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Authors: Cindy Stark

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BOOK: Lawless
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*        *        *

Searing acid burned Manny Mincione's stomach as
he made his way into the visiting room of the Cook County Jail.  The air in the
old building smelled like petrified urine, like it was never circulated.  Like
it was doing time with the rest of the inmates.

The feel of the whole building gave him the
creeps.  It was cursed.  From what he'd heard, there weren't many guys who'd
entered that left as whole as the day they'd came in.  It wasn't like the juvie
hall or local holding cells where he'd burned a fair amount of time.  Hell,
those had given him some valuable networking opportunities.  Not this place.  This
place was purgatory as far as he was concerned.

John Trasatti had now spent eleven months
residing in said hell.  This was the first time his boss had summoned him. 
Half of Manny was insulted the mob boss didn't ask for him sooner.  But the
other half, the smart half, knew what would happen if he couldn't get the job
done.

With his heart sloshing in sickening thumps, Manny
slid into the visitor's chair.  A few minutes later, the devil planted himself
on the other side of the filthy glass.  The prison garb that replaced Mr.
Trasatti's fancy, fine suits only made him look more ruthless.

Manny picked up the phone.  "Hey boss." 
He tried to sound cheerful as though they were meeting in a park on a Sunday
afternoon to talk football or something.

Trasatti's face remained stone cold.  Still as
a dead man's.  His glittering black eyes bored into Manny's as though he could
rip out his soul through his sockets.  "Words cannot express how
disappointed I am, Manny."

Manny glanced at his hands, clasping his
scar-encrusted fingers together to keep him from shaking.  "I know, boss."

"Were my expectations unclear?"

"No, boss."  Poor Sal and Johnnie Boy
had known what was at stake.

"You're different, though.  Right, Manny? 
I've treated you like family.  Let you close to my own family."

"I know, Mr. Trasatti, sir.  I appreciate
the opportunities you've given me."  It was true.  He'd been counted as a
family member on more than one occasion.  Practically grew up with Paulie and
had reported on Ariana through the years until she turned traitor.  She'd never
seemed that dense, but she had to know she couldn't be allowed to live.  Not
after what she'd done.  Rules were the only things that kept their world
operating in a civilized manner.

He dared a glance into the death-filled eyes.  "I'm
going to fix this for you, boss.  I am."

"You are aware of the consequences."

Manny swallowed and nodded.  From this point
forward, it was him or Ariana, and as pretty as Miss Trasatti was, she didn't
deserve life more than he did.  "I'll handle things, boss.  Don't you
worry."

*        *        *

Milo didn't quite know what to make of his
charge.  As they entered another pine-filled canyon on their way to Aspen, he
glanced at Ariana.  She'd checked out over two hours ago, her head resting
against the seat, her mouth slightly parted.  It appeared she preferred to
sleep than to converse with him in the confined vehicle.

The next four weeks should prove interesting.  The
Trasatti organization's case had intrigued him from the moment the story had broken. 
Long-lost evidence had surfaced after many years.  Evidence that took out the
head of the family.  That had been the first chink in the Trasatti's armor.  It
couldn't be as painful as this crack, though.  For many mobsters, family was
everything.  To have one turn traitor was an unforgivable sin.  It was no
wonder they'd relentlessly tried to track her.

   Ariana muttered in her sleep, followed by an
almost pained whimper.  She jerked and then sat upright.  He twisted his gaze
to the windshield before she could catch him watching her.  After a moment, he
glanced back as though it was the first time he'd looked at her.  "I'd say
good morning, but it's closer to afternoon.  We should hit town in about
fifteen minutes."

She removed her sunglasses and fussed with her
eyes.  "I shouldn't sleep with my contacts in."

"Everything okay?"

She looked at him with a startled glance.  "Yes. 
Why?"

He shrugged.  He wasn't about to ask about her bad
dream if she didn't want to discuss it.  "No reason."  He pressed on
the accelerator, gaining speed to pass a slower moving vehicle.  "We need
to talk about your identity before we get to Aspen."

"What do you mean?"

"We need to figure out what name you're going
to use.  Give you some kind of a background in case you come in contact with
the locals, even though I don't expect that to happen.  We want you deep
undercover."

She frowned.  "The program is supposed to
provide that.  Name, identity, the whole thing."

"Didn't Quinn tell you?  You're not exactly in
the program at the moment."

She stared at him, then blinked.  "What do
you mean?"  Her eyes flicked from window to window as though she were now
seeing things through a different perspective.

Milo cursed.  "I can't believe Quinn didn't
fill you in.  I used to be a U.S. Marshal, but I left three years ago.  He called
in a personal favor, asking me to keep you safe, but not within the confines of
the program."

"But that's how I stay safe.  I've read about
the program.  They've never lost a person who's followed the rules.  Quinn
pounded that into my head every single time I spoke with him.  Now he's the one
deviating?"

"After the number of times your identity has
been compromised, he's concerned there might be a marshal who's gone rogue.  He
can't prove anything yet, but he's afraid to keep you in the system."

She widened her eyes and slumped in her seat.  "You're
kidding me."

"He's really going out on a limb for you. 
This is completely against protocol.  If anyone finds out what he's done, he
could lose his job.  He plans on reporting you as AWOL."

"Then I'm not guaranteed safety."

"That's what I'm here for, darlin'."  He
smiled for her benefit, but he could clearly see the image of the last woman he'd
protected.  She really had broken the rules, and it had cost her dearly.  The
moment he'd lifted the sheet to identify the body remained etched in his mind
forever.  "Don't worry.  I'll protect you with my life.  Along with my
previous marshal training, I served in a combat unit in Afghanistan, and as you
know, I'm currently a deputy."

"Of a small town."  Uncertainty colored
her words.

"I don't want to brag, but you'd be
hard-pressed to find a better shot than me."  He didn't like having to
defend his expertise.

"But you are bragging."

He sighed and glanced at her.  "Because you're
questioning my abilities."

"I want you to teach me to shoot like you do. 
I want to be able to protect myself."

He snorted.  "I can teach you to shoot, but
you're going to need years of practice if you want to come close to being the marksman
I am."

She folded her arms.  "Bragging again."

"I'm just telling it like it is."

She rolled her eyes and sighed.  He knew his statement
would get a reaction out of her.  That's why he'd said it.  He couldn't deny he'd
like the chance to run his fingers along her skin and sample her soft lips, but
she was a diva through and through.  "Your perfume smells nice."

Confusion settled between her brows.  "Thank
you."

He loved turning the conversation on a dime.  A
tactic he'd found that kept people slightly off balance and left them more
pliant.  He sensed he'd need all his tools in order to survive the month.

"I think we'll call you Anna if necessary,
although I'm not anticipating you coming into contact with anyone.  It's a
common name, but close enough to yours in case I screw up."

She shrugged.  "What do I care?  It's not
like I'll have the opportunity to make friends here."

*        *        *

Ariana watched out the window as the small strip
of businesses in Aspen came into view and then disappeared just as quickly. 
She blinked, wondering what happened to the rest of the town.  She'd seen
flashes of potted chrysanthemums, the city hall, and a tiny huddle of stores.  "Is
that it?"

He laughed.  "That's it.  Now you can see why
no one will find you here.  Most don't know this town exists."

Oh God.  This was worse than the last four places
combined.  She'd hoped she'd be assigned somewhere habitable, but this…this was
a punishment.  Perhaps one she deserved.

How would she ever survive?

It was another ten minutes until Milo turned off
the main highway, and then a couple more minutes down a bumpy, unpaved road.  Plumes
of dust kicked up behind them, leaving the sights in her rearview mirror
nothing but a brown, hazy cloud.

The little square house sat at the end of the road
like a disappointment.  Shade from a huge honey locust tree speckled the
white-washed building and the surrounding lawn.  A rickety wooden fence separated
his home from green pastures.  Out in the field, several cows grazed.

Milo pulled his truck right up to the front of the
house, next to a marked sheriff's SUV.  No driveway.  No sparkling fountain
surrounded by flowers and manicured lawns.

She tried to breathe through her frustration as he
exited the vehicle.  How had this happened?  She was an educated, intelligent
person, but her choices had backed her into corner that she hadn't seen coming.

Lord help her.  She quite possibly had traded one
version of hell for another.

Milo opened her door, and she turned her gaze in
his direction, wishing she could plead for help.  But she'd created this mess,
and she had no choice but to see it through.

He narrowed his eyes.  "Everything okay?"

"Of course."  She wouldn't admit
otherwise.

"You're pretty pale.  Did the long drive get
to you?"

"That must be it."  The gravel driveway
crunched when her heels hit the ground.  She'd definitely be packing these
shoes away for the duration and searching out something more durable.  Fancy
and fashionable would be eaten alive in this place.

She filled her lungs with air so fresh it stung as
she took in her surroundings.  There wasn't a house or car to be seen.  "You're
really isolated out here."

He looked around and smiled.  "I like it this
way."

"Don't you ever feel like you're going to be
swallowed by the nothingness?"

"I don't know what you mean by nothingness. 
I look around and see everything good in the world.  Blue sky, green grass,
beauty as far as the eye can see.  No smog.  No noise pollution.  How could
anyone really miss those things?"

She looked skyward and let her gaze trickle down,
trying to see the world through his eyes.  She liked to have her space.  Just
not this much space.  "I guess you're right."  She faked a smile. 
She assumed he took her gesture as genuine because he nodded and led the way
into his house as though they were checking into the Four Seasons.

The sight of a gorgeous brown leather couch,
complete with turquoise throw pillows and a creamy white throw folded on the
edge stopped her in her tracks.  An exquisite woven rug covered a gleaming wood
floor and provided a backdrop for a beautifully handcrafted wooden table.

"Wow."  He had oil paintings and
candles, even floral arrangements.  "I was expecting more of a bachelor
pad."  The room was a little smaller, but his furnishings could rival her
family's.

He stopped his descent down the hallway with her
suitcase and grinned.  "Didn't you know?  What you see isn't always what
you get."

"You did all this?"  Deputy Sykes
puzzled her.

His lips turned to a sheepish grin, and he
shrugged.  "Okay, I confess.  My last girlfriend was an interior decorator
who liked spending my money."

The reminder of his all-important girlfriends,
past and previous, stoked her unhappiness.  She narrowed her gaze.  "That
makes much more sense."

He seemed offended.  "Hey, I paid for it and
let her do it.  I should get some credit."

"Of course."  She strode toward him.  "Take
all the credit you wish," she said as she stopped directly in front of
him.  "Makes no difference to me."  She glanced between what appeared
to be two bedrooms at the end of the hall.  "Which room is mine?"

CHAPTER
THREE

 

Ariana spent the next hour in her room
unpacking and changing into a tank top and jeans that seemed more apropos for
this little country town.  Her room was also fashionably furnished.  A warm
green comforter accented the contemporary walnut headboard and dresser.  She
fell in love with it at first sight.  Whoever this girl was that had stolen
Milo's heart had impeccable taste.

Which was just fine with her.  Deputy Sykes
could have all the girlfriends he wanted.  She didn't care.  In fact, she
should be more concerned that she'd been so preoccupied with this unknown
woman.  It had to be the stress of relocating again and, of course, the
impending trial.  She sighed.  The thought of facing her father in a court of
law sickened her.  She couldn't let her thoughts go there.  Not right now.

She glanced at the cell phone she'd placed on
the dresser.  It beckoned her.  Quinn had given it to her for emergencies. 
Would he consider the loss of her sanity an emergency?  It was a simple, little
pay-as-you-go phone.  There was no way the mob would be able to trace it.  She
climbed off her bed and picked it up.  Her fingers danced over Kenzie's
number.  It would be so simple.  If she kept the call short, what could it
hurt?

She groaned in frustration as she opened a
dresser drawer and tossed the temptation inside.

She needed to leave her room and face Milo.  As
it was, she'd already tempted fate too many times.  The sexy deputy could
distract her before she made another mistake.

BOOK: Lawless
4.72Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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