Hidden Witness 2: A Mafia Romance Read online

  The dark gray suit fit him well. The stripped green and white dress shirt with green tie made his green eyes pop. One hand rests in his pocket, the other flew up in the air, signaling a guy to step over.

  A man dressed in navy dress slacks and a white dress shirt approached, his hand stretched out toward Dominic.

  “How you doing, Dominic?” The man flashed a wide grin.

  “I’m doing well. Croy, I would like you to meet my cousin Tony.”

  Tony stepped forward, shaking the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you Croy.”

  “Your representation precedes you.”

  “Croy, this is my brother Dillon.”

  Croy’s eyes lit up.

  “Say no more, Dominic,” Croy shook my hand boisterously. “Boss, I mean Mr. Magarelli, it is a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to discussing how the gaming process is managed.”

  It was déjà vu all over again. I’ll never forget the older man calling my father the boss by accident in front of us.

  I smiled, running my hand over my low cut beard. “We will talk soon.”

  “The bosses from the other families are awaiting you in the private room next door.” Croy extended his hand.

  We entered the room next door. My eyes scanned the red velvet room, taking in the strippers hanging upside down from the silver poles. Four of the five bosses were seated at a rectangular table filled with the best cigars and liquor.

  “Dillon Magarelli!” Vincent stood, shouting with a cigar hanging out of his mouth, buttoning his royal blue suit jacket.

  “Vincent!” I pointed toward him.

  Before I could step over, a stripper approached, dancing, grinding her ass against my dick. The men shouted. “Yeah! That’s right! Take care of the boss!”

  Her eyes raked over my frame, while biting her bottom lip. “It’s a pleasure to dance for you, Mr. Magarelli.”

  I smirked, leaning into her ear. “You can dance for any man here except me. I’m a married man!” I yelled over the loud music.

  The woman stood back, placing her hands on her mocha hips. Her dark eyes stared into mine. “Almost all the men here are married. Honey, we are here to please you. You can stick it in any hole you like.” She licked her lips.

  My gray eyes narrowed. “If you ain’t my fucking wife, you don’t get this dick!” I huffed, pushing her out of my path.

  Nico stood, running his hand over his moussed black hair. “That’s grade A pussy. What are you doing, man?”

  My lips curled, and my arms widened. I ignored Nico’s statement. “Today’s a great day! Are you all ready to make millions?” I yelled.

  Stepping in front of Nico, I slapped his cheek, pulling him into a hug. “We put an end to the Bertozzi family.”

  “Celebration time!” Nico yelled.

  “Luca, where is Marco?”

  His cigar pointed across the room to my right, my eyes followed. Marco sat in a low cushioned red chair facing the third stage. His fingers circled the brim of the short glass resting on the arm of the chair. The dark chocolate woman’s head bobbed up and down between his legs.

  I turned my attention to Luca. “Is Marco still single?”

  “Yeah, he’s not good at picking the right woman. They are usually obsessed, stalker types. This is what he’d rather do. No strings you know?” he gestured his hand.

  “Yeah, I get it,” I stated selecting one of the cigars from the box in the middle of the table. I ran the cigar under my nose. I’ll catch up with my best friend Marco later.

  Snipping off the top of my cigar. Vincenzo extended his hand across the table, flicking the lighter. I leaned forward holding my cigar in the flame. Pulling back a puffed on the expensive cigar. Resting my elbow on the table I glanced at the cigar between my fingers. “Good shit!” I laughed.

  The bosses laughed and nodded. I poured myself a glass of Jim Beam whiskey. Resting the glass against my lips, I smiled at Dominic, then Tony. “La famiglia!”

  Raising their glasses toward me. “La famiglia!” They shouted.

  I smiled. We clinked our glasses together.

  I stood, turning to the other bosses. “May we run this business continuing our prosperity, standing together in battle. Salute!”

  “Salute!” wrung out around the table.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  SIERRA

  The ladies faces lit up at the sight of their husbands stalking through the front door, snatching them up into their loving arms. I ran to the window, staring at the empty black Suburban sitting in the sun filled winding drive. My heart plummeted as the tears streamed down my face. “Where is Dillon?” I roared, still facing the large window.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced up into Brandon’s gray eyes. “Dillon said he had business to handle.”

  My legs gave out, sending me to the floor. “He could be dead!” I hollered.

  Zoey ran to my aid, sitting on the floor, pulling me into her arms. “Hey, let’s not think like that. He wouldn’t send the guys back if he didn’t feel he was safe.” Her brown eyes shot up, meeting Brandon’s gaze.

  “Right, baby?”

  His eyes widened. “Right.”

  Sydney and Samantha sat on the floor in front of me, rubbing my hands.

  “I know you ate two hours ago, so you probably aren’t hungry. Do you want to take a nap?” Sydney asked.

  “No, I’ve texted him several times. Never once did he respond to let me know he was ok. Maybe he doesn’t love me anymore.” I swiped the tears away from my cheeks.

  “I should leave. If you all are back, does that mean the war is over? If so then I can go home to Portland,” I stated standing to my feet.

  “This is bullshit!” Jacob huffed.

  He stalked toward me. “Every fucking thing that man has done has been for you!” He threw his hands in the air.

  “He’s a fucking mob boss now. He has business to handle! I’m sure he will be here as soon as he can.”

  Samantha placed her hands on Jacob’s face. “Baby! Look at me!”

  His green eyes met hers. “I’m sorry, Sierra.” His eyes never left Samantha’s.

  Sydney gripped my hands. “Sierra, this is the first time we are seeing our husbands in two weeks. We stopped our lives to come here and help you and Dillon. Sebastian and I just got our little boy back, remember?”

  I dropped my head, ass slamming against the cherry wood floor. The tears leaked out of my eyes. “I’m so sorry!”

  Sydney pulled me into her arms. “I understand you are hurting right now. Your emotions are all over the place. Being pregnant will do that. You are upset mainly because your fiancé became the mob boss of New Jersey and there wasn’t anything you could do to stop it, right?”

  Nodding my head, I sobbed profusely. Sebastian placed tissues in my hand. I pushed back, blowing my nose. Samantha stepped closer, pulling me to my feet. “Sierra, we will stay until Dillon returns.”

  My eyes shot over to Jacob’s angry green eyes.

  I shook my head. “No! No! I can’t let you all do that. I thank you all for being here with me as long as you have. Go back to your lives.”

  Samantha ran her hand over my long black hair. “No, we are staying. At 4 p.m., the girls and I are going to beautify you. Wouldn’t you like, Dillon, to see you in all your beautiful glory?” she asked, pulling my chin to meet her gaze.

  My lips curled upward, then dropped. “Yes.”

  “Sierra, I will make you a cup of chamomile tea,” Zoey stated, zipping into the kitchen.

  Sydney and Samantha helped me climb into bed. Brandon walked in, gripping the stethoscope wrapped around his neck.

  “Let me check your vitals.”

  Zoey walked in, placing the mug of steaming hot tea on the night stand. I couldn’t wait to drink the flowery scented tea.

  Brandon’s fingers pressed along the bones under my eyes. “Are you eating three times a day?”

  The room
fell quiet.

  “I have, but before the day is out, my body rejects the meals I’ve eaten.”

  “I’ll call in a prescription for prenatal vitamins and send Gio to pick them up today.”

  “Too bad you aren’t an OBGYN. You could have been my doctor.” I smiled.

  He smiled. “Since you’ll be living here in New Jersey, when you are five months, you and Dillon can fly to Boston. I’ll do an ultrasound and tell you two the sex of the baby.”

  My smile was wide. “That would be great!”

  Zoey smiled, rubbing her hand over her belly. “Sierra, you guys can stay with us. It would be nice to hang out with you, hopefully more often.”

  “I would love that!”

  “Sierra, get some rest.” Brandon glanced at his watch.

  “I’ll be back at four to give you your vitamins.”

  “Ok.”

  Brandon entangled Zoey’s fingers with his, walking out of the room, closing the door behind them.

  I felt at ease for the moment as I began sipping the piping hot tea. Retrieving my cell from the nightstand drawer, I stared at a beautiful picture of me and Dillon. I think it was pretty obvious, me leaving Dillon wasn’t an option. We love each other, and somehow, I’ll have to learn to embrace my new life. I swallowed hard thinking about what my new life may entail.

  I heard commotion coming from the other side of the wall behind me. Strolling into the bathroom, I grabbed a water glass off the counter, running over to the wall. Quietly, I positioned the glass against the wall.

  “What did you want me to do, Samantha?”

  “Tell them I needed to stay with you,” she cried.

  I couldn’t believe she was crying. She always appeared so tough.

  “Baby, we both know if I’d been gone for a week, you would be ok.”

  “Two weeks, Jacob! You know what I was going through. I rocked myself to sleep in the corner for a week straight.”

  “God, Jacob! I can’t lose you.”

  “I know, baby. I know. I’m here now. We have the entire summer to spend together. Me, you, and the kids can live in Australia for a month. What do you think?”

  I heard wet kisses. “As long as we are together.”

  “I missed you, Samantha. I need you right now. You have five seconds to remove your clothes.”

  My hand flew over my mouth while I listened to them go at it. Slowly, I backed up, placing the glass on the table. Retrieving the mug off the nightstand, I sat on the bed, sipping the tea until the cup was empty. I hadn’t talked to my father in a year. Here goes nothing. I dialed my father’s cell phone number.

  “Hello Sierra. I haven’t heard from you in almost two years.”

  “Daddy, it has not been that long.” I squeezed my eyes shut, placing my finger between my teeth.

  “What’s going on Sierra?”

  “How is momma?”

  “Sierra, you know how your mother is doing. You talk to her. It’s me you don’t talk to.”

  “Well daddy, I would talk to you too if you didn’t disown me after I followed my own career path.”

  He was quiet a moment. “I still love you, Sierra.”

  My heart began beating again. “I love you too, Daddy.”

  “Sierra, why did you call?”

  “Daddy, I’m getting married.”

  “So soon? You haven’t been divorced that long.”

  “I know, but I met the love of my life. I’m happy.”

  “Ok,” he sighed. “When are you and your fiancé visiting? He needs to at least meet me before he marries my only daughter. What’s his name? I want to run a background check on him.”

  “Sergio’s son, Dillon Magarelli.”

  “What the hell?! He’s supposed to be dead.”

  “Dad, it’s a long story. It will be revealed in the news soon. Short story, he was hiding out in Portland as Jeffrey Westbrook. I can’t say why he was hiding.”

  “You don’t have to. That family is the mob!”

  “Sergio, told me you have skeletons in your closet too, he didn’t reveal your secrets. You need to tell me what they are when I visit, daddy. If you don’t, I will ask my future father in-law to tell me.”

  “Don’t you bring that mobster to my house!” He ignored my statement.

  “I knew you would say that. I am having his baby. Are you going to turn your back on your grandchildren, too?”

  “Don’t go there, Sierra! You know I wouldn’t. You chose to never visit!”

  “I needed to get my business off the ground first. Simmons Cleaning Service is doing well.”

  “You shouldn’t have left, Jeremy. How do you go from a Super Bowl football star to a gangster?”

  “I’m happy I did leave the cheating football star. Now I have a man who wouldn’t ever cheat on me no matter what! He understands what that’s like. You’ve made me upset again, daddy. I will inform momma when we are coming to visit. Goodbye!” I disconnected the call.

  I was so angry I could burn thunder wood. I hate my father. He’s still hung up on Jeremy. I didn’t want to tell him about Dillon. I knew he would never accept him. Lying back down, I retrieved Dillon’s T-shirt from under my pillow, squeezing it tight, inhaling his now, faint delicious scent. The tears rolled down my cheeks as I dozed off.

  SIERRA

  Thanks to the ladies my hair and make-up looks perfect. Even if Dillon wasn’t arriving tonight, I felt pampered. Zoey and I prepared one hell of a feast for everyone. I helped Zoey clean the kitchen after our huge dinner party.

  “Zoey, go get some rest. There’s only a couple piles of dishes left. I can manage.”

  Her tired brown eyes glanced into mine. “Are you sure?”

  I chuckled. “Absolutely.” I pulled her into my arms giving her a warm hug. “Goodnight, Zoey.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Twenty minutes later, the kitchen was wiped clean. Both dishwashers filled with dirty dishes were quietly bustling. Turning off the kitchen lights, I strolled toward my bedroom eager to watch reruns of Criminal Intent.

  Entering the half-lit bedroom, I closed the door behind me.

  “Sierra, how have you been?” I heard from the dark shadowed corner near the window. My heart stopped beating in that moment. Inside I said hello, but the words never left my mouth. I inched closer, making it as far as the side of the bed.

  Dillon appeared to be standing taller than the last time I saw him. Not that he doesn’t stand tall all the time. However, there was nothing jokingly about his posture. He stepped back out of the shadow just a bit, turning side ways to face me. Visibly, I’m sure I gasped.

  His head was held high, and the serious look on his face was powerful. His handsome brooding facial features were tense. The crow’s feet along his eyes were more vivid in the shadows. Dillon’s thick protruding eyebrows drew together in the middle of his forehead, causing him to appear permanently angry. The narrow slope down his nose led to his tasty, slightly pouty lips. His large hands rested in the pockets of his expensive trousers. The bluish gray Italian silk suit draped his muscular stature, commanding him respect. The pink shirt and tie made his look even sexier.

  Dillon’s new haircut was swoon worthy. His hair was cut low around the sides, yet he kept it long and curly in the top. Instantly my fingers felt a gravitational pull to slowly slide through his curly amber hair. Yet, instead my hands stilled, lowering back at my sides. My fists constricted and un-constricted several times. My eyes left his gaze, slipping to the window. My feet carried me across the cherry wood floor near the window. I set my sights on the view of the swaying lush green trees in the back of the house.

  The gray walls in the room weren’t closing in on Dillon and me, yet they were expanding, pushing us farther apart.

  “So, you aren’t speaking to me?”

  “What is there to say? You never returned any of my calls or text messages.”

  Dillon’s cologne grew stronger as he ap
proached me. I couldn’t bring myself to stare into his beautiful eyes. He would break me more than he already has.

  “The war is over. You understand my new position, right?”

  “Dillon, you can’t expect me to roll over and accept your new life.” I hear my father’s negative words in my ear. ‘Don’t bring that mobster here.’ I wasn’t ready to discuss me and my father’s conversation. Dillon and I have enough problems.

  “Our new life, Sierra.” My heart grew weaker from his words.

  “I can’t. I can’t be a mob wife.”

  His large hand slipped around my waist, pulling my head under his chin. My body quaked in his powerful embrace. “If you are leaving, I will have Gio accompany you on your flight back to Portland.”

  Slowly, I pulled away from him. “That’s it? You walk back into my life and turn your back on us?!” My gray eyes cut, staring into his.

  His eyebrows wrinkled. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He stepped away. “What the fuck do you want me to do?!” he roared. His voice rattled the pictures on the walls. My statement about ‘us’ went over his head.

  I stepped to him, standing toe to toe. “I’m sorry they lost their son fourteen years ago! But they can’t have you back like this. This is bullshit!” My finger jabbed into his strong chest. “I’m supposed to roll over and eat shit because your fucking mafia family says so?!”

  “I’m the fucking boss!” His fist slammed into his chest again and again. “I run the mafia! There is no walking away!”

  I stepped backwards, falling into the chair, sobbing.

  The room fell silent.

  “Sierra, I love you.”

  My eyes filled with anger. “Yeah, how long before the women throw their pussy at the fucking boss before he takes it?!”

  “You know me better than that. Women always throw themselves at me, but I don’t give a shit about them!”

  I glared at him. “Your new powerful position will make bitches go to whole new fucking levels to get in your bed, Mr. Mob Boss!”

  I stood, attempting to walk past him. I needed to get my clothes out of the suitcase so I could leave. He blocked me. His hands gripped my cheeks, forcing me to look into his gorgeous eyes.