Mafia Queen (The Manning Sisters #1) (17 page)

“James, we’re being followed,” Lis said from the back seat. “Black sedan about three cars back. It’s been behind us since we left the hotel. Hasn’t gained on us, but hasn’t lost any ground either.”

“Damn you’re observant,” James said and Lis grinned.

“I pay attention to my surroundings. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s most likely Easton Morrison,” she told them and James smiled a little.

“Well, let’s just see if we can find out who it is,” he said and tapped his cellphone screen.

“Jackson,” David answered after the first ring.

“David, it’s James. We are currently on our way back to the mansion and we have a tail. I need to know who it is,” James said and rattled off the license plate number. “Call me back when you know.”

“Will do,” David said and ended the call.

“Until we find out who we’re dealing with, let’s have a little fun, shall we?” James asked as he took a sharp left onto an almost empty side street.

“Let’s try not to lose him though,” Dakota said as the sedan turned onto the street as James took a left down another side street.

“I’m not. If I wanted to lose him I would have already,” James informed them and grinned. “I’m giving him just enough time to know which way we’re going.”

As the sedan turned behind them, James took a sharp right. He never sped up or slowed down as he maneuvered the streets of the quiet suburban area. When his cell rang Rachel tapped the screen and David’s voice filled the SUV.

“The car following you is registered to Easton Morrison,” David told them and Lis nodded her head.

“I thought it looked familiar,” she said and Dakota chuckled.

“Do you remember every vehicle they own?” He asked and she scowled at him.

“No, smartass, I don’t. I only remember the ones I rode in,” she answered.

“Well that comes in handy,” David said and Lis looked confused.

“What he means is it’s harder for them to follow us if they use a vehicle you know. It also means they underestimate you and your memory,” Dakota explained and Lis grinned.

“Mike always thought I was a spoiled little rich girl,” she told them and shrugged. “He never wanted me to be anything more so he never knew that side of me.”

“His loss, my gain,” Dakota said with a grin. “Now, let’s lose this son of a bitch.”

“Not yet,” James said and slowed down a bit. “I want to know what he wants.”

Dakota shrugged his uninjured shoulder and let James continue driving down through the peaceful area. When James sped up a little Easton did, too.

“What do you have in mind?” Rachel asked and James grinned.

“You’ll see in about two minutes,” he answered as he turned down a long road headed toward the warehouse district.

“I think I know what you have in mind,” Dakota said with a grin. As soon as Easton turned on the road to follow them, James speed up and took a hard left into a small alley between two buildings.

“Everyone out,” he shouted as he turned the SUV to block the alley. They exited the vehicle and he directed them to a row of dumpsters at the end of the alley. “Back there where you’ll be safe.”

“What about you?” Rachel asked and he smiled.

“I have a little surprise for our pursuer,” he told her and kissed her forehead. “Get back there with Lis and Dakota. I’ll be okay as long as you are.”

Rachel looked at him for a moment before she nodded and sprinted down the alley behind her sister. When she reached the dumpsters she looked over her shoulder and James was gone.

“He’ll be okay. He knows what he’s doing,” Dakota told her and pulled her behind the dumpsters with him and Lis. They had just ducked out of view when they heard tires screech and brakes squeal.

“He’s going to kill him,” Rachel realized and was slightly surprised that the thought didn’t bother her more than it did.

“Most likely,” Dakota breathed almost silently then pressed his finger to his lips when he heard a car door shut.

“So you figured out you were being followed and you decided to play a little game of cat and mouse?” Easton’s repugnant voice sounded down the alley and Lis started feeling physically ill at just the sound.

“I think he’s drunk,” she mouthed silently and Dakota nodded his agreement.

“Come on now, I haven’t got all day and I’m too old for childish games. Come out so we can have a chat,” he yelled out. They could hear the slight slur of his words and knew that if they popped their heads up they’d be shot at.

“Hello, Easton,” they heard James’ voice say from the area Easton’s voice had been coming from. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You have a gun aimed directly at your head and if you make even the slightest move I will scatter what’s left of your grey matter all over this alley.”

“Well, well, well, it seems like you aren’t a dumb as I thought,” Easton said as he slowly raised his hands. Dakota, Lis, and Rachel stood up just as Easton started to turn toward James. “But I have a little surprise for you. My car is rigged with explosives and is set to blow in about three minutes. I’m not afraid to die, are you?”

“Not at all,” James told him just before he pulled the trigger and shot Easton right between the eyes. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Without hesitation they ran to the SUV and James darted out of the alley before any of them could put their seat belts on. By the time the explosion happened they were at the other end of the street, but the blast shook the SUV as they rounded the corner and sped away from the scene.

“That was too fucking close,” Dakota said after they were well away from the alley.

“I agree,” James nodded his head and glanced at Rachel. “I really didn’t want you to see me kill him.”

“That isn’t the first time I saw a man get killed and I’m certain it won’t be the last. Let’s just get home,” she responded and he nodded his head at her.

“James, stop the car,” Dakota said suddenly and James screeched to a halt just outside the gates of the mansion. “Everyone out!”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Lis asked as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out.

“Just a feeling,” he told them and dropped to the ground. He gazed under the SUV for a moment then rose to his feet. “Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” James asked as he dropped to the ground and looked as well. “That son of a bitch. The SUV is rigged, too. It’s on a timer and could go at any time.”

“Then why are we still standing here?” Rachel asked and sprinted to the gate. After she punched the code they all darted through. They just made it past the guard shack when the SUV blew. The force of the explosion threw them to the ground.

“Fuck!” Dakota yelled as he scrambled to cover Lis’ body with his own.

“I’m okay,” she yelled over the roaring in her head.

“Rachel, James?” Dakota yelled.

“We’re okay,” they both answered back.

As the four of them rose to their feet, Dakota and James darted to the ruined guard shack and grabbed the two fire extinguishers in there. As they worked on putting out the burning SUV, Lis looked at her sister and sighed.

“Easton was never following us to hurt us on the road. He was following us so he’d know we went straight home. He wanted that explosion to happen after the SUV was parked in the garage. He wanted to blow us up, house and all.”

“He may have been out of the game, but he was still a devious old bastard,” Rachel said as she watched Dakota and James work.

A couple minutes later the fire was out and James and Dakota walked over to where they were standing. “That son of a bitch wanted to blow the fucking house up with us in it,” Dakota said and Lis and Rachel nodded.

“We’ve determined that already,” Lis told him then sighed. “You’re bleeding. I bet you pulled your stitches. Let’s get home so I can clean you up.” Dakota smiled at her as they started walking down the long drive toward the house.

“You know, I may need a little TLC myself,” James said with a lopsided grin and Rachel punched him.

“Then call up one of your whores. I’m sure they will be honored to service you,” she spat out and jogged the rest of the way to the house. She darted up the steps and was inside before they had time to react.

“What the fuck was that about?” Dakota asked as Lis took off after her sister.

“Earlier today, while you were in the hospital, we ran into one of my exes and she may or may not have propositioned me in front of Rachel.”

“How did you react?” Dakota asked and James sighed.

“Not well,” he answered honestly. “I took her number and let her kiss me.”

Dakota shook his head and chuckled. “No wonder she’s been staring daggers at you all day. What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that Rachel and I aren’t together. Dakota, I love her more than I have ever loved anyone in my life, but the fact is we are not a couple. If I want to go out and bang every single woman in Boston, I’m free to do so. I wouldn’t and I won’t be using that phone number, but the fact is, I could and Rachel would have no right to be pissed about it.”

“Have you told her how you feel? Have you asked her what her feelings toward you are?” Dakota asked and James shook his head. “Well, don’t you think that would be the place to start?”

“Oh, you mean like you did with Lis when she agreed to marry Morrison?” James countered and shook his head. “I’m sorry, man. That was out of line. She drives me so crazy sometimes that all I want to do is scoop her up and show her just how I feel and other times I just want to say
fuck it
and walk away from her.”

Dakota chuckled and nodded his head. “I feel you there. There are times I just want to bend Lis over my knee and spank her like she should have been when she was younger, but just the thought of that makes me grow hard and I know it would turn sexual.”

“I haven’t had sex in three years,” James confessed and Dakota looked at him in surprise.

“Why the fuck not?”

“I’ve dated a few women, but every time I thought about taking them to bed Rachel popped into my mind and I couldn’t do it. I feel like I’m going crazy most of the time. I can’t get her out of my head.”

“James, you need to tell her how you feel. Her reaction tells me her feelings are similar to yours. You need to talk to her. You need to tell her how you feel.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I do need to tell her how I feel. Maybe then I can get her out of my head.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Dakota asked and James shook his head.

“I know it’s not and I know that she’s not only in my head, but she’s imbedded herself in my heart as well.”

***

As James and Dakota stood on the porch talking, Lis and Rachel sat in Rachel’s bedroom and talked.

“Rachel, you need to tell him how you feel. He needs to know that you’re in love with him.”

“I can’t. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? When I saw him with that woman today it felt like the floor dropped out from under me. I was crushed. I need to shake this infatuation I have with him and move on with my life.”

“Rach, how are you going to do that? How are you going to walk away from him? You feel the same way about him that I feel about Dakota. He is who your heart wants. Are you really going to give that up because he let his dick control his mind for a minute?”

“What if he lets his dick control his mind after we’ve been together? I couldn’t deal with having him then losing him.”

“Rachel, he’s been your security head for four years. How many women have you seen him with in that amount of time?”

“Four,” she answered without hesitation.

“Four women in four years? Think about that for a minute and you will see that he isn’t one who normally lets his dick lead him. He’s a good guy, Rachel. Give him a chance to prove that to you. Don’t give up on what you want because of one little mishap.”

“If Dakota allowed something like that to happen, how would you react?”

“I would be pissed as hell and hurt deep, but there’s a difference here,” she said and Rachel looked at her. “Dakota and I are together. You and James aren’t. In all reality you have absolutely no right to be upset with him. He doesn’t know how you feel about him and you two aren’t together.”

Rachel looked at her for a second before she covered her face with her hands and let the tears flow. “You’re right. I am acting like a jealous girlfriend when in reality I am nothing but a job to him.”

“You are a hell of a lot more than a job to him, Rach. Today, when Aaran Nadas was in the balcony of the church and you fell to the floor, James had a look of sheer terror on his face. He was out of his chair and beside you before anyone else could move.”

“He knows if I die he’s out of a job,” Rachel said and Lis burst out laughing.

“If you believe that then you’re either lying to yourself or you’re stupid. James cares about you and its time you and he both admitted your feelings to the other.”

Rachel opened her mouth to argue, but was silenced by a soft knock on the door.

“If I had to guess, I’d say that’s the man in question now,” Lis said and grinned. “Tell him how you feel, Rach. I promise you’ll both feel better afterwards.”

Lis rose and walked to the door. When she opened it she looked into James’ eyes for a moment before she smiled and patted his cheek. “I know how you feel about her, but she needs to know, too,” she told him softly before she walked away.

James watched her leave then took a deep breath and walked into the room. 

He shut the door behind him and walked over the bed where she was sitting. “Rachel, we need to talk.”

“Yes we do, James,” she agreed and looked at him with watery eyes.

Seeing the tears in her eyes almost broke him and he sank to his knees in front of her. “I am in love with you. I have been for the past four years.”

Rachel looked at him for a second before she smiled and said, “I am in love with you, too.”

James’ face broke into a smile so big she was surprised his cheeks didn’t break and he rose to his feet. When he scooped her into his arms and finally kissed her after all this time, she truly felt like she was home.