BOW DOWN: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Barone Crime Family) (5 page)

I
felt
like I was most at my element in front of a whole array of computer screens. The entire internet was at my fingertips, and nothing could be kept from me.

I got into a flow, working and typing, moving through my usual spots. I broke into my father’s network and checked on his plans, but there was nothing new there. I figured they realized that I was easily coming and going, and probably were keeping their important plans off their network. Next, I checked out the Russians, but they typically never updated their stuff, and besides, my Russian was a little rusty.

Which brought me to the reason for this whole thing. I began with the easy stuff, a simple Google search for Wyatt Carter, and skimmed the articles I found. I read the same story over and over: a working class boy with a down-home attitude becomes a bigwig lawyer. He wanted to save the world and all the working class people of Illinois. He was a golden boy, a prodigy, the state’s native son come back to save everyone.

It was all crap. I knew the real Wyatt. He didn’t care about saving the state, or at least not in the way that they thought. He wanted to control the state in order to bring about his will.

What I couldn’t figure was what that will was. I didn’t know what he wanted to do with all that power. He said he cared about people and the poor, but I couldn’t tell if that was because he genuinely believed it or if it sounded good in an interview.

I began to dig deeper. I broke into his email account, his social media accounts, and anything else remotely related to him, but there was nothing. Sure, there was some chatter about some potentially shady stuff, but nothing out of the ordinary for an attorney general.

By the third hour, I was getting frustrated. There was nothing on him. It was almost as if this image he created for himself as a good old boy was real, and he genuinely was the nice guy next door.

There were some rumors, but they were all unsubstantiated. He was known to be very ruthless in the courtroom, and there were whispers of some intimidation going on. None of it had any real basis, though, and I couldn’t use any of it.

As I continued researching, I began to try to imagine the world that this man lived in. I tried to picture his friends, his enemies, his wants and his desires. I tried to get into his head as much as I could, and as I did that, I realized that I was interested in him for more than just his political connections.

I was interested in him, as a person. I realized pretty early on that I wasn’t going to find anything on him, and yet I continued researching. I couldn’t help myself.

There was a lot to do around the house, and yet I had this man on my mind.

As I began to wind down, something suddenly pinged my console. I opened it up and realized that he was currently on the internet, or at least someone was on his computer.

Smiling to myself, I decided to take his laptop over. I took control of it and made his screen blank. I typed him a message.

“Hello, stranger.”

It took almost five minutes for him to respond.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“I’m me, and I want someone to protect me from muggers.”

Another ten minutes went past. I was smiling to myself the whole time.

“Louisa?”

“The one and only.”

His responses got faster now, like he wasn’t carefully considering them anymore and just typing to me.

“How are you doing this?”

“I’m very good with computers.”

“Clearly. Why, though? You can just call.”

“I can, but I thought this would be more fun. I want you to know that I’m serious.”

“I know you’re serious.”

“Do you? I can take control of anyone’s computer like this. I can read their messages, their emails, their personal files. Nothing is safe from me.”

“Is that what you’re doing to me right now?”

“I won’t pretend like I haven’t done my homework.”

“Did you like what you found?”

“Yes and no. You’re too clean.”

“I know.”

“How? This is a secure connection.”

“I work very hard to maintain appearances,” he typed.

“Still, there’s nothing.”

“I have some help. But I’m also aware that anything I type in an email could be read by someone one day. So I am careful.”

I nodded to myself, smiling. I liked that about him. He was a careful man because he was smart and could see a few moves in the future. He wasn’t so dumb that he thought he was invincible.

“I want to meet,” I typed.

“Okay. When?”

“Tomorrow night. I’ll need protection.”

“I can bring men.”

“Just bring yourself.”

“Okay then.”

“I’ll be in your hotel lobby at nine.”

“I’ll be there.”

I was smiling to myself like a stupid schoolgirl. I felt like a teenager again typing to a boy in a chat room, and I realized instantly how dangerous that could be.

If I was going to enter into business with this man, I cannot let myself be infatuated with him. There was so much more at stake for me than just our relationship and our power.

I really did want to save my girls. I wanted to control the city, but that was because I thought I could save even more lives. I would outlaw human trafficking and destroy anyone that got in my way. The police tried, but they were constrained by laws.

No law would touch me. I would be the swift hammer of justice and save lives.

I needed Wyatt to get to that level. But if I let myself get sucked into his world, I may lose sight of my real goals.

Just then, there was a knock at my door. I looked up. “Come,” I called out.

Brooks opened the door. “The Italians.”

“What happened?”

“Ernesto’s crew hit one of our houses.”

“Fuck.” I sat up. “Which?”

“The one on Jefferson.”

“The girls?”

“Most got away. Some didn’t.”

“Fuck.” I shook my head. “Fighters?”

“Most are dead. Regina, Lacey, and Alice made it out with the girls.”

“Shit,” I said softly. “We lost a lot of people tonight.”

He nodded grimly.

“I’ll be down soon.”

He nodded again and was gone.

I leaned back, shaking my head.

The Italians were getting more and more aggressive. They were rooting out our safe houses one after the other, and killing everyone inside. They used to try and take prisoners and bring the girls back into their employ, but not anymore, not since the real war started. Now they simply try and kill everyone without a care for who they harmed.

That was my father and his men. They were sick bastards, and they were the ones I was fighting against.

“I have to go,” I typed. “Tomorrow night. See you then.”

I ended the session and stood, anger and sadness rolling through me. I needed to speak to the others, try and reassure them. I needed to assess the damage and decide how we could strike back.

It would be more useless bloodshed, but I had to act. I couldn’t appear weak, not now.

Those fucking bastards were going to pay for what they did to my girls.

L
ouisa continued to surprise me
. Every time I assumed I knew exactly who she was, she did something to show me that she was far more than what I assumed.

The trick with the computer was impressive, and suggested a talent that I didn’t know about. Maybe it was her showing off a bit, but it was a serious ability. The world was fast becoming more and more about the internet and information, which was part of why I kept Ethan around. He was skilled with that sort of thing, a skill that I didn’t posses. Louisa seemed to have a similar talent, which was in itself impressive.

Most of all, though, I liked that she wanted me. I liked that she was pursuing me, coming after me, trying to set up a meeting with me. I wasn’t used to strong women like that, and had always so easily dominated whatever girl I decided to bring into my bed. Louisa was going to be a challenge, and the thought of that made me absolutely fucking hard.

I got ready that night, drinking a glass of whisky and smiling to myself. I wasn’t nervous at all this time, and only felt excitement to get back out there with Louisa again. This time, she was the one making the plans and bringing me along, and I couldn’t wait to see what she thought up.

As I sat in the main living room, drinking my whisky, Ethan came in.

“Any updates on our lawyer?” I asked him.

“He was very forthcoming once you left.”

“I hope you didn’t hurt him too much.”

Ethan paused. “Well, not visibly at least.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a sadistic bastard, you know that?”

“It’s why you keep me around.”

“Sure isn’t for your stellar company.”

He grinned and walked over to the bar, pouring himself a drink. “You haven’t said much about this girl yet.”

“Do I need to?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then. I think she can be very, very useful.”

“In what sense?”

“To our plans.”

“So this isn’t just a way for you to get your dick wet?”

I smirked at him. “Why can’t it be both?”

“You know why.”

I sighed. “Ethan, you trust me, don’t you?”

“I always have.”

“Then trust me on this.”

“Do you have feelings for this girl?”

“Nothing that I can’t control.”

“I’ve heard you say that before.”

“And I’ve always meant it.”

He watched me carefully for a second before slowly nodding. “Okay then. If you think this is a good idea, then I’m with you.”

“Good man.”

He sat down across from me. “Want me to tail you two?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“She’s dangerous.”

“I know that.”

“I’ve been digging more. The Spiders are a pretty serious outfit.”

“I know that, too.”

“But it is true that they’ve mainly been targeting human trafficking spots. Apparently their whole goal is to liberate every woman in the city.”

“Noble goal.”

“Dangerous goal. They’re fanatics.”

“Not Louisa.”

“But her people.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Good.”

I finished my whisky and stood. “Follow up with Myers, make sure he’s cooperating. I want those fucking drug scumbags in jail by next week.”

“I will.”

I paused at the doorway. “How do I look?”

“Beautiful.” He grinned at me.

I laughed, waved, and headed downstairs.

I understood Ethan’s hesitation. He and I had been together for a long time, moving up through the ranks. He had sacrificed a lot to get me where I was, and had done everything I ever asked. He was afraid that Louisa was going to get in the way of what we were trying to build together.

I wouldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let the feelings that were brewing inside of me, the curiosity and the desire, get the better of me. I could control my feelings. I had always been about control.

I found her in the same spot as the other night, though this time she wasn’t wearing a dress. Her long hair was pulled up in a bun and she had on tight jeans and a plain black t-shirt. She smiled as I approached.

“Wyatt.”

“Louisa. Am I overdressed?” I was wearing a three-piece suit.

“Not at all. You look perfect.”

“Of course I do.” I kissed her on the cheek. “Where are we going tonight?”

“You’ll see.” She smiled and headed out front. I followed her, unable to stop myself from smiling back.

We got into the back of my car and she gave the driver an address. He paused until I gave him a nod, and then he headed out. I guessed that the address was unusual, or else the driver wouldn’t have hesitated like that.

“I hope you’re not taking me somewhere inappropriate,” I said to her.

“There’s no such thing.”

“I can’t go to crack dens, underground fights, or gambling parlors. As much as I’d like to.”

She laughed. “Nothing like that tonight.”

“Damn. And here I was thinking we were about to have a lot of fun.”

“Oh, we’re going to have fun.”

“I suspect that’s true.”

We drove through Chicago and moved into a series of rundown neighborhoods. Louisa spoke about the city, about housing segregation and poverty, mostly things I already knew. But I liked to hear her talk, liked her voice and the way she held herself.

Finally, the driver stopped outside of an abandoned building. It looked worse than the other houses around it, and I thought there might be bullet holes in the façade.

Louisa climbed out. I got out behind her.

“Lovely home,” I said, and then looked at the driver. “Wait down the block.”

He nodded and drove off.

“You know who I am and what I do,” she said.

“I do.”

“Part of that is my war with the mafia.”

“I know about that, too.”

“Good. So you’ll understand what I’m about to show you.” She walked up the front stoop and forced the door open.

I followed her, fascinated.

Inside, the house looked like it was once richly decorated. There were the remnants of velvet curtains, plush couches, and expensive glasses. Most of it was in tatters, and the place smelled like mildew. There were definitely bullet holes in a few places, and I was pretty sure the copper-colored stain in the front hall was blood.

“What happened here?” I asked her.

“This is where women were made into slaves.” We walked through the downstairs, lingering in each room a moment. For a second, I thought I could still hear the voices of the people that passed through those rooms.

There was a heavy weight sitting in each space, like something was still lingering. I couldn’t exactly pin it down, but it wasn’t a good feeling. It was in the small details: a ripped-open condom box, a child’s toy, a can of Spam.

“We did this,” Louisa said finally as we got to the back door. It was splintered open like a bomb had gone off. Bullet holes riddles the walls.

“Why?”

“We saved the girls here.”

More copper stains covered the floor.

“How many people died here?”

She shrugged. “Not many. We’re good at what we do.”

I frowned. “Still. I’m a politician, Louisa. If it ever comes out that I’m involved with violent people . . . “

“You already are.” She stared at me for a second. “Come on.”

I followed her back to the front of the house. We moved upstairs, being careful to step around the trash and the detritus leftover from the battle. There was more blood on the walls, splattered all over. We reached the first landing and walked down a tight hallway with multiple doors on either side.

“Look inside,” she said.

I opened the first door. It was a small room, barely the size of a closet. There was a single twin bed in the middle, though it was badly stained and torn. There was a dresser against another wall, and that was it.

“A girl lived in there,” Louisa said behind me. “She barely left here.” She stepped past me and opened the drawer. Carefully, she lifted up a needle. “This is how they kept her here.”

“Drugs?”

“Heroin. They hook them on opiates, get them so addicted that they’ll do anything for a fix, including have sex with multiple men every day.”

“That’s horrendous,” I said softly.

“Look around us.” We stepped back into the hallway. “Each room represents a girl, and there are more upstairs. They were kept in here, forced into addiction and sex slavery.”

I watched her as she spoke, an admiration growing in my chest. This was a warrior with a cause, and a damn good cause. She had everything before she started this mafia, all the money and comfort she could ever need. Louisa Barone was a mafia princess, and she didn’t need to start the Spiders to get by in life.

She did it because she wanted to. She did it because she wanted power, just like me.

“And this is why you do what you do?”

“Exactly. For these girls.”

I smirked at her. “Bullshit.”

That surprised her. She stared at me for as second before finally speaking. “What?”

“Bullshit. You’re not doing this for the girls.”

She shook her head. “Why would you say that?”

“Because we both know it’s true.”

“Why do I do this, then?”

“You like to do it. You like the strength it gives you. You like the rush of defeating an opponent.” I began to head toward the stairs. “This is just a game to you.”

She followed me quickly and grabbed my wrist. “This isn’t a game.”

“To you it is.”

She tried to stop me and I turned toward her on the stairs. “No, it isn’t,” she said angrily. “You may think we’re alike, but we’re not the same. You just want to get strong because you had no strength when you were growing up. I want to control the city to make a difference.”

I grinned at her and pushed her back, pinning her up against the wall. She gasped as I reached up and took a handful of her hair.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” I said softly. “If I just wanted money, I wouldn’t be in this business.”

“What do you really want, then?”

“I want the same thing you do. I want to remake this city. I want to save these people.”

“Big talk from a politician.”

I grinned and pulled her hair, tipping her chin back. Our lips were inches apart and my heart was hammering in my chest. She couldn’t move, not even if she wanted to; we would both fall down the stairs if she struggled, and she knew it.

“I’ve worked a long time to get where I am. I want to win this city back from people like you. The privileged and the rich.”

“I’m not either of those things.”

“No? You’re a mafia princess. What do you know about struggle?”

“I struggle every day,” she said defiantly. “I’m not that mafia princess anymore.”

“Good,” I said softly, smirking at her. She stared up at me and I loved the anger in her eyes. My cock was fucking hard as hell as I pressed her harder against the wall, pulling her hair harder. “Prove it.”

“How?”

I kissed her hard, and knew what I wanted.