Chicago's Calling, Collect: Book 2

By Shirley J. Miller

Danielle Reynolds advertising career got side tracked when the Chicago mafia expectantly came into her life. She managed to juggle both worlds until the crime boss, Michael Cardoni, started to fall in love with her. Love or not, she fled from Chicago on Chicago’s Last Flight – Expecting her new start in Los Angeles would be free of any such entanglements.

Danielle arrives in Los Angeles feeling free at last. Little does she know, out of love and concern for her well being, Michael keeps a quiet tail on her. Eventually she finds out and an all new adventure begins for her in California.

While Michael’s Chicago mob business has supposedly gone legit, Danielle still finds herself on the outside edge of some questionable activities. Mystery, suspense, killings and politics. It’s true what they say, they never let go.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shirley J. Miller
• Release date: Jun 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463496497

Shirley J. Miller

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~About Shirley J MillerAs a child, aptitude tests always suggested that Shirley Miller should go into writing. In actuality, she spent her career years in advertising and marketing for Fortune 500 companies, where most of her writing revolved around describing product attributes and persuading sales.She always dreamed of writing fiction books but never had the time. Upon early retirement, she decided to follow her dreams. You will love her simple and direct style while maintaining the mystique and action among characters from start to finish.Her work is mostly fiction, so be sure you check out The Chicago Series and the Maxine Hart Series. Ring of Deception is a book Shirley and her sister Betty dreamed up - while hiking, no less - follow-ups being considered.Shirley has also written how-to books on some of her favorite hobbies. Be sure to check out Beginning Golf for Ladies, Golf Tips Up & Over - For Intermediate Players, Freelance Writing, Owning a Silky Terrier which resulted from her love for the breed. Having owned eight Silky Terriers over her lifetime, she even hired a special dog trainer to come to her home twice a week to teach her how to train the dogs.Though she never wrote about it, she wants to Thank You for reading her books and following her writing adventures. Without you, none of this would be possible, So Thank You very much. And keep on reading. Find some of her other books on Amazon or Smashwords by checking the links below.Any reviews will certainly be appreciated. It always helps to understand more of what readers want to see, so she can speak more directly to you. To follow Shirley Miller, and be the first to learn of new releases, please check the ‘Follow Me’ Button on Amazon. For a full list of all her current works, check out these links:https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LastFlightOut1

Book preview

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CHICAGO’S CALLING, COLLECT

BOOK 2

Shirley J. Miller

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Smashwords Edition

Chicago Calling, Collect – Book 2

Copyright © 2019, 2022 by Shirley J. Miller

ISBN: 9780463496497

[Revised – 3, 2022]

Cover Design & Interior Layout by: Laura Shinn Designs

http://laurashinn.yolasite.com

Smashwords License Notes

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, reproduction or use of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

Chicago Calling, Collect is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locations, or events are entirely coincidental. Thank you for respecting U.S. and international copyright laws and this author’s work.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

About Shirley J. Miller

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Chapter 1

It was January … and a beautiful sunny day in Los Angeles when Danielle’s plane finally landed at LAX Airport. What a difference from the Chicago weather she’d left behind. Breaking her ties with the Chicago Mafia was the reason for her flight, but the whole way here she wondered whether she’d really gotten away from it all. Little did she know that her lover, Michael, had watched her leave and ordered his henchmen to keep an eye on her. Al & Jimmy sat three rows behind her never once revealing themselves. They were to meet Mickey … Michael’s new right-hand man in Los Angeles.

Danielle deplaned and quickly headed for the luggage ramp to claim her bag, not noticing the two men that were following her from a discreet distance. Nor the man they hooked up with at the luggage ramp. Michael Cardoni had ordered that she be followed and watched, but emphasized they were not to interfere with her new life. He really was making every effort to protect her, unbeknownst to her. He knew how long his enemy’s arms could reach and wanted to be sure Danielle had every chance to get away from his own Chicago way of life.

Danielle had no idea where she was heading or where she was going to stay. She had fled so fast that those details were lost to her. She hailed a cab and headed for Westwood. She had heard it was the place to be for young college students and she intended to enroll back in school to take up where she left off. The cab dropped her at the Sheridan Hotel just off Wilshire Boulevard, which would be home until she could get her new bearings.

She’d taken a red-eye flight out of Chicago so it was early morning when she arrived in Los Angeles. She was just happy to settle in and enjoy her freedom. No one looking over her shoulder (or so she thought) and no one giving her orders. It was glorious and she just knew she would love California. She had always wanted to come here. Even her first year in Chicago when Michael had introduced her to sunny Southern California in the winter, she knew this was where she wanted to live. It just took her eight years to get here.

After settling into her hotel room, the first thing she did was order room service for a nice breakfast of Eggs Benedict and orange juice. Then she headed out to explore the area. Right away it was obvious that she would need a car as everything was so spread out here. She’d put that on her list for tomorrow’s tasks. This day she would do lots of walking but she didn’t mind as she found her way around better on foot anyway.

She found herself wandering the UCLA campus where she stopped in at the admissions office and asked about working on her masters. They told her what documents she would need and she felt she was on her way … already off to a good start.

Next, she knew she’d need to find a job, but the car would have to come first. She bought a copy of the LA Times and stopped at an outdoor café for coffee and slowly sipped her latte while she scanned the latest automotive section. A young man sat down across the table from her and started a conversation. When he promised he could make her a Hollywood star, she sent him on his way. She’d been warned about such pickup lines, even when she was back in Chicago, but actually laughed at the thought that someone would actually try to use it on her. Only in California she laughed to herself. She never noticed Al – who was assigned to protect her – sitting at the next table.

Thirty minutes later, she tucked the paper under her arm and strolled off to browse some of the local shops. Al followed her from a distance but she remained unaware of his presence. Not in the mood to buy anything, she headed back to the hotel and studied the automotive section a little more. She learned where the nearest conclave of dealerships was located and decided to start on that quest first thing in the morning. For the time being, she enjoyed room service once again, but this time added a bottle of white wine to the food order to celebrate her arrival and her newfound freedom.

As she sipped the wine her thoughts went back to Michael and the disparaging life she’d left behind in Chicago. A great relief fell over her. She knew she would miss Michael’s thoughtful way of taking care of her – but she would not miss the life that went with it. She lay on the bed as she thought and then all the excitement of travel and time changes caught up with her and she fell into a deep sleep. Not even a dream disturbed her sleep and she awoke the next morning raring to go – all rested and full of excitement about the new challenges ahead.

She headed over to Santa Monica Boulevard where she found several car dealerships clustered together. She had left her Mercedes behind in Chicago as she knew she could no longer afford the upkeep on that car, so she looked at Mazda’s new sports car and settled on that. A silver-gray color RX7 – with a rotary engine that scared her a little as she didn’t understand the maintenance it might entail – but she loved the car and bought it anyway. She paid cash and drove it off the lot.

Danielle spent the next two weeks looking for a suitable apartment which she finally found smack in the middle of LA. It was not an easy chore as she’d brought her dog along and had trouble finding places that would accept pets – but Scottie was family and she refused to part with him. She finally found a big studio loft in a mid-Wilshire high-rise and quickly settled in and made it hers. Her life in Chicago had operated around high-rise buildings and she didn’t yet feel comfortable or safe in the many ground entry town homes available in the area. She figured it would take her time to feel safe without a working doorman. The guy that lived in the penthouse became friends with her and he used his family connections to get her into the furniture district where she was able to furnish her apartment at affordable discount rates. The penthouse pal – Shelly Stein – would become one of her first friends in LA and they would spend a lot of weekend time together. In and out of bed. But they were just friends, not a couple. She couldn’t be happier with the freedom that gave her.

These last two days, Al and Jimmy had stayed close behind her and reported the details of her settling in Los Angeles directly to Michael. He told them to back off a little and give her some space. But he made it clear he wanted regular reports as to her safety. Danielle, on the other hand, had no inkling of any possible danger and happily went on her way to building her new life.

Her next step was to find a job. She contacted several of the media contacts she had been given by her Chicago advertising associates and was lucky to land three job offers within her first week. She took one as Media Director of a branch startup office for one of New York’s premier 4A agencies and started work the very next week. She was in heaven in her own mind.

Danielle had a gorgeous corner office with views of the ocean and a small staff of eight media buyers to supervise. She quickly learned the clients inside and out and was doing well only a few weeks into the job. Her corner office was on the 38th floor and she was finding the elevator as a key place to meet men – not an experience she’d enjoyed in Chicago as she had only worked on the second floor of that old Chicago building on Wacker Drive.

Only a few weeks into the job she met Ross, a stock broker, in the building’s elevator. They flirted on an off for a few weeks and then finally got together. There was an immediate connection. He was her first single boyfriend. In the past, she had it in her head that she didn’t want to make the marriage mistake twice, so she’d always hooked up with married men after her divorce. Having a single boyfriend was an all-new experience for her.

Ross started wining and dining her, but he found that impressing her was quite a challenge. Danielle worked for a major 4A’s Advertising Agency and she was often invited to exhibits, concerts, and other major events. She even got to go to the first landing of the Space Shuttle – all at the TV Network’s expense. The magazine and TV sales reps were always taking her out to fancy places for lunch as well as other media parties and outings. Danielle always passed on individual dinner invitations as she did not want to encourage any personal relationships.

Ross Weinberg was a gourmet cook when he wasn’t working the stock market. He started inviting her to his home for dinner parties and they then became even closer. Ross had also become her regular guest at some her media functions and they found themselves having a great time together. Ross was a stock broker for a major brokerage firm and he too often had events to attend. Danielle became his constant companion on these outings as well. She never noticed that Al or Jimmy (alternating watch duty) was in attendance. Michael made sure they were never too far behind.

Danielle had been dating Ross for only a few months when he invited her to Acapulco, Mexico. It was the late 80’s then and young people were more carefree. She readily accepted his offer and was excited about her first trip out of the U.S. What she didn’t know was that Ross was meeting his two college friends down there and they would find very little time to themselves. As a matter of fact, he had never even thought to book them a separate room and when they arrived all four of them got booked into the same hotel room making any privacy between her and Ross practically impossible.

Ross tried to get an extra room but was told they were all booked up. So, Danielle marched down to the office and told the manager they were on a honeymoon trip and she didn’t appreciate being booked with two other strange men. The manager quickly apologized saying he’d assumed they were all together. Needless to say, he found them a separate room. Ross was surprised that she’d been able to do what he couldn’t, but the privacy eased his pride and all was okay – for a while. The room itself was dark – with no ocean view – but they had their privacy and that suited them just fine.

The next day they were all lying around the pool. Danielle swam to the opposite side where there was a drop-down view and the pool just seemed to vanish into the ocean. The boys sat around drinking and smoking weed. Danielle had very little experience with pot smoking and had never even been around those that did. It seemed strange to her to see that the boys, laughing and having such a good time, were attracting quite a crowd.

She was a little surprised at how the three old college friends seemed to attract so much attention and didn’t know what to think when their little threesome became a big group at the opposite end of the pool. Danielle swam back to join them just as the group broke up. She was surprised to hear that they had been invited to an exclusive local party that very night. How exclusive could it be, she thought, if they were being invited by their new pool buddies?

The group had a quiet dinner and then got ready for the party later that evening. It was after 10:00 pm when they finally arrived and the party was already in full swing. Danielle wore a sexy spaghetti strap sun dress with low but dressy heels. The boys teased her about how well she cleaned up after her day at the pool.

The party was held at a private, gated hacienda where guards were on duty to patrol who came and went. Danielle wondered how they would get past those guards, but evidently the boys had worked that out and were ready with the password. As they entered the massive yard and headed toward the house it was obvious that these people definitely had money.

The rambling two-story home was set on five acres of land and had views of the ocean from almost every room. The entrance was on the top floor as the house was built on the side of a hill. When they entered Danielle was dazed by the opulence and the size of the crowd. Several bars had been set up around the room and at the far corner a Mexican band played local music.

Some people were dancing. Some were just standing around enjoying the atmosphere and the food and free drinks. The whole party had a joyous tropical feel and it did not go unnoticed that people were disappearing in small groups to various private areas of the house. There were a few pretty Mexican girls in bright colored costumes who wandered among the group throughout the party to keep the guests entertained. Ross got enamored with one of them and seemed to ignore her for a while – so she wandered off on her own to explore the house and the rest of the festivities.

She stumbled upon an entirely different party on the bottom level of the house. While the upstairs party was completely done with a local Mexican theme, the downstairs affair, in contrast, was an all-American theme. An American musical group provided the entertainment with songs more to Danielle’s liking. The food and drinks still flowed and just as on the first floor, this party, too, was in full swing.

She was standing alone at the bar when a young man approached her and invited her to dance. Why not, she thought, she was more or less on her own with Ross being preoccupied by his new Spanish dancer friend. Little did she know that several of Michael’s entourage were discretely spread among the guests both at the up and downstairs parties.

The cute guy who said his name was Bill approached her and asked her to dance. He was not only good looking, but charming. They hit it off quite well. They were laughing as they danced, having quite the good time when Ross finally wandered downstairs. He saw her dancing and went into a jealous rage. Ross exchanged some pretty disgusting barbs with her dance partner. Then he practically dragged Danielle out of there by the hair. This was a side of him she’d never seen.

They left the party and went back to