Good Girl: Valetti Crime Family (A Bad Boy Mafia Romance) (12 page)

“
I
’m sorry
, baby,” Kane says, as the blade slips out and blood runs down my arm. I wince at the sight, and seethe through my teeth. I turn away as he uses the tweezers to get the tracker out before wrapping a towel around my arm. It doesn’t hurt right now because of the drugs I'm on, but I know it’s going to catch up with me later. Fear grips me, but then I remember. They’re all dead. No one is going to know it’s out of me. Even if they do, they don’t have the backing to come for me. All of them are fucked with the data Tony found and sent to the police.

I’m happy and grateful that Kane told me. I want to believe I have no reason to be scared anymore, and knowing that helps. But I’m still terrified. We have no one. It’s just the two of us hiding out in an abandoned safe house. If the Valettis are planning on screwing us over, we’re fucked.

I look back at my arm as the towel grazes my hand. He takes the towel away and I’m surprised to find only a small and neat cut where the tracker used to be. He’s quick to put a small bandage over it. His hand travels the length of my arm and stops at my wrist where a small barcode is tattooed. Instinctively, I itch to touch the scar on my shoulder. These are two marks that will forever stay with me, and they’ll never let me forget.

He stands with the bloodied tracker wrapped in the towel and walks to the front door. He grabs the hammer that's sitting on the stairway banister before going outside. I close my eyes and listen as he smashes the tracker to nothing.

I wait in the silence for him to tell me what to do. There’s no plan; I’m not certain he’ll keep me. If he doesn’t want me, I’ll have nowhere to go. I grew up in the States, before we moved back to Russia, but I have no family here. I have no family at all anymore.

My chest feels hollow and rings with pain. If Kane doesn’t want me, I have no one. I have nothing. I hear Vadik’s vicious words in my head as he sneers, “You are nothing.”

I shake my head and close my eyes tightly, denying it. I can’t be nothing. I cross my arms and grab my shoulders, needing to be held. I don’t want to be nothing.

“Ava, baby, what’s wrong?” I open my eyes and see Kane. His arms open and wrap around me, bringing me into his chest.

I’m not nothing. I’m
his
.

I hold onto him and bury my head in his chest. I need to hear him say it. I need that, but I don’t dare ask. I’m too afraid to hear the answer.

“It’s all going to be alright. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I’m sorry I even brought you along.” My eyes open at his words, but he can’t see that. I’m not sorry I was there. I’m fucking happy I killed them. But he wouldn’t be happy with that.

What kind of person am I that I revel in the fact that
I’m
the one who killed
him
?

“Ava, I’m going to ask you this once. Do you want to stay with me?” I pull away from him, eager to answer. But before I can, he puts a finger over my lips to shush me.

“Just hear me out first.” I nod my head as his finger leaves my lips. I don’t care what he has to say though. My answer is already decided.

“I have enough money to take us wherever we need to go. I was smart about shit, and we can get by for a long fucking time. But I don’t have anything else lined up. I don’t know where we’ll go.” His eyes look past me, and his face turns stern. “Before we leave, I have to have a chat with Vince, too.” He swallows hard before looking back at me.

He cups my chin in his hand, and tilts my head to face him. He leans in with his nose brushing mine, and plants a small kiss on my lips. “But this is real for me. What we shared. I’ve never felt that before, and I want it, Ava. More than anything else.”

His words melt my heart. A warmth floods through me. Security, desire, and something else. Something I’m afraid to admit.

“I want it too, Kane. Please.” I look up at him through my thick lashes and see a sexy-as-fuck grin growing on his face.

“I’m all yours then. I’ll take care of us, baby.”

“Yes, Kane,” I say diligently. He backs away slightly, and I have to force my expression to remain as he likes it.

“You okay, Ava?” he asks, with a slightly worried tone in his voice.

No, I’m not. I know I’m not okay. But he won’t want this fucked-up version of me.

I press my lips together to keep the automatic response of “Yes, Kane” from coming through. He doesn’t like that. Or he at least doesn’t want it right now. So I nod my head instead and offer him a sweet smile.

He smirks at me and leans in for another kiss before saying, “Good girl.”

It soothes the broken part of me. That’s all I need right now. I just need to keep being his good girl.

M
y nerves are getting
the best of me. I like Vince. I like the other fuckers sitting in the room--Tommy, Anthony, and Dom. But I know he’s pissed at me. I directly disobeyed him again. He’s fucking pissed. I just got here. And Dom brought me back here without saying a word. We’re in the same office as before. I’m sure they aren’t planning on getting rid of me here, though. Mostly because there’s a nice carpet beneath my feet and not a plastic tarp.

“What are you doing, Kane?” Vince finally asks. His fists are clenched and laying on the table. Pretty sure this isn’t going to come to blows, but if it does, I’m gonna be pissed. He’s the Don, and he has every right to beat the shit out of me. I’m not going to be able to fight back. That’d be a serious infraction. But I won’t fucking like it. Technically I could fight back, but I don’t want to be an enemy of the Valettis. That, and there are three other men in the room that could hold me down. Maybe it’s a compliment that so many men are present.

“I have feelings for her, Vince. She needs me. I’m not going to lose her.” I push the words out. I don’t know if he’ll understand, but he’s going to have to get used to it.

She’s mine. And it’s staying that way.

“And how are you going to take care of her? You’ve got a target on your back, and no family behind you.” He narrows his eyes and leans forward before adding, “What are you going to do about that?”

Is this fucker serious? Is he really questioning my ability to take care of Ava? That motherfucker. I bite my tongue and try real fucking hard not to turn my hands into white-knuckled fists. But I fail miserably.

I watch as his eyes travel to my fists and he smirks. “You don’t like that, do you?”

“No, I don’t fucking like what you’re implying.”

“The fact that she’d be better off without you.” He leans back and shrugs as he says, “All of our women would be better off without us. We know it. They know it.” He points a finger at me. “You know it, too.”

A tightening pain spreads through my chest. I know she would be better off without me. But I’m a fucking bastard, and she said yes. That’s all I need to keep her. I stare back at him with the air between us crackling.

“I’m not letting her go,” I bite out, making sure he knows we’re going to have problems if he tries to take her from me.

“That’s fine.” His eyebrows raise. “But that’s not what I asked. What are you going to do, Kane? Where are you going to go?”

I try to relax some. I take a moment to think of an answer. I could go anywhere, and do anything. But I’m fucking good at being in the mob. I’m damn good at what I do. That, and Vince is right; there’s a huge fucking target on my back. Now I’ve taken out two families that were big names. It’s not good to be too well-known.

People tend to disappear when they reach a certain level of visibility. They’re a threat, they’re also a competitor. I don’t need every fucking guy out there thinking he can prove something by getting the best of me. And that’s a very real possibility at this point.

“I’m asking you what your plan is, because I need someone I can trust, and I'm not sure if that person is you.” The last line comes out hard. His anger is coming back in full force.

“What can I do for you?” For the first time in a long time, hope starts to creep up on me. If I can get into Vince’s good graces, things may turn out to be just fine. People don’t fuck with the Valettis. It’d be a dream come true to get in tight with them. Maybe I could become a made man if I can prove my loyalty to them. My blood spikes with doubt. Ava. I doubt Vince would make me a made man for constantly going rogue.

But I can fucking try.

“Tommy’s being watched. He’s out on bail.”

My eyes dart to Tommy in the corner of the room. I thought the stale air and tension in the room were solely because of me. I hadn’t picked up on the different emotions. Vince and Anthony are pissed. Dom looks anxious as fuck. But Tommy, he just looks defeated.

“What do they have on you?” I ask him.

“My prints at the scene, on one of the women’s shoes...” He pauses and looks at the ceiling before continuing. “And one of them said she recognized me.” Fuck. That’s so fucking bad. But they were all drugged up, so I can’t imagine it’s going to stick.

“So the women, and all of Petrov’s dead men.” His voice is flat.

“They’re pinning all that on you?” Holy fuck! Tommy is screwed.

“The evidence is minimal, which is why he’s out.” Vince cuts in. “Well that, and we have the judge in our pocket.” Even with a judge on their side, those charges aren’t going to be easy to beat.

“They want him to talk more than anything. Those fuckers will pin anything they can on us to fuck us over.” Vince is getting worked up again, so I stop him and get back to the conversation at hand.

“So what do you need, boss?” I ask him, leaning forward in my chair.

He gives me a small, crooked smile. “I’m gonna need for you to take over Tommy’s route in the meantime. I believe you would be a good fit.”

Pride fills my chest and I nod slowly, although I’m eager to take this opportunity.

“I’m happy to help however I can.”

“Good,” Vince says, smacking his hand on the desk.

“I won’t disappoint you guys,” I say, looking at each of them.

“I know you won’t.” Vince smirks. “That’s why I asked you.”

I smile back at him and get ready to take down all the information I’m gonna need from Tommy. But before I can open my mouth Vince adds, “You’re not off the hook just yet, though. We’re watching your girl.”

“Watching?”

“Just to make sure you’re the kind of man I think you are. We don’t tolerate certain things like other families do.”

“I’ve never smacked a woman around before, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

He looks at me for a minute before taking a deep breath and finally answering, “I just wanna make sure you’re the man I think you are.”

I give him a stern nod. I hear the clause in there that’s not said aloud. If I’m not that man, he’s going to have to take me out. I hear it loud and fucking clear. But I’m not worried. Ava and I are solid.

I’m not worried about a damn thing.

T
his is going to hurt
, but not nearly as much as the pain I felt when they held me down and tattooed the barcode on.

“You ready, baby?” Kane asks, as he gently rubs my back. My ass is firmly planted on what looks like an exam bed from a doctor’s office. I take a deep breath and look down at the quote I picked out. It’s in a beautiful scroll with my sister’s initials added to the end made to look like a small heart and it reads
forever in my heart
. The way the artist drew it, it should cover the barcode so it’s not even noticeable.

At least I hope it won’t be.

I bite my lip and then nod. “I’m ready.” I let out a deep breath and hold out my wrist.

The tattoo artist, Aaron, is a big man made of lean muscle. Tattoos cover his entire neck and, from what I can see, both of his arms. I wouldn’t be surprised if his chest and back were covered, too. But there’s an air of professionalism about him. As he wipes down my wrist I can tell there are questions in his eyes, but he doesn’t ask.

I’m grateful for that. I just want to forget. I want to forget all of it.

As Aaron turns on the machine and it comes to life with a loud hum, Kane takes my other hand in his and squeezes.

“Talk to me.” The words tumble out of my mouth. I just want something to distract me so I can ignore the pain. The needle touches my skin and I wince, but stay still. “Please,” I add.

“Did you decide on one for your shoulder?” he asks. It chills me to the bone.

I don’t want one there, but he does. He thinks it would be good to cover it up. But it’s already fading. I don’t want to draw any more attention to it. I just shake my head. There’s no point in trying to cover every scar.

I have too many scars. They’ll never be gone.

He can sense I’m upset, and I know he doesn’t like it. I need to stop it. He leans down and kisses my temple.

I have to be his good girl. He needs me to be happy. I’m so far from happy, though.

“I’ll think of something,” I finally answer, and put a smile on my face.

“Whatever you decide, baby, I’m sure it’ll be beautiful.” He grabs my chin between his fingers and tilts my chin up to him. He plants a soft kiss on my lips and it soothes me.

He’s happy with me. I want him to be happy.

* * *

“
Y
ou sure
you don’t want a shower?” Kane asks, as I crawl into bed. There are a few boxes in the center of the bedroom. They’re mostly just packed with my clothes that Kane bought me. We’re leaving tomorrow to get a place he picked out downtown. It’s really homey, and I kinda love it. I know he was waiting for a reaction from me, and I’m happy I found one. I was worried I wouldn’t like any of the five places he was considering. But I instantly fell in love with the fourth one.

I shake my head no and yawn before I can get the word out. He chuckles as he climbs into bed with me. My eyelids feel so heavy.

“You too tired for me, baby?” he asks in a low voice as his arms wrap around my waist. I giggle in his arms and nestle into his hold. Before I can answer, I yawn again.

“In the morning, you’re all mine,” he says, kissing my neck and laying me down at his side. My eyes widen with anxiety. I wasn't turning him down just now.

Everything feels normal between us, like a new couple exploring each other. Most of the time, when he’s with me, I forget. Sometimes it comes back, though. Hatred and sadness. I glance down at the bandage around my wrist. Sometimes I remember the worst things, and the nightmare feels so real.

But not when I’m with Kane. He wards off all of my demons. I feel so safe with Kane, but I’m still terrified of him being upset with me. A dark voice whispers deep inside,
it’s because you’re broken.

“We can--” I start to suggest, but he cuts me off.

“You’re tired, baby. You’re gonna pass out on me.” He yawns and puts one arm behind his head.

It has been a really long day. After we picked out the apartment we had to buy everything to fill it. Tomorrow’s going to be a long ass day, too. But at least the morning will be off to a good start. I cover my mouth as another yawn takes control and shows itself without my consent.

“Get some sleep, baby. Tomorrow night I gotta run out and do some things, but we’ll still celebrate and break in the new apartment together.” He rocks his dick into me and forces a small giggle from me. I’m excited to move in with him. My heart swells in my chest. It feels like a huge step forward for us. I lower my eyes and rest my head against the pillow as his arm wraps around me.

Confusion stirs in me as I start to think about us as a couple. He was my captor, and then my savior. And I’ve been nothing but a victim. At least to him.
Broken
, the dark voice whispers. I close my eyes and force the voice away. I’m not broken. I’m his. I can’t be broken.

* * *

S
mash
! The gun falls down and crashes against his skull. Smash! I hit the butt of the gun against his teeth, cracking them. They break off and the jagged edges scrape and cut the skin of my hand.

I pull my hand back and examine my wound. Small drops of blood fall from the cuts and I follow them as they land on Vadik’s broken and bloodied face.

As my eyes land on his, they open and stare back at me.

I scream out, “Help me!” Terror strikes my heart. My blood runs cold. I scream out for Kane. He’ll save me. But my voice is broken. I can’t speak his name. My hand grips my throat as I try again. Kane! I want to yell, but there’s only silence.

“He’ll never love you. You’re just playing a part. What do you think he’ll do to you when he finds out who you really are?” Vadik sneers, with a wicked smile.

I shake my head in denial. “Kane loves me,” I whisper, feeling as though the words are true.

“If loved you, he’d tell you that. He doesn’t even know you and your sick thoughts.”

I shake my head and back away as he rises from the ground, following me. Getting closer to me. I scoot back on my ass, shoving myself against the wall. Vadik cages me in, his face just an inch from mine.

“He’d never love a whore like you. A worthless little bitch who lied to him. He wouldn’t be able to stand the sight of you. You’re nothing!” he screams at me, and pulls his hand back to strike me. My hands fly up to cover my face.

Kane’s hovering over me as a scream is torn from my throat. He has a grip on both of my wrists as they fly through the air.

“It’s okay. Ava, I’m here. It’s okay.” He keeps repeating himself as my breathing comes in frantic, desperate gasps, and my heart threatens to leave my chest. I try to steady myself, but I can’t. It was so real. It was too real.

“Baby, what’s wrong? What’s wrong?” His eyes search my face with worry. I can’t make him worry. I can’t lose him.

I shake my head and place a hand over my beating heart. I remember the dream. I remember Vadik’s words. I won’t let that happen. I won’t let Kane know how ruined I am.

“Just a bad dream,” I whisper. His shoulders stay tense and his mouth parts slightly. He doesn’t believe me. “Will you hold me?” I ask him. He likes it when I ask him to comfort me. And I like it, too. I need it. I feel so safe in his arms.

“Of course, baby.” He kisses my lips and pulls me closer to him. “I’ve got you, baby.”

I close my eyes, but I’m very much awake. He doesn’t have me. He hardly even knows me. And if he did, I’d be nothing to him.