The Arrangement, Vol. 20: The Ferro Family (4 page)

I
lose it
. Melting into his chest, I feel my knees buckle as my eyes overflow with tears.

“You... You’re... I saw Vic shoot you.”

Sean towers over me, holding me tight. He kisses my head several times, softly, carefully.

“He did. It grazed my side. He had other plans for me, but things didn’t go well that day. For him.” I pull back, look into his face and start bawling. I can’t help it. Sean laughs lightly and pulls me closer to his chest. “It’s good to know you care.”

I slap his side, making him wince.

“Sorry, but you’re an ass, you know that? Why’d you wait so long to find me?”

“Because, in case you didn’t notice, you were hiding in this lovely neighborhood. If Mel hadn’t gotten hold of me, I wouldn’t have known you survived. I was sure Vic killed you. That guy is unhinged.” Sean takes my face in his palms and holds me there. He gazes at me like he didn’t expect to see me again.

“Is the baby all right?” His question cuts me to my core.

I start blubbering again and bury my face in his chest. Since he can’t understand what I’m saying, he assumes the worst.

“You lost it? Avery, I’m so sorry. Oh, my God.” He holds me gently, kissing the top of my head, and when I pull away to correct him, I see something that makes no sense. Sean blinks hard and swipes at his eyes. My jaw drops and I stare at him. Sean forces a smile.

“I know it wasn’t mine, but I was happy for you. I could see you holding her in your arms. She was beautiful, just like you.” He lifts his hand to my cheek, and I lean into his touch.

“Sean,” I manage to choke out his name. I never expected him to be like this. I said the worst thing I could possibly think of to get him to leave me, and he’s still here. He’s crying over a baby I never had. I feel like an asshat. “It’s not that. There was never a baby.”

His expression shifts, becoming guarded once more. The vulnerability is sucked off his face and into the emotional black hole swirling within him. He’s quiet, waiting for an explanation. I step away and twist my hands as I speak.

“I thought you were going to sacrifice yourself to save me. I couldn’t stop you. No one can stop you when you’re like that, Sean. I couldn’t think of anything else that would throw you off, so I said I didn’t love you. I added a fake baby when you wouldn’t walk away. There was no baby and I don’t love Trystan, not like that. I never have. It’s always been you. I don’t know how to get through this, but I can’t lose you again.” My lower lids come up as my vision goes blurry from unshed tears.

Sean is completely still. I have no idea what he’s thinking. He doesn’t even make an indication that he’s heard me. He just stands in the middle of the street, staring blankly.

“Sean, say something.” I try to catch his eye, but he doesn’t move. “I was cruel and you should be pissed. Yell at me! Scream! I deserve it.” As I say the last words, I press my hands to his chest and push.

Sean blinks and looks down at me. His hands cover mine. Those blue eyes pierce my soul and his beautiful face is a canvas of hope and adoration.

“When you said it was his, I realized something.”

My heart slaps against my ribs, bursts through, and runs down the street. This can’t be real. It can’t be. He’s going to say it; he’s going to tell me he loves me. After denying it for so long, after continuously trying to push me away, he’s going to say it. I can see it on his face.

“What?”

Sean presses his lips together and swallows hard. His lashes lower so that he’s no longer looking me in the eye. Whatever he has to say is incredibly personal, so much so that he can’t hide how vulnerable it makes him feel.

“I realized how badly I wanted a life with you--not the messed up version I thought we’d have, but a real life. Maybe it won’t be in a Cape Cod house with a picket fence, but I saw us together on a couch with a baby on your lap. I saw you stroke her hair and kiss her cheek. I saw her pink dress and her little pink shoes. I saw her, Avery. She was the life we could have had. It wasn’t the house or the fences. It wasn’t about a dog or zip code. It was about us, about her. I wanted her so badly, and I never even realized it. A life with you would be complicated, but most dreams are--and I’ve treated you so badly--”

I press my fingers to his lips and stop him. Sean looks me in the eye.

“You want a baby?” He nods. “With me?” A smile lights up his face.

“Yes, with you. You’re my home. I want to be wherever you are. If you'll have me, I want to build a life with you. I love you, Avery.”

My lower lip begins to tremble and I can’t stop it. Every emotion I’ve held in check for so long comes rushing out in the most ungodly sound. Sean's eyes sweep up to the guys, who have been watching us, and then back at me.

“Don’t cry. We don’t have to do anything. I shouldn’t have said anything. I should have--”

I start laughing, which confuses him more. Sean’s face is a mix of horror and bewilderment. I grab his face and kiss him, cutting off his words. When I pull back, I laugh again.

“I’m glad you did. I had no idea. None. This mess of tears and smiles is joy; I think you broke my face.”

Sean smiles and pulls me to him. “You want me?”

“Always.”

“You’ll marry me? You’ll be my wife?”

“And have your babies.” I smile up at him. My gaze drifts to his lips and I really want to press my body against his and kiss him until I can’t breathe.

Mel shouts from the back of the van. “Get your skinny asses in here! I knew this was stupid. It’s got stupid white people written all over it. You two are brain dead!” Mel chucks something at us--a roll of tape--and it hits me in the shin before wobbling down the street.

“Fine.” I take Sean’s hand and start walking toward the vehicle. “I’ll get in the van. But I know that tape was for me. You knew I wouldn’t get in.”

He squeezes my hand. “I knew you’d never give up.”

I
watch
her like I’m in a dream and she may vanish. I thought I’d lost her--lost her heart to Trystan Scott and then her brother--I don’t want to think about that. Vic Jr. is darkness, evil, worse than his father by far. Avery gazes over at me with those soft brown eyes. Her lips curve into a sweet smile.

“I can’t believe you hired a geek crew and thought they could be ninjas. I bet kidnapping wasn’t something they wanted on their resume.”

Goatee Guy snorts. “True dat.” He winks at me and makes a set of guns with his fingers, then tips them back and makes a “pfff” noise with his mouth.

“Justin,” I say in a warning tone. The guy can’t keep his mouth shut. The less Avery knows, the better. As it is, she’s going to be pissed when she figures out who we’re going to see.

“Sorry, boss.” He leans back against the van wall.

Avery slips her small hand into mine, lacing our fingers together. She feels so good. I want to get her alone and trace every inch of her body with my hands. I want to feel her curves fill my palms, and watch as she presses into me. Memories of her flood my mind--her head tipped back, eyes closed, her long hair cascading down her back, and her perfect breasts are thrust forward. In my mind’s eye, I see her in the shower in my rooms, dripping wet. Her body glistens under the spray of water as she leans against the cold tiles.

She’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever met, willing to try anything, wanting to know what pleasures are to her liking--and mine. The most amusing part is that she has no idea how alluring she is, a siren in sneakers.

As I watch, her expression changes from contentment to inquisitiveness.

“What are you thinking about?”

I lean forward and touch her hair, pushing it away from those gorgeous eyes.

“Do you really want to know?”

She cocks her head to the side and adopts a stern look. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know. Tell me. You have a weird look on your face.”

I lean in close to her ear, a breath away. She shivers, and I take the moment to tease her. “I’ve been thinking about how much fun it’s going to be to make you my wife. In every sense of the word.” My lips brush her ear before I pull away.

Her cheeks turn pink and she smiles shyly. That look makes me want her even more. Damn, she’s beautiful!

I can’t tell her exactly what I’m thinking; it’s too much. The intensity of my feelings for her scares her. Fuck, it frightens me, too. Of course, it’s too much, but love is like that. It comes in waves, and right now I’m at the crest. I want to breathe her in and feel her beneath me. I want her skin slick with sweat and writhing against me, crying out, calling my name and begging for release.

“Mr. Ferro,” Bill says, handing me his phone. “He’d like to speak with you.”

I swipe the phone from his hand. “What?”

“Where the hell are you? You were supposed to grab her and be here half an hour ago.”

The guy is an asshole. There are people in the world that are born to be assholes. He is one of them. And he can’t help it.

“We get there when we get there.” I hit END CALL and hand Bill his phone.

“Where are we going?” Avery finally asks the question. She looks at the guys and when they don’t answer, she takes my hand. A fake smile spreads across her lips. “I’m not going to like this, am I?” I shake my head. Hair falls into my eyes and I push it back.

“I’m afraid not. I know you’re going to hate it, but it was a necessary evil. Do you remember Project 597?” The smile falls from her face and her back stiffens.

“You’re not serious?” I don’t reply. Avery’s spine suddenly melts and she looks like a sulky teenager. I want to smile and pinch her face when she does that. It’s a remnant of Avery from a more carefree time, from long before she met me. “Henry Thomas? You hate him.”

“I do. Which makes him more predictable than anyone else. Henry will always do what serves his own best interest, which is why he fits perfectly into our plans.”

She makes a face and then sits up straighter. With her hands on her knees, she looks over at me. “Spit it out, Ferro. How are we getting Happy Hands to help? And does he know Mel is with us? She kicked his ass last time.”

That makes me laugh. “No, he doesn’t know Mel contacted me, but if she hadn’t this plan wouldn’t work. We have every piece we need to end this once and for all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Vic Junior and his entire team will be wiped out, and Black will go down with them. After this is over, no one will ever come after a Ferro again.”

A
very’s voice
is an octave too high. She yanks her hair out of her face and tosses it over her shoulder. Leaning in, she gets in my face. Her words come out in a rush, making the sentence sound like a single word.

“AreYouInsaneWeCan’tBeHere!”

She’s pissed.

We drive around Henry’s South Shore estate to the back entrance of the mansion, where Justin parks the van in a garage that originally served as a stable. After purchasing the estate, Henry added wings onto the main house until it resembled one of England's Tudor palaces. He nurses an unhealthy infatuation with Henry VIII. Both are rumored to have severe mood swings and teeter on the edge of crazy--maybe Thomas just views the former king as a kindred spirit.

Either way, Avery has every right to be appalled we’re here. She’s gone pale, the color washed from her cheeks since I said his name. She’s shaking slightly. I take her hand in mine, but she pulls it away. “Avery, if we didn’t need to be here, we wouldn’t be. There’s a reason for this. I promise.”

“Do you know what he did to me?”

“I know and I’m sorry.” My throat tightens. I dislike seeing her in this state.

“I thought you’d pick up the patent from him, not drive up to his freakin' house! How can you even trust him?” She pleads with me with those big brown eyes and I wish we could drive away, but it’s not possible.

“I don’t trust him. I don’t trust anyone except you. If we could avoid this, I would.”

Mel shoves past, elbowing me as she goes. She glares at me.

“This is a dumbass plan.”

“You don’t even know the plan," I snap.

“Yeah, that’s why it’s stupid. If Mr. British tries any shit, I’ll make good on my former threats.” Mel opens the door of the van and jumps out.

Henry Thomas is standing there. He’s dressed in a pair of slacks and an angora sweater. Coupled with loafers and a turtleneck, he looks like he belongs in a magazine, not planning nefarious things to end the Campone family's reign in New York.

“Oh, dear God." He flinches when he sees Mel. "You brought the beast along?” Mel lowers her hood, walks over to him, and gets up in his face. Henry doesn’t back down. Spine straight, the two of them are nose to nose.

“Funny, I said the same thing about you. Just because you dress all proper and shit doesn’t make you any less of a freak.” She flicks the collar of his turtleneck.

He laughs lightly, acting like her words don’t bother him. His pupils darken and grow wider. He likes her that close. The woman is beautiful and dangerous.

“No, my dear, you are as freaky as they come.”

Mel opens her mouth to let him have it, but I cut her off.

“Drop it. Whatever you two want to dish out has to wait. We have a limited amount of time.”

Henry steps back, lifting one brow at me. His arms are folded over his chest.

“Very well. Another time, fair maiden.” The last two words drip with sarcasm.

“Assface,” Mel mutters in reply.

We’re still standing in the garage. The chauffeur isn’t around. Henry's eyes sweep over Avery as she climbs out, his jaw clenching tightly. I step between them. I’m not entirely certain what transpired between them, but Henry isn’t the type to forgive and forget. Odds are, he’s still livid.

“Show me what you’ve done with the project,” I say, redirecting his attention to me. Henry presses his lips together tightly and nods.

“Follow me.”

We walk out of the garage and follow a path around to the back of the house. We enter a room filled with floor to ceiling panes of glass decorated with wrought iron scrolling. Each pane looks like hand-blown glass. It’s a statement, a claim to having more money than God, and too ostentatious for my taste. We enter through an elaborately decorated iron door. Henry gallantly holds it open for Avery and Mel to pass through. As Avery passes him, she looks back at me, worry clearly visible in her eyes. I steel myself. If I don’t, I won’t be able to follow through with this plan.

That’s what concerns me most. Avery will see the way I think, the way my mind can devise a cruel plan to painfully destroy my enemies. I can’t hold back or it won’t work. That’s been my vice in the past--trying to do things within the parameters of mercy. Vic Jr. is beyond mercy. He views compassion as weakness. He showed my mother no mercy and will receive no mercy in return.

Justin follows behind us and, once inside, remains by the door. Avery leans in close to me and takes my hand.

“I don’t like this.”

I kiss her temple and release her fingers. I don’t respond because there’s nothing to say. I don’t like this either, but it’s necessary.

Henry pads across ornate rugs and around velvet couches, to an antique desk large enough to sleep on. A carved stone mantle frames the massive desk, stretching the length of two men at least. Henry sees me looking at it, smiles, and strokes the carved details appreciatively.

“Imported from England. It was salvaged from an estate belonging to the Duke of Suffolk during the reign of King Henry VIII. It’s quite charming.”

Mel laughs. “Charming? What the fuck is wrong with you? Your fireplace is bigger than my dorm room. There ain’t anything charming about that shit. Nah, you're overcompensating for something." Mel smirks. "Is your dick smaller than you'd like?"

Henry stops smiling and walks toward her.

“There’s nothing small about me, miss. Isn’t that right, Avery?”

Avery’s spine goes ramrod straight. Mel starts to speak, but I talk over her.

“Enough! We don’t have the luxury of squabbling or wasting time. As it is, we’re down to the wire. It’s a game and this is our last move.”

“Your last move, not mine.” The pride in Henry's voice is more than I can handle.

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve been on Vic’s list for ages. He hasn’t bothered to take you out because you were giving his dad a reason to keep you alive. Vic Jr. doesn’t give second chances. As soon as he finds out you and I were together--and he will--you’ll die in a very unpleasant way.”

Henry sneers. “Then why should I help you?”

“Because I have something you need.” I pause a moment and tell him. “Campone's ledgers point to a series of unsavory transactions that involve the purchase of this property.”

“My father bought this property," Henry begins proudly, his back stiffening, "along with most of the land in this area.”

“Which is exactly why you wouldn’t want these ledgers leaked. I’m certain that you are aware of how this land was acquired and what will happen if the district attorney were made aware of the situation.” Henry doesn’t move. His eyes get a vacant blank stare, which tells me his mind is reeling, trying to find a way out--but there isn’t one. I’ve got him by the balls and he knows it.

Finally, he nods. “But if you fail, I die. Vic will know I was involved. As it is, I'm having difficulty shaking that little shit.”

“That’s why I came to you. I know you’ll want to eliminate any pertinent threats and, now that he’s blown up mine, Vic will be on your doorstep next. This is a preemptive move for you. Since you’ve been playing nice, he won’t see it coming.”

Henry sits down behind his desk and leans back into his chair, tapping his fingertips together. I remain standing, my arms folded across my chest.

Mel flops on a couch and lets out a howl.

“Holy mother of--what the hell is this made of? Bricks?” She rights herself and rubs her elbow.

Henry looks over at her, then Avery, who is sitting on the arm of a couch. “I prefer my things hard.”

“Like your head.”

“Among other things,” Henry says with a smirk before returning his gaze to me. “I’m inclined to agree with you, especially since he already managed to remove the matriarch of your family.” The bastard sits there, audaciously smiling over the death of my mother and the loss of our home. “Project 597 was the prototype. I combined the patent I bought from you with hardware I already had, to create something of a marvel. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to profit from it yet. They need a test run.”

“You already have a buyer?” I know he does, and I know who the buyer is, but I want to hear what he has to say about it.

“I do," he says, nodding proudly. "However, we’re at an impasse until I prove Project 597 is in working order.”

Avery speaks up. “What are you talking about?”

She was there when Henry bought the patent, but she didn’t know what he planned to do with it. I didn’t think he’d get it working, but he did.

Henry smiles at her. The way his eyes sweep over Avery makes me want to punch him in the face. He remembers something, something sexual. I bury the impulse to throw him through the wall.

“Project 597 is a chaos device.” He opens the top desk drawer and pulls out a small box. As he speaks, he opens the lid and takes out a small black bead. “It boasts many marvels, but in this case it functions as an anti-security device. You could compare it to a magnet on a hard drive.”

Mel asks, “It fucks stuff up?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. It renders computers useless. Sean’s patented material combined with my technology made it possible. And the best part is no one will notice a thing until it’s too late. Unlike other devices that disable cameras, computers, and locks--this one successfully tricks the security programs--allowing one to move through a system undetected. If you shut a security system off completely, the computer alerts the owner and authorities.”

Mel asks, “So why won’t this trip the alarm?”

He glances over at her. “Simple. It’s because the computer thinks it is still running. The cameras will begin to play backward, so it doesn’t appear frozen. This device alters the timestamp and initiates the pause by proximity.”

“So this has to be near the main computer system Vic uses?” Avery stares at the little black bead and swallows hard. She knows what’s coming, what I’m going to have her do.

“It does, which is why it’s housed in this cute little contraption.” Henry holds up the bead in the light.

“Add a gold chain and that looks like Black’s bracelet.” Mel realizes the plan as she says it. “Aw, shit! You’re sending us in? That’s the plan. Avery and I sneak in, then you guys kill everyone?”

Henry laughs and holds up his hands. “I’m not killing anyone. In fact, I’m not going.”

“Can’t get that sweater dirty, huh?” Mel’s gaze narrows while she looks at Henry. When she turns to me, she’s all business. “What’s the plan, Ferro? All of it--spill!”

“Black will get an order she can't refuse. Avery will walk right into the trap, and she’ll be sent to Vic. He’s been wanting her and knows Black can’t say no. Black has been doing everything within her power to get Avery to say yes, so go in and agree. Wear your bracelet like you always do and we’ll know where you are. Vic is going to take you to his house. He’ll want to boast before he does anything and show you what he took from you. Before he can do anything, I’ll come for you. Then we’ll show him how it feels to see his home explode. He’ll get to watch from the inside.”

“Sean,” Avery’s voice is weak. Her jaw is hanging open. “How do you know he’ll take me there? What if he goes somewhere else?”

I cross the room to her. Mel moves and I take her seat on the couch next to Avery.

“You don’t have to be the one to go in, but if you do, it’ll be less obvious that we’ve got him. He won’t know we’re there until it’s too late. The fact that he kept you alive says a lot. Vic hates you. He won’t just shoot you. That’ll end too fast.”

“What if something goes wrong? What if you can’t get to me in time?” Avery’s skin is becoming paler, glistening. Her breathing is quickening, and when she takes my hand, she holds it tighter and tighter. I wish we didn’t have to do this, but we have to.

“I will. I’ll get to you. And if something goes wrong, Mel will be there.”

Her eyes meet mine and hold. Fear is overflowing, but she just nods.

“Sean, you know why he wants her, right?” Mel sounds uneasy. Her voice is tight and she’s lost her normal carefree vibe. “Vic is well beyond being a perv.”

“I know.”

“He wants to have sex with his sister… after he kills her.”

Henry chokes suddenly and stands up.

“What? How do you know that?”

“He’s been asking for her, you’re right," Mel says, glancing briefly at Avery and then back at me. "He didn’t say exactly what he wanted to do, but it just clicked. He wants someone he can’t have--Black puts a higher price on that. Avery's his half-sister. Then it falls under the other contract with the crazy high fees because Black is kidnapping someone for him. Black asked him if this was a reorder, but he said he wanted something different. The other women vanished, no bodies, but the last two--they turned up.”

“What are you saying?” Henry places his hands on the desk and leans forward. “That he’s killing these women?”

“Yes but, more than that, I think he’s crossed the line.”

“Yeah, well, wanting to bang his sister proved that point.”

“You’re thinking something else,” I say, prompting her to continue.

“I’ll find out for certain if we go through with this. It’ll show up.” Mel stops talking and paces the room. She’s never this quiet. I know what she’s thinking, but Avery and Henry don’t.

“You can’t stop there!" Henry looks at me and realizes that I already know. "What does he want with her?"

“Let her confirm the order when they go to Black’s office. It’ll tell us how much time we have. Mel, can you tell Gabe we’re coming? We’ll need him out of the way to take out Black.”

“Done," she says, nodding. "What about Black? You’re going to lure her there?”

“Black will want to gloat," I begin slowly. "She’s been jealous of Avery from day one. I’m sure you noticed the way Black was behaving around you?” I take Avery’s hand. “She wanted to break us apart, and I now believe it had more to do with our past relationship than I originally thought. I didn’t love her, but it's clear how I feel about you.”

Mel starts to mutter something, but Avery glares at her. Mel swallows her words and turns toward Henry, wide-eyed without comment. Henry smirks.

“Can you two give us a moment?” Avery's voice is strong again, certain. Henry rolls his eyes, but grants her request.