Scarlett and the Feds (2 page)

I couldn’t sleep. The events of the last twenty-four hours replayed over and over in my mind. I rolled over and looked at Victor sleeping. He was so peaceful and gorgeous. I gently traced his chiseled features. He stirred and rolled over. I slid out of bed and my body throbbed. I grabbed the bottle of pain pills the doctor had left for me.

Scarlett peeked out from under her sleeping mask, flipped me the bird, and went back to sleep.

Clutching the pill in my hand, I slowly headed for the kitchen. Each step was a challenge. The time on the clock on the stove said 3:30 a.m. I grabbed some water and popped the pill in my mouth. I realized I had never been awake in the middle of the night at Victor’s. It was quiet in the house, but the comfort of knowing that lurking in the shadows were Victor’s goons with enough ammo to take out a small third world country. Especially now, I always wondered if there was some underground command center where the goons went to plan who got to babysit Angelina the next day. I could see them sitting around drawing straws and the one that drew the short straw got the job. Scarlett had perked up at the thought of a secret lair with all of Victor’s hot goons and their weapons of mass destruction, when I mentioned my theory to her.

I headed down the hallway to the back of the house where the guests stayed when they visited. Victor built the house so that he would always be able to maintain his privacy. The guests stayed on the first floor in the back of the house by the gardens and his suite was on the second floor, isolated from them. Though, I had my suspicions that no one had ever stayed in those suites before now. 

Luke was in the larger of the two. It had been converted into a small ICU. There was a goon sitting outside the door. He nodded at me and pushed open the door. Luke’s breathing was labored and the beeping of the monitor was comforting. Dr. Mayer had deployed two nurses to stay with Luke until he recovered. There was no sign of anyone as I entered the room. I pulled up the antique chair in the corner to his bed and held his hand. The other was bandaged tightly. His eyes were swollen shut and the cut above his brow was stitched closed. Tears streamed down my face. The door to the suite creaked open and a petite woman in her mid-forties with auburn hair and plain features walked in.

“Oh, you startled me! I didn’t expect you to be awake.”

“Luke is my cousin. I want to sit with him.”

“Of course,” she replied, checking the monitor. “If you need anything, my name is Linda,” she said, and closed the door behind her.

I forced a smile and turned back to Luke. I could tell his sleep was tormenting and frightening as he would flinch and groan. I rubbed his arm. My thoughts drifted back to our childhood again. Even though he’d made it clear that having a girl in the house was cruel and usual punishment, I knew he loved me. I saw Luke, Curran, and I walking to the candy store around the corner with the four dollars we each made for working at Costa’s. Luke loved Red Vines, Curran favored Swedish Fish, and Peanut M&M’s were my own version of paradise.

I smiled when I remembered the time he’d found out his buddy Ned had had a crush on me. He was so protective of me and had told Ned that if he even so much as looked at me, he’d give him a black eye or two, which was probably why my first real boyfriend wasn’t till college. Luke intimidated every single one of my potential suitors. He took the role of man of the house seriously when Uncle Sid was murdered.

My heart ached and that feeling like I’d been kicked in the gut flashed over me like throwing grease on an open fire. This was my fault. I was the reason he was lying in this bed, beaten within an inch of his life, missing a finger.
Was Luke just the preview of the events to come?
The thought was more than I could handle. My head throbbed and I jumped up, ran to the bathroom throwing my hair over my shoulder, and vomited violently. I laid down, the coldness of the Italian marble felt good on my skin. I heard voices echoing in the distance. 

“Luke?” I tried to get the words to come out, but my mouth was so dry.

The bathroom door hit my feet as it was flung open and Victor pushed in wearing his jeans and no shirt. Scarlett rushed to my side and put a cool wash cloth on my forehead. Linda took my pulse.

“Mr. Salvatore, she will be fine. Did she take any of the pain pills the doctor gave to her?”

“I don’t know,” he said not taking his eyes off of me for a second.

“Yes. I did,” I mumbled, trying to sit up.

“I think you had a reaction to the pills. I’ll have Dr. Mayer give you something else.”

“No.” I nodded, trying to stand, but before I had the chance, I was in Victor’s arms being carried back to bed.

As Victor carried me, I heard Luke moan. Linda was unwrapping his bandages.

It was after noon before I woke up. My mouth still felt like a hot August day in the south. However, I felt better. I inched out of bed in case my pain decided to make an encore appearance. I just wanted to take a long hot bath.

Though first, I wanted to check on Luke, my cell phone ringing stopped me before I made it out the door.

“Shit,” I mumbled.

Scarlett smacked her palm against her forehead. “Aunt Ella! She must be bat shit frantic worried about Luke!”

“Hello?”

“Angelina, love, it’s Aunt Ella.” The panic in her voice was on high alert. “Have you heard from Luke by any chance? He hasn’t been home in three days and I fear something awful has happened.”

“He is here at my boyfriend’s house. He came to visit me and we both were involved in a car wreck.”
Fuck I hated lying to her.
“He’s pretty banged up and lost his pinky finger on his left hand.”

She gasped. “Why didn’t you take him to the hospital?”

I had to think fast on my feet. “Because Victor has a doctor that makes house calls. Luke and I had been drinking, and he didn’t want Luke getting a DWI.” Scarlett and I held our breath hoping she was buying this story.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, just some bruises, but I’ll live. Luke needs to recover for the next few days and when he is stable enough, I’ll drive him home.”

“Ok, love, but I can come there and take care of both of you.”

“It’s such a long trip for you to make alone. Besides we have two nurses looking after us. Don’t worry, he will be just fine.”

“Good, then I can kill him when he gets home for scaring me half to death. He’s been gone overnight before, but not this long. I just had that feeling you get when you know something’s not right.”

I chuckled. “Go easy on him. If he could have called, he would have. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Call me later tomorrow and let me know how he is doing.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, snapping the phone shut. Luke was sleeping when I peeked my head in his room.

“You look like you’re feeling better, Angelina,” Linda said as she came and opened the door.

“I am, thank you.”

“He is doing fine. I’ll let you know as soon as he regains consciousness.”

“Thanks,” I said and headed back upstairs. I walked through the bathroom door to draw a bath.

Scarlett dropped the towel she was carrying and her mouth fell open.

There, sitting in the bath, was my Italian Adonis’s waiting for me. Victor grabbed my hand as I stepped into the tub and sat with my back facing him. He gently kissed my neck and shoulders. I closed my eyes savoring every second. My sweet spot revved her engine like a Harley. I felt the hot water run down my back as Victor washed every inch. His hands moved to my breasts and my nipples were already standing at attention. He thrust one hand into the water, his finger staking its claim inside my sweet spot. I surrendered to the warmth of the water and to the touch of the man I loved.

H
ey sugar, I just arrived at the cottage. Where you at?

The last three days had passed at warp speed. I was grateful that Nicole had gone to see her parents and her new nephew. The car wreck story worked with Aunt Ella, so I was sticking to that story for now.

At Victor’s. Luke and I were involved in a car accident the other night. I’m okay but Luke got pretty banged up.
I texted back.

WTF! Why didn’t you text and tell me? Never mind be there in 10.

Nicole’s arrival was usually known instantly, and this time was no different. I could hear her chewing out both Hawke and Victor before she even got in the house.

It would be a close fight if both Nicole and Victor climbed into a boxing ring together. Scarlett called her bookie to place her bet, her money was on Nicole.

The front door flung open, she grabbed me, hugging me, feeling my arms, and touching my face, making sure I was whole. She shot Hawke an annoyed look and he quietly disappeared.

“You are in big ass trouble for not telling me!”

“I didn’t want to ruin your trip, besides I’m in good hands here,” I said.

“What the hell happened?”

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady and calm. Trying to conceal the fact that I was lying to her face.

“Luke and I were out to dinner, I didn’t realize that he had been drinking before hand and when he’d gone around a corner wide, we wrecked. I managed to call Victor, he arrived with Hawke before the cops showed up and took care of everything. Luke is pretty banged up and lost a finger.”

“Let me know when he is better so I can kick his ass for drinking and driving, after I kick Hawke’s for not telling me!”

Scarlett Z snapped Nicole, ass kicking was her job and she wasn’t ready for a pink slip yet!

“Don’t be pissed at Hawke. I begged him not to tell you so you wouldn’t leave early and come home,” I said, with my most pathetic look I could muster.

“Where is Luke?” she asked crossing her arms.

“In the rear wing of the house.”

“I want to see him.”

“Ok,” I said, hesitating. “Be nice,” I said shooting her a warning look.

She sighed. “I will. I promise,” she said crossing her heart.

Luke was sitting up and doing much better. The I.V.’s were out and the monitors were long gone. He was up walking around and insisting on going home. He was sitting in chair looking out the window lost in thought when we walked in.

“Yo, loser. I came to bitch slap you for being a complete dumb ass for drinking and driving. But Angelina says I have to be nice.”

Scarlett was standing next to her pounding her fist into her palm.

“What are your talking about?” Luke said confused.

“He’s pretty drugged up still,” I said nervously.

Nicole’s bullshit meter was creeping up to suspicious levels. I had to think fast.

“Nicole, would you do me a favor and go get Victor to help me move Luke back into bed?”

“Yeah I guess.”

“Thanks, sugar.”

“But I don’t want to get—” Luke blurted out as the door shut behind Nicole. “What the fuck, Angelina, is going on?”

“I told Nicole and your mother we were in a car wreck and you had been drinking.”

“Why the fuck did you tell them that?”

“What the hell was I supposed to tell them? The truth? I’m trying to keep them safe.”

“Then give me the fucking book and end this now!” Rage consumed his eyes.

Victor and Nicole walked through the door.

“Victor, can you help Luke into bed?” I said giving him a ‘work with me on this’ look.

“Of course,” he said grabbing Luke’s arm and easing him up.

“Let’s let Luke rest, Nic,” I said, grabbing her hand and walking out.

I led her to the kitchen and poured her a glass of wine. She finished it in two swigs and both Nicole and Scarlett held out their glasses for a refill. I just left the bottle for the two of them to fight over.

“How long is he staying here?”

“Till tomorrow. He is insisting on going back to Rhode Island.”

“Can he travel that far? He still looks pretty rough,” she asked taking a swig of her wine.

“Yea. The doctor gave us the go ahead.”

“I’m going with you.”

“No!” I said with more urgency in my voice than I intended, causing her to raise her eyebrow at me.

“Okay then,” she snapped.

“I appreciate it, and all, but you got work, and I’m sure that between Victor and the goons, I got it covered.”

“Is Hawke part of this entourage?”

“Most likely, but I can ask Victor to have him stay here to take care of Salvatore Disney Land. As long as you promise he will be in one piece when we get back.”

“No promises,” she said flashing that million dollar smile and flipping her blonde hair.

Scarlett gift wrapped a can of whoop ass for Nicole.

“Speaking of work, were they cool with you being gone this long?”

“Yeah, Victor took care of it, but I’m going back on Monday. I’m going bat shit crazy sitting in this house all day.”

Nicole took a last swig of her wine and got up. “I’m going to find Hawke and ‘make up’,” she said, winking and kissing me on the cheek.

“Have fun and go easy on him.”

“Not my style, darling,” she snickered, heading out the front door.

Scarlett was hot on her heels. She wasn’t going to miss this.