Fear : A Bad Boy Mafia Pregnancy Romance Novel (2 page)

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.

Chapter 6

  Johnny cracks his knuckles as he walks back behind the bar before bending down and reaching under the counter for a glass.

  He whistles quietly to himself as he places the glass on the sticky counter top before turning around to the mirrored glass shelves and picking up a small, dark bottle of rich brandy.

“Johnny, what the hell, man?” Joe says, squinting at him as he stands up from one of the leather couches and quickly walks over to the bar.

  He sits on a tall barstool, as he leans over the bar while Johnny pours himself a stiff one on the rocks.

“She wanted to see him.” Johnny replies before taking a sip of his drink and hissing out the harshness as he exhales.

“No, we had a nice little interaction going on and you swooped in a ruined it for us.” Joe says, reaching over the bar and grabbing a few olives before popping one into his mouth.

“Yeah.” Johnny says, snorting as he nods his head. “Yeah, I’m sure you would have treated her with the utmost respect there, Joe.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Joe says, lifting his hands up in defence as he swallows his olive. “I’m just sayin’ you used to be down for that Johnny. Seems like before today, you would have been right there with us!”

“I’m still down for it, you fuckin’ idiot.” Johnny says, leaning back against the sink behind the bar as he takes another sip from his brandy. “I’ve fucked every whore in this joint, but we don’t need no more problems with outsiders.”

“Hey!” Joe says, shaking his pointer finger at Johnny. “The only one who seems to be causing problems here is you.”

“Me?” Johnny says, kicking himself off of the sink before walking out from behind the bar.

  He makes his way over to one of the brown leather couches before letting himself fall down onto it. He sighs out loudly, kicking his feet up on the coffee table before taking another sip of his drink.

“I’m not causing problems.” Johnny says to Joe as he walks back over to the more private area. “I’m the solver of problems around here and we all know it.”

“Well, you are my problem, Johnny.” Joe laughs. “Why haven’t you solved that one? Why you still here?”

  Johnny squeals as he tosses his head back. He wipes a tear away from his eye before chuckling deeply into his brandy.

  He takes a sip, wagging his finger as he swallows before clearing his throat as the room quiets and everyone hushes themselves.

  Johnny watches as Ralphie, Mr. Ambrosini’s right hand bodyguard, leads the woman who wanted the meeting out from behind the bar with his hand on her shoulder.

  He raises his hand to her, a soft, shy smile upturning his lips as they walk by, heading towards the door.

  She nods her head softly, smiling back at him as she mouths a small “thank you” before the semi-transparent curtains blur her out.

“Well, Johnny…” Joe begins to whisper. “Either it went good or it went bad. But at least she got her meeting.”

  Johnny nods, standing up from the couch as he notices his boss slowly walk behind the bar from down the hall. He pushes his shoulders back, squaring them as he walks towards the old man.

“What the girl want, boss?” Mel pipes up as he walks over to the bar with his hand wrapped around a girl in a sky blue two piece, his fly down and forgotten.

  Mr. Ambrosini looks around the room, nodding his head up and down as he purses his lips together.

“The situation is…” He starts, his voice quiet and raspy. “There are thugs running around that girls neighbourhood and she’s asked us to take them out.”

“And are we gunna?” A tall, lanky suited gangster asks.

“Mhm.” Mr. Ambrosini nods. “Why waste our chance to acquire some new area? Now, Big Joe,” He says, pointing towards the man. “You’re going to go out with this girl tonight. She’ll let you know what you’re looking for, alright.”

“Tonight? Oooh, boss, I don’t know about tonight.” Joe says, shaking his head. “My wife’s got a thing tonight, a dinner thing, heh, you know what it’s like. But, Johnny, on the other hand…” Joes says, wrapping his arm around Johnny before patting him on the chest. “Johnny over here is a
solver of problems
, if you know what I mean.”

“I really don’t care who.” Mr. Ambrosini says before gliding his tongue over his teeth under his lips. “I just want it to get done.”

  He looks towards Johnny, his eyes narrowing in on him.

“If you can get it done, then get it done.”

“No problem, boss.” Johnny says, nodding his head as he watches his boss turn behind the bar and disappear back down the hall as he walks towards his office.

  Johnny huffs, sighing out loudly before turning towards Joe and connecting his fist against the top of Joe’s arm.

“Hey!” Joe says, holding in his yelp in case the boss is still in earshot.

“I had to get up fucking early this morning and now I’m going to be up all night!” Johnny says, walking past Joe as he makes his way back behind the bar.

“Solver of problems, though, right?” Joes says, following him. “Hey, Johnny!” He calls out to him. “My thirst is a problem, too, why don’t you make me a drink?”