My hope, p.1
My Hope, page 1
Rhea Dawson
My Hope
A Dark Mafia Romance
Copyright © 2023 by Rhea Dawson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
First edition
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Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
30. Chapter 30
Find Me!
SNEAK PEEK
1
Chapter 1
ANNA
I was glad it was summer. My heart always felt fuller when it was sunny. It wasn’t that I’m not happy in the winter, but the winter here was cold and dreary. Overcast days outnumbered the sunny ones. Unlike where I grew up. When the skies were unobstructed blue and the wind was just lightly blowing there wasn’t much that could dampen my mood. Today was one of those lucky days. I grabbed Luna’s leash, popped my earbuds in, and stepped out of my apartment building into the bustling city. I could feel the energy of the city around me as I walked down the busy sidewalk. Luna walked alongside me, her tail wagging happily.
Luna and I went to our regular coffee shop on the corner and sat outside while we munched on our breakfast. As I munched on my muffin, and Luna downed her scone in one bite, I watched the people as they passed by. I hadn’t lived in Chicago for a long, I recently started a new job as event coordinator for a local Humane Society. I had moved here from a small college in the middle of nowhere after I graduated with my degree in nonprofits and community relations. My heart was tied to community work and helping others.
Luna lay at my feet as we took a relaxing moment before we headed to work. She’s a beautiful girl, a black pitbull that I found curled up in the corner of a kennel at the shelter. Volunteering with animals had always been a passion, and luckily, I had been able to resist the urge to adopt all the needy dogs I have encountered. But pitbull number 4658 snuck past my defenses. I adopted her and she repaid me the unconditional love, kisses, and a wiggle butt.
“Come on, Luna, we have a lot on our plate today,” I said, reluctantly tearing myself away from the peaceful scene. Landing this job had been a stroke of luck, albeit a busy one. The organization had thrown me in the deep end assigning me to organize the biggest event of the year. I was organizing the annual Gala fundraiser. It was super fancy and a big moneymaker for the agency. I had made a few good friends and really embraced the chill vibe they had got going on in the office. Everyone seemed to get along, fused together by a common goal. They found something to celebrate and had potlucks every week. This week happened to be “2 weeks until the Gala” party. Like I said, they would celebrate anything. So, I’m bringing the chips.
The Humane Society was just a short walk from my apartment, and occasionally, I had the pleasure of bringing Luna along. It was one of the many things that made this job so special to me.
“Good morning Alexis, got the chips!” I exclaimed as I breezed past her office into mine. Given the Gala preparations, I had been spending most of my time at the office, so I had done my best to make it feel like a second home. A cozy dog bed nestled in the corner for Luna, accompanied by a basket of toys. Luna was adored by my coworkers, and she relished the attention she received while trotting around the office. My chairs were adorned with fluffy rainbow pillows, and pictures of my family adorned the shelves. Overall, it was a space that radiated happiness and warmth. It felt like a little home away from home.
“Morning, sunshine.” Alexis popped her head in. The director of social media marketing, she was quite the wild child. Full of energy, we bonded over our love of bright colors and morning coffee. We hit it off as soon as we met. A few weeks into the job, and she had already commandeered the position of my bestie. Her words, not mine.
“Hey! How did it go last night?”
Alexis made a gagging sound, “The picture from his profile is definitely an oldie and he talked about his stocks most of the dinner. But fear not, I have another date lined up for tonight.”
“Same guy? Why?” I raised an eyebrow.
She shook her head. “Nope. A guy from my gym. His name is Jason. He’s a doctor.” Alexis waggled her eyebrows. “Super casual, not really a date. It’s more like ‘Hey, I’ll be at this club tonight, and maybe we’ll run into each other.’ I need you to come with me, be my safety net.”
“Al, I don’t want to go out tonight. I’m super busy with this planning and I told Luna I would take her to the dog park.” I hesitated knowing that Alexis had a way of convincing me to do fun things.
“Anna. I need my BFF there. What if we don’t bump into each other? What if he’s skeevy when he’s not in the gym? Besides, Luna will survive missing the dog park for one night. You’ll still have tomorrow to focus on event planning. We haven’t had a proper night out in weeks. Please,” she pleaded.
I couldn’t deny that Alexis had a point. It had been a while since I had the chance to let loose and have some fun. Maybe having some fun would help me forget a bit of the stress of the move to Chicago and the gala.
“Okay, meet me at my place and we’ll go together.” I relented. “But you’re paying for my drinks.”
“Squeeeeee! Thanks, Anna, you’re a lifesaver. Dress sexy!”
That girl. I really like her but she radiated energy that can be exhausting. Nevertheless, I found myself genuinely looking forward to the night ahead. The thought of drinks, dancing, and the company of my friend provided a welcome distraction from the tedious permit paperwork that awaited me regarding parking and alcohol services.
After work, Alexis joined me at my apartment, where we cranked up the music and poured ourselves some wine while getting ready.
“I’m so glad you brought me this dress,” I murmured, admiring my reflection in the full-length mirror. Alexis had gifted me a sleek black dress that hugged my curves and ended just past my hips. With the addition of the tall, fiery-red heels she had also provided, my short legs appeared miraculously elongated. At least, that’s what Alexis had insisted when I slipped them on. My long brown hair had been straightened and made shiny. Alexis helped me with my makeup, expertly applying a smokey eye and bright red lipstick.
Of course, I could do my own makeup. And I do own my own dresses. But to make it easier on myself, I let the expert take control and I’m glad I did. I looked damn good.
“Trust me, girl, you’re going to turn heads,” Alexis said, smirking at me.
As Alexis and I sat in the back of an Uber, she filled me in on the details of this club since I was still somewhat new to the area. This club was advertised by word of mouth only, hidden away in an old warehouse giving it an exclusive vibe. It was 11 o clock, late enough that the club would be packed but not so late that everyone was already drunk. My stomach was flip-flopping. Mostly the anxiety of a new place and thoughts about Alexis leaving me to be with that doctor guy. Although I would love to have that cliche relationship of cuddling and hand-holding, I was not the type of girl that had one night stands, or who wanted to meet a guy at a club. I was just there to get out of my head and dance with my friend.
“Promise me you’ll stay close? I don’t want to be left alone to fend for myself,” I reminded Alexis once more.
“ Of course! No worries. I’ve got your back girl.” Alexis responded, staring out the window at the large, brick building that had come into view. There was no line or sign to signify what the place was. If you weren’t aware there was a club you would never have guessed. The soundproofing itself was genius as I could barely hear the music as we stepped outside the car. One man, granted he was the largest man I think I’ve ever seen, guarded a large, glossy black door. It was chilly with a threat of rain as we made our way to the door which had been opened for us by the very large man.
The club itself was a sight to see. The ceiling boasted distant windows, allowing the stars to twinkle through. The dimly lit space, adorned with subtle red lights along the walls, added to the mysterious atmosphere. It gave the feeling of privacy, a cover for those who were looking for companionship the night. Black leather booths with tall backs lined the walls and in the center was a dance floor. Looking up, there were shadows of people on the second level of the club. Shielded by the darkness of the club, there was
The bartender was busy making drinks, but he gave us a quick nod of acknowledgment. Alexis ordered two vodka sodas and as we waited for the drinks we leaned against the bar people-watching. The dance floor was packed, with bodies writhing and pulsing to the beat of the music. Carefully we held our drinks above the throng of people as Alexis and I navigated through the many already drunk people to find a table near the dance floor.
“To our friendship and a fun night out! We deserve it!” We clinked our tequila shots together and finished them off. As we sat sipping our vodka/ lemonades, Alexis looked around for the gym friend.
“I know he will be here. We’ve been flirting non-stop at the gym…” Alexis trailed off nervously.
“Let’s go dance, we can get your mind off of him. If he doesn’t show up, he can’t ruin the mood if we were already having fun without him. But he will show up, who wouldn’t? You’re awesome.”
Alexis smiled. “You’re right.” She said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the middle of the dance floor. The lights on the dance floor swirled around us, flashing in different colors as we moved. With a tequila shot and vodka running through my veins, I was moving carelessly to the music. I felt free in the chaos of the people grinding and swaying. My inhibitions floated away as I fully immersed myself in the thumping bass. We may have looked like idiots, eyes closed and just grooving together, but we were happy.
2
Chapter 2
WILDER
My footsteps echoed as I walked into the rundown house. The house was at the end of a barren road, way too far out for anyone to venture. It was one of my favorite spots to work. I paused before I entered through the paint chipped door and took the time to calm myself in the cool night air. The porch was cluttered with old, rusted tools and a few broken chairs. Here it was quiet and still but if you waited and were quiet yourself you could hear the mosquitoes buzzing, and in the distance, some frogs croaking. Most people didn’t pause though. And when I left my contracts out here, they only heard silence.
The guy was tied to a metal chair, with ropes around his wrists and ankles. He’d already pissed himself but he was left untouched. No bruises, not a hair out of place. My men knew that I preferred to let these guys wonder what could happen. The pain would give them a distraction from my impending arrival. I wanted them to anticipate me.
I didn’t reveal myself when I walked into the room, but he could tell that my presence was there “Please, Wilder, I promise. It wasn’t me. The product was on the boat when it left Santos.”
People really did underestimate the power of silence. Humans didn’t like to hear their own thoughts. They wanted the air to be filled with noise. I preferred silence. It made people uneasy. And I used the silence as a weapon. I couldn’t help but to smile to myself. When people were uncomfortable, they became vulnerable. I knew he was lying, the Kavanagh family would never get the product or money back. Whatever products weren’t already up his nose had already been sold off. He thought he would be able to get away with it, taking a little at a time but it added up, and we were meticulous. The vulnerability as I waited in silence would ultimately lead to him giving up more than he intended. I emerged from the shadow of the farther wall. By the end of his life, he was begging for mercy.
Screams filled the night of the once quiet countryside and my contract was complete.
I pulled up outside of Club Paradiso as the rain started to beat down against the windshield. I let out a deep sigh, it just added to my already fucked up mood. I didn’t necessarily enjoy the work I do for my father. But I was really fucking good at it. My job was to take care of anyone who posed a threat to our family’s business, and I did it with ruthless efficiency.
The Kavanaugh family had been a fairly strong and influential criminal organization in the East and Midwest for years. When I turned 18, my father sent me out to Chicago to head up the businesses in the area while he and my brother remained back in Boston. Some of our endeavors were actually legal and profitable, in addition to the more shady ones that brought in most of our income.
Paradiso was one of our family’s legitimate businesses. A club was a very efficient way of cleaning the money that our less-than-honorable businesses brought in. I had set up my office there, and it was where I handled most of my day-to-day work for the family. I left the day-to-day management of the club to John.
John approached my car and I handed him my keys “Good evening John. Busy night, any problems?”
“It’s a good night sir. I will let you know if anything requires your attention.” John replied.
I thanked John and headed into Paradiso. I went up the staircase to the second level knowing exactly where I would find Levi. I spotted him sitting in a corner booth. A couple of girls were already hanging on him and him grinning boyishly. Levi waved me over.
Levi had been my brother since we were having fist fights over Hot Wheels. My childhood wasn’t normal but he had never left my side, our lives intertwined in ways that were hard for others to understand. I couldn’t trust anyone in my world, but he was the closest I could get. After my mom left us, his mom always sent over cookies and treats with Levi when he came over to my house. She had to send them because I wasn’t allowed to leave the estate. Levi’s father was a legal counsel for the Kavanaugh family; he was a trusted member of my father’s Inner Circle. Levi was acceptable company while other children were not.
Thankful for the whiskey that Levi handed me, I scanned the scene. The whiskey worked its way through my body, and the coils in my muscles that had built up through the night relaxed. The blond girl beside me, all tits and no personality, giggled into my ear telling me all about how she was going to school to become a dental hygienist. I gave her the appropriate responses and nodded my head when I should’ve. I put my arm around her shoulder, my finger rubbed circles in that spot behind her ear. She was lapping up the attention; she was so ready to go she probably would go down on me right in the booth. It was too fucking easy sometimes.
I started to relax; I was letting the tension from the night fall away, the screams of the man earlier played a low soundtrack to the music of the club. Sometimes it took a few days for me to bury the work I did so far down until I could stop hearing them in my head. Levi was telling me about a recent court case he won that he probably shouldn’t have because of his dumbass client when I noticed John waiting for me by the top of the staircase.
“Excuse me, girls,” I said as I rose from the table. Giggle tits over-exaggerated her frown as I walked away. I heard Levi offer to dance with them followed by happy squeals, apparently giggle tits wasn’t as attached to me as she had acted.
