The Gambler(12)

He squeezed her until she squealed and turned back to what she'd been  doing. He tried to walk away and take a seat to let her do her thing,  but she called him back to her.         

     



 

She was quite satisfied to have him stand behind her with his chin  resting on her shoulder, as she sped through the water. Shit, she was a  speed demon just like him.





They stayed on the water until she grew tired and so as to avoid another  battle royale, he talked her down before they headed back in. The sun  and wind did their job and she was dragging ass when they docked.

He picked her up, inhaling the sticky sweet scent of the lotion mixed  with the sun, and her own natural scent. It was automatic for him to  hold her closer and kiss her face, as he made his way up from the dock  at the back of his house, while the others followed behind.

Upstairs he took her shoes off and put her to bed, since she was almost  out. Now he could go take care of business, while she rested for a bit.  He left the door slightly ajar so she wouldn't feel trapped or shut off  when she awakened from her nap, before heading downstairs again. Garrett  and Jameson were waiting for him in the office. "Well, anything?"

"Nothing here, if she was up to something we can't find any trace of it  here, but we've started a background run. It should be ready no later  than tomorrow."

"What about Petridis, any word on where he might be hiding out?" He  wasn't sure why this fuck had gone into hiding, unless the mother had  told him of the threats. Somehow he thought it had more to do with the  fact that everyone knew how he felt about his treasures, and Petridis  probably took it as a safe bet that he, Stefano would come after him.

"We're narrowing it down as we speak boss."

"This guy really is an asshole. Your enemy takes your sister into the  fucking night and you go into hiding?" Just then a loud scream rent the  air and he heard pounding feet coming down the stairs. This time it was  he who had his gun drawn as he ran towards her. He checked her over to  see where she was hurt when she flew into his arms, but she was busy  pulling him towards the basement steps. He had no idea why she would do  that, since he hadn't taken her down there before. But something had  spooked her and he knew it was best to just follow along.

He heard shouting coming from outside as the men rushed the door and he  pushed her forward towards the steps to safety, but she wouldn't let go.  "ANGEL COME." She'd never screamed like that before, there was  something in her voice, something that he couldn't quite put his finger  on, but he knew not to ignore her. The men followed him down, just as  there was a loud boom at the front of the house.





"What the fuck?"

"We were coming to warn you boss, we saw the chopper coming in, they  were laying down fire already so there was no way for us to get a shot  off." He tried to run back up the stairs with his Sig to shoot the fucks  out of the sky, but she had a death grip on his shirt. "Okay little  flower, it's okay."

"Angel stay." He pulled her in close and held her, as he fumed at the  men with his eyes. What the fuck was he paying them for if the assholes  could get that close? Then he started wondering; how had she known? She  was down the stairs before the men alerted, how could she have known?  And why did she drag him down to the basement? The only place that  could've withstood whatever the fuck that was that had gone on upstairs.

He studied her silently. There was no hint of fear in her eyes; in fact  she seemed only concerned with him and his safety. Then she said  something that left him cold. Something that she shouldn't have known,  couldn't have known. Could she?

"What do you mean Jenna?" He tried to get her to tell him, but knew it  might be difficult for her to put into words, or to even understand what  he was asking her. By now, Garrett and Jameson who were the only two  left after the others went to make sure the place was secure, were  watching her as well. Each man had a look of shock on his face. Not only  because of the words she'd spoken, but also because of the change in  her voice and demeanor.

It wasn't said in her usual singsong voice, but more like a general  directing her troops. He got a prickly feeling down his spine as he  tried to make sense of what was going on. She was looking right through  him, as she seemed to be listening to something or someone else. His  first instinct was to grab her and get the fuck outta there, but  something held him back. Whatever was going on, wherever she had gone in  her head, moving her wasn't gonna make a damn bit of difference.         

     



 

He called the men back in and had them grab Sue and Willy from upstairs.  Willy's boy was away at day camp, so they were the only two left in the  house. When everyone was down the stairs as she'd ordered, she led them  to the far corner of the room, farthest away from the main part of the  house. Not long after the whole place shook with an explosion. The whole  thing happened in a few minutes, but felt much longer. He could only  stare at her when she said as calm as you fucking please "We're clear."

"What the fuck?"

"Angel chocolate?" And just like that his Jenna was back.





Chapter 11




"Not over Angel stay." How the fuck had she known that? The words still rang through his head.

He needed to get upstairs and see what had been done to his place, but  he needed more to figure out what was going on with her. What had that  been just now? There was no sense asking her again, because she had  already moved on.

There was silence coming from above and since she didn't seem to be on  high alert any longer, he figured it might be safe to go upstairs and  assess the situation. The next hurdle was getting her to stay down there  while he went up with the boys.

"Garrett in my desk is a stash of chocolate, grab it for me?" The other  man nodded his head and headed up the stairs. When his flower didn't  freak out, he knew it was okay, that the danger most likely had passed.  Whatever damage had been done couldn't be too bad because of the  shields.

Still there was always the danger of flying debris and shit. He didn't  expect to find his place leveled, but then again, he had no idea what  they'd used. Gramps is gonna ride his ass for sure about this one, the  old man had moaned and groaned until he implemented the high tech  transparent shield that was supposedly able to withstand most anything.

Not too many people could afford to have that shit surrounding their  house. One: because of the cost, and two because it was military grade  and he was pretty sure illegal for him to have. Gramps had his ways of  skirting around such pesky bullshit though. Now he was glad he'd caved,  if anything had happened to her, he didn't think he'd survive this time.

He was in a quandary now too, because he knew the night was not gonna be  over before he retaliated; but where was he gonna stash her? They'd  come after him two days in a row. Both times not caring that she'd been  there with him. Now he had to seriously wonder what the fuck they were  thinking. If their aim was to get her back, then attacking blind like  that made no fucking sense. And why the fuck would the Bonatas care  anyway? Wasn't the fight between him and Petridis the fuck?

He had to think about this shit, because something was not adding up.  Had he not been so taken with her, he maybe would've thought this shit  through before. But finding the woman his sister had promised him was  coming all those years ago, had thrown him. It wasn't everyday you saw a  walking dream or miracle, or whatever the fuck you'd call it. Now, as  with everything else in his life, there was trouble attached. Only this  kinda trouble could not only get him killed, but it could see her hurt  and that's not fucking acceptable.





Garrett came back with the bribe and he tried giving it to her before  sneaking up the stairs. "Jenna, stay here with Willy and Sue, I'll be  right back." She just shook her head as she bit into her chocolate, then  she took his hand, which meant he wasn't going anywhere without her.  Shit. "How bad?" he posed the question to Garrett, because there was no  way he was taking her up there if there was any lingering threat of  danger.

"I don't think it penetrated, just some shit from the roof fell I think,  but I didn't see too much damage." He still wasn't too sure, but there  was nothing for it, he wasn't going to reach the Bonatas by hiding out  in his basement.

Upstairs, he went straight to his desk, while the others went about  dealing with the bullshit. "Find me whatever it is they used, if any  part of it is salvageable." He didn't complain when she plopped down in  his lap instead of taking her chair. In fact he needed the contact.

She fired up her little toy and he picked up the phone to call gramps. "What's happening boyo?"