by Wilder, L.
Marlowe
After my day from hell, all I wanted to do was spend the night curled up in Rafe’s protective arms, but sadly, that wasn’t an option. Eric had made sure of that—if that was even his real name. I’m not sure of anything anymore. I was foolish enough to think he’d come by to help smooth things over between Kate and me, so I didn’t question the fact that he’d come into my apartment uninvited. I also didn’t question the fact he’d closed and locked the door behind him. That was a mistake. A very bad mistake.
There was something about the way he wandered about my kitchen with an eerie expression that made me feel uneasy, which had me asking, “Why are you here, Eric?”
“You and I have something we need to discuss.”
“Okay, and what is that?”
“I hadn’t planned on having this conversation with you ... or at least not yet, but I’m learning things don’t always go as planned.“ He stopped to study a picture of a barn and sunflowers hanging on the wall, and after several odd moments, he finally continued, “You just have to work with the cards you’ve been dealt.”
“I’m not sure I’m following, Eric.”
“No, I’m sure you’re not. That’s on me. I’m not making myself very clear.” He leaned against my kitchen counter and crossed his arms as he said, “I think I’ll start by telling you a story.”
I didn’t like the fact that Kate’s boyfriend was in my apartment without her. Even more so, I didn’t like the fact that he was talking to me like he knew me. It was creepy, and I just wanted him to go. “I’m really not in the mood for a story, Eric. Why don’t you just tell me why you’re here?”
“It’s rude to interrupt, Marlowe. I’d hate for you to ruin our visit by making me upset.” His tone was low and threatening, making my nervousness turn to complete panic. Having no idea what else to do, I nodded, then sat down at the kitchen table, giving him my full attention. “There was once a young boy. He was from a wealthy, powerful Italian family—one that was known around the world for being a family you do not cross. This young man had everything he could possibly want and more. You might even go so far as to say he was a prince of sorts, and he knew it. Even at a very young age, he wasn’t afraid to go after what he wanted.”
As I sat there listening to his crazy story, I wanted to scream, demand that he get out of my house, but when he moved from the counter and started over to me, something around his waist caught my attention. As he got closer, I realized it was the butt of his handgun. My heart was racing a mile a minute, making it difficult to think as he sat down across from me and said, “The minute he saw Sylvie, the housemaid’s thirteen-year-old daughter, he knew he had to have her. He was seventeen at the time. A bit too old for a girl her age, but he pursued her just the same. He made his intentions known to her and only her, and after a few brief weeks, the two were in love. The boy’s parents weren’t happy about this little love affair of theirs but decided whatever flame the two shared together would eventually die out—like all first loves do. And they were right. The flame did die out, but only after the young girl became pregnant.”
Eric stood, reached into his pocket, and took out a small box. I was too afraid to ask him what was in his hand, fearing it might distract him from his story. Instead, I just sat there, watching and listening, as he walked over to one of the shelves. He nestled something behind the canister of sugar and said, “It was a shameful situation for both families. A young housekeeper’s daughter with no family name or legacy pregnant at the age of thirteen. A prince with the world at his fingertips tangled with trash. There was only one way to solve the predicament they’d found themselves in. They put the child up for adoption.”
I remained silent as Eric moved into the living room and placed another small object behind a picture frame on the mantle. Once he had it positioned the way he wanted, he turned to look at me. “This wasn’t something the young prince wanted—not for his child—his flesh and blood, but he had no choice. His parents forced his hand. Threatened to take away his inheritance if he didn’t agree, so he did the only thing he could. He allowed his parents to give his child away, but that didn’t mean he just forgot about the fact he had a daughter. No. The powerful prince never once forgot about what had been taken from him—his dear, precious daughter.”
There was something about the way he said “precious daughter” that sent a fearful chill down my spine. Again, I was tempted to ask why he was telling me such an odd story, but deep down, I think I already knew the answer. I was just too afraid to admit it. Eric continued to talk as he entered my bedroom. “While he never made his presence known, he kept tabs on her, and even though it wasn’t a life as luxurious as his own, he made sure she was well taken care of.”
Eric stepped back into the room and continued, “You see, the young father was just biding his time—waiting for the right moment to step back into his daughter’s life. A few years back, he learned his daughter was looking to make a move. She started researching different cities around the South, and he started to wonder if his chance had finally come.”
“Wait...What are you saying?”
“Just listen to the story.” He glared at me with the eyes of a killer as he continued, “Twenty-two years had passed since the young prince was forced to give up his firstborn. Any other man might’ve given up hope after such a long time, but not this father. No. He was determined and would use any means necessary to find a way into his daughter’s life—even if it meant sending her fake emails about a city he’d recently moved to. You see, he’d moved to Nashville to broaden his business and wanted his daughter to be there with him.”
“Are you saying I’m this man’s daughter?”
“See, you’re finally getting it. I knew you were a smart girl.”
“But who is my father, and why would he want me to be in Nashville?”
“Because he wanted you to be close. He was establishing his empire here. He wanted you here so you could reap in the benefits of all his hard work.” Eric walked back over and sat down at the table next to me. “That’s why he tracked your every move from San Antonio.”
“If he was watching me all this time, why wouldn’t he just make his presence known? Why wouldn’t he just tell me who he was?”
“He was waiting for the right time. He knew it was important for you to feel like you’d created this little life of yours all on your own, but as he watched you apply for one job after the next, he knew he’d have to intervene. You weren’t going in the right direction ... You weren’t following his plan. That’s when he decided you needed a little push and put a flyer for Crockett’s on your car window.”
“Crockett’s? Why would he do that?”
“So you could make nice with the grandmother.”
“What?” I gasped. “Why would he want that? What does Gladys have to do with any of this?”
“It had nothing to do with Gladys or her bar. It was all about her grandson and his friends.” His eyes never left mine as he said, “Your friendship with the grandson gave us the in we needed to their MC.”
“I’m not understanding any of this.”
“You need to take a step back. Try and see the bigger picture.” He leaned forward, his eyes fierce as they locked on mine. “Nashville is a flourishing city. It’s in a prime location for any emerging business. Your friends, the Ruthless Sinners, know just how prosperous this city can be, and they’ve done everything in their power to claim this territory as their own. Such arrogant assholes. They should’ve known this city wasn’t theirs to claim.”
“No! You have them all wrong. I know them. The Ruthless Sinners are good men,” I argued. “They watch out for one another and the people they care about. They were watching out for me.”
“You’re wrong. It was your father who was looking out for you, and if you think these men are good, then you’re a fool.”
“And how would you know anything about them?”
“It’s my job to know...but I digress. We were dis
cussing your father.”
My head was spinning from all the nonsense Eric was dishing out. I just wanted him to spell things out and tell me exactly what I had to do with this crazy story of his. Even though I was putting my life in danger, I held up my hand and snapped, “Just stop. Tell me who my father is or just go.”
“There are things you need to understand—”
“Tell me!” I demanded.
“Anthony Polito. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”
“Can’t say that I have, and to be honest, I don’t want to hear anymore. I’m done with this insanity. If my father wants to get to know me and be in my life, then he needs to be the one who comes here and explains all this to me. Not you.”
“Unfortunately, that isn’t an option.”
“Why not? If he’s so rich and powerful, why can’t he just wave his almighty hand and make it happen?”
“Because he’s dead, Marlowe.” His tone was harsh and merciless as he continued, “The Ruthless Sinners, those good men you were talking about earlier, killed him, and they didn’t do it alone. They had help from another MC in Memphis. They call themselves Satan’s Fury, and like the Sinners, they think they got away with it. They are wrong. Very wrong.”
“Why would they want to kill my father?”
“Like I explained earlier, he’d come to Nashville to expand his empire, but ran into some issues with the mayor and his ex-wife. That’s when Satan’s Fury got involved. A war ensued, and your father was killed. I have to give it to them. Your friends did a great job covering the whole thing up.” I was stunned. I couldn’t believe Rafe and his brothers could ever hurt someone, much less kill them, but there was something about the way Eric spoke that led me to believe he was telling the truth. I shouldn’t have been so surprised by the news. I knew Rafe and his brothers had secrets. That was made clear the minute I started working at the strip club. The whispering, the unspoken gestures and mysterious glances, but I never questioned any of it. I just assumed it was the way things worked, but now, I was questioning everything—especially my ties to Country and Rafe. Eric stood and reached into his pocket for a second box. As he opened it, he continued, “It took me months to piece it all together, but I did. Now, I’m here to finish what your father started, and you’re going to help me.”
Shocked he’d ever think I’d get involved in his shenanigans, I asked, “What makes you think I would do anything to help you?”
“Because you don’t have a choice.” He took a small necklace from the box and started towards me. “If you don’t do exactly as I say, I will kill that twit-brained little sister of yours.”
My stomach twisted into a knot, and there was no hiding the tremble in my voice when I said, “But you’re supposed to be in love with her. You’ve been dating her for over a month. She even called you her soulmate.”
“Your sister is a damn fool. She might think I’m madly in love with her, but in truth, I can’t stand the sight of the pretentious bitch. Regardless, she served her purpose. She got me close to you, and now, I have no use for her or your adoptive parents.” He sounded so cold and menacing as he said, “And in case there’s no love lost between you and them, I’ve added an extra precaution. I’ve secured an explosive to your boyfriend’s bike. One foul move, and he’s history.”
“Oh my God! You’re sick!”
“I’ve been called worse.” He leaned forward to place the chain around my neck. When I tried to stop him, he warned, “This is not a game, Marlowe. I will kill them. I will kill them all.”
Knowing he meant every word, I froze. Once he was done, he walked back and sat down across from me. “Why are you doing this?”
“I was in business with your father for a long time. We were partners of sorts, but he was always more like a father to me than a partner. I was just a kid when he took me under his wing and showed me how to run the business, and he taught me well.” He looked up at ceiling, sighing as he considered a thought, then turned his attention back to me. “I knew just what to do when he came up missing. I slipped into his role and did what needed to be done, leaving no one the wiser that he had never returned from Nashville. In fact, for a while, things had never been better.”
“If things were going so well, why are you here?” I pushed. “Why are you dragging me into all of this?”
“Because your friends have interfered once again. They’ve cost me a great deal of money and time, but that’s all about to change. Now that you’re in the picture, I will have the means to set the business back on the right course again.” A sinister smile crossed his face as he said, “Seems your father was right to lead you here. Your presence is going to be quite beneficial in bringing this thing with the Sinners to an end.”
“And what makes you think I can do anything?”
“Don’t you see? You already have. You’ve not only gotten your foot through the door, but you’ve also established camaraderie between yourself and the brothers. That’s all I need to find the information.”
“What kind of information?”
“Everything there is to know about them, just as they’ve done with me.” He reached across the table and grabbed my phone. Without even bothering to ask for my password, he started pressing buttons and installed some kind of program on my device. As he enabled the program, he said, “I must say, these men are smarter than I gave them credit for. They’ve already found my bookkeeper and are close to discovering that I’m no longer in San Antonio. But none of that matters. With you, I’m one step ahead. I purchased the bar where you had been working, and—”
“Wait, you bought Crockett’s?”
“I did. It was an investment of sorts,” he answered with a sinister smile. “Having a base of operations was an important part of the plan, and Crockett’s was the perfect place. It’s in the center of Nashville, but away from the crowded main streets. I also knew once I shut the bar down that boyfriend of yours wouldn’t let you go without a job. It was only a matter of time before he brought you into their fold, and now that you’re bartending at their precious club, I have all the access I could possibly need.”
“I won’t be a part of this. I won’t help you.”
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice, Marlowe.” He stood, and as he started for the door, he told me, “I’ve placed cameras all over your apartment. I’ve also tapped into the security cameras at the club. I’ll be able to watch your every move, and with the mic I just placed around your pretty little neck, I’ll be able to hear every word you speak. If you try to remove it, well, let’s just say that would be a mistake.”
“What exactly are you expecting me to do?”
“Just what I said before. Use the relationships you’ve established to find out everything you can about them. I need to know where and how they do their business, where they store their weapons and drugs, and what their weaknesses are.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. I’d known Country and Rafe for over a year, and never once had I heard either of them discuss any kind of illegal activity. I’d certainly never heard them talk about drugs and weapons. I had no idea how Eric expected me to find out about something I never even knew existed, so I asked, “How am I supposed to get this kind of information from them?”
“You’ll figure it out.” He pointed to his watch as he warned, “The clock’s ticking, and remember, I’ll be listening.”
“But—”
Before I could finish my thought, he was gone. I was left to make sense of the storm raging in my mind. I just wanted it all to disappear, but there was no escape. I could feel panic rising up in the pit of my stomach, and there was nothing I could do to stop it nor the tension that had taken over every inch of my body. My mind kept replaying every moment, every word that had been said—first by Eric and then by Kate. It was all too much. My breathing became more rapid, more shallow. It was as if I was stuck in my own personal hell and I just wanted to run as far away as possible, but as I looked around at the cameras Eric had place
d around my apartment, I realized there was no escape. If I wanted the people I loved to survive this, I would have to find a way to get Eric the information he wanted.
I felt completely numb as I picked up the phone and called the club. After I’d canceled my plans with Rafe, I locked all my doors and went to my room. I curled up in my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I remained just like that through the night. The next morning, I was still lying in the same position, thinking about the mess in which I’d found myself. A piece of me wanted to blame Kate for bringing Eric into our lives, but it wasn’t her fault. He’d used her just like he was trying to use me now. I wasn’t stupid. I knew the guy was a complete lunatic. No matter what I did or what information I uncovered, he would still go after Rafe and his brothers. It was a no-win situation, which made me want to stay hidden away in my apartment for the next century or two. Sadly, I didn’t have that luxury. Eric was not only watching; he was listening to every move I made. I’d already called into work the night before. I feared there would be major repercussions if I tried doing it again.
As I got up and started getting dressed, I was careful to stay away from view of the cameras. I wasn’t even sure where they all were, so it wasn’t easy. I spent most of my time in the bathroom where I knew there was no chance of him seeing me. By the time I was ready, I was eager to get out of my apartment and out of Eric’s watchful eye, but as I headed out the door, I remembered the microphone he’d placed around my neck. Even when he couldn’t see me, he could hear every word I said. I was screwed. There was no escaping him. It was a thought that stuck with me as I walked into work. I’d barely made it behind the bar before Rafe came over to me. “You okay?”
“Um-hmm. I’m fine,” I lied.
“I tried calling.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I just had a lot on my mind.” I put my things under the counter and tried not to seem too out of sorts. “I just needed some time alone to think things through.”
“You know you can talk to me about all this.”
