Royal Mafia Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bella J.

  Chapter 9

  Dante

  I slammed my car door. Lucio was already waiting for me at the entrance.

  “You sure he’s one of them?”

  My cousin nodded. “I’m sure. We caught him in the act.”

  I started to unbutton my jacket as Lucio opened the door, allowing me to walk first. “Heroin?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where?”

  “Two blocks from Paradiso.”

  I stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “The fucker tried to make a sale around the fucking corner from our restaurant?”

  Lucio crossed his arms. “That, and he was luring in a group of girls.”

  “Fuckers!” I turned and stomped down the hall, tossing my jacket to the ground. With every step, I felt my anger reach new fucking heights. How dared they? Did they really think we would allow them to continue poisoning our goddamn streets?

  No fucking way.

  I rolled up the sleeves of my white dress shirt. “Was he alone?”

  Lucio still followed. “Yes.”

  “Background check?”

  “Done. The guy’s a nomad. No family, no ties.”

  “Good. He won’t be missed, then.”

  “Not likely. He’s just a low-life fucker with shit for brains.”

  I snorted. “I’m starting to think the Mancusos prefer their employees stupid.”

  “Dante. There’s something else.”

  I stopped and faced Lucio. “What is it?”

  “The girls he tried to sell to, they were only, like, fourteen years old. The motherfucker was trying to sell to goddamn children, man.” Lucio wiped a hand down his face before roughing it through his dark brown hair. “We need to do something.”

  Worry lines formed grooves on my younger cousin’s forehead. In a lot of ways, Lucio was like me. Loyal, but he relied a lot on his instincts—which was why he was here with us in Boston, and not with my uncle and his family in New York. He came to visit a few months back, and when he heard about the drug problem the Mancusos were causing, he decided to stay and help. And by help, I meant he stayed to help me…in my way.

  I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Tonight we bring the flames of hell down on this son of a bitch.”

  Lucio nodded, and we entered the back room of the warehouse. I smiled when I saw the scene in front of me. A motherfucker tied to a chair, his wrists bound with ropes to the tops of his thighs. My little cousin was learning. He knew what I liked.

  “You know why you’re here, right?” I approached the guy, and he lifted his head, his eyes already swollen from a heavy beating at Lucio’s hand, no doubt. Lucio might be my little cousin, but when it came to size, he was my equal. The guy spent more hours working out in the gym and fighting in steel cages than I did in the goddamn bar.

  He spat out some blood but said nothing.

  I walked over the table set up especially for me. I scanned the objects. “It’s my understanding you have no problem selling drugs to minors.”

  “I have no problems selling drugs to anyone. I ain’t forcing no one to take it. It’s their choice.”

  Even with my back toward him, I could hear how fucking smug he was. If this asshole had any kind of idea what I had in store for him, he wouldn’t be spitting out arrogant answers. He would be begging for his fucking life.

  My fingertips brushed over the knives in front of me. “Do you know who I am?’

  “You’re a Valenti.” The guy spat again as if mentioning my family name left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  I picked up a blade and turned to face him. “That’s right. I’m a Valenti. And do you know what that fucking means?”

  He smirked. “That you’re a cocksucker.”

  My lips twitched with a half-smile as I stared at him. He was probably in his mid-twenties. Scrawny. Ugly. Filthy. High.

  And soon to be dead.

  I walked up to him while slowly stroking the blades of the knives in my hands. After the whole thing with Layla at Vertigo, this was exactly what I needed. It was like the universe was throwing me a bone, trying to make up for the shitty night I’d had so far.

  “Actually, it means you’re selling your shit on our streets. To our fucking people, our children. And unfortunately for you, when you fuck with what’s ours, we have no choice but to eliminate you.”

  He snorted, his eyes wide, face pale. The guy was obviously high. Disappointing, though. It meant he wouldn’t fully register what was happening to him, the pain he felt. But at least it would make me feel better.

  The second I stopped right in front of him, I lifted my arms in the air and spun the knives between my fingers before jabbing the blades straight through his hands and into his thighs.

  He screamed. He screamed so fucking loud I was sure it echoed through to every corner of hell. Blood oozed out on the sides of the blades, running down his thighs.

  I felt the rage melt out of me with every second his screams filled my ears. Son of a bitch deserved it. How many lived had he ruined already? How many children had he destroyed? People like him didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us. Yes, I was the monster who made all these fuckers bleed. Yes, I loved exacting retribution by dealing out pain. But just like the rest of the men in our family, I only demanded justice from those who deserved it—like the fucker who currently sat bleeding in the goddamn chair.

  His screams had subsided, his head lolling forward. The drugs in his system mixed with the pain would make him pass out soon. Unfortunately, I couldn’t drag this out for much longer.

  “You work for the Mancusos.” It wasn’t a question. “What is Matteo up to, huh?”

  He looked up, his eyes glazed over, tears and spit dripping down his face and chin. “Why don’t you ask me what you really want to know?”

  Warning prickled at the back of my skull. “What exactly is it that you think I want to know?”

  He let out a maniacal laugh, and it pissed me the fuck off.

  I grabbed the knife handles and twisted the blades deeper into his flesh. He squealed like a fucking banshee.

  “I’ll ask you again. What is it exactly that you think I want to know?”

  Lucio stepped up behind him and grabbed his face, forcing the fucker to look at me.

  I let go of the knives, and he let out a few labored breaths. He opened his eyes and looked me square in the eye. “You…” He struggled to speak through the pain. “You…want to know…about…her.”

  Goddammit.

  I launched forward and grabbed his face, my fingers pushing painfully into his cheeks.

  “Who the fuck are you talking about? Who?”

  “The pretty blonde. So fucking pretty.” He smiled through clenched cheeks, eyes rolling to the back of his head. “Such a shame. Such a damn shame.”

  I jerked his face. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I screamed right in his face, but he was already starting to lose consciousness. “Talk, you piece of shit!”

  Lucio took that as his cue and pulled out his gun, pressing the muzzle against the guy’s temple.

  The guy just smiled. “They want to ruin you. They want to destroy your family.” He dragged out his words, his eyes closed, his face drained of color. “It was supposed to start with her…your sister.”

  “Karina,” I whispered.

  His tongue lapped over his dry, chapped lips. “But we all know how that turned out.” He took a long breath. “But now, you’re next.”

  I let go of his face and straightened, my heart pounding as I tried to make sense of it all.

  His eyes fluttered open and he stared up at me. “She’s so pretty. I can see why she has you all fucked up.”

  “You’re talking about Layla?”

  Again, the corners of his mouth turned into a smile—a freaky as fuck dreamy smile. “Layla. A pretty name for a pretty lady.”

  I was losing my patience. And this piece of shit referring to my woman as a pretty lady was pushing me to the fucking edge.
r />   “If you don’t tell me right now what the fuck Matteo is up to, and what Layla has to do with all of this, my cousin here will put a bullet in your head.”

  Still, he just smiled. “Such a pretty lady. Such a shame…such a shame.”

  Jesus Christ. I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed him by his collar and pulled him toward me, so damn close to my face I could smell the horrid stench of his breath. “Why the fuck do you keep on saying that? What is such a shame?”

  “Such a shame…such a shame he messed up such a pretty lady.”

  A cold tremor moved all the way from my neck, down my spine, settling heavily at the soles of my feet.

  Messed up? What did he mean by messed up?

  Dear God. My head was spinning, blood and adrenaline rushing through my veins.

  “So…so…so pretty.” His words were now nothing more than mumbling.

  “Why did he mess Layla up? How?” I jerked him, desperate to get more answers, but with his eyes closed, he just kept on mumbling, the sound growing softer and softer.

  “So…so…so…pr—”

  And then I lost it. I grabbed the gun out of Lucio’s hand, aimed…and pulled the trigger. Within a split second, there was nothing left of the man whose body still sat in the chair. With a bullet wound to the head, bruised face, and knives sliced through his hands, the son of a bitch was now where he deserved to be. Hell.

  Lucio wiped away a drop of blood that splashed on his cheek. “I’m guessing you have a clue as to what he was rambling on about?”

  I nodded, my mind still in shock.

  “This blonde he was talking about—”

  “Layla. Her name is Layla.”

  “She someone to you?”

  I walked over to the table with the knives and picked up the cloth to wipe my hands. “You can say that.”

  “What can I do?”

  Typical Lucio. Always ready for orders, ready to help. No questions asked. That was what I liked most about him. He didn’t meddle, interfere, or try to get you to “open up.” You told him to do something, and he did it. Loyal fucker.

  I turned to face him. “I need you to keep this between us until I can figure out what’s going on with Layla and why Matteo is using her.”

  He walked closer. “You heard what this asshole said. They want to ruin us, and since they didn’t manage to pull off their plan with Karina, you’re next.”

  I tossed the cloth on the table. “I heard what he said.”

  “They are using her to get to you.”

  “Yeah, I got that. I need to figure out how they’re using her, and what they’re doing to her.”

  Lucio leaned back against the table, grabbing the edges with his hands. The heavy, bold, black snakes inked on his arms seemed like they were alive, moving along with the muscle. “I’ll get some of my informants on it, try to get as much info as possible.”

  I nodded. “I don’t have to tell you that discretion is key.”

  “Nope. I got it. Now, get out of here. I’ll take care of this mess.”

  “Thank you, Lucio.” I stepped closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulder as we hugged. I appreciated the crap out of this man and knew one day he would be bigger than all of us.

  On my way out of the warehouse, my thoughts were like a goddamn train wreck. Bits and pieces of information all scattered around, making no fucking sense. If my instincts were anything to go by, Layla was in a shitload of trouble. And by what the dead motherfucker told me, it might already have been too late.

  I needed to figure this all out. All these puzzle pieces needed to be connected in order for me to see the bigger picture. But there were still pieces missing…and I knew just where to start looking for more.

  Chapter 10

  Dante

  Lucio and I had been parked outside Kate’s house for the last two hours.

  “You’re sure this is where we need to start looking?” Lucio glanced my way.

  “If Layla had half the chance to go somewhere, it would be here.”

  I stared out the window. The house still looked exactly the same. Blue panels with white-framed windows. After Layla left, I drove past this house at least a hundred times just to push the stake deeper into my chest.

  The brown bench was still in the exact same spot on the porch. We spent countless nights sitting on that bench, talking, kissing, joking, laughing—and, of course, watching sunrises together.

  “Happy anniversary.” I smiled and held out a blue velvet box.

  Layla’s eyes lit up. “Dante, what is this?”

  I shrugged. “It’s our anniversary, babe.”

  “Our anniversary?”

  “Yeah. It’s been six months, two weeks, four days, and,” I glanced at my wristwatch, “two hours and thirteen minutes since we went on our first date.”

  She smiled the kind of smile that reached her eyes. It was that exact kind of smile that had me pussy-whipped for her the second we met.

  “That’s some anniversary.”

  “Sure is.” I placed the box in her hand. “Open it.”

  She pursed her plump, heart-shaped lips, glanced at me, and slowly opened the box.

  “Dante.” Her eyes beamed, and she sucked in a breath. “What…”

  I took the box from her. “It’s what they call the Imperial Topaz. It’s the most prized color of the gem.” I removed the necklace from the casing, and she turned while holding her hair, allowing me to place it around her neck. “The ancient Egyptians and Romans associated the golden gem with the sun god, giving it the power to protect.” Gently, I slipped my palms over her shoulders as she let her hair down. “It reminded me of you.”

  She turned to me, clutching the gem between her fingers. “How so?”

  I placed my palm on her cheek, my thumb lightly moving over her skin. “Your eyes. Your love for the sunrise. And that the most important thing for me is to protect you, to keep you safe.” I placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Always.”

  She leaned closer, demanding another kiss. I was in no position to deny her. I would never deny this woman anything. From the very first time I laid eyes on her, I knew she would be the one to change everything for me. She would be the woman who would hold my life in the palms of her hands.

  Our kiss lingered, her sweet vanilla and musk scent swirling around me, making me want her in ways which were definitely not appropriate while sitting outside on the porch.

  A few strokes of her tongue against mine, and then she pulled back. “Thank you, Dante. It’s an incredible gift. I love it.”

  With my fingertips, I brushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear. “I love you, Layla. There is not a gem or a treasure in the world worth more than loving you.”

  A faint shade of pink tinged her cheeks. I loved it when she blushed. It reminded me how innocent and good she was. It also reminded me how much I didn’t deserve a woman like her. She was my exact opposite. Beautiful—inside and out, and utterly worthy of being loved.

  She placed her hand against my cheek, the softness of her touch melting the last bit of ice I had left in my veins. She changed me. Her love made me want to be a better man. Her man.

  “I love you, Dante. More than words can say.”

  I placed my hand over hers, nestling my cheek deeper into her palm. To me, it felt like I had waited for her my whole life, and now that I finally had her, one lifetime didn’t feel long enough. It was moments like these I prayed to God and hoped like hell there was such a thing as eternal life because I planned on spending eternity with this woman.

  Little did I know back then my time with Layla would be limited. Eternity wasn’t meant to be for us. It was unfortunate that I had to learn the hard way, losing my heart in the process.

  Lucio sat up in the passenger seat. “Check out the SUV.”

  I looked out and saw a black SUV parking in front of Kate’s house. In silence—and anticipation—I waited to see who was in the car.

  First, a man dressed in a suit got out from the
passenger side. He looked left and right, up and down the road twice before opening the back door to the SUV.

  True as fuck, there she was, getting out of the car.

  “That her?”

  I nodded. “Lucio Valenti, meet Layla Moore.”

  She wore a dark brown coat to ward off the early autumn cold. Big, round, dark sunglasses covered most of her upper face as if she was trying to hide.

  Within a few short strides, Layla was up the stairs and knocking at her sister’s door with a man standing behind her. Three men stayed behind, one guarding the vehicle, the other two standing at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Why all the muscle?” Lucio shifted in his seat.

  “He’s protecting her.”

  “From what?”

  “Me.”

  I continued to watch as Kate opened the door, two sisters hugging each other so tightly, one would think it was a fucking reunion.

  Layla slipped inside the house, and I cursed. “Fuck. I need to be inside that goddamn house.”

  Lucio unbuckled. “Well, then, let’s go.”

  He was out of the car before I had the chance to stop him.

  I jumped out and called after him. “Lucio, what the fuck are you doing?”

  “I’ll tell you what I’m not doing.” He fastened his suit jacket. “I’m not sitting around and waiting for shit to go down.”

  Fuck, I love this man.

  We crossed the road, and the men standing by the end of the stairs turned their attention to us immediately.

  “Gentlemen,” Lucio started, “do you know if a certain Kate Moore lives here?”

  One guy glanced at the other before turning his focus back to us. “I suggest you two move along.”

  Lucio skipped onto the pavement. “It’s really urgent that I get hold of Miss Moore. Is she here?”

  “I said move along.”