Read Poisoned Rose (Dark Roses #1) Online
Authors: Nathalie Saade
A week after Marcus got away, Aurora got home from the gym and started getting ready to go out. It was Johnny’s thirty first birthday and despite the climate, Vince had made reservations for Belle’s, the three Michelin star restaurant with a spectacular view of Venice Beach. She found it almost amusing that if the horrific events of the previous months hadn’t happened, she would have been meeting Bo and Cross for the first time. She dressed in a red bodycon dress with a pair of crystal encrusted stilettos, curled her hair, applied her make-up, and took extra care choosing her jewelry. Finally she stuffed a pocket pistol into her clutch before heading down to the foyer. Vince let out an appreciative whistle as she made a show of strutting down the right staircase.
‘Are we ready?’
Johnny came around the corner and she was taken aback. Like Vince, he was dressed in black Tom Ford with the family signet ring, but his appearance wasn’t what surprised her. Johnny was smiling.
‘Hell yes! It’s not every day your brother turns thirty one!’
Johnny rolled his eyes at Vince and walked towards the front door, but as soon as he opened it he froze. Parked in front of the house was a brand new Mercedes. He turned back and she and Vince both smiled as Vince tossed him the keys.
‘Happy Birthday John. This is where you say thanks.’
Johnny punched him in the arm then gave him what was more a slap on the back than a hug. He then pulled her in for a real hug. In that moment, the world was a safe place. But it didn’t last long. As they drove, Johnny tested the power of the coupe, him and Vince hollering in excitement as she dug her nails into the leather seating. They pulled up in front of Belle’s and Johnny handed the keys to the valet. He took Aurora’s hand in his arm and together with Vince they walked into the restaurant. In a modern twist on Parisian chic, the restaurant was lit by candles and crystal chandeliers. There were glass tables and high backed leather chairs, and the walls were covered in fleur-de-lis wallpaper.
Vince flashed the hostess his winning smile and she blushed as she led them to where Bo and Cross were seated. All eyes were on their table as the captains stood and gave Johnny slaps on the back, wishing him a happy birthday and smiling. Their world was dark and vicious, where you had to watch your back at all times and live with the reality that everyone could be trying to kill you. To see them all smile was a gift.
When they were done with the back slapping, Vince pulled her seat out but she spotted a familiar face on the other side of the restaurant and her breath caught in her throat. Hawk was seated at a private table, with his suit jacket on the back of his chair and the top two buttons of his fitted shirt undone. She could make out each sculpted muscle of his torso and felt her body temperature rise as he leant forward, deep in discussion with his dinner partner.
The woman had black hair in a pixie cut with purple streaks. She was wearing elbow length gloves and a backless gown that showed off the angel wing tattoos that covered her back. Her ears were pierced from top to bottom and she had a diamond stud in her nose. When she looked up, her eyes were amethyst. Aurora tried to turn away, but Hawk’s mismatched eyes locked on hers. His expression was intense, but he quickly broke eye contact, turning his attention back to his date.
Vince cleared his throat and she forced herself to smile and sit down. The entrée arrived with a bottle of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 1995, delivered by the restaurant’s owner. Once Johnny had approved the champagne, the owner filled their glasses, whispered something into Johnny’s ear and left the bottle in a sterling silver ice bucket. Johnny picked up his glass and toasted the table behind her head. She didn’t need to turn to see who he was toasting but she did anyway. Hawk had his glass of champagne up, staring past her as if she wasn’t there. His date flashed Johnny a dazzling smile and Aurora lost what appetite she’d had left. When the entrées were finished, the mains were brought out along with a bottle of 1971 Leroy Mazis Chambertin. Johnny looked to his captains and Bo slid a box across the table. Inside was a Rolex Platinum.
‘Happy birthday John, we thought maybe a watch would stop you being late to interrogations.’
Bo deadpanned as he and Cross toasted Johnny, who raised his glass in thanks. They ate and as Johnny put the watch on and the others chatted about its features, the waitresses that had picked up their entrées came back to pick up the mains. When they left, Bo punched Johnny in the shoulder.
‘They were all over you birthday boy!’
‘What you think you’re the only one the ladies drool over?’
Johnny winked at Bo and leant back in his chair, and she was surprised to see Bo’s cheeks turn red. She snorted before she could stop herself, hoping nobody noticed, but Cross lifted his glass to her with a smirk before finishing it in one gulp. After switching to hard liquor for dessert, the conversation steered into less tasteful territory and she gave in to temptation, stealing a glance over her shoulder.
Hawk was giving his date his undivided attention, using his hands to emphasize his words while she shook her head in response. Aurora watched his lips form words she couldn’t hear. She hadn’t appreciated how beautiful his lips were when she was young, how soft and full they looked even from across the restaurant. She would have given anything to be sitting across from him, waiting for the moment where he would lean in and kiss her. But when Hawk’s date placed her hand on his, Aurora excused herself.
The men at her table cocked their eyebrows and she patted her clutch to indicate that she had her Glock 25. Johnny waved her off and once inside the bathroom, she braced herself on the marble sinks. What the hell was wrong with her? So what if once upon a time they were close. They had been children and their families had been friends, they hadn’t chosen to be in each other’s lives. They were adults now, and if Hawk wanted her to be a part of his life, she had no doubt whatsoever that he would make it happen. But instead, he was sitting out there with a beautiful woman while she stood hunched over a sink in the ladies bathroom. When did she become so pathetic?
Frustrated, she took out her blush compact and left her purse open. She looked up at the mirror, then gasped at the figure standing behind her. She had just enough time to spin around before she was grabbed by the neck and slammed against the mirror. Her head shattered the surface and mirror shards dug into her neck and shoulders, her lower back digging into the edge of the sink. She bit her lower lip, attempting to arch her back and ease the pressure.
‘I was beginning to think you’d never get that pretty little ass of yours in here.’
She shuddered as Marcus grabbed her thigh and lifted her onto the counter, causing her dress to slide up to her hips. He stepped between her legs and brought his face close to hers. As he tightened his grip around her neck she saw that he had Roman’s knife flush against her right thigh. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her hair. She punched him but he held on, his grip so tight around her neck that she was beginning to lose consciousness. He moved the knife up and down her thigh, watching its path, then looked at her cleavage and licked his lips.
‘I wonder if the captain will care if I take you. Soldiers aren’t petty are they?’
‘Go to hell.’
Marcus growled and punched her in the face. She felt her lip split and could feel blood starting to run down her chin as he ran the knife down her cheek.
‘Then again, you’re not really my type so maybe I should just hand you over’
She knew Marcus didn’t realize he was divulging useful information, and she tried to memorize everything he was saying. His brown eyes were unfocused and his breath smelt like road kill. He was still wearing the grass stained clothes he’d had on when they’d interrogated him, and with the smell that was hanging off him, he hadn’t showered since. He gave her a twisted grin.
‘Actually, I’ve got a better idea.’
He began carving into her thigh and her eyes rolled back in pain. Unable to scream, she hissed through her teeth as he carved over his first two characters with extra care, enthralled by his own handiwork. His grip was unwavering. She thought she heard the bathroom door open but no one walked in. If she could just reach her clutch… but it had fallen into the sink, and she knew that if she reached out to grab it, he’d get to it first. The Glock wasn’t calibrated to her palm, and if he got to it…
Her eyes started to flutter and in the recesses of her mind she was aware that Marcus was running his tongue up her neck. She pushed at him, forcing herself to stay conscious, and he forced her head up and to the side to give him better access to her neck.
‘Let her go.’
The deep voice vibrated against the tiles. Hawk had walked in and locked the door behind him. One blue eye and one green eyed stared at Marcus in the mirror as Hawk unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. Marcus stared back at him and laughed.
‘Well look who it is.’
‘I’m only gonna say it once.’
Hawk stood with his arms crossed, baiting a panting Marcus. She had to do something, she couldn’t let Hawk walk in and save her like she was some loser who couldn’t defend herself. After several heartbeats, Marcus grinned and settled his gaze on Hawk, then pounced. Gasping for air she grabbed her Glock and launched herself off the sink to land on Marcus’s back. They both went down and as her knees smashed against the marble floor, she aimed her gun at the base of Marcus’s skull and pulled the trigger. The blast was deafening. His body went limp, and blood started pooling across the marble. Hawk lifted her to her feet, wiped away the blood that had sprayed on her face with his hands, then held her by the shoulders.
‘Are you hurt?’
He stared at her with such intensity that for a moment, she forgot what had happened.
‘Aurora, are you hurt?’
He raised his voice and brushed the hair away from her face. She could feel her heart hammering inside her chest.
‘He cut me… but I’m ok.’
Her voice was hoarse and each word felt like a chainsaw tearing apart the inside of her throat. Hawk’s gaze fell on the crude carving and he let out a low growl. He ripped off one of his sleeves, went down on one knee and wrapped it around her thigh. He adjusted her dress and stood back up.
‘We need to get you out of here.’
He pulled her to the window which led to the alley beside the restaurant, grabbed her waist and lifted her up. She hooked her elbows over the edge. Johnny was standing outside with Vince in the driver’s seat of the coupe, both of them yelling at her to jump. She looked back at Hawk, resisting his attempts to push her out the window.
‘I won’t go without you.’
Hawk stared at her in surprise.
‘I’m coming... Now go!’
She fell out the window and Johnny caught her, hustling her into the back seat of the coupe as the blue and whites came hurtling around the corner. Vince slammed his foot down on the accelerator and she looked back in time to see Hawk jump out the window. He dropped into a squat and used his right hand to steady himself against the concrete, his muscles flexing. As he climbed into the black Escalade his date had waiting, Aurora knocked her head against the seat and wished he was still with her.
Vince pulled up at a house Aurora didn’t recognize and she grit her teeth as Johnny carried her out of the car. Vince went first and opened the front door, heading down a long corridor. At the end, they turned into what looked like a surgery and a man she didn’t know was standing beside a hospital bed. Johnny sat her down and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders, pain shooting through her leg. As the stranger hovered over her, she asked where they were before launching into a fit of coughs.
‘You’re at my home in my private surgery. My name is Aiden, I’m the Hannam Family surgeon.’
She had expected Johnny to answer but instead he had stepped aside, letting Aiden take the lead. She hissed as he poured alcohol on her thigh, using wash cloths to clean the area while Vince hovered behind him, asking how bad her injuries were. Aiden picked up a syringe and spoke to her instead of her brothers.
‘You need stitches so I’m going to give you local anesthetic. It’s not as bad as I first thought but it’s going to scar. You’re going to feel pressure as I stitch the wound, let me know if I hurt you.’
Aiden gave her the injection then threaded his needle and started stitching. While he worked, Vince handed her a wet cloth so that she could wipe Marcus’s blood from her face and chest.
‘What the hell happened in there?’
Johnny was standing at the foot of the bed, waiting for an explanation.
‘Marcus was waiting for me in the bathrooms, I didn’t get the chance to grab my gun.’
Her voice was husky. Johnny wanted to know what Marcus had said. She didn’t want to get into a fight with him but she was covered in Marcus’s blood, had cuts down her back, and a surgeon was stitching up a carving in her thigh.
‘John, I’ll tell you everything you want to know but can we do it after Aiden finishes using me as a pincushion?’
Johnny wasn’t happy but he agreed to let Aiden finish. He continued stitching and she listened as her brothers discussed how Bo and Cross had gone to meet with Honor. They were interrupted when Aiden stopped mid-thread and called Johnny over. Johnny grabbed Vince so that they were both looking at her thigh from Aiden’s vantage point. She tried to get a better view but Vince flattened his hand on her stomach and stopped her. Just as she was about to ask what they were looking at, Johnny exploded and punched the wall. He stormed out of the room, Vince right behind him. After a few minutes, Vince walked back in, closed the door, and moved to stand beside her.
‘What did you see?’
‘Just wait until Aid is done.’
There was no point arguing, so instead she gave him the bloody wash cloth. Vince was about to give her another one when Aiden tied the end of the thread then cut it with surgical scissors. He then placed the needle into a metal bowl beside the syringe before taking off his plastic gloves. He let her know she could use the bathroom to wash up but not to get the stitches wet. She asked about her throat and he assured her that her windpipe was fine but she would have bruising. Then he walked out of the room to give them space and when he closed the door, she turned to Vince.
‘Now are you going to tell me what you saw that made Johnny go raging?’
‘Did Marcus say anything to you?’
She was pissed at the fact that Vince was avoiding her question. But as she remembered the conversation, she realized that after Marcus had threatened to rape her, he’d asked if she thought his captain would mind and if soldiers were petty. She expected a big reaction but instead Vince pressed on.
‘What else? What did he say before he started carving in to you?’
She wasn’t sure what else she had to say to get Vince to tell her what he knew. Wasn’t it enough that she’d just proven that there were rogues? All he’d said was that he had a better idea than raping her. Vince was cringing and as she thought back, she realized in horror what he’d meant. She sat forward, taking in the harsh black stitches in her thigh and making out two capital letters. She cried out but Vince took her hand in his and forced her to look at him.
‘It’s ok, Aiden is a genius when it comes to plastics, I’m sure he can do something about the scarring. What Marcus said though… these bastards are organized, and they know what they’re doing. Johnny is calling for a Formal Sit Down tomorrow night. You’re coming. But we’ll talk about that later. Before you go wash up, I want to make sure you’re ok.’
She wasn’t sure what to experience first; horror at having half a psycho’s name carved into her body, or joy that Johnny wanted her to attend a Formal Sit Down.
‘Am I ok with the fact that I have two letters carved into my thigh? No, but I don’t exactly have a choice.’
Vince shook his head.
‘Not that. You just had your first kill. How do you feel?’
Amid all the drama, she hadn’t had a chance to take in the events of the night. Shit… She had killed someone.
‘I’m not sure how I feel. I haven’t thought about it yet.’
But Vince didn’t let go of her hand. Was he expecting to stand there and stare at her while she tried to figure out how she felt? And was it necessary to discuss it right at that moment, when she was still covered in that bastard’s blood?
‘If I let you go wash up reality’s going to hit you while you’re in the bathroom and I don’t know how you’re going to react. How does it feel Roar? Knowing that because of you, a man will never take another breath? That any family he’s left behind will mourn him for the rest of their lives? How does it feel knowing that you consciously shoved the barrel of your gun into the back of his head and…’
‘I had to kill him! He wanted to hurt the Family and I couldn’t let that happen!’
‘So it was just business?’
She scoffed.
‘Well it sure as hell wasn’t pleasure.’
But Vince shook his head again and explained that the opposite of business wasn’t pleasure, it was personal. She was silent, analyzing her emotions. She had killed Marcus because he’d wanted to harm her and her Family. But was there a personal element? Had she killed him because of who he was, or would she have killed anyone in his position? It was when she asked herself that question that she knew there was no personal element to the kill. She let out a long breath, the events of the night taking their toll.
‘Yes, it was just business.’
Vince pulled her into his arms so that her head rested against his chest.
‘I’m not doing this to torture you, I’m just trying to give you some perspective. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to, things that weigh on our conscious and make us feel like shit afterwards, but that doesn’t make us bad people. You killed Marcus because you had to and I need you to know that you’re not a bad person because of that.’
‘Do you think it’s ok to use business as an excuse to kill someone?’
‘No, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t done it and won’t continue to do it.’
‘How’d you feel after your first kill?’
Vince lay his head on top of hers.
‘I felt guilty. I was eighteen and we were at Charles de Gaulle Airport at midnight. We’d just closed a deal and were on the tarmac walking from the limo to Dad’s jet when one of the cabin crew took a shot at him. I pushed him out of the way and fired back, one shot straight through the chest. He lived long enough to give us the name of who he was working for but that was it. It took a while for what I’d done to sink in.’
She wanted to know if Vince had killed more people since then and he told her there had been too many to count. Then she asked if it got any easier with each kill. She had to know, even though it wouldn’t make a difference. Vince lifted his head and broke the hug, giving her a crooked smile.
‘I wish I could say yes.’