Mafia Queen (The Manning Sisters #1) (3 page)

As Lis waited in the restaurant for Rachel and her security to show up, Dakota sat at the bar and watched all the exits. He had been on high alert since they’d left James’ apartment earlier. He knew Morrison’s men were looking for Rachel, but if they happened across Elisabeth they’d be thrilled to get her, too. No way in hell he’d let them get her. “Keep your focus on the job, Jackson,” he said quietly to himself as he sipped his soda and looked around the room again.

His eyes had just landed on Lis again when he saw her expression change. He followed her gaze to the door just as Rachel stepped in followed closely by James and Tiffany, Rachel’s closest security. When Lis stood from her chair, Dakota slid off the bar stool and walked over to the table to stand beside her.

“Rach, I’ve been so worried,” Lis said and embraced her sister.

“I’m fine, Lis. Just been hiding out for a few days. I wanted to call you, but Mr. Bossy here wouldn’t let me,” Rachel explained and tossed a look to James that would make a lesser man stop in his tracks. James just chuckled and shook his head.

“Rachel, I explained to you why you couldn’t and I know Dakota would agree.”

“I do agree,” Dakota said softly and motioned for them to all sit down. “Let’s have a seat and discuss what’s going to happen next.”

Once they were all seated Lis looked at her sister and sighed deeply. “Rach, mom and dad were murdered three days ago.” Tears filled Rachel’s eyes and James gently rubbed her back as Lis continued to speak, “That technically leaves me in charge of the business, but I don’t think me stepping up is the best option at the moment.”

Dakota looked at her in shock, but she ignored him and continued speaking directly to her sister. “Rach, I’m pretty sure Mike’s father ordered the hit on mom and dad, and it was his men who tried to take you from school. They are still here and they are looking for you.”

“Mike’s father? Your fiancé’s father is the one who had mom and dad murdered?”

“Ex fiancé,” Lis told her, then explained what happened three nights ago. “I’ve been thinking and I think what Dakota told me that night was true. I was a pawn and if Mike and I had gotten married everything would have continued as usual. When I walked out of the restaurant that night they all knew that their plans weren’t going to happen. I think you and I are both on their radar, but I’m not sure if we are meant to be killed, or just used in their game to control more territories.”

“Elisabeth, would you mind explaining what you meant about you not stepping up being the best option at the moment?” James asked and looked between her and Dakota impatiently.

“When we were at your apartment, Dakota said something that made a lot of sense. He said that if I step up as head then not only will I be a target for the Morrison’s, but I’ll also be a target for the other families as well. We all know this is true, so why risk it? I’ve been thinking while waiting for you to show up and I decided I’d run the organization, but I’ll do it from the shadows.”

“Who will be doing the public work?” Rachel asked and Lis looked at Dakota.

“I think Mr. Jackson here would be perfect for the job. He’s been with the family for a decade, which is longer than anyone except for Martin, who was probably killed with mom and dad. Dakota is the obvious choice.”

“I agree,” James said before Rachel could say anything.

“Wait a minute,” Dakota said as he shook his head. “I don’t want to be head of the family. I wasn’t even supposed to still be working for your family. I was supposed to be living on a beach in Costa Rica by now.”

“Then why are you still here?” Lis asked as anger filled her eyes. “Why didn’t you leave as soon as your contract was up?”

“That isn’t important at the moment. What’s important is that I don’t want to be the head of the family. I don’t want to be the leader of the organization,” Dakota told them all and Lis just looked at him.

“Dakota, I’m going to ask again, why are you still here?”

Dakota looked at her and shook his head as he sighed deeply. “I’m still here because of you, Elisabeth. My contract with your father ended and I stayed because I couldn’t leave you.”

Lis looked at him for a moment as a small smile formed on her lips. “Why?” She asked softly, causing him to lock eyes with her.

“Elisabeth, I have always wanted to protect you and keep you safe. Even when you were fifteen and running around with your hair in pigtails, I was drawn to you and I knew I couldn’t leave without knowing you’d remain safe. Your father knew this and that’s why he assigned me to head up your security. He knew I’d do everything to keep you protected,” Dakota abruptly stood from the table and walked over to where the rest of Lis’ security was sitting and sat down.

Lis watched him in frustration for a moment as he talked to the rest of her security before she turned back to Rachel and James. “Well, that was enlightening.”

“You seriously didn’t know that?” James asked and looked at Lis in astonishment.

“I seriously didn’t know that,” Lis confirmed and looked at Rachel. “Did you know that?”

“Yes,” Rachel answered honestly and glanced over at Dakota, who was still talking to his men. “Lis, he has been in love with you forever. I have no idea when it happened, but it did happen.”

“Wait, what about all those women I’ve seen him with throughout the years?” Lis asked in confusion.

“Distractions,” James said and Rachel nodded. “He always saw you as off limits, the boss’ daughter, and never once thought he could act on his feelings.”

“Wonder what he thinks now?” Lis asked quietly and mostly to herself.

“Now I think that you are my boss and still off limits,” Dakota answered as he walked up behind her. “We need to get out of the open so we can talk more.”

“Do you have a suite?” James asked and Dakota nodded. “Good, let’s head up there and we can finish this conversation privately.”

As they all rose from the table, Dakota grabbed Lis’ hand and halted her for a moment so the others could walk ahead. “Lis, I won’t let my feelings get in the way of the job I need to do. I know that you don’t feel the same. I just wanted you to know that.”

When he moved to walk past her, Lis laid her hand on his chest. “Dakota, here’s something for you to think about. I have had a crush on you since I was fifteen and always suppressed it because you worked for my father,” she told him then rose to her toes and brushed a soft kiss across his lips before turning and walking out of the restaurant.

An hour later, after convincing Dakota that her plan would work, Lis was sitting in her room in the suite thinking about everything that had happened in the past few days. She had lost her fiancé, lost her parents, and almost lost her sister all in a matter of a few hours. Now she was in California with the man she had always had a thing for and had found out he felt the same way.

When a knock sounded on the door she rose from the chair and walked over to it. Opening it slightly, she saw the face of the man she’d just been thinking about. “Lis, I think we need to talk.” Lis nodded and opened the door wider so he could enter. Once inside he shut the door and turned to face her.

“Dakota, I know you’re still skeptical about being the acting head of the family, but I feel it’s what’s best for everyone. You know the organization better than anyone and I feel everyone will listen to you and accept you more than they will me.”

Dakota looked at her for a second before he gently stroked his index finger down her cheek. “Lis, this isn’t about the family at the moment. This is about what you said in the restaurant. Was it true? Have you really been interested in me for the past decade?”

“Yes,” she answered and looked his straight in the eyes. “I remember the first time I saw you. It was summer and Rachel and I were sitting by the pool at home. You walked onto the back patio with dad and my breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Later that night, I asked Martin who you were. He told me who you were and warned me to stay away from you because you were joining dad’s security. Over the next two years I watched you and I learned a lot about you, but I kept my distance because I didn’t want anything to do with the business. I wanted to be far away from it all.”

“Lis, I am seven years older than you. I was twenty-two, fresh out of the military, and doing a favor for my father. I never wanted to be part of the business either.”

“I know you’re seven years older than me, but that wouldn’t have stopped me if I hadn’t been so dead set on not being involved with the business.”

“Lis, I need to ask you something,” Dakota said in a serious tone. “Did you love Mike?”

“I thought I did,” she answered honestly and then looked at the floor. “Now that I look back though, I think I knew the kind of person he was from the beginning.”

Dakota nodded and looked toward the door. “I better go so you can get some sleep, but I want to say something before I do. What I told you in the restaurant was true. I stayed for you, Lis. I could not leave knowing you needed protecting. Your father did not assign me to your security detail, I requested the move because I needed to know that you were safe and I did not trust Mike, or Morrison’s men, to keep you protected.”

“Dakota, what were you going to do if I would have married Mike?”

“I was going to go to Costa Rica and try to get you out of my head.”

“Like you tried all these years?”

Dakota looked at her for a second before he nodded. When he reached his hand up and cupped her cheek, she leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. “Lis, none of those women ever held a candle to you. You were the one that was always on my mind. You were the one I always wanted in my arms, and in my bed.”

Lis opened her eyes and looked at Dakota as his hand circled around to the back of her neck. When his fingers tangled in her hair, she sighed and moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, causing him to groan softly.

“Lis, I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered softly just before he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. When he went to pull back, she opened her mouth and her tongue made contact with his lips. He groaned again as he touched his lips to hers one more time. Her hands snaked around his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair as her tongue teased his lips.

“Dakota, kiss me the way you’ve always wanted to,” she whispered against his lips and smiled softly when he pulled her against him.

This time when his lips touched hers it wasn’t a gentle brushing, but an invasive assault. When his tongue brushed against her lips she opened for him and their tongues met in an erotic dance.

His hands left her hair and trailed down her back, pulling her flush against his body as their mouths continued their assault. He let his hands continue to trail down until they rested on her hips. As he went to lift her into his arms, a knock sounded on the door.

Reluctantly pulling apart, Lis looked into his eyes and whispered, “We will finish this later.” Dakota nodded and released her.

As she walked to the door, he disappeared into the restroom so whomever was at the door didn’t see the tent in his jeans. When he heard Rachel’s voice, he instantly knew something was wrong and the passion he’d felt just moments before was immediately replaced with concern.

“What’s going on?” He asked as he stepped out of the restroom.

“James just got a call from one of his men. Morrison’s men are here. They’re in the hotel. They know you’re here, Dakota, and they know Lis is here.”

“How the fuck did they find us?” Dakota asked quietly as he quickly snatched Lis’ suitcase off the floor and tossed her clothes inside. “Lis, gather what’s left and I’ll go grab my bag. We have to get out of here now. They may know we’re here, but there’s no way in hell they know what room we’re in.”

Lis nodded as she and Rachel gathered what little she’d unpacked. In less than two minutes they met Dakota, James, and Tiffany in the sitting room of the suite. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Morrison’s men don’t know James and Rachel are here so they’re going to go down first. After they leave, we are waiting two minutes and going out the back. Lucas will meet us back there with the SUV and we are heading straight to the airport. Rachel, James, and the rest of her security will meet us there. David is getting the plane ready now and we will be in the air as soon as we can all get there.”

Everyone nodded their understanding as Lis pulled Rachel into a hard hug. “I love you, sis, and I will see you in less than an hour at the plane.”

“Love you, too, sis. Trust James and Dakota to bring us back together.”

Lis nodded, but didn’t say anything as James opened the suite door and looked up and down the hall. “All clear. Let’s go, Rach. See you at the plane.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he pulled Rachel from the room and they disappeared down the hall toward the elevators.

“They’ll be okay, Lis,” Dakota reassured her and pulled her to his side. “And I promise to keep you safe.”

“I know you will, but who will keep you safe?”

“We will keep each other safe,” he told her and handed her his backup gun. “Now, let’s go.”

As Lis and Dakota were about to enter the stairs, Morrison’s men exited the elevator and headed toward their suite. “They’re in suite 308. Remember, we are not to harm Miss Manning. Mr. Morrison wants her untouched.”

“What if Jackson interferes?” One of the men asked.

“Kill him,” was all the apparent leader said and Lis gasped. Dakota pressed his finger to her lips and silently opened the stairwell door. As they stepped inside they heard a knock on their suite door then a loud crashing sound as the door was kicked in.

“Let’s go. I don’t want a shootout in the stairwell.” Dakota said quietly and gently pushed Lis ahead of him. They made their way down the three flights of stairs in record time and were out the back door and into the car in a matter of a couple of minutes. As Lucas pulled away from the curb, Morrison’s men charged out the back door of the hotel with their guns raised. Dakota pushed Lis’ head down as the first round struck the SUV.

“Fuck!” Lucas shouted as he rounded the corner at the end of the alley. “That was too fucking close.”

“Just get us there,” Dakota ordered and stroked his hand down Lis’ hair. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him and laid her head on his shoulder. “Where are we going to go from here? We can’t go back to Boston right now.”

“We aren’t going back to Boston just yet. We are going to visit my parents on the Cape. They will give us a place to stay for a few days while we get some things settled.”

“What about the organization? It’s been three days since mom and dad were killed and there is no one running it at the moment.”

“There are plenty of your father’s men there keeping things going. All business transactions are suspended at the moment anyway because police are still all over the mansion. Everyone is laying low until we get back.”

Lis nodded and glanced behind them. When she spotted an SUV a few cars behind them she tensed. “We’re being followed,” she whispered to Dakota and he nodded.

“I know,” he told her and laid her head over in his lap. “Just stay down. Lucas, lose them.”

Lucas nodded and immediately exited the freeway. As they weaved through the suburban streets the SUV that was following them was right behind them. Lucas cursed under his breath and took a sharp left on the next side street then an immediate right down another street.

After about five minutes of constant turns and twists, they entered the freeway again and the SUV was nowhere in sight. “We lost them,” Lucas told them.

“Good, but just in case, take an alternate route to the airport. We don’t want to lead them to everyone else,” Dakota told him as he continued to look out the back window.

Ten minutes later they pulled into the airport with no sign of their tail and Dakota sighed with relief. As they got out of the SUV, James approached them.

“Jessie was shot and two of Morrison’s men are dead. As we were leaving the hotel, Morrison’s men spotted us and took a shot at Rachel. Jessie pushed her out of the way. Nathan stayed with him while Tiffany and I got Rachel out of there. Morrison’s men followed us and we had a little shootout. As we were crossing a bridge I shot one of their tires out and their SUV flipped into the water. It exploded when it hit the shallow river below.”

“You can finish telling me after we’re in the air. We shook off our tail, but they could be back at any time. I want to get out of here,” Dakota said as he grabbed the two small suitcases out of the SUV and led Lis up the steps. Once they closed the door, David started moving.

“Shit, Dakota, we have company!” David yelled from the front of the plane.

“Get us in the air!” Dakota shouted as he sat in the cockpit beside his twin. The two SUV’s were heading their way, but they weren’t close enough to be a problem.

Once they were in the air, Dakota unbuckled and headed back to where Lis was sitting. “We’re safe,” he informed them all and Lis sighed in relief.

“Dakota, why would they want Rachel dead, but me unharmed?” Lis asked.

“I don’t know,” Dakota answered honestly. “With Rachel dead they’d have no bargaining chip to get you to do what they wanted. I think the plan all along was to kill your parents and kidnap Rachel if you didn’t marry Mike. They all know that you would do whatever it took to keep Rachel safe.”

“So they’ve changed the game,” James observed and Dakota nodded.

“But why? What happened to make them change their strategy?” Lis asked, but no one had an answer for that.

“I don’t know, but we will find out,” Dakota assured her. “Now, let’s all try to get some rest. It’s been a really long day and I have a feeling things are going to get more chaotic before they calm down.”

“We need to start planning a wake for our parents,” Rachel said and Lis nodded. “As soon as the police release their bodies we need to have it and show everyone that we are not defeated.”

“Rach, we will. For right now though, we need to trust Dakota and James. We need to rely on them to help us. Dakota has agreed to step to the head of the organization, but we need James as the second in command. When that happens it should take the heat off of us,” Lis told her sister and Dakota nodded.

“I agree. Once it is known that Lis isn’t taking over the business then you will both be safer. As for now, we are heading to my parents’ house in Cape Cod. From there we will work up an official announcement to make before we have your parents’ wake. That way you two can be there without worrying about someone trying to take a shot at you,” Dakota told them and James nodded.

“As for the decision making, you will still be making them, Lis. Dakota will just be the voice that lets those decisions be known. You are head of the family, but the only ones who know that are the four of us,” James said then looked straight at Dakota. “I think we may have a leak somewhere. How else would Morrison’s men have
found you?”

“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Dakota told them then sighed. “Other than us four, there were only six people who knew where we were. They had our suite number so they knew exactly where to find us, but no one had that information except my two men.”

“Dakota, do you really think that Lucas or Collin would do that? Lucas has been on my security for six years and Collin has been with us for three years,” Lis said and shook her head. “Shit, Collin joined just before I started seeing Mike.”

“I know how we can find out who the mole is,” Dakota said and they all listened as he explained his plan to them.

When he was finished Lis and Rachel nodded their agreement. “Now, let’s relax a bit before the plane lands. Once we are safe I will contact the families and let them all know that I am taking over the Manning territories,” Dakota said as he glanced at Lis.

“Thank you,” Lis mouthed silently and Dakota grinned.

“Anything for you,” he mouthed back and Lis smiled.

For the first time in three days, Lis felt like things were going to be okay.