by J. L. Drake
“You’re a good person, Sienna. You really fit in well here.”
“That’s nice of you to say.” I twisted my lips as an emotional wave washed over me. I longed to feel I belonged.
“Can I ask you something?” His eyes held mine as I nodded. “You knew the boss when he was younger, right?”
“Yes.”
“What was he like then?”
I leaned back and looked at the sky as the box that held all my memories deep inside cracked open just a little. A picture book of memories started to flash in front of me, begging for a chance to reveal themselves. I knew they so desperately deserved to be viewed, but when I went to speak of them, I hesitated. I knew I needed to tread very carefully with what I shared with anyone going forward. I knew things about Elio that no one in the world did.
“He was very kind.” I smiled as my body grew warm. “One of the kindest people I ever knew.”
“I wish I’d known him better then.”
“Yeah, you would have liked him. Did they visit very often before Elio’s family moved here?”
“Sometimes, but since they are the head of the family, their visits here were very hush-hush. That is until the cousins showed up, and then all hell would break loose.” I laughed, wishing I could have been there for that.
We walked a little farther, enjoying each other’s company.
“What was your favorite thing to do in the summer in Sicily?” he asked as he brushed a little flour from his arm.
“I suppose that would have been an old swimming pond in the woods not far from where I lived.”
His eyes popped open as though at a memory of something. He stopped to face me with a funny expression of disbelief on his face. “Oh, wow…” I looked at him, confused.
“Are you expecting me to follow that train of thought?” I half laughed.
He looked away and shook his head, then continued down the hill.
“Hey, don’t stop now. You have to finish sentences for the other person to follow, Donte.” I picked up the pace and hustled up to his side. Before we could continue the conversation, Vinni pulled up behind us in his car.
“Hey, Sienna,” Vinni said through a half open window. “Andrea is looking for you.”
“All right, thanks.” I turned to Donte and gave him a wave as I hopped in the car, not wanting to keep Andrea waiting. “You want a ride?”
“No, thanks. I need to walk.”
“See you later.”
Donte never did finish his thought.
I woke early and went down to the kitchen. I walked out to the patio with a bowlful of grapes and watched the hustle as the house prepared for Vinni’s birthday dinner. I wished I had known sooner so I could have had more time to buy him something nice. What could I get? I had no idea. A new gun? One with a flashy handle, like the ones from the Godfather movie.
“Forgive me yet?” Wyatt sat down next to me on the lounge chair as I tried to stay in my thoughts.
“Nothing to forgive.” I popped another grape, keeping my eyes on the workers. No one could have predicted what a storm my mother would bring with her.
“What’s going through your head right now?”
“Thinking about what kind of gun I would get Vinni for his birthday.”
“Oh, sure, okay.” He reached over and stole a grape. “My friend wants to buy a flashy gun. What’s unusual about that? Well, let’s see. Vinni’s kind of a flashy guy. Maybe all white, with a gold handle.”
“My thoughts, too.”
“Maybe some kind of engraving on it?” He warmed to the topic.
“Mm.” I shrugged but moved my attention over to Elio, who was dressed in his normal attire. His black suit and tie looked wonderful on him, and this time he had paired them with a navy-blue dress shirt. He ran his hand through his hair as he spoke to one of the workers, then he caught sight of me. His lips twitched into a sexy, slow smile.
“It’s a little unfair that he was made that good looking.” Wyatt sighed.
“Indeed.”
Something about his tone gnawed at me, and I pulled my attention away from Elio. I knew my best friend struggled with something, and I had a fairly good idea what it was. I was simply being patient because I knew he needed to discover it for himself.
“You mentioned to me back in New York you wanted to talk, Wyatt. As you can see, just now, I’m free as a bird. So, is now a good time?”
“You have enough going on.”
“I do, but that never means I don’t have time for you.”
He turned to face me, but with his sunglasses on, all I could see were deep lines in his forehead, and his jaw looked locked in place.
“I broke up with Rosa,” he blurted.
“You did?” I wasn’t surprised, but again, this was his story to tell. “How did she take it?”
“Same as always, although this time I’m not going back.”
“Good.” I shaded the tops of my glasses. “I never thought you two were a good match.”
“I have, I mean, I think I have someone else in mind.”
“Oh?” I sucked on the cool juice of the grape while he came to terms with it.
“Only problem is, he’s a he. Other problem is, I don’t think he’s gay.”
Resting my bowl on the table, I moved around to face him dead-on. I knew it would only be a matter of time before Wyatt admitted the truth to himself. “I’m proud of you, Wyatt. You’ve never really been happy with any of your relationships. Now I think you will be. You’ve got this, my friend.”
“Thanks for letting me figure this out on my own time.”
“Of course. It’s not my path, it’s yours.”
“You’ve known for a while, I take it?” He removed his glasses, pretending to wipe them clean with his shirt as he studied my face. “I’m scared. It’s new territory for me.”
“If you weren’t scared, I would be a little worried,” I rubbed his arm lovingly. “Here’s how I would look at it. You’re referring to Vinni, right?” He nodded, not even questioning how I knew. “What is it about him that you find attractive?”
“He’s good looking, kind, and funny.”
“That’s your starting point, but I do believe he’s straight.” I watched his brows as I spoke, trying to gauge how my comment might affect him. “But at least now you know what you’re looking for, and you just go from there.”
“True.” He let my words sink in, and I was relieved to see his shoulders sag with relief.
“It’s not going to be easy.” I covered his hand. “But remember how terrified I was when we met, and how you promised you’d always be there for me? No matter what, I will be at your side.”
“You’ve always been there for me.” He stopped suddenly, and I felt his mood change. I instantly knew it wasn’t Elio as a pair of cool hands landed on my shoulders.
“Good morning, Sienna.” Mariano’s attempt to massage me felt creepy, but of course I had to play my part. “I had someone cover my bitch shift at the dockyard tonight so we could spend some time together.”
“It’s Vinni’s birthday tonight.”
“So?”
“So, I’m attending.”
He sat down on my chair and pressed against my legs so he could sit with me. His hand slid up and down my leg as he settled there, and it took all my self-control not to brush it away.
“There are family parties monthly. Skipping one won’t insult them. I doubt they’d even notice if you weren’t there.”
Gee, thanks.
“It’s my last night here,” Wyatt said, and my jaw dropped. This was news to me. “Our boss offered me an assignment that will take me south for a few weeks. It’s big, and I couldn’t say no. So, if it’s all right with you,” he smiled his hope at Mariano, “I’d love to have one more night with my best friend before I go.”
Mariano looked at him for a beat or two then back at me.
“Fine,” he ran a frustrated hand through his hair and forced a smile, “but you better
keep all the slow dances for me.” I cringed at the thought and spotted Elio on the phone staring at us. Mariano gave my hip a painful slap and stood. “Well, I have to go meet someone, so I’ll see you tonight.”
“Mariano,” I called after him, “maybe you should work tonight and take another off? We could go for dinner.”
“And miss seeing you in a party dress? There are too many wolves circling you as it is.” He made a point of shifting his gaze to Elio, who missed his death stare.
Damn.
Once he left, I flopped my head back against the chair then jerked it over to Wyatt. “I appreciate the save, but tell me you’re not really leaving.”
“Sorry, friend, but this story can’t wait, and I still need to work to keep the lights on. Besides, I’ve already cleared it with Vinni.”
“Of course you did,” I pouted. I hated the idea of him leaving.
“Look,” his expression changed to an easy one as he pulled a duffle bag onto his lap, “I asked my sister to send me a few things so I could leave straight from here. I thought maybe, since things were going in your favor with Elio, you might like to keep these close.” He set the wooden box I had always kept so close to my heart next to me on the chair. “I don’t want to overstep.”
“Wyatt,” I brushed a tear away, feeling like a missing part of me had returned, “thank you.”
“I know what they mean to you.” He smiled as I hopped into his arms for a hug, loving that he thought to bring these to me. “No matter what, if you need me, call me and I’ll come back. Okay?”
“Okay.” I squeezed him hard then ran my fingers over the design on the box. “All my precious memories are in here.” I peeked inside and sighed with relief at the sight. Feeling better, I pulled myself away, not wanting to get lost in my box just now. I turned my full attention back to Wyatt. “Tell me, what’s the story you’re going to be chasing?”
“Well,” he leaned back, “let me tell you.”
“Do you have eyes on her?” I was hunched down using the reflection of the window across the street to watch Stefano’s men outside his hotel. Thankfully, he had a ground-level room, and the maid-service closet was only three doors away from his. Any sounds we made going in would, hopefully, be covered by their chatter and wouldn’t alert any of his men. We had eyes on Antonio’s niece, Val, and were about to make our move.
“Yes, she’s sitting on the couch, wrists tied together.” Vinni grunted as he shifted his position. “All things considered, she seems all right.”
“Any sign of Stefano?”
“No, boss, just two of his men are watching TV across the room from her.”
“Do you really think Stefano left her?” Niccola joined my side and lifted a skeptical eyebrow.
“No, he is impulsive and stupid, and in the right situation, maybe, I think he would leave her.”
“I have eyes on Stefano,” Vinni broke in. “He’s with a blonde at the pool bar.”
I glanced at Niccola as if to say case in point.
“Good, keep eyes on him. Niccola and I are moving in.”
“Got it.” Vinni hung up, and we raced across the hotel parking lot and straight up to the door. We got inside quietly, with the help of a master key Vinni managed to get yesterday. I popped both men in the forehead. My silencer only allowed a quick pfft sound as it sent blood spatter across the scenic painting on the wall.
Niccola leapt forward to wrap Val’s mouth with his hand to muffle her screams. I leaned down with my knife and cut the zip ties.
“You’re fine. Your uncle Antonio told us what happened.”
Her wild eyes stared at me, and she nodded but then squeezed her eyes shut again as she took in the scene of the massacre.
“You want to get home, right, Val?” She nodded and seemed to gather herself. “Then focus on me because we don’t have much time.” She nodded again.
“Mr. Capri, wait!” She suddenly darted to the bed, dropped to her knees, and pulled out a duffle bag. She fished around inside and took out a small notebook. “Stefano is always writing in this.”
Smart girl.
I pulled her to her feet and tucked the notebook into my breast pocket. My phone vibrated, and I saw it was Vinni warning us that Stefano was on the way back toward the room with the woman.
“Which direction, Vin?” I said quickly into the phone.
“South side.”
“All right.” I motioned for the others to follow me, and just as we turned the corner, I caught sight of Stefano with the blonde on his arm.
“Hey!” One of his men came out of the office in front of me, chomping a mouthful of potato chips. I launched forward, bringing him to the floor, away from view, and wrapped my arm around his neck, causing him to suck in hard. His face went red as he tried to cough the chips from his lungs. Not wanting to waste any more time, I snapped his neck and dropped his fat body at my feet, then I glanced around the corner. We had only seconds to make our escape.
“Holy shit,” Val gasped behind me.
“Better him than you,” Niccola muttered.
“Go.” I signaled for them to race across to the open car door, where Vinni was waiting. The second my feet were off the ground, he pulled away.
“We’re good, Val.” Niccola gently rubbed her shoulder, trying to soothe her as she cried. “Your father and uncle are waiting for you back at the house.”
More tears came, but I could tell she was trying to hold it together in front of me. I made a few calls to my father and Francesco, explaining that things went well and to alert the others we were on our way home. I knew we might get some unwanted company after that, so I had a few of my soldiers on the lookout, ready to deal with whatever aftermath might come.
Antonio and his brother were waiting on the steps when we arrived. They both looked as if they had aged ten years since Val was taken. I would be adding more security to cover the families that were protected by our name. This couldn’t happen again.
Val stopped me as I began to get out.
“Mr. Capri?” She tucked her hair behind her ear and used the dirty sleeve of her shirt to dry her cheeks. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “I know what you must be thinking, but my father and uncle had no choice. They—”
“They did,” I cut her off, annoyed at how all of this could have been avoided. “But the air has been cleared, and it’s now up to them to keep it that way.”
“Understood.” She nodded but still didn’t make a move to leave.
“What is it, Val?” I noticed she had begun to wring her hands.
“I wasn’t supposed to be rescued, and…”
“And what?”
“And I heard things.”
I closed the car door, and Niccola caught my silent order to stop the others from coming over.
“You have my attention. Use it wisely.”
“Someone named Mikey called him a lot.”
“Mikey?” That name didn’t sound familiar.
“He never came around, he only called, but whoever he was stressed out Stefano. Sometimes, I think he was scared of him by the way he would curse and begin to sweat a bit before he answered the call.” Her hands rubbed together. “Strange, right? Because isn’t he, you know, like you? An underboss?” She wouldn’t make eye contact with me.
“Anything else?” I avoided her question, not wanting to get into details about the positions in a syndicate. “Did you ever see any other girls?”
“Girls?” She paused and looked confused. “As far as I knew, I was the only girl there.”
Interesting.
When she tried to thank me, I opened the door. That was enough for now. “Go see your family, Val, and no more walking home alone from school or to the dockyard.”
“Yes, sir.”
I let the family reunite and motioned for Vinni to take us home to get ready for his party. My phone vibrated, and I cursed at the caller ID, knowing what it was about. I motioned for Vinni to take a detour and listened to Donatello pratt
le off about what was going on with the situation.
“Where is he now?” I patted Vinni’s shoulder and let him know to hang a quick right. “We’ll be there in twenty.”
“All good?” Niccola asked from the front seat.
“We just need to pay someone a visit before the party. Call in some soldiers. I want to make sure he knows I’m not messing around.” I rubbed my head and stared out the window.
“Sure thing.”
When we arrived at the location, I nodded at the soldiers to stay put. They’d know when to step in if needed. Undoing my jacket, I slid my hands along my sides and pushed the back of my jacket out as I took a seat on his front steps. I didn’t have time for this, but I also knew that if you didn’t keep a finger on the heartbeat of our business, you’d soon lose control. So, visits like these, no matter how frustrating they were, had to happen.
Moments later, a limo arrived, and a young woman stepped out. Great, more company. I glared when I spotted the chain around her neck. We all had our kinks, but Cavaliere was a sick bastard.
“Mr. Capri.” He nodded at me, and I gave a signal to Niccola to alert my soldiers to pull into the driveway to block his exit. I flipped my coin between my fingers, wondering if I’d let him live or die today.
I could see him vibrating with fear, and I was pleased to see he knew who was in charge and who wasn’t. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. What can I do for you?”
I flipped the coin in the air and slapped it on the top of my hand.
Tails. He would live to see another day.
Slowly, I rose, buttoning my jacket as I did so. I slipped the coin into my pocket as I made eye contact with the dirty little shit in front of me. I had to curb my urge to drill my knee into his skull, but the coin had spoken…for now.
“Cavaliere, it’s good to see you again.” My words were like acid on my tongue. “I didn’t realize you were accompanied by such beauty.” I grinned at his guest, wondering if I should have them followed or, at the very least, investigate who the hell she was. My paranoia grew, and I wondered if she was one of Stefano’s girls from my dockyard.
“I came to show her the upgrades on our new home.” Cavaliere stressed the word our, like he was trying to prove to me she was his. Which was as pathetic as the girl with a chain hanging from her neck. She looked like some kind of a pet. By the way her hands twisted together, I could tell she was in no way thinking they were a couple.