Ellena (21 page)

She looked into her purse and saw the spray that Cherise had given her. It worked great on Dexter and sent him out of the picture. They might frisk her or something when she arrived at the hotel. She would need to hide this.

She panicked a moment, and then an idea formed in her head. She began to get angry as her mind went over the series of events in her life and the lives of her loved ones. Enough was enough. She had never been a damsel in distress. She raised her sisters, she built up a great restaurant, and she found love for the first and last time in her life. Some piece-of-shit wannabe gangster was not going to ruin her future. She was born and raised in the bayou. If he wanted to see tough, then tough he would get.

She placed the small sprayer down her shirt between her breasts. Being well endowed would pay off today. Now, she just needed to get by Troy, Eloi, and Johnny. If she could escape before her sisters arrived, even better.

Taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom. Looking around, no one was in sight. The stairwell was to the right and she took the opportunity to escape.

She would give her life for the men, but they were not going to have to give their lives up for her.

* * * *

“Well, how did I do?” Agent Quincy asked as Parker sat in a chair overlooking the streets of town. He had a view of the hospital and all the tourists around. Police cars were pulling up at the hospital now.

“Not bad, Agent Quincy. You’ve been the best money I’ve spent thus far.” Parker looked at Bently who kept a straight face.

Mack was moaning.

“I’ve done more than my part, Parker. Where’s my pay? I want out of here before the feds start sniffing around,” Quincy stated.

Parker nodded toward Bently, and Bently walked over toward the suitcase, reached inside and took out an envelope and placed it into an inside pocket of his jacket. He then placed a pair of black gloves onto his hands.

“Well?” Quincy asked.

“Bently will walk you out.”

Quincy looked at Parker then Bently, and Bently smiled as he escorted the agent to the door. As they reached the door, Quincy grabbed the knob. Bently pulled out a thin piece of wire and wrapped it around Quincy’s neck. Quincy struggled, but it was no use as Bently tightened his hold and the wire dug into his neck. Bently strangled him.

“Put him in the bathroom for now,” Parker ordered as Bently lifted Quincy up and dragged him to the other room.

Parker smiled as Mack stared at him appearing angry and shocked but also defeated. That was exactly why he did this in front of him.

Parker walked closer to Mack who was tied to a chair with his mouth covered in tape.

Parker stared at him.

“I’m going to kill you,” he whispered.

Mack growled and struggled to get free.

Parker laughed. “But first, I’m going to let you watch me fuck Ellena on that bed.”

He watched Mack’s eyes roam over to the big queen-sized bed and then back to Parker. Mack was red in the face, and the veins by his temples and forehead looked about to explode.

Parker smiled wide then looked at his watch.

“I’d better get ready. My woman will be arriving any minute.”

Mack began to rock in the chair and struggle to get free, but the binds were too tight.

“Calm down, Mack. This is the way it has to be.”

He grabbed onto Mack’s shoulders and stared at him.

“Blame it on your fucking brother. He got the feds and the DA on me. They blew the whole deal I was working on. They nearly caught me in the act. But you see, I’ve been keeping an eye on you, your brothers, and all your friends. I know that federal agent is on the case and giving free info to that sheriff friend of yours. But I’ve got people, Mack. I win. I win because I ruin all your lives and I get the girl.”

Mack roared through the tape, and Parker could tell this was killing him.

“I’m going to have her in front of you.”

“It’s time boss,” Bentley interrupted.

Parker looked at his watch. “Go meet her downstairs. Be sure she’s alone. Have the others confirm that she wasn’t followed.”

“Will do, Parker,” Bentley said then walked out the door.

Parker walked over to the small bar and poured himself a drink. He took a sip of brandy and then walked over to the mirror.

“Ellena has a great body. Big tits, firm, round ass. She’s a real beauty. Believe me. I know women.” Parker unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt and ran his hands through his hair.

He sighed as he stared at himself.

“I’m a good-looking man. I can get any piece of ass I set my eyes on. But that Ellena, she does something to me. Instantly made my dick hard.” He chuckled.

“I guess you and your brothers know what I’m talking about. It was you she was with that night when my guys attacked you. I wasn’t expecting you to be such a fighter, Mr. Executive. It was you and Leon who fucked her in this hotel that night even though I felt her up in the spa. She’s thickheaded, but I love to break in a thickheaded woman, if you know what I mean.”

Mack stared at Parker. Parker could see his image in the mirror. He turned and looked at Mack.

He walked over to him and made an imaginary gun with his hand and stuck his finger against Mack’s head as he stared into Mack’s eyes. It gave him such satisfaction to know he got to him and his brothers.

“You’re going to watch me fuck her over and over again and just as she comes and shows me how good of a whore she really is, Bently’s going to put a bullet in you and you’re going to die with that image of your woman fucking me.”

“Where could she have gone? What the hell was she thinking?” Troy asked as he paced the waiting room.

“Keep the women out of the hospital. I want them all guarded, Gustave,” Johnny said into his cell phone.

They were all panicking as they searched for Ellena and got an update on Roy and Leon.

“That crazy brother of yours is insisting on getting up and searching for Mack,” Eloi stated as they heard a commotion going on in the other room.

“Have them sedate his ass. He’s going to flip out when he hears about Ellena. Damn it, Johnny, no one saw her leave?”

Eloi’s cell phone rang and he walked away a moment as the others tried to decide what action to take. Eloi held up his hand.

“Troy, come on. I’ll explain on the way.”

“On the way where?

“The hotel a few blocks from here. That was Agent Jones. Apparently, Agent Quincy was working for Parker.”

“What?” Troy asked, feeling shocked.

“Long story, but the feds were working on busting Parker and this Cordero guy with the night club and illegal gambling ring, right?” Eloi asked.

“Right and…”

“Well turns out they also had him for blackmail and getting money from all the storefronts and vendors in town for security. There were numerous cops and police personnel involved. They’re all being arrested as we speak. Amazingly all charges against Leon were dropped after a federal agent friend of mine tracked down the three thugs who bothered Ellena and Mack that night and set them straight. They gave up their story about Leon assaulting them, and the woman who accused Leon of sexual harassment was there, too. She wound up dropping the charges, too, after the agent threatened them with various charges of falsifying statements and a bunch of other legal issues. That guy Stucky admitted to working for Parker and planting the drugs in Leon’s truck. He also apparently confessed that Agent Quincy was getting paid by Parker to get Leon thrown off the force and sent to jail. He was out for revenge.”

“Jesus, Eloi. This is outrageous. So what the hell does this have to do with Ellena and the hotel?”

“The DA had a tip that Agent Quincy was taking bribes, as I explained. Long story short, they’ve been tailing him and monitoring his phone calls as well as Ellena’s. They recorded the interview at the sheriff’s department between Quincy and Ellena. His questioning was intense but nothing concrete to indicate that he was working for Parker or doing anything wrong. Ellena did admit that she felt as if Quincy was threatening her when you were accused of selling and dealing drugs. If you think about the incident back at the department that day when Jessy got shot, it probably scared her so much she didn’t tell any of us what happened. It wouldn’t have mattered because the agent would have denied everything, and it would have made Leon’s case worse and the charges wouldn’t have been dropped. Besides that, the DA had Agent Quincy’s phone tapped, too. He called Ellena, told her to get to the hotel, and to not get followed or Mack would be killed.”

“Don’t tell me that she’s there at the hotel?”

“Let’s move, Troy. The feds got this one, but we’ll be there and get updated immediately.”

Troy felt so out of control he could hit something or someone. Why would Ellena put her life at risk for them? Why wouldn’t she tell him what had happened?

“I know what you’re thinking, Troy,” Eloi said as they got into the elevator and headed downstairs to the parking lot.

“Do you? I’ve got one brother being held at gunpoint and two others seriously injured in the hospital. My woman is risking her life to save Mack, and she’s up against Parker K, a known criminal and killer.”

“She did it because she feels responsible. She’s an Aubert and all Auberts are stubborn and bullheaded. I’ve known Ellena for years just like you. Have you ever seen her back down from a confrontation?”

“She was pretty damn scared the night we were walking to the hotel and those guys attacked.”

“She hit one of them, didn’t she?”

Troy thought about that a moment.

“He has a gun, he has men working for him, and she’s going to do what? He wants her. Parker wants to hurt her.”

Eloi was silent as they got off the elevator and exited the building.

“What am I going to tell Roy and Leon if something happens to Mack and Ellena? Tell me that, Eloi.”

* * * *

Ellena entered the hotel lobby. She glanced around, and it seemed to be a bit more crowded than usual. She tried not to make eye contact with anyone. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she noticed a man by the elevator entrance and another by the front lobby sitting in a chair looking at a paper. He glanced at her and she looked away. A moment later she felt the hand on her arm and looked up to see Bently, the other security guy who worked for Parker.

“Miss Aubert, come with me.”

She swallowed hard and forced herself to breathe. The feel of the small spray bottle between her breasts was uncomfortable.

They entered the elevator and headed up two floors. On the way up, Bently patted her down and as he came to her breasts she held her breath, Thankfully he didn’t check thoroughly. He did, however, give the sides of her breasts a little squeeze as he held her gaze. He looked like some psycho, with his dark, wide eyes and the way they almost looked like saucers. She wondered if he could be on some kind of drugs.

They exited the elevator. He held her by her arm and escorted her to a private suite at the end of the hallway. The moment they entered she saw the large expanse of the room, and then she saw Mack, tied to a chair, mouth covered in duct tape, and red in the face. She could tell that he was angry with her.

“Mack!” she yelled and pulled from Bently’s hands, running to Mack.

“How sweet of a reunion,” Parker stated. She halted next to Mack. She kept her hand on his shoulder and could feel the tension. His face was a bit battered, too, and she knew he had put up a hell of a fight.

“You are the guest of honor, Ellena. I’ve been waiting so patiently for you to arrive. Please come have a drink with me and we’ll talk about what is going to happen.” He grabbed her hand and yanked her against his chest.

He placed his hand over her ass and squeezed so Mack could see him. Mack growled. Parker ignored him, but Bently didn’t. He punched Mack in the face, sending him rocking to the side as if he would tumble over, but Mack flattened his feet and stayed upright in the chair. Ellena gasped.

She felt Parker’s fingers dig into her chin as he pulled her face closer to his. His fingers dug into her skin and she cried out.

“Focus on me.” He kissed her deeply, and she struggled to get free when he released her face abruptly and shoved her. She nearly fell to the rug as she grabbed her face and felt the pain radiate toward her cheeks and jaw. She wanted to pull out the spray and use it now, but she wouldn’t be able to hit both Bently and Parker at once. Bently was quick and agile. She saw how fast he threw that punch at Mack. She wouldn’t be able to fight him. She began to shake and wondered how she could save both her and Mack.

“Why are you doing this? What do you want?” she asked.

He smiled as he grabbed her by the waist of her jeans. “You.” He turned her around so that she faced Mack and Bently. Parker had an arm around her waist right below her bust line.

“This is the plan, Ellena. You see, you and your men have taken everything away from me. My work and my plans for the future here in New Orleans. So, I’m going to take something near and dear to Mack, Leon, Roy, and Troy Rue. I’m going to take you.”