Chapter 1 #2
Before heading out, I turned on the satellite radio, flipping to my favorite heavy metal station and turning up the volume. Maybe I’d take the slow ride home. Or I should say the rough roads. I yanked out my sunglasses, donning the shades and pressing down on the accelerator.
Windows down. Music loud. A certain cure to the burdensome fury.
As I drove through the city streets, I thought about the last few months. They’d been grueling. Enough that I hadn’t taken a day off since the shit with the Russo family had occurred. An Italian family who’d dared cross us. They’d learned the hard way just how powerful we were. Now we owned them.
Managing their territory had become my full-time job. The Italian Don was experiencing his last days on Earth, still acting as if he didn’t owe us for rescuing his ass from the Bratva.
The Italians had only recently become our allies.
Not by choice.
Now, by marriage, my brother to the Don’s illegitimate daughter. The poor girl hadn’t known what she’d gotten herself into when agreeing to love and cherish Alexander.
I picked up speed as I tapped my fingers across the steering wheel, the sounds of the band Disturbed exactly what was needed.
Their brutal beat and unforgiving lyrics had a calming effect.
What the hell. It was a nice day, certainly less humid than usual. Why not drive with the windows down?
Making a turn, I headed toward Woldenberg Park, a location I used to frequent from time to time, the waterfront views relaxing.
It was a shortcut to our main warehouse, which would allow me to rid myself of my companion much sooner.
Damn it. He’d likely gotten blood all over the trunk’s interior.
I’d just had the car cleaned the day before.
Still grousing, I made another turn, now parallel to the park’s sixteen acres.
With the overhanging trees, the light level was low, but a flash and a wild blur of activity caught my attention. My reactions were instantaneous, slamming on the brakes, the tires skidding as the powerful engine slowed to a crawl.
But not slowly enough, an unmistakable thud and loud yelp overpowering the music.
Then a high-pitched feminine scream the second the car rolled to a stop. Yanking off my sunglasses, it took me a few seconds to realize I’d hit an animal.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Without hesitation, I threw open the door and jumped onto the pavement. A woman was crouched on the street with her back to me, gasping for breath. I could barely see what I’d run into.
Only when she lifted her head did I realize a dog was lying on the street. Her face was scrunched, her chest heaving. And I certainly didn’t expect what she’d do.
She flew at me with such intense fury I was completely shocked. Her tiny fists pounded on my chest.
“How fucking dare you. You hurt my baby! You hurt my son.”
I was so aghast I looked over her shoulder toward the creature. A dog. A huge, beautiful dog. At least I could tell he was alive from the ragged but constant rise and fall of the massive beast’s chest.
“Are you listening to me?” Now she was shaking me, intense venom in her eyes and the kind of powerful rage that clouded her features.
“Whoa. Hold on,” I managed.
She tried punching me again, prompting an automatic reaction. I pulled her tightly against me to prevent her fist from connecting with my face. She wiggled and gyrated, pitting our pelvises together.
Fuck me. Did the wildcat have any idea the level of friction and heat she’d created? Didn’t she feel the hardness of my cock pressing between her legs? For a few seconds, I debated keeping her in a firm hold. I liked the way she felt against me, the weight of her in my arms.
But she was having none of it, continuing to punch me as if I was threatening her life.
She went way beyond being a wildcat. She was an entire pride of female lions eager and willing to devour their prey.
Oh, the thought tightened my balls.
Did she have any idea how cute she was in her neon purple jogging pants and the brightest lime green shirt I’d ever seen?
“Hold on?” she hissed. “You hit my beautiful baby boy on purpose. You tried to kill Indiana.”
Was she kidding me? I’d never had anyone accuse me of murdering an animal and plenty of people over the years had accused me of some heinous acts.
My response and my reaction couldn’t have been worse.
“Wait a minute. He ran out into the road and into me. I’d say he was purposely trying to wreck my car.” Wow. She’d certainly managed to push buttons I didn’t know existed. Shock tore through me as she managed to push herself away, hauling off and slamming her fist into my jaw.
What the fuck?
For a small woman, she packed a mean punch, the force pitching me back against the Charger’s grille.
With another hiss and her nose wrinkling, she flopped back to Indiana’s side.
I rubbed my jaw, admiring her conviction and her ability to catch me off guard. A small crowd had appeared, the gawkers just another irritation.
“Nothing to see here,” I snapped.
That resulted in another glare from the wildcat. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy is right here. We’re going to get you to the vet. Everything is going to be okay.”
When the dog whapped his tail against the pavement, I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d done a lot of horrible shit in my life, but killing an animal under any circumstances wasn’t one of them. Risking life and limb, I knelt beside her, studying the pup’s condition.
“There’s no blood.” As if I knew what the fuck I was talking about.
“Are you a goddamn veterinarian?” she snarled. “There could be internal injuries. Broken bones. Look at him.”
He was still wagging his tail, even managing to lift his head, but I wasn’t going to argue with her. She was right. There could be hidden injuries. “Let me help you take him to your car.”
“Does it look like I have a car? Look at the way I’m dressed.” She pointed to the attached leash. “This is a fucking park. We walk here almost every day from where I live. Two miles from here.”
Every word out of her mouth was accusatory. Wow. But I did take the time to study the way she was dressed. Sexy as hell in an eclectic way that kept my cock twitching.
“You were driving too fast,” she continued then issued a growl easily rivaling one of mine. “Fucker.”
Every word out of her mouth pushed my irritation to a new level.
“Hold on. You didn’t have control over your dog?” The leash was still attached to his collar. Yes, she had a point. At least I’d been able to react quickly.
My God, the woman was beautiful in a fiery kill-him-if-you-can way that floored me.
With the last rays of sun highlighting rich, copper hair, eyes the color of the Aegean Sea, and freckles scattered across smooth, porcelain skin, her appearance was a wicked combination of faery and goddess.
But one with a lightning bolt in her hand.
I had a sudden, almost uncontrollable urge to fist a handful of her hair, yanking until I was able to expose the long line of her neck, which was begging for my fingers to wrap around it.
I envisioned her naked and suddenly my dick was hard.
Not a good look for a man who’d just injured a dog by accident.
And she was already eager and ready to crucify me.
The brief few seconds we glared at each other, she dared drag the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip. Not in any way to indicate interest. The slight action was solely based on her continued agitation.
“You fucking son of a bitch. Indy pulled away from me because some asshole had music blaring from his car.” She threw the Charger another nasty look. “He adores Disturbed. His favorite music. He always reacts even though I’ve tried to keep him from bolting. Goddamn it. This can’t be happening.”
Her rage was slowly being eaten by anxiety and concern.
“I am sorry. Maybe you’re right in that I wasn’t paying close enough attention.”
“You’re damn right. You’re going to take me to the vet.” The flash of her gorgeous eyes could cut a man to ribbons.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” I wasn’t going to take the risk of her realizing I had a body in the back of my trunk so I could do my good deed for the day.
“You can and you will. I can’t carry him. He weighs almost a hundred pounds. This is your fault and you’re going to fix it.”
Exhaling, I knew there was no other choice. I had a feeling if I tried to leave, she’d successfully chase me down.
There were worse things than to be hunted by a beautiful vixen.
As I looked at the pup, I could swear with our eyes locking he was reading me, connecting with me.
“What do I do?”
“Do you have a backseat in that… thing?”
“That thing is a two thousand twenty-five Scat Pack Charger. You have no idea the horsepower.”
“Then you’re going to use your muscle car and testosterone booster to get me to the vet quickly. Now, pick him up in your arms. Gently.”
I’d never had a single person in my life, other than my father, who’d barked orders like I was some wet behind the ears private. Especially a woman. Fuck. I commanded a room when I walked in, including garnering unconditional respect. What in the hell did she think she was doing?
Even with the irritation, I found myself scooping the heavy dog in my arms, doing what I could to be very gentle. He whimpered and I froze, peering down into his soulful eyes and saying a small and very silent prayer that nothing happened to him.
Even in death she’d haunt me.
This was the last thing I needed.