High Stakes (23 page)

“
Vince
.”

He makes a rough sound and his hips drive into me again, my walls tightening over him. I dig my fingers in his scalp and he pounds me harder, his tempo increasing. My teeth grind together as I feel myself teetering over the edge and he lunges forward and keeps him there, letting out an almighty groan. Then I cry out his name. It rips from my throat as my orgasm shakes my body.

He collapses over me, breathing hard as I run my hands up and down his bare back. It feels so good. He always makes me feel so good.

“I’m sorry,” I gasp, my throat thick with tears. “I’m just having a hard time with everything.”

He kisses my neck in response. “I know, baby. It won’t be like this for long. I promise.”

* * *

“Where are we going?”

It’s a secret. I hate secrets.

Vince smiles, staring straight ahead as he drives. He gives me a quick jerk of his head. “You’ll see. Just be patient.”

“I’m not patient.”

I don’t do well with surprises. The latest one was Mom threatening to show up at my dorm when I told her she needed to cancel the credit card or I would call the police. With no job, I can’t afford to help her anymore.

“
What do you mean, you quit?
”

“I couldn’t balance school and work, so I quit my job.”

I thought—I hoped that she would understand.

“
You can’t quit! You need to get your job back.
”

Her voice lifted with hysteria the more I argued that I couldn’t do it.

If I told her the truth about what happened, I doubt she would care. By the end of the phone call, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

“
That’s it. I’m done for. You’ve signed my death warrant!
”

It was overly dramatic, even for her. It was weeks since I talked to her. She even sent back her Christmas gift.

Being ignored is an improvement over constant harassment, but it still bothers me. All I have to do is look at Vince and his mother, and know that I’ll never have that kind of relationship with my own.

Is it right for her to suffer for my dad’s debts? A nagging voice tells me that I’m a bad daughter, but I’m suspicious of her. Where’s the proof that she’s actually paying off her debts?

My nose freezes with the cold as I step over the street sprinkled with snow, my hands bundled in my wool coat. Vince walks next to me, his breath billowing in white puffs. His face is rosy with color. A gloved hand seeks mine inside my sleeve and holds tightly. He frowns at my glove-less hand.

“Ade, it’s really cold out,” he says reproachfully.

“I know.” My engagement ring shines in the late afternoon sunshine. “I don’t like wearing gloves with the ring on, anyway.”

A swirl of unresolved feelings churn inside me as I stare at it. I never chose to accept his proposal. It was something I had to do to save my own skin.

That would bother anyone.

But these last few months have been happy. I can do whatever I want now. Go to and from the apartment without an escort. I have everything I want, really.

He massages my hand and a smile hitches on his face as we turn towards a restaurant that I’ve never been to before. The door opens for me and Vince gives me a wicked grin as I step inside.

“Surprise!”

A chorus of yells greet me as at least a dozen people stand up from a very long table, looking directly at me. Everyone in Vince’s crew is there, along with Giacomo and his wife, Vince’s mom, and even Maria and Jackie, who look excited to see me. An unpleasant feeling clenches my guts. I’m not particularly pleased to see the boss of the family there, considering only months ago he wanted me dead.

Strong hands take my shoulders and I spin around at Vince.

“What is this?”

He laughs, bending down to give me a quick kiss. “Your engagement party.”

A flood of happiness rushes to my face and my lip trembles. No one’s ever done anything like this for me.

“I can’t believe you got Maria to come, too. How did you do this without me knowing? How did you even get her number?”

He just smiles, rubbing my back as my arms wrap around his waist in thanks.

His mouth bends to my ear. “I was going to invite your mother, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted her there.”

Speechless, I try not to smudge my makeup as I wipe away tears. I can’t say anything, but Vince smiles like he understands.

“Adriana!”

Maria runs up to me and I fling my arms around her neck.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Of course.” She squeezes back. “I’m happy for you.”

I blink. “Really?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I know I gave you a hard time about him,” she says, glancing at him nervously. “But he’s good to you.”

Vince beams at her. “I figured if I convinced your best friend that I was a catch, half the battle would be won already.” He winks at me and a blush creeps over my cheeks.

Jackie hovers near his cousin’s elbow and gives me a shy smile. “Congrats, Ade.”

“Thanks for coming.”

As I look at him, I remember that it was all down to him that we met. If he never brought me to that card game, I would have never met Vince or been involved in New York’s seedy underworld.

It’s crazy.

With Vince by my side, I walk down the table and thank each person for coming. My lips spasm as I glance over Giacomo.

I don’t like him, and I doubt I ever will.

“I’m so happy that you came, Mr. Vittorio.”

The old man gives me a shadow of a wink and a smirk as I shake his hand.

“Never thought I’d see the day, Vinny,” he says with a bemused smile.

Mrs. Vittorio jabs her husband in the arm and looks at me with a sweet smile. “I’m so happy for you, Adriana.”

“Thank you.” I feel like I’ll be repeating that phrase over and over today.

“Is your mother here yet?” She glances down the table and doesn’t see my reaction.

It’s an innocent question, but it’s like hammering a rusty nail through my heart. Beside me, I see Vince’s face tense up.

“No, she’s not coming,” I say in a low voice. “Vince is really the only family I’ve got anymore.”

Her face falls like a Greek mask, her perfectly ironed curls trembling as she shakes her head. “We’ll be your family. God forbid, if something happens to Vince you’ll be taken care of.”

The thought of Vincent actually being killed never crossed my mind, but it does now. Jesus Christ. What if something does happen to him? What will happen to me?

All it takes is one look at Giacomo, who nods in agreement with his wife. There will be no one standing in his way if he decides I’m not trustworthy.

Then it’s lights out.

I grin painfully and move along the table, greeting Giacomo’s other captains whom I’ve never met, and some more of Vincent’s family—his mother, his cousins, aunts, and uncles. It’s overwhelming to have all these strangers wishing me their heartfelt congratulations with Vince at my side, squeezing my hand occasionally. Finally, I reach Maria and Jackie.

“We can’t stay for too long because it’s my mother’s birthday,” Maria tells me
.

I collapse into a seat opposite her as Vincent moves towards his mother, who is ecstatic.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I murmur.

I don’t know whether it’s from too many sleepless nights or a creeping fear crawling in my gut, because none of this seems real.

“You look pale. Are you okay?”

I’m just scared shitless of Vince’s boss, that’s all.

Forcing a smile on my face, I nod to Maria. “Just not used to all this attention.”

“Better get used to it,” she grins. “Wait till your wedding. It’ll be a spectacle.”

Wedding. My throat closes as if I’ve just inhaled poison. It’s such a foreign word to me. When Vincent comes back to sit across from me, he looks so incredibly happy to see me sitting across from him that I can’t help but feel lighter. Maria’s attitude towards him seems to have taken a complete 180-degree turn, and she even gives us wistful looks.

After a half hour, she leaves with Jackie and I’m sorry to see them go. They’re the only ones I know in this restaurant. I don’t talk much. I concentrate on my food. Only water sits in front of me. I suspect Vincent warned the waiters about serving me alcohol. My fists clench under the table as the possibility enters my head
.

“You okay?”

His gentle voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah,” I look up at him, smiling. “I just don’t know any of these people. I can’t believe they all came for us.”

“Of course,” says Mrs. Cesare. “We’re your family now.”

I give her a smile and my eyes turn back to the tablecloth, lost in thought.

Most of the restaurant is deserted, but Vincent’s eyes routinely scan the area behind me. I’m used to it by now, but it’s still unnerving. His eyes widen and I look behind me in alarm, seeing shadowy forms moving behind the glass. There are at least half a dozen of them, all lined up against the glass.

An electrical, hot feeling sears through my veins. It’s like liquid fear. Instant and intense. My subconscious knows something that I don’t. Without questioning it, I dive under the table, knocking my head hard.

Glass shatters and I duck, grabbing Mrs. Cesare as deafening shots blast through the windows. Glasses and dishes explode and shrieks stab my ears, but nothing is louder than the explosive gunfire pinning everyone to the ground.

A scream tears from my throat as the table topples over to its side and a vice grip closes over my arm and drags me behind him. I grab Mrs. Cesare’s arm and pull hard, but the woman is immobile. Tears stream down her face as she screams over and over for her son. Vince shields me with his body as he tears the gun from his ankle and swings over the table.

BAM, BAM, BAM.

The shots blasting from Vincent’s gun are so loud that I can feel them in my chest. He fires back towards the flashing muzzles and ducks as they return fire. I’m flattened on the ground.

This is it. I’m going to die. There are already screams of pain. Vince grabs his mother and my arm. I stumble over a body. He keeps my head low, covering my body with his. Plaster explodes around us and I get a brief glimpse of the people still huddled around the table. Bodies everywhere.

Vince’s face is tense, but determined. Mrs. Cesare bolts into the kitchen, hiding behind a stove. He shoves me behind the doorway as he leans around the doorway, swearing at the top of his lungs as he fires at them.

He’s going to get shot.

He’s going to get shot.

I’m just waiting for a bullet to zip into his skull when he leans, exposing himself to the gunmen. Another black body sprints into the kitchen and I scream, but it’s only Nicky, who takes the other side of the doorway.

“Ben and Tony are dead,” he yells.

Two captains. Dead.

“Fuck,” says Vince. “Where’s Jack?”

My body flinches with every gunshot. Somehow, I still have my purse and I clutch the bear mace inside and hold it in my hands.

“He’s a fucking sitting duck!”

In silent awe, I watch as both of them fire around the corner. A peppering of gunfire smashes into the wall they’re hiding behind. Vince flattens his back against the wall and grits his teeth.

“Jesus Christ.”

And then there’s a sound that jump-starts my heart.

Sirens.

The wailing sound grows louder, but Vince and Nicky don’t look happy, even when the gunfire stops and we hear the screech of tires.

“No, don’t!”

I finally find my voice as Vince peeks around the corner, his face white when he turns back.

“Nicky, get rid of your gun.”

Both of them toss their guns. Luckily the wait staff and cooks fled out the back door. The mace still trembles in my hands when Vince turns to his mother.

“Ma! It’s okay, they’re gone.”

But she’s screaming and inconsolable, still refusing to budge from the stove. I can’t blame her.

No longer gentle, he grabs her arm and drags her across the kitchen towards me.

“Adriana, we need to leave now.” Impatient, he grabs my arm and I drop the mace as we walk back into the restaurant.

It’s a bloodbath.

We round the corner as cop cars slam their brakes in front of the restaurant; the only sounds are Vincent’s mother, still screaming her head off, the quiet whimpering of the wounded and great, wracking sobs. Another woman’s screaming makes my head snap to the right where the table is. A woman and her husband lay dead on the floor, one of Giacomo’s captains and his wife. Another man I recognize as Ben is dead. Vince rushes past me as he sees Jack propped up against the table in a pool of blood.

Mrs. Cesare seizes my hands. “Oh my God! Jesus, Mary, and Joesph!”

Vomit swiftly rises in my throat and I have to bend down with my head between my knees to stop myself from throwing up. My hands block out the sight of the carnage. I can’t look anymore. I don’t want to see their broken bodies and the fragments of flesh littering the floor like raw meat.

“POLICE! PUT YOUR FUCKING HANDS UP!”

Navy-blue bodies dart inside the restaurant, sweeping through the back and around the kitchen.

“We need some help here!”

Horrible, wheezing sounds filter through my hair as Vince’s boss struggles to breathe. A heavy hand lands on my shoulder and I scream.

“Ma’am, it’s all right. I need you to follow me outside.”

I look up into the face of a weathered cop and I take his proffered hand. I look to my right and see Vince looking stricken as EMTs lift his boss’ body onto a stretcher. My heart jumps when I realize he’s taking me out of the shattered front door.

“No, I’m not going out,” I mutter.

His voice sounds weary, like he’s dealt with too many hysterical women. “Ma’am, we need to secure the area.”

They’ll kill us all.

“No!” My voice rises into a scream. “I’m not going outside! They’ll kill us.”

“I need you to—”

I rip my arm out of his grasp and shove his chest. “Get off me!”

“Calm down!” He touches his hip, where his Taser is attached to his hip.

“FUCK YOU!” I scream at the top of my lungs. “I’M NOT GOING OUT THAT DOOR!
”