by Beck, J. L.
Climbing out of the car, I stretch my tight muscles before closing the car door. Alberto climbs out of the passenger side and follows me across the parking lot.
Here goes nothing. Maybe if I’m lucky, Damon takes mercy on me. Though that’s doubtful. My boots scuff against the concrete as I walk to the front door. It seems like it takes an eternity to get there. Opening the door, I step inside, the place is surprisingly clean, and bigger than I thought it would be, based on the size of the building.
Walking up to the bar with Alberto on my heels like a dog, I’m greeted by a half-dressed woman. She looks to be a little older than Dove, her eyes glitter with excitement when they land on me. The place is mostly deserted, other than a few bar patrons. Looks like I got here before the real show started. Doesn’t matter, I didn’t come here to watch chicks strip. Pulling my gun out, I set it on the wooden bar, and let her make of it what she will.
She blinks slowly and gives me a grim look. “If you’re looking for a fight, you’ve come to the wrong place. This is a strip club.”
Her eyes dart to someone over in the corner of the room, and I know without a doubt, she’s calling one of the bouncers over here without even saying a word.
Footsteps sound behind me, and I smirk, my blood pulses in my veins and my muscles tighten, the anticipation of a fight does crazy things to my body.
As soon as his meaty club lands on my arm, I turn on the barstool, grab it, twist it around until I hear a snap, and press it against his chest.
With my other hand, I punch him right in his ugly face, a river of red blood erupts from his nose as he stumbles backward, colliding with a nearby table. I punch him again for safe measure, and because I really want to beat the fuck out of someone. Like a piece of paper, he crumples to the ground.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Alberto standing a few feet away, arms crossed over his large chest. He is shaking his head at me like he is disappointed in my undiplomatic behavior. Well, fuck you.
“Shit!” The young girl behind the bar mutters under her breath. I turn around to face her once more and find her face ashen, the excitement in her eyes before is replaced with fear. It’s a much better look for her. She has no idea the things I’m capable of doing, the things I will do if I don’t get the information I want.
“I’m here to speak to Damon Rossi,” I growl.
Her gaze widens, and she scurries across the bar and picks up the phone, but she never gets to call whoever it is she’d planned on calling.
“Zane Brennan. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but we both know it’s not.” Damon Rossi’s deep voice meets my ear. Whirling around, I come face to face with the asshole. He briefly turns his attention to my unwanted companion.
“Alberto, didn’t expect you to show your face here,” he says before pinning me with his gaze once more.
“Where is she? I know you have her here. I went to Christian’s compound. She wasn’t there, and I know that your brother took her with him when he left the place. I don’t have to tell you what will happen if you don’t give me the answers I want.”
I’ve got a death wish fucking with the Rossi family, but I might as well be dead if I don’t have Dove in my life.
“Who is she?” Damon cocks his head to the side like he doesn’t know what the hell I’m talking about. His confused expression makes me want to smash his face like a pop can. When it comes to being an asshole, Damon is the worst of the Rossi brothers. Xander might be ruthless and heartless, but Damon is a completely different can of worms. “I don’t know who it is that you’re referring to.”
“You do.” I take a threatening step toward him.
Damon looks like a typical mobster with his perfect suit and slicked-back hair. But I know more about him than he thinks. I know he’s happily married, and he has a cute little family with 2.5 kids that he would do anything to protect.
“You and your brother have someone who doesn’t belong to you, and I want her back, unharmed. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to take something pretty and sweet of yours.”
The sly grin that was on his face just moments ago has evaporated into the air. In its place is a dark emotionless mask.
“You touch my family, and you’ll wish death finds you before I do.”
“Then you know how I feel right now. Dove is mine, and I know your brother has her in his possession.”
Damon shrugs. “I don’t know anything about a girl. But I can tell you that Xander doesn’t do meetings unless it’s a business deal that benefits him. So, if you don’t have something to offer in exchange for this girl—if he even has her—I would get the fuck out of my club while I still have the patience to let you walk out of here.”
“Where is she? I want answers!” I’m very close to my breaking point, so close I can almost taste the destruction in the air.
“And I’m telling you, get the fuck out of here before I put a bullet between your eyes.” The way he’s looking at me, tells me he’s not lying, and I’m torn on if I should continue to push him or just walk out. When I see him reaching for his gun, I lunge for him, but fucking Alberto grabs me from behind and pulls me back.
“If you die, you’re no use to anyone,” Alberto growls. I shrug him off, hating to admit it, but he is right. I’m no good to Dove if I’m dead.
Staring into Damon’s eyes, I hope he sees just how badly I want to hurt him. I’m restraining myself, walking a very thin rope of rage. “This isn’t over. I’ll be back, and when I am, you’ll tell me everything I need to fucking know.” Damon smirks like he doesn’t believe me, and I turn my back to him. On my way out, in a fit of rage, I toss a chair over my shoulder.
I don’t care if he shoots me. Let him. Matteo will come for me, eventually, because to him, I’m a pawn in his war against the Rossi’s. He needs me just like I need him, even if he won’t admit it. Walking back out to the SUV, it takes every ounce of self-restraint I have to continue walking and not turn around.
I want answers, and it feels like I’m giving up on Dove by not getting them. It’s only been a few days, but each day that passes without her by my side worries me more. Is she eating? Showering? Are they hurting her? Is she okay?
Fuck. Getting into the car, I drive back to Matteo’s mansion. When we arrive, I find the bastard sitting in his study with a glass of whiskey in his hand.
“Have a seat, gentlemen,” he says. Alberto takes the seat next to his boss, but all I do is cross my arms over my broad chest and stare him down like a disapproving parent.
“I told you walking in there and demanding to speak to Xander wasn’t going to work, and still you sent us. I wanted to kill that asshole so badly it took everything in me not to wipe the floor with his face.”
Matteo smirks. “And you’re not the first to feel that way about Damon Rossi. He takes some getting used to.”
“I don’t want to get used to him. I want to find Dove and leave this world behind me.”
“Your debt to me isn’t paid until I say so, there will be none of that.”
Teeth grinding, I tell him, “You’ve done nothing but make me run around with my head cut off. I don’t owe you shit until Dove is safe and secure in my arms.”
Swirling the whiskey in his glass, he stares at the amber liquid like it holds all the answers to our problems. As if it would be that easy.
“Damon said Xander won’t even consider a meeting unless we have something to offer him.” Matteo looks up from the glass, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“That’s not surprising in the least bit. The man is a businessman after all, so I wouldn’t expect any different.” He pauses. “The best I can offer him is some territory, give him a chance to expand a little.”
“You’re going to give him land?” I blink, surprised that he’s offering anything at all. I was so sure that when I came back here and told him that, he would tell me that this was a lost cause, and I would be forced to go into Rossi territory guns blazing but color me shocked. “Why would you do th
at?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?” he asks.
I shrug. “Dove isn’t your concern, and all I’ve asked for is your men and some weapons. Yet you offer me more… why?”
Sighing, he places his glass down on the desk. “It’s complicated…”
“I have time. There is something you are not telling me, and I need to know what’s going on. You know damn well how dangerous it is not knowing a vital piece of information.
“This needs to stay between you and me for now,” he says, shooting me a threatening look. When I nod, he continues. “The truth is, Dove is my daughter.”
What the fuck did he just say?
“That’s why Christian wanted her and why he searched for her for so many years. He most likely planned to use her against me in some way. I mean, that’s what I would’ve done if he had a daughter he was looking for, and I found her first.”
“Wait…” I try and comprehend what he’s saying. “You’re Dove’s father?”
He nods. “Yes, her mother and I were in love. She was married, but it was a loveless marriage. When she found out she was pregnant, she was so happy; we both were. She had planned to run away with me. Somewhere along the way, she escaped her husband but never came to me. I thought she was dead, but as I found out later, she had Dove. Then her past caught up with her. Before I could save her, I found out her husband had killed her. Made it look like an overdose, but I know it was him. My daughter was gone by the time I found out. I’d spent years searching for her but always came up empty-handed.”
This… it can’t be real. Matteo can’t be Dove’s father. She can’t possibly be a part of this fucked up dark world. She’s so innocent and sweet. So perfect, and all this world does is take and break you.
“That explains why you want her now, so you can use her,” I say, looking down at the floor. I can’t believe that after everything, Dove’s father is alive, and the leader of one of the biggest mob families. How did this happen? He’s just going to hurt her, and I’m going to have to kill him if he does.
“I don’t want to use her, Zane. I want a relationship with my daughter. I want her to stand beside me at the throne of the Castro family.”
“She doesn’t know this life. She’s fragile, innocent…” I tell him.
“She is now because she doesn’t know any better, but she will get used to it. It’s in her blood.” We stare at each other for a long moment, and I swear, I can see him moving his chess pieces around, placing them strategically. “Now, we go back to Damon and tell him the offer. She’s my daughter, and I’m never leaving her behind again.”
Instantly, I know this changes everything… Dove is in more danger than I ever could’ve imagined, and I’m not sure I can protect her from the evil that’s lurking in the dark, murky waters.
6
When I wake, I feel so rested that I actually forget where I am for a moment. Then reality slams back into me. I open my eyes and stare at the bare ceiling, wondering if I’m ever going to be free again or if I’m just going to be shoved from one prison to the next.
Taking a deep breath, I stretch my arms over my head. I must still be asleep because I swear, I can smell coffee.
Freshly brewed coffee…
“Did you sleep well?” A voice startles me, and I jolt from the bed like the blanket is on fire and scan the room for any threats. My eyes collide with Xander, who is sitting in the corner of the room. He’s casually leaning back in the flimsy chair like it’s completely normal to watch someone while they’re sleeping.
“W-what are you doing here?” I ask when I catch my breath.
“It’s my compound, I can go wherever I want, this room included.”
“Yeah, but does it have to be my cell?” I say before I can think.
Xander stands up suddenly, and I take a step back, my legs bumping into the side of the bed. I sit down, unsure of what else to do.
“None of this is yours. You should be more appreciative of how well I’ve been treating you. Don’t forget, Ivan could have left you there to die.”
“I know…” I lower my head. I do know, but that doesn’t mean I accept the situation that I’m in.
“Not many people are brave enough to talk to me like that.” He walks over to my bed, and I have to crane my neck to look at him. He reaches for something on the nightstand and hands it to me. I look up and find he is extending the cup of coffee out to me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, and take the cup from his hand.
“I brought you some clothes. You should be about this size if I figured right.” He points to a stack of clothes next to the bed that I hadn’t noticed until now.
“Oh…” Is all I can get out at the moment. Over the rim of the cup, I watch him sit back down while I take a sip of the coffee. It’s so delicious, I almost moan out loud. Which leads me to my next question. “Why are you treating me… this way, like a friend, instead of a foe?”
He has no reason to treat me with kindness. I’m a nobody, and he is some big huge mob boss. It hasn’t stopped me from thinking about the fact that he could kill me, use me, or sell me. I’m of value to him in other ways, and yet he brings me clothes and coffee.
“You remind me of someone,” he explains. I think he’s about to tell me more, tell me who I remind him of, but all he says is, “Zane isn’t dead.”
I almost drop the cup of coffee into my lap, my clammy hands just barely keep ahold of the mug. Did he just say that?
“Are you sure?” I ask. I want nothing more than to believe him, but I also don’t want to get my hopes up just to be crushed again.
“He came to see my brother last night, demanding a meeting with me.” Hope blooms in my chest. He’s alive, and he’s coming to rescue me. “He knows you’re here.”
“Is… is he coming? Is he coming here?” I try not to sound overly excited, but I’m giddy to see Zane, to wrap my arms around him, to be reunited with him. Never did I think I’d beg to see the man who kidnapped me and kept me hidden from the world, but here I am.
“My brother sent him away last night, he didn’t know about you being here. But don’t worry. I’m sure Zane will be back soon. He seemed quite determined on getting you back.”
“He won’t stop. He’ll kill all of you. Please, just let me go to him.”
“Do you know where Zane is?”
“Oh…well, no.” I guess I don’t. But… “Zane had security built into my apartment. Cameras and stuff. If you let me go there, maybe he’ll see it?”
“You think Christian doesn’t have someone watching your apartment? You really don’t know anything about our world, do you?” I get the feeling the words are spoken more to himself than to me, but I answer anyway.
“I told you, I don’t, and I don’t care about Christian. I just want to find Zane.”
“I’m not letting you go anywhere, and to be very clear, I don’t know if I’ll hand you over to Zane at all. Even if he comes for you. There is something about you… I can’t put my finger on it. But my gut tells me to keep you here, and my gut is usually right. Maybe you’re going to be useful to me later. I don’t know yet. For now, drink your coffee and enjoy your stay. You might be here for a while.”
And with that, he gets up and walks out of the room, leaving me alone with my suppressed anger and thoughts.
* * *
Even though I’m in a cell, I’m treated surprisingly well. A guard brings me food three times a day, which is actually pretty good, no that’s a lie. It’s delicious. It tastes like it’s been prepared by a gourmet chef, which is strange since I’m being held as a captive. I don’t know why I’m being treated so well here, but I’m not about to complain over my treatment.
Right after lunch, two days after arriving here, I hear someone talking on the other side of my door. Moments later, the door unlocks and swings open. Sinking down onto the edge of the mattress, I’m not sure what to expect, but it wasn’t the tiny woman I’m greeted by. She enters my cell slowly, almost as if
she’s worried someone is going to see her.
“Hi… you must be, Dove,” she whispers, a soft smile creeping onto her face. Her blonde hair is long and cascades down her back in gentle waves. She looks like an angel, pure, soft, and kind.
“Um, hi,” I say awkwardly. “Yes, I’m Dove.”
“I’m Ella, Xander’s wife.”
Xander’s wife? He’s married? I guess I never considered him to be the marrying type.
“Oh, ah… thanks for loaning me the clothes. You can have them back… uhhh, whenever I get to leave.”
“No problem, don’t worry about it. You can keep them if you like. Xander likes to spoil me. I’ve got more clothes than I could wear in this lifetime.” Her laugh is carefree, and I can’t help but feel jealous.
Not of her clothes but of her having Xander and embracing it. I was so stupid. I had it all, and I threw it all away. I fought Zane tooth and nail, instead of just enjoying the time we had together.
“Do you mind if I sit?” Ella asks, pointing to the spot beside me on the bed.
“No, please do.”
She smiles and takes the seat next to me. “I’m sorry they’re holding you here. I know it sucks getting caught in the middle of something that’s not your fault. I thought I could at least come by and check on you, give you some company, so you’re not so alone all day.”
Her genuineness is almost too much. I have no clue why she is being so nice to me, but being deprived of human contact for the most part, over the last few days, has me really appreciating the gesture.
“Thank you,” I say, having the odd urge to hug her as well. Since that would be a little weird, I refrain. Unable to think of anything else to ask, I blurt out, “So, how did you and Xander meet?”
She scoots up on the bed, leaning her back against the wall like she is getting comfortable.
