Six
Vito
Loretta slams the door in Alan’s face, and I can’t help the evil grin that stretches across my face.
He stands there with his fist balled at his side, not moving as if he can will the door to open.
Turning, I jog back to my SUV and climb in, watching as Alan paces back and forth for a few minutes before walking to his car.
Waiting, I leave only when he finally pulls away from her house.
I make it to the gym at the same time as a few of my soldiers.
I spend the next couple of hours working out with them, trying to push Loretta to the back of my mind.
I finally get her pushed into the corner of my mind and can start thinking through all the other bullshit in my life when my phone starts ringing.
Walking over to the bench where I laid it, I pick it up and see it’s the man that I put on getting info on Alan is calling me.
As I make my way out of the gym and into the scorching summer sun, I answer the call.
“That was fast,” I drawl, leaning against the wall.
“Well, when your daddy is the face of the county, it’s easy to find information,” he chuckles.
Processing his words, it finally hits me where I know the slime motherfucker from.
“He’s fucking Martin Davis’s shithead kid? No wonder he holds an air of superiority about him that makes me want to stab him in the throat,” I deadpan.
My contact laughs at my response. “That’s not all. There is something odd that popped up while I was digging. Before you say anything about this sounding crazy, just hear me out.”
“This really has to be bad if that is how you’re starting this next part,” I drawl, my eyes scanning the parking lot in front of me.
“There are some murders that happened when he was in certain places. Murders that have gone unsolved. I mean different places and even different MOs, but something about them is causing my mind to connect the dots no one else seems to be able to do,” he rambles quickly.
Next to the family, this man is the only one I would trust with my life. Fuck, there are some days I would trust him before I trusted the family. So if he says there is something going on, then there is something going on.
“Send me everything you’ve been able to find. I’ll look over,” I tell him as a couple of cop cars pull into the parking lot. “If you think there is something there, then I trust there is something there.”
“Fuck, there was a part of me that was hoping you’d call me a fucking psycho,” he chuckles as his fingers fly across the keyboard.
Distractedly I say, “To do what we do, that’s a requirement. I’ve got to go. Keep digging.”
The cops circle the lot before one of them pulls up in front of me and rolls down his window. “Vito.”
“Officer, what can I do for you?” I nod, fighting the sneer that is trying to stretch across my face.
This man is one of the worst. He takes advantage of the people around him, using his power to persuade women to do things in exchange for getting out of trouble.
Pushing myself off the wall, I walk over to the police car, noting the fact he locks his door.
That’s right, asshole. You may hold the badge, but I can still end you, no questions asked.
“I’ve been told that you’ve had a couple of run-ins with Alan Davis. You might find it beneficial to avoid him in the future,” Officer Fuckhead states, glaring at me.
I place my arm on the roof of his car, leaning down so that we’re eye-to-eye. “Do me a solid and remind Martin that if he has an issue, then he needs to address it with Andre or me—directly.”
The officer narrows his eyes. “I’ll be sure to relay the message. For now, let’s not start anything.”
“Dually noted. Now, if you’ll excuse me, officer. I have things to do that don’t fucking include entertaining fucking errand boys.” I tap the roof of the police cruiser as I turn, going to my SUV.
I send a text message to my PI: Get me fucking everything not only on Alan but his fucking father as well.
Speeding out of the parking lot, I turn toward Loretta’s house without thought.
Just needing to make sure that she’s okay.
I don’t know why suddenly the need to protect her is driving me like a wild beast. I race to her home and slam on my brakes when I see her in the yard.
She has her dark hair piled up on her head and is wearing short jean shorts and a sports bra.
That’s not what causes a growl to erupt from my lips.
It’s the very large tattoo of a blood rose on her back.
I’m rock hard and pissed off all at the same fucking time.
“What the fuck is that woman wearing?” I grumble under my breath.
I don’t fucking know why or what comes over me, but I whip my SUV into her driveway, slamming it in park before jumping out and storming across her yard. She turns, looking at me with shock and fear filling her eyes the closer I get.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I erupt, glaring down at her.
The beautiful woman in front of me goes rim-rod straight, a scowl marring her face.
“I don’t know what gives you the right to demand a damn thing, but I’m planting flowers to make this house just a tiny bit more welcoming.
This is the place of my darkest nightmare, but it’s the only place I have to live. ”
Her verbal smackdown hits me like a physical blow.
I look over the house for the first time, seeing it through her eyes.
I thought saving it for her so she had a place to go after she was released was a great idea.
What I never considered was the fact that this house would hold memories that no one would want to come back to.
Yet here she is, trying to make it something special for her to build a future.
My silence must drag on for too long because she huffs as she turns back to the plants at her feet.
The words fall out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Do you need help?”
She looks up at me with skepticism in her eyes. “What exactly do you want for this help?”
“Nothing.” I can’t tell her I’m trying to make up for the stolen years of her life or that there is something in my soul that is keeping me rooted to her. “I just want to help you get this done so you can feel better about your home.”
She stands there, eyeing me. “Fine, but I’ve got nothing to give you. So, if you are helping, it’s because I don’t know a damn thing about these fucking plants.”
I can’t stop the laugh that breaks free. “I don’t know that I know much more, but it can’t be too fucking hard.”
“Well, don’t just stand there. Let’s get this shit done before it gets too much hotter.” Loretta smiles before turning and getting back to work.
She drops to her knees and grabs a small shovel before looking back at me over her shoulder. “If you’re just going to stand there providing shade, move to your right just a little.”
“You think you're funny?” I question dropping to my knees beside her. “I’m standing here wondering if you are serious in the way you’re using that shovel.”
“If you can do better, why don’t you do it?” She passes the shovel to me.
My phone vibrates over and over in my pocket while I’m working with Loretta.
I ignore every notification for the first time ever.
I lose track of time as we work side-by-side, plant by plant, having forgotten what it was like to get lost in a simple task.
A laugh like I’ve not experienced in a long time erupts when Loretta throws her head back laughing when the shovel gets caught on a root and dirt goes flying up in my face.
My laugh is cut short when the sound of a door slamming reaches me.
The years of training kick in, and without thought I spin, putting myself between her and the person standing at the road.
And if the look he is giving me is any indication, he is plotting my death.
Unable to resist antagonizing him, I smirk as I reach behind me to run my hand up Loretta’s calf.
She gasps, clutching the back of my shirt to keep herself steady.
Loretta peers around me to see who has shown up.
Groaning, she drops her forehead on my back, clutching my shirt tighter before letting me go and stepping around me to stand beside me.
I cross my arms over my chest, leveling my own glare at the man in front of me, the words of my contact rolling through my thoughts.
I’ve seen men who kill and do the things this man is being accused of, and he just doesn’t strike me as the man who would put in effort.
I wait him out, knowing that a man raised the way he was will not wait long to throw a tantrum for not getting what he sees as his.
“Loretta, I wasn’t aware you had company,” Alan says derisively.
Her back goes so stiff that I swear I hear it snap into place as he makes his way across the yard.
“I wasn’t aware I needed to update you on the comings and goings of the people in my home,” she says harshly.
Alan’s face fills with pure fury. “As my soon to be girlfriend, everything you do is my business.”
Loretta shifts closer to me unconsciously as he continues his march across the yard and his words hit her. I don’t move or even react, knowing that’s what he is looking for. He wants me to lay claim to validate what he is building in his head.
Loretta finally finds her voice. “Alan, what are you talking about? I do not know you or have any idea what you’re talking about?”
Alan continues walking toward us, and without thought I step slightly in front of Loretta once more, being sure that if this motherfucker was dumb enough to act on the urges currently roaring through him he’d have to go through me first.