Chapter 11
Hadley
I’m startled awake by the same damn dream that I have had for years. I haven’t had many in the last few years, but I’m noticing them returning more frequently lately. Glancing at the clock, it’s four-thirty in the morning. Same time as the dreams before.
Peering through the gap in the curtain of the closest window, I see large snowflakes falling, and I can hear the wind howling beyond the other noises in the house. The furnace kicking on, along with the creaking in the house as it blows outside. What I don’t hear are any people moving about. I know it before rolling over that he is already gone. Reaching over to his side, I notice the bed is cold. He hasn’t been here for a while. It’s not uncommon, not since I’ve been here, but I doubt it typically isn’t this early.
As the numbers on the clock continue to climb, my mind starts to race. My dreams have never made much sense to me, but there is something telling me the dreams are important. Intuition? I have no earthly clue, but I know it’s something I need to keep at the back of my mind. I have a journal at home where I write about what I remember of them, hoping one day I will know the meanings of them.
Massimo mentioned earlier that he wanted to talk to me about something. My first thought is if he’s tired of me being here. He is always so cold and hot. One minute, he states I am his; the next, he acts as if I bother him. I haven’t asked because I have never had anyone want me just because. Honestly, I’m not looking forward to having this talk. Not yet, anyway. The time spent with Amos, Greta, and even Massimo in the last couple of days has meant the world to me. I feel as if I am home.
I was shipped from one foster home to the next my entire life. I had one friend, for two years anyway. I was eleven. It was the longest I had ever stayed in a home. It was the first time I ever had any hope of staying at the same place for a while. I loved Ma Carpenter . She was the one who taught me about recipes and baking. I learned what love is from her. I’d never had a loving figure in my life. I remember coming home one day, seeing a car in the driveway, and I knew what the car meant.
They were going to take me away.
I tried to be good all the time. I thought perhaps I was being taken away because I’d gotten in trouble at school for punching Jimmy in the face. He kept trying to kiss me. I told him to stop. He wouldn’t. Ma Carpenter had told me he deserved it at the time, but I also needed to think about hitting someone before I did it.
Walking into the house that day, I found them sitting in the kitchen. Ma Carpenter was crying, her eyes were so red. She was terribly sick. She told me they couldn’t take care of me anymore and to always remember I was worth loving. Of course, I wanted to believe her, but I knew I wasn’t.
I prayed and prayed for her to get better, to come back and get me. It didn’t happen.
I have no family, and no one from the many foster homes I’ve lived with. I still have absolutely no idea where I come from, not the area, genetics, heritage, nothing . I have lived my life on my own for the last few years, and I’ve finally felt some peace in my life. I have a job that helps to pay my bills, not much beyond that, but I’m still doing it on my own.
One day, I want to be somebody.
If I am honest with myself, Massimo has meant more to me than anyone in my life since Ma Carpenter. When he would come into the restaurant every day, I felt as if he was there for me. I did everything I could to get him to smile; I would’ve loved to have gotten him to laugh. It wasn’t until I shot that man and he helped me that I knew Massimo was somehow involved in what is going on.
Laying here, I know I am done with sleep for the night. I wish there was a television up here; I’d watch the weather report if there was. I need to get back to work. I am going to be short for this month’s bills, and I cannot afford to miss work anymore, or I will lose my place. I also want to get Amos a sled for Christmas. I had asked him yesterday while playing with him outside if he had one. He told me that he doesn’t. All little boys deserve a sled.
Thirty minutes later, I make my way out of the shower, walk into the bedroom, and start searching through Massimo’s clothes. I need some of my own. Finally, pulling some out, I dress and head downstairs. The light in the kitchen is on, but when I walk in, I don’t find anyone. I thought for sure Massimo would be down here. There’s coffee, so I head toward the pot, pulling out a cup before I get there. I sit at the bar waiting for what—I don’t know—so I drift off in thought.
“You okay, dear?” Greta asks me.
“Just a bad dream. Woke me up, and I couldn’t go back to sleep,” I reply. I don’t know why I tell her about the dreams, it isn’t like me at all.
“You want to talk about it?” She’s kind enough to care.
“No, not really. They don’t make a lot of sense. Have you seen Massimo this morning?”
“He was called out last night and hasn’t made it back yet,” she shares before turning around from the bar.
“I think I may go watch some television if that would be alright.”
“Of course. You can do what you would like while you’re here. Massimo gave everyone instructions to treat you like this is your home while you are here,” she states, smiling. “You know you’re the first female that’s not family he has ever let be around Amos? He seems to be smitten with you.”
“I don’t know about that, Greta, but he is a good father,” I respond as I walk out of the kitchen.
A few hours later, I wake up again. I must have fallen asleep on the couch earlier. Glancing over, I find Amos sitting next to me, watching cartoons. “Hey, Amos, what are you watching?”
“Cartoons. Greta said I’m not allowed to wake you, so I’m watching them until you get up. You wanna play a game with me?” He’s excited as the question pours out of him.
“I would love to.”
The front door opens, the wind howling from outside as it does, and then Massimo enters the living room foyer.
“Hey, Dad. Where have you been?” Amos asks.
“I had some business to take care of. Have you been watching cartoons all morning with Hadley?”
“No, by myself. She was sleeping, and Greta said I couldn’t wake her up,” he explains.
“Have you done your chores for the day?” His father questions, glancing around.
“No, I will, though. Me and Hadley are going to play a game too.” He grins and bounces on the spot.
“Maybe we can all play a game tonight,” Massimo offers, his dark gaze landing on me.
“That would be fun. Yippee.” Amos cheers as he gets up, jumps in the air, and runs to hug his father. Then he’s running out of the room and up the hallway. We can hear him talking to Greta seconds later, telling her about the games we’re all going to play.
Massimo walks over, sitting on the edge of the couch next to me.
“You look really tired,” I mention, noticing the bags under his eyes. “What time did you leave?” It must’ve been in the middle of the night with how early I found myself counting snowflakes.
“About one. Big John called me with some things I needed to take care of.”
“Oh… So, I really need to get home. I have to go back to work. If I don’t, I won’t be able to pay my bills. If I’m unable to make my rent, I am not going to have a place to live,” I admit. I don’t want to go but I have to be reasonable about this whole situation going on. I also don’t want to make him feel as if he has to take care of me.
“We need to discuss numerous things. I have some information to show you as well, but first, I’m going to take a shower and a quick nap. We will talk later about all of this.” He puts an end to the conversation abruptly, as it’s always hot and cold with this one.
“Okay,” I concede. I watch as he walks out of the living room, not being able to look away as he demands my attention. Always. He didn’t even kiss me this time. It’s become a thing he’s been doing lately whenever he leaves the house. I lay back, crossing my legs on the couch, groaning with frustration while I cover my eyes with my arm.
Massimo
It’s been one hell of a night , I can’t help but think to myself as I am going down the hallway. I need a hot shower and some decent sleep before I can explain what is going on to Hadley. It’s time. Although I don’t want this life for her, she is in it whether she wants to be or not.
She’s mine , whether she knows it now or not.
Firstly, I will get the information I need out for her. Then, I’ll check to see if she inadvertently knows anything about any of this. I quietly fill Greta in on my plans, then hop in the shower. I drift back to my night as the hot water hits my back, racing over my tired flesh.
Amos is already getting attached to her, as well as Greta, and it’s not normal. I am too, in all honesty. I can’t afford to be distracted at the moment because too much shit is going on in this organization. It’s all mine; I acquired it on my own through blood, sweat, and being the best fucking man to do it. I took it for myself, and I damn sure will keep it for myself and my family.
I fucked Hadley last night, and we fell asleep shortly after. Then I woke up to a call from Big John. He had news of someone putting a hit out on Hadley. They want her dead.
I immediately got up, knowing sleep would elude me if I even tried at that point. I demanded he meet with me immediately to get any more details in person. We have our hacker, Adam, working to dig out whatever he can find on the dark web. At this point, we are at least tracking the threat’s trail and who’s put it out there. I’ll make sure the hit is on them and they’re dead before it’s over. I will not allow Hadley to go back to the restaurant. I don’t have the manpower, for one. I’m using my guys at the moment to find these son-of-a-bitches.
“She’s mine anyway; she doesn’t need to work,” I mutter to myself, my mind already made up on the matter. Striding into the bedroom, I let the towel around my waist drop and immediately crawl into bed. I silently tell myself, only two hours, and fall asleep.
I’m stirred awake by the door closing a little over two hours later. I can smell her scent, even though she’s left the room. My cock is fucking hard. I lay back, grabbing myself, lightly stroking it while I obsess over her. Her perfectly smooth skin, the plump roundness of her tits and how they fill my hands. Her pussy—it’s the best I’ve ever had. So damn good , I think as I groan. My cock’s in my hand, as I’m mercilessly beating it with my fist, up and down. In an instant, it seems, the cum flies out of my tip, landing all over my chest. I lay here, trying to get my heartbeat to even out as I realize I haven’t come like that in years. I feel like a damn randy teenager instead of a grown man.
After pulling myself together, I dress in some jeans and a T-shirt, then I head downstairs. It’s not my normal attire, but she needs to discover me, in all my personas. I have three of them. I wonder if she will figure them all out? Business is my prominent side, there’s my laid-back at home with my family part of me, and I can’t help but wonder if she will know what the third one is. Time will tell.
I get to the kitchen as Greta is pulling out a casserole; it’s one of my favorites. The others are at the bar, Emilio standing, with Amos at one end and Hadley at the other. I walk around and sit between her and Amos.
“Good nap?” she asks me. “You seem a little better than what you looked like earlier.”
“I feel somewhat better,” I admit as I lay my hand on her inside thigh. “We need to talk after we eat.”
“I'd rather we didn’t,” she responds, the honesty pouring out of her. It’s one thing I’ve come to admire about her.
“You don’t have a choice in the matter,” I state, not caring if she does or doesn’t want to discuss this. It’s too important to let her have her way. “It’s something that I should have done at the beginning.”
“Save it,” she spouts at me.
Little girl has some attitude, and I plan to fuck that right out of her. “You better watch it, little girl. I don’t have a problem with carrying you out of here and giving that mouth of yours a workout.” I murmur it softly so the others cannot hear our conversation. I’m just waiting to see which way she wants to take this, my eyebrow raised. She meets my challenging stare and harrumphs under her breath a little. She takes her plate from Greta and digs in, not saying another word to me.
“Thank you, Greta. This looks so good. I’m starving,” Hadley tells her with a smile on her face.
I chuckle under my breath a little bit. Greta gives me a smirk as I do. She knows me all too well. She is family by heart and has been Amos’ mother figure to an extent, almost his whole life.
There isn’t much talking about anything while we eat. My hand still resting on her leg possessively, I squeeze her leg for a minute. I want her to acknowledge me.
She glances over with her eyebrow raised, mimicking my earlier expression, and I laugh at her, loudly.
“What’s so funny, Dad?” Amos interrupts, wanting in on whatever is amusing me.
“Hadley made a funny face at me,” I offer, spilling a touch of truth.
“I missed it. It must’ve been good for you to laugh that loud,” he mumbles as he’s scooping more food into his mouth.
Shortly after, we finish our meal, and the three of them clean up while I drag Hadley with me to my office. I don’t—no, I can’t— do it anywhere else. She has to know this is serious shit.
“Things are serious. I have to tell you about some valuable information I have. There are things you may be able to help me with. Also, a lot of pertinent details you know nothing about. However, it is something you need to know and learn.
“I…” Hadley starts.
“Dad!” Amos yells, interrupting me once again.
“What, Amos?” I ask as he sticks his head in the doorway. He’s too nosy to keep his attention on me, trailing his gaze between Hadley, me, and the rest of the room. He’s got chocolate on his face; no doubt he was in the cookies they’d baked again. So much for them only being for Santa.
“Are we still getting our special tree tomorrow evening?” He’s persistent about getting a special tree this year. I don’t know where he came up with this idea.
“Yes, son. We will go and pick one out, chop it down, and bring it back to the cabin. Sound good?”
“Awesome, Dad. Greta said we can start the game now. You will come and play with us when you get done, won’t you?”
“Yes, we will.”
“Okay, Dad. Love you!”
“Love you too. Now go.” Pointing my finger at him, I silently tell him to leave me to business.
Hadley immediately begins talking when my little prince disappears, “I have to go back to work, Massimo. I’ve already told you why. This other stuff I don’t want to know or talk about. Take me home, please .”
“No. This isn’t the time, and you are not going back to work right now,” I reply in a gruff voice. I continue, “Do you know anything about your childhood before the foster homes?”
“No, Massimo. I said no!” she yells as she stands and makes her way to the door . She’s trying to run away from this, and I’m not having it.
I jump from my chair to grab her as my cell rings. I know it’s Big John and I need to take the call. I’ll let her go for now, but not for long.
I take the call from him, his frazzled voice filling the line as soon as I hit accept. “Massimo, we’ve got a problem. A big one. I need you here.”
“Fuck. This isn’t the time for any of this shit. You can’t handle it?” I ask.
“No. It’s too serious. You have to take care of this, Boss.” He’s never this adamant, so I’d be a fool to not take him at his word.
“Fine, I’m on my way.” I hang up, my heart rate racing at this newfound issue. “Damn it all to hell.” I grumble the last part under my breath.