AMELIA
I walk back out of the house, and I can breathe again. Being back here after all these years is an unnerving experience.
I always promised I would never come back, but when Leo said we needed somewhere to hide, I couldn’t think of anywhere better.
The entire town seems to have forgotten about the old Mansfield place. The house sits rotting, which is only appropriate. The family that lived here deserved to rot too. I hope they’re rotting wherever they are.
I pull open the trunk of my car and get out the first aid kit. It’s designed for the animals I work with, but it’ll do for this. I look up at the back of the house for a moment and then my head automatically turns left.
That was where he was kept. The pole is still there, sticking out of the ground. I want to take it and go find them, line them up and shove the pole through their chests. Those bastards.
I go back into the house. “Take your shirt off,” I tell Leo as he watches me opening up the first aid kit. “Let me look at the bullet wound.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll come to your funeral after sepsis kills you, how’s that?” He looks at me and sees I’m not joking.
He takes his jacket off and folds it neatly, looking for somewhere to put it that isn’t covered in dust. There is nowhere.
Finally, I take it off him and place it on the edge of the desk. He tries to undo his shirt with one hand, wincing whenever he tries to use the injured arm.
“Let me,” I tell him.
I cross to him and unbutton the soft linen shirt. The shoulder is soaked through with blood.
His chest comes into view and I can’t help but think he’s about to add another scar to his collection. “That’s deep,” I tell him, examining his wound.
“I’ve had far worse,” he replies. “Just grazed me.”
I reach for the antiseptic and pour it onto the raw skin. He doesn’t react, but I hear him sharply breathe in. “Sorry,” I say. “Should have warned you.”
“Not my first rodeo,” he replies. “Keep going.”
“You keep still.”
I clean up the wound, using the gauze from the kit to wipe away the worst of the blood. “Something’s scaring you,” he says. “Is it me?” “I’m fine,” I lie.
“That’s bullshit. It’s this place, isn’t it? Something happened to you here.
What was it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Why should I?”
“Because it might do you good to let it out.”
“Since when are you a shrink?”
“Trust me.”
I sigh, going back to the first aid kit to get the sutures. “I need you to keep really still,” I say. “The messier the stitch, the uglier the scar.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
I stitch the wound closed. He says nothing while I do it, just watches me. I can feel his hot breath on my cheek and I keep glancing down at his chest.
I remember what it was like when he was crushing me under his bulk, straddling my chest back in my bed. I want to be back there more than anything.
I want to be in my bed with him keeping me safe. I don’t want to be back here. The house is bringing back too many memories.
Once I’m done, I seal the kit back up and examine the wound a final time. “You can get dressed now,” I tell him.
“What if I don’t want to?” He’s suddenly looming above me, taking my hands in his. “What if I want to stay undressed?” He puts my hands on his chest, running them down over his stomach. I yank my arms free and step back, shaking my head.
“This isn’t a good idea.”
He looks at me like he’s about to ignore what I said, and there’s a tiny part of me that wants him to. I want him to just take over and decide.
Luckily, that part of me isn’t in charge.
“You sure?” he asks.
I look at him and in an instant, I’m in his arms. He holds me close, kissing the top of my head. I look up and he’s leaning down, pressing his lips to mine.
My hands slide over his back as he twists me, lowering me onto the sofa. “Fuck, I can’t resist you,” he says, kissing my neck as I let out a quiet moan.
It’s wrong. It’s all wrong. In this house, of all places. I should stop him. I should tell him to get the hell off me.
The distraction is helping take my mind off things. I can think about this later. Seems my brain will never let the Mansfield family go.
His hands are stroking my back. I moan again as he kisses his way down my chest, lifting my tee-shirt to plant soft embraces on my stomach.
He unbuttons my jeans, tugging them down to my ankles while I close my eyes and lose myself in the moment.
I don’t know why I’m letting this happen. I know it’s a bad idea. Here, of all places. I told myself I wouldn’t do this anymore.
He’s leaving soon. I know I shouldn’t get attached to him. He’s dangerous. He’s bad news. It can only end in tears.
Maybe it’s the danger of lowering my barriers. The adrenaline rushing through my system after the chase through town. Maybe it’s the fact I feel safe in his arms, like he’s protecting me from everything.
Most likely it’s just that lust is coursing through me because his hands are pulling my panties down and a moment later he’s kissing my thighs.
My legs spread as he buries his mouth on my pussy, licking me far more gently than I ever thought he’d be capable of doing.
I grab hold of his head and keep him there, not that he’s got any plans about moving away. I feel a finger sliding into me and I let out a groan, pushing down against it.
“You taste so sweet,” he says. “I thought no one could taste so fucking good.”
“Just don’t stop,” I tell him. I still know this is a bad idea, but I can’t stop it. I can’t stop falling for him. It’s like I was on the edge of a gorge of my making, looking down at the darkness below.
I should have stepped away before it was too late, but that would mean leaving him far behind. I can’t do that. We’re connected, glued together at this moment. Nothing else makes any sense but being with him. I can work out what it means later.
For now, I’m losing myself completely in the moment. His tongue is flicking over my engorged clit and the finger inside me is moving faster and faster. I’m shifting in place, my body growing tense.
“Come for me,” he says, pausing long enough to look up at me with flashing eyes in the darkness of the room. “Come for me.”
The second time he says it, my body responds. It’s like he’s permitting me to lose myself completely. I let go, my body tensing up more as his tongue expertly tips me over the edge.
A climax races through me. I open my mouth and let out sounds I’ve never made before. He remains in place, kissing my folds softer than before, knowing somehow that my clit is now too sensitive.
I slump against the sofa and he’s kissing his way back up to my face. I taste his mouth and he tastes of me. It is sweet, just like he said.
He looks like he’s about to say something, but then his cellphone rings over in his jacket. He digs it out and answers. “What?”
He listens in silence. I hear a voice yelling at the other end. Suddenly the line goes dead. “I need your help,” Leo says, looking directly at me.
“What with?”
“Franco’s coming to see you.”
“Who’s Franco?”
“The consigliere. Don’t worry. I won’t let him take you.”
“Take me? Take me where?”
“He has a different opinion about how best to collect debts from women. You know what this means?”
“What?”
“Someone’s feeding him information and that puts us one up.”
“One up? What are you talking about?”
He gets his shirt back on his shoulders and I help him do up the buttons. He looks down at me while he talks. I resist running my hands over his muscles again, but it’s hard work.
“Whoever told him about the debt is linked to the Belucci famiglia. Found out about the contract with your name on it.” He pulls out his gun and hands it to me. “Ever use one of these before?”
“At a shooting range. Not like this.”
“Nothing different. Don’t point it at anything you don’t want to kill. Keep the safety on until the last possible moment. Don’t put your finger on the trigger unless you’re ready to fire. You know how to change the clip?”
I nod. “I think so.”
“You think so or you know so?”
“Remind me.”
He shows me. “One in the spout, catch here. Dump it like this and shove the next one in.”
“Why are you telling me this? Are we in trouble?”
“Maybe. I’m still working it out.”
“Tell me you will not ask me to kill anyone.”
“Franco is going to show up at your house in the next couple of hours.
All I need you to do is keep him there and keep him occupied.”
“Who’s Franco again?”
“The Don’s consigliere.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“His enforcer. His advisor. He sorts out disputes for the family.”
“And what does he want with me?”
“The Don thinks I’m skimming from him. Wants to take you because of it.”
“Skimming? What do you mean?”
“I could tell from his voice. He thinks I’m trying to cream profits from the casino. It’s making sense, Amelia.” He grabs my arms. “Franco sounded pissed and I bet it’s because I’m still alive, He said he’s coming to talk to you. Said the Don thinks you’re the snitch.”
“But that’s me. He’s talking about me.”
“I know. He thinks we’re in on it together. Thinks by telling me he’s coming for you, I’ll run with you and that’ll prove him right. Make me look guilty.”
“Why don’t we run?”
“Because there’s nowhere on the planet he won’t find us. But we’re going to set a trap for Franco. I should’ve known he wouldn’t let it lie.”
“Let what lie?”
“He wants to take over when the Don dies, is pissed that I’m next in line. This is his way of getting rid of me. I bet he’s the one working with the snitch to send the intel to the papers and the Feds. When the dust settles, he’ll come out looking squeaky clean and then he can take over.”
“I don’t understand. What’s going on, Leo? What are we supposed to do?”
“It’s simple. We go down into town and see your friend Molly. Make sure she’s somewhere safe in case Franco tries to use her to get to you.
“Then while Franco comes to see you, I go deal with the snitch and then I come and deal with Franco in person. I’ve always wanted to get him back for the slaps he’s given me in the past.”
“Why can’t I come with you?”
“Because time’s up. Franco said that himself. Said I’d been pissing about for too long. Said it’s time for me to go back to the city and he’ll deal with the loose ends out here.”
“Loose ends like me, you mean?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. I will not let anything happen to you.”
“Then why do I need the gun?”
“Just in case.”
“In case of what?”
“Come on. Let’s get moving. If he says he’s just setting off, that means he’s already nearly here.”
“What are we doing, Leo? I don’t get it.”
He pauses in the doorway and kisses my forehead. “It’ll be all right,” he says.
“Will it?”
“Franco comes to your house, but he wants me, not you. Wants to know what I know. So he talks to you nice until I show up. Then he tortures us both until we tell him everything.”
“Sorry, what? Torture? Did you say torture?”
“Only by the time he gets here, I have the upper hand.”
“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?”
“We need to move,” he says. “We haven’t time for all this yakking.”
I’m not sorry to leave the house but I don’t like where things are going. “A couple of days ago I was just a woman working in an animal shelter,” I say as I climb into the car, looking down at the gun in my lap. “Now I’m some kind of gangster’s moll.”
“A hot one,” Leo says as he starts the engine.
“That’s not much consolation.”
“Don’t worry. A couple of hours and all this will be over.” He grits his teeth as he stares out into the darkness. “One way or another.”
He watches out for trouble the entire way into town. There’s no one on the roads. No sign of the sheriff or anyone else.
The lights are out in the diner. “That’s weird,” I say as we stop outside.
“It’s meant to be open all night.”
“Where else could Molly be?”
“At her place, I guess.”
“Where is it?”
“Swing a left at the end of the road.”
There’s no answer at hers. I try the door twice, but the lights are all out inside. She doesn’t answer her cellphone. “Probably asleep,” I say as Leo stands leaning against my car. “She’s always been a heavy sleeper.”
He doesn’t look so sure. “Wait there,” he says, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out something small and walks past me to the door, putting his face close to the lock.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Checking if she’s inside,” he replies.
“You’re breaking into her house?” I hiss.
“Yes.” He says it matter of factly, like he does this sort of thing all the time.
“You can’t do that.”
“We need to find out who she talked to.” There’s a clicking sound. The door swings inward a moment later. “Wait there,” he says, vanishing into the house. I hold my breath, but he’s back in seconds. “She’s not there.”
“Then where is she?”
“No idea,” he replies. “Listen.”
I can hear it. A car approaching in the distance. “Who’s that?”
“No idea, but I doubt it’s good. Come on, let’s get you back to yours in case it’s Franco. Distract him when he gets inside and I’ll deal with him.”
“Find Molly for me. Make sure she’s safe.”
“Will do. I promise.”
We climb into my car and this time I’m glad of the gun in my lap. It makes me feel safe, though not as safe as having Leo next to me.
I take a deep breath as we travel the short distance to my place. We stop outside the door and he climbs out. “Remember,” he says, kissing my forehead. “Keep him busy.”
“Where will you be?”
“I’ll be right out here.”
I go up the path and open the front door. I look back, but Leo’s vanished like he was never there.