End Game (13 page)

Acid crawls up my throat. “No, I—”

Joe leans in closer. “Like I said before, keep your fucking hands to yourself, or you might find yourself at the bottom of a river in several pieces.”

I clap my hands to my mouth and hope that the other patrons at the cafe haven’t overheard anything. “Joe, that’s enough!”

Nathan swallows slowly, rage vibrating through his limbs. “Get out of my face, asshole. I have friends in high places. You can’t touch me.”

Fuck, why couldn’t he shut the hell up? He’s just making things worse.

“Guys, please—”

Joe just can’t help himself. He grins. “Is that a threat? It sounds like one.”

“Joe!” He finally turns around to give me a lazy look. “
Please
, stop it. I didn’t come here to fight with him. Just go.”

Instead, Joe pulls out a chair next to Nathan and sits down next to him. “I’ve said my piece.”

Before either of them can say anything else, I sit down in front of Nathan. His eyes are colder than I ever imagined. There’s no twinkle in them, no smile on his face, no friendly greeting, nothing that would suggest any warmth. He looks at me as though he loathes me. His hands twitch, as if they’d long to wrap around my throat.

He’s unmasked.

“Nathan, I don’t want us to be like this. I’ve been dealing with a lot.” I stop momentarily, my eyes filling with tears. “You don’t understand. There are a lot of things going on that Dad never told us.”

Underneath the table, a rough hand seizes my knee and pinches hard. I wince, looking at Joe, who shakes his head slightly. It’s a warning. Right. I can’t tell Nathan about it.

His gaze shifts to Joe, who continues to stare at him unblinkingly. “I think I know what this is all about.”

My chest feels airless. “You do?”

“Yeah.” His nostrils flare. “You made some kind of stupid deal with these mobsters. Hell, maybe you got them to change Dad’s mind about his will. Now you’re trying to get them to intimidate me into preventing the sale of this company—”

“That’s not it at all! How can you think that? How the hell would I know how to contact these people?”

He leans in, spitting at me from across the table, his eyes mad. “Cause you’re fucking one of them, and he happened to work for Jack—”

Joe’s wild laughter cuts through Nathan’s venomous tone, silencing him immediately.

For a moment, the unpleasantness in my gut lightens as I watch Joe’s eyes crinkle with laughter. It slices through the thick tension on our table and a small smile pulls my face. At least someone realizes how ridiculous that would be. Both of us give him scathing looks as he leans back into his chair. Finally, Joe’s laughs subside and Nathan’s contemptuous face turns back towards me.

“Nathan, you know I wouldn’t do that. You grew up with me. It’s me, your sister. Remember?”

Then his face is blank. “I don’t know who you are anymore, but it won’t change my mind about the sale. Jessica and I deserve what’s ours, and I will not work for you.”

The mention of our younger sister makes anger flare in my chest. “You shouldn’t have brought her into this. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

Nathan stands up, and so does Joe, whose face is an inch from Nathan’s.

Oh, Jesus.

All the humor is gone from his face. “Sit the fuck down.”

My brother is not about to take orders from Joe, but he forces him to sit back down with one violent shove.

“I’ve done some digging on you. I had a bad feeling, and I talked to some of your childhood friends from school. They didn’t have very nice things to say about you.”

“Oh?” he says in a bored voice.

“Yeah,” he smirks and then leans in closer. Joe whispers something in Nathan’s ear that makes his body tense. I listen hard, wondering what the fuck he’s saying, but I can’t catch a word.

Nevertheless, their effect on Nathan is remarkable. Lips shaking, he turns to me as Joe pulls away with a cruel smile. It’s hard to look at my brother, to be on the receiving end of all that rage.

“You will regret this. Both of you.”

The chair scrapes the cement as Nathan stands, and I’m so certain that he’s going to lunge across the table to kill me that I’m seconds away from screaming. Joe stands in his way and I bristle as Nathan walks around him. He watches him leave, his eyes bright.

“What the fuck did you tell him?”

Joe exhales a long sigh, his chest pulsing in and out as he sits in Nathan’s seat. “Don’t worry about it.”

Don’t worry about it? I could take the knife sitting in front of me and throw it in his face. “You pushed him way too far. He’s not going to forget this.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.” He clicks his tongue, still watching Nathan’s white form in the distance. “I have a feeling he’s going to be a problem.”

“Stay the hell away from him, Joe. I mean it. If anything happens to him, this whole thing with Jack is done. I don’t care about the consequences.”

Joe’s expression is almost pitying. “He’ll kill you without a second thought,” he says in a deadpan voice.

“Just shut up about him.”

“I know that he has no problem with attacking women.”

“I wanted to make peace with him, and all you did was piss him off even more.”

He leans across the table, showing no sign that anything I said offended him. He takes my hands sitting on the table and our faces are suddenly inches apart. “I am not saying this on a whim, Marisa. Your brother is dangerous. He was willing to strangle you based on a misunderstanding. What do you think he’s going to do now that he knows you’re not giving in to him?”

What Joe says disturbs me down to my marrow of my bones. I’m back in my room, surrounded by pink posters as a pint-sized Nathan tears one off the wall, ripping it into pieces. I fight against that clawing, awful feeling inside me. I pull my hands away from him, but his fingers wrap around my wrist like a vice.

“You’re wrong about him.”

Pity. It’s all over his face.

“I’m not. Reading people comes with the job, sweetheart, and your brother is one sick fuck. Do me a favor and don’t ever be alone with that guy.”

It makes me really fucking sad that he has such a low opinion of my brother, but some tiny corner inside my heart knows that he’s right. I can’t trust Nathan.

His thumb strokes my hand and I’m overwhelmed with everything that just happened, and the eyes that refuse to let me off the hook. Joe’s not the type to sugarcoat things. He constantly says things I’d rather not hear and violates my personal space, not that I mind much.

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

Then he kisses my cheek. I feel the imprint of his lips. It burns like a brand on my skin. He stands up and I join him. We walk away from the café.

“Listen, I’m going to take the train to work.”

His eyebrows lift in surprise. “On a Saturday?”

I smile apologetically and he shrugs in response. “I’ll take you there.”

“No, really.” I rub my neck feverishly. “I just want to be alone. I need to think.”

We stop at a metro station and Joe watches me carefully.

“Thanks for coming with me. You really didn’t have to.”

He gives me a little smile, one that finally looks genuine. He grasps my chin and leans closer as though he’s going to kiss me. My heart pounds so hard that I’m sure he can feel it.

“Jack would want me to be here.”

I feel cold. The way he says it makes me feel like I’m nothing. Like I’m just a piece of ass.

“Don’t mistake my duty for kindness, Marisa.”

The stubble under his mouth scrapes my skin, but then his soft lips crush against mine and I suddenly lose all energy in my limbs. He’s a dark, irresistible force, depleting me of all my energy. He makes me want him even though he hardly deserves to be wanted. By his own admission, he’s not a good man, but I kiss him back anyway. God knows, I’m hungry for a scrap of affection, and he’s giving it to me.

I sweep my hands over his broad chest, feeling the hard, lean muscles rippling under my fingers.  Vividly, I remember how amazing it felt to have his hands stroking my naked skin. I was completely bared in his arms, but I never got to explore his body.

Joe pulls his face away from mine, his eyes blazing like a quiet, controlled fire. “Don’t forget what I said about your brother.” Then he steps away from me, gently disengaging my arms from his waist.

“I won’t.” He’s about to turn away, but I call out his name and he pauses. “Will I see you soon? I mean—outside of work?”

I want to vomit at the hope in my voice.

“Of course, hon. I’ll take you out soon.” Joe smiles and gives me a wink. “See you.”

He leaves just like that, and butterflies soar in my stomach. It’s such a strange sensation. Pain and hope fly together at the sight of him walking away.

JOE

I can’t escape her.

Can’t stop thinking about her.

All the parts of her—especially her wet little mouth, wrapped around my cock. I’m amazed I didn’t fuck her then. I held back.

Even though it’s a nice change to be thinking about something not involving my dead sister, it still makes me worried.

That’s
twice
I’ve gone out of my way to help her. Why? Am I a
jamook
? Am I letting her control me? I was right about her brother, and Jack
would
want to know about him, but still.

Makes me feel out of control.

Fuck her and get it out of your system. Keep it casual.

I will. I’ll do it. Tonight. I’ll fuck the shit out of her, and I won’t stay over. I’ll just leave. No strings.

Jack’s strip club flaunts a flashing, neon billboard with huge electric tits. I open my car door and step outside, my palm a little wet when I slam the door shut. I jog across the parking lot to the Employees Only entrance, using my key to open the door.

Vince, Jack, and Nicky crowd around the pool table, laughing to themselves about something. Vince looks up when I enter and grins that dark smile of his that could mean anything from amusement to bloodlust.

“You fucking asshole!” he roars good-naturedly when I close the door.

The whole crew is there. They’re laughing behind their hands or otherwise giving me strange, respectful glances. Almost as if they’re impressed. Impressed with what?

Jack nods at me, his eyes shining. “Slick bastard.”

I step towards the pool table, keeping my face neutral so long as I don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about. Vince shoves his pool cue into someone’s chest as he walks around the table. He throws an arm around me and pounds my back. “Why didn’t you tell us you were fucking the owner?” he laughs at my stunned face. “This fucking guy!”

My body rocks with his hands pounding my back, giving me congratulations while Jack gives me a fatherly smile, as if I’ve made him proud.

They already know?

The hair rises on the back of my neck. “How the fuck did you find out?”

“Sorry, Joey. I followed you after you left the other night.” Nicky apologetically shows me his cell-phone, where there’s a grainy photo of Marisa and me in the bar, lips locked together.

“You’re fucking following me now?” My voice rises to a shout, and the laughter immediately evaporates.

“When I told you to lick her pussy, I didn’t mean it literally,” Vince jabs.

“Fuck you!”

I lunge at Vince, but he steps away from me as if he expected it. The guys around me immediately grab my arms and force them behind my back. The arrogant asshole, laughs it up. His dark face shines with amusement as I struggle to get out of their grips and beat his face in.

“Will you take it easy? It’s just a joke!”

“Vince,” Jack admonishes in a tired voice. “Stop giving him a hard time and act like a fucking underboss.”

His eyes never leave mine, but his smile lightens somewhat. It becomes friendlier. Not mocking. “You’re right. Sorry, Joe.”

Energy still courses through my veins and I’d like to see him sprawled on the floor, but I force my muscles to relax. I can’t hit the underboss.

I give him a stiff nod and they let me go.

“I like your style, Joey. If we have the fucking President of Worlds Casino in our pocket, we can step up the game. Get more involved in the casino. If she likes you, she’ll do whatever you ask of her.”

My insides freeze when Jack talks about it like that. “All due respect, Jack, but I didn’t start fucking her for you.”

The other guys whistle at the chill emanating from my voice. Vince doesn’t look amused. He crosses his arms.

“Watch your tone when you talk to the boss.”

Fuck you, you piece of shit.

The boss takes no notice. “I didn’t expect you to, but now that you are, we might as well use this advantage.”

My heart clenches and releases painfully. I don’t want to hurt her. I meant that. Even less do I want to manipulate her into giving away more of her control to us…to the family. Jack appraises me coldly. If I ever want to be
capo
again, I need to do this.

“Honestly, I don’t know if that’s possible. She’s not stupid.”

“I believe in you, Joey.”

The weight of his words settles thickly on my shoulders like a smothering blanket. Fuck him for putting that pressure on me.

“There’s something else. Her brother might be a problem.”

Vince makes a face. “That demented fuck? Why am I not surprised?”

“He wants to sell the company to Lences Holdings. He’s got the other sister on board.”

“Never heard of the company.” Jack looks at Vinny and takes a small sip of his drink. “So we lean on the brother a little.”

Profound relief sighs out of my lungs when Vince shakes his head. “She won’t like it. She’ll stop sucking Joey’s cock.” He flashes me a grin.

Ignoring him, I address Jack. “Let me deal with the brother. If I can change his mind, the sister will follow suit.”

* * *

The air is thick.

The smog, the car exhaust, it rolls into my car. It makes my nose squirm, like the thoughts in my head. I’m five minutes from her apartment. I shrug off everything that Jack said about her. I won’t think of that now. The mob controls too much of my life already. A guy has gotta have some things to himself.