Chapter 16
After seeing Isabella’s gone I was infuriated, why didn’t that woman want to do as she was told. She wasn’t at dinner, and I doubt she was anywhere in the house at all, it’s as if she suddenly lived to piss me off.
I paced the floor in my room, over and over, my tongue endlessly twiddling with my lip ring.
Infuriating little ? —
Hold on a second…
Something caught my eye mid thought, or should I say something didn’t.
Where were my fucking keys?!
She wouldn’t have, would she?
I ripped my phone from my pocket, stabbing my fingers on the screen in frustration, and sure enough there was my bike, downtown in the middle of a deserted car park!
I heaved in breath after breath trying to calm myself down. It was an odd feeling. I’d felt rage before but I’d always had a firm leash on my emotions.
How dare she go against what I told her? And why did she take my bike?!
Ah, it all made sense now… Why Tyler had slipped out at dinner. Little shit head.
I stormed through the house. I was just reaching for the keys to the Jeep when Ana’s voice caught me mid step.
“Arturo,” her voice was soft. “Where are you going in that murderous mood?”
“There’s someone I need to find,” I smiled, but nothing about it was genuine.
“My daughter?” She enquired patiently, strumming her manicured nails on the counter.
“Yes. Your bloody daughter thought it would be a good idea to take my bike for a spin when she can barely walk straight.” I started again for the door.
I wasn’t waiting for Ana to reply, or to try and stop me, the damage had already been done.
She wanted me angry. Well congratu-fucking-lations, Isabella. I was murderous.
Finding Bella’s location was child’s play.
One quick search of my bike’s GPS told me she hadn’t gone far.
But the area made my blood run cold. From this car park the only place she could possibly be was Logan’s.
Logan’s was the closest thing I’d found in this ridiculous city that resembled a good ol’ fashioned pub.
And not one of these carbon copy places, no, this was the real deal.
Right down to the ale pumps, crisps next to the vodka bottles, and sticky floors.
The only difference was it was about five times the size of a pub back home, and half of it was set up like a nightclub.
I preferred the quieter half though. The owner, Jay Logan, was a stand up guy and loyal.
He also happened to be one of the only people on this planet that I called a friend.
I’d lost count of the times I’d shown up in the bloke’s office, bleeding from a new hole, in my early New York days.
No questions asked, he’d chuck me a first aid kit, bottle of whatever he had, and then insist I spent the night.
Sighing, I shoved the car door open and headed for the neon sign glaring at me in bright blue. Of all the places, why did she have to come here?
“Because it would make you and her daddy mad,” said a little voice in my head.
And with good bloody reason. Jay may be a good bloke but his patrons, sadly, were not. They were dangerous, nasty motherfuckers. And there’s no way Isabella didn’t know that. There was a reason most people avoided this place, including Lorenzo and the guys.
My anger hadn’t subsided in any way, shape, or form on the journey over. No doubt Anastacia would have told Lorenzo what had happened by now, but I didn’t give a fuck. Right now the only thing I gave a crap about was Isabella.
Was I mad because Isabella had taken my bike? Yes.
Was I pissed because Isabella could have injured herself or worse? Most definitely.
Was I going to punish her for it? Hell fucking yes.
And if she thought the spanking I gave her a fortnight ago was bad, she was about to get a rude awakening.
With a flick of my head, I stepped past the bouncers.
The bigger of the two nodded at me. Charlie and Dan had both been in this place since it had opened.
Aside from the times I showed up delirious and bleeding all over the show, this was usually the only place I’d come after a kill when I needed to wind down.
I looked over at the bar and absentmindedly noticed it hadn’t changed in the eight years I’d been drinking here. Right down to the shitty ‘80s carpet, weird looking dangling lights, and its dark, tempting corners.
I weaved through the sea of people, it was busier than usual but I knew I’d be able to pick her out. There was no way in hell I wouldn’t be able to. I was drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
Where are you, hermosa?
“Arturo, buddy, what can I get ya?” Josh asked, he worked here most days of the week, he practically lived here.
“Nothing mate, I’m drivin’. Logan about?”
“Nah, he’s in the city dealing with the books. So, what brings you in? Haven’t seen you in a while.” He placed a bottle of water down in front of me with a smile.
“Lookin’ for someone,” I took a swig out of the bottle, wishing it was a beer.
“New target? ‘Cause you know Jay’s got rules,” he whispered over the music.
Like Jay, Josh was also one of my only friends. The first day we met was over a pack of peanuts and him sewing up my abdomen. He knew what I dabbled in… most of the time.
“Nah, mate. But it’s important I find her.”
“Ah, it’s a chick! Wait, don’t tell me… You’re looking to get your dick wet!” He chortled, throwing back a shot.
“Mouth like that will get you into trouble.”
“So what does the future Mrs Sit-On-Your-Balls look like?” He wiped his hands on a towel before rounding the bar.
“Five-five, long brown hair, blues eyes, curves for miles, shitty fuckin’ attitude and currently testing my patience,” I hissed.
“Pfft. Even if the chick you’re describing had entered our establishment, she sounds way too hot for me to tell you, pal.” Josh joined me on a bar stool and opened the bottle of Bud placed in front of him. When I didn’t laugh he frowned. “Damn, mate. She a job?”
“Somethin’ like that.” He pressed his lips together and nodded, looking around.
“Who is she?”
“Isabella Ricci,” I replied, making Josh spit his beer out.
“Fuck off!” His eyes went wide as he wiped his mouth.
“I shit you not.” I didn’t have time for this, but if anyone knew where she’d gone it would be Josh. He knew everything that happened in this place.
“Let me get this straight, the chick you’ve currently got a hard-on for is none other than Lorenzo Ricci’s daughter?
Big, scary dude that runs half of New York?
” I stared at him, a small smile making its way to my eyes.
“Are you fucking crazy? Do you know what he’d do to you for simply looking at her—” Josh stopped on a frown.
“Wait, hang on… I heard something about this. This isn’t the deal I heard rumours about the other week, is it?
Are you really working for the Lorenzo Ricci? ”
“Ain’t a rumour, mate,” I deadpanned.
“Holy shit, dude. They got you on retainer or some shit?”
“Nah, it ain’t like that. The old man hired me to train her. Watch her back that kind of thing.” Which right now was proving to be like trying to ensure water didn’t fall through a sieve. Pointless.
“Arturo, pal… I think we can both agree you ain’t a bodyguard.” I shrugged noncommittally.
“Uh-huh, and I did tell the geezer when he offered me the job.”
Josh took a sip of his beer before smiling. “Damn, man. So, what’s the deal, mafia princess giving you the run around?”
“Trust me, mate, this chick ain’t no princess. She took my fuckin’ bike!” I seethed. And just like that, the anger rolled its way straight back up.
“Damn, I like this Ricci chick already,” he laughed. “Just be careful, yeah? I’d rather not bury my mate.”
“Oh trust me, if Lorenzo Ricci could murder me, you wouldn’t find a body to bury.” I retorted.
“True, that and you gotta get caught first,” he winked as he swigged from his bottle.
“Mate, I’m just tryin’ to get my bike and her back in one piece.”
“Nah, that ain’t it. You like this woman. I can tell. But what makes you think she’s gonna fuck you?”
“Because she has eyes.” I joked, earning myself a deep cackle and a slap on the shoulder.
“You’re seriously going to try it on with this woman, aren’t you?” I shrugged and raised my eyebrows.
“Let’s just say she intrigues me. And as for gettin’ caught, trust me, when that woman falls in love with me there will be fuck all her father could do about it.
” Speaking of Isabella, where the hell was she?
I scanned the crowd for a millionth time with no success.
I was seriously beginning to get pissed off.
“Telling you man, I don’t think she’s here.”
“No, I know she’s here. Besides, you can’t miss the guy she’s with. Geezer’s got electric blue hair. You’d spot from the moon.” I twirled my ring around my finger.
“You know,” Josh started, “she may have already left.”
“I doubt it. My bike is still down the road, and if she’s drinkin’ the only way home would be Tyler.
” As if on cue, the kid materialised. “Who if I’m not mistaken is over there with a pretty little redhead.
” I pointed in the direction of Bella’s blue haired friend who was showing his new ‘friend’ a good time on the dancefloor.
“What about your girl? You see her?”
Again as if on cue, Isabella’s giggling face came into frame. “Oh I see her alright. She’s right over there,” I gestured with my head.
But she wasn’t alone. Oh no… She was currently rubbing up against some Bieber wannabe who had his vile hands all over her. The grip he had on her was predatory and made me see red.
Nobody owned Isabella Ricci. Nobody, but me.
“It would seem that someone is in the way,” Josh joked.
“Don’t you have a bar to tend to?” I muttered with a side eye glance.
“Nah, I’d rather watch the drama unfold.”
“Oh, go get fucked you old sod,” I laughed.
“I did on my break,” he winked, rounding the bar to serve a hen party. “Good luck, mate. Looks like you’ll need it.”