Phoenix Daniels- Beautiful Prey 3 Page 4

  "Maybe. But, you’re the one he wants." Tammy had to admit, seeing him reject the woman's advances gave her a feeling of relief.

  "Sweetie, we can't define ourselves by the mistakes that we've made. Luca is not Deon. And your vow of chastity is nothing more than you punishing yourself for falling for him. But Tammy, he fooled all of us."

  Tammy was not about to have another conversation about Deon. He was honestly the last person that she wanted to think or talk about, and she was thankful when the auction started. She happily followed Natasha to the stage, but she was cut off by the dark-haired woman. At closer view, she was stunning. She had big blue eyes, Top Model bone structure, and red pouty lips.

  "That's a beautiful dress," she said, with what sounded like a Russian accent.

  "Thank you. Your dress is beautiful as well."

  And it was. It was a long gown, flowing of ice blue silk that complimented her eyes.

  "Thank you, Tamara. It's Tamara, right?"

  Tammy narrowed her eyes, taken aback by the fact that the woman knew her name, but she wasn't about to let her know that. She did, however, smile and respond with,

  "Yes. And you are?"

  "I am a woman who can actually afford to bid on a man like Lucciano Savelli. Of course, that is, unless dancing on a pole is more lucrative than I expect."

  This bitch!

  “You'd be surprised. I'm really good at what I do."

  Tammy smiled sweetly and walked away. If the bitchy Russian thought that she was going to get a rise out of her, she was terribly mistaken. Tammy had been dancing long enough to hear every degrading put-down in existence, and she could spot a hater miles away. Clearly, Luca's rejection prompted her to lash out. As she walked over to her friends, Natasha issued a questioning glare.

  "What was that all about?"

  "Nothing. She was just reminding me that I'm just a broke stripper who's way out of her league."

  "What?!" Natasha shrieked.

  "How does she know anything about you?"

  Tammy shrugged.

  "Don't know, don't care. But I'll tell you what... I'm gonna stand here, look pretty, and proudly donate my lil’ five-hundred dollars to this very worthy cause."

  "I got a better idea," Natasha said, with a mischievous smile.

  "Do I even want to know?"

  Natasha reached in her clutch and handed Tammy a check. It had more zeros than she'd ever seen on a check. It was made out to the Sickle Cell Association, on behalf of Tamara Beauvais. Tammy was floored.

  "What is this? I can't take this," she said, attempting to stuff the check into Natasha's hand. But Natasha refused to take it. She grabbed Tammy firmly by the wrist.

  "Look!" she said, through gritted teeth. "You're gonna take this check and bid on that man. And Tammy, you're gonna win."

  Speechless, Tammy could only shake her head. She wasn't about to go back and forth with Natasha, but there was no way that she was taking money from her. Thankfully, the sound of Francis' name being called on stage diverted Natasha's attention.

  Francis stood front and center of the stage, and if he was nervous, Tammy couldn't tell. He seemed to ooze confidence. He was tall, dark, and handsome, with a killer smile. Natasha could clearly see why Tracy was so enamored with him, even though she was constantly trying to hide it.

  The bidding began and the women became outright rowdy. When the bid reached thirty-five thousand dollars, Tammy was floored. She was seriously out of her league. There was no way in hell she, or Tracy for that matter, could match them. Or so she thought.

  That was until Tracy shouted, "Forty thousand!"

  Now Tammy knew that Tracy was a successful international marketing executive, but she didn't realize that she was raking in that much dough. But when it was all said and done, Tracy had won the bid with a pledge of seventy thousand dollars.

  As more bachelors were presented, Tammy studied the room. It was an elegant room filled with wealthy people. No matter how many pretty dresses that she made, she didn't belong in this world. And by the time Luca's name was announced, Tammy wanted to do a Cinderella dash out of that ballroom. But, since her daddy didn’t raise no punks, she straightened out her fabulous dress and held her head high.

  Luca took to the front of the stage, and the hollering began.

  "Ladies, meet Giovanni Luca Savelli. Handsome club owner/ restaurateur/ tabloid bad boy. He's fluent in five languages and wanted in three countries."

  The announcer's joke landed him the stink eye from Luca. But apparently, his description had won over the ladies. The bid actually started at fifty thousand dollars.

  Fifty-Fucking-Thousand dollars! Seriously?

  Tammy looked at the stage to find Luca staring at her. He actually seemed almost disappointed by the outrageous bid. Luca had her full attention until someone behind her yelled, "Sixty thousand!"

  The room grew silent and Luca's expression turned murderous. He opened the jacket of his tux and gripped the handle of his holstered weapon. The amount of the pledge wasn't the shocker, although to Tammy it should have been. It was the fact that the voice was masculine. Tammy immediately turned around to look for the source. When she found him, he was standing next to Gianni and Jack, who were trying, unsuccessfully, to suppress laughter. She smiled when she realized that they were playing a prank on him. When the announcer asked if there were any more bids and a feminine voice pledged sixty-five thousand, Luca was visibly relieved. After a minute or two of cat fighting over Luca, the dark-haired Russian settled the fight with a pledge of eighty thousand dollars. Tammy was screaming on the inside. She should have known that she would swoop in and steal the bid. Tammy wasn't even going to bother questioning why she'd even cared. She knew why.

  "Bid," Natasha urged, nudging Tammy with an elbow.

  "I can't."

  "Yes... you... caaaaaaan," Natasha whined.

  "No!"

  "Listen, Tammy, I was gonna hand that check over to the foundation anyway. This way... everyone wins. Bid!" Natasha grumbled.

  "Um! Eighty-five!" Tammy shouted.

  Luca smirked. Which made him look even sexier.

  Tammy smiled, until the Russian wiped the smile from her face by yelling, "Ninety-thousand!"

  "This bitch," Natasha mumbled. "Keep going!"

  "Ninety-five!"

  Luca was clearly puzzled. Surely, he was wondering how Tammy was able to place such a bid. He looked from Tammy to Natasha and his eyes reflected his appreciation. It was quiet for a moment, until the Russian, angrily bellowed, "One hundred thousand dollars!"

  Oh God. Really!

  Do it," Natasha whispered.

  "Noooo," Tammy groaned.

  ”Okay. But remember this... at the last Sickle Cell Ball, Jack won a date with Victoria. She fucked him that night," Natasha said, apparently loud enough for Victoria to hear.

  "Hey!" Victoria protested.

  "One-ten!" Tammy shouted.

  "Sold!" Luca yelled, before quickly departing the stage.

  The crowd erupted in laughter as Luca made his way over to Tammy. When Luca took her in his arms, the crowd cheered. Tammy wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "You cheated."

  NATASHA

  Natasha clapped along with the crowd, all the while feeling Victoria's burning gaze. When the applause died, she reluctantly turned to Victoria.

  "What?"

  "What?!"

  "Well, I had to say something. And, I'm sorry, but it's true," Natasha chuckled.

  "Really? Well, at least Jack spent a million dollars on me. You gave it up for dinner."

  "It was a really good dinner though," Natasha retorted.

  "I can't stand you," Victoria mumbled.

  "I know. Now let's go and toast to your successful fundraiser."

  Natasha wrapped her arm around Victoria's waist and pulled her to the bar. She did a shot with her friend and grabbed a bottle of Don Julio to take back to their table. She knew that Victoria's drink was Jack Daniels, but she wanted to s
witch things up. The benefit was insanely successful, and they'd partied until the end. And since the ballroom was clearing out, Natasha thought that it was okay to get the ladies a little drunk. As if on cue, Tammy, Amy, Mia, and Emily met them at the table.

  "Shots!" Victoria announced as she spread out shot glasses.

  "None for me," Emily declared.

  "Really, Em?!" Amy huffed.

  Emily narrowed her eyes at her little sister.

  "Come on Emily," Victoria urged.

  "Fine," Emily relented. "Just one."

  One turned into three, and Natasha was feeling no pain. The euphoria was real until the pretty dark-haired lady sashayed over to their table.

  "Why are you here?" Tammy slurred.

  "Well, I'm here to say goodbye," was her sugary response.

  "Bye," Tammy mumbled under her breath. The woman smiled and walked away.

  JACK

  Jack sat at the table with his drunken cousins, knowing that they shouldn't be having another round. But, since none of them were driving themselves, he threw caution to the wind and knocked back his glass of scotch. The ballroom was almost empty, except for a few stragglers.

  Jack looked across the room for Victoria. She was sitting at the table with the ladies. They were surely drunk. Well, most of them anyway. Since Emily, the strait-laced lawyer, and the oldest of his two baby sisters, always insisted on being in complete control, he was sure that she was the only sober woman in the bunch. He would love to see Emily just let go and have a good time.

  Suddenly, Jack noticed a woman with long black hair and a blue dress approach the ladies' table. His wife, in particular, didn't seem happy by her presence. He knew that there had to be a back story, and he planned to find out from Victoria later. After a few seconds, she turned to walk away. She made sure to look at the table, where he and his cousins were sitting, before exiting. She smiled specifically at him, and her smile was unnerving. Since this was the same woman that was in a bidding war with Tammy for Luca, he turned to him and asked, "Who is she?"

  "I don't know her," Luca admitted. "But she..." BOOM!

  Chapter 5

  VICTORIA

  Victoria could faintly hear Jack calling her name. It was as if he was calling her from far away. When she felt his hand on her cheek, she realized that she had been out, and Jack was trying to wake her. Her eyes fluttered open, but she was having trouble focusing.

  "Oh God! Thank God!"

  Jack gently caressed the side of her face, repeating his mantra to God. He finally came into focus. His face was dirty, and his hair was all over his head. She had no idea what was going on, but Jack's panicked expression gave Victoria pause. She tried to sit up, but Jack insisted that she lie still.

  "Jack? What happened?"

  "There was an explosion, but you're okay."

  Explosion?

  Victoria's memories came flooding back. She was remembering the Sickle Cell Ball, the auction and taking shots.

  She gasped. "Oh God Jack! There was a bomb!"

  She could smell the smoke and hear the cries of those impacted. She grabbed Jack's lapel and pulled herself up. She needed to make sure that everyone was okay.

  "Victoria!" Jack shouted, attempting to force her to lie down on the floor.

  "Jack! I'm fine," she insisted.

  It was her event. Everyone was there because of her, so she needed to make sure that they were okay. Jack relented, and with his support, Victoria stood on shaky legs. She looked around at what used to be an elegant ballroom but had now been reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble. Victoria grabbed her aching head and tried to focus on her surroundings.

  "You're ok!" Amy shouted, running toward her.

  "I'm fine," Victoria reassured, holding her arms out to embrace her sister-in-law, but Amy collapsed before Victoria could get to her. Thankfully, Jack was able to catch her and lay her gently on the floor.

  When Victoria reached Amy, she noticed blood seeping from her ear. She quickly wiped the blood away, fearing the worst. She pulled Amy's head into her lap.

  "Call 911!" Victoria screamed.

  "It's been done, baby,” Jack told her.

  "Tracy? Tasha? Em?" Victoria began to ramble off names. "Tam..."

  Suddenly, Victoria heard screaming.

  "Oh my God! I can't see!"

  Victoria recognized Emily's voice. She frantically searched the room for her. She was scrambling on the floor, close to what used to be the stage. Victoria cradled Amy while Jack ran over to Emily. She could faintly hear sirens over the ringing that remained in her ears.

  TAMMY

  Tammy couldn't see. The ballroom was filled with smoke, but, somehow, she knew that she was in Luca's arms. Even through a thick cloud of smoke, she could tell by his distinct scent. As he was carrying her, she tried her best to focus, but everything was so cloudy. It seemed as if their table had simply exploded. She could hear some of her friends desperately attempting to contain the devastation.

  "Luca," she coughed. "Where are you taking me?"

  "There's an ambulance outside."

  "Where's everyone else?"

  "They're on their way out. Everyone's alive."

  Tammy didn't like Luca's response.

  Everyone’s alive… what does that mean? Was anyone maimed? Crippled?

  "Luca, how bad is it?"

  "I'm not sure. Let me just get you looked at and I'll check."

  Tammy wasn't buying it. There was no way Luca would leave his family behind without knowing if they were okay.

  "Luca?" She probed. He carefully placed her on a gurney and stepped back as the paramedics placed an oxygen mask over her face and checked her vitals. There were police and firemen everywhere.

  Suddenly, Tammy could see Natasha's entire family running behind two gurneys. She recognized Amy and Emily, both being rushed into separate ambulances. After a brief debate between Jack/Victoria, and Gianni/Natasha, each of the men hopped in the back of both ambulances. Victoria and Natasha stayed behind and huddled with the officers on the scene.

  Tammy pulled the oxygen mask away from her face.

  "Luca, what's happening with Amy and Em?"

  Before Luca could answer, Tammy was lifted from the ground and placed in the ambulance. He climbed in behind her, and she could hear Tracy asking the driver which hospital they were taking them to. Tammy wanted to question Luca further, but she kept quiet instead.

  .

  Chapter6

  VICTORIA

  "This is some bullshit. Trouble just follows you two everywhere you go," Sgt. Banner grumbled as if he was pissed off that he actually had to do some police work. And was this motherfucka really blaming the both of them for getting abducted on his watch, back when they worked for the police department?

  Victoria could see Natasha's jaw clenching, and she could easily tell that she was trying to rein in her temper. But, that same restraint didn’t apply to Victoria.

  "My family was hurt!" she hissed. "Now, if you're not here to do your job, then sit your drunk, stupid ass in your car until the real police are done here."

  Sergeant Banner rolled his shoulders back, preparing to assert his authority. But Victoria, flanked by Natasha, closed their distance.

  "I. Will. Beat. Yo. Ass." She warned through gritted teeth.

  Sergeant Banner looked from Victoria to Natasha and stepped back. Frankie took the opportunity to interject before things got way too out of control.

  "Soooo... take a second to think about if you left something out."

  Victoria wasn't about to give up too many details in front of the other police officers. After all, she was no longer a cop, and she didn't have to operate under the law. And since the bomber waited until almost everyone was gone, the attack was obviously meant for someone in her family. Not to mention, they struck something that meant the world to Victoria, her Sickle Cell Ball. This was definitely personal.

  "Shit!" Natasha swore under her breath, snapping Victoria's attention away from Fr
ankie.

  "What?"

  Victoria followed her line of sight to three black Cadillac trucks with tinted windows. She watched Francis exit the lead vehicle and direct, well suited, Sicilian men to surround Victoria and Natasha.

  "What the fuck is this!" Sergeant Banner shouted, causing Frankie to cut his eyes at his supervisor.

  Victoria assumed that Frankie recognized some of them men from Natasha's rescue mission in Krakow. He just shook his head, knowing that the presence of Luca's men meant that there was real trouble.

  Victoria watched as Francis strolled over to them. Sending him was genius on the part of Jack and Gianni. No one ever argued with Francis. His calm, rational demeanor left no room for irrational debate. He nodded at the police officers, before turning to them.

  "Ladies," he said with a gentle smile, gesturing toward the SUVs’.

  Victoria gawked at Natasha, as she turned and walked away without protesting.

  "Vic," Francis urged, softly.

  Victoria rolled her eyes before she could catch herself. Nonetheless, after telling Frankie that she would call him, she joined Natasha in the SUV. Once they were secured in the vehicle, Victoria looked at Natasha in disbelief.

  "Really Tasha?"

  "What?" Natasha questioned. "It's Francis! You gonna argue with him?"

  Victoria just shook her head and sat back in her seat. When the driver hopped in the driver's seat and took off, Victoria didn't even have to ask where they were going. She knew that they were headed to the hospital. It would have definitely been her first priority if she weren't the one responsible for putting together the Sickle Cell Ball in the first place, and she needed to make sure that anyone left behind got medical attention.

  They rode in silence until they were pulling in front of the hospital. Victoria looked around, and she could swear that she was in Palermo. There were armed Sicilians everywhere. Where the fuck did Gianni and Luca think they were? Did they really think that a bunch of armed, non-American citizens were going to go down easy with the Chicago Police Department? Victoria looked over at Natasha, who was as shocked as she was.