“Just in case they escape the truck before it falls over the side and then manage to push it back onto the road?” I say with a cocked eyebrow.
“Adrenaline does fucked-up shit to your body,” he says with a shrug. “Ya never know. Better to be cautious. We’ve got work to do, and I don’t want any interruptions.”
A single shot pierces the air, and Via screams from inside of the truck. “What the fuck are you doing, Laz? Stop shooting them and get me the hell out of here!”
“Yeah, good luck with that, Via. Lemme know how it all works out for ya.” Ant jogs over to his car and slides into the driver’s seat. I follow, pulling open the passenger side door. I collapse onto the leather seat with a groan.
“I bet you’re glad I showed up when I did, huh?” he says, pressing the ignition button and peeling around the SUV hovering over the side of the road.
“That was some fucking rescue attempt, Ant! Were you trying to kill me or save me? ’Cause I’m confused since that shit could have went either way!”
“How was I supposed to know that the cocksucker driving would lose control of the truck like that?”
“You’re a real tool, you know that? It’s because of you this is happening at all! You took that damn truck and there was a tracker in it. That’s how they found us in the first place, you asshat!”
“Hey, hey. No need for name calling. I got you outta there, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, too late because they still have Serena.” I lean back against the seat. “They have Franco, too.”
“Any idea where they took her?”
“The only thing I can think of is La Viello. Via kept talking about the event, but it’s supposed to be a charity ball for the Sons and Daughters of Italy.” I rub my temple. “Christ, how the fuck did I miss that the Fortunatos were behind it?”
“Big oversight, bro.”
“Fuck off, Ant,” I grunt. “Just get there, okay?”
Ant’s ringtone blares through the car’s speakers and he stabs the Accept button. “Yeah?”
“You need to get to La Viello now,” my brother Tommy’s voice grunts. “Alek and I are heading there now.”
“What’d you find out?” I demand. “And where the hell are you?”
Tommy pauses for a second. “We’re at your office. Ant tried to get in touch with Sophia to see if she knew anything, but she wasn’t answering her phone. So he sent us here to find her while he tracked you.”
I flash a questioning look at Ant, whose hands grip the steering wheel tight. “And? Was she there? Why the fuck wasn’t she answering her phone?”
Tommy pauses, and I can see Ant’s jaw twitch out of the corner of my eye.
What the hell?
“Nic Fortunato’s guys showed up at your office today saying they needed to get to you. Sophia put up a fight and well…” His voice trails off. “She’s alive, which is more than I can say for the others that were at the office. Diego, they took out at least three of your workers, including your security guy. Sophia held them off as long as possible and she fought hard. They just fought harder. Luckily, the cops showed up and everyone scattered.”
“Fuck!” I yell, slamming my good hand on the dashboard. “Those bastards! Where is Sophia now?”
“She’s on her way to the hospital. They said she’s gonna be okay, though.”
Ant presses his foot on the gas and takes turns with alarming speed as Tommy spills everything he found out from Sophia, which wasn’t much considering she’d barely been conscious when they found her.
But at least she was…is…alive.
Ant takes a right turn so sharp, I fly into the door handle. “Ahh!” I shout. “Fucking relax, man!”
“When she wouldn’t cooperate, they used Sophia’s phone to get in touch with you, Diego. They were trying to get you to the office so they could take you out there and snatch Serena. The tracker in the SUV was how they found you at your house. Nobody was gonna attack you at Vince’s place. Too dangerous. Too risky. But then you went home instead of going to the office, so they ambushed you there instead.”
“We’re on our way now,” Ant mutters. “It’s time to fuck their shit up. Beating up a girl. Jesus Christ, they’re fucking animals!” He stabs the End button and tightens his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. He takes a sharp right down a tree-lined driveway. The wrought iron gates open as we pull up to them, which makes the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.
They’re expecting us.
Game fucking on.
Chapter Sixteen
Serena
Nic paces in front of the three floor-to-ceiling picture windows overlooking a pond on the grounds, clearly lost in thought about God only knows what. If I wasn’t being held captive by a bunch of murderous criminals with Nic at the helm, I’d take a few seconds to appreciate the beauty of this place.
A loud knock at the door seems to startle him back to reality and he calls out to the person outside. A man in a light gray suit opens the door and pokes his head inside the room. “The guests are starting to arrive.”
How ironic that someplace so picture perfect can shelter such ugliness and diabolical intent. Nic still hasn’t told me who these elusive ‘guests’ are, although I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
“Where is the guest of honor?” he asks the man.
“He’s ready for you both.”
Nic nods at him and pulls me out of the chair by my arm which is still attached to my other one. “It’s time,” he says to me.
“Time for what?” I hiss, shrugging out of his grip.
“You can fight me all you like, but in the end, I will get what I want. I always do, Serena.” He grabs me by the shoulder this time and pushes me out the door, guiding me down another hallway in the expansive villa. Large green ferns are placed in all corners, the combination of foliage, crystal, and marble giving the place a very lush, opulent look.
I strain my ears as we walk, and the sounds of male voices float into the air from a central meeting room. The door is closed, but I can still hear them talking and laughing. Bastards. Do they even know why they’re here?
And if they did, would they even care?
Or would they show support for whatever Nic has up his sleeve because that’s the only real way to play the game and survive?
My father doesn’t play that way.
Neither do I.
Maybe that’s supposed to be telling.
But goddamn it, I won’t go quietly.
Or without a fight.
We stop in front of a room at the end of a hallway, past the voices. Nic opens the door and shoves me inside when my feet stay planted on the floor. I gasp, stumbling forward and hitting the ground on my knees since I don’t have use of my hands. I am so going to junk-punch that asshole before I leave here tonight.
Because yes, I am fucking leaving here!
And it won’t be in a body bag!
Nic pulls me up by my arm and gets right in my face as he calls out, “Bring him in.”
A narrow door in the back of the room opens and my heart damn-near stops.
“Papa?” I whisper, tears springing to my eyes. I shove my shoulder into Nic’s chest and run toward my father who is practically being carried into the room. His clothes are torn and bloody, his hands scraped and cut. But his face…his face is what elicits the loud sob from deep in my chest. Bruised with blue and purple welts, blood trickling from his nose and mouth, eyes nearly swollen shut.
Whoever brought him in just drops him to the floor. He crumbles to the cold, hard tiles at my feet because I can’t cushion his fall. I can’t stop him from crashing to the ground because my hands are tied. Literally.
I can’t stop the devastation because they have me exactly where they want me.
I sink to my knees next to him, tears spilling onto his wasted body. I’ve never seen him so defeated, so beaten. And it’s more than just the physical effects.
Once upon a time, his presence was electric
, his energy commanding, his will fierce.
Like mine.
A shudder runs through me as the memory of Diego’s words echo in my mind.
I don’t feel so fierce anymore…
And here…now…Papa is a shell of his former self. The power has all been sucked out of him, and the question in my mind remains.
Why?
Am I the answer?
“Why are you doing this?” I scream at Nic who is standing over me with his arms folded across his chest.
An evil smirk lifts his lips as he glares back at me. “So, principessa, you have all of the dots, but you’re not connecting them yet. Okay, let me help you out. When your father decided to shut down my business, when he chose to support your little foundation, he spat not only in my face, but in all of the faces of his allies, people who had pledged their devotion to him if he made good on his word to reward them for their loyalty and cooperation.”
Papa grunts and shifts at my feet. I cover his hands with mine, my shoulders quivering, my mind desperate for a means of escape. I can’t listen to any more of Nic’s bullshit, but at this moment, I’m stuck. No weapon, no hands, no fucking choice.
Nic leans down, his dark eyes veiled with hate and disdain. “I had my path set. Alek Severinov cleared the way for me to take over the sex trade in Europe and he didn’t even know it. When he killed Sofia Rojas and made her pathetic organization implode, I was there to pick up the pieces. Once Sofia was out of the picture, I formed my own network, a very fucking lucrative one, I might add. And then you showed up on the scene with your high moral standards, ethical values, and bullshit humanitarian preachings.”
“They’re not bullshit!” I shriek. “You’re a murderer!”
“Says the mafia princess to her boss.”
“What? You are the fucking devil! You’re not my goddamn boss! You’re the scourge of the Earth…worse than that…and I will never—"
Nic holds up one single finger. “Hold that thought, principessa. The bottom line is this. I’m not letting you or anyone else cockblock me here. Nobody is taking over my business interests. It’s fucking mine, and you’re either with me…or you’re with me,” Nic hisses. “There’s no choice. Your father always knew it would come to this, didn’t you, Franco?” He pokes my father in the chest with his finger. “You knew you’d never be able to protect her forever. And that’s why you brought her here to Palermo. Because you knew someone who could.”
Papa sputters an unintelligible response, and Nic nods.
“Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, old man. But trust me on this. He ain’t gonna be riding in here like some white knight to save her. I’ve already made sure of that. When he shows up, he’s gonna play his part, just like she will.” He looks at me. “Your father made it too easy for us, principessa. He practically handed you over to us on a silver platter!”
“This trip was supposed to be a secret,” I whisper, blood rushing between my temples. “Nobody knew we were coming, everyone thought I was—"
“Everyone? Are you sure about that?” Nic lifts an eyebrow.
I stare at him. Jesus, I really need to start connecting these dots!
The door opens again, and I look up to see Jackie Anzelone stroll into the room with a cocky grin on his face. He saunters toward us, peeks at my father, and shakes Nic’s hand.
Nic winks at me. “Information is always easy to get when you name the right price. But I’ve gotta tell you, the fact that your white knight showed up and interfered with our plans first thing this morning pisses me off. Things weren’t supposed to go sideways like that. My guys were supposed to grab you and that would have gotten your father moving so we could have nabbed him, too. But that fucking Marcone got in the way. Again.”
Jackie snickers. “You shoulda killed him the night of the gala, too.”
Nic swivels around and pulls a gun from the waistband of his pants, pointing it straight at Johnny. “Shut the fuck up, Anzelone! I didn’t ask for your two cents, did I?” He inches toward Johnny, whose normally arrogant look has been replaced by one of pure panic because he knows what Nic Fortunato is all about, who he’s proven himself to be so many times in the past.
Jackie’s hands fly up to his face, his eyes wide with fear. “Shit, Nic. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just—”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion, so keep it to your fucking self. I didn’t bring you here so that you could tell me how to do my job better.” Nic growls, pressing the barrel of the gun against Johnny’s forehead.
It’s sick, I know, under my own dire circumstances, but I enjoy watching that piece of shit squirm under Nic’s deadly gaze. Cocksucker. He deserves it.
Nic looks at me and then back to Johnny. “Principessa, what do you think about this guy, huh? Coming in here like he owns the fucking place, telling me how to run my business. Is that a smart thing to do? To bite the hand that feeds you? Are you trying to piss me off, Anzelone?”
“N-no,” Jackie whispers.
“He was never smart enough to keep his fucking mouth shut,” I hiss. “Even when he’d been handed everything he could have ever wanted! I don’t know why the hell Papa kept you as long as he did! And now look! Look at him! The man you swore your undying loyalty to!” My chest heaves, sharp gasps slicing at my lungs as I try to force back the sobs. I look at Nic. “You want to know what I think about this guy? I think he’s a low-life bastard. A lying snake with more faces than I can fucking count!”
“Serena, please, I never meant—”
My eyes meet Jackie’s pleading ones. “You sold us out, you asshole. You’re the reason why Papa is lying here right now. You! Nobody else! You’re such a greedy motherfucker. I bet Nic promised you the world, didn’t he? Your shot to take over our businesses, more money than you could ever spend. All you had to do was make one little phone call. And just like that, you killed us.”
“Your father made sure that I stayed in my place…in the background! He never trusted me with any of the big shit. He kept me close, watched over me, made sure I never had anything of my own.”
Papa coughs and stirs. “I did what I promised your father I’d do when he died,” he rasps. “I protected you, kept you safe, and treated you like my own son.”
“A son you never wanted,” Johnny spats.
“You had…everything,” Papa grunts.
“I had nothing!” Jackie shouts. “Until Nic came knocking and offered me everything you didn’t! So yeah, I took his offer! I told him you were coming! And I told him about the meeting with Marcone! He gave me what I’d been missing, so yeah. I gave you up. You never gave a shit about me. It wasn’t about protection, Franco. It was about covering your own ass. Keeping your own secrets.” He looks back at Nic. “I wasn’t getting anywhere in his organization, Nic. You saved me! You gave me an out!”
Nic circles Johnny, but his eyes don’t stray from mine. “See, principessa, when you’re building an organization, you need to know where your loyalty comes from. Is it from a place you can trust? Or is it from a place that you need to protect yourself against? These are very important questions that can determine how much success you have.”
“I don’t need a business lesson from you of all people,” I seethe. “You’re a scumbag. No better than Johnny!”
“Tsk-tsk,” Nic says. “That’s not a way to talk to your boss.”
“You’re not my boss!” I shriek. “You’re insane if you think—”
He holds up a finger. “That’s it. That’s the key right there, principessa. I think. You feel.”
“I’m fucking human, asshole! Unlike you!”
“Feeling doesn’t get you ahead. It just makes you stumble and fall, slipping and sliding around in your emotions.” He shakes his head. “Not a productive way to work.”
“I don’t consider it work to help people who can’t help themselves against monsters like you!”
“So principled.” Nic snickers, walking over toward a window. “A lot of people are going to be sur
prised to find out you had a sudden change of heart.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I look down at Papa’s bruised face and I long to clutch his hand, to whisper that I’ll figure a way out of this.
This.
I don’t even know what this is because Nic hasn’t let me in on his psychopathic little plan yet.
“All in good time, Serena.” Nic strokes the scruff on his chin and points at Jackie. “You see me as your way out, don’t you?”
Jackie nods like the eager beaver that he is. Dickwad. “Yes, and I pledged my loyalty to you and your organization, Nic. I will do whatever you need me to, I’ve already sworn to that! And I proved it to you, didn’t I? I handed you exactly what you wanted!”
“Well, you fucked up the first time at the gala, remember?”
Jackie’s normally tan face pales. “I, uh, I know that I didn’t deliver that night, but I—”
“Not that night, not the night after, not the next week.” Nic shakes his head, running a hand through his dark hair, and I can’t help but wonder why the fuck he’s pulling these theatrics in front of us.
Then again, bat-shit crazy people do bat-shit crazy things, so I pay attention.
It’s actually kind of entertaining to see that sonofabitch squirm.
And I hope that’s not all Nic has planned for his slimy ass. He deserves so much more.
“But even though I don’t usually give people more than one chance to deliver, I changed my rule for you, Jackie.” Nic stops right in front of him. “Didn’t I? Because you promised me you’d get me what I wanted.”
“I did. I kept my word.” Johnny nods, and if Nic dropped his pants right now and told Johnny to suck him off, I believe the sniveling little asshole would do it.
He’d probably get off himself.
“Your word.” Nic snickers and strolls back in my direction. “Serena, tell me, do you value Jackie’s word?”
Wanted: A Dark Italian Mafia Romance (Men Of Mayhem Book 1) Page 18