Summer Kisses (193 page)

“There’s no need for a key. Step outta the way.”

Nia was prepared for the sound of the door busting open. She wasn’t prepared for the gunshot or wood shattering. She jumped in shock, but stifled the surprised scream threatening to burst forth. She adjusted her grip on the pipe wrench. Ready for them.

“Watch it, she’s–” Giovanni’s voice cut off suddenly as if he’d been motioned to silence.

Nia raised the pipe wrench. She knew there were at least two men. Her hasty plan was to disable one, and rush the other as she’d done earlier.

A gun appeared. Followed by an arm. Her heart was pounding hard enough to jump out of her chest, but if there was one thing she’d learned from soccer, it was patience. One more second and . . . .

She aimed for the wrist and brought the wrench down. Obviously expecting the move, he slammed the door into her.

She stumbled back. He whirled on her. She recognized him from earlier in the day. The tall thin one with a big nose called Joey. Before he got his bearings, she kicked his gun hand then rushed him, swinging the pipe wrench like a bat. The heavy metal tool connected with his stomach. He grunted. Staggered.

Running past him she barreled through the remains of the wooden door prepared to batter her way through Giovanni. But he wasn’t there. She paused. Then Giovanni’s arms came from nowhere and wrapped tightly around her. He’d been out of sight, waiting for her. He had her now. She twisted uselessly to get free.

“I know your tricks now,” he said, turning her so his tobacco-laced breath was hot on her face. He forced the wrench out of her hands. Ignoring her throbbing wrist where she’d tried desperately to keep her grip on her weapon, she kicked him in the shin.

He groaned. “Shit. I fucking forgot that one.”

Though she managed to hurt him, he didn’t release her. She cupped her hands and bopped him in the ears with all the strength she could muster.

Along with a cry of pain, his grip finally loosened.

She kneed him in the groin, broke free and sprinted for the front door. Only to skid to a stop. A short, fat man with three big dogs blocked her path to the door. This man she didn’t know.

Cautiously, she edged forward, figuring once she passed the dogs, she could easily escape the man. His very plumpness gave him a kindly look. Despite the company he kept.

His words told a different story. “You don’t want to go no further,
signorina.
These dogs, they are not my trained attack dogs, but they will hold you in place. To them, you are no more than the squirrel in the tree.”

Surely his warning was a bluff. The dogs were big, but they didn’t look mean. They looked like Jed Clampett’s sweet old hound dog on the Beverly Hillbillies. She kept inching forward knowing any second the two other men would recover and come after her.

But with a command from the dogs’ owner, they assumed an aggressive stiff-legged stance, growling low in their throats, teeth bared.

Nia stopped. “Let me go. Please. I have a small son. He needs me–”

“I admit Eddie has a weakness for pretty ladies, but he can’t let you leave.” Giovanni came up gasping behind her and grabbed her arms tighter than necessary, she thought.

Joey, holding his stomach in obvious pain, joined them. “You are one mean bitch–”

“Didn’t I try to tell you?” Giovanni questioned.

“Wouldn’t you have done the same if you were in my position?”

Joey stared at her. “Yeah, I guess so. No hard feelings.”

“I’m sorry I don’t share your sentiments.”

“Listen,” Giovanni cut in. “We don’t have time for this lovey-dovey kiss-and-make-up stuff. We gotta get going before the Feds are on us. Who knows who she talked to on the phone.” He looked at her. “Who’d you call?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was trying to use the restroom.”

“Sure you were. C’mon. Let’s go. Joey, you take care of the clerk.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. She glanced at the white-faced clerk, his red hair standing in stark contrast. He was bound and gagged in a straightback chair. His eyes were wide with fear. He really couldn’t be old enough to be married.

Giovanni continued giving orders. “Eddie, put the dogs in the truck and I’ll settle with you when I get her tied up.” Giovanni tugged her toward the door. She knew if she left with him, there would be no hope of rescue.

Stall them
.

Frankie’s words came back to her. She dug in her heels. “I still have to go.”

“Go where? What the hell you talking about?”

“To the bathroom. I never got the chance.”

His look said he wasn’t buying her story.

“I’m not lying. I’m pregnant, remember? You know about pregnant women? We have to pee every five minutes.”

Giovanni sighed.

“You better not let her out of your sight,” Joey offered.

Oh, God, she didn’t want them watching her in the bathroom, but she really did have to go. “I don’t need any help.”

“You think I’m stupid? You just tried to kill Joey with a chunk of steel. I can’t trust you.”

“Then let the dogs watch me. Otherwise, I’ll wet the seat in your car and it’ll smell–”

“Okay, okay. I get the idea. Eddie, can your dogs do watch?”

“Sure, why not?”

She took as long as she could. It wasn’t hard considering they made her leave the door open and let the dogs guard her.

“Nice, doggies.” It was hard to relax when three formerly innocent-looking turned vicious-looking dogs showed their set of big, sharp, white teeth.

“You need help in there? What’s taking you so long?” Giovanni called through the doorway.

“Pipe down. I’m doing the best I can.”

“Maybe I need to come hold your hand–”

“Sure. If you’re brave enough to come through these dogs.” She zipped her slacks and washed her hands.

“Finished yet?”

“Yes, no thanks to you.” The smell of freshly brewed coffee made her stomach growl. Had it only been a few minutes earlier the clerk had put on a fresh pot? “Call off these dogs if you want me to come out there.”

The dogs trotted out at Eddie’s command and followed him out the front door. They looked as sweet and innocent as a lap dog again. Amazing Jekyll-and-Hyde performance.

Giovanni took her arm and led her toward the door. “Okay,” he said to Joey, who stood next to the clerk. “We’re going.”

Nia looked back as Giovanni dragged her along. Joey put his gun next to the clerk’s head and calmly pulled the trigger. Blood splattered over the cash register. She jumped at the sudden violent act. Though the gun had made little sound, the lack of noise didn’t erase the horror of what had just happened. She suddenly found herself screaming.

Giovanni shook her. “Shut up. You shouldna looked.”

Slowly, her brain started functioning again. “You shouldn’t have killed him! What the hell did you do that for?” she screeched, panic lending her strength to jerk an arm free and swing a fist at him. “What did he do?”

He grabbed her flailing arm. “He saw too much.”

“You think the Feds don’t know who you are?”

“Can’t prove nothing without no witnesses. This ain’t no fun and games, Nia. Do what we say, so more people don’t get killed.” He dragged her toward the car, calling over his shoulder. “Take out that security camera.”

The horrid scene replayed itself in her mind. Bang. Just like that, a man was dead. And for no more reason than he saw too much. He was a witness.

Another horrifying thought made her legs go weak.

She was a witness.

She could identify them. Tell what they did.

Put them in jail.

The world started spinning. Bile rose in her throat.

She was as dead as the clerk.

“Mornin’, Princess.”

Lost in her thoughts, tired from too little sleep, Marisa jumped and whirled at the sound of Dave’s voice. He sat on the couch in the lobby of her apartment building, looking calm and collected as if he’d had a full night’s sleep, which she knew he hadn’t because it was barely after five a.m. and it had been nearly one when she had left to go to Luigi’s.

Detouring from her path to the elevators, she walked toward him, her pulse skittering. Just jumpy from lack of sleep she told herself.

“Didn’t expect you this early,” Dave commented when she stopped in front of him.

True, it was earlier than she had expected to be back as well. But Luigi had never returned. It wasn’t unusual for him to get called away at night. Usually he came back; sometimes he didn’t. She’d dozed off while waiting on him. When she woke up after a short nap and saw he still wasn’t back, she left.

“How’d you get in here?” she asked, trying to regain her composure over her shock at seeing him.

“FBI credentials come in handy once in a while.” Dave stood, then smiled and nodded at the doorman currently on duty, which was not Murray.

She narrowed her eyes, curious, hopeful even, yet not wanting him to know. “And just what are you doing here so early? It’s still dark outside.”

“I could ask you the same thing. Makes me wonder what you’re doing home so soon. I thought I’d have to wait hours. Glad I came when I did.”

“Why are you here?” she repeated.

“I filed the papers to pick up Roberto. I thought we should get started on those accounts.”

She swallowed a groan; she was exhausted. “Don’t you ever sleep?”

“Sleep is overrated.”

Yeah, if he spent the night with her, she could see how sleep could be overrated. Since that wasn’t going to happen however . . . she sighed. “Will he be picked up today?”

“Should be.”

He followed her into the elevator. The doors shut, and she pushed the button for her floor before she leveled him with a look. “What are you really doing here? I don’t need to you to help me transfer the accounts.”

“Rumor has it I’m a control freak.”

“I’m
certain
that must be a false rumor.”

“Ha. Ha,” he said, catching her sarcasm.

He moved closer. She stepped back, bumped against the wall. He reached out his hand. Her breath caught. Lifting her necklace off her neck, his thumb playing with the delicate Florentine cross hanging from the chain, he said softly, almost to himself, “Luigi must’ve had an early night.”

Marisa released her breath and sighed. “So that’s it.” The elevator door opened. She didn’t say anything else until she entered her apartment.

“What’s it?”

Tossing her purse on the couch, she turned to him. “Come on. Don’t be coy. Go ahead and ask.”

“Ask what?” He tried the innocent routine once again, and once again she saw right through him.

“Whether I slept with him.”

“That’s none of my business,” he said stiffly.

She got the distinct impression he wished he’d never said anything about Luigi. “You still want to know, don’t you?” she pressed, not willing to let him off, trusting her instincts that he was suffering from this unwanted attraction as much as she was.

“What you do or who you do it with is your own business.”

“True enough.” She stepped close to him, definitely invading his space. “But you want me enough to be jealous if I did.”

“I told you last night–”

“I know what you told me. And apparently you don’t remember what I told you. Everything has collapsed. My father will never be brought to trial now. Therefore, I will never be a witness.”

She ran her finger under his collar. He drew in his breath. Yes, she was right. He wanted her. And the strangest thing of it was, she wanted him, too.

It was the first time she’d felt even an inkling of true desire since Paolo’s death. Maybe it was just the law enforcement types that attracted her. They were so much the antithesis of what she was normally surrounded with. And that’s why she knew she needed to stay away from him. But she couldn’t seem to help herself.

She was so tired of using and being used.

Just for a short time she wanted to desire and be desired. It had been so long.

Standing rigid as a statue, Dave grabbed her wrist before her hand strayed any further. She didn’t let his feigned reluctance deter her. A half step and her body pressed against his. “I didn’t have sex with Luigi,” she whispered, turning her face up to his, her body pulsing with anticipation.

His lips were inches from hers. “What’d you do? Plead a headache?”

“It was my plan. But he was called away on business.”

Dave froze. “Anything I should know about?”

She gave a small shake of her head. “I don’t know, I was in the bathroom looking for headache medicine when he got the call.” Actually, she was in the bathroom changing into the lingerie that Luigi liked, but there was no need for Dave to know that tidbit.

His lips curved upward ever so slightly.

“I didn’t think anything about it.” She’d been too relieved to give it much thought. “It’s not unusual for him to get called away.”

She moved her hands up to his shoulders.

Dave finally gave in, wrapping his arms around her. Whisper soft words brushed against her lips. “A headache wouldn’t work for an excuse with me.”

“Oh, forceful. I like that in a man.” She kissed him. Just for a short time, she repeated to herself.

He kissed her back, moving his hands up from her waist to her ribs, thumbs resting beneath her breasts. He only had to stretch those thumbs up a bit to rub across the nipples.

But he didn’t.

Instead he pulled back and gazed earnestly into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I did that again.”

She saw true regret in the depths of his dark gaze. “Why fight it, Dave? I want you. You want me.”

He shook his head. “There’s no future for us. When this case is closed, you’ll go into witness security and never see me again.”

She was no longer sure that witness security would be necessary, but she wasn’t going to argue with him. If everything went according to plan, her father would be dead and his organization destroyed. “Did I ask for a future?”

“All women want a future.” He lifted his hand and ran his thumb gently across her lips. “A commitment.”

She nipped at his thumb, then kissed the small wound. “We have no idea what the future will bring. All we know is now. And now is all I want.”