by J D Worth
“No franchise here. I’m the head.” Anton grins. I suck in my breath. “Welcome to the party, my love.”
Fuck! The Italian mob and the Russian mob maintain their strangleholds in New York. Power plays—no matter who’s doing the play—are always noted in my circles. The Russian mob heads do not operate like the Italians bosses, who are smooth and orderly, kicking their commands down the line. No, the Russians like to do all the dirty work themselves, and they’re more brutal and deadly.
I flick my eyes to the ceiling and brush him off. “Mace isn’t here. Makes for a pretty lame party.”
“Oh, we’re only getting started.” Anton chuckles. “Shall I send Nikolai on a booze run for a bottle of JD so you and I can get to know each a little better? How about I spring for another tattoo? We’re fond of the symbolic nature of the ancient art in our organization. In fact, we’re rather fond of art as a whole. I’ve heard you are as well.” Even though he’s revealing personal details meant to rattle me, I fight to keep my face stoic.
Russian mobsters are also usually tattooed badasses who don’t sit home eating ravioli. They brawl with the best of them, proud to earn their muscles and scars like Anton has. His scar almost runs the length of his entire eyebrow. Must have been one hell of a fight, and there’s no way Anton lost. He let Mace punch him at the Sunset.
I scrunch my nose up as though he smells putrid. “I’ll pass.”
“For now.” He grins as he heads for the door. “Audrey, this is the beginning of our beautiful”—he traces his eyes over my features—“partnership.” He goes to pat my cheek, and I snatch ahold of his hand midair.
I drop my voice low, relaying, “Don’t touch me!”
He gazes over my shoulder into the empty room. “Mace isn’t here. He won’t be defending your honor tonight.”
“Your nose is going to be crooked if you don’t set that break. I’m more than willing to help the swelling on the right match the left.” I fling his hand away and grasp ahold of the door handle, forming a tight fist.
Anton’s roaring laugh blasts through the air as he exchanges looks with Nikolai. “She gave Mace a run for his money last night at the bar too. I told you she’s perfect.” Smirking, Anton glances back to me. “I’m looking forward to working with you, sweetheart. We have much more in common than you realize.” He glides out the door and down the corridor, leaving Nikolai standing right outside the threshold to the room.
Nikolai takes the opportunity to eye me a little closer than before. A ghost of a smile covers his lips as he taps the right side of his nose. He extends his hand for a formal handshake. I blink back at him and force myself to shake his large intimating hand. He gently engulfs mine and nods his head before he leaves. I shut the door and shudder. Anton hung around the Sunset long enough to gather intel on me. As far as I know, the Asters have no mob connections. Why the sudden interest in me?
24
The girls show up decked out in their swimsuits with the intention of spending as much time with me as possible. The last four weeks have flown by, and my time here at the cottage is winding down. Tomorrow is my last day, and the quiet morning reflects the somber mood. Violet insists on doing my hair again in a loose Boho braid to match my colorful bikini.
While we sunbath on a blanket, hulking shadows block the sun, drawing our attention upward. We lift up on our elbows, greeting Cal and Jax. The guys have been working on his cottage all morning. Sweat pours off their shirtless bodies in the midmorning heat.
“Sorry, brother, can’t ambush the innocent.” Jax drops a large squirt gun at his feet. Violet repeats how much she loves him, planting kisses all over his body. Jax lifts her up and walks towards the ocean for a cool dip.
Payton scoops up the discarded gun and jumps into a standoff with Cal. “I see you found your damn toys!”
Cal smirks back. “Yup! I’m guessing you’re the one who hid ’em in the back of the shed last summer.”
“Damn straight! All we wanna do is enjoy the beach. Do you think we like being ambushed?” She squirts him in the crotch. I snort a laugh.
“Let’s find out.” Cal charges after her, and she runs down the beach. I laugh at their playful display. A cool bottle runs up my neck. I whip around, and Mace offers me the ice-cold beer. He’s shirtless, wearing only black athletic shorts, matching the sweaty physique of Jax and Cal.
“You’re a pinup now?” Mace nods at my hairstyle as I take the beer. With the heat, I can’t resist the frosty beverage.
“Violet wanted my hair to match my bathing suit.”
“Kinda got that impression. I never know what to expect with you. You’re a wild card.”
“Are you helping Cal today?”
“Yeah, I give Cal a hand when the garage is slow.”
“And no Jack for you?” I eye his beer with raised eyebrows.
“Nah, not in this heat. I’d be sicker than a dog if I tried.” He drops beside me, admiring my bathing suit.
“Your bruises healed up nicely.” He tries not to wince.
“I know. There was a time I didn’t think they would.” Blowing out a grating breath, I twist my body back towards the ocean. He sees straight through me. Under his glaze, I still feel vulnerable.
“I guarantee his bruises were darker,” Mace says, leaning into me. His intensity burns as I gaze back to the ocean.
I wonder where I stand with Mace. My assault was only one of the things holding him back from a real relationship with me. His business with Anton is another. Figuring Anton’s unnerving motel visit was meant to rattle Mace, I never mentioned the incident. I’ve never once brought up my stalking incidents at the cottage. I’m afraid Mace or even Cal will lose their shit and demolish anyone sneaking around my place, which will give Lilith reason to yank the cottage away for good. Seems we both have been keeping dark secrets from each other.
I have to ask about the other black cloud over my head, “Any word from Hal on Chaz’s whereabouts? It’s just odd that Chaz has dropped out of this world. I think something else is going on with him.” The uncertainty of his whereabouts has made the situation worse. I haven’t had another terrifying incident since the last one promising I’d “bleed the day I die.” My stalker went from intimate weekly messages to complete silence. Chaz has been too quiet. I eye Mace for any indication of a behind the scenes “fix.”
“There’s been no official confirmation where he landed. Pretty Boy is still screening his calls, and his lawyer has Hal chasing his tail.”
“That could mean anything. Stocks trade at their lowest during summer, and Chaz may be on an extended vacation. Attorney-client privilege means his lawyer doesn’t have to disclose anything. I feel bad Hal is in this mess. He seems like a decent guy.”
“He’s fed up.”
“Mace, when did you realize what was happening on the beach?” My voice wavers above a whisper. Chaz’s attack still shakes me to my core, which makes me wonder if I’ll be able to move past the incident one day.
“I hit the employee locker room to return the jacket. You must’ve slipped out while I was down there. I was a few minutes behind you and heard a commotion up the beach by the berm. Knew the situation wasn’t gonna be good. Ran when I saw a fist hitting. Slammed his head with the bottle of JD after I saw him on top of a struggling woman. Normally, that would’ve jacked up any man for a fight, but he was too drunk. I got really pissed when I lifted his head and saw he had you pinned, Princess.”
“The attack put everything in perspective for me.”
“How so?”
“Chaz sweet-talked Lilith into being my escort. However, she went further, granting him permission to date me, without even consulting me. Then crazily, Lilith suggested I have several wild nights on the town with Chaz. They’re grooming me, but not in the way I think or have been led to believe. William sent me that ‘welcome home’ postcard. He tossed a grenade at me, wanting me to know what happened to my mother when she tried to leave.” I
let out a deep, irritating breath I’ve been suppressing.
We finish our cold beers. After a long silence, Mace asks, “Princess, you ready for a dip?” I hop up and follow him into the cool water. He dives under and comes up a ways off. I pop up behind him and gaze out to the water. “By that faraway look on your face, I’m guessing you’re formulating a plan for when you return to the city and see Pretty Boy in person.” I nod as he moves closer, placing his hands on each side of my face. “He’s not gonna step foot near you.”
“You don’t know Lilith. If she wants us together, she’ll make us a power couple, even if it’s just on paper. I think she’ll do anything to replace me with someone who will do her bidding. For some reason, she’s really honed in on Chaz. The chances are he’s laying low.” I shrug. “Maybe he pissed off Lilith? That might explain everything.”
“Let me just say, his sense of entitlement no longer exists, and he’s gonna avoid you at all costs.” Mace glances around the beach as I swallow down the unease I’ve carried all summer.
I place my hands upon his scarred knuckles, recalling how scuffed up they were when he showed me at the diner. That didn’t happen on the beach, not when he was mostly kicking Chaz. “He’s not going to bother me again, is he?”
“No.” Mace moves in, kissing me while I wrap my legs around him and hang onto his neck. He’s able to stand, but the water is over my head, so he moves us closer to shore.
“Did you need that alibi from me, Mace?”
“If I needed an alibi, it wouldn’t be yours, Princess. I would’ve kept you out of that fuckin’ mess.”
I lift my eyes to the clear blue sky, asking, “Please tell me it’s possible the message you relayed on the beach—or after—is the real reason he’s hiding out now.”
“Do you want the truth?”
I meet his eyes. “Yes.”
“You never know how someone will react when they’re shoved against a wall. But let me give you some pointers anyway. You’re going to a college filled with entitled pretty boys who aren’t used to hearing the word no.” He lifts my hand up in front of me and wiggles my pinky. “First time a man gets physical with you, go for his pinky, and try to flatten the finger back against itself. That one move will bring a grown man down and set you up for your next move. Women instinctually go for the balls, but a more effective move is to kick the inside of his knee or ankle. The momentum knocks ’em down and gives you enough time to hightail it to safety.” He grins. I blink in quick succession to keep up with self-defense techniques. “We can practice on Trent if you’d like.” A boisterous laugh escapes me. “Pretty Boy’s a coward. That’s the truth.”
“I need to prepare for the possibility of running into him, but I’ll skip abusing Trent.” I flash a coy smile. He dips me back, and I grasp my hands tight around his neck while my hair fans out in the water. His pulls me back up and meets my lips with his.
“You leave the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes, William’s going to call me with the details later tonight.” Biting the scar tissue left from Chaz’s punch, I glance down the beach as I draw blood. Cal and Payton are still playing with the squirt guns while Violet and Jax are in their own world on the other side of the cove in the water. “Are they humping again?” I laugh, nodding towards Jax and Violet’s open display of affection. Mace smirks my way.
In a low, rough voice, he says, “That’s what life looks like when you find your other half. You can’t keep your hands off one another.” My breath leaves me, and my body trembles while he runs his hand runs across my bikini bottom, tugging the wide bow on the side, unraveling the knot. He moves the fabric out of the way. Settling in chest deep water, he brings me over his lap. My bare skin melts against his hardness. I gasp at the close intimacy.
“I wanna feel you melt against me. It’ll be a while before we have this again. When am I gonna see you?” Mace asks, placing desperate kisses on my neck.
My head falls back and my chest heaves forward. “Columbus Day,” I rasp from his passionate onslaught.
“That’s too damn long. Tell William what a shame, but you’re staying here with me.” Mace claims my mouth and shifts my hips back and forth, sliding my slick sex over his impressive length. An aching moan escapes me. I bare down, moving my own hips, inciting a deep groan from him. “See, you’re so hungry…” Mace nips at my ear, evoking a moan from me again. “You know we belong together,” Mace says in an earnest tone.
“What are we, Mace?”
“I’m not one for labels, Princess.” He stares into my eyes, telling me straight up where he’s coming from.
“Are you one for monogamy? Because I am.” The raw honesty strips me of all confidence concerning our relationship.
“Told you, you were mine. You belong on the back of my bike.”
“Is that only for now? For when I’m present? How about when I’m away at college?”
“I’ll come to you.”
“Are you honestly okay with a part-time girlfriend?” I scuff at myself. “Am I even your girlfriend?”
Mace flicks our clothes back into place. “You aren’t looking at the possibilities, so don’t diminish what we are.” He stands up, taking brisk strides towards the shore. “I need a shower.” He sighs, reaching out his hand for me to join him. I entwine my hand with his, trailing him up to the cottage. He strips his wet shorts and throws them into the washer. We take a quick shower. I wash my hair while he leaves to grab a change of clothes from his leather bag.
I enter the bedroom still pondering his words, failing to find a solution to our relationship woes. Mace is sitting on my bed with his arms out for me. I throw myself into his arms, taking everything he’ll give me. Will the little bits of bliss be enough to carry us while we’re hundreds of miles apart?
***
Around eight o’clock in the evening, my cell rings. The group silences. My departure plans are imminent. I move away from the fire for privacy.
“Audrey.” William’s voice is hurried and to the point.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve been at the hospital all day. Georgina is experiencing cramping. They’re keeping her for observation to be safe. We had to cut the Maldives trip short since this started a few days ago. The doctors have placed her on bed rest.”
My father’s worried voice shakes me. He never shows emotion. “Is she going to be all right?” My chest thumps, thinking about the well-being of my unborn sibling.
“She will be, but she needs peace and quiet. She’s stressed dealing with her first pregnancy.”
“This is about her, not the baby?” My face contorts, deciphering his real message.
His voice deepens as he says, “The best plan of action is for you to remain in Haven for the duration of summer.”
“What about the broker tests Lilith has me studying for?”
“We’ll arrange for the tests in Boston before your classes start. A driver will pick you up at nine in the morning the last Monday in August to take you to the airport. You’ll fly into Logan International Airport and stay at a hotel in Cambridge. You’ll have time to acquaint yourself with the area before you move into your dorm. Your things will be at the hotel for you.”
“I’ll drive myself up.”
“No. Parking at Harvard is not feasible for freshman, so there is no need for your car. I will provide a hotel during breaks.”
“You want me to stay at a hotel instead of coming back to the city? I thought we were going to discuss my living options!” I raise my voice. My father responds by blowing a sigh into his phone.
“This is exactly the concerning behavior I was talking about! Georgina was only trying to help you. She does not need the stress of an emotional teenager around.”
“An emotional teenager?” I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry at his demeaning statement. “You can’t be serious after the mature responsibilities and expectations you placed upon my shoulders after my mother d
ied. I haven’t felt like a teenager once in my life, let alone allowed to be one in your presence. I’ve done everything you asked of me. Therefore, let me save you time, Georgina doesn’t want me around anymore, so I’ll return here for my breaks. I am an adult capable of making decisions for myself. The quiet retreat is a perfect place to concentrate on my studies. You wanted me to get the message about Mom and I did. Thanks for the postcard. Made things much clearer.”
“A postcard from the Maldives?”
“No, of Haven Cove.”
