Master of My Mind BN (25 page)

“Oh, I’ve heard,” I chuckled with a sly grin. “But you want
them to think you’re a bad ass. It gives you street cred.”

Drake laughed. “That it does, girl. It also helps Mika out.
So I don’t mind being viewed a prick.”

Turning down a quiet, residential street, he slowed down,
peering up at the house numbers.

“Well, it looks like the whole family came to welcome you,”
Drake announced as he pulled to the curb in front of a large brick house in the
middle of the block. His headlights illuminated a dozen broad shouldered men,
ambling down the front steps toward the vehicle.

An older man made his way toward Drake’s side of the car. He
had dark skin, hair, and eyes, and his facial structure looked like an older
version of Tony. The other men, the younger ones, remained on the sidewalk.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, they made an intimidating fortress.

“I hope for your sake you’re Drake,” the older man
threatened as he leaned in, eyeing the big Dom. Slowly he cast a gaze my
direction, examining me with a curious expression.

“Yes. And you’re Tony’s dad, right?”

“How’d you guess?” The man smiled. He was Tony’s father
alright. They both had the same devastating grin. “Vito
Delvaggio
.
Come. Let’s get you two inside. I’ll introduce you to my wife, Alisa.”

“Thanks,” Drake nodded as he put the car in park and cut the
engine.

Thankful he was going inside with me, I had feared he’d
simply drop me off and leave. As Drake climbed from the vehicle, Vito leaned in
close. The two men shared a short, private conversation. I strained to hear
what they were saying but couldn’t. A prickly sensation danced over my skin.
Vito slapped Drake on the back with a nod before he hurried around the front of
the car and opened my door.

“What else happened?” I asked, looking up. The street light
illuminated both men’s somber expressions.

“Someone is following my son. Don’t worry, young lady. I’ve
given my boy a specific route to take. I guarantee he won’t be followed much
longer,” Vito preened, pride flickered in his dark eyes.

Tony had assured me his father wasn’t in the mob. And yes, I
probably
did
watch too many movies but I
couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d just stepped onto the set of “The
Godfather.”

Drake bent low and lifted me from the car.

“I can walk,” I huffed, feeling like an invalid in his
massive arms.

Hoisting me up against his chest, he grinned. “This is
faster.”

Drake paraded me past the line of men, and I felt their
curiosity rake over me. As we started up the stairs, I heard a deep voice
whisper behind me.
“Tony’s one lucky son of a bitch.”

The man had it all wrong;
I
was the lucky one.

Upon entering the house, the aroma of cinnamon and fresh
baked bread filled the air. My mouth watered, and I instantly relaxed as the
cozy atmosphere surrounded me.

“Alisa,” Vito bellowed in a tone identical to Tony’s. I
couldn’t help but smile. “Leave the damn baking alone for five minutes, woman.
We have company.”

No doubt about it, Tony’s dominance was definitely genetic.
I bit back a giggle.

“Just who do you think you are, barking out orders at me
like that, Vito
Delvaggio
? You
be
nice to me, or I’ll shut the kitchen down and let you starve to death. You
can’t even open a can of soup, for the love of Pete.”

A petite dark haired woman, wearing a mock scowl, scolded
Tony’s dad before turning her attention our way. Flashing a bright, happy
smile, she looked every bit the loving mother Tony had described.

“You must be
Leagh
and Drake.
Let’s find you a comfortable place to sit.” She motioned for us to follow
before leading us into a spacious living room decorated in creams and mauves.
“Would you like the couch or a recliner, dear?”

“The couch is fine Thank you, Mrs.
Delvaggio
.”

“Call me Alisa, please,” she invited as Drake lowered me
onto a soft, comfy cushion. Smiling at the woman, Drake sat in the empty chair
beside me. “I’ve got a fresh pot of coffee and warm cinnamon rolls. I’ll be
right back.”

As Alisa darted back out of the room, Drake chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, yanking the ball cap off my head
and fingering the tangles out my hair. I found nothing humorous, not while Tony
was in danger.

“She’s the quintessential Italian mother; that’s all. The
world could be crumbling out from under us, but she’ll make sure everyone has
food in their bellies.”

“It
is
crumbling out
from under me,” I replied softly.

“No, it’s not. Chin up, buttercup. If you haven’t figured it
out yet, you’re not alone. So stop thinking that way. Whoever is behind this
shit, we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you get through it unscathed. You
hear me?” Drake arched a brow. I nodded without rebuttal. Even though he’d
shown me his soft underbelly, Drake still scared the bejesus out of me.

Suddenly, the front door burst open, and Tony rushed into
the foyer. Wildly searching the dining room, his head snapped in our direction.
His gaze settled on me, and it felt as if we’d been apart an eternity. A rush
of emotions played across his face, and I felt the same powerful wave of relief
that reflected in his eyes.

Wanting nothing more than refuge in his strong arms, I
reached out to him.

“Thank god,” Tony exhaled on a heavy sigh.

Dropping the duffle bag that was slung over his shoulder,
Tony lifted me off the couch and clutched me to his chest.

I clung to him, savoring his warm breath on my neck, the
staccato beat of his heart, and the euphoria filling my soul that he’d made it
safely back to me.

Neither of us said a thing. The potent connection between us
conveyed more than mere words could say.

I wasn’t sure when or how it had happened, but Tony had
branded himself deep in my soul. The stark reality that no man had ever truly
loved me until Tony came full circle. He’d changed me—changed my life—and in
that single moment, I knew I was destined to be his. I couldn’t hide from the
truth any longer…I was in love with him.

Tony’s strong fingers tangled in my hair. Tugging my head
from his shoulder, he slanted his lips over mine. Rejoicing in his passionate
kiss, I gave back as good as I got.

“Anthony, you’re home!” Alisa exclaimed.

Tony broke the kiss. With a furtive smile, he stared into my
eyes.
“Yeah, ma.
I’m finally home.”

His double entendre filled me with warm fuzzy joy. While he
settled me back on the couch, Alisa placed a tray laden with gooey cinnamon
rolls and mugs of steaming coffee on the low table in front of me. She turned and
spread her arms wide. Tony wrapped his mom in a big bear hug lifting her
straight off the floor. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he set
her back down. Tony clasped Drake’s hand and thanked him for
‘delivering my package safe and sound,’
before
sliding in next to me on the couch.

As we sat and ate, Tony shared a watered down version of the
night’s events with his parents. The knowing looks that Tony and Vito shared
made it abundantly clear that Alisa knew nothing about her son’s kinky inclinations.
 

Tony explained that he tried to shake the man following him,
but by some divine intervention the dude got pulled over by the police. Or
rather a close friend of Vito’s who happened to be a cop
and
happened to be on the very same road.
Right.
I flashed
Tony’s father a grateful smile.

From one of the numerous calls Tony received from James, we
found out that the guy tailing Tony had been hauled to jail. The police
discovered he was in possession of fake documentation for five different
aliases.

A short time later, James called again only this time Tony
put him on speaker phone.

“The fire department is still trying to put the fire out at
George’s house,” James began. “Homeland Security and FBI have joined in on the
investigation.”

Police.
FBI.
Homeland
Security.
If they started prying into my past…
I tensed.

“Why? Is that standard procedure or something?” Tony asked.

Even with the background noise echoing through the device,
James exhaled a heavy, audible sigh. “Depends on the case, but since George was
a State Supreme Court Justice and houses usually don’t blow up by themselves.”
There was a long pause. “Fuck, you’re going to hear about it in the morning
anyway…Look, they’ve pulled two bodies out of the house, but neither has been
positively identified, yet.”

My blood turned to ice, freezing the breath in my lungs.
Bodies?

“
Leagh
, you should expect a visit
from one or all three of the agencies involved. They’re going to want to ask
you a ton of questions, I’m sure.”

It took several seconds before I could draw in a breath. “I
didn’t have anything to do with the fire. I’m not involved in any of this. I
don’t even know what the hell is going on.”

The pitch of my voice increased keeping tempo with the panic
rising inside me. Tony was quick to grab my hand.

 
“They know that,
darlin
,’” James sympathized. “But, unfortunately, it does
involve you.”

“How?”
I blinked in confusion.

“The tow truck from the club was found a couple of blocks
from here. There’s no sign of the driver. One of the bodies they pulled from
the house was male. Seems a little too coincidental, but we’ll know later on
tonight if it’s the same guy or not.”

I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel. On one hand, I was
relieved that the threat against me might be over if one of the bodies happened
to be Hayden. But on the other, wishing death upon anyone was like sending an
engraved invitation to karma asking her to come back and bite me in the ass.

“Fuck me. I need to go. They just brought out another body.
If I don’t call you back tonight, I’ll come by in the morning,” James replied.

“Sure, man. See you then.”

With each piece of information received, I grew more
anxious. Though Tony smothered me in reassurance, he also watched me like a
hawk. He was assessing and cataloguing my reactions like a culture in a Petri
dish. Once he got me alone, he’d want to peel back my layers and analyze every
one of my jagged emotions. In a weird way, I hoped he would as I couldn’t even
begin to sort out my mess of emotions, alone.

Drake received a call from Mika to let him know the dogs
didn’t find any explosives in the club. Although the news was comforting, guilt
for putting the lives of my friends in jeopardy rode me hard.
 

It was close to one o’clock in the morning. The cinnamon
rolls were gone, and both men’s phones had finally stopped ringing when Drake
stood up.

“If you guys are good here, I’m going to head home and see
Trevor,” he announced.

“Oh, you have a son?” Alisa asked with a smile.

Drake nodded with a slight smirk. “He’s my boy.”

I nearly choked.

“I loved having boys. They’re so much fun. How old is he?”
Alisa asked.

“They sure as hell are,” Drake replied with a chuckle. “He’s
twenty-eight.”

“Really?
You don’t look old enough
to have a son that age.” Alisa blinked.

Tony coughed, and I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to
keep from laughing.

“Thanks. It was a pleasure meeting you both,” Drake
responded with a smile to both Alisa and Vito.
 

 
“It was a pleasure
meeting you, Drake.” Alisa smiled, warmly. “Be sure to come back and visit us
again. And next time bring your son. I’d love to meet him.”

“Come on, man. We’ll walk you out,” Tony glanced at Vito and
jerked a nod toward the front door.

Drake paused and arched a brow at me. “You do what Tony
tells you to do,
Leagh
, and you’ll be just fine.”

“I intend to. Thank you for everything, Drake Si…seriously,
thank you.” I stuttered, nearly calling him Sir in front of everyone.

Tony shot me a smirk, shook his head, and slapped Drake on
the back. As they stepped through the portal, I heard Tony’s phone ring once
more. Snapping my attention toward the entryway, I barely noticed Alisa placing
her hand over mine.

“Don’t worry,
Leagh
. You’re one
hundred percent safe here with us. I promise.”

“I’m sorry to bring my troubles into your home, Alisa.”

“Nonsense,” she chided with a smile. “As far as we’re
concerned, you’re family now.”

Her unconditional acceptance floored me.

“Thank you. I’m honored.”

Alisa scanned the room with a
conspiritory
glance she leaned in close. “And let me tell you, no one fucks with my family,”
she whispered with a mischievous grin.

Chuckling softly, I got the impression Alisa
Delvaggio
didn’t drop the F-bomb often. She reminded me a
lot of Hilary, except much younger. Both ladies were proper on the outside and
a little untamed on the inside. It would be easy to grow close to Alisa.

“Now this is a sight I’ve waited a lifetime to see,” Tony
announced with a broad smile as he swaggered back into the room. “The two most
important women in my life, smiling. Or are you two plotting something evil?”

“We would never do anything of the kind,” Alisa challenged
with a hint of insult.

“Uh-huh,” Tony grunted in disbelief. “We need some sleep.
I’m going to take
Leagh
up to my old room. You okay
with that, ma?”

Reservation clouded Alisa’s face. “I know you want to keep
Leagh
safe, Tony, but…”