Twisted Tales of Mayhem

by Sapphire Knight

  Madison rushed to get her phone, but Stephanie grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”

  “I have to call 911. We have to get help.”

  “No,” Stephanie pleaded.

  “What? Are you crazy? You just hit someone! He needs an ambulance.”

  Steph swallowed and looked toward the shop. So far no one from inside had noticed the incident. “You just said if I ever needed help to just ask. Well, I am asking now.” She placed a hand on each of Maddy’s shoulders and shook her. “Listen to me. You were driving. You borrowed my car. You hit him.”

  “I…what?” Madison’s eyes were wide.

  “Please. I’m begging you.”

  Madison frowned but nodded her head.

  Stephanie glanced once more at the man on the ground and toward the Java shop. She then took off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction and never looked back.

  Dominic

  “It went good. The shipment was complete and payment was made.” Roman’s usual driver Arlo was out of town today, so Dominic Scarlatti had gotten the job of accompanying his boss to a drop-off. As much as Roman’s wife wanted him to go legit, they still had obligations to fulfill. Today they’d overseen a guns shipment to one of the local motorcycle clubs they’d aligned with.

  “Where to?” Dominic didn’t believe in small talk. The sooner he could get back to the solitude of his place, the better.

  Roman never answered. He stared at his phone as Dominic drove to Genoa. “Go to the Java shop.”

  “Does Valentina need something to drink?” He chuckled. Roman’s sister made the worst coffee in the world. She was one of the smartest women he’d ever met, and he often wondered if she did it on purpose. The crap she mixed up bordered on toxic waste. Again Roman said nothing. Something was up.

  “Are you all right?” His boss was on the phone with someone. “We’re on our way.”

  He tossed the phone in his pocket and told him to hurry.

  “What’s going on?” Dom stepped on the gas.

  “Madison’s been in an accident.”

  “She all right?” He didn’t like too many people, but Madison had always treated him well. Not like the freak that most people considered him. As the family’s cleaner, he had to do what most didn’t want to deal with. Cleaning up the messes others left behind. Messes they wanted to disappear forever. They should be thankful for him, yet most just stayed clear. He liked them to keep their distance, but a little appreciation would be nice. That said, Roman and Madison always treated him well and with respect.

  “Yes, but something isn’t right.” Roman crossed his arms in front of his chest.

  Dominic breathed a sigh of relief. It would devastate his boss if anything ever happened to his wife. “What happened?” They’d just crossed into the city limits.

  “Don’t know. Just that she hit a biker with her car?”

  A biker? They’d just left most of the bikers they knew back at their club. It could be one of the locals taking their bike out to enjoy the early warm weather.

  “She doesn’t have a car,” Dominic wondered out loud.

  “I know.” In the distance, medics loaded someone into an ambulance on a stretcher. Dom wheeled their SUV into the Java lot and put it in park.

  “That’s not her vehicle.” The car involved in the accident belonged to Madison’s friend, Stephanie. She was the one woman he wouldn’t mind getting to know better, but whenever he was around her, she practically jumped out of her skin. To others Steph may appear to be shy, but to him it was something else. He studied people. Dominic picked up easily on things that others missed. The woman was a mystery, and he was eager to find out her secrets. It was almost like she was hiding from something or someone, but from what or from whom?

  “I know.” It seemed to be Roman’s turn to not be talkative. They got out and hurried to where Madison was talking to Officer Ryan Donavan of the Genoa Police Department. As soon as she spied her husband, Madison rushed to hug him.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” He brushed the hair back from her face.

  “Yes, yes. It just happened so fast. He came out of nowhere.” She pointed to where a motorcycle lay in a heap.

  “Hey, Roman.” Officer Ryan held his hand out. It seemed odd, but the two had gone to the same school back in Chicago. They just went on to do very different things in life. Roman shook his hand but still held his wife close. “I was just asking Madison where Stephanie was and why she was driving her car.”

  “Like I said. She’s been very busy at the shop, so I said I would go get her something to drink. She offered her vehicle, so I took it. When I drove out of the parking lot, he was just there. I hope he’ll be okay.”

  Dominic strolled over toward the scene of the accident. The biker had California plates. Not a local. Oddly, there were no skid marks. He glanced back to where Roman stood, and his eyes met his. Something was off. Dom surveyed the vehicle. Two coffee mugs sat in their holders inside. The one with Maddy’s name on it was in the passenger side holder. There were two purses in there also. Stephanie’s, perhaps? Why would Stephanie leave her purse in the car? If Madison was driving, why was her mug not on the driver’s side?

  He walked back to where Roman and Ryan spoke in hushed tones. “I don’t know what happened and I don’t care. You need to clean this shit up.” Officer Ryan and Roman had a history, so he was one of the few people that could talk to his boss like this and not end up at the bottom of the lake. In a way, they needed each other to keep things running smoothly in town. It also didn’t hurt that Roman’s sister seemed to like the guy. “I tried to run the plates and registration on this car, and they’re fake. Also, the VIN number’s been altered. I know you have people that can fix that, so get this piece of shit out of here and get me some new numbers for my report asap.”

  Madison seemed as surprised by that as they all were and turned Dom’s way. They were both thinking the same thing. What was Stephanie doing with fake plates?

  About a half hour later, they were cleared to go and Roman came up behind him. “I’m taking Madison home. Here’s the key for Stephanie’s car. Take it to our shop. Have them sweep it and get everything up to snuff. Get the new numbers to Donavan…after that bring her in, willing or not. No one makes my wife take the fall for something they did. No one.”

  Dominic watched his boss help Madison into their SUV. Most jobs he dreaded, but Stephanie intrigued him. She would not go easily. Finally, a job he would enjoy doing. He rarely smiled, but a grin just crossed his lips.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Stephanie

  She made it to the bridal shop in record time. It helped that she’d dodged through a few back yards and barking dogs, but luckily no one witnessed her doing the mad dash. As soon as she was in the shop, Steph locked the door behind her and took several deep breaths. Her heart pounded so fast, she placed a hand on her chest as if it might burst.

  What if the guy had recognized her? And what was she thinking trying to run the bastard over? She wasn’t thinking. She just reacted. Had they found her, or was it just a random thing? Madison would need an explanation. Even worse, Roman would. Her shoulders sank. The clock on the wall clicked away the minutes. It would soon be time to open. If she didn’t, there would be even more drama. Taking a few moments in the bathroom to collect herself, she put on a brave face and put the open sign out.

  The rest of the day passed quickly. Every time the bell over the door jingled, she nearly jumped out of her skin. It was a slow day but busy enough that the customers kept her mind busy. There was nothing like a needy bride, or mother of the bride, to keep her on her toes. She really did care that their weddings were perfect. Stephanie just wanted to make sure she was still alive at the end of the day to see it through to wedding day. Seeing a ghost from her tragic past had her stomach in knots.

  When it was finally closing time, she took a deep breath. Maybe Roman believed that his wife was driving and everything would be okay. Maybe the biker she hit w
asn’t the man she thought he was, and he would soon be on his way. What if it was someone else? Stephanie jolted up from the chair she’d just collapsed in. What if an innocent man had died at her hands?

  Her footsteps were silent as she paced the floor of the carpeted shop. Her hand occasionally reached out to touch the plastic bags filled with wedding gowns. She stopped when she came to the elaborate iron stand that held their selection of veils. It was just last summer that the shop had been trashed when a rival mobster had tried to scare Madison and other shop owners into selling their properties. Glass flew everywhere, and she still bore the scar on her face where a piece had lodged in her skin.

  They’d been terrified until Roman had showed up. His crew got the place cleaned up, and their private doctor stitched up her wound after she’d refused to go to the doctor. Hospitals asked for identification, and hers probably wouldn’t pass close inspection.

  Her fingers touched the iron stand and then fanned out a veil. It was beautiful. There were delicate vines and leaves entwined in the branches that stemmed out to hold the headpieces. How could something so beautiful have been made by someone so dark? Dominic Scarlatti was an enigma, a puzzle that was obviously missing a few pieces.

  The man was gorgeous by any woman’s standards. He was tall, dark, and very handsome. His athletic build came from working outside and his blacksmith work, not from any gym membership. Unlike the other men Roman surrounded himself with, Dominic had long wavy hair. It was dark brown and featured strands kissed by the sun. Not that she noticed or anything. The guy was a monster. Who else would be a cleaner for the mob? He probably had bodies buried all over his land, wherever the hell he lived.

  She jumped when the radio broke in with another weather report. They’d been saying all day to keep an eye on the sky for severe thunderstorms picking up in the evening. As if Stephanie wasn’t on edge enough, she now had to worry about that. The place she lived was old, and the walls shook in high winds, but they let her pay cash and month to month.

  Glancing at the calendar behind the counter, she groaned. It was the second Monday of the month and her night to close at the Genoa Art Center. “Ugh!” She didn’t have her purse, didn’t have a phone, and no car to get her there. At least the place was close. Calling Madison wasn’t an option yet. She hadn’t heard from her boss, and that was unnerving. Roman was smart and would have realized right away something was up.

  Luckily the store key had been in her pocket or she’d be really screwed. The one she used hadn’t been working, so Madison had just given her a new one that morning. Hurrying out the back door, she hustled down to the Art Center just in time. Mary, a retired art teacher, could be seen staring at her watch as Stephanie came rushing in the door.

  “I’m so sorry. I had a late customer at the shop.” It was a lie but she wasn’t about to say, “Sorry, I’m running late because I had a hit and run with a biker this morning and made a mob boss’s wife take the blame. I’ve been hiding out ever since.” She also didn’t need to know that she ran there on foot because Steph had no idea where her car was. Why of all days had she worn heels?

  “No worries, dear. One of our other crafters showed up to help tonight.” Her cheeks flushed as she spoke.

  “Who? I’m the only one who has this night.” Stephanie glanced around the large store but didn’t see anyone.

  “Oh, he just took out the trash.” They both turned as the door in the back room shut and a pair of boots could be heard strolling down the aisle. Mary perked up and smiled. “Oh, thank you for doing that, Mr. Scarlatti.” The woman practically drooled on herself while Stephanie’s whole body turned ice cold. What was he doing here? “Well, I have to get home and babysit. You two have a great night and sell lots of stuff.” Stephanie mumbled goodbye but never took her eyes off Dominic.

  She couldn’t move as he strolled over to her. Her neck arched back, he was so tall. He smelled outdoorsy, like he’d just been out by a wood fire and some pine trees. It wasn’t what she expected, but it made sense. The man was like a creature of the woods. She once heard Maddy say Dom, as she calls him, was building a log cabin by a lake.

  “After this closes, Roman wants to see you. Don’t even think about running.” He narrowed his dark eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The man wore black jeans, work boots, a black t-shirt, and a red and black flannel shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and her gaze dropped to the tan skin and veins of his forearms.

  “What if I don’t want to go?” She imitated his pose only it was not as threatening in one much smaller and dressed in a pair of black dress pants, heels, and a green sleeveless sweater.

  “You don’t have a choice.” He smirked and walked off.

  Dominic

  When Madison first suggested that he put some of the things he made in the Genoa Art Center, he thought she was nuts. He wasn’t some grey haired, hippy crafter. Dominic was a blacksmith and enjoyed making knives, weapons, and other stuff that he might use around the house or for work. There was no way he was going to sell his shit, but he finally gave in on the condition that he’d never have to spend even an hour there volunteering, a requirement for anyone selling. Somehow, he lucked out. They probably thought he might scare the customers away.

  It was a shock when he received his first check and he didn’t have to kill anyone to get it. Honest money, so to speak, and something he could be proud of. Hunters and fishermen bought his fillet knives by the handful, and even one of the resorts was said to have a sword made by him hanging over their lobby fireplace.

  Still, it was uncomfortable to be there, and he made sure Stephanie helped anybody that stopped in. What did he know about running a cash register? He was a cleaner for the mob, not a checkout boy. This was ridiculous and something that would not become habit.

  Stephanie was shocked to see him there. Then she appeared scared. Now annoyance marked her pretty face. They were both hyperaware that closing time was nearing, five more minutes, to be exact. Would she run? Cry like a baby?

  He’d never been one to be tempted by a pretty face. If he had to pick a perfect woman, it would be someone smart, tough, and who kept him guessing. Stephanie was all those things plus she was very easy on the eyes. Her long blonde hair was curly, probably because she was constantly twirling it around her finger. It was a nervous habit she hadn’t stopped since arriving. Her green eyes were the color of grass in the spring time. She had a heart-shaped face and ruby red lips that practically begged to be kissed. Giving her a glance from head to toe, she had curves in all the right places. Just the way he liked it.

  Dominic stood by the counter as she closed out the till. Her hands were steady as she counted the bills and locked the money bag in the safe. It was obvious that she had something to hide, maybe she was even on the run. Roman was determined to find that out. Fidgeting with her hair again, she draped it over one side in front, leaving one side of her neck bare. Was her pale skin as soft as it appeared?

  “I’m ready.”

  Her voice brought him back to the present.

  “After you.” He held the door open, and she locked it behind them. It wouldn’t have surprised him if Stephanie bolted, but she didn’t. The air had been humid all day, and it was even worse now. There was no wind. The calm before the storm, as they say. The woman remained quiet for most of the drive. Her fingers fluttered from clutching the armrest to tying and untying knots in her hair.

  “Where are we going? I thought we were going to see Roman.” She smelled nice. Like some of the wildflowers that grew in the field by his cabin. It’d been hard not to stare at her while she waited on customers. The woman had a smile for everyone but him. Stephanie was a beauty. He glanced over as she licked her full lips. Too bad he’d never get the chance to taste them. It was obvious she didn’t like being alone with him. She knew what he did for a living, so that would be a hard thing to overlook for any woman.

  “Firenza.” He stepped on the gas as they headed to the restaurant that
Roman’s sister ran.

  “It’s closed on Mondays. I thought we were meeting Roman?” The pitch of her voice rose.

  “We are.”

  “Why go there?” Her hands clutched the armrests again as if bracing for a crash.

  “So no one will interrupt us there.”

  Stephanie lunged for the door handle, but he grabbed her arm first and pulled over to the side of the road.

  “I promise you. No one will hurt you. Roman just wants to know what’s going on.” What was he thinking making such a claim? He had no idea what his boss had planned. He could be planning to have Dom cut her fingers off one by one for all he knew.

  “You promise?” She placed a hand on his, and his cold heart melted.

  He swallowed. “Yes.” Stephanie let go of his hand and stared ahead.

  “Okay, let’s get this over with.” She was a brave one, just as he thought.

  Dominic pulled out onto the road again, but his thoughts were elsewhere. What had he just done? He was honor bound to kill or harm anyone his boss asked him to, but there was no way in hell he would ever harm the woman sitting next to him. Dom ran his fingers through his hair. This situation was getting worse by the minute, and he’d just put himself right in the middle of it.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Stephanie

  The door slammed shut behind her, and the lock was flipped in place with a sharp click. Dominic reached for her elbow, but she pulled away. It wasn’t out of fear, but to prevent herself from clinging to him for strength. Now was the time to put on a brave face, not to show that she trembled from the inside out.

  Firenza was deserted. Whenever she’d been there before, it was for a wedding or event, and the place would be filled to bursting. Usually there would be staff running everywhere, music playing, and people laughing. Their shoes echoed on the tile as they walked the long hallway back to where the offices were located. It was eerily quiet except for a far-off clap of thunder.