The Dominator (21 page)

He works for us but isn’t in the inner circle so doesn’t know the rules for handling Tia.  All he knows is he’s watching the gate for a minute and my sister wants to give my fiancée a ride. The guy’s phone is dead so he tells her he’s gotta confirm it’s okay but she starts getting pissy about running late and name dropping that she’s Tom Ferrano Senior’s daughter and does he really think she shouldn’t take her own future sister-in-law to me? She’s like a midget Doberman or something, both of my sisters are.

He lets her take Tia. The other guy comes back out, finds out. After I get off the phone I see I missed a text from Luc telling me not to worry about Tia; that Tessa has gone to get her. I piece everything together as my guy at the house is phoning. Tia’s not answering her phone and then I finally get ahold of my sister.

Two minutes after I get off the phone with her my sister is calling me and telling me that Tia took off on her, ran like her hair was on fire, and left her engagement ring in the fucking car. I heard her voice in my head, how she ended that call with me saying, “Goodbye, Tommy.”

Fuck! Not only has she taken off without the ring that has the damn GPS in it but the anonymous note we got is nagging at me. Heads are gonna damn well roll!

Tia

I got to a mall two blocks from that strip plaza and finally found one of the few remaining pay phones in the world and I was debating between calling Susie and calling Rose.  I was freaking out. I turned the stupid iPhone off and dropped it in a garbage bin a block from the mall.

I decided to call my Aunt Carol to ask where my father was.  I called directory assistance and they connected me, after the operator laughed at my asking for Carol O’Connor. “Archie Bunker?” She giggled, like I’d been prank calling.

“No, Carol a female, not the actor.”

It started ringing and then there was a scratchy sounding, “Hello?”

“Aunt Carol, it’s me, Tia. Athena,” I felt shaky but tried to keep my voice steady.

Dead air.

“Aunt Carol, I’m really sorry to bother you. I know you don’t talk to him much but it’s imperative that I find my father. Like life or death kind of thing. Do you have any idea where I might reach him?”

She sighed, “I have nothing to do with your father, Athena. He’s a loser. I’m sorry to say that, but he is.”

“Please; do you have any idea how I can reach him? It’s really important.”

She sighed, “He works at the car parts place on Dufferin Street. Aimco. Last I heard, anyway. I don’t know if he’s working today. It’s Sunday. I don’t have a home number. His girlfriend is Sadie Lewicki. She’s probably listed.”

“Thank you.”

“Athena?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t call me again.”

Click.

What a royal bitch.

I called directory assistance again. I didn’t have that much change left in my purse. I fished around the bottom, looking for more change. I found a folded up ten that I could break, if needed.

I got through to my Dad’s work and typed his last name into the keypad via the auto attendant. I got transferred to him and he answered.

“Dad!”

“Tia? Is that you, sweet pea?”

“Dad, I took off. You need to hide. I’m sorry, I don’t know why you did this to me and it doesn’t even matter now but you need to hide because they could hurt you and I had no choice but to run so I have and I wanted to warn you about it.” Tears were streaming down my face.

“Shit, Tia. Breathe, Sweetpea. Where are you?’

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to get out of Dodge and you need to as well.”

“Meet me. We need to talk.”

“No Dad. I-I don’t trust you. You have no idea what I’ve been through the last few days. I can’t trust you after you did this to me.”

“I have things to tell you. We need to talk.” He sounded like he was choking up.

“You’re at work. You’re not trying to find a way to pay off the debt because it’s apparently an unpayable debt, unless you count putting your daughter on the table to become Ferrano property. You’re not coming to my rescue; you never planned to rescue me. For whatever reason, you sold me out. Your own daughter. I don’t know what I did to deserve this but I just wanted to extend the courtesy of letting you know I took off and I’m getting out of here before he catches me. I hope he doesn’t have you killed.”

“Sweet pea, I just need five minutes of your time, I just want to give you my side of the story, okay?” He sounded desperate.

I held the phone and squeezed my eyes shut.

“I have a bit of cash. I can give it to you, help you get out of town,” he said, “Where are you? I’ll meet you after work. I’m just here today doing inventory.”

I had $248 in my account and that wouldn’t get me far. I knew I’d have money deposited in about a week for my allowance from social services, if they hadn’t cut it off already at my disappearance. I didn’t care so much about Dad giving me money, although it’d be nice to have a little bit of help, but I did want answers. I’d been losing sleep over the fact that he’d sold me out. I wanted to know why he did this.

“Fine, I’m at the West End shopping center but I can’t wait. I’ll be in the food court. Unless I think it’s dangerous, then I’ll be in the family washroom near the lockers by the food court. You can have five minutes to talk and then I’m out of here. I’ll wait twenty minutes. If you’re not here, I’m not waiting.”

“I’ll be there in 10-15 minutes. Thanks, sweet pea.”

I was parched. I went and bought a cold drink from one of the food vendors and sat at the table closest to the public washrooms so that if I saw anyone suspicious, it was a good vantage point, I’d be able to take off from here quickly.

Tommy

The first thing I did after finding out that she’d taken off was call Greg O’Connor’s cell phone. I called him and told him to not say a fucking word but to just listen. I didn’t want to even hear the douche bag’s voice. I’d told him that she’d taken off and that if he heard from her it was in his best interest to notify me immediately. He answered with a “Yes, Sir.”

I initiated a manhunt with 15 of our guys and called my PI. I had cars parked on the streets of Rose and Cal Crenshaw and the office and home of Susan DeLong as well as in front of that punk Nick’s apartment building.

Ten minutes later O’Connor called and said she was in the West End mall, either in the food court or in the family washroom by the food court. I hung up without saying goodbye.
Thanks a fucking bunch, Asshole.

I didn’t call in help, I got in my car and drove there alone, texting Dare to call off the manhunt that I’d started and then called Pop’s house and told Lisa to hold dinner; that my fiancée and I would be there in an hour. She passed the phone to Pop, insisting he needed to speak with me. I rolled my eyes.

He knew she’d taken off from Tessa’s car and he thought it was hilarious. Him laughing at me pissed me off, big time. I knew he’d find it even more hilarious when he saw me with the injuries his little gift had bestowed on me yesterday. My brother had already seen me last night after the gym and I knew I wouldn’t live it down any time soon. Asshole was enjoying getting digs in at every available fucking opportunity.

I listened to Pop’s ribbing for all of 10 seconds and hung up on him, got outta my car, walked into this mall and as soon as I neared the food court I spotted her sitting in the back corner by a frozen yogurt kiosk, looking timid, looking pretty in a black and white checked dress with a red collar.  She saw me almost immediately and the look on her face was pure terror. She stood up, pushing the chair back with her legs and it fell over. People were staring.

I shook my head at her, narrowing my eyes and warning her with my expression as I picked up my pace. She didn’t heed my non-verbal warning. She got up and took off, knocking some guy’s tray filled with fast food garbage, out of his hands. She apologized and kept going, running in a pair of red high heels, clutching a red purse.

I didn’t want a scene but I couldn’t help it, I ran after her. She wasn’t fast in those heels and I caught up to her about four stores away. I caught her elbow and squeezed. She let out a sound of despair and we were coming up to a hall, where there were utility rooms so I shoved her down the hall and up against the wall.  I took a deep breath in an effort to rein in my fury,

“We’re gonna casually walk out of here and get into my car and we are going to my father’s house for dinner. As planned.  I’ll
deal
with you when we get home. Understand?”

Her eyes were feral. She wanted away from me in the worst way. She looked around like she was going to bolt again.

“No, Athena. You aren’t gonna make a scene, you aren’t gonna to do anything but what I’ve said. Understand?” I took her hand and put it under my arm and around the waistband of my pants so she could feel the butt of the gun I had back there.

She choked on a sob. I took her hand into mine and walked, fast. She struggled to keep up with me. She had tears in her eyes but she held it together and we headed to my car.

When we got in and the doors were closed, she let out a big breath.

“I don’t want to go to your parents’ house. Just take me back to your house and get the beating over with.”

I laughed, “The beating? You think that’s all that’s gonna happen?” She stared at me wide-eyed.

I leaned toward her, “How ‘bout I burn the Crenshaw house down, put your douchebag of a father in the ground, castrate that punk you used to date, and pick one of your little girlfriends to be shipped off to a whorehouse in Mexico? How’s that for a
start
?”

She cowered against the door. I grabbed her chin and made her look at me, “You’ve really fucked up. Not only did you take off but your actions have my sister thinking that things aren’t cool with you and me, and what’s with you and me is nobody’s fucking business. You broke two rules. Now I’ve had a good chunk of busy people involved in trying to find you and that means a lot of people know that my fiancée took off from me. Talk about an absolute cluster fuck!”

The tires on my car squealed out of the parking lot, “We’re going to my father’s house and you’ll behave yourself or you’ll be sorry. Very fucking sorry. So much for this morning, huh? Conniving little bitch.”

Tia

I couldn’t catch my breath, I was hyperventilating. I couldn’t settle down. I was gasping and I was going to throw up. Until now I knew Tommy Ferrano was scary, crazy scary, but I had no idea he was this horrifying.

“Pull over; I’m gonna puke.” I always threw up when I got super stressed.

He pushed his foot down and the car started moving even faster. I put my head in my hands, leaned forward and took a succession of slow and deep breaths, but it was no use, whatever was in my stomach was coming up,

“Pull over!” I hollered, and started to wretch, the puke came up into my throat and I managed to stop it from going projectile all over the windshield. I yanked off my seatbelt. He squealed the tires, slamming on the brakes, jerking me forward, making me bump my head on the dashboard. I shoved open the door and he reached for my arm but I shrugged him off and got my head out and threw up all over the road.

After a minute, after I was sure there was nothing else coming up, I sat back in the seat and closed my eyes. I wish I’d had the nerve and the strength to run but he had a gun. A gun.

Fuck my life…

He sat for a minute and in my peripheral vision I could see his chest was heaving. Finally, he let go of the hem of my dress, which I hadn’t realized he had in his grasp. Then he picked up his phone and dialed a number, then put it to his ear, opening the glove box with his free hand and flinging a stack of napkins in my direction.

“Dare? Yeah. Tell Pop I can’t make dinner. No. Yeah. Yup. Right, bye.”

Then he dialed again, “Earl? You there yet? Yeah, I’ve got her. We’re on our way there. See you in 15. You have back-up? Still? Whatever, just keep a watchful eye. I’ll see you soon.”

He started the car and then leaned over me. I flinched but he just fastened my seatbelt and then we were back on the road. I was relieved to not have to meet his family and sit at a table with them, pretending nothing was wrong.

What I was
not
relieved about was getting to the master bedroom, the place that had become my torture chamber. Because even when he wasn’t torturing my body he was torturing my brain.

The ride was quiet but the air was thick with tension. Tommy’s face was stone cold and he was white-knuckled all the way back to his house. I was petrified and wished I could just disappear into thin air or that we’d get pulled over and get a speeding ticket so that I could beg the cop to rescue me from this maniac.

The gate at his place opened and the car squealed to a halt. I saw Earl with a frown on his face. He looked at Tommy, then me, and I swear I saw what looked like pity. Tommy and I both got out of the car and just as I was about to round the front of the car I saw Earl approach me from the side. His hand came up over my mouth and I was being pulled backwards. I caught Tommy’s expression and the look on his face was utterly murderous.

I heard a loud bang.  Oh God, that was Earl shooting at Tommy! Tommy hit the ground, half way behind his car, produced his gun, and fired it in our direction. Earl fired back at Tommy and Tommy’s gun hit the ground. I saw a man come up from around the back of the house and Earl shot him. A dark red hole formed on that guy’s forehead and the man fell face first onto the ground. I was dragged backwards past the gate and tossed into the back seat of a big older car out on the street. I heard a few more shots.