Dirty Little Secrets (2 page)

Chapter Two

Ava’s red Christian Louboutin heels clicked against the pavement as she walked across the parking garage. Everything about being in a garage made her nervous. It was one of the few things in life that did. With eyes peeled and ears open, she walked towards her parking space. Her right hand was inside her purse, clutching the Taser she always carried with her.
Better safe than stupid.
As Ava saw her 2015 white Mercedes Benz S-Class coupe coming into view, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She held the Taser tighter with her right hand and fished out her keys with her left hand.

Ava felt her heart start to gallop. The footsteps behind her got closer.
Stop this shit Ava. You’ve got a Taser. You’re in one of the nicer garages. You’re fine.
She nodded to herself. Yes. Her inner voice was right. Besides she was almost to her car. And strangely the footsteps had stopped. As she pressed the remote to unlock her Benz, Ava looked around. She was alone. One would almost think she might’ve imagined the footsteps.
No. I know what I heard.
Quickly she slid behind the wheel of her car and locked the door.

“I hate garages.”

It was amazing. She could hold her own in a business deal. She could verbally cut a man down to size. Put her in a garage and she was like a small child afraid of the dark. But she had every right to be. There weren’t many who could’ve gone through what she had and set foot inside any of the hulking structures again. Ava put her key in the ignition and started the car. The Mercedes came to life with a smooth purr.

Ava ran her hands over the smooth peanut-butter-colored leather of her steering wheel, put the car in gear and roared out of the parking garage. As she hit the road, she almost wished she could enjoy the night breeze. But with her living in Miami, Florida, that was the last thing she was going to do.

An open window was an invitation for a car jacking. And despite the fact that she carried a concealed weapon in her glove box, if she didn’t need to have a confrontation with someone, it was best to avoid it.

As Ava drove down the busy street, she glanced in her rearview mirror.

“Damn it.”

A police officer pulled into traffic behind her. She waited for the sound of sirens. In her previous life as Mrs. Joseph Martelli, cops had been a frequent presence, following her and Joseph everywhere they went. As the wife of a mob boss, their presence had been expected. As a private citizen, she wanted to be left alone. Annoyed with the cop tailing her, she turned down a side street. She’d get home another way. Ava was relieved when the car didn’t follow.

Twenty minutes later she turned into the long, serpentine driveway leading to her palatial estate. Every time Ava arrived home, she felt a sense of pride. This was hers. Not Joseph’s. Hers. After her husband’s death she’d sold the home they lived in and purchased this seven-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath palace. It also had two small guesthouses attached. She wasn’t like some of these celebrities. She’d purchased the house outright. It was hers forever. She pressed the remote to open her garage and waited a moment before driving in.

Letting the garage down behind her, she parked the car and killed the ignition. Home at last. She unlocked the door leading into the house and disarmed the alarm for a moment. Once she was inside with the door safely locked, she armed the security system again.

Sighing, she allowed herself to finally relax in the protected sanctuary of her home.
In for the night.
Walking down the hallway that lead to the living room, Ava noticed the stillness of the house. She’d worked late again. Of course her daughter and her evening nanny had turned in for the night.

The ringing of the doorbell startled Ava. She looked down at her watch. It was almost ten.
Who could that be?
Gritting her teeth, she disarmed the alarm system and looked through the small peephole of the door. A dark-haired man was standing outside. She had no idea who he was.

Picking up the police baton she always kept near the door, Ava undid the locks and opened it.

“Can I help you?”

“Yeah. You can. I’m Joseph’s son.”

Chapter Three

Ava stared at the man standing in front of her. Forest-green eyes. Midnight-black hair. Olive skin. She noticed the hint of shadow around his square jaw. Even though he appeared to be in his twenties, there was a hardness in his eyes that belied his youthfulness.

“Excuse me?”

“Joseph Martelli was my father.”

“I’m not aware of my late husband having any other children.”

“Apparently there was a lot you weren’t aware of.”

Ava moved to slam the door, but she never got the chance. Pressing a broad shoulder into the doorway, the man forced the door open and stepped inside.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ava’s grip on the baton tightened. She took a swing, but he caught the baton and held it. Ava tried to free it from his grasp, but she couldn’t.

“Is this how you treat every guest that comes to your home?” he asked with a smirk.

“Just the uninvited ones. Now get out before I’m forced to resort to something worse than this baton.”

“I hope you wield that better than you do this.”

He let go of the baton and took a step back. Ava watched him warily.
Well he hasn’t tried to attack me. Does he really mean me no harm?

“Since you’ve invited yourself into my home, please tell me what this is all about.”

“I already told you. My father. Your late husband.”

“And I already told
you
, my late husband had no children besides my daughter.”

“Your husband was a crime boss. Surely you can’t be that naïve,” he said, folding his arms.

“What’s your name?” Ava asked.

“Dominic.”

“Dominic what?”

“Martelli.”

“So you’re sticking to your story?”

“It’s not a story. It’s the truth.”

“If that’s the case, then why didn’t Joseph ever bother to mention you?”

“I’m sure bringing up the fact that he fathered a child with another woman wasn’t a subject he was going to discuss with his wife. But I’m his son. You can look at me and tell.”

“You look nothing like Joseph, so whatever scam you’re trying to pull is not going to work.”

Dominic shook his head, giving her a brief smile before reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket. Ava watched him as he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He held it out to her.

“What’s this?” Ava asked.

“Just look at it.”

Ava took the piece of paper from his hand. Setting the police baton down, she opened the paper up. It was a color copy of a photograph. Joseph’s face stared up at her. He was smiling. She rarely ever saw him smile. Next to him was a woman. Her dark hair and olive skin had to mean she was Italian. She was smiling too. Ava noticed the faint lines around her eyes and the laugh lines around her mouth as she smiled. Next to the woman was Dominic. There was no mistaking his face, even though he appeared a few years younger. There was frostiness in his gaze.

“This is a picture. So what?”

“It’s a picture of me with my parents. Carmella and Joseph. It was taken three years ago.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You’ve got proof in your hand and you still refuse to accept the truth? Don’t tell me you were actually in love with my old man.”

“My relationship with my husband is none of your business. And it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a picture to convince me that Joseph was your father.”

“Look, my mother was Joseph’s mistress long before you ever entered the picture.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re his kid.”

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t be receptive.”

“Would you be if some stranger showed up at your home at night claiming to be the offspring of your spouse? I don’t think so.”

“I’m a man. Such things don’t surprise me, but it seems you on the other hand are greener than I thought.”

“What do you want?” She could feel the start of a migraine coming on.

“My inheritance.”

Ava laughed.
He’s insane. He has to be insane. An inheritance?

“You show up claiming to be Joseph’s son and now you want his money. You’re out of your mind,” Ava said.

She threw the picture down on the floor.

“I am Joseph’s son.”

“I don’t care if you are or not. He never acknowledged you in life or in his will. My daughter is his heir. Everything Joseph had belongs to her and that’s the way things are going to stay.”

“I’m not going away.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No. I’m just making you a promise.”

“Get out and don’t come back.”

“I’ll be in touch,” Dominic said.

He walked past her and out of her house without a backwards glance. Ava shut the door behind him, locking it before she re-activated the alarm. Locked away once again, she leaned against the door. The photograph she’d dropped lay on the floor.

“Damn you, Joseph. I hope you’re in hell where you belong.”

Regardless of Dominic’s insinuations she wasn’t naïve. Ava was well aware that Joseph had never believed in fidelity. She herself had been his mistress for more years than she liked to admit before he married her. Ava also knew that after their marriage he hadn’t been faithful. It came with the life of being a crime boss. So no, she wasn’t harboring any illusions about her deceased husband. She knew exactly who Joseph Martelli had been. If he’d fathered a child with someone else he would’ve told her. Wouldn’t he?

All of a sudden, she didn’t know. It’s possible her husband had children spread everywhere.
You don’t know, Ava. That young man could’ve been telling the truth.
And that was what made her angry. The fact that Joseph’s mistake was showing up at her front door, trying to disrupt her life. If Joseph had wanted Dominic acknowledged as his son he’d had a chance to do so while he lived or in his will. He hadn’t done that, she wasn’t about to either.

Everything belonged to Maia. Ava didn’t know how Joseph made all his money and she didn’t care. The only good things that bastard had ever done was give her their daughter and leave his money behind. And no one was going to take that from her. Not the government and certainly not some ballsy young man showing up at her door claiming to be Joseph Martelli’s son. Tomorrow she was going to get to the bottom of this.

Chapter Four

“What is this place?”

“This is your home. Well actually, it’s one of many houses I own, but you’ll be staying here.”

“Alone?” Ava asked.

“Yeah. You’re almost eighteen. Time for you to be on your own.”

Ava followed Joseph Martelli down the snow-white hallway. Ahead of them it opened up into a large living room. The loveseat, chaise lounge and couch were the same pristine white as the hallway. Two silver end tables, one silver rectangle-shaped coffee table and silver lamps accentuated the all-white ensemble. A large flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall.

“This is nice.”

“Glad you approve,” Joseph grinned. His black eyes roved over her.

She felt her cheeks trembling as she tried to return his smile.

“You’re going to have to stop being so nervous around me. You and I are going to be spending quite a bit of time together. I don’t want you acting skittish every time I’m around you.”

“I don’t know you. Of course I’m a little skittish, especially with…the situation.”

Joseph turned black eyes on her.

“You made the offer, girlie. You wanna back out now? I have no problems dealing with your old man.”

“No. No. I’m fine.”

“Good. Besides you have a little time. I’ll leave you alone until you turn eighteen. Gentleman’s honor.”

Joseph made the sign of the cross on his chest and smiled at her. Ava felt like a fish being stared down by a shark. But she couldn’t back out. Not now. Her father was alive but badly beaten. Busted ribs, a broken collarbone, broken nose, and a face that had swollen to the size of a cantaloupe. Roger Hill would not survive another round with Joseph Martelli’s goons. She had to go through with their arrangement, no matter how uncomfortable she felt.

“Okay.”

“Why don’t you take a look around? I’ll wait right here in the living room.”

“Alright.”

Joseph plopped down on the couch and Ava was left to explore her new “home.” Walking down another hallway she came upon the kitchen. It was fairly large. Also white, with a large island in the middle and stainless steel appliances. She kept looking and found the utility room with a stackable washer and dryer. Further down the hallway was a large master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. She wasn’t surprised that the furniture inside the bedroom was also white. The large white sleigh bed stood on a dais. The fact that it was the centerpiece of the room made a small sheen of sweat break across her forehead.

“Beautiful.”

Ava jumped when she heard Joseph’s voice by her ear. Slowly she turned around. His dark eyes bored into hers. The silence stretched between them. She couldn’t help the shudder that rolled through her body as his hand reached up to caress her face. Ava stood as still as she could as his knuckles brushed up and down her cheek. When he leaned close and kissed her, she closed her eyes, ready to will her mind to another place. The shock on her face must have been evident as her eyes opened. Joseph stepped away with a smile on his face.

“Very beautiful indeed.”

“Mommy. Mommy. Are you listening to me?”

Ava jerked back to reality. She looked at the rearview mirror. Her daughter Maia was sitting in her car seat with arms folded. With her long, silky dark hair, pale skin and dark eyes, she was the spitting image of her father. Even the scowl on her face was like her husband’s.

“I’m sorry, baby. Mommy was daydreaming. What did you say?”

“I said I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want that boy, Simon, to say mean things.”

“I don’t want you to worry about Simon, okay. I’m having a talk with your teacher just like I promised.”

“Okay, Mommy.” Her daughter sat back then, seemingly confident that Ava would handle the situation. The
situation
being one of many her daughter had to deal with, being the daughter of a crime boss.

Ava pulled her Mercedes into the parking lot of Preston Academy. With Maia quiet in the back seat, Ava finally had a moment to reflect. She hadn’t slept well last night. The unexpected arrival of Joseph’s “son” still had her mind reeling. In the big scheme of things it really didn’t matter if Dominic was Joseph’s son or not, but she’d feel better once she knew one way or another.

Killing the ignition, Ava exited the car and unbuckled Maia from her seatbelt. Her daughter climbed out, clutching her Disney Princess backpack. Grabbing her daughter’s hand she locked her Mercedes and walked up the steps to the front door of Preston Academy. Opening the door, Ava kept her face impassive. She knew that some of the parents of the children that went here weren’t exactly thrilled that the daughter of notorious kingpin Joseph Martelli was at the same school as their children, but Ava didn’t care.

She paid the ridiculously expensive tuition for Maia to attend the academy just as they did for their children. Ava tried to erase the scowl on her face when she saw Mrs. Kelly, Maia’s teacher standing outside her classroom greeting the parents as they dropped off their children. Already the knot in her neck was tightening up.
Deep breath, Ava. Deep breath. It’s too early in the morning to be getting worked up.

“Good morning, Maia. Feeling better today?” the petite blonde asked, bending down to her daughter’s level.

“Yes, Mrs. Kelly.”

“Maia, why don’t you go on inside and give me a chance to talk to Mrs. Kelly?” Ava said.

“Okay, Mommy. I love you.”

“Love you too, baby.”

Maia came close and hugged her before she skipped to her classroom.

“What can I do for you, Mrs. Martelli?”

“First of all, it’s Ms. Hill. I would expect you’d know that considering all of the forms I’ve signed and returned.”

“I’m sorry. I just know you were married and I forgot you were no longer using your late husband’s name. I meant no disrespect.”

“Then perhaps you could tell me why you told my daughter that you called me yesterday and were unable to get a hold of me when we both know that didn’t happen.”

The blonde-haired teacher’s blue eyes stretched wide. Ava watched her swallow nervously.
Look at her coming up with some lie.

“Ms. Hill, I know you’re a busy woman running your own business and Maia was just having a little tantrum. I didn’t want to bother you.”

“After what her classmate Simon said to her, I’m sure she was upset. In the future, I expect you to call me when she asks you to. Do you understand?”

“I’m…I’m sorry Ms. Hill. I just didn’t want to bother you, but you have my word. Next time there’s a problem with Maia I will not hesitate to call you.”

“I would really appreciate it if you did. And while we’re at it, we need to discuss the little boy who said some rather nasty things to my daughter. I’m well aware that children will be children, but as the adult in charge it’s up to you to reprimand your students when needed.”

“I assure you, I did discipline Simon for his unkind words. I’m so sorry that she got so upset yesterday. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“See that you do.”

Ava turned on her heel and walked away. She ignored the pointed looks of some of the parents as she left the school.
Snobs
. Making her way back to the parking lot, she unlocked her Mercedes and climbed inside. Revving up the engine, Ava roared out of the parking lot. Hitting the freeway that would take her downtown to her office, a few minutes into her drive she noticed a black sedan in her rearview mirror.

Mile after mile she noticed the sedan on her tail. Changing lanes, Ava saw the black sedan do the same. Ava switched lanes again and so did the car. She didn’t like this one little bit. Ava sped up and the sedan did the same. The windshield was tinted so dark she couldn’t see inside. For the first time, Ava wished she had gone ahead and gotten a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The garage was just ahead. Relief washed over her.

Barely slowing, Ava swung her car into the garage. The black sedan followed. Ava panted as she pulled into her reserved parking space. Haphazardly she reached for her purse and withdrew her Taser. She sat in her Mercedes, motor running. The car sat behind her not moving. Ava swallowed the lump in her throat. Watching, she waited to see what the mysterious vehicle would do. Then with a screech of tires the car spun around and disappeared. Ava’s heart thudded in her throat.

Who’d been following her? Why would anyone follow her? She was a legitimate businesswoman. She had nothing to do with her late husband’s world.

But it looked like someone didn’t care.