La Cosa Nostra, This Thing of Ours (20 page)

"Your
mother, that is your mother, right?" she asks, motioning to the picture in my hand. I don't know how she would know this. She has never been in any apartment that I have lived in. As far as I know, this would be the first time she would have seen it. The only girl I've ever had in any of my bedrooms is Harper. 

I am speechless as I lo
ok from the picture to Chelsea. I get a huge pit in my stomach that something bad is about to happen. 

"I k
now it is. I also know where she is," Chelsea pipes off then walks out of the bedroom down the hall. I place the frame carefully in the dresser drawer before I chase after Chelsea. 

"What do you think you know?" I am growing madder and madder at this ridiculous game. 

"I suggest you call your father over here, I think he will be very interested in what I am going to tell you." She sits on the couch, crossing her legs and splaying her arms out on the back of the couch. "I think I saw your phone in the bedroom." Her leg that is crossed is moving up and down as she watches me.

I
don't know what the fuck is going on, but I am going to find out. I call Harper first to let her know that I might be a little late. Whatever is happening, I'm sure it is a stupid money scam.   Harper's phone goes straight to voicemail, which is weird because I wouldn't think she would have her phone turned off. 

I call my dad next.
"Dad, Chelsea Waters is in my apartment claiming to know something about my mother," I tell him when he answers.

"Don't le
t her leave, I'll be there soon," he says abruptly and then hangs up. 

I try Harper again befor
e going back in the living room; still straight to voicemail. 

"Did you get
ahold of him?" Chelsea sings, when I walk back into the living room. 

"Yes, what is this about anyway? Trying to get some more money? W
horing it up isn't working anymore?" I dig at her since that is what she did with me, and the reason I about ruined the one good thing to ever happen to me. Chelsea was a waitress at The Guardian. She, of course, is nothing like Harper, but she had quit The Guardian shortly after we started dating, thinking I was going to take care of her. When I didn't, that was when she started causing trouble. Her entire goal was money from the beginning. 

I pace ba
ck and forth in the living room avoiding Chelsea and try calling Harper about every five minutes, but each time it goes straight to voicemail. 

Finally my father shows
up and he has Matty with him. His face is bright red with anger. When he sees Chelsea on the couch, he goes straight for her. Without even a moment's thought, he has his hand around her neck, holding her to the couch.

I rush to get him off her, but he has a firm grip.

"Dad! Stop!" I yell, finally pushing him off.  Chelsea is gasping for air, a bright red hand print on her throat. "Fuck, what the hell is going on?" I shout. Matty stands by his brother, saying something to him in Italian. I know some Italian, but I can't make out what he is saying. 

"Chelsea, plea
se come with me into the office. We will discuss your terms," Matty says to a horrified Chelsea, still coughing for air. She follows Matty into my office leaving me with my father.

Chapter 22

An hour later my father has told me everything. I sit in silence, the shock of what I’ve just been told still sinking in. Matty and Chelsea come out of the office. She has a smug, satisfied look on her face. My father leaves the apartment and Matty escorts Chelsea out. They are going to pay her off so she will keep her mouth shut. I have no idea how much, and right now I don't care.

"O
h, Liam, I forgot to tell you. When I came into your apartment earlier your phone was ringing.  Someone named Petal, I may have told her a couple of white lies." Chelsea smirks at me. My mind races as it all starts to sink in.

"What did you s
ay?" I stand clenching my fists. I have never wanted to hit someone so bad in my entire life.

"That I was your wife, and that I was about to join you in th
e shower. It was perfect really, you said my name as soon as I walked into the bathroom." Her face is like the devil. I remember what she said after I realized who was in my bathroom, "Coming, baby." That is what Harper heard, me saying Chelsea's name after she had told her she was my wife. Her phone is turned off ... fuck, fuck, fuck! 

"I fucking swear to
God, if you have ruined the one good thing in my life, you had better be nowhere near me because I will have nothing to live for." I stare her directly in the eyes as I deliver my warning. I get right in her face, breathing through my nose like a bull ready to charge. 

I would never hit a woman, but
Chelsea Waters is not a woman. She is a snake, a liar, a thief, and a con artist. 

"Now
, Liam, why so hasty? I'm sure you can get her back," she blurts out. Gaining her composure, she hops up on the kitchen counter in front of me.  Seeing her there makes my stomach turn. That is where Petal always sits when I am cooking. The past two weeks have been amazing. When she was studying I was working. I managed to work my magic with U of I vet school paying for another work study spot to open up for her. She wasn't supposed to know it came from me, but she was going to be finding out soon that she was accepted.

I loved it when she would sit there and watch me
cook, because I could nuzzle between her legs and make out with her in between stirring or chopping. She is an angel, the most beautiful woman in the world; her skin, her body, her smell, and that amazing brain of hers. Everything about her turns me on. Thinking about her, I feel so urgent to get to her. 

"All right, Chelsea, you'r
e getting your money.  Let's go," Matty says, patting my shoulder before they leave. I run out the door seconds later.

On my way over to Harper's I call over and over.
  Each time it's her voicemail. Pulling up I don't see her car.
Fuck, fuck, fuck
. I still pound on her door for five minutes before I call Tony.

"Hey," h
e answers.

"Let me talk to Tara
," I order, skipping all pleasantries. 

"Sure," h
e says, not asking why. 

"Liam?" Tara's voice is
on the phone and she does not sound happy.

"Do you know where she is?"

"She called, she was crying so hard I could barely understand her," she says, making my heart ache so hard at what my girl is going through right now.  "She was driving. I told her to pull over, but she said she had to get out of Chicago. Now she won't answer her phone." I know Tara knows I've done something, but I don't know if she knows what.

"I'm really worried, she was hysterical
, Liam.  What happened?" My girl is driving hysterical, crying her eyes out with a broken heart. Tears prick my eyes and I wipe at them trying to stay strong.  

"Who else would she have called?" I blare into the phone. 

"I don't know, maybe Jax."
Fuck, seriously, this just went from horrible to catastrophic. 

"Call him, call him now.
Ask him if he's heard from her. Then call me back," I order, hanging up the phone when she's agreed. 

Getting back in my car I hit the
steering wheel with the palm of my hand. 

My phone rings seconds later. My heart drops when I see Petal come across the screen.

"Petal, thank
God," I breathe into the phone, dying to hear her voice.

"No, not Petal."
I hear a man's voice instead. I recognize it instantly.

"
Jax, where is she?" I demand into the phone. 

"She's in the bathroom, so I thought I'd give you a call and let you know she is safe and sound with me." He c
huckles into the phone. "I will take good care of her, don't you worry."

"Where are you?"
I don't even know what to say.  There's no way he's going to tell me. 

"Like I'm going to tell you that
, douche-bag. I must thank you, though; she's very vulnerable right now. I think I might actually score with her tonight when we stop at a hotel." I have my hand wrapped around the steering wheel so tight I think it might actually shatter under my fists. 

"You asshole, you wouldn't take advantage of her like that
," I grate into the phone, so angry I could spit nails. 

"
You know how long I've wanted her?" he yells.  "This is like sweet revenge. I get her and there is nothing you can do about it. God, I can't wait until those soft pink lips of hers are wrapped around my cock," he moans into the phone. 

"If y
ou touch one hair on her head–" my words are harsh and annunciated when he interrupts me.

"I'll have my hands in her hair pushing her face down on my cock."  He laughs evilly, making every muscle in my body ache from the anger pulsating through me.

"I will kill you when I find you. I will find you, mark my words, I will find you," I bark into the phone. When the call is ended, I push redial and it goes straight to voicemail. I punch the roof of my car, I punch the steering wheel, and I punch the passenger seat. I'm screaming at the top of my lungs, so helpless and frustrated, when my phone rings again. This time it is Tony.

"What?" I answer as I speed away from her apartment. 

"He's got her. He's taking her home to Iowa," Tony says fast. 

"Yeah
, I fucking know," I yell. "I'm going to Iowa."

Chapter 23

It's dark b
y the time I reach the Illinois/Iowa border. The sinking feeling of Jax stopping at a hotel is too much, making me pull over fast. I just make it out of the car before I am vomiting on the side of the road. 

"Harper!" I yell at the top of my lungs into the night, cars spe
eding by me on the interstate. I fall to my knees on the side of the road and can't help the tears in my eyes. I've never felt as helpless as I do now. I can't live without Harper Troy; I know this now more than ever. The thought of another man's hands on her sends physical pain through my body. I understand now what my father was going through. Why he has never loved another.  Why he has been like he has been. I will not give up. I will never give up until I have my girl back.

Eldo
ra, Iowa is a very small town. Not much to see when I pull into a small gas station on the outskirts of town. It's early morning when I reach the town. Now I just have to find my Petal. I know she doesn't actually live in the town and her address is not exactly clear. My assistant was able to get it from the school with some fancy talking. I had put the address in GPS, but it didn't recognize it.