Endings & Beginnings (New Mafia Trilogy #3) (19 page)

   “I just talked to Grant and he’s doing better.
His sleep schedule is so off though,” Miranda said and sat down on the sofa,
reaching for another Oreo out of the tray that was on the coffee table in front
of her.

   “At least he’s improving,” Natalie said.

   “True. He’ll sleep so much better once he’s home.
So what’s up with you two?”

I explained about Egan’s and told her we needed to
use Grant’s car. She readily agreed and told me where to find his keys. We left
Miranda alone with her Oreo binge and were soon heading towards Natalie’s hotel
so she could get changed. I didn’t bother with valet and dropped Natalie off,
deciding to circle the block and check for any type of surveillance. I didn’t
notice anything unusual and twenty minutes later I slammed on the brakes,
stunned at the vision waiting just outside the revolving doors. Natalie had
changed into a simple black tank dress, but it hugged every curve just right.
Red stilettos made her legs look endless and her calf muscles extra defined. I
had explained to her that Egan ran his “events” as though they were of a Vegas
standard. People high up in the city’s food chain attended and in the winter
more fur coats were seen than at a zoo.

As she got closer I saw she wore the diamond
necklace I’d given her for her graduation and the diamond tennis bracelet that
was a Valentine’s Day present. Seeing these items on her, knowing I gave them to
her, filled me with a sense of pride and also hope that she cared enough to
still wear them. Before the doorman could do his job, I was out of the car and
holding the passenger door open for Natalie. She slid onto the leather seat and
smiled up at me. After making sure her legs were tucked safely inside, I shut
the door.

Grant’s Audi purred as we cruised up Broad Street.
We hit very few red lights and traffic wasn’t too bad so we reached Egan’s
venue in less than forty-five minutes. He had purchased an old school that had
a gym and he’s refurbished it into a boxing arena. It had ample parking and he
completely gutted the interior; knocking down walls between classrooms and
administrative offices.

Tonight Egan had gone all out by hiring a valet
company. Four cars were ahead of us, all luxury models. I even spotted a
limousine tucked in the back lot. Once I handed the keys off to a valet driver,
I took Natalie’s hand and we walked up the wide concrete steps. The front doors
automatically opened and we entered a climate controlled environment. The lobby
area was full of people. To the left, what used to be a hallway with
classrooms, was an entertainment area with flat screen T.V.’s and a full bar
that looked more like a pub with dark wood paneling, tables and tin ceilings. A
betting lounge for those placing money on the fights was part of this. The
entrance to the gym was to the right as well as the bathrooms, which had been
fully swankified and modernized. Fluorescent lights had been replaced with
track lighting. Every other bulb was red, bathing the halls and rooms in
crimson hues. It still looked like a school on the outside, but definitely not
on the inside.

As we made our way through the crowd, Dante flagged
us down. He had a blonde in a tight red dress clinging to his arm. I hadn’t
seen her before, but she fit his type.

   “Dom, Nat, glad you guys made it. We have a booth
over there with Jin.”

He didn’t even bother introducing his date, but she
didn’t seem bothered by it.

   “Hi, I’m Natalie,” Nat extended her hand and
introduced herself to the woman.            

   “Oh hi, I’m Gabriella,” she said.

   “How long have you and Dante known each other?”
Natalie asked as we walked to the table.

   “Two days,” she answered with a giggle. “We met
at Starbucks and he asked me out. I don’t even know where we are, but this
place is so cool. Oh my gawd, is that Bruce Willis?” She said in a thick Jersey
accent and Gabrielle looked off, seemingly distracted by a shiny bald head
moving through the crowd.

Natalie rolled her eyes and covered her mouth to
disguise a smirk. I winked at her and said, “She’s distracted by shiny objects,
huh?”

   “Like a raccoon.”

I laughed and shook my head. I’d slept with plenty
of women like Gabriella; women who didn’t have much in the brains department,
but that didn’t matter because all I cared about was getting off. Natalie
changed all of that and I had no desire to go back to meaningless sex. One day
Dante was going to find someone he had an emotional connection with and his
world would be rocked.

Jin and I shook hands across the table and I
introduced Natalie. Jin’s brother and a soldier were sitting on either side of
him. Dante squeezed in next to Natalie with Gabriella on the end. A waitress
came around to take our drink orders.

   “Cash only,” she said right up front.

   “Yeah, we know the drill,” Dante responded. “I’ll
take a Jack and Coke.” We all placed our orders and conversation resumed once
the waitress left.

Jin asked me how Grant was doing and Natalie gave
him an update. “So no issues with business? I hear you’re feeling the heat,”
Jin said.

   “I got that covered. We’re good.”

Just then Gabriella squealed and I turned to find
her looking at me. She was jumping up and down in her seat with excitement.
“You’re that guy! Oh my gawd, you’re so much hotter in person!”

   “What are you talking about?” I asked.

   “You’re the guy who shot the mall shooter, right?
They were talking about you on TMZ and how it was a good thing you were
released because you’re way too pretty for prison.”

   “TMZ?”

   “It’s a celebrity news site and channel. You’ve
made national news, man. I told you people want to know about you,” Dante said.
“I’m handling it, but you’re going to have to do at least two interviews.”

   “Fuck.” I ran a hand through my hair and huffed.

   “The fact that you’re playing hard to get is
keeping them intrigued. Gotta throw ‘em a bone.”

   “It won’t be so bad, Dom and Dante is right, the
media is salivating after you. You’re like this dark hero. You’re like Batman,”
Natalie said and laughed.

Next thing I knew, Gabriella was leaning over with
her phone snapping pictures, the flash blinding me.

   “What the fuck?” I yelled, throwing my arms up to
shield my face.

   “These are great! You two look so cute!”
Gabriella squealed. “My girlfriends are going to be disappointed knowing you’re
not single, but damn you’re smoking hot!” Her fingers were flying over the
keyboard when Natalie reached over and plucked the phone out of Gabriella’s
hands.

It happened so fast that the phone was submerged in
Natalie’s glass of water before I could recover from the flashes.

   “You bitch! What the hell are you on witness
protection or something?” Gabriella screeched and I felt Natalie tense up.

Jin and his cohorts watched the drama unfold with
amused expressions on their faces. “Dante, get her the fuck out of here,” I
ordered.

   “On it.” Dante slid over, nudging Gabriella out
of the booth. He grabbed her elbow and escorted her away as more than a few
people turned to take in the spectacle. I fished the phone out of Natalie’s
glass and wrapped it in a cloth napkin, leaving it on the table.

   “Wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?”
I asked.

Natalie shrugged and played with her straw, rolling
it between her thumb and forefinger. Her hair hung down like a curtain, shielding
her face so I brushed it back over her shoulder. “Nat?”

She glanced sideways at me and sighed. “I don’t like
them speculating about you and for Gabriella to take pictures like that, well
that was fucking rude.”

   “Speculating? You mean the media?”

   “Yeah.”

   “It isn’t ideal and I don’t like it either.” It
was bad enough having the FBI up my ass. Throw the media into the mix and I had
all sorts of people digging for information about me and the Grabano name.
“Don’t worry. It will blow over soon.”

   “Will it?”

I intended for it all to go away after I had my talk
with Agent Phillips.

Natalie

We had just settled into our seats in the front row when
Dante returned sans Gabriella.

   “Where’s your date?” I asked to which Dante
glared in response.

   “Well, she’s definitely not here and she won’t be
beneath me tonight,” he said then grinned. “But the night’s still young. I’ll
find someone else to take her place.”

   “You’re such a pig,” I said with a laugh and
smacked him on his shoulder.

Dante started talking to Jin when more of Dom’s
associates joined us. I recognized them from the wedding. They all sat in the
same row as us and wore green wristbands like us. I glanced around as the
stands filled up noticing varying colors of wristbands. While the area around
the boxing ring consisted of theater style seating, Egan had kept the old
school, wooden bleachers that could be folded in accordion-style. While some
men wore suits and others were dressed more casually, all of the women were
decked out like it was some sort of pageant. Perfectly styled hair, make up and
jewelry worth more than the Crown Jewels were on display. I’m glad Dom offered
me the chance to change as I felt underdressed in my simple black dress. My
shoes however, rocked, even though the balls of my feet had already begun to
ache. I was glad Chelsea had the foresight to pack the red stilettos.

    “What are the wristbands for?” I asked Dom.

   “Indicates what level we paid for our seats.
Green is a grand, blue is $500 and red is $100, which is the minimum.”

  I stared at him with my mouth open. “Are you
serious?”

   “Oh yeah. There is some good money in bare
knuckle boxing. Tonight’s winners will be walking away with close to forty
grand each. Typically these fights are held in a warehouse and take place in a
square taped off on the concrete floor. This is BKB on steroids. Egan likes to
go big or go home.”

Just then the gym plunged into darkness and the
background noise of a thousand conversations hushed. I leaned toward Dom, not
sure if the dark was intentional. Suddenly a spotlight flared to life,
illuminating one of the entrances. A bass line started thrumming through the
sound system, so deep I felt the vibration through my seat. The beat remained
constant, almost like a heartbeat and then an announcer was introducing the
first boxer. He burst through the doors with his fists in the air and his oiled
chest glistened in the light. The bass beat morphed into “Til I Collapse” by
Eminem and the crowd roared while some booed as the man was followed by a small
entourage. Once he was situated in the corner of the ring, the music faded out
and resumed the steady beat. The spotlight shifted to another entrance at the
opposite end of the room. We all shifted in our seats to watch. The announcer
screamed his introduction and as soon as the boxer, Killian, was announced, the
crowd freaked out. It didn’t take a sports expert to figure out this guy was a
fan favorite. The doors opened, but the doorway remained empty until the first
chords of “The Warrior’s Code” by the Dropkick Murphy’s began to play. Not an
adrenaline pumping song, but it appealed to the predominantly Irish crowd.

   “That’s Egan’s younger brother,” Dom leaned in
and whispered in my ear. “He’s a local BKB featherweight champion.”

Soon both boxers were facing off, their fists
clenching and unclenching as they circled each other in the ring. Both were
solid muscle, not an ounce of fat appeared on their tattooed bodies. Killian
wore green shorts while the other fighter, James something or other, wore gold.
While I was watching their movements intently, the first punch that made
contact surprised me. Killian hit hard and James’ head snapped back with the
force, but he recovered quickly and struck back. It wasn’t until blood started
to flow that I quickly lost interest. Cheekbones swelled and split knuckles
left bloody imprints wherever they landed. I found myself gripping Dom’s hand
tight. With my eyes closed and face pressed into his arm, I couldn’t escape the
wet smacks and grunting. Finally the crowd erupted and I looked up to see James
flat on his back on the mat and a victorious Killian marching around the ring,
his face a mask of bruises and blood. He grinned and I saw blood tinged teeth. A
doctor or someone entered the ring to check on James who was coming around.
They helped him up and he left with less fanfare than he entered. His ego
probably sustained just as much bruising. Killian left among the cheers and he
was handed a shot of something which he downed quickly, throwing the empty shot
glass into the audience.

The lights remained on while a guy came in and
quickly mopped up the mat, and then the gym was plunged into darkness for the
next round.

   “Are you okay?” Dom asked when I reached for his
hand again.

   “It’s very intense.”

   “Yeah, I think they’re all a little nuts to go
bare knuckle. This is the middleweight round and then we’ll have heavyweight
and that’s Egan’s division.”

   “Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath to prepare
myself for more testosterone fueled pummeling.

The introductions were like the last time, with the
Irish competitor receiving more cheers. This match ended after two punches.
Mike the Mick, not only knocked out his opponent, but a few teeth. One landed
by my feet, a bloody incisor and my stomach rolled. Dom kicked it out of sight
when he saw what made me cringe. I started to stand so I could leave when the
lights went dark again. Who knew this shit would be so dramatic?

The bass resumed, but this time it was like thunder
or a jet engine shaking the entire gym. People stomped their feet and started
chanting “Irish! Irish! Irish!” over and over. Suddenly a bright green light
flared and lit up one of the entrances. Egan emerged with more swagger than an
entire NFL team. He raised his arms in the air, proudly showing off his already
scabbed up knuckles. He didn’t have any intro music, but he didn’t need it with
the bass and chanting. His skin already shone with oil and sweat. His body was
covered with tattoos, a giant Celtic cross on his back the biggest piece of
ink. The only time I met Egan was at Grant’s wedding and he was in a suit, I
had no idea the lethal physique he hid underneath his clothes. His brown hair
was shorter than I remember, revealing a thick neck. He paced the ring like a
wild animal, his muscles rippling with each movement. He spotted us in the
front row and dipped his head in acknowledgement to Dom before his blue eyes
zeroed in on me. He winked once then was off again in his zone while his
opponent made his entrance.

My jaw dropped when a giant of a man stepped out of
the shadows and into the spotlight. He hulked down toward the ring and I grew
uneasy. If the first two fights made me anxious, this fight was going to be
brutal. I imagined two boulders colliding. The air was rank with the stench of
blood, sweat and adrenaline. At this stage in the evening, the majority of the
crowd was drunk and their constant bellowing of cheers and taunts had grown so
loud my ears were ringing. I could see how people got caught up in the
excitement; this sport was something that appealed to their baser nature, but
it didn’t appeal to me at all.

Egan didn’t appear phased by his opponent who stood
at least two inches taller. They met in the middle of the ring, their muscular
chests puffed out like two apes. There wasn’t an official referee; this wasn’t
a sanctioned event, the guy in the ring in between rounds was there to make
sure injuries weren’t too severe. How this guy could tell the difference was
beyond me since these fights consisted of two men, hopped up on testosterone,
prepared to beat the shit out of each other. They did adhere to the rule that
once one of the boxers hit the mat and was down for longer than ten seconds,
the match was over.

Dom placed his hand over mine, gently pulling it off
of his leg. I hadn’t realized my fingers were digging into his thigh. “Come on,
we’re leaving. I can tell you’re not dealing with this well.” He stood up,
taking me along with him.

Dante grabbed Dom’s arm. “You can’t leave. You’ll
insult Egan,” he said.

   “I don’t give a fuck. I gotta get Nat out of
here.” With his hand on the small of my back, Dom and I left the gym. Just
being in the quieter hallway made a difference; the band tightening around my
chest eased and I took a deep breath. I could still hear the fight, but it was
a faint echo in comparison. The hallway smelled of fresh paint and every once
in a while I caught a whiff of beer. I welcomed these scents over blood. After
what had happened at the mall, my quota for witnessing bloodshed had been
reached. “You okay?” Dom asked, keeping his hand on my back and guiding me
further away from the gym.

   “Better, thanks. That was…interesting.”

   “I knew it wasn’t going to be your thing.”

   “Yeah, but I had to at least find out. That whole
don’t knock it ‘til you try it philosophy.

We went back to the bar where a few people lingered,
but mostly everyone was watching the fights. A couple of the TV’s showed the
fight, but I sat with my back to the screens. Dominic slid into the booth next
to me. His hand landed on my thigh and he gave it a light squeeze. “Want
anything to drink?”

   “A brandy would be good,” I said, remembering
when Uncle Al had ordered that for me after I first witnessed Grant killing
three men, back when this all started. The magic elixir settled my stomach and
blanketed my nerves in soothing warmth.

Dom returned with a glass of the amber liquid. As I
sipped my brandy, he quietly studied me. “What?” I asked.

   “I’m amazed you’re here, sitting with me after
all you’ve been through. I missed having you by my side.” He leaned over and
kissed my cheek. “Also, you look absolutely amazing.”

Heat bloomed low in my body and it wasn’t from the
alcohol. Having Dom so close to me, remembering how his lips felt on other
parts of my body made my pulse beat a little faster. Even the spicy woodsy
scent of his cologne triggered a response. No other man made me feel this way.
I knew Dom was a violent man, but never towards me. I always felt safe,
protected, treasured and desired in his presence; this duality made him so
complex, but also fascinating. My brother had the same dynamic. The two most
important men in my life were dangerous and powerful, yet they were capable of loving
just as hard.

Chelsea told me that if I truly loved Dom, then I
needed to accept him for who he is; faults and all. I knew he accepted my
baggage. He didn’t turn away after Mr. Genovese assaulted me and I spiraled to
my lowest. I abandoned him and dated another man, yet he still wanted me by his
side. It was crazy and made my head hurt. Could I accept Dominic’s violent
life, the way he was born and raised? It didn’t work out so well the first
time, but I was forced into making that decision. If I entered willingly, could
it be different?

I pondered this as I sipped my drink and Dom’s
finger traced lazy circles on the top of my thigh. Our peace was soon
interrupted when the fights ended and the bar began to fill up. Dante slid in
the booth across from us followed by Jin and his men. I spotted Demetrius at
another table with a tall redhead by his side. A weird energy crackled and
hovered over the table as they guys came down from their adrenaline highs of
watching grown men beat each other. Just as the energy seemed to be settling
down, Egan’s appearance caused it to return. He pulled up a chair and sat down
at the end of our table, his split lips twisted into a smirk.

   “Too much for you to handle that ya had to leave,
Grabano?” he asked Dom, chuckling as he clearly entertained himself.

   “No. It was too much for me,” I responded.

   “What, got your old lady speaking for you now?”
Egan teased further. I felt Dom’s hand that rested on my thigh curl into a
fist, so I placed mine on top. He tensed up briefly and then relaxed.

   “Show some fucking respect,” Dom snarled. “So did
you win or lose?”

   “I always win.” His smirk turned into a
shit-eating grin and he winked at me.

I rolled my eyes, lifting the glass to my lips for a
sip, swallowing a smartass remark along with the brandy. Clearly Egan was drunk
on testosterone and his ego and I didn’t need to encourage his antagonistic
attitude towards Dom. Besides, I knew Dom could handle himself.

   “Right, so the shipment is on as planned?” Jin
said, interrupting and steering the conversation to business.

   “Yeah, we’re all set. It will be coming in the
next two weeks,” Dom confirmed.

   “It’d better be worth the wait and now with the
heat you’re getting from the shooting, it better be a smooth transaction,” Egan
added.

   “Or what?” Dom countered.

   “Or I’m fucking out and I’ll take my business
elsewhere.”

   “You know my offer is the best out there and I
have access to the best product.” Dom leaned forward, his words barked out in a
tightly controlled whisper. “Good luck going elsewhere.”

The tension ratcheted up as the situation was
quickly devolving into a display of two alphas competing for dominance. In my
mind I pictured majestic elks getting ready to clash and almost snorted.

   “Guys, while I love how cozy we are here, I’d
rather not know the inner-workings of your ‘business’.” I emphasized the last
word with air quotes. While they didn’t outright say what the product being
shipped was, I knew what they were talking about.