by J D Worth
Where in the world is he taking me that cell phones won’t work? I change the subject with a swift nod. “I’m sorry to hear that your grandmother’s Alzheimer’s has worsened.” Cal eyes me. “Martin told me last week when he picked up Aiden. I offered to take him, but your mother planned to take Aiden back with her because of your grandmother.”
Cal shares, “Pop makes the long trip to help on most weekends. Gram loves Aiden. He’s the only one who can make her smile now.”
I say, “I can see that. Aiden brightens everyone’s day.”
The car fills with our nervous tension while the rest of the trip to Northport flies by with little conversation. We’re unsure of what we’re facing, and the situation has to be bad if Mace can’t get himself out and needs Cal’s help. I dig my feet into my heels to stop my legs from bouncing.
Passing a yacht club, we reach the ritzy part of Northport. Cal says, “We’re almost there.” I tuck the diamond hairpins on each side of my dried hair as Cal pulls into a luxurious hotel called the Royale.
I glance up at the white palatial structure, musing how this place is much closer to Aster turf than I’ve seen down here while a valet parks my car. I take Cal’s offered arm as he escorts me through the fancy lobby to a private back elevator. The elevator comes complete with an operator in a formal black uniform with tacky gold trim. When the doors close, he asks what floor. Cal pulls out a black card with a gold crown from his wallet. The operator slips the card into a slot, and the elevator descends to the basement level.
We step out to a fancy waiting area and come upon three mobsters in expensive suits. I immediately recognize Nikolai. We appear to be entering a private, highly secure section of the hotel. These three hulking security guys are protecting what’s behind the golden double doors at the end of the long hallway. Nikolai keeps his eyes affixed to me like he did at the motel. My step falters as we near our destination.
Nikolai is propped against a glossy black reception desk while two other bulky guys stand guard on each side of the doors. The youngest thug in his mid-twenties, steps toward us as he speaks Russian to the others.
Cal says, “Viktor, we’re meeting up with Mace. If he’s not available, we have direct business with Anton.”
Viktor speaks in Russian and motions to Cal. He turns over his Royale crown card to Nikolai. Cal lifts his arms up so Viktor can frisk him in a thorough fashion. Viktor turns his cocky attention to me, directing me with the same foreign words. When I don’t respond, he laughs. I shift my eyes to Cal who’s nodding his head at me. I lift my arms up, but Viktor swipes my bag instead.
Viktor calls out, “Nikolai,” tossing my bag in his direction. The massive enforcer looks like a giant with my tiny bag in his beefy hand. Settling behind the desk, he paws through my wallet and enters my license information into the laptop. Sliding out the ace of hearts, he flips the card over, and inspects the vintage styling. He taps the card against the desk while his blue eyes pierce through me like icicles. I stare back, unflinching as he takes his time picking up the landline phone. He speaks in his native tongue, relaying the information on my license again as he goes through my wallet.
After a tense five minutes, Cal says, “Something’s off.”
“Is this the usual procedure?’’
“No. It takes less than a minute to scan the crown card and get through the door once you’re in their system.”
“They’re offering me a crown card?” Cal shakes his head. “I’m from New York?” I counter. Cal’s neck stiffens as he becomes uneasy. I lean in and whisper, “From what I can gather by reading the scene, Nikolai’s seems in control of security. He wasn’t quick to follow the orders of the arrogant younger guy. He’s the one stalling our entrance, so he knows what’s going down.” I suck in a deep breath. “Or our surprise arrival signals trouble for them.”
Cal’s voice comes out raw, relaying, “Yeah, Audrey. Mace is in serious trouble. More than I thought. I don’t know if he’ll get out tonight.” Nervous tendrils weave around my stomach as I sway in my spot. Locking his jaw tight, Cal tries to fight off a frown. He places his hand over his grim mouth. Falling into a strained gaze, he keeps his eyes on the floor in front of him.
Nikolai nods to Viktor before he makes another call. These guys are serious, and the reason Cal urged me to bring my wallet. They’re vetting me before they let us through the doors. What did I walk into?
Viktor steps around me, motioning to lift my arms up again. He begins to frisk me by cupping my breasts. The hairs on the back of my neck spike with fear. I freeze at the unwanted intrusion while my mind replays Chaz’s assault. Cal leaps towards him. “Don’t touch her!”
The mob guy standing in the corner cocks a gun at Cal’s head and shoves him against the wall from behind. Viktor thrusts me into the wall at the same time, restraining me with his body. My stomach rolls when the cold metal of what I presume a gun barrel, runs up the inside of my bare leg. He slips his hand over my shoulder and moves two fingers under my breast, withdrawing my rolled hundred-dollar bill I always bring for backup. His laugh is sinister as he shoves his hand under my other breast, taking leeway while searching further. I compose myself as much as possible, knowing he’s using his body to cover up his vile actions. Goosebumps erupt all over my skin in silent protest. All the while, he’s whispering Russian into my ear, trying to prod Cal on since Cal’s incensed eyes haven’t left his once.
I shake my head at Cal, motioning for him not to react. We have to go through these guys to pull Mace out of here. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, calculating all the possible outcomes here, and none of them are good.
Things worsen when Viktor cocks the gun barrel to my temple. On impulse, Cal moves towards me. Again, I attempt to calm him by mouthing no, hoping he’ll maintain his temper. Cal’s body vibrates. Viktor tries to incite him worse than before, pushing the gun harder into the soft concave of my temple. Deep pressure radiates into pain. I tighten my body, withholding all reactions.
Out of the corner of my eye, another gun cocks beside me. Nikolai towers over the young guy behind me, holding his semi-automatic to Victor’s face. Nikolai gives him a warning, “Viktor.” They exchange visceral words. Viktor responds with a brazen laugh in my ear. I keep my cool, concentrating on my breathing and focusing on the fancy damask wallpaper instead of the gun barrel. Nikolai clips out a command. The gun on Cal shifts to Viktor.
The cocking of another gun behind me catapults the tension to a breaking point. Cal shifts his focus beyond Viktor. The owner of the new semi-automatic speaks with a hard, guttural, “Viktor.” His hostile tone dictating how unhappy he is, having to pull a gun on his own man. Anton has arrived with his gun blazing.
Anton sparks off a conversation in their native tongue, taking the situation in a new direction. Viktor may be the loose cannon here. Having three weapons pointed at him, he has yet to remove the tyrannical gun at my head. Viktor chuckles at the dire situation, exchanging sharper Russian words in return. I’m a pawn in a power play between them.
Nikolai disarms Viktor of his gun with a flick of his wrist, parking the gun into the waist of his dress pants. Grabbing Viktor by his neck, Nikolai secures him up against the wall with his massive hand. Nikolai says to me, “I offer you an apology.” I cautiously turn towards him and his boss.
Surprise reigns upon Anton’s face as we meet again. “Audrey,” he says, “what is all of this commotion about?”
I say, “Well—”
“Your goon had a field day feeling her up, not patting her down!” Call shouts. “Then he slammed her against the wall and shoved his hand down her dress for a second round.” Cal yanks me behind him and points to Viktor. “And look at the gun barrel imprint he left on her temple!” Wanting more than anything to diffuse the volatile situation, I glare at Cal. His eyes remain on Viktor instead. I place my hand on Cal’s chest to help calm him down while turning my attention back to Anton, not wishing to make any more waves here. Four gun
s appeared without a second thought. Viktor struggles to breathe as Nikolai clamps his neck harder, having missed the sexual harassment when he was on the phone.
I ignore the man gasping for air beside me, and the fact Anton is still staring at my temple as I ask, “Anton, my understanding is that Mace needs a ride home.”
Nikolai motions Anton to his laptop. Anton lifts his eyes to me and back to the monitor before Nikolai says something else. Anton takes another look and steps to the side, discussing matters with his enforcer. Nikolai keeps his thick hand mounted against Viktor’s windpipe as he casually converses with Anton. Viktor’s eyes flutter, and his body deflates with each passing second. My breath leaves me. Violence doesn’t seem to register with these guys.
Cal hugs me to his body. He kisses my temple and relays in a low voice, “This has never happened before. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here. You’re a lady, and Miss Charlotte would’ve skinned my hide for thinking of this lousy plan in the first place.”
“We’re past the worst of things, and that’s not too bad for what turns out to be four dragons. I gave Viktor a reason to search me further when I snuck in my insurance.” Cal drops a cutting glare on me. “I’m sorry. You told me not to, and now I see why. The insurance has been my lifeline in the past. We were bound to get a little singed, correct?” I downplay the inflamed situation while Cal is ready to lash out again.
“No. We should’ve been through those doors and back out with Mace by now.” Concluding the worst, Cal’s shoulders slump. His body lists against mine for support.
I shift my hip, bracing his weight. My breath comes out short and quick. “We don’t know for sure, so don’t think those negative thoughts.”
“You don’t know these guys. They make the movie mob guys look like nuns. The enforcer is strangling his own guy with only two fingers. Audrey, that’s the same guy who took out Mace.”
“Something went down tonight. The important people in power seem to be on our side, at least for the moment.”
“No, they’re trying to neutralize the situation after they ended him. That’s what is happening here. They ended him!” Cal’s glazed eyes stare head, not focusing on anything. “His deal went bad. They’re buying time, stalling us, and they’ll tell us some bullshit story to cover their tracks.”
“Mace still needs us, so we have to follow through and maintain our wits. I don’t think we have a choice after what transpired out here. We’re in essence … witnesses. We knew he was coming here tonight. He told me he may not be around for some time.”
“He knew what he was walking into, and that I’d come, make sure his body—” Cal grips his hand over his mouth, sinking his fingertips into his pale flesh. I don’t know if I’m in denial, or landed in a stupefied state after Viktor aimed his gun at me, yet I can’t fathom how Mace possibly met his end tonight. That’s not feasible. I saw him this afternoon when he stopped by … to say goodbye. His final goodbye.
Desperate, I look to Cal. The same shock he’s experiencing settles over me like a contagious disease. One you never wish to experience when you have to face the truth. Mace wanted me to know how he felt before his end. Composing myself, I press my fingers against my closed eyes. The room spins. The living nightmare is not yet over. The black and gold damask wallpaper reminds me of the same design at the funeral home where I met the funeral director the day of my mother’s service. Here we are waiting as Anton figures out his play. Death looms right around the corner from us.
Cal blinks in quick succession and jerks his body towards me. “No matter what, Audrey, we have to get Anton to let us see Mace. We have to do this for him. If not, they’ll get rid of him. They’ll dump his body, and we’ll never find him. Do you understand what we have to do from this point on?”
“We have to be strong even at our weakest point.” My throat clenches tight. I make myself swallow all the uncertainty in the world. “Mace said that to me this afternoon.”
“Fuck.” Cal drops his head low, placing his hands on his knees, taking several trembling breaths. “Okay, first they’re gonna try to break us. We can’t let ’em no matter what. They’ll try everything too. Mind games, Audrey. These guys are the best. Half of ’em are trained by old KGB masters.” Cal stands up with a new resolve. “We stick this through, and we stick together. They can get away with killing Mace, but not the three of us.”
I hold my breath. “We don’t know for sure, Cal.”
His eyes grow huge. “Audrey, they fuckin’ killed him!”
I shake my head at him.
Cal says, “Audrey … you need to understand that Mace traded his fuckin’ life for Abe’s. Abe got into deep shit with these guys and looks as if Mace couldn’t make his deal with Anton work out. Mace chose to come here. They didn’t force him to. He knew the cost.”
“No, Cal.” I keep shaking my head. “Anton was ready to use me to renegotiate at the Sunset. Maybe I can—”
“Stop!” Cal wraps his beefy hand around my arm and tugs me hard. “Take a moment and pull yourself together. These guys can’t see us falling apart no matter what.”
I turn towards the wall, catching my breath as my heart quickens against my chest. I can pull off this bullshit. I’m a fucking Aster! Anton can’t touch me. I roll my hands into tight fists as I ready myself for the fight of my life.
Peeking over to the mobsters, I elbow Cal, saying, “Look.” I nod towards Anton questioning Viktor as Nikolai lets him go. Viktor’s face remains sunburnt red. He rubs his neck while answering Anton’s questions. Anton shreds Viktor with a lethal expression that sends shivers over me. When he’s done, he shoves Viktor to the wall, pointing at him to stay put like a dog. Viktor doesn’t move as Anton steps back with Nikolai. Their focus remains on me while they have yet another intense discussion.
“Ivan.” Anton calls the guy in the corner to his attention and fires off commands. Ivan jumps into action by placing a call and handing the phone over to Anton. The whole time Anton’s eyes never leave mine as if he’s trying to figure something out. Nikolai returns Cal’s crown card and my purse, remaining at my side, peering down at me. Anton tells us to follow him once he finishes on the phone.
Ivan makes another call on Anton’s command. His eyes lift up, and lock onto Anton’s, giving him an affirmative nod as we pass, moving closer to the doors. Anton’s guy is confirming the worst possible outcome, and all I can do is whip my head back to catch Anton’s reaction. Cal was right. These fucking mobsters killed Mace tonight. My whole body shudders.
Anton’s dips his chin just a fraction. With that one subtle movement, our situation deteriorates, snatching hope from my existence. Mace breathed life into me. Now I watch as these ruthless mobsters rip his life away from mine. A numbness spreads across my body. A thousand tiny shivers pour over me all at once. I’m stuck on an iceberg in the middle of Hell with no way out.
Anton notices how closely I’m eyeing him. Clearing all emotion from his face, he straightens his posture. Like Lilith, he’s a master of disguise. One of the worst days of our lives descends upon us. Cal stumbles as we near the double doors, so I clasp my hand with his. Holding each other up, Cal and I exchange looks. We have a job we must carry out for Mace’s sake. Filling his lungs with air, Cal gives me a nod. I lift my chin, facing whatever is coming with dignity. Mace’s desperate and final request of Cal wasn’t for a search party, rather a retrieval mission. I wonder what could’ve gone so terribly wrong for Mace that he paid with his life.
About the Author
J. D. Worth was born and raised in New England and always had a paintbrush or a pen in her hand, eager to capture her creative musings. After college, she landed at a busy interior design firm where she created beautiful havens for her clients. Now she’s crafting breathtaking stories on a new journey and couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to share her musings with you. She resides with her husband, her son, a joyful yellow lab, a goofy Ragdoll cat, and a scrappy little gr
ay cat who refuses to keep her feet warm at night.
www.jdworthauthor.com
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge those lovely souls who helped me on my writing journey. Alyce, Amy, and Alison. My A-team has been with me since the beginning with their ongoing support and encouragement while I fulfill my lifelong dream. Rachel, Susan, and Michele. My wonderful beta readers, who graciously gave me heaps of honest feedback so I could become a worthy writer. Judy, Jami, and Emily who helped me paint my charming Southern town of Haven. Meg, my editor, who taught me the fine art of crafting an enchanting story. Petra, line by line, who adds grace and challenges me to be a better writer every day. My warm and welcoming Bookstagram family. I’d like to express my deep gratitude for counting me amongst the astonishing talent of indie authors and book bloggers whose creative insights blow me away every day. And of course, my devoted and loving family who send cupcakes to my writing cave. Truly, how could I survive without you?
