by Eden Rose
"Really?" Did not expect this to happen. Before, Anne and I used to talk about everything and now we both are keeping secrets. "Well... howabouthat."
Her phone buzzed and she smiled as she responded back. "Yeah, I'm ready and I think he is too. What kind of life can we have while we worry about hits?"
I pursed my lips as I gave her statement time to sink in. She did have a point. Worrying about children and how they are going to be targeted is awful... I would never be able to relax while knowing my kid is out and about. Hell, I would probably become a recluse and home school them. "I get it. You gotta do what you need to do. No matter what, I got your back."
She smiled and then clicked her nails on my desk which caused my eyes to fall on a very shiny bracelet. I must have been staring pretty hard because her eyes followed my line of vision and she gave me a big smile. "I've been pretty down this month and my hubby wanted to make me feel better."
I leaned over and pushed up her sleeve. Glitter! The bracelet caught my attention and I subconsciously went to play with mine. My other hand went to grab it only to just grab my skin. Yeah, I forgot I took it off and left it on my dresser. Anne's bracelet is filled with all different stones and a small rope like style. "It’s beautiful."
A dream like look took over her facial features and a faint smile twisted her lips. "Yeah, so how are you feeling?"
"I would be doing better if we could squash everything and move on." Neither of us are known grudge holders and we typically don't stay mad at each other for too long.
Anne clapped her hands and squealed while laughing. "Deal!" She jumped out of her chair and ran towards me. In a matter of seconds, her arms are wrapped tightly around my neck.
When she ran back to her desk, I asked questions. "How's the new place working out?" I still haven't seen her new penthouse and I am curious as to what it looks like. Her style is very feisty, so I expect it to be full of bright colors and different types of prints.
She giggles and rubs her hands together. "I love it. I feel like Ronnie and I have our own little island when we are there together," I love the dream like state of her face and her tone.
We answer the phones in between our conversation. "Have your parents been to see it? I bet they would like it." I know that since they moved south, they haven't been traveling all that much. I keep trying to set aside time to go see them since they mean a ton to me, but time is not on my side mostly.
"No, Mom and Dad are going to go for a cruise, and they are leaving from New York to go so they are staying for a night."
I clapped my hands together and opened up a listing that Anne got last week that I need to do some research on the area. Anne is the go getter and I am the type who loves to do research. Research is fun for me because I love to tinker on the Internet.
"That should be fun!" I want to ask if she and Ronnie have rescheduled their honeymoon or what is going on with that, but I decide against it because it hedges on a dangerous topic that I want to forget about.
At a quarter to one, Anne and I left the building and walked to our meeting. I was very nervous about this meeting especially because that is a ton of money on the line.
We sat in the corner of the bistro and waited for our client. I just took a sip of my wine when I see a gorgeous man walking through the door. Dark hair and blue eyes with a chiseled jaw to set it off.
I gripped Anne's arm as this man came walking toward us. "Holy hell. Who is that?" I whispered to her, but she didn't get to answer me since the man fluidly sat in his seat.
"Hello ladies. I am Alphonse. I have heard wonderful things about your work," his accent was delicious. He must be Italian.
My tongue wouldn't work. My hands were gripped into fists and I silently begged myself to pull it together. This is so not good! All I need is for him to tell any of the guys that I was staring at him like a bitch in heat.
Desperately, I needed sex.
"Hi, I am Anne, and this is Savannah." Thank the fucking lucky stars that Anne had her shit together.
"It’s nice to meet you. Have you ordered yet?" He looked at me and then back to Anne.
As if it were planned, Johnny came out of the kitchen with a lunch spread. "Here you are. It’s on the house," he set the tray on the table and looked at Alphonse. "Hello. Haven't seen you in a while. How is... Amber?"
Alphonse smiled a cheeky smile and then winked at me. I could just imagine my face right now. No doubt in my mind that is at least six shades of dark red.
"We haven't been together in a long time. You know, politics and everything."
Of course! Of course, he would be a part of that world. My mind clicked back on and I was ready for business. I had enough on my plate with another man that is a part of that world.
In the end of our lunch, we were hired by Alphonse and he said he will recommend us to his friends. So, in the end it was a pretty successful meeting.
Chapter 11
We worked the whole day working through the piles and managed to create a hole in them. One of the good things about being connected to Vincent and his friends, is that we got a few new clients today. A rather productive Monday.
"Savannah Cavanaugh," I answered my ringing phone.
"Hello, I am Carlo Hutchinson. I received a recommendation for you and Mrs. Rossi from Vincent. I am in the market for a Manhattan penthouse. Do you guys have any appointments available?" The voice was heavily accented, and I couldn't place it, but I know it’s not Italian.
I felt like I could swallow my tongue. Now, I feel awful for being cold to Vincent because he obviously cares so much about me to promote my business even when I am a cold-hearted bitch. "For today?"
"Yes."
My mouth and brain were having an issue with communication. Carlo cleared his throat and brought me back to reality. "Come in at any time."
About three hours later, it was four and a tall, handsome man came through the door. What a complete shocker. He is Italian, looks as if my accent radar needs to be re-tuned. Ha ha. Dark and dangerous. Just my type. I peeled my eyes off of his sparkling white teeth and stopped myself from drooling.
What is it with today? Is its hot guy day? I have a feeling I am just horny and need to get some. Maybe that is why I want to tackle Carlo to the ground.
Luckily for me, I kept my hormones in check through the meeting and acted as if I, in fact, were professional. Inside, my thoughts were nothing professional and I contemplated sneaking off to the bathroom to touch myself.
There was something about today that just made me... I don't even know how to explain it. Feel, I guess is a word to describe it. I was feeling a lot of things that surfaced throughout my day. One thing for sure is that I am head over heels in love with Vincent.
So, what if my checking out some of his counterparts helped me remember? It wasn't as if I pushed my skirt up and bent over the desk. Wait... That is not a bad idea. Mm.
After he left, I took a deep breath and then refocused my attention on the mysterious night. "Hey, do you know what is happening tonight?"
Anne shrugged and then looked down at her nail beds. "All I know is that I need to leave early and get ready for some fancy event."
Chapter 12
Vincent
I watched as Savannah left to go for work. This whole break up thing is ridiculous, and I have had enough of it and she will just have to deal with it because I am not giving her up.
All of the officials are in my den to discuss a stool pigeon. Manuel has flipped and thinks that we don't know that he did this. I have tracked him for the past few weeks and have noticed that he has been stopping by the Feds and is in the bureau for too long.
Sal isn't the one to be played with and he was the one who pulled his cell phone bill. Manuel isn't very smart since he is using his cell phone to call the Feds. He ordered John and I to follow him and we caught him doing several things that are against omerta.
"Well, he can't come to tonight's function because if he is a rat then I don't want any
thing said tonight to report back," Krosilo says and chugs his Starbucks. "All we need is for that fucker to spill what he learns about our new status."
Johnny rubbed his beard and ran his finger over his bottom lip. "We need to whack him off and it can't be messy. Manuel can't be trusted anymore and his association with us has been severed. He will no longer receive protection from our Borgata."
Me being the enforcer, the dirty work will fall on me. "Are we going to give him a call in? Because if he is working with the Feds then he probably thinks he is protected and won't show up." We did a stint like this before and waited an hour before we just went to their house and off'd him while he ate dinner.
"Yeah, that pussy won't come," Rossi stated and I remembered how much I liked working with him.
"Moretti," John says and nods at Sal, "this is your gig. You and Rossi need to handle this and handle it before everyone comes tonight."
Sal typed on his phone and then nodded at Vinny, "You go too."
*
Making a spot is dangerous when executing a wise guy. Wise guys know when it’s their time and since Manuel has been doing this for a few months, his dumb ass must know it’s coming. There is an abandoned warehouse that is only used for these purposes and only high-food-chained members know the location.
The location presented itself one day and served its purpose. On the outside, everything looks like a normal factory. White siding and industrial plants line the building. Bystanders wouldn't even think twice about its purpose. The building is for one thing and that is to handle this deviant behavior. It’s far enough away from the city where you would know if someone were following you but close enough were its accessible.
In an unmarked SUV that didn't have anything special, we waited for the right time which is crucial. We sat in the car and waiting for Manuel to finish his straight job and according to our calculations, he should be done with work in an hour. Staking out the exiled is a dirty job but it is something I like to do before the contract is completed. If a wise guy knows something is off, they will change up their schedule to avoid being found. Vinny parked the car two spots away from Manuel's car and we waited.
I pulled out my phone to call the clean-up crew who got the spot ready and are going to be on hand to take care of the mess. The crew consists of four guys that we also call the muscle because of their size. I liked to call them because they never stopped and asked questions.
"Showtime," Vinny said as we watched Manuel exist the building of where he works. Just as expected, he got out of work early.
"What's the plan?" Rossi asked and loaded his piece until it was fully loaded.
I considered the situation and knew that if Manuel seen me, he would know what was about to transpire. For this to work without causing a scene, we needed to infiltrate his plans and get him comfortable enough to not expect anything. "Vin, I need you to go out there and tell him that you think Annabeth is cheating on you with a made member. Get him to follow you back to the car and then we will take him to the spot." Omerta, has strict rules that any affiliate with the underworld cannot sleep around with a made member's wife or daughter.
"You got it, Pop," Vinny climbed out of the car and walked over to Manuel.
Rossi cracked his knuckles and placed his piece on his thigh. "So, you gonna tell your girl to pull her head out of her ass?"
My flask is in my coat pocket and I pull it out to take a swig. "Yeah, did I tell you that she has been sneaking into my bed at night?" Rossi chuckled and I continued. "Savannah must not realize that I keep myself protected because of the many attempts on my life."
He threw his head back and laughed hard. Rossi ran his finger around the barrel of his piece before responding. "Yeah, she isn't very sneaky. So, does she leave before you get up?"
The scotch burned as it traveled down my throat and I nodded. Savannah isn't a person who could ever be a part of this world since she doesn't know how to be discreet. For instance, she's not quiet and I can hear her opening the door. Yeah, the mattress is good, but it still moves when someone sits in it.
Vinny knocked on the car to let us know to follow them. It looks as if he were going to ride with Manuel. We followed behind him and as I drove, I kept taking a swig to quiet my mind.
This person that I become during these events is a killer. I try to leave this persona at the door, so I don't kill someone who didn't deserve it. Lea Sophia has asked me several times if I consider myself a sociopath and the answer is no. Enforcing is my job and I will protect omerta until the day they lay me in the ground.
"Rossi, text Vinny to tell him to say that he thinks this is where Annabeth is hiding."
"On it, boss."
I pushed everything out of my mind as I pulled the car into a parking spot. Time to leave Savannah out of my mind and concentrate on the matter at hand. With the car parked, I took another drink and then set it in the center console. My piece was already loaded so all I needed to do was show up.
Rossi and I walked into the warehouse behind Manuel and Vinny. It was funny to hear them discuss sports as if they were on their way to a sports bar. As soon as the four of us were in the warehouse with the door locked, Manuel looked around and realization dawned on him.
I stood with my back leaned against the door with my hand on my piece and looked at him. Manuel is mixed with Italian and Mexican, so a lot of people didn't realize that he was a wise guy because he doesn't fit the type. I actually liked him; thought he did good for us but it’s apparent that I am wrong.
Something that I love about these things is when it clicks that they have been stonewalled. I'm ready for the begging that is inevitable.
All six feet of him stood straight and looked around again to notice the tarp on the floor. "I can explain, Pop."
It’s always the same. These tough guys are little bitches when a gun is pointed to them. "Save it. Search him and see if he has a wire." A rat is almost always connected with some sort of surveillance.
Rossi started to pat him down and pulled a recording device out of his pocket along with a wire. "He's clean." He threw it against the wall and all of it broke and shattered into pieces.
"Come on, guys! It’s not what you think. They were going to lock me away and audit me! My family wouldn't have anything!"
Vinny gripped Manuel's hair and forced him down so he was kneeling on the tarp. "You took an oath, motherfuckersonofabitch."
I cocked my gun and stood next to Manuel with the pistol facing him. "What happens when a person sings like a canary?" I rearranged where my gun was placed and pointed it to his mouth. "We make it so they can't sing anymore."
"Please, please! Pop! I will do anything-"
Manuel didn't have the chance to finish because I unloaded the whole case in his mouth. His body fell on the tarp and Rossi dropped a rat on his body.
"Come on, we have ladies to see," Vinny stated and started for the door.
Oh, holy fucking shit! Can this get any more embarrassing? If she turns me down, I will kill her.
I am hoping that I am reading her sneaking into my room as a sign that she wants to get back together and is tired of putting us through this pain.
Chapter 13
I walked into Vincent's house and am faced with everyone that is affiliated with my guy standing throughout the foyer and the great room. They all greeted me and hugged me with a kiss on the cheek. The dates of these men kept trying to touch my bullet hole wound and I felt my eyes widened and bulge out of their sockets.
"Savannah, your dress is upstairs," John said to me. I looked at him with confusion and tried to walk up the stairs slowly to not show how anxious I am and to fight the urge to run up them fast.
My room smelled like flowers and I noticed that he filled my room with roses. All different colors. I walked past them and took off my suit jacket as I walked to the closet. Inside the closet was a full-length green gown in a heart shape with a plunge in the back. This dress just had to be Bethany's idea because it would fit my b
ody perfectly.
I peeled my clothes off and slipped into some sexy under clothes. Once I were situated with all of my girl parts in their proper places, I stepped into the dress. As soon as I got it on me, there was a knock on my door.
I see a head peek in. "Savannah, do you need help?" Bethany opened the door and had a big smile. "You look stunning."
I shook my head and walked over to her. With my back facing her, I took a look at her outfit in the mirror. "You look beautiful," I whispered.
