Tony

 

"He's keeping his daughter out here? In this rinky-ass town?"

 

"I told you this guy was obviously fucked up beyond a reasonable doubt."

 

I had Allan with me. He was the only one I trusted to be right there up front with me. We were tailed, though, by a couple other guys who Allan had rounded up. Other than that, this was all on us. I hadn't even told my father—he wouldn't understand, for one, and for two, he wouldn't be able to say no when I brought Evie back.

 

She had her baby in me. That made her mine. My father always said a real man took what was his.

 

I had it planned out—take out the undercover, then take out the guards. It was night, so it wouldn't be that hard. We were going to leave the maid—I didn't kill old ladies. Even I had some Goddamn standards—get Evie and whatever the hell she wanted and needed from that house, and take her back to the compound. She could say no, but I wasn't going to take no as an answer from her, not by a damn long shot.

 

"You know, man, I know you have this all in your head that you gotta do this because there's a baby involved and everything, but you ever think that this is a trap?"

 

"I trust Monroe's info—"

 

"Dude I'm not talking about Monroe. He says that the girl is out here and got a pregnancy test and shit, then she obviously did; he knows the game. I'm talking about this girl's daddy. You've heard shit about him—"

 

"He's not gonna get in the way of this."

 

After our little conversation, I knew at the very least I would get away with taking her. If Rick Brown knew what was good for him, he'd let me keep his daughter without a damn fuss. If not ... well I knew what I had in store for him.

 

I pulled us down the road where Evie's temporary home was. It wasn't too far out of the cut, but enough that it was obvious her father had tried to make shit hard on her. What a bastard. We rolled on slowly.

 

"Look up there."

 

There were two cars flanking the road. I looked to Allan, and he nodded at me. He already had his hand in his jacket, fingers on his gun. I was doing the same. I kept the slow roll. One person came out of each of the cars, and our windows went down. We reacted first, guns out the windows before the two men could react. We shot; there was no sound, though. We were smart enough to have the silencers. The two wouldn't die, but we hit our marks true and they fell to the ground; I sped up and away, down the road.

 

"Well that was easier than I thought it would be," Allan commented.

 

"Yeah, easy for now. Stay on your toes. There's supposed to be an undercover around, too, remember?"

 

"Aw, yeah ..."

 

Oddly enough, we didn't come across the undercover. I kept my eyes peeled as we pulled up to the house. There were a couple of lights on in front of the house, and I sat in the car for a moment before getting out.

 

"Watch my back."

 

Our second car pulled up behind us, and by my order, the people in it stayed their asses put. I walked up to the front of the house and knocked.

 

"You're gonna be polite about all this?"

 

"I was raised half decent."

 

Allan snorted.

 

There were a few moments of waiting before footsteps sounded, and I heard muffled voices. The door opened, and I was greeted by the face of an old woman. She opened her mouth to try to scream, and I held my gun up under her chin. I wouldn't kill her, but that didn't mean that I was above threatening her.

 

"Don't do that."

 

I stepped forward, pushing her back into the home as Allan and I entered. There was a television on that I could hear in the background and what smelled like food cooking.

 

"Making me dinner?" I asked, amused. She didn't answer me, only stared with wide eyes.

 

"Mary Ann, what—Tony?"

 

I kept my gun on Mary Ann, but turned my eyes to Evie. She was as gorgeous as she had been the last time we'd seen each other and obviously surprised that I had actually come. I didn't see why; I had told her I was going to come and get her, and I wasn't the kind of man to back out on something that I'd committed to. Especially when it came to someone like Evie.

 

"I told you that I was gonna come back for you."

 

"Tony—what the hell? Take that gun away from her. What are you ... what ..."

 

She approached me slowly, as if she couldn't believe that I was actually there. She reached out to me, brushing her fingers on my face. She was so warm and soft, and it was my turn to be surprised when she suddenly wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

 

"Well, that was unexpected," I muttered. I wrapped my arms around her, though, and drew her close to me, keeping her there. Fuck if I didn't love the way she felt pressed against my body. Even knowing that she was pregnant, it sent a fire through me, nice and low.

 

"You have to leave, Tony," she said against my chest. "My father—"

 

“I don't give a fuck about your father," I said. "I told you that I was coming to get you. I came to get you. Pack up your stuff. We need to leave."

 

I gave her no room to protest. There was an order there—me needing to have her do this thing for me. She looked up at me with those big, blue eyes of her, and for a moment, I thought she was going to tell me no.

 

"Okay."

 

She pulled away from me, retreating to a room. That left us and grannie, who hadn't moved nor spoken a word. She was pale as a sheet.

 

"Mr. Brown won't let you get away with taking Miss Evelyn," she said, not wholly meekly, but not sure of herself, either. "He cares about her. He won't let you—"

 

"He cares about her so much that he left her out in the middle of a desert to rot until she had her baby, and then was planning to throw that baby to the wayside? I don't think so. The man is a selfish prick, only thinking of himself."

 

"Do you think this is good for Miss Evelyn? You're only thinking about yourself. I bet you don't even care for her. This is all about putting Mr. Brown in his place—"

 

I raised my gun up again.

 

"I ain't gonna kill you, but I'm not in the mood for a lecture, old lady. That's my baby, and as far as I'm concerned, that’s my girl now too. You shut the fuck up and let me take her, and I won't have you meet your maker anytime soon."

 

She paled even more, but didn't give me another lick of bullshit, which was good for her. I nodded to the couch, and she moved over there to sit.

 

"Watch the woman," I told Allan. I followed through where Evelyn had walked off to, going to stand in the doorway. She had a suitcase and was throwing in clothes randomly from the drawers and the closet. It might have been a little creepy, but I just watched her, taking in the curve of her back as she leaned over and the way her ass jutted out as she bent. I bit my lip. I remembered how nice that ass was when it was bent over.

 

"You know, you're gonna make me wanna give the old lady a heart attack by making her hear how you sound when I'm fucking you if you keep showing me your ass like that."

 

She jumped a bit, turning around. Her cheeks were red; it was a nice color on her.

 

"You scared the shit out of me."

 

I smirked.

 

"I could always make that up to you."

 

"Tony ..." She shook her head and turned from me, going back to filling up her suitcase with clothes.

 

"What?"

 

"You're a lot more relaxed than I thought you would be."

 

"Why would I be uptight?"

 

She cast an incredulous look over her shoulder, gestured to her belly, then turned back around.

 

"I'm not the kind of man that shirks on his responsibilities, if that's what you mean," I said. “Not in the slightest. I'm not like that."

 

"I didn't say you were. A baby is still ...big."

 

"And? I have money. I have power. That little thing isn't going to want for shit—"

 

"So you want to raise it?"

 

I tilted my head.

 

"Why wouldn't I?"

 

She went to open her mouth, but stopped. She looked outside, and I heard it too.

 

Sirens.

 

"Son of a bitch ..." I went to her suitcase, zipped it up, grabbed it, and grabbed her, too. "We can talk about this later."

 

Allan was already by the door, holding it open.

 

"He must have had them following us, or one of them at the front called it in or some shit," Allan said. We both saw the police lights coming our way. "We gotta hurry the fuck up, man."

 

I didn't hesitate as I pulled Evie along with me. We left the old woman in the house. She shouted after us.

 

"You'll never get away with this! You hurt Miss Evelyn, you'll pay!"

 

"God, I wish that old bat would shut up."

 

I pushed Evie into the back of my car, and Allan slid into the front. I didn't bother buckling as I peeled off down the road, and the other car with our backup was already following along behind us.

 

"You're gonna need to strap in and hold on to something, Evie," I told her. I hit the gas harder and harder, and when we got closer, I slammed the break. Our back up flew past us instead, ramming into the cop car that had raced down the dirt road, and I had to swerve like a mother in order to avoid it. Evie gasped and pressed herself against the window.

 

"Are they going to be all right?"

 

"Who the fuck knows? I'm sure your father can deal with the fallout just fine. He's probably the one who sent them this way."

 

She said nothing.

 

There were more sirens, though, and I knew we weren't going to be in the clear. I saw more lights at the mouth of the road.

 

"Both of you hold the fuck on."

 

I could hear Evie breathing heavily in the back, and I sped up. So this was how Rick Brown wanted to play? He wanted to try and corner me while I got what was mine? That was fine. I wasn't a pussy. I told him that I was going to get what belonged to be and that's what the fuck was happening.

 

There were three cop cars, lights and sirens blaring. They had their guns out, and I had time to yell ‘duck’ as the windshield was shot out. Evie screamed, and Allan cursed.

 

"What the fuck? Don’t they know that she's in here?!"

 

"So much for careful cops."

 

They didn't hit the tires, and I peeled down the road. I didn't take the freeway, though. It would be too easy for them if they decided to give chase. I went through the dirty backroads with winds and turns and forks; I had done enough dirty, off-the-grid business to know the area, even if Rick Brown thought he was doing himself a favor hiding his daughter in the fucking boonies.

 

"Holy shit, Tony, slow down." I took a turn sharp as hell, tilting the car. Evie sounded like she was going to be sick.

 

"I will when I know they're not gonna be up our ass."

 

"Then you might have to deal with me throwing up all over your car!"

 

The thought wasn't appealing, but neither was letting the cops close. I slowed her just a little.

 

"Better."

 

There were still sirens in the distance, but that sound got further and further away and there weren't any lights following us. That was good.

 

"We're gonna need to explain to your pops about all this," Allan said after a moment.

 

I laughed.

 

"What's he gonna do, tell me to take her back?"

 

"Nah, but he might be pissed about the car ... and Terry and Troy. Probably the windshield on this, too." He dusted away some of the broken class. "This was one of his favorite cars ..."

 

"Eh." I shrugged. "What's money if you don't use it to fix up your fuck ups, hm?"

 

Allan laughed. He turned around and looked at Evie curiously.

 

"You all right back there?"

 

I caught her in the rear-view mirror. She was looking a bit shaken, but she wasn't too hurt. That was good. She nodded palely at Allan.

 

"Yeah ...yeah I'm fine ..." She shook her head. "I can't believe all of this."

 

"Well, you better believe it, girl. You're in good hands now."

 

She raised her brow at Allan.

 

"Well, okay. Relatively good hands. They could be worse hands, to be fair."

 

I didn't comment on how she'd already been in my hands. Seemed the wrong time to bring all of that up, but it didn't stop me from smirking about it.

 

"What's so funny?" Allan asked.

 

"Nothing, man. Nothing."

 

We were quiet the rest of the drive, cruising through the backroads and avoiding the majors and highways. It took a little longer to get back into the city, but it was better safe than sorry. It was much later by the time we pulled back into the compound. Most people were asleep by then, or out partying. There were the guards keeping watch and they let us through, eyeing our shot-out windshield curiously.

 

I heard snoring from the back as I pulled into the lot, parking us in the garage. I looked up to see Evie snuggled in the back of the car, curled against the window. That shit was precious and there was a strange tug in my chest that I shrugged off as I got out. Must be a lust thing.

 

"Get her suitcase, will you?"

 

Allan nodded and complied.

 

I went to the side that Evie was on, opening the door quietly and nudging her gently.

 

"Evie? Evie, we're here."

 

"Hmm ..."

 

She was out cold.

 

I shook my head and smiled a little, scooping her up easily in my arms. I carried her like that, with Allan following me, trekking in through the garage. If we were lucky, we could avoid my father, and I would be able to get away with having brought her here until the morning.

 

"My, my. I was beginning to wonder when you'd come home."

 

My father, Geno Esposito, was standing just on the other side of garage door leading from the lot into the main house that we shared. He must have been waiting for us, or had been told we'd pulled up.

 

"Father," I said. "You're up late."

 

"As are you." He looked to Evie curiously. "And with a guest."

 

"My guest," I said levelly. "She's important."

 

"Yes, I'm aware. Governor Brown's daughter, yes? If you were planning on taking her as bait or to pass around as a whore, you could have at least run such a thing by me."

 

My jaw twitched a little.

 

"Allan, can you take her shit to my room?"

 

Allan didn't even say a thing. He nipped on past us, not wanting to get involved in an issue between my father and myself.

 

"She's not a whore," I started out. "She's gonna be staying with me."

 

"You decided all this on your own, did you?"

 

"She's carrying my child."

 

That made my father pause. He looked to her curiously once more, eyes lingering on her flat, little belly.

 

"Well. That's far more interesting than using her as a whore. I would have been angrier had you taken two of my men and gotten into a chase with police over a whore."

 

"Her father tried to keep her from me. That baby in there is mine. That makes her mine. I figured you'd approve."

 

My father laughed.

 

"I'd approve more if you'd have had the sense not to put your seed in the governor' daughter and then risk my men—"

 

"Our men," I corrected. "We're in this together. Partners."

 

His lips twitched.

 

"We'll discuss this in the morning," he said. "Have a good night with your ...woman."

 

My father turned and left me. I scoffed. Ever the formal bastard—not even interested in the fact that he was going to be a grandfather.

 

I shook my head and went to my wing of the house. I had a lot of space all to myself. I liked it that way, though. My father had his side, and I had mine. Sometimes, though, it felt like the space was little more a physical reminder of the fact that he treated me less like a son and more like an employee. Cold. Distant. Ever disappointed.

 

I shook off that, though. I didn't have time for that shit.

 

Allan was waiting for me in my room.

 

"Ah, well, he didn't carve your balls, at least," he said as I laid Evie on my bed.

 

I rolled my eyes at him. "Funny. He's still in a bitch-ass, pissy mood, though. Fucker."

 

"Well, he is your dad. It's kinda what he does."

 

"Yeah, yeah."

 

I brushed my fingers through Evie's hair as she curled into the covers. She was worn out. I guess I couldn't blame her; there was some unexpected excitement, and I'm pretty sure this wasn't how she’d envisioned her great get away. That was all right, though.

 

"I need to make a call. Watch her real quick."

 

Allan looked at me puzzled, but shrugged it off.

 

"Sure, no problem. Whatever you need man."

 

I pulled my phone out my pocket, dialing up a number I had just called a few days prior.

 

"I take it my boys in blue couldn't wrangle your slippery, little ass." Rick Brown's voice answered the phone—not angry or surprised, but somewhat amused. I scoffed.

 

"Nah. Your boys in blue didn't get me. But it's nice to know you're paying cops to do your dirty business."

 

"A man tries to kidnap my daughter, then I have every right to call that in," he said smoothly.

 

"She came with me willingly. Couldn't wait to get out." I laughed. "What is it you're afraid of, Brown? Huh? Are you worried that this is gonna fuck up your election? That's spineless, cowardly—"

 

"What do you want, boy? You wouldn’t have called me after victory if you didn't have something to tell me. Is it a ransom price? Are you already tired of having my slut daughter in your care?"

 

"I'll forget that little comment if you can remember this: I'll keep Evie's pregnancy a secret for you. Don't think I'm dumb; there's plenty of people who would go after her because my kid's in her and she's your precious little girl. I don't wanna flaunt that."

 

"What do you want? I'm listening."

 

"Evie stays here. I keep her pregnancy secret, out of the media, and all that shit. I also keep quiet about how you were trying to keep the pregnancy a secret yourself. I'll keep her safe, her and that baby. And when she has it, that baby stays here. No one has to know it's your grandson. Hell. Maybe I adopted." I laughed at the thought. "But you try to interfere in my child's life, I'll ruin you and then I'll kill you. We both know that I'm fully capable of doing so, don't we?

 

I could practically hear the wheels turning in Rick's head. It gave me a sense of satisfaction. He was thinking about it, which meant that I had something to hold over his head. I had leverage—leverage gave me power.

 

"Say I agree to this. What about my daughter? You can't hope to keep her ...living with you in secret forever. I have an image and a reputation to maintain."

 

"That's be up to her," I said with a shrug. "Maybe you should work on getting her back in your good graces, Governor."

 

With that, I hung up the phone.