Page 34 of Vinny

Once again Tony nodded. “That’s why we’re here, Annalissa. Our job is to keep you safe and work with DEA and the police. We also have to assume that you were the specific target for carrying the drugs. Which,” he continued as he watched her carefully, “means that you have probably been used to carry drugs before.”

At this proclamation, Vinny cursed as she visibly paled.

“Who would do that?”

“Whoever it was has resources. This isn’t just someone who wanted an easy way to get drugs through security. This is someone with the ability to find out what hotel you were at, what rental car you had, and could get someone on the road following you.”

Matt said, “Annalissa, we’re going to need to have along interview with you, but we can wait a day. We know you’re exhausted right now, but we’d like you back here tomorrow. We can do our interviewing here so that Tony’s group will be involved. Jack’s DEA contact will be here as well.”

She only nodded, not knowing what else to do. Everyone stood up, the women coming over to offer hugs and assurances that they would see her soon. As they filed out with calls of seeing them tomorrow, she turned to Vinny. “I don’t have a way home. Can you take me?”

He held her gaze for a moment, a strange look in his eyes. Slowly nodding, he just smiled. “Yeah, I’m taking you home.”

Lifting her chin slightly, she forced a smile. Hearing Tony call out her name, she turned to him.

“I know this is hard for you, but everyone you know right now is suspect. Your manager and agent have been calling. We’ve told them nothing about where you were or what was happening. Your father knows only what we had you tell him and that your harp was picked up by one of us. At this point he assumes that you have the harp.”

“Yes, well Easnadh is very important to him…although I actually own it.” Seeing Tony and Vinny’s look of surprise, she added, “He enjoys the notoriety from having the antique harp played at the symphony and loves for me to travel with it. It gives him something else to have Todd release to the press when I am playing.”

She walked over to grab her purse and backpack missing the look shared by the others.

The words she just said swirled around their heads:he wants me to keep traveling…Perhaps, her father may need to move up to the top of the list of suspects.

Annalissa was quiet once she and Vinny were in his truck leaving Alvarez Security. Her mind was filled with thoughts that swirled around until she was exhausted. Not noticing where he was driving, she was surprised when he pulled into another parking garage and turned off the truck.

Before she could question where they were, he turned to face her. “Babe, we’re home. My home.”

“But…why are we here? What about my home?”

“Right now, your home is still trashed and until I can go with you, I’m not having you there by yourself. And…I want you with me.”

Biting her lip in indecision, she quickly realized that he was right.Where else am I going to go right now? Not dad’s.Sucking in a deep breath, she agreed. “Okay, but just for tonight.”

Grinning, he moved to her door and assisted her out of his truck. Tagging her hand, he led her through an impressive lobby, greeting the concierge, and into the elevator. Seeing her face, he laughed. “Yeah, I live here. Gabe used to also, but he and Jennifer and her little brother live in a house now. Jobe still lives here. There’sa gym and an indoor pool. Which by the way, we’re going to start using. I owe you swim lessons.”

By the time he finished his explanations, they were on the fourth floor and at his door. Stepping in, she was stunned. She had expected a bachelor pad, complete with beer cans in the window sill, pizza boxes on the counter and a guitar on the sofa. She gazed around the room, seeing the large open floor plan with the living room flowing into the dining room. He had decorated in dark tones with a few accents of bold color. The gray L-shaped sofa was big enough to hold several of his friends, all as large as him. Two leather recliners flanked the sofa and faced a wide screen TV. The rug and lamps were in a dark green.

The dining room furniture was dark wood with green chair cushions and his kitchen had stainless steel appliances with green accents on the walls. She turned to him, curiosity written on her face. “Did you…decorate this place?”

Laughing, he said, “I’m not a complete Neanderthal.” She giggled and the sound hit him in the gut.I want to hear that sound every day for the rest of my life.Taking her hand he gave her a quick tour. The second bedroom was set up as a study and she wondered where she would sleep. Before they could move down the hall further his phone rang.

Looking down, rolled his eyes and said, “I gotta take this. It’s mom and I’m sure she’s been blowing up Gabe’s phone for three days.”

She let go of his hand and watched him move to thebalcony to talk. Suddenly, every ounce of energy drained from her and she knew she was crashing. The events of past days overwhelmed her as she walked to his sofa. Lying down, she watched him laugh while on the phone with his mom.I could so love that man.That was the last thought that floated through her mind before completely shutting down.

Five minutes later as Vinny came inside, he saw her asleep on his sofa. Completely out. He stood there for a moment staring into the face he had grown to know so well. Thick dark hair, now shiny and curling on the pillow. Her pale face now sun-kissed, with freckles across her nose. She looked like a china doll. One that his mother had on her nightstand that had been given to her by her mother many years before.

Her slim body was familiar to him, each curve noted and longed for. All the other women he had ever been with, slid from his mind. Only she filled his vision and his heart.

Bending down, he gently scooped her up from the sofa and carried her to his bed where he lay her down on the soft sheets. He slid her yoga pants down her legs and pulled the covers up some. Then he slid her t-shirt off and unsnapped her bra, sliding it off as well. Determined to be a gentleman, he pulled one of his t-shirts over her head and covered her beautiful breasts. Then he pulled the covers up to her chin.

Within a few minutes, he stripped to his boxers and joined her on the bed. Rolling over to her, he pulled her unconscious body into his, wrapping himself aroundher protectively. He had never brought another woman to his apartment. To his house. Never. Until Annalissa.

Nothing’s ever felt so right.

12

The sun began peeking through the slats of the vertical blinds that covered Vinny’s tall bedroom windows. Annalissa blinked, trying to recognize her surroundings. A heavy arm lay across her stomach and a tree-trunk leg rested over hers. And something, hard and prodding, was pressed into her ass. Her eyes flew open as she jerked her head around, seeing the smiling face of Vinny.I’m in his bed? We slept like this?

---