BOW DOWN: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Barone Crime Family) (3 page)

T
here weren’t
many safe places left in Chicago. Not after I torched all of my bridges and started a war with my father.

My house was crawling with women. Earlier that night, a squad of my best fighters had liberated another whorehouse, and brought as many women back as were willing. We’d eventually train them and let them join our organization, if they wanted, or we’d give them some money and buy them a bus ticket to another city.

We were helping these girls. We got them off drugs and we gave them a purpose in life that wasn’t just spreading their legs for whatever dick could pay. They were more than just a wet hole to me. They were people.

They made me strong. In return, I gave them a reason to live. I saved their lives and the lives of their friends. I never forced someone to join when they didn’t want to.

The house was in a quiet part of Chicago, essentially a suburb. Nobody would ever expect me to be hiding right in the middle of a bunch of middle class moms and dads with their perfect little children and their prep schools, but there I was, criminal and killer. I was their nightmare neighbor, though I was actually very inconspicuous. Truth was, we had tunneled down beneath the house and built essentially three extra floors underground for the girls to live and train. Meanwhile, I lived upstairs with my closest guards and lieutenants.

I was tired, though I didn’t know why. I hadn’t done much aside from kiss Wyatt Carter. Maybe I was exhausted from thinking about him over and over on my way back home. I couldn’t get that man out of my mind, and frankly that scared me a little bit.

I knew he could be useful, but it wasn’t about that. It was about more than what he could give me, or maybe it was exactly what he could give me. It was how he could make me feel, or it was how he had already made me feel. I wanted more of that. I’d been living the hard way for so long, living a double life, and now I was ready to be myself again. I didn’t have to pretend to be Louisa Barone, dutiful daughter anymore. I was my own person again.

In some ways, that was terrifying. I’d known only how to be Louisa Barone for a long time. I was learning how to be someone new, but it was coming slowly. I was a leader and a hacker and a crime boss all wrapped up into one. I was a liberator and a savior of girls.

I was a killer and a traitor.

I shook my head. There was a knock at the door, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called as I slipped on my shirt.

Kasia stepped inside. She was about my height, Russian, blonde, and strong. “Good night?”

“Not as good as yours.”

Kasia was my second in command, the fist woman I ever saved from captivity. She was my best fighter and I trusted her above everyone else.

“Well, I get the fun jobs.”

“I don’t know. I got to wear a dress.”

She made a face. “Fuck dresses. I’m done with dresses.”

“I like them.” I laughed. “Though the heels I can do without.”

“Hard to kick down a door in heels,” Kasia agreed.

“How many girls?”

“Twenty.”

I nodded. “Good. That’s a lot. How many will join?”

“Five for sure. More later, I think, after we get them off the heroin. Bastards really fucked some of them up, Lou.”

“We’ll take care of them. I promise.”

“Did you find any support tonight?”

I frowned. “Not exactly.”

“What’s that mean?”

“I met Wyatt Carter.”

“Who?”

I sighed. “He’s the attorney general for Illinois. Really powerful guy. Young and handsome, too.”

Kasia raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you describe a man as ‘handsome’ before.”

“Wyatt is. I think he can be useful.”

“Useful how?” Kasia asked, a small smile playing on her lips. “Useful for you or for all of us?”

I scowled at her. “My intentions are pure.”

“Your intentions are shit, Lou. Always are.”

I laughed. “Okay, fine. But I think he can be useful for everyone.”

“I hope so. Your father has some serious connections.”

“I know that. But we’re crippling their internet structure right now. I bet the compound can’t even lock its doors right.”

“Still on the computers,” Kasia said, disapproving. She thought the hacking stuff was useless, and wanted to feel the cold steel of a rifle in her hands.

“The computer stuff is giving us the advantage right now. It’s the only reason we’ve avoided them for so long.”

“Whatever. Let them come.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Go help the other girls. I’ll be down soon.”

“Hurry. Don’t spend all night daydreaming about your handsome lawyer.”

I threw a shoe at her, but it hit the wall. She closed the door with a big grin.

I sat down on the bed, sighing. I needed to get downstairs and meet with the girls, show my face, let them know that I cared and that I was going to help them. I was exhausted and had no interest in doing that, but it was part of my job. I was the leader, but I was also the inspiration and the cheerleader. I had to keep everyone’s spirits up, though nobody was keeping my spirits up.

I had to be stronger. I needed more power if I was going to remake this city, and I needed strength to get that. Each new fighter made me stronger, but it wasn’t enough.

I had to do better.

Maybe Wyatt was the way to go. Maybe he offered my best chance at attaining what I really wanted.

Just then, my phone began to ring. Surprised, I checked the name, but it was unknown. I opened my laptop, ran a cable from my phone to a USB port, and then answered the call.

“Hello?” I said.

“Louisa.”

It was him. “Wyatt. Didn’t I just see you?”

“I wanted to hear your voice.”

“I don’t recall giving you my number.” I began to run a trace program to find out where he was calling from.

“You didn’t need to.”

“That’s very resourceful.”

“I’m a resourceful man, Louisa. A very resourceful man.” He paused. “I want to see you again.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“Soon. Tomorrow night.”

“Why the hurry?”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be in town.”

“That’s all?”

“No,” he said softly. “I want to finish what I started. I want to hear you whisper my name as I take what I want from you.”

“What do you want?” I asked him. I was trying to stall for time as the program traced his location, or at least that was what I was telling myself. Truthfully, I was wet all over again, and wanted to hear him say it.

“Your body pinned to my floor,” he said softly. “Your dripping cunt on my tongue. I’d lap up every ounce of your juice and swallow you fucking whole. I’d bring you to the edge then pull you back, again and again, until you begged for release.”

“How can you be so sure you can do that?”

“I’d like you to find out.”

The trace was complete. I raised an eyebrow.

He was calling from the Four Seasons Hotel’s penthouse. He wasn’t even on a secure line.

This wasn’t a trick. He was really just calling to ask me out. Maybe he hadn’t figured out who I was just yet. I did use a fake name for my cellphone. They could have easily matched my fake driver’s license picture to my fake name and found me that way, which meant they thought my name was Louisa Jenkins, not Louisa Barone.

“Okay,” I said. “Dinner tomorrow night.”

“Good.”

“Just dinner.”

“So you say now.” I could practically hear his grin.

“I’ll meet you in the lobby of your hotel tomorrow.”

“How do you know which one?”

“I’m resourceful myself, Wyatt.”

“I look forward to finding out exactly how resourceful you really are.” He hung up the phone.

I bit my lip as I tossed my phone aside. I sat there for a second, letting the excitement ring through my body as I slowly took deep breaths, calming myself.

It was just dinner. He was a useful asset, and I needed to get him on our side. I didn’t have to sleep with him, and I wasn’t going to. I was going to convince him to help back my organization, and I was going to bribe him if I had to.

That was all this was. Just business.

I stood and headed out of my room, down to talk to the girls. In the back of my mind, I knew I was just lying to myself, and that this dinner was about much, much more than just business.

I
’d been
on plenty of dates in my life. I’d met with some of the most powerful politicians and richest men in America. Never once did I feel nervous.

As I got dressed, I couldn’t help but have nerves. It was crazy; Louisa was just a woman, though maybe she was much more than that. Ethan had done a lot of research on her, because he was convinced that the name and information we had was all fake.

That had turned up some very, very interesting things.

That was the best part about Ethan. He could be very resourceful when he needed to be, and in the case of Louisa, he had gone above and beyond. The man was skilled, and I valued him very, very highly.

But the truth about Louisa changed things. As I stood in front of the mirror, inspecting my suit to make sure that it was perfect, I couldn’t help but wonder for a moment if this was a setup.

I took a deep breath. It didn’t matter either way. I could handle whatever came at me and then some. Besides, I was too interested in this woman to pass up this chance to see her again.

I headed out into the main room. Ethan was on his computer, as always. He looked up. “Sharp,” he said.

“I’m sure she’ll be impressed.”

He laughed. “I doubt she’s easily impressed.”

“What do you think of this date?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What’s your gut telling you?”

He stared at me blankly. “It says I’m hungry.”

“Order room service.” I walked over to the door. “Wish me luck.”

“You never need it.”

I grinned. He was right. I made my own luck.

I stepped out of the door and headed down the hall. I rode the elevator downstairs and spotted her immediately standing at the bar.

She looked incredible, better than she had before. Her dress was simple and conservative, and yet still somehow sexy beyond belief. She didn’t need to show a lot of skin to make herself look incredible. She needed only to hint at what was beneath her clothes, and that was enough to get me hard.

I walked over to her, smiling. “You showed up.”

“It would have been rude not to.”

“You care a lot about being polite?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “Where are you taking me tonight?”

“I have something special for you.”

“What is it?”

I offered her my arm. She took it and we walked outside together.

“You’ll see.”

My driver was waiting for us already. We climbed into the back of the black town car and pulled out, heading downtown. We went maybe two blocks before the car pulled over.

“We’re here,” I said, grinning.

She laughed. “We could have walked.”

“Maybe. But this was more fun.” I got out, opened her door, and helped her out.

We walked up to the restaurant’s front door. It was shut and locked, so I knocked twice. A minute later, Jean-Luc Brossard answered.

“Jean-Luc,” I said. “Good to see you.”

“Wyatt!” He hugged me. “And this must be your date.”

“Louisa.”

“Come in. We’re all set.”

She cocked her head at me as we stepped inside. I just smiled at her.

Jean-Luc was a Michelin Star restaurant owner and chef, one of the best in the city. His restaurant, The Salty Cod, was a highly sought-after place, and reservations were impossible to get.

We had the whole place to ourselves. There was a single table with a candle burning in the center as we entered. Louisa smiled at me as we were seated and Jean-Luc went into the back to prepare the meal. It was a fixed menu, since I knew better than to question Jean-Luc on food. When the wine was served, Louisa shook her head.

“How?” she asked.

“Jean-Luc is a friend.”

“Still. Getting him to close for the night just for you?”

“He’s not doing it for free. But he also owed me a few favors.”

“You cashed them in for me?”

“I did.”

“You could have used this to impress some disgustingly wealthy donor.”

“I could have.”

“But you didn’t.” She smiled and leaned forward. “Interesting.”

“I knew you’d be interested.” I sipped my wine. “But now I want to talk about something that interests me.”

“By all means.” Her smile was coy and alluring.

“Your business proposal.”

“Of course.” She sipped her wine. “That’s delicious.”

“Thank Jean-Luc.”

“I will.” She leaned back in her chair, smiling at me. “What do you want to know?”

“How about we begin with what I already know.”

“Go ahead,” she said.

“I know your name”

“Of course you do.”

“No,” I said slowly. “Your real name. You weren’t easy to track down, Louisa Barone.”

That had the desired effect. She seemed very surprised that I knew exactly who she was, and I was hoping it put her a little off balance.

“I was careful,” she said.

“You were. But Ethan is very good at his job.”

“Well then. My congratulations to Ethan.”

“I’ll pass them along.”

“So you know who I am.”

“I do, and I know who your father is, and what his organization does.”

“Of course you do.”

“Is this meeting because of him?”

“No,” she said seriously. “I have nothing to do with my father.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard about you,” I said. “I heard you don’t leave your room.”

“An old story. One that clearly isn’t true.”

“Clearly.” I paused. “If you have nothing to do with your father, what is this about?”

Just then, the waiter returned with the first course. It was a decadent platter of smoked meats, fishes, and cheeses. He quickly walked us through what each thing was before excusing himself professionally.

I took a bite, letting her stew for a moment. She sighed and sipped her drink then stared at me.

“It’s about my own organization.”

“What sort of organization?”

“Wyatt, have you heard of the Spiders?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. The Spiders were mainly a rumor that circulated all over the city. They were supposedly a group of people that attacked and killed mafia men, though nobody knew why or who they were. The Spiders were dangerous, that was for certain.

“I’ve heard things,” I said.

“Most of it is true,” she said. “And I’m in charge of them.”

That shocked me. “I can’t say I believe that.”

“It’s hard, I know. But it’s the truth.”

“So then you’re at war with your father?”

“That’s right.”

I sighed. “You’re putting me in an awkward position.”

She smiled, leaning forward. “Good.”

I glanced around, suddenly unsure of who was listening. “How hungry are you?” I asked her.

“Not starving.”

I stood up. “Jean-Luc,” I called out.

He appeared at the kitchen door. “What, Wyatt? I’m busy.”

“We’re going for a walk.”

His face fell. “We’re nearly ready.”

“Wait. We’ll be back soon.”

“Whatever you say, boss.”

He was clearly annoyed, but he’d get over it. I’d make it up to him soon.

I took Louisa’s hand, helping her out, and we left the restaurant. A couple of blocks over, there was a small park, dimly lit and probably dangerous. It was perfect.

“We shouldn’t talk in there,” I said. “I don’t know who we can trust.”

She laughed. “You’re paranoid.”

“I’m a politician and a lawyer. I’m careful.”

“If you’re so careful and so law abiding, why speak with someone like me?”

I smiled at her. “I find people like you very useful.”

“Why?”

“For example, your father likes to give me nice, fat bribes.”

She scowled. “You have business with my father?”

“I have business with everyone, Louisa. Which is why this puts me in an awkward position.”

“Forget my father, Wyatt. The Spiders are better trained and more powerful than his people, and it’s only a matter of time before we destroy them.”

I shook my head, surprised all over again at this. “What do you want from me?”

“I want your help.”

“And why would I do that?”

She stopped and I turned toward her. She stepped closer to me. “Because I can give you things.”

I took her hips and pulled her roughly against me. She looked surprised and I smirked down at her. “I can take that whenever I want it,” I said.

“Maybe,” she said softly. “But I can give you other things. Money, power. Together, we could take over this city.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. My cock was hard as fuck as she spoke. I pictured the two of us together, hand in hand, ruling over Chicago. I’d take her as my own and have her whenever I wanted as we dominated the city together.

But I didn’t know this woman. So far, she’d mainly lied to me and misled me about who she was. The Spiders were notoriously dangerous, and although I didn’t mind violent, I tended to use it only when it was absolutely necessary. The Spiders, on the other hand, had a reputation for brutality that I wasn’t comfortable with.

Still, there was something about this woman. I admired her beauty and her strength. It took a lot of balls to come to a stranger with this sort of proposition.

“Maybe,” I said. “From my perspective, you’re the enemy of my friend and a liar. How can I trust you?”

“I can show you,” she murmured. We were inches apart, our bodies hot in the dark, cool park.

Just then, a shadow stepped up from out of the bushes and walked toward us. I glanced over and saw a dirty man wearing a ragged jacket and dirty jeans, his face smeared with oil. He had a wicked smile on his face.

“You two,” he barked. “Money, wallets, jewelry. Now.”

I turned toward him. “Excuse me?”

He brandished a knife at me. “Give me your fucking wallet, you rich piece of shit.”

I glanced back at Louisa. She seemed as calm as I felt.

I stepped toward the man and my heart began to beat.

“I’ll fucking gut you,” he warned. “Stay back.”

I moved fast. He tried to swipe at me with the knife, but I easily blocked his wrist, catching it and turning it. He screamed as the knife fell from his grip. I turned and slammed my elbow into his nose, snapping his head back.

I kicked him in the knee, sending him to the ground, before giving him two more swift kicks to the face. He wasn’t moving. I didn’t think I killed him, but it was entirely possible.

I took a deep breath then cleared my throat. “Sorry about that,” I said.

“Dangerous neighborhood,” she answered, smiling.

“We have dinner waiting for us.” I offered her my arm again. “Shall we?”

She took my arm and we walked together back to the restaurant.

I didn’t know what to make of Louisa Barone. She’d given me a lot of information to think about. She claimed to lead the Spiders, which made her one of the most powerful people in the city, though still a relative upstart. She was in a war with her own father, who was an early supporter of mine.

But fuck, she was seductive. The thrill of knocking that mugger to the ground was ringing through my body as we walked back together.