Ties That Bind (12 page)

“Are there any other grand epiphanies about my organization you two need to launch at me tonight? Because, well, fuck you. Fuck both of you.”

Mitch couldn't help but laugh. He could feel the anger rushing over Jimmie but the hysterical nature of it all was just too much for him to contain. “Yeah, because we're the ones who've driven her to drowning her life away, right?  Come on, Jimmie, man up here so we can deal with this shit.”

“You are an asshole,” Jimmie grumbled and grabbed the bottle away from him to take a long swig.

“Okay.” It was Teddy who tried to bring more decorum to the table. “We have the federal issue which seems like it will resolve itself if we can keep the feds out of her bed.”

“That's been handled. She didn't know he was a fed and I believe her. She wouldn't lie about that,” Mitch answered and gave a soft laugh. “Not to me anyway.”

“We have the issue of a fed getting in the damn building to begin with,” Jimmie said. “How exactly did that happen?”

“He didn't look like a fed!” Teddy defended.

“Mitch picked up on him instantly.”

Mitch pulled the bottle back away from Jimmie and took a drink while forming his response. “We can tighten up the facial recognition software. Get one of the MIT guys to try and get us an updated database of federal employees.”

“Or you know just have people watch for random strangers appearing at a private party,” Jimmie grumbled.

“Stop deflecting,” Mitch returned. “Teddy, you find out where her drugs are coming from. If you can't cut off the supply, tell me and I'll do it. Jimmie, you layoff the big brother routine and give the girl some breathing space. She's as safe as she's going to be right now. If you don't trust her then trust us to keep her safe. We need you to help us do our job, okay?”

“Assholes,” he mumbled. “Both of you.”

Mitch laughed. “Call the car, Teddy. It's time to go home.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“You can't be here. Not now, not tonight.”

“You do seem a little tense tonight," she said, moving to the bar to fix herself a glass of water. “Did something else happen? Or is this just left over from whatever Sonny said that tilted your whole world?”

He moved toward her, taking pleasure in the way she began to slowly back up. “
That
is none of your fucking business.”

“You look...dangerous,” she managed as he closed in on her, pinning her against the wall.

“Tell me you didn't know he was a fed. Tell me you didn't lie straight to my fucking face and betray me by bringing a fed into this building.”

He could feel her hands shaking, hear the tinkle of the ice as her trembling hand caused the cubes to clink in the glass. But her eyes were as steady as he'd ever seen. She was fearful but not about to lie to him. “I promise you, I did not know he was a federal agent.”

His body pressed her hips against the wall, his hands knocking the glass out of her hand and pushing her arms above her head. His lips were rough on hers, foregoing all gentleness with the adrenaline coursing through him. His teeth sunk into her neck, the yelp elicited from the back of her throat causing him to press even harder into her. He let her arms drop, grasping her thighs and pulling them to wrap around him as her moans became deeper. It was her nails digging into his shoulders that made reality rush back at him. He let her legs drop to the floor, his fists pummeling the door even as his lips continued to sear a path along her neck.

His voice, when he finally found it, was a hoarse growl. “I need you to leave.”

⬧⬧⬧

Mitch brushed the edge of her blouse to the side, the bruises his mouth had left behind glowing under the bright office lights. “I'm sorry for that,” he whispered.

“I wasn't complaining,” she smiled but made no attempt to move toward him.

“Still, it was uncalled for.”

“Mitch, you warned me to leave. Stop acting as if you abused me or took advantage.”

“I scared you. That’s enough.”

“You terrify me on a regular basis. In a million different ways.” She let her fingers travel through his messy hair. “Don’t apologize for that.”

He leaned forward, brushing his lips gently across the marks before straightening her blouse to its proper place. “Thank you for leaving.”

“I can be responsible, you know. I even went to bed alone.”

Mitch shook his head. "I didn't.”

“I know. And that's okay, too. If you're going to use someone to ease your adrenaline rush or anger or hurt or whatever the hell that was, I'd rather it not be me.”

“You are growing up, aren't you?”  Mitch smiled and kissed her quickly on the forehead.

“Don't give me too much credit,” Ashli frowned. “I fired her ass before you even had breakfast.”

Mitch threw his head back in laughter. Still laughing, he cupped her face in his hands, giving her a gentle, lingering kiss. “That’s my Ash, all right.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Mr. Kerlin?”

“Yeah?” He lifted himself from the bed, rubbing his face to try and wake up. When his eyes adjusted, a slender, strawberry blond still dressed in her costume from the casino floor was watching him. He frowned. “What is it?”

“I'm sorry to wake you but there is a man demanding to see you.”

He looked to the clock flashing four am. “Demanding?” he asked, tossing the covers off and struggling into the pair of pants he'd hung over the chair before collapsing into bed less than two hours earlier.

“Yes, sir.” Her voice was quiet, her eyes dropping away from him as if she had somehow failed him. “He's armed, Mr. Kerlin.”

Tucking his gun into his waistband, he stepped toward her, lifting her chin. He moved it from side to side, checking her for any damage. “Did he hurt you?”

“No, just frightened a lot of us.”

“Did security flag him?”

“No, sir.”

“He got a name?” he asked, pulling on a shirt and buttoning half the buttons.

“He announced himself as Daniel Rizetti,” she said.

He straightened, the name familiar from somewhere he couldn't quite place. His brow furrowed as he tried to sift through the people he'd come across and, more specifically, one who would be so idiotic as to show up armed at the Vinetti building in the middle of the night. “Inform Jimmie for me, would you?”

“Yes, sir.” She nodded obediently and then hesitated. “Would you like me to call additional guards, sir?”

He smiled. “No. I’ll be fine but thank you for the concern. You sure you are all right?”

She nodded, a brief smile flashing over her face before taking off down the hallway.

He strode into the interior of his suite where Teddy was leaning against the bar, glaring furiously at the invader. Mitch chuckled and poured himself of a cup of the coffee that was already brewing. He took a sip and grimaced. “Teddy, your coffee sucks.”

“I'll work on it, sir.”

He leaned against the bar, eying the twenty-something kid sitting on the sofa across the room. The kid had turned his back to them and was sitting with his hands folded in his lap. Even from a distance, though, Mitch could see his body twitching. It was the gaudy brass colored ring on his pinky finger that finally caused Mitch’s sleep deprived head to clear: Rizetti was one of Terenari's boys.

“You heavy?” he asked Teddy.

“Of course, sir,” he answered, tapping the bulge under his left arm.

Mitch raised his voice, tipping the pot toward Rizetti. “Coffee, drink, Danny?”

“Coffee,” Danny nodded, “ I apologize for the late intrusion.”

“Then you should have waited for breakfast,” he countered, placing the cup on the table between them and sinking down into a chair. “What can I do for you?”

He sent Mitch a quick flash of indignation, as if Mitch had committed some unwritten rule by getting straight to the point. “Terenari is getting antsy, Mitch. You didn't call after Coppell and now he hears you're with Vinetti. Now Vinetti's putting off a meeting for damn near five months-”

Mitch glanced at his watch to check the date. Five months. Had he really been with Vinetti that long?  He grimaced, blaming his lack of knowledge on his recent travel schedule. “I have never made any commitment to Nicolai.”

“But your history-”

“He didn't send you here to talk of old times,” Mitch lowered his voice. “He wouldn’t tell
you
of old times. I don’t even know you so why the hell are you here?”

“Mr. Terenari wants to confirm the meet in Chicago. And,” he hesitated, looking back toward where Teddy was still glowering, “he wanted to pass along some information as a measure of goodwill.”

“Which is?”

Mitch could feel the air of superiority wash over the kid, his body even straightening to sit higher on the sofa. His eyes glinted, his voice dropping for only Mitch's ears. “Ashli's been marked.”

Mitch hesitated, his fingers touching his gun in reflex. “Are we talking about the same Ashli here?” he asked. “Who by?”

“Your very own.”

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” his voice now a threatening, dangerous hiss.

“It could be rumor,” Danny interjected, seeing the break in Mitch’s calm.

“Rumors that make it all the way to Nicolai usually have some more concrete basis,” he snapped. “Get him on the phone.”

“Mr. Kerlin, please, the time-”

“Now.”

Danny nodded, his hands shaking as he picked up Mitch's phone and dialed the number. Groggy voices echoed from the other end as the phone was passed around.

“Mitch!” the voice sounded wide awake, as if he'd been waiting for the call.

“Why the hell are you sending a guy to my place before dawn?” he growled, watching as Teddy moved to Danny, gripping his shoulder to lock him in place. “Have you lost all sense of decency in your old age?”

“Mitch, come now. Be civilized. It’s been too long. I’ve missed that fiery temper of yours. I thought you would have come to me after Coppell, yes, but I'm not trying to give you an ultimatum.”

Mitch hesitated. He'd never considered that was occurring but now that it had been mentioned, he was livid. “You didn't send this kid over to tell me you regret who signs my paychecks, Nicolai. I want answers.”

“I just want to meet. To catch up on old times and start anew with the east. Jimmie's being difficult and I had hoped with our history-”

“I'm not starting a war here, Nicolai,” Mitch warned.

“No war, Mitchell. Just conversation, you have my word on it.”

“Trust is not my strong suit. As you well know.”

“Of course but speak with Jimmie? I'm optimistic that the return will be positive.”

“And Ashli?” he asked, almost as an afterthought.

Terenari let out a sympathetic sigh. “Terrible situation but I trust in your abilities far too much to think any outside intervention would ever be necessary for someone like her.”

Mitch clicked off the phone, tossing it to the table. He was up and pacing now, silent as he contemplated Nicolai's guarded and all too accommodating statements. He knew Jimmie wasn't purposefully delaying the meeting. Jimmie had wanted to do it months earlier but their schedule just hadn't allowed it. Why Nicolai would try and use Ashli as bait was beyond him. Unless he had some reason to believe that Ashli being in danger would be an irresistible taunt for Mitch.

He raised his eyes to Teddy. “Did you hear that?”

“Sir, I wasn't eavesdropping.” Teddy straightened up, his nervousness obvious. Mitch couldn't blame him. Who would want to be a part of one mafia boss threatening another?

“If I asked you to remember key phrases, could you?” he asked.

Teddy's eyes flashed as he tried to decide what his answer was supposed to be and then he gave a single nod. “I think my amnesia could clear, yes sir.”

“Good.” Mitch turned to Danny, his eyes narrowing. “Your boss is persistent.”

“That he is.”

“Explain about Ashli.”

“I can't, Mr. Kerlin. Really-”

“Did that sound like a request? I apologize. Let me be more precise: tell me about Ashli.”

Danny’s voice raised a few octaves and his words came in a rush. “She's dangerous. Everyone knows that. Some kid in Atlantic is saying she's been talking too much. Complaining too much.”

“She's a woman, of course she complains,” he snorted. “But she's not dangerous. Just scared. She's a little kid that's suddenly got bullets flying at her.”

“Exactly. When you get scared you either get stupid or very talkative. No one figures Ashli Vinetti for being stupid. She's going to give and everyone has just been waiting for it. You coming just gave her an excuse.”

“You know,” he growled, “it sounds like you're trying to lay alot of shit at my feet.”

“No, no.” He was backing up, moving toward the glass windows and away from Mitch and Teddy.