by Erin Trejo
“You are no longer on Vitale territory.” The man crosses his arms trying to intimidate me. Nice try.
“And you are not the Boss of the Luciano famiglia. It would do you good to remember that before you insult another Boss.” Just as I speak, the door comes open. An older man appears in front of me looking between his men and us.
“I assume you to be Cordae Vitale.” Locking eyes with mine, I nod.
“I am. And you are Roberto Luciano. I believe your soldier needs to learn his manners if there is to be another visit.” Luciano looks to the man before sliding his gun out of its holster. One quick shot and the man goes down next to me.
“Problem solved. Please forgive me for his indiscretion. We have hired new soldiers. Some are not as bright as others.” His light chuckle makes me smile.
“No problem at all.” Extending my hand, Luciano grasps it in his. An unspoken agreement is made between us with this handshake. I will respect his home, much the same as he will respect me. There will be no bloodshed between the two families as long as we are both present in this house.
“Nikolai. It’s been many years.” Letting my hand go, he moves to pull Nikolai into a hug.
“That it has, old friend. Unfortunate circumstances yet again.” Luciano pulls back nodding his head.
“Indeed it is.”
Chapter 32
Cigar smoke litters the room. It’s customary for the men to smoke a cigar in our family as we do business, although I very rarely partake.
“I understand that the Russians have been causing you some concern,” I say as Luciano blows out a ring of smoke and nods.
“They have indeed. The Bratva has been closing in on our organization for a while now. So far, we’ve been able to keep them at bay. As the days go on, I’m afraid we just aren’t powerful enough.” Understanding flows through me.
“I heard about Gambino. I also have more information should we agree to a truce.” Raising my eyebrows, I look at him.
“Is that so? So you know that Daniel was disposed of, as well as a majority of his famiglia.” Luciano nods his head, knowing all of this.
“I need assistance with the Russians. Let me just be blunt here. We all know that the Bratva wants to own as much as they can on American soil. They’ve moved in on lesser families, taking what they can.” Leaning back in the seat, I cross my legs at the ankles.
“Manpower is something I can afford. I can put soldiers in place to handle things on this end.” Luciano seems pleased with what I’ve said, as he should. I’ll hand over the soldiers, but he will get me the information I want in return.
“And what is your gain in this, Vitale?” Time for negotiations.
“I need information. Not only do I need to know what you know about the Gambino family, I also need to know about things abroad.” If he refuses what I want, I will pull the trigger here, and now.
“What could you possibly need with that information, Cordae? We don’t meddle in their affairs.” As I figured, he doesn’t want to be in the middle of that. I suppose it’s too bad for him, that I already put him in the middle.
“Governor Sinclair came to me. His daughter seems to have gone missing. I have a personal interest in the girl. I also need to know who the hell intercepted my shipment and killed my local drug dealer. Massacre style.” Luciano shakes his head before scrubbing his hand across his face.
“Massacre is Gambino’s style. Daniel is dead.” With one sharp nod, I grab the glass that sits in front of me on the table. Swallowing the liquid, I savor the slight burn as it goes down.
“Precisely, that's why I need information on the Gambino’s in Italy.” Sitting back in the chair, I can see the inner workings of Luciano’s mind. None of this makes sense to him either. Daniel never had ties to the Gambino’s in Italy from what we knew about him. He always kept whoever was important by his side. He felt he could protect them, but failed them in the end.
“Daniel’s grandfather, Marco Gambino, runs the Italy famiglia.” He pauses before he continues to speak. “Daniel dishonored the family when he was younger. Marco wanted nothing more to do with him. Bernardo Gambino, Daniel’s father wanted his son to be at the top. He gave over his empire to Daniel. Daniel killed his father the same day. He knew that he couldn’t rule with his father so close. The connection here is something I wouldn’t know. Marco banished Daniel.” That’s a story I’ve never heard before. I knew Daniel was low, but I didn’t realize just how low.
“And you have no inclination as to a connection with anyone else in Italy?” Luciano shakes his head before I sigh.
Something is missing in all this shit. Something more than even an old timer like Luciano and Nikolai know.
That realization does little to ease my mind. We left Luciano’s and headed back home.
“It’s a solid deal, Cord.” Pulling my eyes up to meet Nikolai’s, I nod.
“It is. We have soldiers that are willing to move over there as needed. We need information on Gambino. I still don’t understand where Ava comes into play with any of this.” Rubbing my temples, that all too familiar headache creeps its way back in.
“Maybe she doesn’t. Maybe she just didn’t want her father to know where she is.” That’s the obvious assumption. I thought that one over too, but to go completely off anyone’s radar isn’t like her.
“She hasn’t left a trace. No cell phone. No surveillance. That doesn’t seem odd to you?” I need to know that someone else agrees with me and I’m not losing my mind.
“Cordae, may I be blunt with you?” As if that was ever a question before. A slight chuckle rips through me.
“Nikolai. You are the closest person I have. You’ve been by my side every step of the way. You were next to my uncle when he took his place in this family. Never think you have to question that.” The smile that crosses his face is genuine.
“That means everything to me, Cord. My mind wonders what it is you want from Ava. I know she and Amelia brought some kind of peace to your life when they were around. You are a strong man and you keep that front up. The mask only wavered when you were with them.” How could he have seen all that? All this time I tried to keep my emotions under control and here he is, saying he saw right through me.
“I am not a weak man, Nikolai. I know my rightful place. I keep that mask in place to protect my family. I failed that. I let my own hate and rage over-rule me. I lost Amelia due to that distraction.” Hearing myself say it again makes it that much more real. It hurts. Deeply.
“I know you will never listen to me when I say you are not to be faulted. It’s the Vitale blood that runs through your veins. The Vitale men are stronger than any other I’ve come across in all my years. You give more than you take. Vitale men deserve a chance at love just like any other. You are all so stubborn that you can’t see that.” If only his words were true.
I deserve nothing after what I let happen to Amelia. I left her to fend for herself in this cruel world. I was too absorbed in my own darkness, that I never saw hers coming for her.
“Love is my family. That’s the only love that I deserve. I let my own selfish desires take Amelia, and I refuse to let that happen to Ava as well.” Nikolai stares at me for a few minutes. I know what he’s thinking, but I can never have the love he speaks about. It isn’t part of my destiny. This is my destiny. My place as the Boss of the Vitale family is all the love that I need.
“One day you will rethink it, Cord. One day when you see the eyes of an angel, you will know there is love within you.” I gasp at his words. How could he have known about the eyes of an angel?
No one knew about that dream but me.
A harsh reality slaps me across my face.
I had that angel, and I let her walk away.
Chapter 33
Reality is cruel. It’s almost as cruel as the dreams that haunt me. I sent my men to help Luciano with the Russians, making sure we had no threats here first. My demons are unsettled tonight. The only thing they really want is Ava. That
’s all they’ve ever wanted. But she isn’t here. And I’m the reason for that. I pushed her away. I didn’t stop until she was gone from this life.
She had to leave, though. She couldn’t be the next victim in the long line that I’m sure to have. She was pure, beautiful. She had more life in her than anyone I’d ever seen before.
“Shit!” Growling as I yank Amber’s hair to expose her neck, I fuck her roughly. She isn’t what I want, though and she never will be. No one will be and that’s just the sad reality of what I have to live with.
“Cord! You’re hurting me!” Does she really think I care? I don’t give a shit about her. She’s nothing more than a common house whore. Every mafia has them. Hell, she’s probably been to a few of them before.
“Shut up! Don’t fucking talk!” Releasing the darkness that eats away at me, I unleash it all on her.
I rotate my hips, slamming deeper into her. Her screams rip through the room but it’s far from me to care. Releasing her hair, I grip her hips in my hands before pounding into her. Her hands grip the sheets in a vice like grip but that doesn’t stop me either. The harder I slam into her, the worse I feel. I don’t know why I’m coming undone, but I am. It’s like that one loose thread on a blanket. You pull it to rip it free, but the rest just unravels with it.
“Cord! Cord! They found her!” Those three little words have me pulling out of Amber. Grabbing my pants off the floor, I pull them on in record time.
“Get out!” Screaming at Amber, I head toward the door. When I throw it open, Jordy is standing there with a giant grin on his face.
“Where is she?” Buttoning up my shirt, I watch his smile fade as Amber moves around from behind me. “Where the fuck is she!” Growling, his attention comes back to mine.
“She’s in Italy.” No. There is no fucking way.
“Italy,” I repeat the word thinking it would make more sense, but it doesn’t. What the hell is she doing in Italy?
“That’s not all.” My chest tightens. The look on his face rips me to shreds.
“She’s not. She can’t be,” I say as I shake my head unable to finish that sentence.
“Oh, look. Cordae Vitale does have feelings after all.” Amber’s words irritate the last nerve I have. I reach over, grabbing her by the hair before jerking her in front of me.
“One more word. That’s all it’s going to take for me to gut you right here in this room.” Her eyes fill with tears, regret of what she just said to me.
“You’re a monster!” She cries out from the pain that I’m inflicting on her.
“You got that right.”
From the time I tossed Amber out on her ass until now everything is in a haze. I don’t remember how I got here. I don’t remember much of anything. All I know is that she’s been found.
I had the plane fueled and on the runway in the matter of minutes. I don’t give a shit that I’m pulling people away from their families for my own selfishness.
I called Sinclair also, to let him know that I was on my way out of town. I didn’t give him much information though, just that we had a lead I was following up on. I brought Romero, Nikolai, Jordy, and Felix with me, since they mostly know the layout of Italy. They know what areas are off limits and where I am free to roam.
“I called Luciano. He’s going to reach out to family in Italy. Let them know that we are traveling there. He will add extra security.” Nodding my head, my heart hammers in my chest. The only thing that we know is that Ava is in a hospital in Italy. No other details were disclosed to us. I fidget with my hands, trying to ease some of what’s floating around in this head of mine. Dark thoughts creep in at every turn, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. As much as I’ve tried to, they will always be there.
“Do we have an address?” Romero nods, passing me a piece of paper with an address and the word hospital scribbled onto it.
“Do you know of this hospital?” Directing my attention to Romero, he nods before lowering his head.
“Unfortunately, I do. My mother died in that hospital alongside my uncles. It’s not a good place if you’re very ill.” All the color leaves my face; I can feel it. I instantly pale from his words.
I swallow the bile that rises in my throat before Nikolai passes me a bottle of water. I give him a grateful nod before taking the cap off. So much is running rampant through my head right now. I can’t focus, and the not knowing is killing me. Is she already gone? Are we going to view a body once we get there? Romero said that isn’t a good hospital. If she’s truly hurt, I won’t allow her to stay there.
“Call around and find a better hospital. One that will accommodate our soldiers.” Everyone’s eyes land on me and I know exactly why. We don’t use hospitals for the simple fact that the police will be brought into the middle.
“Do I look like I give a fuck about the police? I won’t have her in a shit hole! She will get the best care that I can provide for her!” Watching them visibly jolt back calms me. My authority still means something to them. In the states we would never go to a hospital. We have a doctor on call that works for the family. He always takes care of us. Romero pulls his phone out and starts making calls. My nerves are beyond controlled right now. I just need to see her. I need to see that she’s okay with my own eyes.
“What are your plans, Cord?” I pull my gaze to Nikolai.
“When she’s well enough to travel, I will bring her home. Until then, someone stays by her side.” He nods his head knowing that if he tried to argue with me right now, I’d kill him without a second thought.
“And Gambino’s?” Ah, now that is a good question. If the Gambino’s played any part in this, I will kill them. One by one.
“You’re losing your authority,” Felix says. My eyes jerk to his before I’m on my feet. Crossing the plane in a few short strides, I have him around his throat, my fist slamming into his ribs.
“You question my authority!” Blow after blow, I show him who’s in charge. No one moves to stop me either. Wise choice. I’d say that is authority enough. I reach into my holster, pulling my knife free.
“You will never fucking question me again.” Pulling back, I grab his mouth, prying it open. He tries to fight me when I glance at Jordy. He moves quickly to stand behind Felix, holding his mouth open.
“Never again!” Grabbing his tongue in one hand, I slice through it with the other.
Chapter 34
As soon as the plane landed, I was in the awaiting limo within minutes.
“Here.” One of Luciano’s men, that he had put in place for us, hands me a wet wipe. I clean my hands of Felix’s blood as the men all watch me.
“Did you make preparations for another hospital?” My tone is harsh much like my attitude at the moment.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Vitale. As soon as we know her condition, we can make that transfer if necessary.” Nodding my head, I refuse to listen to any more from them. It will be a necessity to move her. She isn’t dying, I won’t allow it. The ride to the hospital is silent. I’m not sure if I like this sort of silence or not. It’s unnerving. Jordy claps a hand on my shoulder as we pull up to the hospital.
“This is it?” I ask. The man across from me nods his head.
“We have men set up inside. Her room is secured as well. We have a deal with a few of the doctors here, so there shouldn't be any problems.” I don’t thank him. There is no need. He’s doing his job and he better thank his ass that he’s doing it correctly. When the door of the limo opens, I instantly climb out. I head straight inside, toward the main desk.
“Ava Sinclair. Where is her room?” The small woman at the desk looks around at all of the men that now surround me before she gasps.
“You need a visitor’s pass.” Jordy sees the way my jaw clenches. I know he does. He steps forward as well as one of Luciano’s men.
“Roberto Luciano says otherwise. Show the man to her room.” Thank God, one of these men has some kind of sense. The nurse nods quickly before motioning for me to follow.
“Right in here.” I steady my breathing before I push the door open. My steps aren’t as hurried as I thought they would have been. All I can imagine is Amelia’s little face. What if I would have been able to get her to the hospital? Would she have had a chance? Shaking the thoughts away, I look up from the floor that I’ve been staring at. My heart ceases to beat. The air is sucked from my lungs. Machines chime, but the silence is eerie. Her face is covered in purple and blue bruises. Her head is wrapped, her eyes are swollen. Taking a few steps closer to her, I almost lose myself at the sight.
“Ava. Mia bella Ragazza. I will find out who did this to you. I will fucking kill every one of them for you.” I start to reach for her hand before I notice that it’s wrapped too. A lump forms in my throat when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
“The doctor wants to speak to you, Cord.” I nod to Jordy before I turn to leave the room.
“Don’t you dare leave her side.” He nods his understanding before I walk back out.
I listen to the doctor ramble on about what happened to her. All I fucking care about is when she will get better.
“What the hell does all this mean?” The doctor turns his gaze to me.
“It means that she doesn’t remember everything. She remembers bits and pieces. We feel that with time and patience, she will regain her full memory.” She doesn’t know me. She doesn’t remember what we had. How the hell is that possible?
“I want her transferred immediately!” The doctor jolts with the sudden response. He tries to open his mouth to protest but I stop him quickly. “Don’t you dare tell me how qualified you are here! I want her in the best hospital, with the best doctors until I can take her home.” Gritting my teeth, he doesn’t pursue it further. He nods his head before walking away.