“Hey, you needed a bodyguard. We just so happen to train the best soldiers. Grand dad told dad to extend the protection to his sister’s side of the family. Doubt she knew he did it.”
I scratched my head.
“So Fosco has no problem getting his hands dirty. Probably misses torturing motherfuckers,” He snickered.
“Get suited up.” Nick pointed to a table to my right filled with surgical knives, a jump starter, various saws, a sledge hammer, leather aprons, gloves, booties, and bouffant scrub caps.
All the makings of a clean murder.
Her wild gaze met mine. “Mind bringing me up to speed, Wyatt?” She gripped my hand.
I peeked over her head. Fosco and Donnie lined the floor beneath Johnny with a roll of plastic.
“Yeah, baby. Let’s get dressed first.”
A few minutes later, the plastic crunched under our feet as we stepped closer to Johnny.
“Lakelyn, thanks for not asking a lot of questions before today. You took a chance on me even though the rumors are still circulating about my four fake baby mamas.”
Her wide eyes focused on my lips. I was convinced she was infatuated with my mouth at this point.
“I always planned to marry you. And we will have a big wedding after the baby’s born.”
Johnny’s muffled screams sounded again. Fosco smashed the butt of his Glock against his head, delivering a silent message to shut the fuck up.
“We moved at hyper-speed this week because I wanted my wife to stand by my side and listen to what this motherfucker has done. You remember him from the high school football games, right?”
Her brows wrinkled. “Yeah, and you mentioned him again before you went pro.”
“My cousin is a part of the Pitucco mafia family.”
Lakelyn’s hands flew over her mouth and she took a step back.
“My dad told you about the day I saw you taking pictures with your prom date. He also told you I needed to play ball in Atlanta. It crushed my heart I couldn’t take you to prom because of my friendship with your brother,” I exhaled.
“Anyway, I had no idea my dad asked Nick’s dad to make it happen. The chances of you moving out of state with me once I went pro was slim to none. Not seeing your pretty face in the stadium seats while I played would’ve destroyed me.”
She closed the space between us and clutched my gloved hand. “You’ve really been in love with me all this time?”
“Yes.”
She grinned. “I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen. I hated you, and my brother were best friends. We couldn’t be together.” She shrugged, blinking away the tears.
Lakelyn cleared her throat. “Continue.”
“The San Francisco Forty-niners had the number one pick in the draft. Johnny told the owner to select me. My cousin Julianno had a friendly chat with the owner. Then I went on to play for the Falcons. But Johnny didn’t stop there.” I turned her to face him.
He sat in a wooden chair with his hands zip tied behind his back. I stared at his black and blue swollen eye and cheek. Drops of blood painted his purple button-down shirt like a painting. My eyes moved to his ripped, filthy dirty gray slacks.
“How long have you had him?”
Nick shoved his hands in his pockets. “A few days. We figured we’d have a little fun before you finished him off.” He chuckled as his heavy hand landed on my shoulder.
“He’s all yours.” Nick retired in a chair nearby.
“Deacon and I were at a party turned orgy in May. Johnny walked in with four tall, blondes on his arms. Clearly he has a type.”
Lakelyn stood at my side, hanging on to my every word.
“Johnny offered me another deal. Deacon told him no. I told him no. The women stepped over and took a picture with me. Johnny and I exchanged words again. Deacon had to stop me from killing him in front of a room full of people. The picture solidifies that I interacted with the women. So even though Deacon and I left the party together, somehow, he knew he could hang that night over my head, but how?”
I stood before Johnny. “How did you know you could get away with the shit you pulled that night?”
He spat blood on the plastic and a deep chuckle released from his throat. “I followed you for months. Saw you meet her around Atlanta. If her brother was present, you two were cold as ice toward each other, but once good old Deacon wasn’t around, you couldn’t keep your hands off each other.”
My heart thudded my chest. What the fuck?
“I needed to set my plan in motion to bring down mister high and mighty,” he glowered.
“I knew you were in Vegas for the football smorgasbord with her.” His eyes fell on Lakelyn.
“I had to be sure your brother didn’t know you two were an item. Once you returned to Atlanta, I followed you two from the airport to her place. I sent your brother a text from your number. A friend of mine set it up to appear the message came from you. It said I made it back home safely. Come over. He must really love his sister because he didn’t waste time getting there. I kept my head down low and followed him into the building. I walked past him as he approached your door.”
He glanced at me. “I wanted to see you two kill each other. Thought maybe that would be the perfect time to swoop in, after he told you to never touch his sister again. You’d be happy to leave Atlanta and move to San Francisco. Anyway, Deacon raised his fist to knock. And low and behold, your pretty little woman passionately belted out your name at the perfect time. I stood around a corner nearby and watched him freeze. Deacon didn’t bust down the door. He stood there enraged. Then he walked away. I hoped he wouldn’t be quick to help you after I sicced my models on you. You were a miserable son of a bitch without her. Most guys would’ve fucked all the women they could. But not you. Not the great Wyatt Oakley. You are the best wide receiver in the game. You can have any woman you want. But you’re caught up over this one woman. Is her pussy that good you wouldn’t leave Atlanta to play for the Forty-niners for two hundred and twenty million dollars?”
I lunged forward, snatching him up by his shirt, and pelting his face with my fist, until blood poured out of his nose and mouth.
“You fucking bastard. How dare you play God with my life?” I stepped back, foaming at the mouth. “You had no right.”
“How did it feel, pretty lady?” he muttered.
“To find out your knight in shining armor knocked up four gorgeous women.” His hooded eyes combed over her slowly.
“And to think you were really carrying his child.”
“You fucking bastard,” I roared, pounding his face again with my one good fist. I walked backward just as I turned to grab a hammer.
At the speed of light Lakelyn grabbed a scalpel off the table, then barreled toward Johnny, slamming it into his neck.
“Lakelyn, what the fuck?” I yelled.
“Don’t worry, Johnny, I didn’t hit a major artery. Just wanted you to suffer a bit.” Hands braced on her knees, she peered up at him.
His lips trembled as he gasped for his next breath.
“Never underestimate a woman at the top of her class in Med school.” She tilted her head to the side. “We know how to kill you fast...and...slow.” Her mahogany lips tipped up at one end.
“I sat down and thought about the man I’d known all my life. Would he really fuck four women unprotected at an orgy?” She laughed.