Clean Slate (New Mafia Trilogy #2) Read online

  My thoughts were heavy with the decision I knew I’d have to make soon and this kept me from getting road rage with the traffic on the way home. After showering, I got dressed in my uniform: black shorts and a tight black t-shirt with “Dirty” emblazoned across the front in silver then left for work.

  Jason was already there setting up the bar. His blond hair stood out against the black t-shirt, the ends curling around his collar looked almost white. The muscles in his arms rippled as he moved a new keg into place. I watched him from afar before walking over.

  “Hey,” I said, leaning against the bar. “You got a minute?”

  “For you? Sure!” He smiled and I told him to meet me in the alley. I went to the break room, tucked my purse in one of the employee cubbies then went through the kitchen and out the back door that led to the alley, also known as the smoking area for employees. Fortunately nobody else was out there and I leaned against the cinderblock wall waiting for Jason. He appeared a few moments later.

  “What’s up? Is everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. I just want to thank you for everything. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” I moved closer to him and reached for his hand. “You’re more than a friend, I hope you know that.”

  Jason looked at me and opened his mouth to respond, but I sealed it shut with mine. He responded instantly, pulling me against him with a moan. I opened my lips further and his tongue dipped in, slowly, almost tentatively. I deepened the kiss, encouraging him. His hand moved from my waist to the back of my neck, drawing me even closer.

  Suddenly the back door slammed open and we jumped apart. Heat scalded my cheeks as I ducked behind Jason and away from the open stare of one of the cooks who came out for a smoke.

  “How ya doing, dude?” Jason asked as we crept past him. My head was buried in Jason’s shoulder blades and he reached back for my hand, squeezing once before leading us inside.

  “Apparently not as good as you,” the cook muttered around the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I started laughing and Jason joined me. Once under control, I gave him a quick kiss before getting to work, mentally steeling myself for a busy Saturday night.

  After the bar closed and we had cleaned up, Jason followed me back to Chelsea’s apartment. She was spending the weekend at Derek’s and it was nice to have the place to myself.

  I stepped in the front door and switched on the hallway light, then made my way over to the lamp in the living room. Jason came up from behind and pulled me against him. I leaned my head back and looked up to find him smiling down at me.

  “I’ve been thinking about the alley all night. Want to finish what we started?” It was so quiet in the apartment, the low hum of the freeway outside just background noise, that I could detect the faint beat of Jason’s heart. It was soothing, just like his very presence was calming to me. I spun around, keeping myself encircled in his arms. He lowered his mouth to mine and my lips parted, letting him in. We moved closer to each other, my breasts pressed against his chest, my nipples hardening upon contact. Breathing turned into desperate pants as I worked at the zipper on his jeans. Finally, we broke apart and quickly stripped before joining back together. Jason lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his waist, feeling his arousal pressing against me triggered a moan and I sought out his lips with more urgency. He moved so my back was pressed against the wall, his arms underneath my bare ass supporting my body weight. He teased my opening and I cried out, every nerve ending in my body was wide awake.

  He gently kissed me before lowering to one of my breasts. I gasped and arched my back as he teased the nipple with his tongue before drawing it into his mouth. Hearing him suck was more erotic than I could have imagined. I was hovering on the edge and rolled my hips against his erection, seeking release.

  He pulled away and was panting too. “Condom,” he whispered and carefully lowered me to my feet. I leaned against the wall, my legs unable to support me. I was a quivering, flushed mess and Jason’s absence only amplified my longing. Moments later he was back in the living room and mustering enough strength, I backed him up to the futon, making him sit down. Reaching for the foil packet, I quickly tore it open and rolled the condom on. Jason cupped my breasts as I guided myself down over him, inch by inch. We groaned at the same time when with a thrust he filled me even more.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said before pulling me down and latching onto a nipple. He nipped at the tip, sending me over the edge. I rode him hard and fast after that and felt his release in between my own tremors.

  We basically melted onto the futon. Jason lay behind me, our legs tangled together. He nuzzled and kissed my ear, sending shivers down the length of my body. Before we drifted off, we got up to get ready for bed. After folding the futon down, we climbed in. With Jason’s arm draped over my side, I felt safe and content. This was my final thought before falling asleep.

  Chapter 14

  I stretched out in bed, careful not to wake Jason so I could observe him while he slept. A light dusting of blonde stubble covered his jawline, standing out against his tan skin. Jason was lean and muscular, not bulky like Dominic, but still strong and he didn’t have an ounce of body fat on him. The sheet barely covered his lower half, his defined hip muscles and abs called to me and I was tempted to remove the sheet completely.

  “Are you checking me out?” Jason asked without opening his eyes and I jumped.

  “Nope.”

  “Liar.” He opened his startling blue eyes and in one swift move, wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me against him. We were both naked and the close contact made my breath hitch. I laughed and pretended to push away, but he rolled over so he was on top, his face inches from mine.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he whispered before kissing me. The kiss led to me stroking Jason while his fingers explored my body, inside and out. Before we knew it, another condom had been used and we laid next to each other on the futon, panting. We were quickly blurring the friends with benefits line, but the more I thought about it, I didn’t mind. With Jason, I didn’t have to worry about drive by shootings or him running off on a late night mission for Uncle Marco and not making it back.

  “What are you thinking?” Jason asked, playing with the ends of my hair.

  “This – us - I like it.” I looked up at him and he smiled.

  “Me too.”

  “Also, I’m hungry. You don’t know how to cook by chance?” I asked remembering the delicious meals Dominic made.

  “God no. I wish I did. We always had a chef on staff at the house growing up so I never learned.”

  “Really? And you thought I was a trust fund baby!” I teased and rolled out of bed. Jason followed me into the kitchen where we made coffee and toasted bagels. I’d never eaten naked before, let alone in front of a guy, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or embarrassing. Jason leaned over and licked a spot of cream cheese off my lip. It was so sensual and sweet that it made me want him again. He glanced down at my hardening nipples and flashed a knowing grin.

  Needless to say, our plans to meet Chelsea and Derek at the beach were pushed back an hour.

  After a brief surf lesson, I left the water to catch some sun and on the way back to my towel, passed a little boy digging in the sand. He was by himself making a sandcastle. I briefly stopped to watch as he shaped a turret with his hands. Noticing my shadow, the boy peered up at me. “Do you need help with that?” I asked, feeling inspired to sculpt something. Distrust flashed across his face and he turned to look further up the beach at two women sitting in chairs talking. “I’ll go introduce myself to your mom, which one is she?”

  The boy shrugged and pointed to the woman in a red sweatshirt and jean shorts, her face half covered by large framed sunglasses. I left my board by the boy and walked up to his mom. The women stopped talking and watched me approach. “Hi!” I smiled and waved. “I studied sculpture at college and I was wondering… do you mind if I build a sandcastle with your son?” The women just stared at me and
my confidence waned. “I know it’s a strange request.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Oh, sorry, my name’s Natalie Ross.” I held out my hand to the boy’s mother first. “And you are?”

  “Sandy, that’s my son, Tyler. I guess it’s okay as long as you stay in my line of sight.”

  “Of course! Thank you.”

  Pleased it went well, I made my way back to Tyler, who was digging a moat around his partially built castle. I knelt down on the cool, damp sand and introduced myself.

  “Okay, Tyler, we’re going to start a serious construction project here. Are you ready?” He nodded, still unsure about the whole stranger thing, but once I started sculpting the sand and had him assist, he hung on my every word.

  Chelsea came out of the water and dropping her board next to mine, sat on top of it to watch. “This totally reminds me of LBI,” she said. I sat back on my heels and smiled at her, remembering the sea grass covered dunes of our favorite Jersey shore, not the crowded, noisy boardwalk of Ocean City.

  “You’re right, me playing in the sand while you sit on your butt.”

  Chelsea stuck her tongue out at me and I went back to work, sending Tyler down to the water to get a bucket of really wet sand.

  “Do you remember that summer; I think it was right before we started our freshman year in high school, when you built this amazing sculpture of a sea turtle?” Chelsea asked. I nodded, remembering with her. “Then my brother and his friends came along and stepped on its head, completely ruining it.”

  “Wasn’t that a lame attempt at flirting with me?”

  “Lame is right,” Chelsea huffed. I laughed and shook my head, thinking about the weeks I spent on Long Beach Island at the Jersey shore with Chelsea and her family. They always rented a house for a week each summer and since my mom couldn’t afford our own family vacation, the Reeds packed me up and took me along. That summer before we started high school was memorable. We snuck out and hung out with Chelsea’s oldest brother and his friends, we sat around a raging bonfire and I tried beer for the first time. Those days stretched out endless before us and I cherished those moments away from home.

  Chelsea chattered away while Tyler and I worked. An hour later, Jason emerged from the surf and found us. “Wow!” he said when he took in the scale model of Cinderella’s castle that we had built. Using shells, sticks, two plastic shovels, a bucket and our hands, we had created a masterpiece. People had been stopping by, some even filming the progress with their phones. Towards the end, his mom and her friend had moved their chairs down to watch. Tyler was grinning from ear to ear with the compliments and attention. Using a stick and a small piece of fabric, Tyler made a flag and as the finishing touch. He carefully stuck it on the roof of one of the turrets; not one grain of sand fell loose.

  “Nice job, Tyler!” I held my hand up and he high fived me. He beamed and ran over to his mom.

  “Do you see that mom? I helped build that!” He wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek. She laughed and hugged him back.

  Jason put his arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. “You’ve got serious talent, Nat. That kid adores you too.”

  “Thanks, I needed this creative burst. I haven’t made a sandcastle in years and forgot how relaxing it can be.”

  Chelsea went to fetch Derek from the sea. I said goodbye to Tyler and his mom then walked hand in hand with Jason back to our towels. We both had to work later so Jason dropped me off at the apartment, leaving my lips tingling after a long, searing kiss. It was a perfect day.

  Unfortunately, the night was disastrous.

  Chapter 15

  The sun was barely hanging onto the horizon, dark pink and orange clouds absorbing its weakening rays, when I pulled into a parking space next to Jason’s BMW. It wasn’t quite five o’clock so Dirty wasn’t busy yet and I wondered if I could lure Jason into the alley again. Smiling at the thought, I checked my hair and makeup in the visor mirror before getting out of the car.

  I stepped inside the bar and made my way to the back storage area, which doubled as an employee break room. It was bare bones and nothing like the lavish employee lounge at Crimson; a few folding chairs, a card table and cubed cubbies for our belongings made up the furniture. I stashed my purse and left to go find Jason. Callie intercepted me to let me know the other server on the schedule had called out sick. I was going to be running the entire floor.

  “I’ll help you out until 9:00, but then I have to get home to the kids,” she said. “Sorry!”

  “It’s okay. That means more tips, right?” I grinned at her and she laughed.

  Jason was busy getting his bar ready, so I waved and went to get my tray from the kitchen area. Gary, the cook who interrupted the kiss in the alley the night before, caught my eye and winked. I blushed and quickly backed out of the kitchen’s double doors.

  It wasn’t long before the bar was packed and the outer tables began to fill up too. I went to work, grateful for my experience at Crimson for teaching me how to weave gracefully through a crowd while carrying a tray full of drinks and pub food.

  Had the night been slower, I probably would have been paying attention to who was walking in the door.

  Chapter 16

  DOMINIC

  I sat in a rental car, in a dark corner of the parking out lot outside the apartment building. I had already knocked on Chelsea’s door, but no one answered and there weren’t any lights on. So I sat in the car expecting Grant to call. Instead of both of us waiting for Chelsea, Grant went to check our other lead; the bar where Natalie’s altercation had been filmed.

  I had the window rolled down and relaxed my head back against the headrest. The night was warm and I draped my arm over the side of the car, my fingertips detecting heat still radiating from the asphalt. I closed my eyes for a moment. It was a long flight to Vegas and a long drive from there to Los Angeles. I was wound tight and hadn’t slept in close to 24-hours because I was so close to seeing Natalie, to bringing her home. I’d sleep once she was in my arms again.

  The throwaway cell phone chirped from the cup holder. Only one person had the phone number.

  “Are you at the bar?” I asked Grant.

  “Yeah, and so is Natalie.”

  “Do you see her?” I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

  “I’m looking at her car. It’s parked in the employee section.”

  “Wait for me.” I hung up, tossing the phone onto the passenger seat. Reaching for the dash, I punched the bar’s address into the GPS. Natalie had already found a job. She wasn’t wasting time putting down roots, but she was also putting herself out in public. We caught a break that Johnny found the You Tube video, but who else had seen it? For all I knew, the Five Families in New York were already on Nat’s tail.

  Within twenty minutes I was parking next to Grant, who was in a deep blue Chevy Malibu; a rental like mine. “Remember, we need to be cool about this,” Grant reminded me. “We don’t need her to run again.”

  I nodded and opened the door to the bar. Loud music and the noise of a boisterous crowd greeted us. We stepped inside and immediately started scanning the room. A stage where a band was playing was on one side of the large room and the only bar was against the opposite wall with small tables radiating out from the center. Three bartenders worked furiously, the crowd around the counter was standing room only. I stopped scanning when I saw the blond bartender, recognizing him from the video. I nudged Grant and nodded in the bartender’s direction. That’s when I saw a familiar figure moving through the crowd around the bar, holding a tray high over her head with a toned, tanned arm. Bodies parted, allowing her passage. She smiled at the blond bartender. He leaned forward and she said something in his ear. He nodded and started mixing drinks in a silver shaker. When he placed two martinis on Natalie’s tray, I saw their hands connect briefly before the bartender started making more drinks.

  Everything faded; I didn’t hear the music and the room itself slipped i
nto darkness. The only light I saw was around Natalie. My girlfriend and the only woman I’ve ever lived with, the woman who killed a man to protect me and the woman I wanted to build a life with was looking at another man like she used to look at me. She was more beautiful than ever. Her tanned skin glowed and her smile was radiant, only it wasn’t directed at me. She had gained back most of the weight she’d lost after Genovese assaulted her and her curves made me ache with longing, remembering how good her body felt against mine, under me, on top of me. I closed my eyes and swallowed.

  I wanted to punch pretty boy’s face in, but knew that violent reaction would only send Natalie running. I wanted to claim her in front of the entire bar, but fear of her rejection made me hesitate. I stood there, clenching and unclenching my hands. Grant, as if sensing the source of my hesitation, said. “Come on, stay behind me. I’ll go first.”

  I nodded, the plan made sense, so I followed Grant into the crowd toward Natalie.

  Chapter 17

  NATALIE

  One moment I was turning away from Jason’s bar, with a tray loaded down with drinks, and the next moment Dominic and Grant were standing in front of me. I cried out and my tray dipped. Glasses crashed to the floor, liquid splashing against my bare legs before they gave out, sending me to my knees among bits of broken glass.

  “Natalie!” A chorus made up of Jason, Grant and Dominic’s voices filled my head and I closed my eyes. How did they find me and how the hell was I going to explain this to Jason?