Sinner’s Redemption by Rebecca Joyce

Chapter Five

Montana

Two months later,

“Prez, Romano is here.”

Taking off my glasses, I looked up at one of the new club prospects. The kid was green but had a decent head on his shoulders. A recent graduate from MIT, the kid landed in my city with dreams of making it big.

Fuck me. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that saying. My city wasn’t for the weak. She would chew anyone up and spit them out without a second glance. New York City was harsh, aggressive and cut-throat. Only the strong survived here. Kids like Pippen made their way to the big apple with dreams and hopes of making it big. Unlike most who fail miserably, Pippen was one of the few that survived. His little start-up hit it big right before graduation and when he landed in my city, the kid was already worth billions. Needing a bit of direction, the kid sought out the Sinners and never looked back.

As a new club prospect, Pippen was required to devote twenty hours to the club while maintaining his business. He had one year to double his net worth, while paying his dues to the club. Fail to accomplish that the club would cut him loose. If he could pull off the impossible, then Pippen would become an Intern, where a branded brother would sponsor him for five years, when he was required to devote thirty hours a week to the club while tripling his net worth and expanding abroad. If he could accomplish that, then and only then would Pippen become a branded brother.

The Soulless Sinners didn’t want slackers, weak pussies who couldn’t succeed. The Soulless Sinners weren’t for everyone. It took a certain breed of man to succeed in business while maintaining their allegiance to the brotherhood. Only brothers with the determination and drive to succeed in life reaped the rewards.

The spoils always went to the victor.

“Did he have an appointment?”

“No,” Pippen replied, “Said it was urgent, though.”

“Okay.” Closing the folder I was looking at, I placed it in my top drawer. Before Pippen left to get Romano, I asked, “Anything on that personal matter Storm talked to you about?”

The kid shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve got the preliminary standard shit done. The deep dive is going to take longer.”

“Keep me updated.”

“Yes, Prez,” the kid said, as he waved at Romano.

Renaldo Romano was a partner of sorts. A descendant of Anthony Romano, he was now the head of the Romano family after intruders murdered his father a few weeks back. I sent my condolences when I heard the news and offered my help in bringing those sick fucks to justice, but I never heard from him. Renaldo was a solid dude and capable of handling his own business, so I was curious why he was here after all this time.

I inspected the young man, sizing him up as I would anyone coming to see me. Didn’t have time for fucking games and shit. I was a businessman, and my time was money. Strong like his father, Renaldo had that hungry, determined look I was used to seeing. He looked a lot like his father, even dressed to perfection. Standing, I held out my hand and greeted the man. “Renaldo.”

“Montana.”

“What brings you by?”

“I’m sure you are aware of my family troubles?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Once again, my condolences. Did you ever find who put the hit out on your parents?”

“No, but that’s not why I’m here. I need your help.”

Curious. “Okay. With what?”

“My sister Ava has been missing since the night our parents died. We all thought Ava was at school in California, but when she didn’t show up for the funeral, we knew something was wrong.”

“Was she taken?”

“We thought that at first, but they have made no demands. Did some digging and found out that Ava had a roommate at school named Tia Andrews. The girls were close and partied together all the time, even after Tia hit it big in some movie.”

“Okay? Still don’t see how I can help.”

“When I tried to find this Tia, I learned she’s missing, too. From what I found out, my sister Ava and this Tia were at some house party given by a man named Boris Petrovitch. What can you tell me about the man?”

I nodded. “Petrovitch is Russian Bratva. He controls the west coast. Drugs, skin trade, guns, you name it. If he has the girls, they’re gone. Sorry Renaldo but Petrovitch is no joke. I have a contact within the east coast Bratva family that might be able to make some discrete inquiries, but even he will tell you that if Petrovitch has the girls, they’re gone. Give me a few days.”

Renaldo nodded. “Did some digging into this Tia. She’s from West Virginia. Grew up in a small town.”

“And this is important, how?”

“This Tia had a childhood friend that you might know. A woman named Tessa Jackson. Ever hear of her?”

Yeah. I fucking heard of her.

Leaning back in my chair, I steepled my hands and nodded. “Yeah. I know the bitch. Took a fucking runner on me two years ago. What do you need with her?”

“A few of my boys believe this Tia and your Tessa are together. Found out your Tessa rushed back home to West Virginia some years ago, when she learned about her mother’s diagnosis. Terminal breast cancer. Your woman dropped a promising career in medicine, Montana, to be with her mother. Sent a few of my boys down there too thinking maybe Ava was with them. They returned empty-handed until yesterday when one of my boys spotted this Tessa in the city.”

My heart thumped furiously in my chest as my mind raced. It had been over two years since I last laid eyes on Tessa. Thought we were building on something. Wanted to give her the world before she ran. I met Tessa through Barney. She was one of his girls. Only she never danced or came to club parties. I saw her by chance when I swung by the Gentlemen’s club to pick up Barney’s payment. She was waiting tables and when I saw her I  knew she was going to change my world.

And boy did she.

For three and a half years, she’d been mine. In my bed and on the back of my bike. The week before she got up and disappeared, I planned to introduce her to my mom. I knew Tessa was getting ready for her residency program and I wanted to make her mine.

Permanently.

Only I never got the chance.

“The mother?” I asked lowly, praying the woman was still fighting. Cancer was no joke. I’d seen what it could do to a body. I remembered how Tessa would talk about her mother. My girl loved that woman like no other.

“Died two months ago.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Renaldo sat up straighter, reached into his suit jacket, and produced a photo. Laying it on my desk, he continued, “I knew Tessa was your piece before she took a runner. Thought you should see what  my boys saw.”

Closing my eyes, I reached for the photo, took a deep breath, and braced myself before opening my eyes. There she was, staring back at me with the most magnificent smile I had ever seen. Still stunning and full of life. The woman who held my heart in the palm of her hand and crushed it. Bitch broke the rules when she did a runner. She wasn’t my problem anymore. I also knew I could keep saying that shit until I was blue in the face. The fact was, I would kill a motherfucker to have her again.

She was my fucking kryptonite, and I fucking knew it.

Fuck. Handing the picture back to him, I lied my ass off. “Piece ain’t my problem anymore.”

“Maybe this picture will change your mind.”

Picking up the new photo, I was confused. All I saw was a woman sitting on a park bench reading a book.

“Check out the background,” Renaldo hinted.

Looking at the picture more carefully, I slowly sat up, taking a closer look at the background, unsure I was seeing things correctly. When I finally realized what I was looking at, everything in me froze as ice hot fiery rage boiled deep in the pit of my stomach.

That fucking bitch left with something that belonged to me.

She fucking knew better!

I cursed, “That bitch!”

“Yeah. Thought you would want to know?”

There in the photo’s background was my Tess and a small boy with jet back hair and my face, laughing happily, as she held him above her head blowing raspberries on his stomach.

“What else can you tell me about this photo?”

“Nothing yet. My boys tried tailing them, but the women disappeared. I’ve got one of my guys looking into this Tess right now, but so far, nothing is coming up. No apartment, no job, nothing.”

“Bullshit. She must be working somewhere. Did you check all the hospitals? She’s a surgeon.”

Renaldo nodded. “Found out that St. John’s Presbyterian revoked her fellowship offer when they received a large donation demanding they didn’t hire her.”

“The fuck you say?”

“I asked, but the hospital refused to tell me who made the donation or the demand. My boys called every hospital in the city. Your Tessa isn’t working at any of them. Someone has blacklisted your woman, Montana. Whoever it is, isn’t happy she’s back in town.”

Staring at the photo, I nodded. “Have your men pick them both up. Will owe you a marker if you hand deliver this cunt to me.”

“That’s the problem. They’ve disappeared. The girls are gone, Montana. That’s why I’m here. You know this town better than anyone. Do you have any idea where your Tessa might be?”

I growled, placing the photo in the pocket of my cut.

God help her when I got my hands on her. I was going to beat her ass fucking red. Taking off because of her mom I could get over but not this shit. The bitch had something that belonged to me, and no one fucking stole from Montana Stone and lived.

Grinning, I picked up my desk phone and muttered as I dialed a number. “There’s only one place my bitch would work if she’s blacklisted. Bitch ought to know better. There is no place in my city where she’s safe from me. Barney, it’s Montana. When does she show up for her shift?”

“Who?”

“Don’t fuck with me, Barney?”

“Shit,” Barney cursed softly. “How’d you find out? She’s gonna kill me, Montana. You know that, right? That girl can shoot. You fucking taught her. Bitch is going to take my balls for sure.”

“When?”

Barney sighed. “She’s scheduled to work tonight. Come after ten and use the back door.”

Hanging up the phone, I grinned. “I’ll handle Tessa and get you a meeting with Tia.”

Renaldo stood, adjusting his suit, and smiled. “Thank you. Montana. My father always said you were the best.”

Shaking his hand, Renaldo left, passing Pippen, who entered.

He questioned, “Need me to do a pickup?”

“No. I’ll handle this one myself.”