by J. A. Coffey
His next thought was that she had run to the Acerras. He instinctively put his hand in his pocket. Empty.
Fuck!
He mentally retraced his steps. There was no way she could have slipped the hard drive from his pocket. The only time they'd been close was when he'd been on top of her, but nothing had been in her hand. Not that he remembered. He went to the tousled bed and pulled back the sheets. Nothing.
"Umm, should I call someone?" Tom asked nervously. He'd stepped into the room, but still kept his distance.
Frustrated, David swung his gaze away from the man, and it landed on something thin and black on top of the desk. He walked toward it, frowning. Tom backed away, but he barely paid the young guard any attention. He reached for the small device and found the small note tucked underneath it.
Davie, I'm sorry for everything. I'll try to make this right.
David reread the note then crumpled it in his palm. Unexpected relief spread through him in knowing that she hadn't completely lied to him. But if she thought he would accept her coward's way out and just forget about her, forget about tonight, she was once again underestimating how pissed he still was-and how much he still wanted her.
Now he just had to find her.
"Mr. Carrone?"
David had almost forgotten about the other man. "Everything's fine, Tom. You can get back to your post." On his way back to his suite to secure the sensitive hard drive, he got a call from Jay.
"David, what the hell happened?" his friend asked without preamble.
David tensed. "What are you talking about?" Uncertainty and irritation made his tone sharp.
"I'm at Luke's club right now and guess who the hell I just ran into?"
Tena.
"Can you hold her?" David asked, already making his way out of the resort.
"I tried to keep her with me," Jay said, "but she's already in Luke's office. I don't think she's going to say anything about me, but I don't have a good feeling about this."
She'd left the damn hard drive behind so what the hell was she doing there? Knowing her and her blind loyalty to her brother, she wouldn't just sit around and let the Acerras threaten him.
Shit.
If she got herself hurt, he might just wring her damn neck after all.
*****
"Luke's expecting me," Athena said, standing directly in front of one of the biggest, meanest bouncers she'd ever seen. Besides the human guard dog, the floor to Luke's office was practically deserted, and only the faint sounds of heavy bass made its way up.
The man's dark eyes ran down the length of her, resting on her exposed cleavage. His dark face broke out into a smirk before he pushed the office door open and followed her inside. She could practically feel the bouncer's eyes on her ass as she walked into the dimly lit, smoke stench office.
She immediately spotted Luke behind his desk and Gino lounging on the corner sofa, his feet propped up.
They both glanced up at her in surprise, but it was Luke who let out a low whistle, his eyes never making it up to her face.
"Damn, Tena. Those tits are prettier than I imagined," he said with a smirk. "Is that what you've been hiding behind all those ugly clothes?"
Athena ignored him. "I didn't get it."
It took him a second until he finally brought his gaze up to hers. "What the fuck do you mean you didn't get it?"
"Just what it sounds like," she snapped. "After last night, they practically have that place crawling with uniforms," she exaggerated. "There was no way I could get close."
Frowning, Luke leaned back in his seat. "Then I guess me and Anthony will have our little talk after all."
Athena tamped down her anger and fear. "I don't think so," she said coolly. "I did everything you asked. I'll try to come up with what I can for the forty thousand he owes you, but after tonight, consider you and my brother squared."
He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. You know what the deal was," he said forcefully.
"Well, breaking into Royal Courts and stealing David Carrone's hard drive," she said deliberately, "proved to be more ambitious than I thought. Too ambitious, even for you."
Luke's frown deepened and Gino sat up straighter. She had purposely used names and locations, and they had picked up on what she was doing.
Luke got up from his seat and nodded toward his bouncer. "Shut the door," he said coolly.
Athena's heart began to pound, but she didn't let it show. Her gaze was steady as she watched the men, alert and vigilant to their every move.
"What are you doing, Tena?" Luke eventually asked.
"Whatever I need to, to protect my own," she snapped. "Now if you don't want me to go to David with what I have, then you'll forget about me, Anthony, and his loan."
The silence in the small office lasted way too long. Luke's jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. "And what is it that you have?"
"Enough to get you sharing a cell with Rome," she lied.
"Bitch!" Gino shouted, jumping to his feet.
Athena flinched slightly, swinging her gaze to the younger Acerra. His exclamation shouldn't have taken her by surprise, but it did. He was normally quiet and brooding, so his outburst was jarring. She didn't have time to let her fear ruin her performance, however. She had already taken it this far. She needed to see it through.
"You may want to say that a little louder, Gino," she drawled. "I don't think the camera got that."
No one moved or said a word.
"You're bluffing," Luke finally said quietly.
Athena shrugged. "I didn't want to have to do this..." she muttered. She reached into her boot and pulled out her cell phone. She had the link prepped and ready to send to Luke, which she did. "Check your phone."
He frowned, but did as she said.
"Go ahead. Open it," she prompted. Her heart was pounding, but she needed to stay cool if she was going to pull off this bluff.
"What the fuck is this?" he barked.
Gino walked up to his brother and peered down at the phone. She knew exactly what they were looking at. Themselves on camera, in real-time.
"It's you, dumbass," she said, forcing exasperation in her voice when all she wanted was to be far away from them. "You're on camera, which is streaming somewhere you'll never find. Just a little insurance in case something happens to me or my brother. They'll know exactly who to look for and will have your ass in prison faster than you can say 'cheese'."
Luke looked back down at the phone and waved his hand in the air. The two brothers glanced back up at her, probably wondering where she'd hidden the small device. If they got close enough, they would probably see the dime-size camera attached to the strap of her dress.
"How do we know you won't sell us out with this anyway?" Gino snapped.
"You don't," Athena said honestly. "Just like I don't know you won't come after me or Anthony. We'll just have to let bygones be bygones and trust each other again."
Luke handed his phone to his little brother and said nothing. His gaze was calculating as he looked at her. "You think you're real smart, don't you?" he sneered. "But what you're doing is very, very stupid."
Athena tried to draw on her remaining scraps of courage, to think of a clever comeback to show him she wasn't fucking around, but for the second time tonight, words escaped her.
"I'm sure it won't take us long to find that camera," Luke continued, his gaze running down her body again. "Then after I find it, I'll give you a chance to make it up to me."
Athena took a small step back. "In your fucking dreams."
His eyes flared. "Grab her."
The harsh command to the bouncer sent her into motion. She whirled around, reaching into the edge of her boot for her knife, but she was too slow. The man's large hand wrapped around her throat. Panic rose in her as his thick fingers dug into her neck, constricting the small muscles there. Her phone slipped from her fingers as she grabbed and clawed at his beefy hand. Her desperate gasp for air was cut off by his tightening grip. T
he harder she fought, the tighter his hold became. A vague sound came from one of the Acerras, but she couldn't make out which one of them spoke. Or what they had said. She was frantic now, desperate to draw in some air. Her eyes began to water, and the light around her vision darkened.
This can't be happening!
But his strangling and her desperate clawing didn't last long.
Loud noise and fast movement exploded around the small office, and before she knew it, air rushed back into her lungs. She grabbed her throat, coughing and gasping for breath. When she looked up, she nearly sobbed at the sight of Davie looming over the now fallen bouncer.
"If anyone's wringing her neck, it's gonna be me," he snarled.
Chapter Ten
David glared down at the man who was clutching his own throat from the jab he'd just given him. The son-of-a-bitch thought he would just get away with choking his woman.
His woman.
David would have never thought he would find himself possessive over any woman, but that's what Tena was.
His.
David stared down at the whimpering man as he rolled around on the ground. The sight of him choking Tena had put him in a murderous rage and David flexed his fists, ready to knock him down again. He swung his gaze to the brothers, who were now advancing toward him, but at his glare they backed away.
Turning to Tena, David gave her a quick once over. The look of surprised relief on her face helped to dampen his anger.
"You okay?"
She nodded, but her eyes glistened. The expression on her face took him back fourteen years, when she'd told him she didn't want him to leave for Stanford. She'd looked at him with the same tearful expression then. He'd never seen her cry before-not then, and he certainly didn't want to see her break down now. He would lose it if she did.
He turned to Jay, who stood by the door. "Get her out of here."
She shook her head. "No, Davie, I-"
He pulled her to him and gave her a hard kiss. "Shut up and do as I say," he whispered harshly into her ear so that no one else could hear. "I'll deal with you later."
Though he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and get her the hell out of there, he had this bullshit to take care of first.
Making it so that every man there knew to whom she belonged, he kissed her again. This time his lips were gentle over hers.
"Go," he murmured, releasing her. She stumbled back, worry and reluctance in her eyes, but she said nothing. She did, however, walk over to the fallen bouncer still writhing on the floor and gave him a swift kick in the gut.
"Asshole," she muttered then walked past Jay and out of the office.
David didn't miss the sassy swing in her hips and couldn't help the grin that tugged the corner of his lips.
"Okay, get up, Flex," Luke said to the moaning bouncer. "You're embarrassing yourself."
David tensed, preparing himself for a surprise attack, but the big man struggled to his feet and ambled out of the room. Once they were alone, David turned his attention to the two brothers.
Luke fell into his seat and regarded him with cool, watchful eyes. "You showing up here uninvited and beating on my guys is a one-time courtesy, Carrone. Now what do you want?"
David fixed him with a level stare. "I never pegged you for the type to send a woman to do your dirty work."
Luke leaned back in his seat, shaking his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
David laughed derisively. "At least if you're going to steal from me, be man enough to own up to it."
"Fuck you," Luke shot back. "Since you know so much, why don't you tell me how my brother got pulled into that bullshit with your casino? Who'd you pay to get off?"
David held on to his rising temper. He'd asked himself that same question when federal agents had been rounding up all those involved in the case and he'd narrowly escaped prosecution. The investigators were adamant of his involvement, and he was convinced it was largely due to his background and family that clouded their judgment of him. Rome had frequented his casino, but David had thought nothing of it. When the dust had eventually settled, no concrete evidence had been found to connect David to the case, and no charges were officially brought up against him.
Unfortunately, that hadn't been the case for Luke's twin. Though there hadn't been any obvious ties between Rome Acerra and Jeff Bates or the Provenzano family, according to investigators, he had allegedly been a central part of it. But the Acerras obviously couldn't accept that, and it once again came down to David proving his lack of involvement in the whole mess.
"Only an idiot would shit on his own doorstep," David said. "Do you honestly believe if I was going to launder money, I'd do it in my own front yard?"
Luke contemplated that for a moment. "A little birdie told us there's proof stashed away somewhere in that sophisticated database of yours. If you have nothing to hide, you wouldn't mind if we took a look."
"First, someone's taking you for a ride because I have nothing," David snapped. "The only thing I'm guilty of is trusting that son-of-a-bitch Bates." Though investigators had found it hard to believe he-owner and CEO-had also been oblivious to the scheme, he had been. Bates had come to him with years of experience and glowing references from top megaresorts. David had thought he'd been bringing in the best.
"Second," he continued, "how do I know you're not trying to plant evidence on me just to cut your brother a deal?"
"We wouldn't have to plant shit, you sell-out," Gino growled from where he stood across the room, his hands balling into fist.
"Third," David added, ignoring the younger Acerra. "What makes you so sure Rome is innocent?"
"We know Rome," Luke snapped. "You know him. He's the more level-headed one of all of us. He wouldn't have gotten himself caught up in some shit like that."
"He was set up," Gino said coldly, "and we all fucking know it."
David glanced over at the young Acerra then turned back to Luke. The brothers' loyalty to each other ran deep, but there was a conviction and determination in them that piqued his concern.
"Then let me help you." The expression on the men's faces almost made David laugh. "Believe it or not," he said curtly, "I really had nothing to do with whatever shit Rome got himself caught up in with Bates or the Provenzano family. But if you say Rome is innocent, then I believe you. So instead of screwing with me and my business, let me help you prove he's innocent."
The two brothers shared a look then stared back at him.
"Why would you want to help us?" Gino asked suspiciously.
"Because once upon a time," David said, looking at Luke, "we all used to be friends. And," he added, turning his gaze to Gino, "I like Rome a whole lot better than your ass. You all clearly need a level-headed Acerra back in the fold."
For a moment, Luke didn't meet his stare, but he had to be thinking about the times when they had all been a tight unit. Of the five brothers, David had been close to Don and the twins, Luke and Rome. He had appreciated that they had welcomed him into their fold since his parents had mostly ignored him and none of his Carrone half-siblings had wanted a relationship. Growing up, the Acerras had felt more like family to him than his own.
But that had all changed when he'd gone away to college. David hadn't expected the brothers to take it personally when he'd decided to walk away from their reckless lifestyle. After he'd left, however, a rift had grown between them, and their friendship had never been the same.
"How could you help?" Luke eventually asked.
"I can put you in touch with a guy who's good at this sort of thing," David began. "He's a private investigator and can work with you to find out more about this situation. Maybe even get you more details on Rome's case."
After a brief pause, Luke conceded. "All right," he said with a shrug. "I guess you haven't forgotten who your real friends are, after all. And if you insist on helping, I'm not gonna stop you."
"I do," David said. "But on one condition."
"W
hat?" both brothers asked simultaneously.
"I want you to forget about Tena and Anthony."
"So she ran to you for help after all," Luke muttered.
David lifted a brow. "Can you imagine Tena asking anyone for help?"
Luke shrugged. "Probably not. But she was stupid enough to come here and try to blackmail me, so she must have told you something. We know she's always had a thing for you."
David couldn't be sure about that. Back then, he and Tena had shared a familial affection, a sort of innocent adoration. It had been hard for him not to develop a soft spot for the quiet little girl that had followed them everywhere. And when she'd turned those big, dark-brown eyes on him, he had felt only protective over her.
Now, fourteen years later, what they shared was a hot and heavy hunger that wasn't going away. But David didn't want to discuss his situation with Tena-he didn't want to discuss her with the Acerras at all.
"Just give me your damn word that you'll leave her out of this," David demanded, losing what little patience he had left.
Luke shot him a glare then shrugged again. "First, I want that shit she's got on us. The stuff she's been recording."
David frowned. "I'll take care of it," he said, though he had no idea what Luke was talking about. However, he needed the Acerras to understand how serious he was. "But let me make this clear to you," he said coldly, his eyes boring into Luke's. "I don't want any of you bastards anywhere near her, understood? You want to talk to her, you come to me."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Damn Carrone. She was that good?"
David's jaw clenched.
"Okay, fine. Whatever," Luke said, breaking the tense silence. "And I wasn't really gonna hurt her. My guy just got a little overzealous."
Yet he hadn't bothered to stop the asshole, David thought, incensed.
"But you may want to tell her to get her brother some help," Luke continued. "He's getting out of control."
"What the hell do you mean?"
Luke snickered. "I'm talking about Anthony's gambling problem and the way he just used his sister, which even I thought was a little cold."
David blew out a frustrated breath. "Stop dicking around and tell me what the fuck you're talking about?"
