HOW CAN SOMETHING SO DAMN tiny, cause so much trouble? I kneaded the metal in my pocket round and round, a solid reminder of the life I’d attempted to escape when placing the ring on the table in Tom Winter’s house. He had insisted I keep it, make it a necklace or something. The last thing I’d wanted was something Corey had given me hanging around my neck like an albatross, bringing me bad luck and regret. Somehow, this piece of tin had managed to find its way back to me, cursing me like one of those fairytale witches.
I should have disappeared into the quiet of the night, getting lost like so many others in the stillness of the velvet blanket of darkness. Instead, I stayed because I’d convinced myself it was the only route to take. The only way to stay alive and keep my past hidden. Now, knowing I was headed back to the demons who owned me, forcing my heart to shrivel and die from neglect. The crazy part, the one strand of hope I thought I’d found, was the man in a dark suit with a killer smile who’d come at me with more intentions than Corey ever dreamed of. Dominick played his part so well, gaining my confidence even when my mind tried so hard to get the rest of me to listen.
Clinging to Anthony and ignoring the churning bricks in my stomach, my heart and mind were conflicted on what to believe. The evidence in my pocket—the diamond with coordinates etched on its surface, something I’d purposely left behind with a man blind and deaf to the charades his son had played. Or so I’d thought. Now, I questioned his involvement in everything.
I could understand how Corey and Anthony were connected. Two men with one agenda, using whomever and whatever they needed to in order to get what they wanted. Controlled by a puppet master, an organization which has existed since the early nineteen hundreds. What I didn’t know or understand, was how deep Tom’s involvement ran. Putting everything else aside, Tom was the last person who I had seen the ring with, until Miranda. Could Tom have been a crime boss, like Dominick is? If so, why would he have given it to Anthony?
Antonio is difficult to read. It is clear he’s the head of the Santos Family. More than just the eldest living member, he is the Kingpin—or he was at one point. Given Dominick’s behavior, it’s possible he’s acquired the role in recent time. Antonio has heart and compassion for his family. He keeps his intrigue hidden behind his own brand of charisma, letting his actions speak volumes while his mouth remains closed, his eyes and ears observant.
Green eyes, once bright and full of life, were my favorite part of me after coloring my hair. Now, looking in this gilded mirror, aboard a luxury private jet, they’re dull as dried out limes. I know what awaits me in New Orleans. The same thing as before, a life with no real future, fast-forwarded because I know too much and have become a liability.
“You won’t beg, cry, or even plead for Dominick not to kill you,” I whispered to the reflection in the mirror, a girl I no longer recognize. My body was still here, but my heart and soul, as twisted as it sounded, were in the front of the plane with the man who would put an end to me. “You will hold your head up high and not give him the pleasure of seeing the pain in your face.”
Determination became my mantra as I pulled open drawers under the sink. Sophia must’ve lived part time on this plane; there were more makeup and hygiene products than I had in my own bathroom. Stopping for a moment, I pondered my home back in New York. While I wouldn’t beg Dominick to spare me, I would ask him to be kind to Gabby. Surely he could hand over ownership of the shop to her.
I wanted to wash my face, but in glancing around the bathroom, I’m distracted by its luxury. Mahogany wood is accentuated with brass, and marble looking tiles grace the floor, looking similar to the tile in Sophia’s entryway. In the corner, adding to the grandeur of the room, was a stand up shower. Frosted, concave glass door open with a thunk. I stepped inside slightly to turn on the water. If the gloom of the end would leave the room, I could almost allow the awe of the moment to happen. The water takes a short time to heat up while I close the door to strip off my dress and heels. Where the water pressure isn’t the greatest, at least it’s a good hot temperature. A green bottle of shampoo reminds me of the mint I use when making tea, fresh and cleansing. Though I would love to stay under the stream of hot water, I imagine the supply isn’t limitless.
Sophia’s towels are big and fluffy; even on her plane she has surrounded herself with the best. As I once again stand before the mirror, my face has pinked up from the hot water, yet my eyes remain lifeless. I know how to fake it by applying makeup in careful, slow strokes, covering the dread I feel in my gut as it migrates to the skin of my face and color of my eyes. The pilot said we would be in the air for three hours, and I planned to use all of them to prepare myself for the end.
Antonio was right, there was a bag waiting for me in the center of the king-sized bed. Jeans and a tank top, along with a zippered hoodie. All with the tags still attached and I entertain leaving them on to allow Dominick to return the clothing when he’s done.
“Mr. Santos, we will be landing in about twenty minutes. If you and your guest could return to your seats, we will prepare to land.” Our pilot had introduced himself when I’d first sat down, his voice polite over the intercom. He’d asked if this was my first plane ride and told me to let him know if he could get me anything. He didn’t fool me, though; I knew he was acting as a buffer between the stewardess and myself. I heard every word she said about what she and Dominick had done on this plane. If her goal was to upset me, she missed by a mile. I was well aware of the man he was, or rather, is.
My time was drawing closer. Each tick of the clock brings me nearer to seeing New Orleans for the final time. It’s odd, I’d sworn the last time I boarded a plane that would be it. I could have stayed, I suppose, lived with the memory of a dead man and being haunted by the looks everyone gave me. I wouldn’t be living my dream of owning my own shop, as brief as it had been, nor would I have met Gabby, a friend who I was blessed to have.
I tapped down the panic rising in my chest and unlocked the door. No matter the size of a plane, the roar of the engines and the air rushing past is always the same. Swallowing hard, my ears popped, reminding me once again of the decision I had once made to board a plane to New York.
Dominick and Antonio were speaking in hushed voices when it hit me—I’ve been in the bathroom the entire flight, and they have left me alone. I wouldn’t question it or even revisit what I’d asked of Dominick before we took off. Being an Untouchable, at least by my definition, meant nothing.
“Tesoro, you look beautiful.” Dominick was confusing me more than Antonio at the moment. Why be nice to me when you have such cruel intentions for me? But, I’d play along.
“Thank you, I couldn’t resist the shower. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to take a shower on an airplane. You only live once, right?” I didn’t miss the tension in the room, or the look Antonio sent Dominick’s way as it hits my radar square in the face. I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I knew I’d missed something big.
Dominick and Antonio were busy with phone calls the second the wheels of the plane touched down. Three black SUVs awaited us on the tarmac, men in black suits with big muscles standing by the open doors. At almost five in the morning, the purple hues of a new day had started to make their appearance; the city would be coming to life in a few hours. Approaching the first SUV, Dominick says something to the driver in Italian, probably about making sure to lock the doors so I don’t bolt at the first stoplight. The thought had crossed my mind, but had gone away with the wind. I knew the ten or so men behind us would catch me one way or another. I refused to allow my final hours to be spent in tears and terror.
Dominick laid his arm across the back of my seat, the tip of his thumb creating lazy circles on my neck and shoulder. Even with the cool temperatures of early morning, it was still too muggy and sticky for the hoodie. I’d forgotten how humid it was here in the south, moisture so thick you could almost drink the air.
Our driver steered the car along the highway, the same one I’d tr
aveled with Meadow on my last night here. They exited, using the same off ramp she’d used to get us downtown. Dominick pointed out a few places he knew of while I kept silent regarding my knowledge of the city. I wasn’t willing to share with him my favorite place to get coffee, or where I’d found a diner with a waitress who dressed in drag and wore rollerblades.
“I wish the sun was out so you could show me where you lived.” His smile, even in the dark of the car, could have passed as genuine. “Maybe next time we come, we can stay for a few days and you can show me the hidden places the locals use.”
Before I could answer or return his smile, the driver pulled to the curb. “Sir, according to the GPS, this is the spot.” Our driver’s voice was low and deep, shaking me with the bass reverberations he was sending off.
Dominick climbed out first, holding his hand out for me to take. As I planted my foot on the grass of the lot, I took my first good look around and nearly lost my footing when I realized where we were. However, the thickness of the humid air hit me harder than the memories of this place.
The rain no longer hindered my view as we walked, the dark of night being chased away by the rising sun. Mr. Johnson’s decaying mausoleum stood among the weeping willows and Spanish moss. Dominick turned back to look at me, pulling at my hand once more to keep me moving. Dried vines snapped under our feet and Dominick pushed back some brush, which had grown around the front since the last time I’d been there. Antonio came around my left, a flashlight in hand as he joined us. Fate turned out to be a nasty bitch as she returned me to the same place where it had all began. Taking my hand back from Dominick, I stepped over the vines and broken pillar stones cluttering the path. I ducked my head under the aging archway ignoring Dominick’s protests for me to stay with him.
“Ari!” he shouted from outside the doorway. “What are you doing? This isn’t safe. The one we want is just down the walk.”
My body took on an eerie calm as I walked inside. How appropriate to return to the place where I’d felt safe, where my new beginning started, and, ironically, would now end. I stood beside the sarcophagus, its lid still slightly ajar. The smell of old dirt and decaying stone filling the air. By the looks of things, a few homeless had found my old hiding spot; too bad I’d left the money back in New York. They could’ve had a top notch breakfast and a new place to call home.
Dominick was quite a bit bigger than me, so it took him a few minutes before he could fit his shoulders past the gate and doorframe. His light flashed in my face when he and Antonio finally made it inside, making me cringe from the brightness and turn my head.
“I found this place one night when I snuck out to have time to myself. I needed time to catch my breath without all of their eyes constantly watching, waiting for me to melt down.” I placed my hand on the edge of the stone and gave it a slight push, nudging it open. “Meadow disagreed with the rest of them; she defied everyone when she loaded me into the car and drove us to this city. She wanted to show me life went on, that it was okay for me to go ahead and live it.”
“Ari.”
“No, Dominick, please let me get this out. I need to confess the truth for once.” Reaching over, I picked up the discarded box of hair color. “After I faded into the crowd, I came here. I had been hiding a few of my things, waiting for the perfect moment. Meadow unknowingly gave me the opportunity I needed when she focused on a guy she liked instead of me. I came here, dyed my blonde hair black, changed my clothes, and then disappeared like a thief in the night.” Setting the damp box on the stone, I turned to find Dominick’s eyes focused on me, his attention never wavering.
“I knew Corey was rotten to the core, but I had no idea he was in as deep as he was until I saw the ring on Anthony’s hand. I didn’t think about where the money had come from, but how it could help me get as far away from this place as possible. Your money, the bag I stole from Corey, is in the top of my closet behind a stack of blankets.” Dominick opened his mouth as if to say something, but I shook my head as the tears I’d refused to allow tried to leave my eyes.
“Promise me you’ll take care of Gabby. Give her ownership of the shop, she shouldn’t be punished because of me.” Dominick looked at his shoes while I waited for the click of his gun. I knew he had one on him; I’d never seen it, but I knew it was there as a part of his “uniform”. I refused to look away; he’d have to look into my eyes when he pulled the trigger.
“Ari?”
I fucking hated the name Corey had given me. If I was dying today, then I was going to do it as the real me. “Anna,” I corrected. “My name is Arianna Covington, not Ari Taylor, so please stop calling me Ari.”
Dominick placed the flashlight end piece against the floor, illuminating the ceiling and lighting up the small space. “I know.”
Shock overrode the fear I’d felt when getting off the plane.
“I think I can shed some light on this subject,” Antonio spoke from the doorway as flakes of dust stirred in the beams of light bouncing off the ceiling.
My mind was trying to catch up with my body while his words ricocheted around in my ears.
Dominick turned back to his father, his hand raised up to stop him. “No, Antonio. I’ve got this.” He waited while his senior gave a silent nod of his head, throwing one last glance in my direction. Dominick then moved so he was standing at the opposite end of the sarcophagus, his hands resting inches apart.
“Anna? Can I call you Anna, or do you prefer Arianna?” He waited with cautious eyes, never moving his hands from their place against the stone.
“Anna is what my family and friends always called me. Ari is something…” I paused, not wanting to give the man anymore credit, but still tired of the lie, “…it was a name Corey gave me.” I let his name hang in the air to join the dust as it settled. I was feeling a little lighter, as each confessed lie held less power over me.
“I like Anna better, it suits your personality. Ari always reminded me of a celestial sign or something.” A smile pulled at the edge of his mouth, his eyes becoming brighter as the sun continued to rise. “I’ve needed to tell you so many things since you came into my world. I’ve got a million excuses for why I’ve chosen not to.” He shook his head as he gathered his thoughts. “Anna.” My name came out as if an apology, his deep voice cracking in the process. “I need you to listen to everything I have to say. Let me confess to you what I’ve done before you make up your mind about me.”
My knees shook slightly as he reached into his jacket pocket. I held my breath and bit my lip in anticipation of what he would retrieve, ready for the gun to appear. When a single white envelope emerged instead, I allowed a hint of breath to escape my lungs.
Dominick placed the envelope on the stone lid, his fingers remaining on the white paper while his eyes once again met mine. “My father has always been the man I’ve set my standards by. He’s fair when he needs to be, and ruthless when the circumstances call for it. As you witnessed last night, he has the ability to always know the real story. He showed me a file he’d gathered on a beautiful young girl who started working for my mother. He showed me school records, birth certificates, credit reports, and bank records. As I looked at each piece of paper, I knew I had to come talk to you, admit what I had done.” Pain, anguish, and remorse found his face, discoloring his once brilliant eyes.
Dominick had always presented himself as a strong individual, always certain of his actions; the man before me was a shell of the man I once knew.
“Anna, last year my family began to notice a decrease in revenue from our men here in Louisiana. Small amounts at first, and then much larger ones. My father tasked me with finding out what was going on, but since I was too busy doing what I do, I sent Anthony down here to handle things.” Dominick shook his head as he continued. “He called me and said he’d found the source of the leak. I told him to seal it.” His eyes hardened as his voice quivered. “I ordered the hit on Corey.”
Silence followed his confession, giving me an excuse to
let out the rest of the breath I was holding.
“My father left the decision up to me. I didn’t want to believe you could be tied to Corey, so I let you lead me to finding out who you really were. Curtis Daniels has always had an eagle eye, willing to bend the fucking rules for my Family. With your social security number, I was able to confirm what my father had shown me was true. I used your excitement to own your dream against you. Arianna Erin Covington, I ordered the hit on a man you loved enough to agree to marry.”
I refused to allow my knees to buckle, feeling stupid for not considering this sooner. I’d been so wrapped up in the dream, I’d never thought there would be any implications beside the obvious.
“Anna, inside this envelope is three times what you paid for the shop. Outside, a taxi is waiting to take you anywhere you want to go. You have my word I will never look for you. You will forever remain an Untouchable with my word that I will honor that title. I’ve taken enough from you, but…” he paused, sliding the envelope in my direction.
Warm light from the sun shone in from the lack of door. I shifted my eyes from him to the street, finding a bright yellow taxi waiting along the curb. “But?” I prompted, my eyes staying on the taxi.
“Anna, if you could find a way to forgive me for taking away the love of your life, I swear to treat you the way you deserve. I’ll be the best friend you could ever want. And someday, when enough time has passed, maybe you’ll find a way to love me,” he sighed, “…the way I love you.”
His admission gripped me deep in my chest, freeing a part of me I’d kept wrapped up and protected. “He never gave me a choice.” My eyes found his bewildered ones. “Right there, in the middle of the lunch crowd, surrounded by the smell of cooking meat and old grease. ‘Ari, you’re going to marry me,’ he’d said. He gave me this ring, but I never gave him an answer. He never gave me a choice about anything. What I wore, what I ate, even whether I could use makeup or not.”
Stolen Secrets Page 24
