Page 4 of Aidan (The Doherty Mafia)
My old friends and acquaintances would be able to help me trace him.
However, the thought of facing Aidan again shook me to the core.
Things had been peaceful all these years that we were apart. It had been one of the hardest things I had to do—second only to giving up my baby. Nonetheless, I got through the years and became accustomed to living without him and the baby we made together.
I had trained myself to survive by myself and I wasn’t sure if I could even change that now. If Aidan rejected me, which he had every right to, it would kill me.
I gasped when my phone rang in my hand. It was an unknown number.
I threw the phone to the floor like it had burned me.
The call ended and then it rang again. The same unknown number.
I waited several more rings before answering.
I didn’t know what to expect or who it could be. The only thing I knew for sure was it wasn’t going to be good news.
“Leah Michaels.” It was a deep male voice on the other end. Formal and to the point.
“Yes?”
“This is Aldo Baron. I believe some of my men recently had a chat with you.”
I slid down to the floor, feeling my legs about to give way.
I didn’t know who this man was or how he got my number. I wanted to scream and tell him to leave me alone. That I had nothing to do with Aidan anymore and I had nothing to give him.
However, there was something about this man’s voice that told me I needed to shut up.
“I am going to send a car to your apartment in twenty minutes. You’re going to get in and come and see me. There are a few things we have to discuss.”
“I don’t know what you want from me,” I managed to squeak.
“You’ll find out soon enough, Leah. Just do as you’re told and for now, nothing is going to happen to you.”
For now?
More tears filled my eyes. I felt helpless and desperate to wake up from this horrible nightmare.
“I don’t want to meet you, or anyone else. I just want to be left alone!” I screamed into the phone. It was a little too late for self control.
Aldo Baron waited in silence for a few minutes. Like he was giving me a chance to calm down. Then he sighed before he spoke again.
“Don’t make me force you, Leah. I’m sure you have figured it out by now. You don’t have much of a choice.”
He ended the call before I could say anything else.
I threw the phone away and covered my face with my hands, rocking back and forth as I sat cross legged on the floor.
Why did I come back here?
I should have stayed away from this town.
I was so much better off with the past just haunting me. Now I had to live in it.
The car arrived to pick me up in exactly twenty minutes since the call with Aldo Baron ended.
I had that time and then the drive to his house in which to compose myself. I didn’t know what I was walking into, nor what I could possibly have to offer this man. However, I did know that if I was going to walk out of there alive, I needed to keep calm.
I couldn’t allow them to see me weak or shattered.
There could be no more crying.
So I wiped my tears and sat in the car. I held my head up high, trying to remain as poised as I possibly could under the circumstances.
When I really thought about it—what did I have to lose? It wasn’t like my life was worth much anyway. I had nothing to look forward to. All these years alone, I had just been surviving.
The Baron house was a large sprawling mansion that was well guarded by men who looked a lot like the two guys who had attacked me. This was a criminal stronghold. That much I was certain of. I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing there.
The driver of the car escorted me inside the house, while I kept my head down. I didn’t want them to think I was interested or curious.
Everyone at this place was armed. Ready to shoot at a moment’s notice.
The room I was led to looked like an old fashioned study. Smoke filled and smelling of scotch.
Aldo Baron sat behind a large oak desk smoking a cigar. He was a big guy, much older than me. The suit he wore kept his frame hidden. I couldn’t tell if he was fat or just big framed.
“Sit down, Leah,” he commanded coolly.
I was led to the chair across from him and I sat down, keeping my eyes fixed on the man in front of me. It was a difficult task as my eyes watered in the smoke. But I did everything I could not to appear afraid.
