bethany asks as she walks up the walkway to the tub.

  I turn to watch the pretty blonde who is now a brunette walk up. She’s dressed in her bikini and it’s hard to imagine that she’s had a kid. Bethany looks great as always and it makes me jealous that she looks so good. I can’t help but look down at my own body and notice that I’m not as skinny as she is.

  “Hey, girl!” I call from the tub and lift my wine glass to my lips. “Get a glass from the bar and come join me.”

  It’s October in New York, it’s supposed to be cold but surprisingly, it’s been a warm month. Today it was sixty-five degrees and tomorrow it’s supposed to be in the seventies. Hey, I will take it. I hate the snow.

  Bethany follows my directions, and pours herself some wine and then steps into the tub. “Didn’t mean to crash your party. Johnny came over to talk to Vincent and I was lonely at my house. Embry is at a friend’s house this weekend.”

  Johnny and Bethany’s daughter, Embry, is gorgeous. Where Bethany is lighter featured and Johnny is darker, their daughter is the perfect middle. Her darker skin and lighter hair make her seem mysterious.

  “I’m happy you are here. Anne left with Ronnie to go to the doctors and I have been bored.” I adjust my back so that I’m resting against a jet and I relax.

  “Tell me all about Mexico,” she whispers dreamily. I know that she and Johnny are in love but I don’t think he will ever leave his wife for her.

  *

  I’m talking to Anne a few days after I sat in the hot tub with Bethany. We drank a few bottles of wine and she told me all about what was going on with the clothing industry. I must admit that I’m happy things are going well for her but she did tell me that she wants more from Johnny. They have been together for years and he still won’t leave his wife.

  "Is your other line beeping?" I heard her going through her closet probably trying to find something comfortable.

  "Yes, hold on," I clicked over. "What?" That was my greeting to Keith. Keith is Joel’s brother and he used to be my really good friend. All of those nights that I would be stressed out over Joel, I spent talking to Keith about it. For many years he was my confidant besides Anne, of course.

  Until he came to me and told me that he knew my parents left me a letter for me to read the day of my wedding. I won’t ever forgive him for that. He really damaged the faith I had in
him and it’s not repairable.

  "Have you been notified yet?" And that was his greeting.

  "No, I got back a few days ago. What happened?" There’s a disgusting pit in my stomach and I know I’m about to hear some bad news.

  "Joel's estate attorney called me and said that he left you with everything." The disdain that is lacing his voice makes me pissed even more. Why the hell would he be mad at me? I don’t even know what is going on.

  "Why do I care about the estate attorney?" My ears strain and I hear coughing from the living room.

  Joel lets out a long breath and then says: "He was murdered last week. They found him in a river next to his boss' place."

  Did I hear him right?

  "Wow, I need to go." I clicked over to the other line. "I need to go. Come pick me up."

  It’s time to get to the bottom of this and I have a feeling that the bottom has something to do with my husband and his friends.

  I walked through the kitchen and heard someone say "Fuck."

  "Everyone out!" I screamed as I walked over to Vincent. "Except you and you!" I pointed at Ronnie and Leo. The excess men ran out of the great room and went walked over to the basement.

  The guys sat in a semi circle and I stare all of them down.

  "Hey, little missy! The mafia stare down won't work on us!" Leo said with a laugh.

  I’m going to stab him in his throat first.

  "Who did it?" I asked calmly and slipped my jacket off.

  Once my jacket lands on the chair by the entry way, I hear Ronnie say: "Who did what?" he asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.

  Maybe I will punch him in his neck. Anne will get over it. Eventually. I could be her baby daddy.

  "Don't play dumb with me! Who killed him?" I lean against the wall across from my husband and flip my head back and look at the ceiling.

  I used to do that as a child all of the time when I looked for answers. It’s silly, I know, but it made me feel as if I were talking to my parents.

  "It wasn't anything to do with you, per se. It had something to do with us," Vincent said.

  "Did you kill him?" I asked Vincent. "Please don't lie to me."

  "I didn't pull the trigger, my love." I sunk down in the wall and picked Cherub up and put him in my lap.

  "Do you have any idea how guilty this makes me look? He is my ex husband and we went on record with everything he did to me. I will be the prime suspect."

  "You have an alibi. We were in Mexico. So don't worry about anything," Vincent said to me.

  "Who did it?"

  "Does it matter?" Ronnie asked me.

  "I am not sure. People around me keep dying. I don't want to go to work today." Each of the sentences that I said came out slowly and with a minute that separated them.

  As I scooched down the wall, Anne walked in. She took one look at me and then at Ronnie.

  "Did you just find out?" She whispered.

  "What? You knew?" I floored at her. "Who did it? Seriously, who did it?"

  "I did," Vincent's mouth opened and those words came flying out of his mouth. "He wasn't going to leave us alone. He wanted to come to Mexico and get you. Seriously, baby doll. I didn't mean to hurt you."

  "Wait, you said that you didn't pull the trigger. How could you have done it?" While on the floor I unzipped my boots and took them off. Today was a weird day.

  Anne went rifling through my purse as I heard my ringtone. I changed my ringtone to "Fur Elise," it makes me happy when I hear it.

  "Hello?" Anne answered my phone and then looked at me. "She is indisposed right now. Can I take a message?" There was a pause and then she smiled. "Okay, I will have her call you back."

  "What?"

  "That was Joel's estate attorney. He wants you to call him back."

  "Shit. He probably wants to ask me about his will. I doubt he changed it after we got divorced." I looked at my hands and looked at how big this ring was. It was truly a big rock. "Vincent, please be honest with me. I promise I won't be mad. What did you do?"

  He crossed the room and scooched down the wall to sit with me. After putting his arm around me, he stroked my shoulder. "I ordered the hit. He was going to kill Leo for no reason. I promise that I didn't order the hit because of us."

  I placed my head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. "First my parents and now my ex husband. Who will be next?"

  "It’s okay, Vans," Anne said as she sat next to me too.

  Leo spoke next. I met his gaze and realized that he had blue eyes that sparkled. "I am sorry that you feel as if I killed him because of you. This type of lifestyle isn't for everyone. I wish Moretti would have filled you in before you twos got married. These types of things happen frequently and it’s not personal."

  "Hey! Borgotto, I did tell her what to expect but I never expected that he would be a dumb ass."

  "It's fine. I am fine. I need to call this lawyer back," I stood up along the wall and grabbed my purse that was by the foyer. "Come on, Cherub. Let's go outside." Cherub followed me outside of the great room and into the kitchen to go outside. I sat down in a chair on the patio.

  I found the lawyer's number and pressed redial. With in the first ring he answers.

  "Kyle Tucker."

  "Hi, my name is Savannah. You called me."

  "Yes, hello Savannah. I was hoping that we could meet to discuss your late husband's will. I assume you know that he left you with everything."

  "That is what his brother said. When did you want to meet?" This is surreal. Utterly surreal.

  "Does today work? I have an opening in an hour."

  "Yes, I will be there." He rattled off his address to me and we hung up. "Cherub, come on. Let's go inside!"

  I walked through the kitchen and past everyone that was in the living room. There was no way that I wanted to talk to any of them. My husband ordered the hit on my ex husband. Crazy. I heard new voices in the great room, but I walked to the stairs and I really wanted to get to my room.

  "Shit!" I screamed as I tripped over the top stair.

  "Are you okay?" I recognized that voice to be my husband's voice.

  "Peachy!" I slammed the door and went straight to the closet and sunk to the floor. Damn it. I am going to need to call Sammy and have him be there.

  Sammy called me first and said that he was on his way to come get me and told me to not talk to anyone. I was happy that Sammy called me. With everything that is happening, he is probably rich because of me.

  In about five minutes, the closet door opened. My face was in my hands and Cherub was laying on my feet. The both of us were tucked into the back with all of the clothes hanging up. Some of the shirts of Vincent’s were hiding me and I liked it.

  "Baby doll, I am sorry. Please don't be angry at me."

  I looked up and into his eyes. He looked hurt and nervous. His brown eyes looked wet and it made my heart hurt for him. I can’t imagine how hard all of this is on him. "I am not angry with you. This is just crazy." As I moved over on the wall, he sat next to me. "Hold me, please?" I whispered.

  He wrapped me into a hug and I burrowed my face into his chest. We sat like there for what felt like an eternity.

  "I promise you that it had nothing to do with you. I needed to make the decision before he shot Leo. You have to be the first one to shoot or everyone dies."

  "Did he say anything as he died?" Not that it would matter if he did. I knew that he didn't love me and that he was just trying to be rude.

  "He wanted me to tell you he was sorry for everything." His shirt was getting wet as I cried. "Savannah, I just couldn't wait to see what he was going to do next. This went on too long as it is. If you want to leave, I understand." Vincent stroked my hair and cuddled me close.

  "Leave? Why would I leave? You and I are married and you are stuck with me now." I desperately wanted to lighten the mood.

  "I love you."

  He hugged me tighter and I adjusted myself to sit on his lap. After I got settled with my legs hangin
g off of his thighs, I leaned into his face and brushed my lips against his cheek.

  I dragged my lips down his jaw and to his mouth where I whispered, "I love you, too, so much." With my arms around his neck, I kissed him lightly and lingered on them. Vincent kissed me back and licked my bottom lip, I dipped my hands into his shirt.

  "When is Sammy going to be here?" He broke our kiss and placed my cheeks in his hands.