Held Firm: A Dark Mafia Romance, page 10
“Any number of ways, but right now,” he said, abruptly lowering his voice and moving closer to her, “we need to discuss something else.”
“Uh, what’s that?”
“Place your elbows on the counter and stick your ass out.”
“Excuse me?” Bianca muttered, a sudden flurry of butterflies bursting to life in her stomach.
“You heard me. Do as you’re told.”
But as he reached into a container of utensils on the stove and pulled out a wooden spoon, like a deer in the headlights, she couldn’t move.
“Bianca, you don’t want me to ask a third time.”
His warning broke the spell, and she quickly shifted into position.
“What’s this about?” she asked nervously, staring at him over her shoulder as he deftly unzipped her jeans and yanked them down her legs.
“I told you specifically not to speak when Roland came into the living room, but what did you do, Bianca?” he continued, jerking down her panties to completely bare her backside.
“I thought—”
A sharp, stinging swat from the solid spoon cut her off.
“I didn’t ask what you thought,” he said tersely as she yelped. “I asked what you did.”
“I guess I spoke,” she replied breathlessly, shocked by the unexpected turn of events and the spoon’s hot sting.
“You guess?” he barked, delivering two more smacks on each cheek, causing her to throw her hands behind her.
“I just thought speaking in that southern accent would—”
“Hey, it was clever,” he said, interrupting her, “and while I’m good at keeping a poker face, I don’t like surprises, especially in circumstances like that,” he finished, landing several swats in quick succession to underscore his point. “I’m sure you’ll have more great ideas, but if you don’t have a chance to talk to me about them first, you have to hold back. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, yes, I understand,” she bleated hastily.
“I’m going to make sure of it,” he said sternly. “Lock your fingers together and keep them in front of you.”
Letting out a heavy breath, she followed his order, but looked back at him with a woeful expression.
“That look won’t help your cause. I made it very clear you were to follow my instructions, but you chose to ignore them. This is a dangerous situation, Bianca. There can only be one person calling the shots. Who is that?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Answer the question,” he commanded, landing two more on her sit spot, eliciting a loud squeal.
“You, Nick,” she exclaimed.
“Sir,” he commanded, swatting her again.
“You, Sir,” she shouted. “Please, it really hurts.”
“It’s supposed to hurt, and I’m not finished with you yet. Are you paying attention?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“You’re too sure of yourself, too confident, too willing to take risks. I’m giving you a dozen more. Remember this next time you think you know better. Don’t yell, and keep your hands where they are.”
She couldn’t believe what was happening, but her thoughts quickly disappeared as he delivered the strict discipline. Slowly applying the stinging spoon from cheek to cheek, he swatted from the center of her backside, down to her sit spot, then back up again. Though she managed to suppress her cries, she couldn’t stop stamping her feet and gyrating her hips. When he finally declared he was done, she abruptly straightened up, spun around to face him, and grabbed her scorched behind.
“Why did you have to hit me so hard?”
Though she’d whimpered the question, she’d stared at him angrily.
“Lose the attitude, or do you want twelve more?”
Knowing he’d carry through with his threat, she lowered her eyes and let out a sigh.
“That’s better,” he said, softening his voice. “Do as you’re told and we won’t have a problem. Is that so hard?”
“No, Sir,” she mumbled, “and I’ll do better, I swear.”
“Bianca, Roland wouldn’t harm you,” he remarked, dropping the spoon on the counter and bringing her into his arms, “but he wouldn’t think twice about having his boys beat me into a pulp, or even put a bullet between my eyes.”
“Shit, you’re right,” she muttered, her brow crinkling as she thought about some of the stories she’d heard.
“And don’t forget, Roland isn’t our only problem. Matteus may be dead, but whoever hired him will be looking for you, and I have to assume he’s not far behind Roland. You have to follow my orders for both our sakes, and I get the feeling you’re impetuous more often than not.”
“If you call trying to live my life impetuous, then yes,” she replied, thinking about her life in Las Vegas. “When my brother goes off and does whatever he wants no one bats an eye, but God forbid I decide to stay late at the club, or meet a friend for a drink. If I don’t let the whole fucking house know, all hell breaks loose. It drives me crazy. I’m an adult,” she exclaimed, shifting in his arms to look up at him, “yet both my parents insist I live on the compound—and you…”
“Go on,” Nick pressed, narrowing his eyes.
“You just spanked me like a disobedient child.”
He grinned.
“Why is that funny?”
“Because it’s accurate. That’s what you are, a disobedient child. In spite of your claim that you’re kept on a short leash, it’s obvious to me the opposite is true. You’re used to doing what you want, when you want.”
The hot blush crossing her face continued to burn, but as much as she wanted to push him away and leave the kitchen, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“This whole thing has gone horribly wrong,” she mumbled with a dark frown. “I still can’t believe Matt is dead.”
“Your kidnapping was already horribly wrong.”
“Yes, I know, but it’s become so much worse. Nick, do you mind if I listen to the recording?”
“Of Matt’s death?”
“Yeah, I want to hear what happened.”
“It’s unpleasant.”
“You’re talking to someone who grew up in the Albertini family. My father and brother went to great lengths to protect me from the ugly side of the business, but that’s like a diamond merchant trying to hide his jewels. Believe me, I’m used to unpleasant.”
His smile faded, and moving an arm tightly around her waist, he slid his free hand into her hair. “Beautiful Bianca,” he murmured, his brow crinkling. “Such a life you’ve led.”
She thought he was about to kiss her, but he stepped back, and appeared to be deep in thought.
“Nick, is there something else?”
“As I said earlier, the police will be called when Matt’s body is discovered. We don’t need our DNA found in that house.”
“Shit. I didn’t think about that.”
“I need to have the place sanitized, but I can’t do that as long as Roland or any of his men are in there. I have to go back upstairs. You can listen to the recording while I see what they’re up to. Hopefully they’ll be making plans to leave.”
“Nick,” she said as they started from the kitchen, “if we can eavesdrop on them, how do you know they can’t do the same to us?”
“You’d already be on your way back to your father, and God knows what shape I’d be in.”
“Oh, right,” she mumbled as they trotted up the stairs.
“I watched Roland the entire time he was here, and he didn’t have the chance to leave a bug behind.”
“But he might have equipment like yours.”
“It’s possible but highly unlikely. Getting your hands on a device like mine isn’t easy,” he said as they entered the bedroom. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I’m sure,” she replied solemnly.
As he lifted a pair of AirPods from a shelf and handed them to her, she sat on the floor and pushed them into her ears. Watching him settle into a chair in front of the sophisticated equipment, she started to have second thoughts, but when she suddenly heard Tony’s worried voice, she couldn’t pull herself away from the drama unfolding. Staring at the floor, her heart racing, she continued to listen.
Keeping a close watch on her as he ran through the conversations his equipment had just recorded through his own set of AirPods, Nick’s prayers were answered. Just as he’d predicted, Roland had told his soldiers to leave Matteus Anderson where he was, then barked out his orders.
“Let the local cops try to figure out why he was here,” the slick gangster exclaimed. “Jimmy, I’m heading down the beach to check out the lifeguard stations. I don’t know how far down they go, but I’ll be a while. The fucking road is still closed, so take the car over the canyons and text me when you’re approaching Malibu. I’ll let you know where you can pick me up. Jack, take Tony back to Vegas, but before you leave, make sure he shows you where he spent most of his time. We’re wearing gloves, but that idiot hasn’t been. Wipe all the door handles and shit. Mark, follow Jack in the van Tony drove here, then find a desolate spot and scorch it. Mike, you’re coming with me.”
Pulling the AirPods out and hastily rising to his feet, Nick signaled Bianca to stay where she was, then moved quickly to the front bedroom and stepped out onto the patio. It was almost twenty minutes since Roland had addressed his troops, but Nick could see Roland and a taller, heftier man next to him, striding along the beach. Letting out a relieved sigh and hurrying back to Bianca, he found her crying. Quickly sitting next to her, he placed his arm around her shoulders.
“Hey, Matt was a bastard,” Nick remarked, confounded by her emotional state. “Why are you so upset?”
“He died because of me,” she sniffled, leaning against him. “This is all my fault.”
CHAPTER 14
As Nick helped Bianca to her feet and hugged her tightly, he silently chided himself for allowing her to hear the ugly scene play out. She’d been through a traumatic few days, and he suspected it had been the last straw.
“Listen to me,” Nick said firmly. “Matteus had a serious heart condition. He should have been resting and taking care of himself, not kidnapping you and getting caught up in a whirlwind of trouble. Why do you feel responsible?”
Taking a deep breath, she pulled back and stared up at him with red-rimmed eyes. “I ran off, and that started this whole thing in motion. If I hadn’t, then—”
“Stop!” he said, cutting her off. “Second-guessing like that is no-man’s land. You need to focus on what’s happening now, and it’s all good. Roland and his crew are leaving. We just dodged a bullet. Let’s walk down the beach to my house and enjoy this gorgeous day before we take off. I need to gather up some things and speak to Brad.”
“That’s a great idea, I’d love to,” she replied, her lips curling with the suggestion of a smile. “It’s a shame we have to leave here though. It’s wonderful being by the ocean.”
“I have a home here, remember?” he said with a grin. “Do you think I’m going to take you back to Vegas and walk away? You won’t get rid of me that easily.”
Inside the family’s private lounge at the Albertini compound, Lorenzo stood by an arched window and stared down at his artfully landscaped backyard. It was where he’d spent endless happy hours with his children when they were young. He let out a heavy sigh. Time had slipped through his fingers like fine grains of sand, and the giggling little girl who had once adored him was now an obstinate, difficult young woman. But he no longer cared about her attitude, or that she had a fiery temper and could make him crazy like no one else. She’d been cruelly snatched away, and all he wanted was to see her beautiful face and hug her tightly.
“Dad!”
Hearing his son’s urgent voice, Lorenzo spun around to see him marching into the room carrying an envelope.
“By special courier,” Alfredo declared, waving it in the air.
“Oh, dear God!” Lorenzo’s wife exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. “Do you think it could be about the ransom?”
“Try to stay calm, Ariana,” Lorenzo said, doing his best to keep his voice steady though his heart thumped in his chest.
“Sorry, Mom, I doubt it,” Alfredo piped up. “It’s sealed with the red and black tape.”
“Holy crap,” Lorenzo grunted, hurrying across the room.
The tape signaled the envelope had been sent by the head of another family, and was used only in extreme circumstances. If it wasn’t peeled back correctly, a toxic powder was released, and the package remained sealed.
“It could still be about Bianca,” Ariana continued hopefully.
“Stay back, both of you,” Lorenzo ordered solemnly, taking it from Alfredo’s hands and carrying it to the fireplace.
Pushing a button on the hearth to start the flames, Lorenzo studied the tape, searching for the tiny red dot, then peeled it back and gave it a gentle tug. A narrow strip ripped open, revealing a letter. Lifting it out and making sure there were no other contents, he tossed the envelope into the fire, then unfolded the single piece of paper.
Bianca has been rescued and is safe. Text me a secure number and all will be explained. C.V.
Swallowing back a surge of emotion, he briefly closed his eyes, silently thanked God, then tossed the note into the fire.
“It wasn’t about Bianca,” he said, though desperately wanting to share the wonderful news with his wife and son. “Alfredo, you’ll have to excuse us. It’s something I must discuss with your mother alone.”
“Dammit, where is she?” Alfredo shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “Why haven’t we heard anything?”
“Bear in mind she’s extremely resourceful,” Lorenzo said confidently. “No news is probably good news. It’s possible she’s managed to get away and hasn’t been able to get in touch yet.”
“I’ve always thought she was smarter than me,” Alfredo grunted, “and I think you have too.”
“You’re both brilliant in different ways. Check in with Roland while I talk to your mother, see if he has anything to report.”
“Yeah, I was just thinking that,” Alfredo replied as he headed for the door. “I haven’t heard from him for a couple of hours.”
The moment his son left the room, Lorenzo hurried back to the couch and sat next to his wife.
“Lorenzo, I know the note was about Bianca, and it’s good news,” she whispered hopefully before he had a chance to speak. “I could tell by the look on your face.”
“Sweetheart, it’s not good news, it’s wonderful news. She’s been rescued and is safe, but the letter instructed me to tell no one except you.”
“Thank the Lord,” she stammered, her voice cracking as she hugged him. “When will she come home?”
“I don’t know yet, but we’ll be able to speak to her at six p.m.”
“I can breathe again,” she sniffled, wiping the sudden wetness from her cheeks. “Who sent the note?”
“Carlo Vincelli.”
“But—the Vincellis are in New York, and Roland traced Bianca to Southern California. I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I, but we’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, we can’t tell Alfredo.”
“But he should know! He’s worried sick.”
“There must be a reason for the secrecy, and we can’t go against the instructions. You should probably steer clear of him. He’ll sense your relief.”
“Yes, he will, but it won’t be easy.”
“It will be easier than it has been, and it won’t be for long. Once we get all the details, I’m sure we’ll be able to tell him.”
“Six o’clock,” she mumbled. “It’s only a few hours away and it feels like a lifetime.”
“Ariana, you’ve barely eaten since Bianca disappeared. Why don’t I call down to the kitchen and have something sent up? What do you want?”
“Yes, I’m suddenly starving. A full breakfast, the works,” she exclaimed. “Scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, toast, potatoes, and coffee.”
“I’ll do it right now, then I’ll keep Alfredo busy,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “I need to speak to him anyway. I want to hear what Roland had to report.”
“Does it matter now?”
“More than ever. If he’s followed her trail to L.A. why am I hearing from Carlo Vincelli in New York? It doesn’t add up. In fact, I want to speak to Roland myself.”
Standing on the deck of a lifeguard station, Roland let out a frustrated growl and kicked the door. Like the first one he’d checked, it was bolted shut. Turning around and leaning his hands on the railing, he stared up and down the deserted beach, then at his beefy soldier on the sand below.
“Hey, Mike, I’m beginning to think this is a fucking wild goose chase,” he said angrily. “There’s no way that girl would have walked down here during that wild ass storm. Look at the debris. You can see where the waves plowed past these lifeguard stations. Besides that, they’re locked down tight. If I can’t break into them, she sure as fuck couldn’t.”
“Are you saying that guy next door—?”
“I’m saying that bastard was full of shit,” Roland snapped, marching from the deck and pacing in a circle. “My gut told me there was something off about that couple. Fuck, I should’ve been tougher, I should’ve pushed him. Call Jimmy. He would’ve left, but tell him to come back and wait by the garage.”
Not getting a response, he paused his step. His oversized underling was wandering around holding his phone in the air.
“Mike! What the fuck?”
“Sorry, Roland, there’s no signal.”
“Shit. Walk toward the road until you get one. I’ll see you back at the house.”
“Okay,” Mike replied, his eyes still on his phone as he started up the sand.
“Mike—look out—there’s a branch,” Roland yelled, seeing a hefty log directly in Mike’s path.
But the warning came too late. As Mike tripped over it and toppled to the ground, his phone flew from his hand.
“For fuck’s sake!” Roland yelled, throwing his arms in the air.
