AllFreeNovel
Share Us
An hour later, I was sneaking around the piers and shipping docks. The water smelled tepid and foul, like it was full of rotting fish. The air was silent except for the slap of waves against the bulkhead, and the occasional squawk of gulls pierced my heart with fear each time I heard a cry. I didn’t know what I was doing – it wasn’t like I had any experience investigating crimes. But I knew I was in the right place, that I had to keep searching until I found what I was looking for.
A loud cry made me jump. Suddenly, the air was filled with loud cheering and the sounds of men singing drunkenly. Their slurs wafted with the breeze, making me shiver as they reached my ears.
I snuck over to the side of the buildings and pressed my body tightly against the wall, trying to hide as much as I could. Headlights bounced over the road and a long black car screeched to a stop, not forty feet from where I stood. Men climbed out of the back, all wearing matching suits and carrying bottles of alcohol.
I opened my eyes wide. What the hell was this? Had I stumbled upon some kind of secret society?
I gasped at the last man who climbed out of the car. In the dark, his features were nearly impossible to discern, but I could tell that his olive skin, dark hair, and white teeth were the exact same features that I’d just seen in the paper, an hour ago.
The man standing in the alley was Alessio Amoruso. He cheered and called something loudly to the other men. They responded in kind, then punched the air with satisfaction and glee.
“Come on,” one of the men said. He grabbed Alessio’s elbow and hustled him into a secret entrance. Seconds later, lights flickered from the inside of the building. I realized that it was an abandoned warehouse converted into some kind of secret meeting place.
I waited for all of the men to disappear inside before holding my breath and walking closer. The swelling in my eyes made it painful to keep staring, but I was determined to keep going. I knew I couldn’t give up – not now, not when I was so close.
Lights flickered behind a tiny window and I gasped as I saw Alessio leading a brunette woman in lingerie into a bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and called something to her. I watched her giggle, then climb on the bed and begin a seductive show for Alessio.
He’s celebrating, I thought. Anger flooded my veins and my hands were trembling as I dug through my bag in search of my cell phone. I pulled it out and shakily dialed the cops.
“Nine-one-one, state your emergency.”
“I’m down by the docks,” I whispered. “And Alessio Amoruso is here. He’s violating his parole.”
“Can you confirm your location?”
I quickly repeated the address of the pier to the dispatcher. She told me they were sending the authorities as soon as possible, and advised me to stay hidden. My stomach churned with anxiety and satisfaction as I watched Alessio and the brunette roll around on the bed. Despite the anger I felt towards him, I couldn’t deny the pleasure of watching the pair make love. It stirred something deep inside of me, and I could feel arousal swelling in my lower belly.
Just as I was about to slip my fingers in my panties, the door burst open and a large man thundered in. He and Alessio exchanged a short, violent volley of words.
That was when I heard the sirens.
Chapter Eleven
Alessio
“What the fuck do you mean, Beth Wilson?” I grunted. “Who the fuck is she and why should I care?”
“Because she’s sniffin’ around where her pretty little head don’t belong,” Silvio retorted. “You gotta keep your head down until we find her, man. She’s one tenacious little bitch. I threatened her at the library and had some men beat her up later, but now I can’t fuckin’ find her anywhere.”
“This ain’
t my problem,” I snapped.
That was when I heard the ominous sound of sirens roaring. Glancing up, I cried out in shock as the alley outside the bedroom window was filled with the cherry and blueberry lights, flashing frantically.
“Fuck!”
“Come on,” Silvio said. “We gotta get you out of here.”
I struggled to pull on my pants and shirt. Just as Silvio was helping me out of the room, the front door to the hideout burst open and cops flooded into the foyer like a dirty river. They spotted me instantly.
I shrugged. “Sorry boys,” I said. “Didn’t feel like staying in tonight.”
One of the cops launched forward, grabbing my wrists and twisting them behind my back. It hurt, but I grit my teeth, determined not to make a fucking sound.
“I oughta shoot you right now,” the cop growled in my ear. “You know how much I hate scum like you?”
I grinned. “Oh, baby,” I said with a smirk. “That’s how I like to hear it.”
