by Ali Parker
Chapter 12
Edward
"That's it. I can't sit here any longer." I bolted up from the chair where I sat in Madam Gizelle's office.
"I'm coming with you." Danny stood up and pulled out his phone. "Sandra text me the exact address when they stop moving, alright?"
"Will do." She sounded as sick as I felt.
How the fuck did Demetri and Izabella do this crazy stuff all the time? My heart was trying to beat it's way out of my chest and my breakfast had worked it's way up in the back of my throat.
We jogged out of the front of the house and got in my blue mustang. I turned the car on and hit the gas before Danny was buckled or ready for the car to jerk. He grumbled something about killing us both, but I couldn't think straight. I just needed to get to Audrey. She was someone's daughter. Someone's baby. She was Joe's girl, part of the family.
"I'm gonna be sick." I swallowed hard and tried to change my line of thought.
"It's alright man. We're going to get out there before anything happens." He reached over and squeezed my shoulder. "Gizelle says that they stopped at an old trailer park near 12th and Vincent Avenue."
I gunned it. "I didn't sign up for this shit, you know?"
"I realize that. I didn't either. I can steal cars and get shot at myself any day of the week for fun, but listening to some guy talk about hurting a woman?"
"Our woman." I glanced over at him. "She's our woman."
"Yeah. I'm with you brother." He shook his head and rolled down the window. "I sure as fuck hope she's a tough as you say she is."
"I hope she's as tough as she said she was. Why did I agree to this? We could have come up with a different way to do it. It's not like we don't have a million options. What the hell was I thinking?"
"Hey, chill out, alright? You getting all worked up over feeling responsible for Audrey isn't going to help anyone. I'm sure she's fine. Sandra knows her girls well, and treats them like they're her kids. I can't imagine her letting Audrey go out and do this if she didn't really think she was capable of doing it."
"I know, but she just looks so innocent."
"So does Izabella, when she wants to." He tugged at his seatbelt and glanced back down at his phone. "She says that Audrey’s on the move. She's in the forest behind the park from what Sandra can tell. Take a left up here and hopefully we'll cut her off. Slow down once you pass the railroad tracks."
"Alright." I rolled my window down and wiped at my forehead. I was sweating like a whore in church and it was chilly outside. Fear. Fear so palpable I could almost taste it.
Some part of me wished like hell we would have sent Izabella to deal with the guy because I knew what she was made of, but we hadn't. Would I really have been okay with Izzy being locked in a car with this animal?
Fuck no.
"Hey. Talk to me, Eddy. You're driving yourself crazy. I can almost see it on your face."
I glanced over at him and smirked. "That obvious?"
"Yep, but it's all good. It's just me." He pointed to the road. "Slow down. Here's the tracks."
We hit the tracks going way too fucking fast and I cringed at the thought of my poor car taking the brunt of the impact.
"Fuck," I yelled and lifted my hand to press against the ceiling. I'd hit my head enough times to know it was coming.
"Ouch!" Danny turned toward me a growled as I slowed down the car.
"Sorry, man. I wasn't paying attention."
"Obviously. Shit." He rubbed his head and leaned toward the windshield. "Turn on your high beams for me and slow down even more."
"There." I pulled over on the side of the road and threw the car in park as I got out. "Audrey! Audrey, that you?"
I cupped my hands over my mouth and ran toward the thin figure running as hard as she could in the distance. Surely that wasn't her. The girl ahead of me was running like an Olympic gold medalist.
"Audrey?" I paused and pressed my hands to my knees as Danny blew past me. I lifted my head and panted softly. "Go get her, man. I'll... I'll be there soon."
I limped toward them, chastising myself for not being in better shape. Too many nights at the bar and not enough in the gym. I was grateful for good genetics. That was about all I had going for keeping me in shape.
Daniel had his arm around her as they walked back toward me. She didn't seem nearly as upset as I would have thought her to be, but she was shaken for sure.
"Hey. Damn you scared us." I reached for her, pulling her tightly into my arms and pressing my cheek to the top of her head. I didn't even know the girl and yet the need to protect her from whatever the fuck just happened rolled over me in violent waves.
"I'm okay. It was horrible, but," she moved back and lifted her bloody hand, "I got the evidence we needed."
"Oh my God." I gripped her hand. "Did that bastard cut you?"
"No." She pulled her hand from my hold and walked around me. "It's his blood. You said we needed skin or something for evidence, right? Blood will work, won't it?"
I turned around slowly and glanced over at Danny, who stood beside me with a look of shock on his face.
"Yep. It'll work." I took another deep breath and popped him softly in the chest. "You alright?"
"I think I'm in love." He kept his eyes toward Audrey as we walked back toward the car.
"I understand more than you can imagine." I got in the front seat and started the car. "You sure you're okay, Audrey? He didn't hurt you, right?"
"I'm fine. It was freaky as hell, and him pulling my hair hurt, but no, he didn't hit me or anything like that. I'm okay. Really. Let's just get this blood onto something you can use and then I'd like to take a long shower. I'm grossed out."
I adjusted the rear-view mirror and studied her in the backseat. Her dark blond hair was a hot mess, and her makeup was smeared. She was playing tough, but she'd been crying. I would have been too if I was being completely honest.
"Call Izzy and see if Jonathan is up. We'll get him to collect the blood from under her fingernails." Danny buckled up and glanced over at me.
"Yeah. Alright." I pulled out my phone and pressed the button to call my closest friend before pinching the phone between my cheek and my shoulder. I pulled out onto the road as her sexy voice filled up the phone.
*
Of course Izzy agreed to get Jonathan to help us. Twenty minute later we were sitting outside of this apartment.
"Who is this again?" Audrey leaned forward and glanced over at me.
I reached over and wiped something off her cheek. "He's a detective with the Chicago Police Department. He's a good guy."
"And he's on our side?" Her eyebrow rose sharply.
"Something like that." I glanced over at Danny. "You coming?"
"Naw. I hate cops. I'll sit here and wait on you guys. Just make it quick. I'm always starving after I go through an adrenaline rush." He shrugged and pulled out his phone, turning his attention to it.
"Alright man." I got out of the car and walked to the front to wait on Audrey. She moved up beside me and glanced up at the apartment.
"Is Izabella up there?"
"Yeah. Why? You gotta crush on her?" I smirked and walked toward the stairs.
"And if I do?" She moved up behind me.
"Take a ticket, sister. We all want a piece of her." I reached the door and knocked, half-expecting Jonathan to answer.
Izzy opened the door and moved back. The black t-shirt and jeans she wore looked good, too good on her. "There you are. You alright?"
I nodded and moved into the apartment with Audrey behind me. The young guy with a buzz cut and dark blue eyes turned from watching the news to walk toward me.
"I'm Jonathan." He extended his hand but didn't smile.
"Edward." I shook his hand and turned to see Izabella talking with Audrey. "Audrey. Come here and let's get this over with. I still have Daniel in the car."
"Why didn't he come up with you?" Izzy moved toward me, her eyes searching my face as if looking for answers befor
e I spoke them.
"He has an affliction to the color blue?" I snorted and reached for her, but forced myself to let my hand drop. "Let's get this DNA sample off Audrey and we can get out of your hair."
"What's the sample?" Jonathan asked.
"Blood." Audrey held up her hand and extended it toward Jonathan.
"And who's blood is it?" He glanced up at Audrey as she chuckled.
"We wouldn't need you to run a DNA test if we knew, right?" She smiled and he smiled back. He couldn't be that bad.
"Someone is beating up the girls in our prostitution ring," Izabella filled in the gaps for them. "Hopefully the blood on Audrey’s hand is the guy responsible for it."
"They're about to move from beating up to killing the girls, so we need to move fast." Audrey glanced over at me. "Did you hear him talking about that?"
"No. When he got rough with you, I raced out of there. Sandra should have everything on tape though. I'm sure she's freaking out." I pulled out my phone and texted Daniel to check on the pretty red-headed vixen that ran our whore house so well.
"Do I know you? You look so familiar." Jonathan tilted his head to the side as he watched Audrey.
"You been picking up girls at our fine establishment, Johnny boy?" I couldn't help myself.
"What?" His brow pulled tight as he glanced back toward me. "No. Never."
"I just have one of those faces." Audrey shrugged and walked toward the hallway. "Let's use the bathroom to do this. That way I can wash my hands the minute we're done."
"Where did you hurt him at? How did you get some much blood on you?" Jonathan followed after her.
"You don't wanna know," she responded and walked into the bathroom.
"I like her." Izabella put her hands on her hips and stared after them.
"Like you like her, like her or..."
She gave me a look and walked back toward the kitchen. "Get your mind out of the gutter."
"I would if a certain someone would stop ignoring my needs." I moved up behind her and pressed myself to her back as she stopped by the counter. I breathed in deeply, staining my lungs with the smell of her perfume. "I want you in my bed tonight."
"Yeah?" She pressed back against me, gripping my hands and dragging them up her stomach to cup her breasts.
I leaned down and bit the side of her neck. "Yeah."
"Take Audrey back to Gizelle's and meet at that little bar down from your apartment." She shifted a little, rubbing my cock with the sweet curve of her ass. Why I was willing to put myself through loving a woman like her was beyond me, but I was doing it. Daily. I had been almost all of my life.
"You don't wanna bring her with us? I'd look pretty sandwiched between the two of you." I tugged at her nipples as she moaned softly.
"Would you like that?" She turned her face a little, the softness of her voice driving desire deep inside of me.
"No. Actually, I'd rather have you all to myself." I gripped her chin and pulled her back far enough that I could lean down and kiss her deeply. She wasn't mine, nor would she ever be, but it felt so fucking good to pretend that impossible was possible.
Chapter 13
Izabella
"You'll call us when you find out something?" Edward paused by the door a few minutes later and turned back to watch me.
"Yeah. We'll go down to the station now and at least get things rolling, right, Jonathan?" I turned my attention to the young cop beside me that seemed to have eyes only for me.
How badly I wished Audrey and I could change places. She could be the cute, loving, fake as fuck girlfriend and I could fight off murdering rapist. It sounded like a perfect trade off. How jacked up was I?
"Anything you want." His eyes narrowed a little. "Just us?"
"Absolutely." I turned back to Edward. "I'll talk to you later. Thanks for all you did tonight."
"Yep." He closed the door, and I knew it pained him to do it. Where I couldn't help how much I wanted to belong to D, and would never lie to Eddy about it, I wouldn't shove anyone else in his face. No one else matter but him and Demetri DeMarco.
Jonathan's strong arms wrapped around my waist and I turned in his arms to slide my hands up his chest.
"You know that I don't work for any of them, Izzy. I'm doing this for you as my girlfriend, period. I'm not going to work for your father or sweep stuff under the rug for you dad or anyone else in the syndicate. I'll protect you, but that's where my hospitality ends."
"I understand." I slid my fingers into his hair and pulled him down for a series of quick kisses. "Take me to the station and let's see what we can do. There's a bastard out there hunting and beating women. I don't think you as a pure-hearted cop could ignore the real danger here, regardless of the fact that the women are whores that work for my father."
He nodded as he flexed his jaw. "I don't like it for sure, but I'd rather you let me deal with it in the daylight tomorrow as a cop and not tonight as your errand boy."
"Is that what you think you are?" I pressed myself against him and brushed my nose by his. "My toy?"
"Am I?" He tightened his grip on me as aggression raced over his features.
"Not at all." I lifted up as best I could and licked at his mouth. "I wouldn't mind being your toy though."
"Promises, promises, baby." He kissed me once more and let me go. "Come on, let's get this over with so you'll have time to come up with a reason why you can't stay the night with me."
"Don't be a baby about it. I'm saving myself for marriage." I chuckled and grabbed my purse. I was getting more and more used to carrying one around him. Being girlie sucked ass on multiple levels, but I was honestly considering keeping the purse even after I was done playing house with Jonathan.
"Then marry me." He squeezed my butt as he walked by and grabbed the keys to his car.
"Not a chance, player." I walked out into the chilly night's air as Eddy's mustang pulled back from building.
Daniel rolled down the window and stuck his hand out. "Beautiful night. Beautiful girl."
"You flatter me, Daniel DeMarco." I blinked my eyes at him in a girlie fashion and smiled as he laughed. No one would believe in a million years that I could pull off uber feminine, and yet I was doing it just fine.
It was a challenge to be someone I wasn't, but I enjoyed having it keep my mind occupied. Otherwise, I'd be stewing over the wasted night in New Orleans with D. I'd come out of the bathroom, ready to apologize for keeping things from him about Freddy and he was gone. No note, no message on my phone and of course, no dinner.
Asshole. I'd gotten dressed and flown back to Chicago on a red-eye myself that night. I didn't need him beside me pretending that he still loved me. A man that was capable of stealing a woman's heart only to play games with her deserved to be alone. That, or he deserved another woman.
"Shit I forgot my badge. One second." He tossed me the keys and walked back toward his apartment.
I pulled out my phone and called Demetri. We hadn't spoken since the fight in New Orleans, but something was off.
"This is D."
"Hey. I'm going down to the station with Jonathan to submit DNA samples that Edward brought by tonight. Him and Danny staged a plant tonight, and I think we might have some of the blood of the guy attacking the girls."
"That's great news. You want me down there?"
Yeah. On your knees, between my thighs, licking like your life depended on it.
"No. I have it under control, but I do want you to look into something."
"What?"
"The girl that Edward brought by didn't seem like someone we would hire at the whore house. She's not broken, nor does she appear to be the type of girl who would work at a prostitution house. Find out what we have on her. Something is off. I can feel it."
"You know we check all those girls out when they're hired, Izzy."
"Can you just pull the file you have on her? I want to make sure my senses are off and I'm just being emotional because Eddy has taken a liking to her."
"Since when did you give a fuck who Eddy liked?"
"Thanks for the help." I dropped the call and swallowed my frustration as I reached the parking lot. I glanced up to see that Jonathan still hadn't left the apartment. I walked toward his car and leaned against it, thumbing through the recent calls. My brother's number popped up from a few days back.
Did Demetri really think I was hiding Freddy? I wished I was. That would mean he was safe with me and not on the streets or locked in someone's bathroom being tortured to death. It was amazing how vile my mind could present something if given the chance.
I pressed the button to call him and put the phone to my ear. It went straight to voice-mail, leaving me with nothing but an aching heart and sick stomach.
"Where are you, little brother? Are you hurt?" For everyone involved, I prayed he wasn't.
*
I sat at the bar two hours later, waiting on Edward. It was getting harder and harder to tell Jonathan no about sleeping over. He was going to keep forcing the matter until I gave in, but could I?
He was incredibly good looking, but so was Edward and Demetri. The best choice would have been the cop, but I was never good with taking the path of least resistance.
"Hey," Edward mumbled and wrapped his arms around the top of my shoulders. "Let's skip the drinks and just go back to my place, hm?"
"Sounds good to me." I got up and dropped a few bills on the bar beside my jack and coke before picking up the glass and draining it. "No snuggling."
"No cock then." He slipped his hand into mine and half pulled me out of the bar behind him.
"Sounds like a lose-lose situation tonight for both of us." I snuggled against his back and brushed our clasped hands over the junction between my thighs as we moved through the crowd.
"Such a slut-puppy." He stepped out of the bar and released my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulders. "Good thing I am too."
"Mmmmhmmm." I wrapped an arm around the back of his waist and snuggled against his side, knowing that he would eat that shit up. "What's the deal with Audrey? You seemed to be in big brother mode with her."
