Sniping Her Mafia King

Addy was sitting in his office in his hotel on Wednesday morning when his cell phone rang, and he noted Deidre's phone number. He had told her more than once to never hesitate to call him for anything. He felt a strange need to protect the young woman. Frowning he looked back to his computer screen as he put her on speaker. "Good morning, Deidre, what can I do for you?"

"Addy, I know you and Arwen are on the outs, but I've called Jesse, Cat and Isabella and I don't know who else to call. Miley is in class. Arwen's sick. Really sick. I'm probably going to crash the airplane because I'm using my cell phone in the bathroom on the plane. Isn't it why they tell you to switch it to airplane mode?"

"Little one, focus." He spoke gently, "what is happening?"

Deidre sniffed in his ear, "you told me I could call you anytime and I'm probably going to get arrested for using my phone but there's no way I can physically get her home when the plane lands in half an hour. I don't even know how I got her on the plane." The girl's panicked voice was rushed and whispered as if terrified of being caught.

"What happened?" Addy was waving at Santino who was sitting on a sofa to call a car down.

He listened attentively to the young woman who half-sobbed while explaining what happened.

"I think it's a bad combination of a migraine and food poisoning. She used to get headaches a lot, but she changed her diet and stuff and she's been good for a long time but last night she was in a s**t mood. I went to dinner with a friend and when I got back, she had drunk two bottles of a really cheap red wine she'd gotten from a convenience store. She said she used it to the chase the horrible taste of a clam chowder she'd bought at the same convenience store. She followed it all up with about a pound of gummy sour candies while watching sad movies and she was drunk and crying. It was ugly but then I think maybe the clam chowder had gone bad. All I know is she started vomiting around two this morning and by the time we boarded our flight at eight the migraine had hit full force. I lied to the flight attendant and said she'd just taken a sleeping pill but Addy, she's passed out. She's come around a couple of times but if we land and she's still not awake, I don't know what to do. I know I can't load her myself into a cab." "Piccola, do not fret. I will be there to meet the aircraft. You go sit with Arwen and make sure each time she wakes up she sips water, and I will take care of the rest."

"Am I going to get arrested for using my phone on the plane?"

He chuckled at her naivete, "no. You can put it to airplane mode for now. I will see you soon."

Enrico met them at the front door of the hotel and Addy nodded at him. "Get me a way into the airport. I don't care who you have to pay. Arwen is apparently semi-conscious, suffering from food poisoning, a migraine and likely a hell of a hangover from two bottles of vino not from my vineyard," he grimaced angrily. "What is wrong with this woman to do something so stupid as to get drunk while taking care of her cousin?"

"Her cousin is a grown woman," Enrico grunted, "or at least it's what my daughter told me last night when she insisted, she was going on a date with a boy who does not attend our church. I almost asked your girlfriend to put a bullet in her." Addy grimaced at his friend, "they are only nineteen. Do they know what boys at nineteen want?"

"The same thing we wanted at nineteen," Santino grunted. "Those girls need to be protected at all costs. Where was Deidre while Arwen was getting tanked?"

"Having dinner with a friend," he paused and looked to Santino, "find out who the friend is. I don't like she was running the roads of Boston unsupervised." "On it," Santino started plugging away on his laptop.

Addy pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his jacket and pulled one out.

"No!" Enrico grabbed it and tossed it out the window. "It's bad enough you smoke those damn things but you're not doing it while we're confined in this damn car." "You need to get laid," Santino cast a side-eye.

"I did, it didn't help."

"You can't trade one addiction for another," Enrico grumbled over Addy's protest.

Santino spoke over them both, "you had the equivalent of a shot glass when you need the whole bottle. If you can't get what you need from Arwen, then find a stand-in."

Addy glared at him and if the man were anyone else, he would have feared for his life. Instead, he continued plugging away on his laptop as he gave direction to their investigator on a new assignment.

"I don't need a stand-in. I know who and what I want, and I will be patient. She is worth it."

"She doesn't want you," Enrico dared to be the voice of reason. "She told you straight up."

"She thinks I'm going to be pissed off she shot my father."

"You only think she shot your father." Santino corrected. "You're projecting your desire for a badass woman onto a street fighter who shoots clay pigeons."

"I will find the evidence."

"If I plant it, will you stop talking about it?" Enrico asked with a grin.

"No. I don't want evidence. She will tell me, in due time." He grinned. "Jesse didn't even flinch when the shots were fired. Not an ounce. The bullet whizzed between us, and she didn't as much as blink. She knew it was coming. Arwen made the comment in Vegas about the only way she wanted to look at me was through the scope of her sniper rifle. I know she was the one to make the hit and I know it was whatever organization she is affiliated with who made it look like Ferraro set it up. I'm grateful to them and I know better than to go looking a gift horse in the mouth. If a covert organization wants to take out my competition, let them. I know my cousin would never do me wrong. Once Arwen tells me and I let her know I don't care she killed the old man, she'll stop running away. I know she thinks I'll be pissed."

"You do go on and on about family," Santino mocked him. "She likely is concerned you will want revenge for taking a member of hers. She only has one member left."

He made a face at Santino, "I would never."

"She doesn't know that." Santino argued. "You are a tit for tat kind of man."

He grinned, "yes, I am. I do like when someone owes me a debt."

"Careful, I see your grandfather in your smirk." Enrico looked up from his phone and then tapped on the partition to tell the driver to take them through a private entrance of the airport so Addy could stroll in bypassing security. "You will be able to walk straight to her arrival gate and meet Deidre as she gets off the plane. I have a man there waiting to accompany you inside with a wheelchair in case she is unable to walk."

"Thank you," he nodded. "I've never had a migraine. Deidre seemed to suggest she was quite incapacitated by it."

"I wouldn't know. The last time I was sick was kindergarten when I had chicken pox," Santino grinned broadly. "I live a very healthy lifestyle."

Addy laughed loudly at Santino' words. "You live on greasy burger joints and vodka. The germs just slide out of your body from the grease and the vodka which has replaced the blood in your veins kills the rest." "See, healthy!" Santino grinned.

"We will arrive with about two minutes ahead of the flight. By the time they connect the plane to the airport and begin disembarking you should meet the gate." Enrico studied his phone more. "Also, our contact tells me he is honored to help with this situation." As the car pulled to a stop outside the gates to the airport private entrance, Addy heard his driver and the security agent exchange pleasantries before the car rolled forward. "One of ours?"

"Yeah, your cousin Sonny." Enrico shrugged, "he's a good guy."

"We all are." Addy intoned with seriousness which followed by the three men cracking up. He got out of the car as soon as it reached the intended door.

"We'll circle back and meet you at the main entrance, so it looks like a legit pick up. Also," Enrico continued through the rolled down window, "I had one of the guys do a run to the pharmacy for electrolyte drinks and anti-nausea meds. He'll drop it on the doorstep of the house."

Addy nodded and then entered the car and clapped the young man waiting for him on the shoulder. "I think we need to walk fast, son."

"We do. The plane will reach the gate in minutes. Thank you for letting me help you, sir."

He shook his head and studied the young man seriously, "why?"

"You don't remember me, do you?"

Addy looked at him. A young man in his twenties, curly blonde hair and blue eyes and a cleft chin. A memory triggered in his brain, and he nodded slowly. "I do now."

"You found me living in the casino in Atlantic City in the basement. You helped me."

"How is your mother?" He remembered now. The young man's mother had been sick and in the hospital. She'd been one of his croupiers and the kid had found a way to hide after they'd been evicted during her hospitalization.

"She's great. She's working in the high-roller room now. She loves it. Cancer-free too."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. How's work here?"

"I love it. It's a good group of guys. We have fun." He waved away from a corridor, "we can take a shortcut through here and it will bring us almost next to the gate we need." A walkie-talkie on his hip let him know the plane was preparing to disembark. At Addy's raised eyebrow he shrugged, "told them my girlfriend was on the plane and I wanted to surprise her. I work with romantic fools."

Addy gave a laugh as they exited the corridor into the busy airport wing. He watched as the kid grabbed a wheelchair left for him and then followed him to the side.

"I'll leave you here, sir. If I hang around it will look weird. Hope your girl is okay."

"Thanks," he paused trying to remember the kids' name.

"Dustin," he grinned and gave a wave as he disappeared back through the employee entrance.

He stood there with the wheelchair and watched as several people began walking off the plane. After several minutes, he noted Deidre with Arwen leaning heavily on her and he shook his head. Deidre's eyes lit up at the sight of him, her relief almost palpable. Arwen saw him and made a face, but she didn't say anything.

He reached for her as they got close and hugged her tight, "mia cara, you look like hell." He reached out with his free hand and took the laptop bag and purses off Deidre's shoulder and flung them over his.

"I feel it," she croaked closing her eyes against him.

He pressed a kiss to her temple and then gently pushed her into the chair. He turned to Deidre and held his arms out and the girl collapsed against his chest with a half-sob. He rocked her a minute in his arms, "you did the right thing to call me. Let's get you both home, piccola."

"Thanks Addy, I was so scared I would get arrested for using my phone."

Arwen snickered at the comment and then groaned and grabbed her head.

"Bags?" Addy asked.

"I checked everything because I didn't know whether or not I'd be able to get them off the plane and her off the plane."

"Smart girl. Let's go get your luggage and then we will go meet my car. It's waiting out front."

"Why you?" Arwen grumbled as she held her head while Addy began slowly weaving the chair through the terminal, pacing himself for Deidre's lumbering stride.

"Because none of your friends answered my panicked calls." Deidre stopped him from answering.

She made a face, "they're at the women's shelter today."

"On a Wednesday?"

"Yes," Arwen grunted. "Some woman showed up speaking no English with a bunch of broken bones and refusing to go to the hospital. Cat and Jesse were working with her. They called me at like four in the morning to ask if they could use my clinic space to hide her since her husband was watching the center."

"Isabella? Corry? I called them both." Dee argued. "I risked my criminal-free record to call them I might add."

"Isabella is in Washington with Clara. Corry is," she rubbed her head, "oh, on Wednesday she runs a training session at her work."

"Well, none of them answered me. Not one. I called Addy. He told me I could call him anytime I needed him, and I needed him. There was no way I could carry your dead-a*s weight into a cab and then home."

Addy listened to the girls grumbling back and forth and then noted Arwen's panicked flapping of her arms.

"She's gonna blow," Deidre whispered in horror as she struggled to get an air-sickness bag she'd taken from the plane under Arwen's mouth.

Addy pulled Arwen's hair off her face as she wretched violently into the bag, turning his nose away from the smell as Deidre gagged hard. In his line of work, he'd seen multiple people vomit. He wasn't bothered as much by the action more than it was Arwen who was ill. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and squatted down to wipe her mouth and face off.

"Cara, you are not well."

"I'm dying," she moaned. "Boston poisoned me with their clam chowder."

Deidre held out a bottle of water and he urged her to take a small sip.

"How is your headache and hangover?" As Arwen tossed Deidre a dirty look the girl shrugged helplessly, "do not be angry at Deidre. She gave me enough information to know what I was dealing with when I picked you up. This is all. I know you had too much to drink, and thus you have a migraine, food poisoning and a hangover."

"Why are you being nice to me, Addy?" Arwen whispered as he squatted in front of her.

He stared into her blue eyes and smiled softly, "because your cousin asked me to help, and I promised her I would always help her." At her disappointed puckered lips he chuckled, "did you think I was going to say I'm here for you? No, mia cara. You told me you didn't want to be with me. This is all for Deidre." At her hiss of fury, he grinned at Deidre's suddenly smiling face and began pushing the wheelchair again towards baggage collection.

He could feel the anger emanating off the woman in the chair at his words and it almost had him laughing aloud. His poor girl had no idea he had the patience of saint. He could wait forever if he had to. She would come to him, and he would be ready. In the meantime, he would do what he did best; be ruthless.

"Deidre," he stopped the chair at the baggage carousel. "I will grab a luggage trolley and then I will load up with the bags you say are yours. You stay here with your cousin."

He went in search of a cart, annoyingly finding none in the immediate area. When he did find one and managed to get back to the girls, a man was standing over them. Arwen's face was stony and furious, and Deidre appeared frightened. "Ladies, is there a problem?" He slid the cart to a stop beside the wheelchair.

"Adrianu Cavallaro meet Agent Eunuch, my FBI stalker." Arwen waved at the man. "Agent Troll d**k, meet Adrianu Cavallaro. Addy, he's here to tell me I'm not safe."

"Oh," he curled his lips as if unbothered by the comment. "Well, you did eat clam chowder from a convenience store. I might be inclined to agree your choices are a bit unsafe." He ignored the man, "Piccola," he looked to Deidre who had immediately relaxed with his calm handling of the situation, "which bags are yours? We need to get your sister home and into bed."

"The pink one with the sunglasses all over it is mine. Arwen's is the black duffle bag and a black bag with a bright orange tag in the shape of a poop." Deidre grinned at him suddenly, "I got the tag for her, so she always knows what bag hers is." "Classy," he winked at her and then pulled the three bags off and loaded them onto the trolley. "Deidre, can you push the wheelchair to the car? It's not too far now."

"I can." She looked to the FBI agent who was hanging close, and it was clear she was wondering why Adrianu was ignoring him.

As the agent followed at a distance, pulling his phone out to take photos, Adrianu shook his head and laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Deidre asked, "he's violating our privacy."

Arwen spoke up. "Because it's clear he's desperate. He's obviously been passed over for promotion again." She made a noise, "I do need to puke again. I should have vomited on his shoes. Why are they so damn shiny?"

"Because he spends more time stroking them than he does himself," Addy quipped earning a grin from both women.

"He wants to date Arwen," Deidre confided. "A few years back he sent her flowers. Hundreds of them. Filled the house."

He looked over his shoulder at the man glaring at him several feet back, "did he? You weren't swayed Arwen?"

"No." she mumbled and stroked her forehead. "He makes my skin itch and not in the kind of way I want him to scratch. He makes me want a bottle of calamine lotion and an oatmeal bath."

Addy threw his head back and laughed loudly at her comment before bending at the waist to kiss the top of her head. "Mia cara, you are a delight." As they got to the car outside, Santino and Enrico were waiting by the car. They both noted the FBI agent following the trio. He leaned close to Santino, "Arwen's stalker has a face. Find out the name to go with it."

"On it." Santino lifted his phone and without even pretending to hide it took a photo of the man recording them. "You would be much prettier if you smiled more, Agent." He winked as Deidre guffawed at the comment. "Hello, piccola, I am Santino and your personal security for the day. Let me help you get into the car."

She giggled as she took his arm and Addy patted his shoulder. Arwen attempted to stand from the chair and Addy scooped her up in his arms. "mia cara, you are sick. Stop being stubborn. It upsets your cousin, and I am doing my best to make her happy." "I hate you," Arwen grunted as she rested her head against his chest.

He smiled at Enrico who heard the words, "I know you hate me, mia cara, but eventually you will grow to love me, and I will wait for the day you have to lower yourself to my level to tell me."

"You mean lower me to the pits of hell? You're the devil."

He grimaced as he set her inside the car and tapped her nose. "Those little comments are why we need rules." He buckled her into the car and closed the door. He looked to Santino who nodded at him and then turned and walked quickly back to the FBI agent who had just tucked his phone away. "If you continue to harass my girl, she will probably end up hiring a hit man to get rid of you. I wonder where she would find one?" As the man paled in front of him at the bold threat he turned back and got into the car. Arwen looked at him curiously, "what did you say to him?"

"I gave him your personal cell number. Told him you were single and available, but you preferred leather over roses. He's going about it the wrong way." As Arwen hissed furiously at him, he threw his head back and laughed. As he dropped his arm over the back of the chair, he caught the smile on Santino' face when Arwen closed her eyes and leaned against Addy's chest. She wasn't as unaffected as she claimed, and he reveled in the small victory as he cuddled his girl to his side. Her quiet sigh of contentment told him all he needed to know. Now he just had to wait.