"You must've done a number on him. When they got his body they said he still had a raging hard on."
Jordan chuckled as he bit into his taco, steak and lettuce tumbled out messily from the other end onto the lime green plate under it.
Valerie sat across from him, scraping her fork across her plate. Pieces of corn, chicken, and rice were streaking all over the bright red dish as she slid her fork across them, but she was in such deep thought she didn't care she was making a mess of her meal.
When Valerie got into Jordan's car, he admitted that he was the one KJ and Colton sent to clean up the mess they expected Valerie to make at the club, however the authorities were called too soon so they got to Michael's body before he could.
Michael was alive, but just barely, one of Jordan's paramedic insiders revealed to him. That's why Jordan was needed. KJ and Colton were right, Valerie wouldn't kill the man, she'd just put him in the position to go down without a fight.
That small detail still made her stomach turn.
Seeing that his job was cancelled by the first responders, Jordan insisted Valerie let him get some food on the way to drop her back home. So, here they were at midnight, eating tacos at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican food joint. Valerie was cranky and exhausted and just rattled up from her club ordeal until a question suddenly sparked in her head, making her fork clatter loudly onto the table.
Jordan, still chewing, arched one of his brows at her in confusion.
"You good, buttercup?"
Rolling her eyes at the pet name first then narrowing them, Valerie side eyed Jordan from across the table. The glare had no effect on him, and honestly humor seemed to dance within his light brown depths.
"So, what the fuck have you been watching me for all these weeks? What the hell do KJ and 'nem have you doing?" She asked irritatedly.
Jordan waved her off, uninterested in engaging with her. Dipping the rest of his taco in his personal cup of queso before sloshing the whole thing into his mouth. He rubbed the rest of the taco shell dust from his hands and shrugged on his black leather jacket once more. He then moved to get up from the table, but instead Valerie blocked his exit from their booth with her foot.
Feign-ing a bored expression on his face, Jordan slowly slid back to his original place in the booth.
"You aren't Luca Giovanni's typical type. When you kept showing up around his office building, we knew something was up. I've been snooping around you for quite some time. I know that he attended Thanksgiving with you. I know that he's the one who saved you from being spotted at the triple A meeting with Patterson..."
Valerie's heart dropped.
So, that means KJ and Colton know I lied to them about knowing anyone there?
"Luckily, for your sake, I only tell people what they've asked of me. The Armata does not know that you know Luca Giovanni as closely as you do. Whatever that may be. They are very curious to know more about their newest member though. That's why you've been seeing me." Jordan finished plainly. He was no longer the mischievously grinning guy that picked her up in his car, or even flirted with her on the bus.
Jordan rattled off his story for stalking her like business jargon.
He looked hardened while he spoke to her, and when he was done he analyzed her closely; almost like he was bracing himself to grab her if she tried to run. Valerie noticed that he was not just some boy, as she glanced at his black python arm tattoo peaking under his sleeve once again.
He was a criminal, just like all the regulars she dealt with at her waitress job.
Valerie's hands began to sweat like crazy, she quickly dragged them against the cool silk of the kimono she wore.
"I'm no member of anything you, KJ, or Colton are apart of. I don't know what you're insinuating. You can tell your little gang, I want no parts of it." She brattishly huffed at Jordan.
This time his sinister smile returned, reminding her very much of the one KJ sported when she served him, the one that sent chills down her spine.
"Oh, but you do, KitKat. You've completed two jobs now under The Armata's direction for pay. Who knows? By next week you'll be sporting a python right above that tight ass of yours." Jordan's eyes lit up as he rakishly joked. Valerie could barely focus on being shy right now.
Because he was right.
Without her even noticing, she'd become a recurring statement on KJ and Colton's pay roll. He made it seem like it was something that couldn't be undone, like she'd signed a legally binding contract or something.
Little did he know, Valerie Stevens didn't do contracts.
"Take me home, Jordan." She demanded coldly, slipping out of the booth now and walking towards the doors of the restaurant. Out her peripheral, she could see Jordan smiling at the cashier as he paid for their meals and jogging behind her slightly to catch up.
He unlocked the doors of his car and they both got in. Wordlessly.
Valerie was fuming and Jordan couldn't have cared less as he pulled away from the restaurant and got back on the street, rap music blasting from the speakers of the car. Of course he knew where she lived, having been stalking her for some weeks.
She watched him as he drove, close cut waved hair was hidden under the beanie he usually wore and those thick frames he wore were obviously for his disguise because they were nowhere to be found today. He wasn't as toned as Luca, his skinny frame was fit but almost in the same way a cat would be. He was slinky.
The moonlight glinted nicely off of his terracotta complexion. His face now bore a bit of a shadow from not shaving, and maybe if Valerie wasn't so pissed at him and the world right now he could've even been attractive to her. However, she was pissed at him, the world, and his little Armata.
When he pulled up in front of Valerie's apartment, he looked over to her like he wanted to say something. Valerie didn't even give him the chance as she hopped out of the car and slammed its door shut.
"Hey! Watch the paint! Shit..."
Valerie reveled in hearing Jordan's annoyed exclaiming as she shut the door to her apartment and ran up stairs.
When she entered her front door, the lights were off and there was no quiet murmuring of a television, she knew Nicki was still out.
It was only a bit after one in the morning, the night was still young.
Valerie however felt like she'd been hit by a two ton bus. The weight of tonight's events weighed heavily on her shoulders and all she wanted to do was take a shower.
So, that's just what she did. She stripped off her clothes as she walked to the bathroom and turned on the water. The warm spray that immediately erupted from the shower head brought joy to her spirit, and the smoke rising from the water soothed her soul.
This was her happy place, the shower.
***
The next day, Valerie did indeed get up for work and to her surprise the clothes she'd left at the club upon her escape last night were neatly folded on the kitchen counter. Messily scribbled on a piece of paper towel was Nicki's handwriting.
"These were left outside our door when I came in. Had a fun night, aye?"
You have no idea.
Valerie grouched as she grabbed the clothes and threw them on her bed. They seemed to have been laundered, she didn't know how she felt about that.
She didn't know how she felt about anything at the moment. Nothing made sense, and she had an inkling nothing would ever make sense again, especially with The Armata and Luca hanging around her.
When she arrived at work nothing had changed. Lacey still smiled the same grateful smile at her every time she still showed up. It was like she expected one day the job would break her, and it warmed Valerie's heart to be needed somewhere. Even if it was New York's personal hellhole.
Almost immediately she got to work, bussing tables and getting waiting patrons glasses of water as they waited. Valerie didn't want to think today, she just wanted a distraction from her loud thoughts. Loud, paranoid, and nervous thoughts.
So she didn't even notice when she slid two glasses of water towards Colton and KJ. She turned to leave the table soon as the waters hit the wood, but KJ spoke up, "Sweetheart, slow down a second."
Her blood froze as she looked back and saw who was speaking to her. Of course she hadn't forgotten they were coming today, she just was praying they wouldn't show up. Huffing slightly, Valerie turned all the way towards the table and stood in front of the two men, putting her slightly perspiring hands into her dress pockets.
Colton smiled at her, making the crows feet by his eyes deepen. "You did good, Valerie. Vixen is a household name at The Red Room right about now. We're very proud of you. We heard you met Jordan... sweet kid right?"
Valerie held back the urge to roll her eyes at the mention of his name. She slightly nodded as her answer about the boy. KJ regarded her cautiously, "Did he tell you anything about us? Why so squeamish today?" He spoke calmly, like talking to a cornered animal. Valerie was insulted. She wasn't "squeamish" she just didn't feel like being bothered with their bullshit today, but she fought the sneer that was itching to creep onto her face.
"I'm just tired, KJ," Valerie replied, shuffling on her feet as she talked, "And Jordan just told me who you guys really were... not that it surprised me."
She caught the flicker of suspicion in Colton's eyes when she said that. He messed with the lapels on his thick wool trench coat. "Who are we really?" He inquired, the pause the ensued at the table was weighty because they made it so. Obviously, the were not the best couple to act normal if they indeed were hiding something. KJ looked like he was ready to pounce on Valerie at any second.
Sighing deeply, Valerie shook her head in pity. "You guys... are in the mob. It's very obvious. You're gangsters. Jordan literally just told me my suspicions were true. I'm not gonna tell anyone, relax." She tiredly revealed. KJ's eyes narrowed while Colton took a relieved breath.
"I'm gonna kill him. Who the hell is he to be going around telling our business? He should keep his mouth shut unless something useful is coming out of it." KJ griped as he sat back on the booth's backrest. He childishly pouted as he looked out the window. Colton softly smiled, laughing a bit to himself.
"It is okay, son. Obviously, Valerie has earned her merit between us. She can be trusted, she has proven herself." Colton eased the irritated man across from him. It only made KJ's frown deepen. Colton then decided to pay him no more mind.
"Here you go, Valerie. Thank you for your help yesterday, we appreciate your service." Colton continued without missing a beat, producing money from inside his coat. A stack identical to the fifteen thousand she'd received yesterday.
Obviously I'm never getting my full two hundred grand in one sitting working with these two.
"No problem." Was her dry reply as she put the money in her apron pocket and abruptly left before the men could ask her to do anything else.
Normally, she'd feel like shitting her pants in their presence, but today. Everyone didn't look like Superman to her. Today, everyone looked like regular ass Clark fucking Kent.
Valerie went behind the bar to fake like she was busy and made no eye contact with the men as they finished up whatever business they had here. In thirty minutes, the next time she glanced at their table, they were gone.
"Hey toots, how 'bout you quit day dreaming and fix me a drink? Somethin' strong." A man grouched at her from the other side of the bar. She glared at him and poured him a glass of gin, slamming it on the counter so it spilled a bit.
"Slut." He grumbled.
"Bitch." She seethed. The stress of her life was obviously getting to her.
"Valerie, I don't know what's gotten into you today, but go cool off." Lacey suddenly broke the man and Valerie's staring contest.
Wordlessly, she skulked off to the employee room and walked up to the mirror that was there. Scrutinizing her appearance Valerie undid her loose ponytail and ran her fingers through her hair. She noticed her tired eyes and paling skin. She was exhausted and she knew why.
She'd been running ever since Luca blackballed her and that was going on being a month ago.
Valerie had gone from being courted to being a trophy wife, dropped like a sack of potatoes and blackballed, stalking a man for money and getting kidnapped for a night at Luca's estate. Now she'd incapacitated a man to pay Luca back for paying off her apartment for good and she had nowhere near enough money to keep him out of her life.
She just wanted to stop for a second.
Leaning on the wall by placing both of her hands on either sides of the mirror, she took deep breaths, trying to hold herself together.
"You got this. You're not broke anymore. You keep it together, Valerie. You can do it." She steadily repeated to herself aloud.
"You got this. You're not—"
"Valerie, someone is here to see you."
Lacey's voice interrupted her chanting.
Turning around with tears brimming her eyes, Lacey let out a painful sigh at the sight of Valerie. She even closed her eyes for a second.
"If you can't handle the job, quit." Was Lacey's only statement before she turned around and left the room.
And now Lacey can't even stomach the sight of me.
Wiping at her eyes quickly, Valerie smoothed out her uniform's dress skirt and went back out into the restaurant part of the building. She scanned the room trying to see just who'd be looking for her.
That's when she saw him, sticking out just like a sore thumb. It was Luca, ironically sitting in the same back booth KJ and Colton do. He was dressed in his professional clothes. A dark blue suit and tan dress shoes. When the crowd here was usually bikers and mobsters, you bet he looked different.
Valerie slowly made her way over to him, bracing herself for whatever impact he came to make on her as she slid into the other side of the booth with him.
"Luca, I don't know how you found out about me working here, but you can't just show up like this. Requesting me and all that."
He looked just as handsome as always. His hair was messily disheveled like it always is, but just enough that he can still keep his clean cut boyishness. His thick brows were furrowed as he looked over the menu of the restaurant, humming slightly as he set it down, crossing his arms on the table.
"Why on God's green Earth would you choose to work here? Do you know how dangerous it is? The kind of people, that frequent this place?" His calm was very fragile. Anger spiked the ends of each of his questions, and today was not the day to reprimand Valerie because she was so on edge.
She took another deep breath before she spoke. Placing her own hands on the table and she couldn't help but notice how much smaller they were compared to his. Then, Valerie met his eyes, they were the same as his words, barely containing the slow burning fire within him. She thought it was endearing that he cared, but nonetheless none of his business.
"I know what I get myself into." She stated plainly. Resting her face on the palm of her hand as she boredly regarded Luca from across the table.
He looked taken aback by her tone. He wasn't used to this resigned nature, he was used to her fire clashing with his ice. He loved her fire, and right now it seemed like all that was left of it were smoke and embers.
"What's wrong? Why are you so... resigned?" Luca asked, the softness in his tone made Valerie alert. Luca wasn't soft. What the hell was this?
Her eyes flitted over his expression again and it had morphed. Morphed into someone with intuitive eyes and she felt like he could suddenly read her mind. She held in her forehead in her hands in an attempt to stop him just in case he could, it was childish, but she felt so vulnerable when it came to him.
"You wanna know the truth, Luca?" She answered him with another question, not even looking at him, but down at the table because depending on his answer she wasn't so sure she could truthfully answer; and say the word she needed to while looking into his beautiful chestnut eyes.
"Of course I do, you can tell me anything." He pushed, almost in disbelief she could ask such a thing.
"You. Luca, you're what's wrong." She breathed shakily, her hands raking back into her hair again. All she heard was Luca's sharp intake of breath and it hit her like she'd just gutted him.
"What do you mean? I've been trying to help you since the day I met you. Every time we cross paths... I'm trying to help you. Trying to keep you safe. Trying to be there for you." He rambled a bit, not nervously though. He sounded absolutely appalled at the things Valerie was insinuating by blaming him for her state.
Sitting up from her broken down seated position Valerie regarded Luca with a tired expression. "Since the day you met me, you've been trying to marry me. Make me see you're such a good guy. So capable of taking care of me, when really all you've proved is that you're a wealthy stalker. I am worked to the bone, because I am trying to buy you off." She tried to explain to him the repercussions of his actions, but instead it just seemed to make things worse.
Luca looked as if she was kicking him in the gut.
"Valerie, everything I've done in your favor has been a gift. Why would you try to buy me off? What amount of money is equal to the help I've given you?" He incredulously continued to come up with questions. It's almost as if now she could see his thoughts, And everything was coming up question marks.
"I don't want your gifts. You failed the test of loving me for me, just even knowing me for me. I want to pay you back for my apartment. I want you out of my life." Valerie's voice was raw with emotion as she told Luca exactly what she wanted for the umpteenth time. He looked like he was bomb ready to detonate.
Valerie wanted to crawl across the table and hug him, but fear kept her stapled to her seat. She just wanted normal. Luca could never be normal. He's never lived normal.
"Keep your money," He spat bitterly. It made Valerie flinch.
"If that's what has you working here, it's not worth it. I'm sorry you feel so trapped by me. You do not have to worry about hearing from me ever again. You may not have wanted me in your life from the start Valerie, but the day you walked into my office... doe eyed and hot blooded, I've always wanted you in mine." He spoke as if he was bleeding out onto the table and he might as well have been.
He stood up from their booth and speared Valerie with one last look, his eyes searing her as if he wanted to memorize every detail of her before he looked away.
The one rebellious curl on his forehead was the only thing that moved for a second for his body was stone still.
Valerie held his gaze, God he was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen in her life, yet here she was letting him walk away from her. Once again. For the sake of normalcy, for the sake of starving once again once his money ran out.
Because she was terrified of his passion.
When he finally turned away from her, Valerie felt like the sun had as well. Luca walked with his head held high although she knew he had just bared his soul to her, in the dirtiest part of town, in New York's personal hell hole. Luca came straight into hell for her.
For her.
And she gave him shit for it.
But as she watched him step into his car and drive away, she felt herself getting lighter and lighter.
No longer did she need to worry about paying him back, working here, and she damn sure wouldn't be coming near The Armata again.
She no longer had to sneak out under Nicki's nose, and she could finally look for jobs within her fucking degree range.
I'm free.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the sun slowly set over the neighborhood. Luca's car was long gone down the street, as she looked back to where he was initially parked. Her heart ached for a second, seeing the empty space, but she had little time to mourn the loss because the next car over was familiar.
A black Maserati.
In it sat Jordan, his eyes boring straight into hers, only this time his appearance was different. It looked as if someone had beat the living shit out of him.
"I'm gonna kill him. Who the hell is he to be going around telling our business? He should keep his mouth shut unless something useful is coming out of it."
"Luckily, for your sake, I only tell people what they've asked of me."
And it looked like he'd been watching her the whole time.