Revenge | A Steamy Mafia Bad Boy Romance (9 page)

Chapter 3

    Amber’s heart pounds in her chest as she walks down the street, her short heels clicking on the damp concreate sidewalk, the noise distracting her as she makes her way down a street she’s never seen before.

“At least there’s people here, so that makes me feel a little bit better.” She says to herself as she passes two men in trench coats. “And they don’t have tattoos on their faces, either, so that’s a plus.”

  Maybe no tattoos, but something was definitely unusual about the people here. It’s late in the evening and so it’s not like she expected children to be out with their moms and dads or anything, but she couldn’t help but notice that nothing seemed casual.

  Every restaurant window she glances in contains nothing but men with slicked back hair and suits being waited on by less than fully clothed waitresses. And what kind of children’s toy store is open this late in the night?

“Well, this is definitely the neighbourhood.” She whispers to herself as she quickly glances back. “These businesses are probably all fronts.”

  She glances down at the tiny, teared off corner of paper in her hand, reading the address before scrunching it back up and slipping it back into the front pocket of her jeans.

“14
th
and Luther…. This is the place…” She says, tilting her head up to look up at the street signs. “But I’m not seeing anything…”

  Amber spins around, glancing from side to side before her eyes catch a glimpse of light from the very end of a long, dark alley way.

  She peers down the lane, biting her bottom lip as she notices the door under the light swing open and a large figure step outside.

“Bingo.” She says, her heart pounding as she takes a shaky breath before forcing her feet to step forward into the darkness.

  “Hello?” She says, as she walks closer, letting the big guy know she’s there so she doesn’t spook him. “Are you the guy I talk to if I want to meet with Leo Ambrosini?”

  She almost runs away as the large man turns around and tosses his smoke on the ground before twisting the toe of his shoe into it to put it out, but her feet won’t take her.

“Why, are you looking for a job?” He asks, looking her up and down as he folds his arms over his chest.

“No, I have a job.” Amber says, glancing back behind her into the darkness.

“So what do you want? Are you here to see him or not?” He says.

“Well, yes, I am.” She stutters.

“Were you ordered? Who do you work for?” He asks her.

“No!” Amber says, her eyes wide. “No, no one ordered me! I’m here because I want to talk to Leo Ambrosini about some business. He was recommended to me and…”

“No, I don’t think so.” He says, cutting her off. “Look I’m sure you’re a very nice lady and I’m sure your problems are definitely worthy of professional help, but see, my job here is to weed out the shit. If I let every girl with a problem inside the good men who work here would be opening pickle jars and killing spiders for you and we’re just not that kind of organization, you understand?”

“Well, excuse me, but this is a big job!” She says, offended as she watches the door open once again as two suited men step outside laughing with cigarettes in their mouths.

“Would you look at this lady!” One of them says as he brings the lighter up to his mouth to take the first drag of his smoke.

“What’s a good looking lady like you doing around here?” The second one asks, elbowing his friend lightly. “Come for a little fun?”

“Get a load of this, guys.” The big, burly door guard says, turning his back to her to face the men as he point back at her with his thumb. “She says she has a job for Leo Ambrosini.”

“Ha!” The taller one laughs as he breathes out a cloud of smoke. “So you have a job for the Mr. Leo Ambrosini, do you?”

“Yes, I do.” Amber says, tapping her foot on the concrete in frustration. “I just want to see him so I can talk to him.”

“About what?” The shorter one asks.

“Well, you know what?” She starts. “Maybe I’ll just take my money elsewhere if you guys don’t think you can handle it.”

“Hold on, hold on…” The taller one says as he flicks his cigarette to the ground as he smiles and glances at his friend. “Yeah, yeah, sure let’s get you inside. I know of a way that will surely get you to the boss… What do you say, Mel?”

“Yeah.” The short one says, pointing his thumb back towards the door as he motions the nods his head in the same direction. “Come with us and we’ll make sure you have a meeting with the Ambrosini himself.”

Chapter 4

  An uneasiness settles in the pit of Amber’s stomach as she follows the two men into the dark room, her stomach turning as the stale smell of alcohol hits her nose.

  “Come with me.” The taller one says, leading her through a row of tables and chairs with deep maroon upholstery.

  He leads her over to a more
private
area, opening a set of semi-transparent grey curtains with gold trim to reveal a stage along with many deep brown leather couches.

  Amber follows the men over to one of the couches, trying to avert her face as she walks by a man getting a hand job from a woman in a silken purple bikini as she leans over the back of one of the sofas.

“Sit down right here, sweetheart.” The shorter one says to her, patting his hand against the seat cushion.

“And you’ll get Mr. Ambrosini for me to talk to?” She asks nervously as she slowly sinks herself down onto the couch.

“Oh, yeah, for sure.” The taller man says, as he begins to unbutton his shirt. “I’ll get right on it…”

“Look, this was a mistake, I’m just going to leave.” She says, trying to stand up.

  They push her back down onto the couch as the shorter one sits down beside her and places the palm of his sweaty hand on her thigh.

“Get OFF of me!” She says, pushing him away as the taller one swoops in, dragging his hand across her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’ll get you your meeting.” He says. “But why should we help you out unless you help us out, too, hey?”

“Fuck you!” Amber says, pulling herself away from them as they grab her arms.

“Wow, she’s a feisty one, isn’t she?” The short one laughs as he pushes against her chest.

“Cut it out.” She hears a deep voice say from behind them. “Come on, you guys.”

“You wanna join us, Johnny?” The short one says, glancing up.

“Mel, there’s other girls here who are actually paid to do that. You can’t just drag in any bitch you see on the street and have your way with her.” The guy says, walking around to the front of the couch.

“And Joe, come on, Joe…” He starts looking at the taller of the two. “Have some fuckin’ respect for your wife, will ya?”

“I remember when you used to be fun, Johnny.” He says, tossing up his hands and leaning back into the couch defeated.

“Oh, please.” He says. “Like I didn’t just get my dick sucked…”

  Amber gets up off the couch, smoothing her shirt with her hands as she glares daggers at the two men.

  “Thank you.” She says, annoyed before looking up at her saviour.

“No problem.” He says, a small coy smile gracing his lips as his skin pulls tight over his chiselled jawline. “Always on the lookout to help a nice lady such as yourself, right?”

“I actually would like some help…” Amber says, her eyes glossing over as her gaze follows his braid shoulders, his suit tight around his pumped arms and his jacket loose around his slender waist.

“And what can I help you with?” He asks, tilting his head to the side.

“She wants a meeting with Mr. Ambrosini, can you believe it?” Joe laughs.

  Johnny raises his eyebrow as he looks at her suspiciously, his calm smile turning into a light chuckle as Amber’s face flushes.

“What business could you possibly have with Mr. Ambrosini?” He asks her.

  Amber stands up tall as she takes in a deep breath. She’s come too far to give up her ground now.

“I have a job for him.” She starts, pursing her lips as her legs tremble under her. “And I can pay.”

“I see.” Johnny says, nodding his head up and down. “Well, if you really can pay, Mr. Ambrosini’s not one to turn down a dollar.”

  He turns her around, gently pressing the palm of his hand against her lower back.

“If you want to see Mr. Ambrosini…” He says gently pushing her to follow him. “Then let’s go.”

Chapter 5

  Her heart pounds wildly in her chest as she follows him away from the couches and to the bar where he lifts up the shelf gate to let her behind.

“Takes a lot of guts for a little lady like yourself to come to a place like this.” Johnny says to her as he walks her behind the bar and down a long hall off to the side.

“Well, sometimes you have no choice.” She whispers back to him as she crosses her arms to hold herself as suited men file down the hall.

  They stop at the very end in front of a closed metal door that’s painted the same deep brown as the walls. She watches, her stomach flipping in full panic mode as Johnny smooths out his jacket and takes a deep breath while wiggling his shoulders as he raises up his fist.

  Amber holds her breath and bites her bottom lip as she listens to Johnny knock twice on the door.

“Step back, sweetheart.” He whispers to her, gently pushing her backwards as the door begins to slowly open.

“What?” A large, bearded man says, his voice deep and gruff as he pokes his head out of the doorway.

“There’s a girl to see Ambrosini.” Johnny starts, motioning towards Amber. “She has a problem she wants to take up with him.”

“A problem?” The man asks, opening the door a little wider so he can step outside. “No, miss, there’s no problem here…”

“I have a job for him.” Amber interrupts. “I don’t have a problem with him, I actually need him to help me.”

“No.” The bodyguard says as he turns around to go back inside.

“Mike, come on, man.” Johnny says, reaching out to grab his wrist. “She’s just a girl who just wants to talk to him.”

“Ahhhhh, alright, alright.” He says, sighing as he turns his attention back to Amber. “But make it quick, he’s been in a nasty mood all day.”

  She quickly nods her head up and down walking forward as the bodyguard steps aside for her.

“Thank you.” She mouths, her voice a very soft whisper as she turns her head back towards Johnny to give him a small smile.

  He nods back, lifting his hand for a quick wave before turning around and walking back down the hall.

  Amber freezes, her legs refusing to take her anywhere as she peers into the room before she finally walks inside.

“A woman here to see you, sir.” The bodyguard says. “She says she might just have a nice little job for us.”

“Does she now?” A deep, raspy voice pipes up from behind a large swivel chair behind the mahogany desk.

  Amber stands up straight, widening her shoulders as she watches the chair spin around to face her, a short old man with peppered hair sitting in its seat, holding a cigarette in one hand and a silver ashtray in the other.

  She watches as he slowly places the ashtray on his desk and leans his smoke inside the bowl before leaning back in his chair and reaching out his hand, motioning towards the leather bench by her knees.

“Please, please, sit down, darling.” He says, crossing his arms as she gently sits herself down on the bench. “You have a problem you want me to solve?”

  Amber feels the blood rush out of her face as she struggles to find the right words. Is she really going to do this? Looks like it’s too late now…

“Yes, I do.” She starts, finding her confidence. “Gangs have taken over my neighbourhood, sir.”

  She takes another deep breath as she watches Mr. Ambrosini lean into his desk to hear her better.

“They’ve been asking for protection money and when my father refused to pay, they burned down his bakery.”

“And so you come to us?” He says, his voice weak as he clears his throat. “Why not go to the police?”

“The police do nothing, sir.” Amber says, her frustration refreshing itself. “People have gone to the police and they’re just…” She pauses, sighing. “They’re as scared as we are. They’re useless.”

“I see.” He says, nodding his head up and down as his breath whistles in his chest.

  Amber’s heart sinks in her chest as she watches him slowly spin his chair back around to look out the window into the night before turning again to reface her.

“Well, that’s such a shame.” He says, picking his cigarette back up out of his ashtray as he reaches for his lighter.

  He flicks the lid open, sparking the flame before holding it against the end, creating a glowing cherry as he puffs.

“But what are you asking of me?”

“I…” She starts again, her fingers tingling. “I need you to take care of them.”

“Take care of them?” He asks, blowing his smoke.

“Yes, sir.” She whispers to him, an eerie calm washing over her. “I want them gone. I want them out of my neighbourhood. Get rid of them.”

  Mr. Ambrosini smiles, chucking as he butts out his cigarette.

“And if we get them gone, miss…” He says, his grey eyes locking in on hers. “What’s in it for us?”

  Amber reaches into her bag, her hands beginning to tremble again as she grips the folded cheque between her finger tips.

  She bites her tongue as she places the paper on the desk and slides it towards Mr. Ambrosini.

“Four hundred and forty thousand dollars.” She says. “Everything the insurance company offered us.”

“I’ll see what I can do for you.” The old man says as he reaches for the cheque.

“No.” Amber says as she pulls back the cheque. “I want your word. This is all my family has. This is our only chance.”

  He chuckles again, his lips upturning as he nods his head up and down.

“I don’t go back on my word, miss.” He says. “My word is how I’ve built my business. Would you have come to me if I was known to go back on my word?”

  Amber swallows, shaking her head as she slides the cheque back toward the old mafia boss.

  He pulls it away, opening it up to confirm before sliding open his desk drawer and slipping the cheque inside.

  He reaches out his hand and Amber nervously does the same, a chill shivering up her spine as his clammy skin grips her.

“I’m glad you brought this to my attention, sweetheart.” He says.