Nights In Paradise

Chapter Five: Carlos

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Shit!  What a night!  I grab a crystal glass and pour some whiskey into it.  I don’t even bother with ice.

I toss it back, enjoying the burn.

My eyes close and I groan.  The dinner was uncomfortable as hell and for some reason Carmine wasn’t there.

Which was odd, since he’s been riding my ass about the girl I carried around my club.  I’ve avoided his questions trying to figure out what the hell I’m going to do.  I’ve talked to Alejandro but he’s still off on a job.  I know he doesn’t want to take over.  He likes the killing but he doesn’t want to run the family business.  He’s hard and implacable but he’s always been fair.

But on this he’s immoveable.  But he’s gonna have to step up because I might find myself being forced out if I can’t live up to my uncle’s request.  And I just can’t.

Watching Angel tonight made it plain.  I don’t feel anything for her.  Just the thought of touching her instead of my little dancer makes my stomach roil.

I mean…she’s beautiful but I don’t feel anything for her.  From the terrified look on Angel’s face I don’t think she’s any happier with her circumstances.

I sit down and call for Johnny.  He answers within minutes, practically hyperventilating when he runs in the door.

“What the hell!” I growl when he slams the door behind him.  “What is going on?”  A sick feeling hits the pit of my stomach.  “Where the hell is Aspen?”

“Where the hell have you been?  I’ve been trying to get ahold of you all night.”  Johnny won’t look me in the eye and that sick feeling intensifies.

“Tonight was the rehearsal dinner and I hoped to talk to Carmine yet again.  But I got nothing.  The asshole didn’t even show up for his only daughter’s wedding dinner.”

“That’s because he was here!”

“What!” I yell, jumping up from my chair.  “What was he doing?” I growl, already striding through the door and down the hall to the private dressing room.  “Did he tell Aspen about Angel?”

“She’s not in there, boss!” he calls after me.  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you!  I was sent on some stupid little errand by the assistant manager and by the time I got back, Aspen wasn’t here.”

“Did you watch the video?”  I glare at him, my heart racing out of control.  What the hell is going on?

“I did watch the video.  And you need to watch it.  You’re not gonna like it.”  He pulls it up on his phone and hands it to me.

For just a second not much happens.  Then all the sudden I see Aspen on the stage.

“What the hell is she doing on stage?” I growl, watching her dancing, feeling that familiar tightening in my groin.  Even grainy video can’t take away from her beauty.  Her lush curves.

“I heard talk after I came back and I checked.  Tiffany put her on the schedule.  With Harlon’s help.”

“She did what?” I grit out through clenched teeth.  “Who the fuck does she think she is?  Nobody but me approves that kind of shit.  Get her back here.  NOW!”

“I will, boss.  But you need to keep watching.  Please.”

His nervousness makes my unease increase until I’m almost sick to my stomach.  I focus on the video and start it again.  I watch her come off the stage and smile at her careful steps in the outrageous shoes.  Like a little prancing pony.

Then my heart drops to my toes when I see Carmine come up to her and start talking, his favorite henchman standing behind her.  “What the fuck?” I whisper.

With a strange feeling of detachment I watch him kidnap my woman.  Fury rises in me until I’m like a volcano about to blow.

“I’m going to kill him.  He’s a dead man.  Him and his henchman.  Nobody touches Aspen and lives.”

I shoot Johnny a glare.  “Do we know where the hell he took her?”

He shakes his head.  “I saw him in the parking lot but I couldn’t see where he went.  For all we know she might already be….”

I slice my hand through the air and glare daggers at him.  “Don’t even fucking say it!  I’ll kill every last one of them and then myself.”  I stalk off to my office, intent on watching all the damn video until I piece together where my little dancer is.  And if it takes burning Chicago down to find her?  Hell yeah I will!

My heart constricts and I shove through the door, desperately fighting the terror that’s threatening to swamp me.  I need to focus.  I know that focus is all that you have at this moment.  There’s no alternative until I find her.  She’s my everything.

I sit in the chair and pull up all the video from tonight from every damn angle I can find.  “Johnny?” I roar, pain streaking through me when I see her little figure in the videos.

“Yeah, boss?”  He pops his head back in the door.

“Find Tiffany and Harlon and get them back here.  Now.  And get the other men together.  Make sure that they know at least one of those two is dead.  I won’t kill a woman.  I’ve got some fucking morals but I swear to god, it’s gonna be a close call.  Jealous bitch!  And as to Harlon, as soon as I find Aspen, you boys take him out and take care of him.  I want to make sure none of the others gets the idea that you can fuck me over and get away with it!”  Red stains my vision and my hands tremble on the computer keys.  I want the bastard fried.  As painfully as possible.  No quick bullet for the likes of him.

Johnny nods his big head and stalks out the door.  He’s my best.  I know damn well he won’t fail me.

I sit and watch the videos playing, watching her slump over and get hauled out to the parking lot.  Ice slides into my veins and almost freezes me.  Dampness pools in my eyes and I roughly paw at my face.

I’ve never cried in my life but there’s a line that a man loses all control and reverts to animal.  And I’m right there.

And all I want is to kill someone.