Love Hurts (22 page)

Frankie tossed the bloodied stick on the pool table and moved past Mitchell. Mitchell studied him closely. The memorable grin sent shockwaves to his memory.

“
This is all fun and games, Mitchell. Let us drink,” Amarus said, taking Mitchell at the elbow and leading him through the dark tavern. Past busty blondes and the stench of sweat mixed with old lager.

“
You rob me blind and then you call me your friend?” Mitchell questioned the tall lanky man with hair as dark as the midnight sky.

And the same grin
Mitchell thought. He couldn’t believe he was laying eyes on a progeny of Amarus Petrakis.

One of Mitchell’s men stepped forward blocking the exit as Frankie attempted to leave. Frankie crossed his arms, staring up at the enormous brute preventing him from leaving. He was surprised after he shanked Mitchell this man was still willing to stand up for him.

“
Let him go,” Mitchell said, raising a hand and waving Frankie out of the bar. Frankie raised an eyebrow confused with Mitchell’s quick change of heart. He wasn’t going to complain, saved him the headache. But he couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right.

“
So where did you pick up that one?” Frankie asked Dylan as he unlocked his car door. He shot her an amused grin, “Such great taste, a hustler.”

Dylan frowned. She buckled her seat belt. “What can I say, I like living on the edge. Besides, you weren’t coming around anymore.”

“
You’re just asking for trouble. That guy had wrong written all over him. That’s the kind of man who leaves your body in some dumpster when he’s done with you,” Frankie informed her.

“
I was only hanging around for the drinks. And how would you know such a thing?”

Frankie raised an eyebrow, refusing to answer that question. “Do you have some kind of death wish?”

Dylan pulled a rubber band from her wrist with her teeth, tying her hair up on the top of her head. She dug two bobby pins from her pocket securing her bangs and finally looked at Frankie. “I’m not afraid of anybody. I’m a big girl.”

“
Oh are you?”

“
Yeah. I am.” She brought up a knee, resting her hand on it. Frankie studied the cracked and chipped black nail polish that she probably thought was mysterious and edgy.

“
You’re an idiot.”

Dylan turned her gaze to the window, watching the whir of passing trees and cars. “So are you. That’s why we’re perfect for each other.”

Frankie laughed. Shaking his head. She never let up.

Emotions

The sports station blared. Delaney readjusted her head against the door. It was rather hard and made it difficult to get comfortable. The hum from the passing cars on the expressway vibrated her eardrum. She was dazed and still pretty groggy from Sam’s handiwork.

She could barely stay conscious long enough to figure out why she was in his car, just as her senses tried to salvage what was left of her frame of mind she drifted back to sleep. Her eyelids grew heavy and the last fight she had in her left, she was out—again.

Sam looked over at Delaney. Glad she was sleeping and not rustling around in the front seat. He knew he couldn’t keep her under his control for much longer.

He dug into his pocket answering his phone that vibrated in his grip. “What?”

It was Frankie, wondering where he was. “Are you driving?”

Sam sighed. “What a genius.”

Frankie laughed. “You never take advice. Where were you planning on doing, dropping her while you make your dashing escape?” Frankie wasn’t too happy about his brother leaving town. He was becoming quite used to the little town they called home. And even if he didn’t want to admit it, he was becoming used to his brother as well.

“
The less people that know the better, now look I need to go.” Sam hit end.

Frankie shrugged, tossing his phone on his coffee table. He sat back, throwing an arm around Dylan as she ate some old pizza and watched some chick flick.

“
Everything okay?” she asked, her eyes glued to the television.

Frankie thought about how to answer that. “My brother is taking off.”

This pulled her attention to him now. “Why?”

Frankie ran his hand up her thigh, nuzzling his face against her ear trying to seduce her into silence. “You smell amazing.”

Dylan smirked, pushing him away. “I’m serious. Why is he leaving? Who just moves so unexpectedly?”

“
My brother.”

Frankie’s lips connected with her shoulder, he savored her scent, the taste of her skin. The undemanding way she was when she was under the influence. Unguarded.

“
How does that make you feel?” Dylan asked, enjoying the warmth of his lips against her skin. She touched his face, searching for an answer. He only shrugged. “I would hate to be alone.”

Frankie pulled her close, resting his head on the top of her head. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I prefer it quite honestly.”

“
That would be horrible.”

“
Don’t knock it till you try it.” He sighed, after a moment he finally spoke. “You want to go for a ride?”

Dylan nodded. She would go anywhere with him. All he had to do was say the word, “Sure, where to?”

Frankie lifted his shirt from the couch, while Dylan wiggled back into her shorts. He loved the adoration she had for him whenever he was around. She was like a groupie. He wondered if it would ever get old. “I thought a goodbye was in order.”

Dylan smiled. Glad that Frankie was proving her right. He was bothered that his brother was leaving. Deep down he had feelings. And one way or another she would make him see he could have some for her too.

***

Mitchell climbed the enormous staircase of the old Petrakis Estate, the wood groaning underneath his powerfully built frame. Leaves scattered across the porch like little critters. The dingy numbers on the front of the house reminded him just how long it had been since he had been back. He adjusted his jacket, making sure he looked decent enough before he knocked.

He dropped his fist and waited to hear something. Hardly a minute went by before there were weighty footsteps coming from the other side of the door. Heavy and solid, and taking their time to get to the door. He looked over his shoulder out of complete paranoia. The wind whispered in his ear, fluttering his brown hair against his collar.

As if all sound escaped, he heard the lock grating, the wood whining, as the door inch by inch came open. The smell of dust and the aroma of some kind of mutton slipped by and met with his nose.

“
What is it?” The man asked. His dark eyes bore into Mitchell without any recognition of who Mitchell was. He didn’t look well Mitchell thought to himself. It had been some time since he had seen him. He wasn’t sure if he would even remember who he was.

“
Amarus. Amarus Petrakis?” Mitchell stammered. He stood a little straighter, trying to command some courage. “It’s Mitchell.”

Amarus Petrakis shoved the door. He motioned Mitchell in, locking the door behind him. Mitchell rubbed his hands together, letting the dry heat nip his skin. Now that he was standing in better lighting he noticed Amarus was a bit pale and lacked that once arrogant way about him. He was stiff and a bit slow moving. But he hadn’t aged. He was still the same as he remembered him.

“
It’s been years, Amarus,” Mitchell said louder than normal. He felt as if it was necessary to raise his voice. He wasn’t sure why.

Amarus lead him down a dimly lit hallway with rotting wooden floors and a badly tore up runner, into a kitchen with really poor wiring. Mitchell looked around, the flickering bulbs making him a bit dizzy.

“
Are you thirsty?” Amarus asked, gesturing to the curvy woman in the corner. She tapped the spoon against the side of the pot of soup and rested it on a potholder, her blue eyes drifting to Mitchell eager to please him.

Mitchell raised a hand. “No. I’m just fine.”

“
What brings you back to town?”

Mitchell’s jaw jerked in excitement. He took the seat offered to him around the meager kitchen table. “I was in a small town in New Mexico recently. And I came upon a young man that reminded me of you. And I knew that was not a coincidence.”

Amarus raised his eyebrows deeply engrossed, “My son?”

Mitchell nodded. “I’m sure of it. He even swindled me and took my girl. Just like his old man.” This caused a smile to erupt on Amarus’ face, and brought back some life into his eyes. He scrubbed his chin, his fingers repetitively moving against his face.

“
This might be the best news I’ve heard in a long time,” Amarus said.

“
I thought you might say that. Any way I could be of help to you let me know. I owe you my life, Amarus.” Mitchell insisted.

***

The fog she was in had worn off, leaving her head unclear and sensitive. She pushed her fingertips into her temples. “Where are we?”

“
Sunshine,” Sam said, turning his head and giving her a somber look. She could tell by the look in his eyes he was trying to read her, trying to figure her composed disposition out. It was the first time she had been awake the entire trip.

She drug her fingers through her hair. “That’s like three hours from home. Why are we so far away?” She held back a yawn, giving the most intense expression she could rally. She needed to pull it together if she was going to make it back home. As soon as she was home she could, she didn’t know what she could do. She wasn’t even that sure what was happening anymore. One minute she was poolside sucking down wine and the next she was seated in front of Vance in his home. One thing was certain she got a really creepy vibe from him. And she knew he was an impostor, a lying, cheating, man with
this
secret. If only she could remember exactly what it was, the cheating part wouldn’t leave her mind to give her the chance to figure anything out at all.

“
I wanted to put some distance between us,” Sam said dryly.

Delaney stayed silent and carefully studied him.

“
We will park. I will let you out and be on my way. Forget you ever saw me.” His words were icy, cold and distant. Nothing like the man she once had feelings for. Where were those feelings?

“
You’re just going to leave me on the side of the road in a ghost town?” she said, breaking her silence. The man she knew would never do such a thing.

“
That’s why it’s perfect. Sunshine has been abandoned for years.”