Coercion (The Cassano Series Book 3) (13 page)

Simon

The sunlight has inched closer to my face as I’ve stirred from sleep this morning. It’s now spotlighting me through the blinds. I’ve slept well, but I’m unable to be lazy a moment longer. My cock has awakened. I need to be against my girl, so I roll over from my stomach to move closer to her.

No matter how far I scoot, she’s not there. My eyes flip open to an empty bed. What the hell? Where would she go without me?

We arrived in New Jersey kind of late last night, so she only spoke to my mother and sister briefly before she was introduced to my childhood bedroom.

After Sadie got her jokes in about my swimsuit model posters on the wall and my collector
Star Wars
figurines on a shelf, we went to bed.

I hurry and dress in a pair of burgundy chino shorts and a white tee. The moment I exit my room, I hear laughter, along with a lot of other noises.

I take the stairs two at a time, worried my mother could be verbally assaulting Sadie. Theo and Karen are in the living room. Theo’s reading the paper as he sits on the sofa, and Karen is on the floor playing with Elijah.

“Where’s Sadie?” I ask a little too protectively.

“She’s in the kitchen with Mom and Miranda. She’s fine, Simon.”

Wasting no time, I tread through the dining room and peek around the corner of the kitchen. Miranda is sitting on the countertop, next to the cookie jar, and is eating a cookie. Hell, what is it, like nine o’clock? Her grandma is spoiling her already.

Old music is playing from the small radio mounted under a cabinet, and Sadie is standing next to my mother at the stove.

“Good morning,” I say.

“Hi, Uncle Simon. Sadie and Grandma are fixing us breakfast.”

Mom and Sadie look over their shoulders in unison and smile. “Good morning. Your mom said you love French toast.”

Sadie’s hair is piled up on her head, and she’s wearing her glasses. She’s all schoolgirl and shit, and I want to take her back to my room.

I never had the opportunity to fuck a girl on that bed as a teenager, so I plan on it before our time here is up.

“Simon, this one is a keeper. She believes in using real sugar and not all that artificial poison young girls usually want to eat or drink.”

My eyebrows raise. I told Sadie nothing controversial. I’m in awe as I watch them. Mom is shaking her hips to the old music, and Miranda is kicking her legs against the counter.

I feel warm inside. Sadie does that to me. She makes me feel something unfamiliar, yet at the same time it feels like home.

My mom seems good this morning, but I know that can change without much warning. “Where’s Aggie?” I ask.

“We’re letting her sleep in,” Miranda says with a grin.

“Uh, I’ll be back shortly.” Running upstairs, I grab my phone and a cigarette. Everything is strange around here, so I need something stronger than gum to calm my nerves, and I should see if I’ve missed anything at work.

Sitting on the front porch, I light up and scroll through my emails, not finding anything pressing. I’m sure Zev is sleeping, which is what I’m usually doing this time of day, but I send him a text anyway.

Me:
Bro, Ma and Sadie are cooking and dancing together in the kitchen. It’s tripping me out, but it’s cool at the same time. You should be here to witness this.

I’m sure he won’t message me back anytime soon, but I’m hoping it might persuade him to come home and see Ma. Finishing my cigarette, I slip my phone into my pocket and head back inside.

“Want to change your nephew’s diaper?” Karen asks with a giggle.

“Hell, no,” I say without looking their way. I take the path straight to the kitchen to ensure my mother is still behaving. Sadie is removing plates from a cabinet as if she’s lived here her whole life.

“Miranda, would you like to help me set the table?”

“Sure.” Mir jumps off the counter and takes the stack of heavy plates from Sadie. My girl strolls over to me and wraps her arms around my waist. Her brow knits almost immediately. “Simon Cassano, have you been smoking?” she asks way too loudly. Mom’s head whips around from where she’s standing at the stove.

“Uh, only one cigarette.” Sheer disappointment clouds Sadie’s eyes. It crushes me.

“Simon, you know better than to smoke those chemically filled sticks of poison,” my mother adds. Sadie gives a cringing expression as she realizes what can she has opened.

“Never again will I smoke one of those, Ma.”

“Good,” she says sternly.

I kiss Sadie’s forehead. “Never again,” I whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry I said it so loudly, and I know it’s a difficult habit to break. Please try, though.”

“I’ll quit–again, but the gum is sticking around for now.”

Sadie frowns, and I don’t like it. I never want to disappoint her. Never. I’m going to have to tell her about what’s happening at Submission.

She previously said she wants to be with me no matter what I’m doing, so I’m hoping after the initial shock wears off, she can handle the news and won’t leave me. She can’t leave me.

I’ve already figured out how much she worries, and she’s going to be consumed with fear that I might go to prison. That’s going to be the hardest part to break to her.

Victoria

Nervously, I wait for Zev to arrive at the penthouse. Adrian asked him to meet with me to give me the rundown on how the Royal lounge operates. I don’t know Zev, only having encountered him when I was drunk off my ass in his bar.

I’m not nervous over hearing about the lounge. I’m nervous to ask him about my father. Adrian said Zev would be the best one to tell me that story, but I doubt he relayed this news to his brother, so I’m going to have to get the nerve to ask him about it.

The doorbell rings, so I go to answer it.

“Zev, hi, I’m Victoria.”

He smirks. “I remember. It’s nice to officially meet you.”

“Come in. Uh, Adrian said you could give me a little insight into Noah Sanders and how the Royal lounge operates.”

“Yeah, sure.” Zev takes a seat in a chair, so I sit across from him on the sofa. “Noah Sanders is no one to fuck with, but I guess you already know that.”

“Yes, I found out the hard way with a pistol to the back of my head.”

“He likes attention. The more the better. He wants to feel like it’s all about him and be perceived as extremely important and necessary to those around him.”

“OK, that should be easy enough. So, do you think I’d be better to let him win at the table?”

“Not at first. Noah loves competition. He wants to conquer everything in his path, so dealing with you will be a whole other game to him. If I were a shrink, I’d diagnose him as a sociopath and narcissist. He’s that bad.”

“I’ve dealt with both before. I can handle him.”

“It’s a tightrope act, Victoria. With Noah, everything is about balance, keeping him pleased yet not bored.”

“Got it.”

“As far as the poker goes, you will get closer to him if you’re good at the game. I hope you are, so you can end up at tables with him.”

“I don’t know who I’m up against, but I’m confident in my abilities.”

“Don’t hesitate to call me if you have any questions.”

“OK. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something else.”

“Sure.”

My eyes dart downward, and I fidget with my hands.

“It’s about my father. I heard you knew Sonny.” I brave a look back at Zev, and he swallows.

“Yeah, I knew Sonny. I figured Adrian would tell you about that.”

“He thought you would be better able to help me understand how my father went from an honest cop to the same place I’m at today.”

“Victoria, you’re not a bad person for helping us, and Sonny wasn’t, either. Sometime we can discuss it in depth, but basically, he infiltrated his way into our lives and business much like you did; however, he managed to get into our security department, which will never happen again.

“He made a point to get to know each of us, but for some reason, he and I hit it off the best. Maybe for that reason he believed he could gather more information about what we were doing illegally, but in no time, we were developing an honest friendship.”

Xavier smiles, and it’s nice to see. “I loved your old man. Finally, one day I confessed everything to him about the poker lounges and the terrorists we were trying to combat, which was something I’d never disclosed before to anyone. My brothers and I had a strict rule about that, and I broke it with Sonny.

“Anyway, not long after that, he told me he was a cop. I was furious at first, but once he explained that he wouldn’t turn us in to the police and why, things were cool between us.”

“What was his reason for not turning you in?”

Zev’s eyes appear watery as he glances across the room.

“Uh, Sonny loved you and Sadie so much, but he said Simon and I were the sons he never had. We clicked with him. He decided he wanted to help our cause instead. He also wanted the extra money to take good care of his family.”

I’m swallowing hard now, choking back tears. I imagine that was an extremely difficult decision for my father to make, but his decision will never make me think less of him.

Like Adrian and myself, he let his heart guide him, and he knew he was doing what was best for the greater good of our entire country, not only our city.

“I’m sorry, Zev, that he died. It must have hurt you horribly.”

Zev clears his throat. “It did, but like when my father died, I continued on with life. What else was there to do?”

His tone has changed, all vulnerability lost from his voice. He’s like a turtle, retreating inside his protective shell. It’s time to wrap this conversation up.

“I know the heart my father possessed, and he did always want a son. I’m sure he loved each of you very much. Thank you for telling me. It eases my mind tremendously.”

“Sure. I should go. Good luck tonight, and I’m only a phone call away.”

***

Shoving the last of my toiletries in my suitcase, I zip it shut and turn to Adrian.

“And don’t worry about Sampson and Charles. I told them not to speak to you if anyone else was on the elevator,” he says nervously. He’s speaking of the elevator attendants at Submission.

Adrian hasn’t stopped talking since I began packing at my old apartment. “Oh, and Shannon, too.”

Taking both his hands into mine, I gaze into his walnut shaded eyes.

“Sweetie, I’ve been undercover before. I already spoke to them about it, too, and to Tara, and the valet guys. No one is going to let on that they know me. I do have a clue about what I’m doing.”

“Humor me please. This is all new to me. What if Noah shows up at the new condo?”

“I don’t think there is a chance of that happening for a while, but if he does, I will let him in and talk with him.”

“What if he forces himself on you?”

“Then I will shoot his ass. You have to stop worrying.”

I pick up my duffel bag, and taking the hint, Adrian picks up my suitcase. We carry them to the front door, and I nose around, double checking that I have everything I need for the new place.

“I think I’m all set.”

Adrian pulls me into a tight embrace. “Call me as soon as you get unpacked.”

“I’m not getting on a plane, Adrian. I will not be far from you, and we can talk all the time.”

His lips press to my head. “It feels like you’re going far away.” Leaning back, I take hold of his face to give him what he needs. His lips part, and my tongue finds its way in to mingle with his.

I’m going to miss his frequent touch and his comforting, warm body at night, but I can’t let him know that, or he will only obsess about this more.

Manly hands drift down my waist and over my ass before he’s giving my left cheek a squeeze. We share an intense kiss.

“Baby, don’t forget who your ass belongs to.”

“I could never forget.”

***

Dropping my suitcase to the floor, I cover my mouth. Adrian spared no expense furnishing a marvelous condo for me. It’s no penthouse, but it’s a trillion times nicer than my apartment. The apartment I believe I should give up.

I could tell it upset Adrian that I was still keeping so much of my stuff there. It’s obvious he feels I’m not committed to him since I won’t entirely move into the penthouse.

It’s complicated with my job and all that’s happened, but if we can come out of this situation intact and without negative repercussions, then I’ll feel confident about breaking my lease.

I roam around the condo that is in a resort only a block from the Strip. It has all the amenities: an outrageous pool, tennis courts, a fitness center and a putting green.

My fingers trail over the lavish, white leather sofa. I wish Sadie and Nicole could be here to experience this with me. Nicole would be especially pleased, but then she would surely believe I’m some sort of mistress to Adrian.

No, this place must stay under wraps with my family. None of them can come here. I’m a bit emotional as I revisit the conversation I had with Zev only hours ago.

It gave me the answer that I would have my father’s blessing to be with Adrian, and that’s something that had been weighing heavy on my heart. Xavier took that burden away for me.

Wiping my watery eyes, I get back to checking out my condo. Adrian doesn’t need to know it yet, but I have every intention of luring Noah Sanders here. He needs to think I’m doing well for myself, stealing prospects.

Adrian broke it to me that the FBI knows I’m involved, so that means my career is for sure toast. I might as well give this case all I’ve got since it will be my last. I’ll be reporting everything back to my command except for the details of this snazzy condo and my new BMW.

The ball is now rolling, so it’s time to score a strike, or I should say a full house.