Desired Too (38 page)

I opened my door wide and looked at my sister. No way was I leaving her there with my prized possessions.

Julia, taking the hint, nodded imperceptibly and moved toward me. When she was close, she asked, as she looked back at Georgia, “Does mom know?”

I didn’t reply.

When Georgia came to the door, I kissed her again, telling her, “Stay here and lock all of the doors.”

She shook her head. “I want to go to Pops.”

I nodded, knowingly. “Okay, I’ll call ahead.” I leaned in and kissed her. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too.”

I kissed my son’s head and followed my sister out of my apartment.

“What the hell are you doing here, Ira?” I asked him, keeping the gun steady in my hands.

Ira, doing the same as me, shrugged slightly, “Meeting the family, Roxy. Putting my play in as the doting boyfriend, that’s all. I was hoping they would talk some sense into you, but I guess that’s a moot point now.”

“Put the gun down, Roxy.”

“Not a chance, Ira.”

I kept my eyes on him, watching for a hint that this situation was going south, wondering if I would hear the bullet or feel it first before I was gone. I knew he was capable of trying to kill me without hesitation. I just hoped that I could pull the trigger first.

“You know I’m a good shot,” Ira advised me.

“So am I,” I countered.

“For God’s sake, Raquel. Put the damn gun down,” Victor quipped.

“Shut up, Vic. I know what I’m doing.”

“Listen, baby,” Ira drawled. “You are clearly way over your head here. Why don’t we call it a truce and put our guns down together?”

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea,” I said flatly.

He smiled. “Oh, come on, you know you can trust me.”

I snickered. “Please, you son of a bitch, you used me to keep yourself out of prison. Hell, you probably told Basile I was the one that snitched on him to the Feds.”

Ira shrugged. “Ah well.”

I shook my head and tightened my grip on my gun. “Anything to save your ass, right, Ira?”

“Hell, if I don’t who will, Roxy?”

I grimaced. “You’re unbelievable.”

“You know I was thinking, while sitting here with your loving brother a few minutes ago, of ways I could get back in Basile’s good graces. I figured if I did something for him, something that he would be extremely grateful for, he would forget all about me. What do think, Roxy? Would he be grateful if I brought to him the very person that sold him out to the Feds? Do you think my tiny infraction would be forgotten? I would probably get a promotion for it, don’t you think?”

“You lying son of a bitch! You just said you would help her,” Vic yelled and started toward Ira.

No, no, no, Vic! Stay back!

Ira shifted the gun in Vic’s direction. “Oh, please. Like you give a shit. You were just telling me to take her away from here. ‘Save her from herself.’ Isn’t that what you told me to do? You wanted me to save her from her current boyfriend. I’m just doing what you asked.”

“Yeah, since you’re doing what I say now, why don’t you put the gun down, so I can beat the fuck out of you?” Vic spat.

Ira laughed. “Wow, Roxy, you hadn’t told me that your brother was such a hard ass.”

I took a deep breath and continued to keep my eyes on him.
Stay focused, Raquel. Nothing he’s saying matters.

“What do you think, Roxy? Do you think it will work?” Ira taunted me.

“Fuck you, Ira.”

“Yeah, I think so too,” he replied as if I hadn’t said a word.

I was starting to lose control of this situation. I could feel things starting to shift, and I couldn’t let that happen. I knew if things came down to it, I would pull the trigger. The problem is the loss that I would take before I did it. Ira was an excellent shot and at this range, he could easily put a bullet in my father or brother’s head.

I said quickly, hoping to draw him back to me. “You know Angel is looking for you, right? He knows everything you did; how you set me up with Basile to take your fall, how you used me as a bulletproof vest. You know as well as I do that he will not rest until he finds you and once he does-”

“Yeah, not so worried about him and you shouldn’t either. In fact, in a few, he will be dealt with by his own, or by Ducci or Basile. They all have a stake in getting a piece of him. But my odds are for his brother. Man, that son of a bitch has a strong hatred for his brother. He would probably do anything to see his brother go down. So, yeah, I’m not worried.”

He’s a liar, Raquel. You can’t listen to him.

That’s what I kept trying to tell myself, but I knew Ira was right about Eddie. He hated his brother. I couldn’t help but think about the meeting Angel was going to. Could Ira be right? Could this meeting be a trap? Did he know what Eddie had planned? That he had another traitor in his mix? If he did know, he couldn’t know to what extent.

I needed to warn him.

Suddenly things did start to shift my way.

“Hey, I have a better idea. One that would probably save your precious Angel and…well, it would still benefit me in the end. Why don’t you trade yourself for Angel?” Ira offered suddenly.

I looked skeptically at him trying my best not to show interest. It didn’t work. He read my expression and added, “Look, I don’t know this Ducci person, but I’m sure he’s not as powerful as Basile. Basile could be the only one that could stop whatever his brother has planned. If you come with me, bargain for leniency, I bet he will listen. Hell, you have some skills, girl. What if you offered your services to him? You could probably take all of his adversaries down financially, making him the richest criminal in the world. It could be your bargaining chip.”

My eyebrows rose at that idea. I could do it. I could make myself worth more than Basile’s pride and plead to his ego. I could make him the most powerful man on the planet, at least on the financial side anyway.

“You think he would go for that?” I asked him.

He nodded. “I do, with me pitching it to him. I’m sure we both could make him see the benefits of it.”

“Raquel, you can’t be listening to this shit,” my brother chimed in.

“Shut up, Vic. It’s the only way I can save Angel.”

“That fucker can’t mean more than your own life. What if this bullshit plan doesn’t work? What if-”

“It will work,” I said over him. “It has to. And if it doesn’t, then at least I tried.”

I nodded my head, coming to grips with my decision. I may not have trusted Ira entirely, however, I knew he would do anything to keep himself out of trouble and this idea worked for him too.

“This is unbelievable. Dad, would you talk some sense into your daughter?”

“Raquel, your brother is right. You can’t do this,” my father stressed.

“I have to dad,” I contended. “I love him. I would do anything for him. If this helps to keep him alive, then so be it.”

Ira nodded. “Good choice, now put your gun down and-”

“Oh, no, I don’t trust you that much. We put our guns down together.”

Ira laughed. “Okay, on three, right?”

“Yup, on three. Count it off.”

Ira and I looked into each other’s eyes. I relaxed my shoulders and calmed my breathing down.

“One…” he counted off.

I took another deep breath and…

Pow!

Well… I put a bullet in between Ira’s eyes.

“Two, you son of a bitch!” I said softly, watching the shock absorb his features before the bullet ripped through his skull and out the back of his head.

Maybe you do hear or feel the bullet before it hits.

I didn’t move for a long moment before I took my eyes off Ira’s body. I looked at my father and brother who seemed to be unable to take their eyes off Ira. We heard someone burst through the front door, and I swiveled and knelt, bringing my gun up, ready to fire, when I spotted one of Mason’s men coming into view.

“Holy shit! We heard gunfire. Are you…” The cutest of the two, Jeremy, stopped mid-sentence when he saw the body lying on the floor a few feet away.

Yup, you heard me right, I was taking the time out to acknowledge that Mason’s men were hot, but one was extremely attractive.

I know, something was wrong with me.

Bobby moved to Ira and looked down.

“He’s dead as a doornail,” he replied as if it was necessary. I knew where I’d shot Ira, and I knew I didn’t miss. I also knew he was going to shoot me before he got to three, so I shot him before he got to two.

I moved to my father. “Dad, I have to go. I have to warn Angel somehow of what’s coming. Are you okay?”

He nodded, but no words came from his mouth. I knew he was in shock and there was nothing I could do about it right then. I looked over at my brother and his eyes met mine. I moved quickly to him and hugged him tight. He gripped me so tight that I couldn’t breathe.

“Vic,” I mumbled, but he wasn’t listening. He did let up a little, but he didn’t let me go.

I felt my father’s hand on my back, and both Vic and I pulled back from each other. I could see the wetness in his eyes, which touched my soul.

My eyes began to water too as he kissed my forehead.

“Woman, you are crazy for doing that shit, but I love you. Thank fucking goodness you’re a great shot.”

I laughed and kissed my brother on his cheek. “Thanks, Vic. I love you too. I love the both of you, but I’m sorry, I need to go warn Angel.”

I felt my father tense and tighten his hold on me. Surprisingly, my brother just nodded and stepped back.

“Dad, please try not to worry,” I told him. “I promise I will come back, and we all can sit down and talk. Please understand that I need to do this.”

Vic nodded thoughtfully, then placed his hand on our father’s shoulders. “Dad, she’ll be all right. She has the best backup in the world. Angel wouldn’t let her have anything less.”

I smiled at my brother, then turned and moved to where Jeremy and Bobby stood off to the side and spoke in a hushed tone.

“Do you have someone that could…. Um… take care of…” I pointed to Ira.

Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, I can make a call.”

“Can one of you stay here with my family, make sure they are, okay? I really need to get back to the city.”

He nodded again. “We can do that too. Bobby can stay here, and I can take you where you need to go.”

I thought about where that would be and settled on Angel’s parent’s house. I needed to get to the right people and that would be the place to find the “right people.” I just hoped I get there in time.

“Okay, let’s go.”

I told my father and brother that I would be back and that Bobby would be there to make sure they were okay and to take care of Ira. My father just nodded and hugged me tight. He whispered in my ear to be careful, kissed my forehead, then let me go.

I gave him a tight smile and nodded once. I took another look around the room. I knew that what I had just done was going to hit me later. That was okay. Right now, I needed to focus on getting to Angel.

I looked at Jeremy and we left.

Please let me get to Angel in time.

I stopped at Lincoln’s place first to see if he was home. I needed him. I knew this and I hoped, after I settled everything between us, he would feel inclined to resume his role. But he wasn’t home. I sat with Georgia for a little before I decided to leave without him. I thought about calling him or stopping by his clubs to see if he was there, but there was no time. I would have to do this on my own, which was fine with me.

I hoped Pops and I would have a chance to talk before we went to this meeting. For one, Eddie didn’t know shit about what went down with Raquel. I wanted Pops to be clear that I would do everything in my power to protect my woman. There was no way in hell Basile would touch her. If that meant we were going to war, I’d figured the least I could do was warn Pops. I owed him that much.

When I made it to my parent’s, I looked over at Mason. “I appreciate what you’ve done tonight.”

Mason gave me begrudging look. “She’s a good girl.”

“And you say that to say what exactly?”

Mason, not giving a shit about my attitude, answered, “You don’t deserve her. She’s too good for you, and you’ll probably put her in more danger and possibly get her killed. I also know you have no intentions of letting her go either. So, I wanted to make sure she had backup, just in case.”

I didn’t let his words affect me. For one, he was wrong. I did deserve her. I knew what kind of life I lived and so did she. I will admit there was that possibility of danger; I wasn’t oblivious to that. However, she was made for me. I knew she could handle anything that came at us. She knew that I would protect her from the dangers of this life by any means necessary. That’s how it had to be. I would not let her go. I planned to marry her, have a family with her and do everything I could to make it impossible for her to leave me.

“Well, I appreciate you sticking your neck out anyway. It’s good to know she has a friend like your wife.”

Mason studied me for a moment before he added, “Keep in mind that my wife’s friends are my friends too, so…”

He let that hang in the air and I nodded, getting his hidden meaning, and got out of the car.

When I entered the house, my mother was the one to greet me. I smiled at her. However, my smile wasn’t met with warmth, but rather aggression and panic.

“Something is happening Angelo, and I want to know what it is,” she told me.

I watched the pensive way she looked at me. Lying to my mother or insulting her intelligence was never a good thing. She was way too smart for me to
handle
her. I’d learned that by watching the way Pops talked to her.

I used his tactics and bent to kiss my mother on her flushed cheek. “Mama, can you slow down for a minute and give me an idea of what you’re speaking about?”

“Don’t handle me, Angelo,” she crossed, letting her slight Italian accent flow. It only happened when she was pissed.

“In no way am I trying to, Mama. It’s been a very long day, and I just need a little help understanding what’s going on.”

She paused and studied me. Seeing that I was being sincere, she calmed slightly. “Your father just left with Eddie.”

Shit!

I was hoping to catch Pops before he left for the meeting and before Eddie got to him.

“Okay,” I replied. “Why would that be-”

“I know your brother is planning something big, something dangerous that will not end well for this family, and I want to know what it is.”

I put my arm around my mother and walked her to the back of the house. “Mama, honestly, I don’t know what’s going on, but I assure you, I will find out. You know, Eddie. I’m sure he’s just overreacting to something and making things a big deal when it really isn’t.”

I thought that would suffice my mother, but it didn’t. It, in fact, made her more agitated.

She pushed my arm from her. “You don’t think I know about you and Eddie? I know there is something between you two. I also know it’s the reason why Drake hasn’t been to my house to see me in almost a year. You and your father want to downplay everything. That will be a big mistake and the sooner you acknowledge it, the better things will end up. Otherwise, Angelo I’m afraid…” she trailed off as emotions suddenly took hold.

I didn’t know what to say to her that would make her feel better. She was right about everything. Tonight was going to be the end of everything, and I couldn’t very well tell her I was going to bury her first born.

As I looked into her eyes, I knew she understood. Pops said mama grew up in this game. She knew how things went, which was why she was standing before me trying to stop what she undoubtedly knew was coming.

I hugged my mother tight and kissed her on the top of her head.

“
Ti voglio bene
, mama.” I kissed her again, then turned and left, not before stopping at my father’s office to grab another shirt from his closet and a cigar.

I moved deliberately out of the house and walked up to one of Pop’s long time soldiers, Laz, and spoke quickly. “The Don’s in trouble. We need to get to him now, but without anyone that’s currently with him knowing, understand?”

He looked at me a bit confused. I added, just to get him moving, “I don’t know if I could trust the men that went with Eddie and my father. I don’t want them knowing we’re coming got it?”

He nodded and I continued, “I need a couple of guys with me, but I need you to make sure this place stays covered. Do not let anyone you don’t know close to the house. This place needs to be tighter than a baby’s ass you got that?”

“Yes sir, I got it.”

“Good. Make it happen, then meet me in the truck.” I turned and headed for one of my father’s trucks, pulling out my phone as I walked. I called Darrell.

“Eddie and my father are heading your way. Is everything good there?”

“Yes, everything is fine. Eddie and the Don just arrived, and Basile a bit ago. They are in the warehouse as we speak.”

“Did you secure the area?”

“Yes, we saw a few lookouts perched around the building, but we have them covered. Also, I let Russo know to be ready for anything that may pop off.”

“Okay, I’m on my way. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious, and no surprises, Darrell.”

“Understood,” he replied, and I hung up.

Laz climbed into the driver side of the truck and started it up. I heard another truck start behind us. I didn’t ask who Laz had picked to come with us. There was no need. I figured if Eddie turned any of my father’s loyal soldiers to his side, that Eddie would have them with him. Eddie was not smart enough to do anything else.

I called Lucy. She picked up on the third ring.

“Angel?” she whispered into the phone.

“I’m giving you the opportunity to make things right, Lucy. You know I didn’t lay a finger on you.”

“I know,” she came back quickly. “I’ve tried to tell my father, but he won’t listen. He thinks I’m just taking up for you.”

I closed my eyes and cracked my neck. “Where is your father now?”

She didn’t answer right away, which told me a lot. “He’s not here.”

“Where is he? And before you answer, understand that when I kill your father, I will first go after his family. It’s what I do, so be careful not to make this any worse than it has to be.”

Lucy started with the waterworks, and I just waited. In between her sobs, she told me what I wanted to hear. In fact, she gave all of it up, including Eddie. She told me how she was with Eddie now, how he put the bruise on her neck , took the picture, and then sent it to her dad. She also told me that Ducci was coming to speak to my father about me.

I felt compelled to give her father a heads up that I was coming.

“You get on the phone now and tell him to turn around. You tell him that I said war against me wouldn’t just be between him and me. He’s made it personal coming after my family. I will go after his, and I will not leave anyone left. You tell him that he has one chance. The moment my eyes fall on his, consider the war started.” I hung up.

I guess you think I should show some leniency for Lucy and her family. After all, it’s not their fault, right? The problem with that is this; her father ran his house. He controlled everything, and he protected everyone. If he made a bad decision, it affected his entire house. He knew that; I knew that. He also knew how I rolled. If I wanted to wage war upon him, I would have went straight to him. I wouldn’t have went through his daughter. I wouldn’t have laid a hand on her.

Again, he should have known that and I believe he did. So, the potential war he was planning, the actions he took against me, shooting up my apartment, were a direct result of Eddie. Eddie had it in everyone’s mind that he was going to be successful in taking over.

This meeting wasn’t just about Raquel. It was a play for power. I felt as if my brother and others were trying to put all the pieces together in order take control of what belongs to me, what I earned.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen and anyone found going against me, would pay dearly.

Laz drove over the Ben Franklin Bridge, taking us into New Jersey, a part of the state where it was strictly industrial.

When we pulled up to our destination, we all milled out of the trucks, armed and checking the surroundings. Three of my father’s crew had assault rifles. Laz had a shotgun, and I had my Glocks.

I turned toward the truck and removed my jacket, holster, and shirt. I grabbed the new shirt that I’d taken from my father’s house and put it on over my t-shirt.  Laz came from around the truck with a bulletproof vest that I took smartly. I put it on, then buttoned my shirt and tucked it in my pants. Next, I checked each of my Glocks, making sure the safety was off and chambered a round. I then put the holster back on over my shirt and placed my Glocks where they belonged.

I never travel without enough firepower, so I placed a smaller gun in a pancake holster in the small of my back. I closed the door of the truck and came around the back to the four men that were waiting for me. I gave them specific instructions on where I needed them to be and they moved ahead of me, disappearing into the darkness.

Once they were gone, I stood there facing the building. I took a few deep breaths to get my mind right.

It’s showtime!