Dealer and his Bestowed Bride (The Rossi Family Mafia Book 2) (10 page)

As the words escaped the Mafioso's mouth, my blood ran cold. I knew exactly who he meant and that realization made me turn white.
 

Not him.

Anyone but him.

2 years earlier

“Congratulations!”
 

I walked into the bar, expecting a quiet night of drinking with the girls. However, as I stepped through the doors of the usually quiet building, I was met with cheers and applause.
 

All of my friends were there, holding beers and standing under a banner that read “Congrats Piper, The Next American Sniper!”

I was grinning from ear to ear, I couldn’t help it, but I shook my head all the same. Standing in the middle of them was Rob. We had met when I started the air force academy, where I had trained as one of the first women to become a sniper.
 

“Hey babe,” Rob said, walking up to meet me.
 

“What the fuck is this?” I laughed, still grinning. To be honest, it was emotionally overwhelming and I had to stop myself from crying.
 

“You worked so hard to get to this point babe, I just wanted to celebrate your achievement.” Before he could kiss me, a friend walked up and gave me a hug.

Passing my sniper exam as a woman was thrilling, but mostly for show. I walked around to all of my friends and thanked them anyway, knowing that the words above me were meaningless. However, it was the thought that counted.

“Hey, want a drink?” A man stepped up and offered me a dark beer. I shook my head.

“I don’t drink,” I replied. “Gives me a headache.”

“You sure, bella?” His buddy asked. I didn’t know them too well, other than the fact that they were good friends of Rob’s. Rob had met them a year back while he was stationed in Italy.
 

“I’m sure.” I said firmly.

Eventually they shrugged and left to find someone who was more entertaining to talk to. After they had left, Rob placed his hand on my shoulder.

“You invited those clowns to my party?” I whispered in his ear.
 

This had been a problem. Every other night, my boyfriend had been blowing me off to spend all night with Tony and Alfy.
 

“They’re my friends,” Rob said defensively. “What’s wrong with having friends?”

“They give me the wrong vibe.” I whispered back, but then shook my head. “Nevermind. Just make sure they don’t get sloppy drunk.”

He grumbled, saying something I couldn’t hear under his breath, and then strode off to grab a drink with his buddies.

I sighed, likely Rob would drink himself into oblivion, just because I told him not to. He wasn’t the sort of person who liked being bossed around.

I allowed myself three seconds, closing my eyes and finding my center. What was this party really about? The years I had trained in the air force to become a certified sniper. To be one of the first women to do so while also being at the top of my class.
 

After the three seconds were up, I turned around and gave my friends a huge smile. I’d focus on them for the night and not think about the drama that Rob was causing in our relationship.
 

Rob didn’t come home after the party that night. I had excused myself after 10pm, mostly because I was tired. Most people left after that, but my boyfriend stayed with Tony and Alfy. When I placed the key in my apartment door and turned it, I was welcomed to a silent and empty house.
 

After a few texts to Rob, I realized that he was drunk enough not to check his phone and eventually just left it on the kitchen table, unable to deal with the stress of waiting for a reply. A good night’s sleep would help. At least I had the weekend to look forward to.
 

It was 6am when I heard the key turn in the door lock. So much for sleeping in, I thought as I turned over in the empty bed.
 

Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and waited for Rob to come into the bedroom.
 

He didn’t make it that far and I heard the squeaking of the couch as he passed out in the living room.

“Honey, I’m starting to get concerned,” I said later that day as I prepared myself lunch. Rob was in a comatose state, where all he could do was play video games.
 

“I’m busy,” he said.
 

“No really, I think your friends are becoming a bad influence.”

‘What are you, my mother?” he snapped back. I pursed my lips and then went back to making my sandwich.
 

After a few minutes, I heard a long sigh from the living room, then the sound of him placing the controller down on the coffee table. I didn’t look up from the kitchen counter, but it was only a few moments later that I felt Rob’s arms wrap around my waist from behind.
 

“I’m sorry,” he said, kissing the side of my head.
 

“Sure you are,” I grumbled.
 

“All I wanted was to give you a great party, I apologize if you were hurt.”

I immediately felt guilty. Rob had put all that effort into throwing me a graduation party for passing the program and in return I had been a gigantic bitch.
 

“It’s alright,” I whispered.

“Oohhh,” Rob reached around and grabbed half of the sandwich I had just cut for myself.
 

“Salami?” He bit into it and grinned. “Thanks babe.”

After that, the partying stopped for the most part. Our relationship started to improve, slowly but surely. Maybe he had listened to me, instead of blowing me off like he used to. We would play games together, rather than him lock himself away in our office for “alone time”. Everything was good.

Until I got the phone call.

I was driving to work when my phone starting ringing and Rob’s face popped onto my screen. I touched the screen quickly.

“Hey babe,” I said cheerfully. I was fully caffeinated and ready for my morning. The voice on the other end of the line was different.
 

“There’s no time. Piper I need your help, holy shit. This is so fucked. Holy shit. Please come soon!”

Adrenaline instantly started to run through my veins, but I steadied myself and tried to stay calm. If Rob needed help, I couldn’t panic.
 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Where are you?”
 

“I-I there’s this guy who I owe money to, and if I don’t do what he says he-he'll kill me.”

“What?”
 

“I-I’m at 14th and Main. In the brick building. Up the stairs, fourth floor.”

“Call the police!” I yelled into the phone.

“No! Don’t call the police. Piper, just get here as soon as possible!”
 

The call was disconnected.
 

My hands were grasping my steering wheel so hard that they had turned white. I knew the location exactly, so I immediately made a U-turn and drove as fast as I could toward 14th and Main.
 

My mind was racing. He owed someone money? Who? Why would he need to borrow money from someone shady enough to kill him for it?
 

Questions ran through my head and didn’t stop as I pulled into the closest street parking to the brick building Rob spoke of.
 

My hands were shaking as I opened my door and stepped out onto the pavement. I wished I had my firearm on me, but it was locked back at home in my safe.
 

My training left my brain as I entered the building. It seemed empty and I didn’t blame anyone, the area Rob had found himself in was NOT a good side of town.
 

There was no elevator, so I found the stairway, stepping over yellow tape that said “DO NOT ENTER”.
 

I tried not to breathe, creeping up the stairs like if I made any noise I would be shot. If this entire situation ended up being a prank, I swore to myself I’d kick him in the balls.
 

When I got up to the 4th floor, I wasn’t even winded. Physically, I was ready for a fight and could probably hold my own against a man, unless that man had a weapon.
 

There was a short hallway and all doors were closed except one. Light streamed in from that doorway, coming from a window in what used to be an apartment unit.
 

Slowly, I inched my way forward, then looked in the room. It was empty of furniture. At the opposite end of the room, Rob paced back and forth.
 

“Rob?” I asked, my voice shaking as I opened the door. The second I walked through my arm was grabbed from the side and pulled into the room. It was one of Rob’s friends, Alfy, and he placed his finger over his mouth to tell me not to scream.
 

They were all wearing gloves and masks, not a good sign. I kicked him as hard as I could in the shin, sending him to the ground. He yelled out in pain.
 

“Woah, woah, woah,” Rob said from the other side of the room. “There’s no need to fight.”

“What the hell is going on!” I screamed.
 

Rob rushed toward me then pressed his palm to my lips to get me to be quiet. I wanted to bite him, but I didn’t my eyes just widened, staring at him. After a moment or so, he finally let go of me.
 

“I’m sorry. I need your help Piper.”

“You need my help? With what?”

“I found a job, Piper. Alfy and Tony hooked me up.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” I was incredulous, stepping back toward the door.
 

“You know how I’ve been out late? We’ve been working as hired help for their boss. Doing odd jobs.”

“Odd jobs?”

“Body guarding, business negotiation, lots of great stuff.”

I glanced over Rob’s shoulder and looked at the chair that was sitting next to the window. Sitting there, was a sniper rifle.
 

“Why do you have a gun?” I asked.

Rob placed his arm over my shoulder, then walked me toward the weapon.
 

“This is our new job. Everything rides on this Piper.”

“No way,” I said, pushing him away. I stepped back toward the door, but I walked into Tony and Alfy. Two large Italian men against one petite woman were not good odds.
 

“We took out a loan on the rifle for us to do our job.”

“What’s your job?” I asked. Tony snickered behind me.
 

“What do you think, bella?”

“You’re going to kill someone?”

Their eyes shone with mania and as he shook his head my stomach felt like it was in knots. The realization of why I was there started to dawn on me and it wasn’t good.
 

My head whipped around to Rob. “You want ME to kill someone for you?”

His eyes betrayed him and instantly I knew why he brought me to the building.

“If we aren’t able to do this job and pay our loan back the boss, he’ll kill us.” Rob stepped forward and brushed a piece of hair from my face. “Do you want me to die?”

“Of course not!” I said. “That doesn’t mean I’ll do it.”

Alfy stepped forward. “You don’t have a choice.”

Rob nodded to him, then turned his back to me. Tears were running down my face. I couldn’t believe what was happening. It felt as thought I’d been transported to another planet; where my loving boyfriend had been replaced with a stranger.

“You see that apartment across the street?” Rob pointed toward the window.
 

I wiped my eyes on my forearm and moved over to look. Directly in front of us was a newer apartment complex, for people who wanted cheap rent and didn’t mind the area. I nodded toward Rob.

“A journalist lives there. He’s been sticking his nose in places it doesn’t belong.”

“Why do you need me?” I asked. “If you’ve been chosen for the job, why don’t you do it yourself?”

“We tried,” Tony said, his arms crossed defensively. “He got spooked and hasn’t left his apartment for a week.”

I glanced down at the gun. Something deep down within me knew that if I didn’t pick up that gun for them, I’d be the one who left with a bullet in my head.
 

“None of us are good enough shots,” Rob said. “We need you.”

“You want me to KILL someone?”
 

They were all silent, but that was enough of an answer for me. I massaged the bridge of my nose, wishing that I had dated the geeky engineer from the air force instead.
 

“What if they catch us?” I finally said, moving over to look at the gun they had taken a loan out for. It was an older model than what I was used to, but it was expensive enough for a criminal to justify killing someone over.
 

Rob perked up, sharing a relieved smile with the two men opposite him, then walked over to me.

“We have everything planned. As soon as you get
 
the shot, there will be a car waiting for us below. All we have to do is make the call.”

I nodded in reply as I checked to make sure the gun would be fully functional. Luckily, they hadn’t been given a dud.
 

“As soon as it’s done, this will all be over, Piper. I’ll start making money, good money. We can travel together, maybe go to Paris or maybe visit your Dad …”
 

Go AWOL? Leave the military? This seemingly came out of nowhere and it felt like a punch in the gut. On top of that, he was using the feelings of abandonment I had from my father to make me feel better about the kill. What he was forcing me to do would change my life forever. I would never be able to go back.
 

“Shut up and make the call.” I said. Feeling had left my body a long time ago. When they did nothing, I repeated myself, only louder. With a jolt, Tony reached into his pocket and turned to call.
 

Rob waited next to me, watching as I opened the window and took the time to set up the rifle.
 

“Where is he?” I asked.
 

Third floor. He has the yellow flowers in his window.
 

I looked down at the apartment. Sure enough, a man was sitting at his desk, typing away at a computer. He was young, no older than I was, with long hair that was pulled back into a man bun. He crouched over his computer, typing like his life depended on it. What he didn’t know was it was all for nothing. If Rob got what he wanted, that man would be dead in a matter of minutes.