Una Nuova Famiglia Ch. 01

PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here

Shane drank some of her wine before answering, "public high school in mid-town. Small college upstate. MBA right after that."

"Is this the only restaurant you own?"

"My father left me a few others."

Raegan sipped at her wine, enjoying the fruity blush. "Ummm, it's good."

"I knew you would like it."

Raegan raised a brow, smiling "really? Do you presume to know something about me Shane Miller?"

Shane smirked, "everything."

"Really?" Raegan laughed, she was really beginning to like that smirk. "What's my favorite color?" She challenged.

Shane sat back and stared at her for a moment before giving her an answer, "earth tones."

Raegan was taken aback. She was right. "Fine, but you could probably tell that from my clothes. How about a harder question?" She thought for a moment about a question Shane would never be able to answer. Suddenly she smiled, "do I believe in God?"

"No, but you believe in a higher power."

Raegan's mouth fell open. "How did you know that?"

Shane shrugged, the smirk still tugging at her lips, "I double-majored in marketing and psych. It's a common trend today."

Raegan smiled, "really? You've completed my psychological profile then?"

"In my line of work, I need to be able to read people quickly. Bottom line."

"So, am I a safe investment for you Shane?" Raegan asked, surprised at her own forwardness.

She watched as Shane refilled both wine glasses, that smirk still tugging at her lips. She still had not answered the question when the waiter arrived with the appetizers.

*

Later Raegan sipped at a deliciously brewed cup of coffee and stared at her generous helping of sweet potato pie. She wasn't sure she could fit another thing into her stomach, although the first taste of pie suggested it was as delicious as everything else served tonight. Raegan placed another forkful of the pie between her lips, sighing with pleasure before pushing the plate away. "Delicious," she smiled.

Shane's cell phone rang again. It was the fifth time during dinner. She stood and stepped away from the table. Raegan glanced at her watch. She couldn't believe it was eleven already. How had the hours passed so quickly? She should be leaving. She took one last sip of the coffee and stood from the booth, trying to catch Shane's eye. When Shane didn't turn, Raegan decided to wait for her in the lobby. She made her way past the tables filled with chatting diners, waving to the hostess on her way out. Damien was sitting in the lobby. He stood.

"Ready to leave Ms. Vincent?"

Raegan looked over her shoulder. Shane was still on the phone. "Sure, thanks."

He held the limousine's door as Raegan slid inside.

She rested her head against the comfy seat, smiling. She had really enjoyed the evening, surprisingly so. The food had been as wonderful as the company. And she had to admit, she felt drawn to Shane. The woman was smart, engaging and devastatingly attractive. It was disarming, that kind of package. The newspaper article Reese had brought for her to read flashed through her mind quickly. She dismissed it. Shane wasn't like that. She wasn't a criminal. She wasn't capable of murder. She carried a gun for protection, that's all.

She forced herself to think of other things. Like the way that suit hugged Shane's frame perfectly. She didn't know much about clothing, but she knew that suit was expensive. And she knew the cigars were probably expensive as well, considering they gave off such a delicious aroma. She shook her head. She was riding in the woman's limousine, what did she expect? Whatever Shane did, she did it well. She found herself hoping Shane simply owned a chain of restaurants. But something told her no legitimate business person received so many phone calls after 7pm. She bit at her bottom lip as she processed the thought.

She was startled when a phone beside the television rang. Damien's deep voice filled the interior, "that's for you Ms. Vincent."

She picked up the receiver.

"You left." Shane's husky voice sent a pulse of attraction through her. She forced herself to ignore it.

"I'd already taken up enough of your time," Raegan smiled.

"Have dinner with me again."

Raegan hesitated for only a moment, "on one condition." When Shane said nothing, she continued, "no cell phones."

Shane chuckled and the line went dead. When she replaced the receiver, she was still smiling.

*

There were eight messages on her machine when she arrived at home. One from her mother, the others from Reese. She undressed and made herself a cup of tea before reaching for the phone. He answered on the first ring.

"You're home?"

"Yes, and I'm fine. No one showed up to spray the restaurant with bullets while we ate."

"This is not a fuckin' joke Reg."

Raegan sighed, "I knew you were worried, that's why I called. I'm home and I'm fine."

There was a short pause on the other line.

"Not that I care, but did you have a good time?"

"I had a great time. It's late. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

She hung up, sighing as she sipped at her tea. She wondered what she was getting herself into. She stood to rinse the mug out and then made her way to the bedroom. She was exhausted. She had already crawled into bed when the phone rang again. She peeked at the caller ID and then snatched it up.

"What?"

"Did you kiss the thug goodnight?"

"No kissing."

"Any fucking in the limo?"

"Reese!"
"Okay, okay, g'night."

She shook her head, smiling as she thought of Reese. But when she lay down to sleep, it was no longer the thought of Reese that brought a smile to her lips.

***

Shane was still sitting at her private booth in the restaurant nursing a glass of cognac when Karin entered and made her way over.

"What?"

"They stopped another truck on the way to Atlantic City. Dee has to be the mouth. Everyone else was accounted for." Karin spoke quickly as she sat across from her. They had a pretty clever operation, lining the walls of refrigerated trucks with pure, uncut cocaine. But lately the police had been a little too lucky for coincidence.

"Fine. Bring her in."

Karin nodded. "We lost about a quarter mil in product."

"What else?"

"That's it."

Shane raised a brow, bending her head to a candle to light her cigar. She was the only one allowed to smoke in the restaurant. "142nd and Riverside?"

"Two phone calls and lights out."

Shane nodded, pulling on the cigar. Karin stood and headed toward the exit, stopping to speak briefly with the hostess before leaving.

*

It was 2:30am and Karin sat beside JoAnne, the restaurant's hostess, beneath the shadow of a large tree on Amsterdam Avenue in a navy blue Camry. Karin watched as her companion used a solid gold razor blade to chop at a tiny pile of white powder resting in the center of a compact mirror. Expertly she divided the powder into two lines. She inhaled the first line into her left nostril, waited a moment and then inhaled the second line into the right nostril.

"Shane catches you using that shit and she'll kick your ass."

JoAnne shrugged, "we can sell it but we can't use it?" Still, she wiped her nose and quickly put the mirror away, knowing Karin was right. She glanced at the entrance to the building.

"How long she been in there?" She asked.

"About two hours," Karin filled her in. "She'll be out soon. She's got to pick up her kid."

An hour later Karin sat nursing a Snapple when Diana finally appeared. She tapped JoAnne and pointed. They watched the slim, light-skinned figure in a winter white leather jacket and blue jeans walk a few feet to her Cadillac SUV and slip behind the wheel. When she pulled away from the curb they did the same, remaining a few cars behind her. They followed her for a few blocks and then JoAnne pulled up beside her at a light. She honked the horn and Diana turned to look, nodding and rolling down her window.

"Hey."
"Shane wants to see you." Karin informed her.

Diana raised a brow, "I was just about to pick up my daughter. Can't it wait?"

"No."

Diana nodded, "Alright. Let me just stop by my Mom's and let her know."

"Use the phone Diana. Shane said now."

Diana nodded again and rolled up her window. They followed her downtown, waiting until she'd parked and entered a seemingly deserted warehouse before pulling off and driving north.

*

Diana took a deep breath, adjusting her clothing and then straightening her shoulders. Shane was a pretty intimidating woman, but she would not let Shane know how nervous she was. There was no way Shane could know, the police had assured her. Damn, she wished her three-year-old daughter was curled up beside her in bed right now. She took another deep breath and then pulled open a door. She made her way through the dark warehouse to an office in the back.

She knocked on the closed office door before turning the knob and entering. When she stepped in, her mind quickly registered Ronnie's presence on the far side of the room smoking a joint. Ronnie, or Veronica Williams, was Shane's bodyguard, if one could imagine Shane with a bodyguard. She was a dark-skinned woman with a tall, well-developed muscular form, much thicker than Shane's. She was almost built like a football player and many mistook her for a man considering she shaved her head. Ronnie was off on errands more often than she was protecting Shane, but when she was around she was unnerving. She hardly ever spoke and never smiled. There were rumors that she'd killed for Shane, but Diana could never figure out if the rumors were true. Shane was leaning against a file cabinet, the ever-present cigar between her lips. But that was not what caught and held Diana's attention. What captured her attention was the three-year-old honey brown child spinning around in a leather desk chair. What made her heart stop was one word.

"Mommy!"

She wished she could breathe when her daughter leapt from the chair and ran to her. She hugged the child close to her, squeezing just a little too tight, inhaling her clean, fresh scent.

"Mommy, you're hurting me! Auntie Ronnie picked me up from Grandma's!"

"That was very nice of her sweetie. But it's late, you should be in bed." She tried to force herself to breathe. This message was not at all subtle.

"Ron, tell them to buy her some ice cream." Shane ordered quietly.

"It's the middle of the night, it's too late for ice cream." Diana knew it was a lame protest, but she could think of nothing else.

"Please Mommy, please?"

Diana sighed, as if she really had a choice, "okay, just a small one." Her voice was shaky, but she knew she had to let her daughter go. She didn't want her around for whatever Shane had in mind.

Shane motioned for Ronnie to take the child out of the room. When she was gone, Diana could do nothing but stare at the closed door.

Shane removed the cigar from between her lips. "Look at me Diana."

Diana turned slowly, tears in her eyes.

"Your answer to this question decides if she lives or dies. Are you wearing?"

Diana shook her head, relieved she was not wearing a wire. She had done so in the past, but she hadn't thought she'd see Shane tonight. Shane puffed on her cigar thoughtfully.

"Six months and I've lost four trucks. I haven't lost four trucks in six years."

Diana closed her eyes. "I don't know anything. I swear to God Shane." Diana bit her bottom lip until it bled. She knew Shane wouldn't believe her. Why should she? She sighed, her daughter's face dancing behind her closed lids. She let it fall from her lips seconds later, "they got me on my third felony drug possession six months ago. I was facing life inside."

Shane never moved from her position against the file cabinet. "How much did you tell them?"

"Only about those four trucks, nothing else, I swear."

Silence hung between them until Diana couldn't take it anymore. "I'll leave tonight. Move down south. You'll never see me again, I swear. Please Shane, I have a daughter, she needs me—"

"Shut the fuck up Diana."

Diana pressed her lips closed. There was no point. She didn't know what Shane would do, but whatever it was, it had already been decided. Her heart beat loudly in her own ears and she could feel her entire body trembling.

She heard the door open behind her and turned, hoping to see her daughter again. She had only a second to realize she was staring into the barrel of Ronnie's gun. Shane didn't move a muscle as the blood splattered onto her Armani jacket. Ronnie pumped the trigger twice more.

"The kid?"

"Ice cream and then on to Grandma's."

Shane was silent for a moment, then nodded in the direction of the form crumpled on the floor, "get her the fuck out of here. And find the cop that got to her."

***

Reese stormed down the corridor on Monday morning. He had left his most responsible student in charge of the class. This simply could not wait. He pounded on Raegan's classroom door, ignoring her startled look. She hurried to the door.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Look at this!"

She took in his flushed features, none of which detracted from his good looks, and snatched the newspaper article from his hand. She read the story about the young black woman who had been shot at point blank range and dumped in the Hudson River. The article said the police had no leads.

"Did you know her?" Raegan asked, confused.

"No, you knew her!"

Raegan frowned, "I did?"

"Remember, the restaurant? This is the woman who asked you to follow her outside!"

Raegan motioned for him to keep his voice down, pulling her classroom door closed behind her. She stared at the photo. The face looked a little familiar, but she couldn't be sure it was the same woman.

"Reese, I don't know—"

"It's her! That fucking thug killed her! I'm calling the police."

She laughed, "Reese, will you stop it. This is probably not the same woman. And if it was, what would you say to the police? We think we saw her in a restaurant with Shane Miller and now she's dead so Shane must have something to do with it?"

Reese shook his head slowly, "I can't believe you're defending her."

Raegan smiled, "Reese, go back to class. I'm going back to class. Let's talk about this later, okay?"

She turned to re-enter her classroom, closing the door behind her. He stared at her for a moment, watching as she resumed her place in front of the class. He knew he should call the police, but quite honestly he didn't know what he would say.

*

Share this Story

READ MORE OF THIS SERIES

Similar Stories

Guarding Shelly She falls for her bodyguard.in Lesbian Sex
The Birthday Gift A runaway makes her way back home.in Lesbian Sex
A Proper Send-off A gay soldier and straight civilian celebrate Veterans Day.in Lesbian Sex
Lovers Without Realizing It Love takes a woman and her boss by surprise.in Lesbian Sex
Twenty Minutes A nurse falls for her rescuer.in Lesbian Sex
More Stories