Accomplice: A Dark Mafia Romance (Romano Brothers Book 3) Read online

  But every time I even think about a woman, all I see his her, fucking Harley. What is it about her? Sure, she’s hot, but hot chicks are a dime a dozen, though I haven’t met many with the balls to stand up to me. I think about how she kidnapped me. It makes me laugh to think of the lengths she’d go to to help those girls. Maybe I don’t just think she’s incredible sexy, maybe I admire her too.

  It still doesn’t change anything. When you’re the boss, your selfish desires don’t mean a thing. I charge out of the restroom with my head down, determined to find a willing pussy to sink inside of. I don’t have to look far. A perky brunette in a low cut top intercepts my path. She looks at me demurely, saying something I can’t quite hear over the pounding bass. I do catch that her name is Cat.

  She keeps talking, but I don’t listen. I’m taking inventory of her physical assets. She’s just my type, tan, trim, with more than adequate tits. Her wardrobe is just on the verge of being slutty. The tops of her tits spill over her low-cut top, but the rest of her is covered up.

  “Vince, right?” she says during a quiet lull in the music.

  I nod, silently plotting my next move. I’m not in the mood for buying her drinks and suffering through a meaningless conversation just to get into her pants. In fact, I don’t want to know anything about her. That way, when I pull her into the dark broom closet, I can imagine she’s Harley.

  I get the feeling that if I took her hand and led her to the broom closet, she’d willingly follow. She’s already saddled up to me, her fingers lightly trailing down my chest. When I wrap my hand around her wrist, a smile flits across her face.

  I scan her curves, my eyes settling on her cleavage, trying to make myself want her. I’m almost there, when something unexpected happens.

  They’re suffering.

  Harley’s voice echoes in my head, and the beginnings of my boner quickly fade away. I lean down and whisper in Cat’s ear.

  “Have a good night,” I say.

  She pokes her lip out in a pout as I walk away.

  When I get back to the table, I find Leo and Mateo staring intently into the crowd.

  “What’s up?” I ask.

  Mateo points the neck of his beer bottle to a guy standing near the sound system. I recognize him immediately. It’s Peter Connell.

  “You know anything about him or the Donovans?” Mateo asks.

  “Not much to know,” I say. “They’re small time.”

  “They were small time,” Leo corrects me. “Now all the sudden, I’m seeing them everywhere. Where does fucking Connell get the money to buy a watch like that?”

  I squint at the gold watch on his wrist. It has to be worth at least a couple grand. Where did he get the money? As far as I know, the Donovans were petty dope pushers getting into street corner fights.

  “All I know,” Mateo says, shaking his head. “Is that guy gives me the creeps. There’s something about him.” He turns to me. “We need to keep our eyes on them.”

  I nod seriously, not letting them see the wheels turning in my head. This business with Unit A, if it were any of the other families, I would’ve heard about it by now. The Romanos have an extensive network of informants, with eyes and ears on all the big players, all of them except the Donovans.

  “We don’t know much about them,” Leo says. “That’s not good. I can get a couple of guys to look into their business dealings.”

  “No,” I say, a knee jerk reaction.

  This makes Leo suspicious, and he squints at me.

  “Why not?” Leo asks.

  “Because we need to keep a low profile right now,” I explain, calmly. “We’ve had a fresh transfer of power. Right now, all eyes are on us. It’s not the time to go snooping around.”

  “We’d be really careful,” Mateo says. “They won’t know anything.”

  But if you find out what I think you might, what will you do? Risk your life? Risk your children’s lives?

  I shrug, casually. “Don’t waste your time. Connell probably stole that watch off a drug dealer. It’s not worth our attention.”

  Mateo and Leo stare at me contentiously, but they know better than to argue. Still, I know that even though they’re quiet, that won’t stop them from going behind my back.

  I order another beer, and sip it while studying Connell. He’s sloppy drunk by this point, and is hitting on every woman he comes in contact with. They all blow him off. He shrugs off the rejections. I wonder if he’s thinking he can just get his nuts off at Unit A. The thought fills me with unexpected rage.

  They think they get away with this on my terf? I think, clenching my teeth.

  “Vince, you okay?” Leo asks. He rests his hand on my shoulder, looking at me with concern. “Maybe you’ve had enough to drink.”

  I push the beer away, telling myself I don’t need it anymore. Maybe the slow, careful approach isn’t the best. Maybe I need to lay out the people that break my rules. Maybe that’s what a real boss would do. I fantasize about taking out my piece, and blasting Connell right there. And in this fantasy, Harley’s by my side.

  Maybe I’ve finally admitted what needs to be done. And maybe I just want an excuse to see her again.

  Chapter Six

  ————————

  Harley

  It’s been raining in sheets all day. I drive slowly, squinting to make out the lines in the road. The windshield fogs up from the mixture of moisture and heat. I turn on the defrost at full blast. To my distracted brain, the whooshing of the air, and the steady drumming of the raindrops mingle together, forming a rhythmic language that seems to be repeating, You suck, Redding.

  I’m going through the motions today. My usual energy has vanished, leaving me lethargic and depressed. Walter sits in the passenger seat, silent and motionless besides the occasional chuckle at his screen.

  Unit A has been dominating my thoughts for weeks. Today, I can’t bring myself to drive anywhere near it. There’s nothing I can do to help those women. Every now and then, I remind myself that just because I’m avoiding the subject, their reality is still the same.

  But what else can I do, short of bursting in the outhouse, armed? It’s a last resort, but that’s all I have left.

  The radio crackles and the operator’s voice comes over the airwaves. There’s a domestic disturbance. The call flits in and out of space, barely grasping my attention. The operator stops talking, and the sound turns to snowy silence. Walter lifts his head from his tablet, which gives me a jolt. It’s as if a stone has suddenly come to life.

  “You’re not going to take that?” he asks. “It’s not far.”

  Great. Today of all days, Walter decides to talk, when I’d rather wallow in my despair than interact with another human.

  “There are other units in the area,” I say. Just then, a male voice comes over the radio, letting the operator know they’re on their way. “See,” I say, raising an eyebrow.

  Walter squints at me. He glances quickly at his tablet, where he has no unopened emails.

  “What’s with you? Usually you’re Miss Eager Beaver.”

  I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. I don’t know where the person he’s talking about is, or if she’ll ever be back.

  “Do you ever feel like you’re not doing anyone any good?” I say, wistfully.

  Walter smiles, his eyes darting off to the side like he’s reliving a memory. “Ah, classic rookie existential crisis. Sure, there were times when I thought, if only I’d gotten there sooner, run faster, done better- I would’ve caught the bad guy, or that innocent bystander wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” A shadow falls over his eyes, but only briefly. He swats his hand dismissively. “You can’t let it consume you. I’ve been on the job for a long time. I’m retiring in five years, you know.”

  “I know,” I say on an inhale. I let my breath float out without force. Its release rattles the emotions pent up inside of me. “I got into this profession to do good, to help. I didn’t know it would be like this, so… not black
and white. Even though when I look at it, I don’t see any gray. You know, I want so badly to save other people, I wonder if I’m really trying to save myself. I’m so desperate to prove my worth. But, for what? To whom? I don’t have anyone important in my life. I’ve never met someone who truly understands me. Do you ever feel that way?”

  I turn to him desperately, my eyes wet with the beginnings of tears. Walter looks at me with hollow eyes. He’s probably wishing he’d never asked. The tablet vibrates in his hand, and his screen lights up with a new email. He opens it, and chuckles under his breath.

  Dusk falls as our shift winds to an end. The rain ended hours ago. I’d cursed it while it was here, but now I miss it, a distraction from the silence. I start back to the precinct, when Walter suddenly perks up.

  “You’re not going to check on that suspicious building?” he asks.

  Surprise prickles up my spine. I had no idea he was paying attention to anything I did. My first instinct is to play dumb. I don’t want to get him mixed up in this and put him in danger. He’s so looking forward to his retirement.

  “What building?” I ask, blankly.

  Walter gives me an arched look. I cave, a deep sigh acting as my confession.

  “You’re doing good, Redding,” Walter says. “Whether you think you are or not.”

  The smile that crosses my face is genuine. “Thanks, Walter.”

  Fuck, I think. Now I’m even letting Walter down.

  ————————

  I don’t want to sit in my apartment alone, so after my shift, I go for a nighttime run. It’s been awhile since I’ve done any cardio, and I overestimate my endurance. Starting out, I push myself too hard, hoping that by forcing sweat out of my pores, I’ll wring myself dry of this nagging anxiety. I barely make it a mile before my lungs are on fire, and my legs are shaky. I slow to a fast walk, then even more to a gentle stroll.

  I hadn’t been paying attention to where I was going, and I’ve ended up in the park. The streetlights are on, and no one’s out. I breathe deeply, trying to absorb the stillness. It doesn’t touch the ache in my bones, the one that materialized after Vince kissed me. I can lie to myself, and say it’s disappointment over Unit A. But I know that’s not all it is.

  I’m lonely. I have been for a long time, only now, I feel it acutely. With Vince’s body pressed against me, the warmth of his skin, and the pounding of his heart so close to mine, I felt whole. I don’t have anyone. I haven’t taken the time to find someone because I’m always wrapped up in some righteous cause.

  I should sign up for a dating website.

  It seems like a good idea for a split second. Then, I imagine flipping through profiles of men who aren’t Vince. It isn’t very appealing, and neither are stilted coffee dates where both parties are on their best behavior.

  Vince has never been on his best, or even good, behavior with me.

  The memory of last night strikes me. It’s so visceral, it stops me in my tracks. I can feel Vince’s hands raking across my skin, his strong grip on my sides, his fingers digging into my flesh. There was the dark spark of hunger in his eyes before he possessed me with his mouth.

  That’s what I want. Passion that’s palpable, that doesn’t follow any rules, where desire wins out every time. I can’t deny I’m attracted to the danger surrounding Vince, the guarantee for excitement. The need for that drives me everyday. Sure, I could meet a perfectly nice guy with a good job and a decent credit score. But that’s not enough to make my blood run hot. With Vince, I want to step closer to the edge, peer down to get a better look. But then, I might fall.

  “You need a cold shower,” I say out loud, my voice piercing the calm air.

  I plug my ears with my earbuds, and crank up the rap music until it drowns out my thoughts.

  Vince

  ————————

  Harley doesn’t answer when I knock on her door. Since I’m already here, it would be a waste of time to turn around and go home. I grip the knob, and ram my shoulder into the door. I use the tension wrench I always carry with me to pick the lock. The door swings open. I realize this isn’t entirely ethical, but Harley’s not a by the book kind of girl. If she can kidnap me, I can break into her apartment.

  It’s dark inside besides a dim light over the stove. It doesn’t feel right to turn her lights on. I find a chair and sit quietly while my eyes adjust to the darkness. I hadn’t thought much about where Harley lived, but if I did, this is exactly what I’d picture. There’s an orderly chaos everywhere. Mail covers her dining table in orderly stacks. One place setting is cleared off, where I imagine she pays her bills. From the sparse kitchen, I can tell she rarely eats here. She doesn’t even have a toaster on the counter. The back of the couch is draped with clothing that smells like it’s been freshly cleaned. The garments are separated into specific outfits. I imagine how quickly she can get ready.

  I hear light footsteps coming down the hall, and straighten my back. Harley jiggles her key in the door, not even realizing it’s unlocked. I mean to announce myself right away so I don’t scare her too much. But when she enters, she doesn’t see me. She flips on the light and walks directly to the kitchen. I call her name, but she doesn’t hear me. I realize she’s wearing earbuds. A pumping bass throttles from her head, but I can’t hear the music.

  Harley opens the refrigerator, pulls out a jug of water, and drinks deeply. Her hips sway to the music. Her eyes are closed, and she’s silently mouthing the words. I watch her body move in a beautiful, graceful rhythm. She’s wearing a tight athletic shirt that hugs to her torso, and gives a clear outline of her tits. Her long black pants are the same stretchy, shiny material. Her ass is bigger than the rest of her, with fleshy padding that forms the concave shape of a juicy apple. I imagine grabbing handfuls of it while I fuck her from behind.

  Easy, I think, curling my hands into tight fist. I can’t let my desire get the best of me, like I did the night before. I can’t let it cloud my judgement. I’m taking a big enough risk by being here, even talking to her. I’m here on business only.

  Harley finally opens her eyes and looks at me. Her face is numb from shock at first, then her mouth falls open and she shrieks. It takes her a few moments to realize it’s me. She’s holds her hand to her chest, panting.

  “Did I scare you?” I say, raising an eyebrow.

  “Jesus, Vince.” Harley pauses to gain control over her breathing. “I could’ve had a heart attack. I should call the police, or arrest you myself.”

  “Drop the sanctimonious attitude, all right? You’re no law abiding girl scout. And I like you better when you aren’t playing by the rules.”

  I hadn’t meant it as a line, but from Harley’s reaction, it could have been one. She blinks as her skin blushes red from her cheeks to her chest. She shifts her weight between her feet, finding her balance.

  “Why are you here?” she asks.

  I can tell she’s trying very hard not to look at me. What’s going on here? Where’s her tough girl attitude? I’m tempted to walk over and take her hand, press her palm against my beating heart, and tell her it’s okay. Instead, I square my shoulders, and gesture to the mail covered table.

  “Have a seat,” I say. “Let’s talk.”

  Now, she looks at me, bitterness in her eyes.

  “I thought we were done talking,” she says.

  “I could leave.”

  “No,” she shouts, holding her arms out in front of her. “I just don’t want you jerking me around. If you’re not here to help me…if you’re here for something else-“

  She cuts herself off, her eyes flitting up to mine. By way of an answer, I sit at the table. She joins me. I keep my hands in my lap, not wanting to disturb her system of documents.

  “Something needs to be done,” I say, tapping two fingers on a cell phone bill for emphasis. “The shit’s that going on in Unit A isn’t allowed in my jurisdiction.”

  Harley’s eyes widen with hope. “You mean-“ She clasps her ha
nds over her mouth, her entire face lighting up. She shifts forward in her chair, her arms outstretched, like she’s going to hug me. She stops herself abruptly, and relaxes back into her seat.

  The fact that I made her happy feels me with warmth, and not the kind that comes from my dick. I clear my throat loudly, getting back to business. “We’re just talking. That’s it. We need to figure this out before we act.”

  Harley looks down at the table, an uncontrollable smile trembling on her lips. “We? You want to work together?”

  I can’t do it on my own, and I can’t ask my brothers for help.

  “I may need your assistance from time to time,” I say. “Access to police resources, that sort of thing.”

  Harley nods, eagerly. “Anything you need,” she says. “Just ask.” She presses her lips together, and slides her hands beneath her thighs. “So, when’s it happening?”

  “When’s what happening?”

  She juts her forehead forward. “You know. When are you taking them down? Huh? Even if you don’t want my help, I’d like to witness it.”

  I narrow my eyes in confusion. “It’s not going down just like that. I’m not going to shoot up the place. I need to think carefully about each move.”

  Harley leans forward, her hand sliding across the table through the stack of envelopes. She stops short before her fingertips touch my arm.

  “Do you know who’s behind it?” she asks.

  “No,” I say, convincingly.

  “I see,” Harley says, drawing into herself. “You know all the families. I can tap their phones.”

  Her eagerness makes me smile. “Isn’t that against the law?”

  She rolls her eyes to the ceiling. “Give me a break, Vince.”

  I love her disregard for the rules, and knowing that she’d stop at nothing to get what she wants. Still, I can’t help teasing her a little.

  “You’d betray your oath that fast, would you?” I ask.

  Harley throws her head back in frustration. “That’s the trend around here, isn’t it? Why should I play the game any differently?”