Phoenix Daniels- Beautiful Prey 3 Page 7

  Chapter 10

  TAMMY

  Tammy ended her called with Natasha, still stunned by the conversation. A bomb at a charity function and a shootout at the hospital was a clear indication that someone really had it out for the Storm family. And she just couldn't understand why. They were a loving bunch; always willing to help a person in need. Maybe it had something to do with the rumors of Luca and Gianni's mafia ties, or maybe one of Jack's business deals. It could also be someone that Natasha or Victoria arrested in the past.

  Ending her speculation, she filled the coffee pot with water and poured it into the machine. It was six-thirty in the morning, and everyone else was still sleeping. Tammy couldn't remember ever waking up before her dad. But when she went to bed he was still up drinking beer and laughing at Lorenzo's stories about growing up in Palermo. Lorenzo was the most talkative of the two men with Luca. He was a giant of a man with an intimidating appearance. But his personality was warm and inviting. He had a great sense of humor. She hadn't heard her father laugh so much in ages.

  Tammy pushed the button to start the brew and sat at the kitchen table. She was hoping that her guests had slept comfortably last night. She certainly hadn't. Between Jasmine's sharp elbow in her side and Gio's late night feedings, she may have gotten two good hours of sleep. Luca slept in David's room, Lorenzo on the sofa, and the other guy, whose name Tammy didn't know, kept watch outside. She had offered Luca the guest room, but David insisted that Luca bunk with him, offering to put Shrek on as an incentive. Tammy was surprised when Luca agreed to sleep in the bottom bunk. She was even more surprised by the way David took to Luca as if he'd found a new best friend. Luca could instantly switch from a brooding shot caller to a kid friendly softie, who was willing to sleep on a twin-sized bunk bed to make her little boy happy. Tammy stood and walked over to the coffee pot, smiling as she remembered Luca sitting on the floor in David's room with his legs crossed, pretending to enjoy Shrek.

  "Good morning."

  Tammy turned to the sound of Luca's deep voice. He was standing, shirtless and barefoot, in her kitchen. His perfectly sculpted abs took her breath away. Had he been on a page in a magazine, Tammy would swear that he had been airbrushed. She stared, unable to look away until Luca cleared his throat and repeated, "Good morning."

  "Oh sorry. Good morning," she chuckled nervously and tightened the sash on her robe. "Coffee?"

  "Si. Grazie."

  She reached into the cabinet for cups.

  "How did you sleep?"

  "I slept well. Surprisingly, the little bed was quite comfortable."

  "Liar," she joked.

  Luca laughed and took a seat at the table. Tammy filled both of their cups and sat them, along with cream and sugar, on the table. She sat across from Luca and tried to focus on his eyes, as opposed to his muscular torso. He gave a knowing smile. And Tammy was amazed at how his entire face transformed when he smiled. He added one teaspoon of sugar and pushed the cream over to Tammy.

  "I like it black," he said seductively.

  "Is that so?"

  "Si. Black and sweet."

  Tammy wanted nothing more than to give him something black and sweet. She was seriously rethinking her decision to even attempt to resist Luca. The reality was that every time she was close to him, she fantasized about riding his dick.

  "I need you to pack a bag for you and David. We're going to stay at Jack's for a few days. "

  "Excuse me?"

  His bossy ass!

  When Luca actually had the nerve to nonchalantly repeat himself, Tammy rose from her seat.

  "Listen, Luca, let's get something straight. I'm an adult, and you don't tell me what to do. I'm not gonna leave my home just because you say so. And what about my dad? Did you even bother to think about him?"

  Tammy was so irritated by Luca's presumptuousness that she hadn't noticed that the sash from her robe had loosened, exposing quite a bit of her bare chest. Luca stood to his feet and stalked over to Tammy. He caressed her face, and when she turned away, he used a finger to gently coax her back. He leaned into her and placed a chaste kiss on her bottom lip. Then he kissed her again; a kiss that was more sensual. Tammy didn’t dare move. Resisting was no longer an option. And if her father and son weren't home, she would have urged him to bend her over the table and fuck her silly.

  Luca's hands glided over her throat. And after a gentle squeeze, he continued downward. He slipped his hand into her robe and cupped her breast. Her chest heaved when he fondled her nipple with his thumb. Because her family was somewhere in the apartment, Tammy knew that she needed to put a stop to their morning make out session. Ultimately, she didn't have to because Luca stepped back. He pulled her robe closed and tied the sash. He placed a sweet kiss to her forehead and returned to his seat. He might as well had thrown ice water on her. She was in shock until his voice snapped her to attention.

  "Tammy, Jack and Victoria's house is more secure. I promised to keep you safe, and it's safer this way. It's just for a few days. And, yes, I did think about your father. He's opting to stay with a lady friend."

  "A lady friend?!" Tammy was floored. "My dad has a lady friend?"

  "Apparently," Luca responded as if it was no big deal. But Tammy was stunned. She had absolutely no idea that her father was dating.

  "We leave in two hours. That'll be enough time for everyone to get prepared. I'll help with the children."

  Luca finished off his coffee and walked out of the kitchen.

  Ooh, if this man wasn't so damn fine!

  LUCA

  Luca walked behind Tammy down the walkway, watching her round ass cheeks as they alternated between up and down. She was carrying her overnight bag to the SUV, despite the fact that Luca had offered to carry it for her. She was still pissed at him. Tammy was the typical American woman. She didn't like being told what to do. But, the sooner that she accepted the fact that Luca's decisions were solely based on her protection, she'd fight less and comply more. Until then, she'd just be pissed.

  Lorenzo raised the lift gate. Tammy tossed her bag in the back and walked back toward her apartment building. He tossed the kid's bags in the vehicle and chuckled.

  What a stubborn woman, he thought to himself.

  When Luca went back into the apartment to help Tammy gather the kids, she was having a conversation with her father. So instead of interrupting, he walked into the living room to get Gio from the pillow fort that Tammy constructed in the middle of the floor. But when he went to reach for him, David grabbed his wrist with his tiny hands and attempted to perform the wristlock that Luca had taught him the night before. Had his hands been bigger, the little guy might have been successful. Luca was proud. So proud that he contorted his body as if he was in pain. He dropped to his knees and yelled, "Agh!"

  David immediately released Luca's wrist and blinked up at him. He patted his shoulder, genuinely concerned and asked... "You okay?"

  "Si. Si, David. I'm okay. You’re just really strong. You're going to need be careful that you don't hurt anyone. Si?"

  "Si," David giggled.

  Luca smiled. David was proud of himself. And when he looked over at Tammy, she was smiling. She had a smile that reached her eyes, and that could light up a room. He thought that maybe her anger had dissipated, but it hadn't. She had kissed her dad goodbye, walked over to lift Gio out of his fort, and walked out of the apartment without as much as a glance in his direction. Luca looked over at Tammy's father, who was undoubtedly branding a smirk.

  "Have fun," he chuckled. "She’s a bullheaded one."

  "She'll be fine," Luca mumbled, causing Jean to laugh out loud.

  Luca lifted David off the floor and flipped him over his shoulder. David laughed and squealed, "Bye Gran-pere," as they headed out of the apartment.

  Chapter 11

  VICTORIA

  Victoria meticulously chopped peppers and onions, in preparation for the biggest dinner that she'd ever cooked. She had already prepared the guest rooms, and now she
was cooking an authentic Dominican meal. She'd been marinating black beans ever since she found out that Tracy, along with, Gianni and Natasha, Luca and Tammy, Amy, who was being released from the hospital later that day, Mia, Francis, and all Luca's security detail would be staying with them. Their house was voted the command post because, other than her in-laws, it was the only one big enough to house everyone, and their kids. And none of them wanted to get Jack's parents involved in anything that could potentially put them in danger. Especially since they didn't know exactly who they were in danger of.

  Victoria had heard rumors of Luca and Gianni's involvement with the Mafia. But since she had never seen any proof of their mafia ties, other than the presence of Luca's security detail, she dismissed it as tabloid rumors. That is, until Natasha was kidnapped and sold into a Russian sex slavery ring. Victoria had been given the details of her rescue. Details that involved a lot of heavily armed Sicilian soldiers.

  "Can I help?"

  Victoria turned to the sound of Jack's voice. When she looked at him, she couldn't help but smile. Her handsome husband's striking blue eyes and gorgeous smile were almost as alluring as his bare, sculpted pecs. He was wearing an apron that read, "Blow the Cook." And since Victoria knew that Jasmine was taking a nap, and her nanny and their housekeeper were out shopping, she did, in fact, blow the cook.

  *************

  A few hours after a very raucous dinner, the kids were asleep, and the guys had retired to Jack's man cave. The ladies were sitting outside on the patio, listening to Power 92 on the radio. They were laughing hysterically and passing a half gallon of Jack Daniels around a fire pit. They were past the point of glasses and were drinking straight from the bottle.

  "So... Mia, Amy, who's the "man" in your relationship?" Victoria asked, using her fingers as quotation marks. "I mean, you're both really gorgeous. And, well... you're both feminine."

  Amy dropped her head and laughed while Mia looked at Victoria as if she'd grown a third eye.

  "This bitch," Natasha chuckled under her breath.

  "What?! Nobody was wondering?" she queried, addressing everyone present.

  "Um... no," Tammy responded.

  "Vic, there is no "man" in our relationship. We're both women. We like being women because we love women," Mia explained, mimicking Victoria's air quotation marks.

  Mia was gorgeous. Her sparkling grey eyes were a noticeable contrast to her mocha complexion. She had the kind of curves that women commissioned. And Amy, with her long dark tresses of silk, full pouty lips, and the bluest of eyes, could grace the cover of any magazine.

  "Amy, sweetie, you need to pay attention to the way Vic is looking at your woman. You know she's a half a foot away from being gay herself," Tracy giggled.

  "What?" Amy choked.

  Victoria gave Tracy the evil eye. Her face heated because she knew that Amy and Mia were staring at her. Tracy winked and turned the bottle up, and Victoria could hear Natasha and Tammy laughing.

  "Gimme my bottle!"

  Tracy ignored Victoria and turned the bottle up again. Amy and Mia exchanged puzzled looks, and Victoria struggled to come up with a change of subject.

  "Tracy, what are you talking about?" Mia asked, determined to get to the secret that she and Amy weren't privy to.

  "Oh, you guys didn't know that Victoria batted for the other team too?" Tracy slurred.

  "I hate you," Victoria hissed.

  "But I love you. Now tell your sister-in-law about your lesbian tendencies. I'm sorry, I mean your bisexuality."

  "What?!" Amy gasped. "Does Jack know?"

  "Why do you think he married her?" Natasha blurted, causing Tracy and Tammy to fall out of their seats, laughing.

  Victoria inhaled a sharp breath and jumped from her seat. But she had underestimated her body’s tolerance to the amount of whiskey that she'd consumed and fell back into her seat. The ladies roared in laughter at Victoria's inebriation. And no matter how much she fought it, she eventually had her own attack of the giggles. In fact, everyone was laughing—except Amy.

  "I am traumatized and disgusted."

  "I gotta peeeeee," Natasha squealed.

  She stood slowly and carefully walked toward the pool house. The ladies were howling as they watched Natasha stumble across the grass with her arms outstretched as if she was walking a tightrope.

  "Tracy, pass me that bottle. I need to drown this picture out of my head. Too bad this concussion won't erase the memory of this conversation."

  Tracy took another swig and passed the bottle around the fire pit. She turned to Tammy and asked, "So what's up with you and Luca?"

  "The same thing you got going on with Francis," Tammy retorted, giving Tracy the "don’t go there” look.

  "Well, there was a lot of tension between you two at dinner," Mia chimed.

  "You having trouble with your new man?" Victoria joked.

  "Man? Luca ain't trying to be my man. More like, he's trying to be my daddy."

  "Hmph! I know exactly where you're coming from,' Victoria muttered.

  "Girl, ain’t nobody got time for that! I already got a daddy."

  "Now you got a big daddy," Mia quipped, in a fake ghetto accent, inciting more laughter.

  "So..." Amy shouted over the drunken giggles. "How long do you think that we're going to be held up here? I really need to get back to work."

  "Tell me about it," Victoria agreed.

  "Victoria please!" Tracy shrieked. "You and Natasha share a last name with the men that sign your checks. You don't have to do anything!"

  Victoria's mouth flew open when Amy had the nerve to laugh.

  "What the fuck are you laughing at?! The last time I checked, your last name was Storm too."

  Amy stopped laughing, rolled her eyes, and gulped more Jack Daniels.

  "Yeah, you hush. You were just blown up, and you won't be going back to work anytime soon anyway. And you…," she said, turning to Tracy. "Let me get you informed, honey. First of all, Natasha was already rich as shit, so everything that she does for Storm Entertainment is voluntary. Secondly, please trust and believe that I earn eeee-ve-ry penny that I make at Storm Enterprises. Jack works the hell out of me. And bomb or not, if we get back to work and the security of his corporation is not intact, there'll be hell to pay."

  "She's right," Amy confirmed.

  "Damn girl, Jack be crackin’ the whip like that?" Tracy teased.

  "That's a horrible analogy," Victoria chuckled.

  Tammy, Amy, and Mia began to laugh, and Victoria could tell that reference had gone completely over Tracy's drunken head. Her look of confusion was suddenly replaced with a look of realization.

  "Ohh... I get it.... it's because he's white, and you're... ohh. I was just..."

  Tracy's stammering only caused them to laugh at her more. Victoria decided to toss her drowning friend a life jacket.

  "Girl, shut up and do your best to pry that bottle out of Amy's hand and pass it over here."

  Amy handed the bottle to Victoria and turned her attention to Tammy. When Tammy noticed Amy staring, she displayed an exaggerated smile.

  "Yes, Amy?"

  "Can teach me how to pole dance?"

  "Ooh yeah, me too?" Mia asked, clapping excitedly.

  "Nothing at all butch about either of you," Tammy muttered. "Sure, whenever you're ready."

  "Yay! I'm going to make my booty clap," Amy shouted, sounding more White than usual.

  "Really, Amy? Really? You’re gonna make your booty clap?"

  "Shut up Victoria! My booty can clap."

  Amy hopped up, aimed her butt at Mia and demonstrated her version of twerking. Tammy and Tracy jumped to their feet and started clapping.

  "Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!" They shouted.

  Victoria, in the spirit of fun, hopped up and joined in. Before she knew it, they were all twerking, popping and making it clap. They were having a drunken good time. That is until she wrinkled her nose at the smell of cigar smoke. No doubt, Luca was in the vicinity.
She turned around and discovered not only Luca, but the rest of the men as well. They were watching them with amused curiosity. Victoria froze mid twerk then stood upright. So did Tammy and Tracy. But Amy, who apparently hadn't noticed that the clapping had stopped, was still dropping it like it was hot. And Mia was still enjoying every minute of it.

  "Amy!" Jack shouted, causing her to damn near jump out of her skin.

  Amy turned to see almost the entire male half of her family staring at her. She slid, shamefaced, into her chair. Victoria giggled under her breath, earning a dagger stare from Amy.

  "Look, little Miley Cyrus, you just got out of the hospital a matter of hours ago. You should be resting."

  Amy, clearly not happy that she was being chastised by her big brother, waved her hand dismissively.

  "I'm fine."

  Victoria turned to Luca when a ring of cigar smoke floated over her head.

  "You had better not been smoking that thing in my house, Luca Savelli."

  "And deal with the wrath of Victoria Storm?" he chuckled. "No signora."

  Victoria turned back to the ladies and laughed inside when she caught Tammy trying to fix her hair and fake sobriety. Victoria shook her head and lifted the bottle of Jack Daniels to her mouth, only to have it taken away by Jack. Victoria grumbled, but she knew better than to argue. Jack inspected the almost empty bottle of whiskey and shook his head. He sat the bottle down and wrapped his arms around her waist. Victoria rested her head against his chest and inhaled slowly. She didn't know whether it was the alcohol or the intoxication of being in the arms of her sexy man that was causing her legs to wobble. Whatever the case, she felt secure in his arms.