by J. L. Drake
Was she just like her mother? Connie never married. She never dated either. Her suspicious behavior never made sense. In essence, her mother was a stranger in many ways. She laughed out loud, thinking that maybe her mother was visiting a man all these years. They’d never been close but it wasn’t too late to mend any bonds that had unraveled over the years. The calming effects of having taken a drive had dissipated as even more confusing thoughts bounced around in her head.
Her fist hit the steering wheel and the horn accidentally beeped. The cows in a nearby field raised their heads before returning to chewing the hay at their feet. She said a mental apology for disturbing their mid-morning meal, but she’d had more than she could take. Her foot hit the brake and she pulled her car to the side of the road, confused and dejected.
Roman had swept her off her feet the first time they met months ago and all while failing to mention he was from an organized crime family. The declaration betrayed her trust, but would it have made a difference?
Choosing not to be with him was torture. Her head said she didn’t want to be with him but her heart said otherwise. It still irked her that he was trying to manipulate her back into his arms. The manipulation stung. Madison was her own woman and she planned to keep it that way.
She dug in her purse and pulled her cell phone out. To hell with Roman. Flicking through the list of contacts, she called Valentina.
It rang and rang. Madison’s finger hovered over the disconnect button, but Valentina finally picked it up.
“Hello.” Her voice was raspy and low.
“Valentina?” Damn, she’d forgotten Valentina was sick. “I’m so sorry to bother you. I can call you another time when you’re feeling up to it.”
“No, that’s all right.” She cleared her voice before adding, “I’m just tired. I think the worst has passed.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I missed seeing you last night.”
“You too. I heard my brother cooked.”
“It was delicious, but then you probably already know that.”
“Not really. He has me do the cooking. I think he likes you,” she teased. Did he really like her? Business, Madison chanted in her head. Let’s keep the conversation about business. That was not what she needed to hear now and not why she called.
Silence stretched over the phone before Madison spoke up.
“I think he was just trying to make amends for the con he pulled on me.” It sounded weak even to her.
“What con? Don’t sell my brother short. When he wants something, he won’t let anyone stand in his way and I’m pretty sure he has his sights set on you.”
Madison shook her head and tried to focus. “I called to talk about the fashion show.”
“Roman told me. I’m sorry. Bad luck for them and good luck for us.” Excitement rang in her croaky voice. “It’s going to be amazing.”
“I think it was more than bad luck,” Madison muttered. There was no need to place blame or complain. The fact remained. She had a venue and a beautiful one at that.
“What?” Valentina had a coughing fit. “I guess I’m still not over this thing yet.”
“When you are feeling better, can we meet to go over the particulars? I’m anxious to make sure everything is in order.”
“Didn’t you discuss it with Romeo last night?”
“Umm. Not really. I felt you were the one to have the conversation with.”
“Is it okay if I call you in a few days? Your event is booked and on the calendar, so don’t worry about that.” A whoosh of relief went through Madison.
“Call me when you’re feeling better and we can plan. I will call and change the location with the caterers and florist.”
“Great. I am glad your bridal event will be at Firenza. I love those types of affairs and I hope we will be hosting it every year.”
“Thank you. See you soon.”
Relief washed over Madison. It was done. The venue was set and she knew that Valentina wouldn’t let her down. She was a professional when it came to Firenza.
She ended the call and stuffed her cell in her purse. A loud moo sounded outside her window and Madison noticed she’d acquired a crowd. Outside her car, a line of curious Holsteins had wandered over to see what all the fuss was about. With a quick wave to the bovines, she put her car in drive and returned to the road. She was heading back to town with a lighter heart and a plan of action. She would do things her own way and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone would be able to do about it.
Roman
Roman gave the punching bag a jab with both fists. He followed that with a fierce kick that left it swinging and rattling on its chain. If he’d dealt that kind of punishment on a human being, they’d be dead or on the way to the emergency room right now. He’d barely slept last night and after tossing and turning for way too long, he finally hit the gym with a vengeance. Roman had planned on spending Sunday in bed and not alone. Instead, he was easing his tensions in the gym.
He’d been too long without a woman and even worse, the only woman he wanted didn’t want him. Tossing his boxing gloves to the side, he hit the treadmill. Roman had no idea how many miles he would need to run to rid Madison from his mind but it would never be enough. The whole time he was in Chicago, she was never far from his thoughts. He’d stayed away on purpose but it didn’t help. The distance just made him miss her more.
“There you are, boss.” Arlo entered the room, a mug in one hand and a pastry in the other.
“Where else would I be?” he snapped. Roman chugged on a bottle of water and wiped his forehead with a nearby towel. Sweat ran down his back.
“Sorry about last night.” Arlo leaned against the wall and studied the mug in his hand.
Last night was what he was trying to forget. At least Arlo had the decency to not look him in the eye.
“What the hell for? It wasn’t your fault she left.”
It was his. He thought he’d pulled out all the stops, but it wasn’t enough.
“I should have checked with you before I took her home.”
He threw the now wet towel onto a nearby bench. “It was her choice. I can’t make her stay if she doesn’t want to.”
Arlo halted the cup near his lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a woman not wanting to stay the night with you. I have to admit it did throw me for a minute when she asked to go home.”
“There will be other nights, I can promise you that.” He wasn’t done with Madison Miller.
“What’s on the schedule for today?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Love sick fool that he was, he’d planned on spending the day with Madison but things hadn’t worked out that way.
“The boys were talking about getting together later to watch the football game.” Arlo plopped the last bite of his pastry in his mouth and then wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
“Sounds good. I gave Therese the day off, so why don’t you order in and I’ll join you.”
“Will do, boss.” Arlo nodded and left the room.
Roman followed him out and headed for upstairs. Hopefully, a hot shower, and some time with the boys would erase a certain dark haired local from his mind, at least for a little bit.
The hot shower helped, but Madison was still on his mind. Drying off with a heated towel, he suddenly realized he had to go about things a different way. She was someone he couldn’t control, that was for sure. Maybe he’d have to let her think she was the one calling the shots.
He laughed at the thought. No, she’d come around. They always did.
Chapter Six
Madison
The store had just opened and Madison wanted to make sure the inventory had been labeled and the gowns were ready for steaming. Thankfully, it would be a quick Saturday with so many things to do in the shop.
“Stephanie?” she called from the back room. “Where are the dresses that came in yesterday?”
“The boxes are behind the new displays. Look to the left.” Madison rea
ched out and moved the sturdy metal hanger box that accommodated the rental tuxes. Large brown boxes peeked out. She rearranged the area to get started when the bell over the door rang announcing their first customer of the day.
It’d been almost a week since her date with Roman. He’d called every day asking for a second, but she’d been strong and said no. The man was persistent, that’s for sure. He was charming, and way too sexy, a combination that was getting harder and harder to say no to. She wanted a nice family man to settle down with, but being part of a mafia family wasn’t a part of her plan, nor was it the kind of household she imagined having.
“Good morning,” Madison heard Stephanie saying to a patron. She frowned as she opened the first box of dresses. The way her love life was going, she’d never get to walk down the aisle in one of these stunning gowns.
“Hey! Stop that!” Something crashed in the main shop. “What are you doing?” Stephanie’s panic stricken voice sent a shiver down her spine. What in the world? Madison jumped to her feet and rushed out front. A man stood glaring down at Stephanie as his hand sent a rack of dresses tumbling to the floor in a heap of white and tulle.
Oh my God!
“What is going on?” Madison screeched at the top of her lungs at the devastation and the condition of the store. “Who are you?”
The perpetrator didn’t speak. He loomed at over six feet and was built like a tank. Instead of acknowledging her, he marched over to the glass display case of crystal jewelry. Seizing a nearby silver candleholder, he smashed it through the glass. Shards of lead crystal flew everywhere like a load of buckshot. Stephanie covered her face with her hand and ducked behind a rack. Next he destroyed the metal veil rack, bending it until it hurtled down into a twisted, splintered wreck. Madison watched in horror as thousands of dollars’ worth of her and her mother’s inventory was demolished in mere moments.
“Stephanie, call 911,” she ordered.
Madison grabbed a nearby cake knife and stepped forward, anger boiling under her skin. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He turned to her. His face was void of emotion when he easily disarmed her and used the ribbon decorated knife to slice through a nearby veil.
“This is a message,” he finally said in a gruff voice. He walked to the wall and yanked at the rod fastened into the sheet rock. A mess of crumbled wall board littered the area, mixed with the exquisite gowns. Madison screamed at the destruction. Her hands covered her ears and her knees went weak. The intruder stepped closer and she retreated until her back hit the wall. His breath was hot and vile. Beady eyes bore into hers and he pointed a thick tattooed finger in her face. “You’ll be hearing from us again and you’d better listen.”
The brute retreated, swung on his heel, and left the store. Her heart thumped wildly and tears stung the back of her eyes at the devastation.
Madison dashed to the door, reaching it as soon as it slammed back into its threshold. She twisted the lock, sealing Stephanie and herself inside.
The outline of the man’s silhouette strutted down the sidewalk as if he was just out for a stroll.
“They’re coming,” Stephanie squeaked out on a breath. Blood was all over one side of her face. “The police are coming. They should be here any minute.”
“Oh my God. You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.” Stephanie grabbed a paper towel from the bathroom and held it to her face. They were both in shock. They scanned the room in horror until Madison collapsed on the floor, her head in her hands.
It was bad enough that some madman would cause a mess, but it was only weeks before the event that set the tone for their entire business earnings for the year. Holy shit. Who would do this? Why?
***
Madison sat in silence as Stephanie told the police what had happened. At this point, the only simmering memory was of his face—cold, rash, and unrepentant. She wouldn’t sleep for weeks after this. Stephanie, oh God, she was going to be paranoid and afraid to be here alone. Madison had finally gotten some semblance of security back after her kidnapping, but now the sense of well-being she’d gained as the distance grew after that occurrence had been squashed in a less than a minute. Dim memories of the experience flashed as if it was just yesterday. If not for Roman and his men finding her, she would be dead along with a young bride, and now she’d been vandalized. Nothing like this had ever happened around here and yet she’d been the victim of two crimes in less than a few months.
Three officers roamed her shop, one with a notepad jotting down notes, another photographing the damage, and the last one trying to lift a good fingerprint off some of the items the vandal touched. Insurance would pay for it, but they couldn’t erase the scars or the time lost to come back from this. The tightening in her chest slowly crept up to choke her throat. A shortness of breath began to plague her until she was gasping for air.
The ring tone from her phone jarred her from her misery. Stiffened, she followed the sound and found it on the floor behind the counter.
“Hello?”
“Maddy, is that you?” It was Connie, her mother.
“Yes.”
“It didn’t sound like you. Is everything all right?”
“No. It’s not,” she sobbed. All heads in the room turned to the entrance as Roman and Arlo entered the shop.
“What’s wrong?”
“The shop was just trashed.”
“What? What are you talking about, Maddy?” her mother demanded.
“A big thug of a man just walked in the store and started destroying things.”
Connie sucked in a sharp gasp. “Is this some kind of a joke?”
“I wish it was.” Madison’s eyes were locked on Roman’s. It was as if he was coming to her rescue again.
“I can’t believe it. Are you all right?” Her mother’s voice resonated in the background.
Roman briefly studied the damage before walking directly toward her. His face was a dark mask that made her stutter into the phone.
“Yes.” Her gaze darted to Stephanie who was now being cared for by first responders. “Stephanie may need stitches. She took some glass to the face.”
“What has the world come to?”
“I don’t know, Mom, maybe if you were here you’d figure it out.” She regretted the words as soon as they were uttered.
Roman placed a hand on her shoulder, his face full of concern and bottled up anger.
“Look, Mom, I’ve got to go.”
“But—” It was one of the rare times her mom didn’t want to end the conversation first.
“I have to talk to the police. I’ll call you later. I need to handle this shit-storm.”
“Okay. Call me if you need me.” Her voice broke on the word call.
“I always need you, Mom.” After ending the call, she faced Roman.
“What happened?” Roman stared straight into her eyes. Her nerves screamed at her, not wanting to have to tell the story again.
“I already told the police everything. What are you doing here?” She waved her hand at the disaster surrounding her.
“I heard and came right over. Have you ever seen this guy before?” His eyes flashed. “Do you know what he wanted?”
“A guy came in and destroyed the place. That’s it. I don’t know who the hell he was or what the hell he was thinking.”
More questions she’d already answered and the questions were coming from Roman, of all people. Madison reached down to pull a tiara out of the wreckage, shaking it off. Inside, she was crying.
“He said it was a message.” Madison spoke through the lump in the back of her throat, her gaze fixed on the glittering bent crown.
Roman raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. “What kind of message?”
“That I’d be hearing from him again and I’d better listen.” The threat didn’t make sense. The whole episode didn’t make sense. She didn’t have any competitors for miles and no one she could think of would want to do her harm.
<
br /> One of the taller police officers walked over.
“Roman.” The men shook hands.
“Ry, what can you tell me about who did this?”
“Wait, you two know each other?” Madison interrupted, suspicious that the mafia and the cops had congenial conversations.
“We’ve known each other since we were kids,” Officer Ryan Donavan said. “We were on the high school football team.”
The day was getting stranger and stranger with every passing minute.
“An unknown suspect ransacked the place and threatened the staff. I sent one of my guys out to question anybody in the area who might have witnessed the guy leaving. It’s early and the shops are opening up or don’t open for another hour. Whoever did this planned it right.” Officer Donavan gazed around. “We lifted a few prints. Hopefully he’s in the system. As soon as we get any further info, I’ll let you know.” Madison stewed. This was her place. Her shock now turned to outrage.
“Thanks, Ry. The sooner the better.”
“We’ll do what we can.” Officer Donavan handed her his card. “I think we got everything. If you think of anything else, please call. Any details will help us catch the perpetrator.” He then stopped to talk to Stephanie one more time and left her with a card as well. The ruckus of officers and onlookers departed as quickly as they came.
Roman strolled over to the metal rack that had been twisted into a pretzel.
“Arlo.”
“Yeah?”
“Call Dominic. Tell him to get the hell over here and see what he can do to fix this shit.”
“Right, boss.”
“And take photos. The insurance company is going to want them.”
“I’m on it,” Arlo said and pulled his cell from his pocket.
She hated to admit it, but it felt good to have him here. It felt good to have someone take charge for once instead of her, but it was still her store.
“I’ve got a guy,” Roman said. “He’ll get these displays back together in no time.”
“Thanks.” On shaky legs, she staggered over and gathered Stephanie in her arms. “But I’m all set. I can handle this.” The bleeding cut on Stephanie’s face had slowed down but it was deep. She was definitely taking her to the hospital to get checked out. Why her friend refused to go with the medics was beyond her. They even had her sign a form that Steph had declined further treatment.
