The Enforcer or The Mafia Prince

Chapter 2

Jessica was glad she had grabbed her jacket from the closet on their way out. The air was crisp and windy as they headed toward the dark blue sedan parked in front of the house. The night was so quiet she could hear the scratching of leaves and her shoes on the sidewalk. Alarmed, Jessica noticed there was a third person who'd been waiting on them.

"You just left someone sitting out here?" she questioned Mr. O'Sullivan, looking up at him.

"Yes, he is our driver, Mr. Dunn. You can call him Jimmy." Tristan responded so dryly that Jessica was sure she was right in assuming he didn't even register how rude it was to leave someone outside like that. Just who were these guys?

Tristan opened the back passenger door and held it open for her. Jessica didn't need to be instructed to do anything. She silently climbed in before Mr. O'Sullivan gently closed the door. It locked automatically. To her surprise, he didn't get in the front seat. Tristan walked to the other side to sit in the back seat next to her while Declan sat up front. Rather than say anything, she looked out the window, taking a last glance at the small ranch house that was her family home before they began to drive off. No one spoke. The only sounds came from the car's radio, which played a peaceful piano melody linked by Bluetooth to someone's phone, but Jessica didn't care whose. The vehicle turned left onto Cicero before Jessica realized they were most likely headed into the city. She had no idea where they were going.

"Um, Mr. O'Sullivan, just exactly where are we going?" She wasn't expecting him to answer her, but it calmed her to ask the question; she was anxious and uncomfortable when no one spoke.

Tristan tilted his head toward her, "I guess there's no sense in not telling you. I meant it when I explained you will be allowed to go about your normal life. Your dad just needs some distractions removed from him right now. We're headed to a building my family owns near Navy Pier."

Her eyes grew big, Jessica didn't go north of the river often, but she understood well enough that they had money if the O'Sullivans owned an entire building near Navy Pier. She thought bitterly, "If they have that much money, why couldn't they leave us alone then?" After all, Jessica's family was modestly middle class, and her parents had bought the house before she was born, so it wasn't as expensive then as it is now. Even taking that into account, their home wasn't worth that much. Couldn't they have sold the house or something to pay off her father's debts? Jessica realized that her spiraling thoughts wouldn't accomplish anything. She had no idea how much her father owed or what these people were thinking. She didn't know anything 'about anything,' just like her dad had said. Jess wanted to cry but alone in a car with three strange men, she wouldn't allow herself to. She leaned her head against the window and let the orange street lights carry her into the city.

The sound of a car door shutting woke her up. Jessica didn't know when she had fallen asleep, and now they were in front of a tall building she didn't recognize. She could tell it was nice, but it was very nondescript, even if that were a description in and of itself. Everything looked... ordinary, plain even. She tried not to let the disappointment show on her face. It was apparent how mistaken she was when they entered the building through the rotating doors. The lobby was gorgeous and modern with an elegant twist. The air smelled cleaner here than it did outside, and everything looked refined. The man behind the desk greeted them politely and welcomed them home.

Her astonishment must have shown on her face because Tristan spoke to her once they were in the elevator, "I don't know what you were expecting, but the people in this building value both luxury and privacy. If it looked it on the outside, how often would we have to evaluate our tenants or check security? There's a time and place for everything; things should be relaxed at home. A place for people to take off their amour." His words sounded nice to Jessica, but she didn't like the last bit. What did he mean by amour? The only people she'd ever heard say things like that were e-girls who made a living touting 'self-care,' and Tristan looked nothing like an e-girl. No, he just looked irritated. That made her realize another thing. They still had her phone.

"May I have my phone? I'd like to tell my parents we've arrived safely." she doubted they'd give her the phone but asked anyway.

"You may write them a text message. Declan will review it before pressing send." That was something, at least. Declan took her phone from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and handed it to her. She took it by looking at their reflection in the elevator and typed a brief message to her parents. "Mom & Dad, we arrived safe. We're in the city. I'm okay. Love you both." She kept it quick. She didn't know if they'd object to her telling her parents the exact location they were at, and she didn't feel like arguing. A lot had happened tonight. It was clearly past midnight, and she was exhausted. She returned it to Mr. Hamill, who said nothing, glanced at the screen, pressed send, then put it away. "Well, if he wasn't even going to read it, I could have given them more information," Jessica thought ruefully.

The elevator finally stopped on the 15th floor. Tristan held the doors open for her, letting her exit first and ensuring she didn't trip. Their behavior was puzzling. They'd been nothing but polite since she willingly agreed to work with them. What should she expect from these men? She realized Mr. Dunn hadn't come inside with him; she supposed he was parking the car. When they came to the end of the hall, Tristan unlocked the door first with a regular key, then an electronic one. As Mr. O'Sullivan had implied, they were not lax on security. Jessica walked into the apartment and was again taken aback at the sheer beauty of the space. The floors were polished white marble, not tile, but smooth, expansive sheets. The foyer was large and had a hidden closet to store jackets and shoes, which she was instructed to remove before traveling farther into the apartment. "I'll have Declan show you around. I need to take care of some business. I'll meet you here again at 7 AM." Mr. O'Sullivan was gone before she could respond. Now it was just her and Mr. Hamil alone.

"I'll show you the rest of the apartment before showing you to your room. I'm sure you'll want to sleep soon." They walked through an arch on her right into a large room that opened to the dining room, living room, and kitchen. Everything flowed gracefully in a single large room meant for entertaining or keeping an eye on everyone in the apartment with ease. Declan pointed to the hall across from them, "Over there are the guestrooms, where I'll be staying. I'll ask you not to go down that hall. Over here is the kitchen. The fridge has everything you should need, including water and tea if you're thirsty. The tv has cable, and you're free to watch what you want. It's not a smart tv, so you cannot access streaming services or social media with it.

Then over here," he began to walk back the way they'd come to the left of the entrance, "is your room. We thought, being a girl, you'd want more privacy, so you have the room with the en suite bathroom. The door to your balcony is locked; please do not try to go outside." With that, he left Jessica in her room alone. It was pleasant; the colors were soft, with hints of lavender and peony. In the corner near the window was a desk with a comfortable chair, and near the bed was a nightstand with an alarm clock. "Of course," Jessica mused, "Mr. Hamil still has my phone." She walked into the bathroom and was thrilled to see a giant bathtub and plenty of products she could never have afforded. The bath bombs and scrubs she saw were way better than anything she could buy at Lush, and everything was sparkling clean. It was clear that the O'Sullivans didn't want her to be uncomfortable and had considered her when decorating the room. Yet, with that thought, her body went cold. How long had they planned to invite her here to ensure this room would make her happy? Jessica walked back into the bedroom and sat on the end of her bed. Mr. Hamil had placed her luggage near the door with her backpack. She knew she'd regret not changing or washing her face, but felt so overwhelmed she didn't care. Laying back, she immediately fell asleep where she was, her legs still hanging off the end of the bed, without pulling up the blanket, without a pillow, without her parents, without anyone.

Tristan was glad he was finally alone. He knew what his job was and knew what he was responsible for, or rather who in this case, but he was still annoyed with the girl. He knew she had thought they were shabby by the outside of the building, but how stupid could she be? Of course, we would want to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. Tristan frowned; he wasn't sure he liked his father's plan but would go along because it meant survival. He hated babysitting this child instead of going out with his girlfriends. He hadn't broken up with anyone like his father had demanded but told them he would be busy for a while. The worst, though, was leaving Sophia. He knew she'd go back to her ex when he was out of the picture, and he hated it. He was not getting exactly what he wanted, and the thought of that loser touching one of his women was downright infuriating. It wasn't like he could do anything about it, though.

Tristan had taken the elevator back down and stopped on the first floor. Most men would have their offices on a higher floor, one with a better view, which screamed, "BOSS!" Not the elder O'Sullivan. No, Tristan's father preferred the practical. On the first floor, he was closer to security. No one wanted to occupy a unit this low, so he was often alone. In an emergency, getting out of the building safely was easier. Unlike the other units they occupied, Tristan did not have a key to his father's place, so he knocked and was let in by a maid. She didn't even have to ask who it was. No one else would think to come here this late; the video screen near the door allowed her to immediately see who it was.

"Your father is still in his study, sir. Would you like me to get you anything to drink?".

"No, thank you. I'll speak to him before going back to my apartment. You can go."

"Very well. Please let me know if you change your mind." The maid walked back to her side of the apartment. This unit was similar to the one upstairs that Jessica and Declan were staying in but larger, with an additional room intended to be a study for his father. It was much darker here; being low, this apartment tended to get less light from outside. Still, the floors, walls, and art were all dark and rich. His father had gone with a traditional theme to his space. The wooden wainscoting and dark blue walls had made everything seem warm and cozy, which couldn't be further from the truth. His father was a cold man, not that he had always been, but when Tristan knocked on his father's study door, the brusque "Come in" chilled him to the bone. "She's here, Father," Tristan spoke as he went inside.

Declan stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at himself and unbuttoning the cuffs to his shirt. Tonight had gone smoother than he thought it would. It's never a pleasant task trying to get O'Sullivan's money back, but he didn't have particular feelings about it either way. The family had been good to him. Growing up with Tristan gave him a sense of loyalty that ran deep. Sure, he was a spoiled jerk, but he'd taken Declan's suggestion to be polite to Jessica. If they were going to use her, they needed her cooperation. A few manners could get Tristan a lot farther than his usual attitude. It surprised him when Tristan went as far as to open the door for her and not be rude when she asked questions. Usually, Tristan would whine and complain and tell the girl to shut up, but not tonight.

Declan wasn't sure why but guessed it had nothing to do with Tristan being attracted to her; as beautiful as the girl was, she wasn't his type. Which was even better for her; she'd be safer that way. Well, as safe as she could be. Declan decided not to overthink the situation and turned on the water for the shower. Tomorrow was an early morning, and he needed to be ready. He'd be ordered to escort the girl to class and back in addition to his other responsibilities. They needed to be careful with Jessica. He'd have to manage and assure her no one would hurt her, but they needed her here. It was too soon for her to have the details. He was sure he'd refuse to help them if the truth were revealed too early.

When the shower was warm enough, he got in. This job took its toll and had aged him a bit. He rubbed his hand down his body, feeling the scars he had earned and the tough skin he'd developed. As an enforcer, Declan was fit and took pride in himself but hated that the rest of the world didn't see him for who he was. Most people thought he was in his early 30s; even the girl had looked at him as though he were older. In reality, he was only a few years older than her, and he was younger than Tristan. It's just how things were. Their lives were different, and he didn't hold a grudge about that at all. He'd probably be dead if not for O'Sullivan's protection. The glass was starting to steam up now. He'd been spending too much time thinking, too much time in the shower. A quick rinse, and he was out, wrapping a towel around his waist. He smiled; at least he'd convinced Tristan to remodel the apartment and had gotten better towels from the deal. The last place was a shack compared to this, and as luck would have it, this assignment had them all in the same building. Declan was ready to move up the ranks, and being around the O'Sullivans more often would get him there if this went well. Walking a short way down the hall to his room, he was glad Jessica was on the opposite side of the apartment. He'd be embarrassed for her to see him like this. He set his alarm and got into bed. Turning off the lights, the room was dim with the glow from the city outside, but it was still dark enough for him. He was glad he didn't waste time changing into pajamas. Sleeping naked would make his morning much faster since he just needed to get dressed. It would only be a few hours, but he could sleep more tomorrow night.