Held Firm: A Dark Mafia Romance, page 6
“Good, I hope he gets his balls blown off,” she growled. “Him and Tony Balboa both.”
“I don’t blame you for feeling that way, but it’s important to keep your emotions in check.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said with a sigh. “I can’t panic. That’s what Sammy says when I get upset about something. Don’t panic, Bianca, you can’t think when you panic, and when you can’t think, you screw up.”
“Sammy sounds pretty switched on.”
“He is, and he has very little formal education.”
“Maybe I’ll meet him when this is over, but getting back to my plan,” Nick said, wanting to stay on point. “Matt is bound to be in touch with whoever is pulling the strings, and with any luck we’ll hear that conversation. When I learn who that person is, I’ll figure out a way to get the information to the authorities and your father. Then things will happen fast.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so,” he murmured, but staring into her gorgeous green eyes, he longed to slide his fingers into her hair, lean in, and taste her lips.
“Please, Nick, will you kiss me?”
For a fleeting moment he wondered if his mind had been playing tricks on him, but as she tilted up her chin, her unexpected, breathless request echoed through his head.
When Bianca had entered the kitchen and Nick had stood up from the table, she’d tried not to gape. His forest green V-neck sweater accentuated his wide shoulders and muscled physique, and when he’d walked toward her, she’d felt her knees grow weak. Then his caramel eyes had met hers. All she could think about was being naked with him, and his mouth devouring every inch of her body.
Never in her life had she experienced such a powerful attraction. Then he’d hugged her, and her entire being had melted. Now in his arms again, staring into his mesmerizing eyes, she wanted him—desperately. She’d thrown caution to the wind and begged him to kiss her, but he was just gazing down at her.
Suddenly, his hands moved into her hair, and slowly lowering his head, he pressed his lips on hers. Not passionately, not urgently, not hungrily, but lightly brushing his mouth in a teasing, tantalizing way that made her toes curl. With a fervent need pulsing through her, she tried to respond, but he gripped her hair and refused to let her move.
“No, no,” he murmured, pulling back and whispering in her ear, “I’m in charge, remember?”
Before she could answer, his mouth was back over hers with the same, tantalizing, torturous tease. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she was sure her legs were about to give way, then he gave her what she craved. An all-consuming, crushing kiss.
CHAPTER 8
Nick ached to sweep Bianca into his arms, carry her back to the bedroom and ravage her, but their passion would have to wait. Ignoring his stiffening cock, he slowly pulled away.
“I have to go,” he grunted, wishing she wasn’t the daughter of an infamous mob boss and they’d met under different circumstances, “and you need to get ready.”
“Uh, Nick,” she began tentatively. “I’m not like this because I’m scared or because you rescued me.”
“Like what?”
“You know!”
He paused. “Bianca, misunderstandings come from miscommunication. Be specific.”
“Why do you have to be so difficult?”
“Difficult?” he exclaimed, wanting to laugh out loud at the absurdity of her statement. “You’re calling me difficult?”
“Maybe that’s the wrong word, but it doesn’t matter,” she muttered. “I like you—a lot. I’m attracted to you—a lot, and that doesn’t happen to me very often. Is that specific enough for you? Shit, I’m not good at this stuff,” she groaned, lowering her eyes.
“Hey, it’s mutual,” he said softly, cupping her chin and making her look at him. “Believe me, I’m not in the habit of getting involved with my clients. Last night you needed to be put in your place, and you did need to let go of all that tension, but…”
“But what?” she insisted as his voice trailed off.
“Let’s face it, the chemistry between us is crazy, and that has nothing to do with your situation.”
“I’m so glad you said that,” she murmured with a sigh. “When I was wading through those rough waves and I saw you standing on the beach, I thought I was dreaming. This doesn’t make any sense, but I was drawn to you right away, and not just because I thought you might be able to help me. It was more than that.”
“I couldn’t take my eyes off you either,” he admitted, thinking back to the moment he’d spotted her. “Mind you, I’ve never seen a girl wading through the surf in a bra and shorts. It was definitely eye-catching, but Bianca, I must stay focused on the task at hand. Uncovering the bastards who kidnapped you and getting you home safely has to be my priority.”
She didn’t speak, but tilted her head to the side and curled her lips in a Mona Lisa smile.
“What’s going through that head of yours?” he asked, lowering his voice.
“Nothing,” she replied airily, slipping from his arms. “Will Cindy be taking me back to the beach?”
“Don’t change the subject. Tell me, or would you prefer I find a wooden spoon and bend you over the table?”
“But Nick, you might not want to know what I’m thinking. Seriously, you might not.”
“Oh, but I do, especially now. Come on, out with it.”
“If you insist,” she said with a resigned sigh. “You said you have to stay focused on the task at hand.”
“Yes, and I do. Whatever is happening between us has to—”
“Nick, you can stop right there,” she said, cutting him off. “You want to know what I’m thinking? We’ve boarded the train, it’s left the station, and there’s no stopping it. We just need to find a few minutes of uninterrupted time and a private compartment.”
“Is that so?”
“You know I’m right, unless the thought of becoming involved with Lorenzo Albertini’s daughter is too intimidating and you want to leap off. I wouldn’t blame you.”
“No, it’s not, but as I just said, in spite of our sparks, I have to stay focused.”
“Uh-huh, sure you do,” she quipped as the enigmatic smile returned.
“Think what you want, it’s time for me to leave,” he said firmly. “One of my guys will be picking you up in a town car. We can talk about this later.”
“I think the talking part just ended?” she shot back.
“And I’m beginning to think the only time you’ll listen is when my hand is smacking your ass,” he warned, then grabbing her arm and spinning her around, he swatted her backside. “Go and find Cindy. I’m leaving. I’ll see you at the beach.”
“But—”
“Go,” he snapped, slapping her again with more force.
“Okay, I’m going,” she declared as she hurried away, but stopping at the door, she looked over her shoulder. “You know I’m right.”
But before he could respond, she was gone.
Waiting a moment to clear his head, he marched from the kitchen and out through the front door to Cindy’s car. Grabbing the groceries from the front seat, then opening the trunk and picking up his equipment, he loaded everything into his SUV, climbed behind the wheel, and rolled through the gates. He was familiar with the havoc the storms caused on the canyon roads, and driving slowly, he kept his eyes peeled for broken branches and other debris. He’d only traveled a short distance when he ran across crews clearing away a downed tree, and was waved to a stop by a highway patrol officer.
“Where are you going, sir?”
“Black rock beach,” Nick replied. “Is it reachable?”
“Yes, but there’s a major slide half a mile south of there on the coast highway, and another one about five miles north. If you need any supplies you’ll have to come back over the canyon.”
“Any idea how long it will take to clear the slide to the south?”
“It’s a big one, at least a couple of days.”
“Okay, thanks, Officer.”
As he continued on, he couldn’t decide if the news was good or bad, but the slide would have happened very close to where Bianca had tossed her sim card. It could be lying under a ton of rubble, perhaps had even crunched before Matteus had a chance to trace it, but it was almost irrelevant.
Starting down the steepest part of the slope to the coast highway, the spectacular view opened up in front of him. The wild ocean from the day before was now calm, but he could imagine the mess the storm would have left on the beach. Reaching the bottom, he accelerated forward, and a few minutes later, he spied the familiar row of houses. As he neared, he was able to make out a truck parked behind his garage. Brad and John, his operatives, were already there and were on his roof. Finally turning down the private street, though he was relieved to see no other vehicles, debris from the storm was everywhere. Slowing down, he placed a call to Brad.
“Hi, Nick,” Brad said as he answered. “We arrived at your house a little while ago.”
“I’m surprised you got through. I heard about the slide. How did you manage to make it?”
“There was no one there when we drove by, but we passed some earth-moving equipment on the way. I’m sure that’s where they were heading.”
“How bad does it look?”
“Bad, there was barely enough room for us to pass. I had to do some tricky maneuvering.”
“These storms happen every year, and there’s always a damn slide,” Nick grunted. “Do you have anything to report?”
“We’ve only seen two men at the house you told us to watch. As far as we can tell, there’s no one else in any of the other homes or on the beach.”
“That road closure will be a blessing,” Nick remarked. “They won’t be able to get any backup, assuming they even have any. But it’s time for me to shake the tree and see what falls out. I’ve just arrived and I’m pulling into the home I’ve rented. I’ll swing by to brief you in detail in a little while. This is not your run-of-the-mill case.”
“Okay, boss. See you soon.”
Stopping at the beautiful Cape Cod house, Nick opened the bag Cindy had left on the passenger seat and retrieved the remote control, but paused. If Matt or Tony had heard him arriving, Nick wanted to make sure they knew it was him. Climbing out, he opened the back of the Porsche as if checking for something, then climbed back behind the wheel. As the garage door rolled up, he drove forward and closed it behind him.
Standing on the second floor terrace of the neighboring house and staring at the ocean, Matteus Anderson was trying to control the panic rippling through his body. He’d been paid fifty thousand dollars to kidnap Bianca, with the promise of $2.5 million when the $25 million bounty was successfully collected. But now Bianca was gone, and Matt was at a loss.
The offer to abduct her had come in the form of a packet of money left at his back door, along with a burner phone and instructions. Abducting Lorenzo’s daughter was a huge risk, but when he’d received a text asking if he was in or out, starting a new life in the tropics with $2.5 million in his pocket had been too tempting for him to turn down. It was only a few minutes later that he’d broken into a grin, and decided to go after the full $25 million himself.
He had to arrange for the squad car, van, and weapons, but that hadn’t been a problem, and on the night in question, he’d received the details of Bianca’s movements. It had been a piece of cake, but now he was in quicksand and sinking fast. He had to come up with an exit strategy and disappear.
“He’s here, he’s here!” Tony shouted urgently, jolting Matt from this deep pondering.
“Who’s here?” Matt demanded, an alarming tightness seizing his chest.
“That guy you think took Bianca,” Tony exclaimed, flapping his arms excitedly. “He’s here!”
“What do you mean—here? Is he back at his house?”
“No, he just drove into the garage next door.”
“Next door? What the fuck?” Matt stammered, shocked by the news. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m totally sure. I saw him get out of his Porsche.”
“This makes no sense. He has to be the one who helped her get away.”
“Then why is he back here, and in the fucking house next door?” Tony asked anxiously. “I don’t like this, Matt, I don’t like this one bit.”
“Tony, calm down. Let’s think about this for a minute. Maybe he has her tucked away somewhere and he’s come back here to throw us off.”
“But why next door?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
“You mean, you’re going over there?” Tony asked nervously. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Have you got a better one?” Matt snapped as he marched away. “Stay here.”
“What if—”
“Just fucking do as I say.”
But as he hurried down the stairs, Matt caught himself. He couldn’t bang on the neighbor’s door hurling accusations. Feeling an uncomfortable tightness in his chest, he slowed his step and popped one of his pills. Suddenly thinking it might be better to approach the neighbor’s home from the beach rather than the back door by the garage, he headed out onto the patio, only to see Nick Vincelli near the water’s edge. Trotting down the steps onto the sand, he walked as quickly as he dared, but as he drew close, Nick waded into the mild surf.
“Hey, Nick, wait.”
Watching Nick turn around, Matt was slightly taken aback. The handsome man looked stronger and more muscled than he remembered.
“Hello, Detective. What’s up?”
“I noticed you going in next door,” Matt replied. “I was just curious. Are we going to be neighbors?”
“My roof started leaking during the storm and I decided to take off, but I managed to get some friends on the job right away. I know the couple who own the house next to the one you’re staying in, and they were kind enough to let me rent it for a couple of weeks.”
“Lucky you.”
“Is there anything else? I want to get in a swim before my fiancée arrives.”
“Fiancée?” Matt repeated, wondering how many more surprises were in store. “You’re engaged?”
“Yeah, and she’ll be excited when she finds out she’ll be staying in such a great house, so if you’ll excuse me—”
“Hold on. That witness I was taking care of, she gave me the slip. Did you see her on your way out during that storm?”
“The only thing I saw was flashes of lightning and branches flying around, along with a few garbage cans. I can’t imagine she’d get very far in such wild weather.”
“I’d like to know that too,” Matt remarked, lowering his tone and narrowing his eyes. “She couldn’t have taken off without help.”
“The last time I saw her was when you marched her away. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking that swim,” Nick said briskly, then abruptly turned and waded off.
“Keep your eyes open,” Matt called after him, but Nick didn’t respond.
Whether Nick had purposely ignored him or simply hadn’t heard, Matt didn’t know, but as he began walking back to the house, he glanced down the beach to Nick’s modest cottage. Two men were on the roof, one wearing a cowboy hat.
A deep frown crossed Matt’s brow.
Was he wrong?
Had Bianca found help from an unknown source?
She’d taken her phone.
It was possible.
But as he looked back at Nick swimming parallel to the shore, a ripple of doubt remained. He’d be keeping a close eye on his new neighbor, a very close eye.
CHAPTER 9
Nick had swum parallel to the beach until he was in front of his cottage, then jogged up the sand to meet with Brad and John. They’d been initially wary about working on a case involving Lorenzo Albertini, but after he’d explained the details, they were unwavering in their support. Even so, he’d assured them their roles would be limited, and he’d do his best to keep them at arm’s length.
A former triathlete and martial arts devotee, Nick enjoyed staying in peak condition, and sprinted back to the Cape Cod home through the deep sand. Taking the steps up to the elevated terrace two at a time, he brushed the grit from his feet, retrieved the keys from his zippered pocket, and entered the house. Before he’d left he’d positioned nanny cams in the living room, den, and kitchen, and hidden his phone inside a bronze urn on a bookshelf. Quickly retrieving it, he checked his messages and found a text from Cindy.
Bianca is on her way. She looks great. I’m heading back to the office.
Always cautious, he moved into the garage and climbed into his SUV to call her back.
“Hey, boss, I’m just walking out the door.”
“Do you know what comes next?”
“Digging?”
“Yep, check out Bianca’s social media, her friends, the usual. Apparently there’s a guy she hangs out with named Sammy Parker. I need to know about him, and compile a detailed dossier on Detective Matteus Anderson. He claims to be a detective with the LVPD and he has the badge, but I don’t believe him. He may have been at one time, but I don’t think he’s active.”
“Will do.”
“I also want to know about one of Lorenzo’s executives, Brian Mancini. See what you can find out. Send the info to my SurfsUp account. Any questions?”
“Sounds pretty straightforward, boss. I’ll keep you posted. Be careful.”
“Aren’t I always?” he quipped, then ended the call.
Carrying his phone and walking back inside, he extracted the micro cards from the cameras, then trotted up the stairs and strode to the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. Quickly switching out his damp trunks for a dry pair, he pulled his aluminum security suitcase from underneath the bed, rolled the combination locks, opened the lid, and lifted out his computer. As he settled on the bed and powered it up, he felt a twinge of anxiety. Everyone had secrets. Bianca would be no different. He hoped whatever details Cindy uncovered wouldn’t be too terrible.
