Enforcer: A Prequel Novella to the New Mafia Trilogy (11 page)

          “Hi!” She turned to face me with a big smile.

          “Hey,” I leaned over and pecked her on the lips.
This was the most she allowed, but it was progress and I respected her reasons,
even if my balls ached for hours after seeing her. I headed out, navigating
through mid-day traffic as Miranda filled me in on how her cousin, Johnny,
Dante’s younger brother, got in trouble hacking into the high school’s server. 
Apparently he had a racket going where other students paid him some serious
cash and he’d alter their grades.

          “He’s only a freshman, right?”

          “Yeah and he’s too smart for his own good.”

          “So was Uncle Al pissed?”

          “Sort of. He went along with the school suspending
him for a week, but I overheard him bragging about it to dad and Uncle Rico.”

          “He’s showing signs of being a criminal genius, of
course they’d be proud,” I said with a laugh.

Miranda frowned slightly before turning to look out the
window. We were stopped at a red light and she stared at one of the few art
installations set up in an otherwise valuable parking space in mid-town. It was
blocked off with a wooden frame, made out of 2x4s. This particular installation
was set up like a fancy dining room with a dark wood table replete with all of
the settings. One of the “walls” had been covered with paper and that had a
painting of a brick fireplace.

          “What, did I say something wrong?” I asked,
pressing on the gas as the light turned green and the car moved forward.

          “No, you’re fine. I’m just being bitter. I’ll get
over it.”

          “Hey if I was running things, there would be no
issue having you involved.”

Miranda grinned at me, “Really?”

          “You’re a hell of a shot and you have a great mind
for business. You’d be an asset.”

          “Thanks, Grant. That means a lot.” She reached
over and squeezed my hand that was resting on my lap as I steered with my left.

We spent a little over an hour shooting and I wasn’t lying
when I said Miranda was a hell of a shot. She was downright lethal. She hit her
targets, a head or chest shot, every time. I went wide once, hitting the edge
of the arm outlined on the paper.

          “Next time, I’m kicking your ass,” I joked as we
walked back out to my car.

          “Ha! You wish.” Miranda laughed waited as I held
the door open for her. “Thank you,” she said as she slid into the passenger
seat. I made sure her legs were tucked inside before closing the door.

It wasn’t long before I was pulling up in front of her row home.
“So, I’ll see you in a bit at Crimson.” Miranda turned to look at me, her hand
on the door release. 

          “Yeah, see you there.” I said, leaning across the
center console to give her another peck.

This time when I kissed her though, she didn’t pull away and
her lips parted like she wanted more. So I went for it. Reaching up with my left
hand, I briefly caressed her cheek before slowly sliding my fingers through her
silky hair to cradle the back of her head. I placed my mouth firmly over hers
and she gasped, opening her mouth a little bit more. She still didn’t pull
away, but instead leaned into the kiss. Her lips were just as soft as I
remembered and I feasted on them. She moaned and placed a hand on my thigh, the
heat from her palm bled through my jeans, which were suddenly feeling tight.

We were in our own universe inside my car and I was only
aware of Miranda, the soft floral scent of her perfume, and the little moans
she made every time I nibbled on her lower lip. So when something tapped loudly
against the window, the disruption caused us to jump apart. I’d heard that
sound before when I was in high school and it had been one of the local cops
tapping on my window with his flashlight. I’d been hooking up with one of the
cheerleaders after a game in the school parking lot. Probably not the most
inconspicuous location, but I was only thinking about one thing back then. I
was expecting to see a cop when I looked up. My dick instantly went limp when I
saw Marco peering down at us with his glittering black eyes.

          “Oh shit,” we said at the same time. Miranda sat
up straight and started to smooth her hair, but there was no way out of this,
we were busted. I had just kissed my balls goodbye.

Marco yanked my door open and tried to pull me out of the
car, but I still had my seatbelt on. Big Tone and Little Tone stood behind him.
Marco never traveled alone.

          “Dad, what the hell are you doing?” Miranda
screamed. She was already out of the car and in his face. Big Tone tried to grab
her arm, but she shook him off.

          “I warned him and told him to keep his hands off
of you.”

          “Oh. My. God. Really? I’m a grown woman. You don’t
get to make decisions over who’s allowed to touch me!”

          “Back off Miranda, this is my business with
Grant.” Marco tried to use his size to intimidate Miranda, but she didn’t
budge. She glared, unblinking, at her father. The tension was like an invisible
force field keeping me in the car. When she didn’t back down, Marco switched
tactics, lowering his voice and adopting a patronizing tone. “Do you really
think you can stop me, munchkin?”  Then as fast as a cobra striking, he grabbed
Miranda’s upper arm and yanked her out of the way, turning his attention to me.

Miranda hissed and when Marco released her and I saw tears
flood her eyes before she blinked them back. Something snapped when I saw that
and I unhooked my seatbelt, unfurling myself from the car, not taking my eyes
off of Marco. Big Tone and Little Tone stepped in front, but I shoved them
aside. I was vaguely aware, through the haze of my tunnel-vision like focus, of
a weapon being drawn, but I was too pissed to care.

          “Let’s get one thing straight, Marco,” I said,
standing toe to toe with him and making sure I stood between him and Miranda. “I
really like your daughter. I think she’s smart, funny and independent. She can
run circles around me and I respect that. I’m a good guy and won’t fuck her
over. I won’t let anything bad happen to her either. You can castrate me, kill
me, whatever, but take it out on me, not her.”

Silence stretched out between us and Marco didn’t say
anything. He just stared at me with his beady eyes while his upper lip twitched
like he couldn’t decide whether to smirk or not. The longer he stayed quiet the
sweatier my palms got, as I could very well have been looking at my
executioner. One signal and whoever was holding the gun pointed at my head had
a clean shot. A small crowd had gathered by the corner bar and they were
watching us with interest. I felt fairly confident Marco didn’t want to create
more of a scene with so many witnesses.

Finally, after I don’t know how many minutes, he spoke.
“Miranda, do you like this medigan?”

          “Yeah, that’s one of the reasons why I like him.”

I relaxed at her declaration. Medigan was a word used to
describe a non-Italian and while it was never really an issue, it did set me
apart since I didn’t grow up on the same streets as the other enforcers.

Marco regarded me again, his upper lip twitching more
heavily before turning up in a twisted smile. “Fuck it up Ross, and your ass is
mine. Understood?”

Shock prevented me from answering right away. He was
actually cool with this? “Yes, I understand.”

          “Good.” He turned away, dismissing me, so he could
talk to Miranda about the reason he had stopped by in the first place. I tuned
them out, still stunned at the turn of events. Watching Miranda and how she
rubbed the spot on her arm through her jacket, I didn’t regret standing up to
Marco, who I realized may have let it slide this time, but I’d be wise not to
make it a habit. He was the boss and that needed to be respected that or I’d
end up dead in a dumpster.

As soon as Marco and the two Tones left, I quickly closed
the short distance to check on Miranda.

          “Are you okay?” I asked, gently rubbing her shoulder,
trailing a finger down her arm down to her hand, where I laced my fingers with
hers. 

          “Yeah, it doesn’t even hurt. Come on, let’s go
inside.” She didn’t try to withdraw, instead she squeezed my hand and after
grabbing her stuff, we walked up the steps to her house. 

Once inside with the door closed behind us, I released her
hand. She shrugged her leather jacket off and hung it up on a hook by the door.
She turned to face me and backed her up against the wall in the entryway. She
started to say something, but I cut her off by lowering my head and capturing
her lips with mine. Miranda wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me
closer, whimpering with need when I shifted so she was straddling my thigh.

I traced kisses down her neck and she tilted her head,
allowing me access as she rode my thigh with a slow, sensual roll of her hips.

          “So you like, me, huh?” I breathed in her ear
before sucking the lobe into my mouth.

          “Oh God, yes,” she cried out, grabbing hold of my
hair and forcing my lips to hers again. I gave her what she wanted, but pulled
away when one of her hands started to roam down towards my cock that was close
to bursting through my jeans.

          “Not yet,” I said with a smile and circled both of
her wrists, holding them up over her head, pinning her in place with my body.
“How long?” I nuzzled against her neck, kissing the soft skin right behind her
ear, inhaling the coconut scent of her shampoo.

          “How long what?” she panted and arched her back,
pressing her tits against my chest. Even though we still had our shirts on, I
felt the hard points of her nipples through the layers of fabric.

          “Have you liked me?”

She stilled and placed her forehead against my chest,
blocking my view of her face. “Miranda?”

          “Fine,” she looked up at me and her eyes were
wide, the green so brilliant when that close, “Since we met at the Super Bowl
party. I became interested in you then.”

I smiled and let out a deep breath. “When I first saw you at
Thanksgiving two years ago, I didn’t know your name or anything about you,
except for one thing.”

          “What’s that?”

          “That you were the most beautiful woman in the
room, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” She flushed and not just her
cheeks, her entire body warmed against mine. “Then I got to know you and I
meant what I said to your dad out there. I want you and nobody else. I’ve been
waiting for you. If you’re not ready, tell me now.”

She inhaled sharply, but didn’t break eye contact. “You’re
serious.”

          “Yes.” I leaned forward and kissed her gently,
tentatively, giving her time to object. I didn’t deserve a woman like her and
was waiting for the moment when she came to her senses. Miranda broke away from
the kiss and met my gaze again. I braced myself for the rejection.

          “Can you release my hands?” Shit, I was so caught
up in my confession that I forgot I was still holding her wrists up over her
head. I immediately let her go and started to back away, but she grabbed onto
the bottom of my shirt, tugging me forward. I placed my hands on her hips, her
curves already becoming familiar. “You’re killing me with your honesty,” she
said.

          “I’m kind of freaking myself out too.”

Miranda laughed and looked up at me, still holding tight to
my shirt. “It’s my turn then.” I nodded and swallowed hard. Here it comes, I
thought to myself. “I was raised in the mafia and don’t know anything
different. It’s my world, but I don’t want to be a kept woman like my mom.
There isn’t another role for a woman in this world though. It’s not like I can
bring a normal guy home to meet my parents. I don’t have a ton of options. You
see how the guys treat women.”

          “I do, but…” Miranda silenced me with a quick
kiss.

          “You’re not like them, Grant. You’re different and
had a normal upbringing.” I started to interject again to tell her my childhood
was far from normal, but she put a finger against my lips. “Yet you managed to
adapt to this lifestyle without becoming like the others. You respect my
ambitions and don’t get all bitchy macho when I outshoot you.” 

          “Bitchy macho?” I asked with a smile. “Like
Dominic?”

Miranda chuckled, “Exactly.” Then she released my shirt and
moved her hands around behind me, slipping them in the back pockets of my
jeans. “So, what I’m saying Grant, is that I’m tired of fighting my feelings
for you. I want you too, but we need to keep it on the down low at work. Okay?”

          “For how long?” I wasn’t too thrilled with this
suggestion because I wanted people to know she was mine, but I’d be willing to
do anything for her.

          “Until I feel comfortable telling people, so however
long that takes. I’m the manager and need to be professional.”

          “So I’ll be your dirty secret?” I asked, raising
an eyebrow, “Because I can be really dirty.” Moving in closer, I pressed my
growing erection against her hip and Miranda giggled.

Just then Miranda’s hand bag that had been tossed on the
floor started beeping. “Ignore it,” I said, kissing her again. God I couldn’t
get enough of her taste and the velvety plumpness of her lips, which opened for
my tongue when I traced it across the seam. Miranda slipped her arm between us
and seconds later her hand stroked my dick through the jeans, causing me to
groan.

The beeping grew louder and more obnoxious, sounding more
like an air raid siren. “Okay, it’s impossible to ignore that,” I said with an
exasperated sigh after reluctantly removing my mouth from Miranda’s.

          “Oh that’s the alarm on my cell phone!” Miranda
nudged me out of the way in order to bend over and scoop up her bag, fishing
her phone out and finally silencing it. “We’re going to have to pick this up
later because I have to be Crimson in half an hour to meet the beer
distributor.”