It’s quick.
Painless, really.
Fucking perfect.
The door opens and I spin around with my gun still cocked. In rushes Rienzi and the guys but I don’t give any of them a chance to say a word. I point my gun at Rienzi.
Now is as good a time as any.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
One to the heart.
Two the brain.
For a minute, I remain completely still and watch as his body drops to the floor, then I turn to face the men who all stare at me in shock. The corners of my mouth curl as I lower the gun.
“Let that be a lesson to all of you.”
Never underestimate the underdog.
“Now, clean this shit up. There is a chipper in the lot you can use to break up the bodies, then load the dump truck and take the trash to the dump.”
I tuck my gun into the front waistband of my pants and grab my jacket. Pulling my phone out, I walk past the guys and step over Rienzi’s lifeless body. I bring up Joaquin’s contact and hit send. He answers on the third ring.
“It’s time,” I tell him. “Get your ass on a plane.”
Then I walk out of the garden center. Johnny opens the door for me, and I slide into the backseat. Leaning the back of my head against the cool leather I draw in a deep breath.
Some legends are born, others are made.
I’m a work in progress.
Chapter 29
Rocco Spinelli
Not long after Uncle Vic’s transfer went through, he put his plan in motion and started a riot. But that was just the beginning—a pathway to his last hit. He killed the G-Man, a notorious drug lord that terrorized the streets of New York for years and targeted the Satan’s Knights more than once. The man who had enough connections to be transferred had exhausted all his pull and was thrown in solitary confinement.
There were no more calls.
No visits.
Nothing.
Victor Pastore’s last days would be spent in a dark, cold cell.
I braced myself for the war that was sure to come, but nothing came easy. My first hurdle was Joaquin. The day after I whacked Rienzi, my best friend was on a plane to New York. We were finally going to take the streets we loved by storm—or so I thought. I was so busy playing the role of the don, I forgot Joaquin didn’t know how serious things had become between me and Violet.
There was no cushioning the blow, though. I told myself he could be mad, but he had to get over it. I might not be the perfect guy for Violet, but I was prepared to spend the rest of my life striving to be worthy. He played the Pilar card, but I didn’t let him get far with it. I made him understand that he and I were different, that he waited too long.
Too long to love Pilar.
Too long to make a life with her.
Too long to protect her.
But most of all, he waited far too long to spare her.
Should the day come where I am incapable of protecting Violet from my lifestyle, I’ll let her go. I’ll end this whirlwind of a love story and watch her dance right out of my life. It will destroy me but having her end up like Pilar will fucking kill me.
And that’s exactly what I told Joaquin. I gave him my word and he backed off, knowing we had bigger fish to fry. I have no doubt that it still bothers him. After all, this is the guy who had a front-row seat to my philandering sideshow in Miami. I know I’m not the man he wanted his sister to fall in love with, but I’m changed and it’s only a matter of time before he sees that.
Joaquin wound up moving into the condo I purchased and as expected, my relationship with Violet became the least of his troubles. Even with all the phony bloodwork reports and the well-rehearsed lies, the five families gave me hell for appointing Joaquin as my new underboss. The old timers within the Pastore organization gave us shit too. We pressed on and did what he had to do, eliminating anyone who got in our way.
The garden center was quickly becoming a smart investment. Not only did we operate out of the office, but we were making use out of that chipper and cashing in on that Business Integrity Commission contract, making multiple trips to the landfill.
In between cleaning house and changing the rules of the mafia, I kept hearing the name Yankovich. I didn’t have a face, all I had was the name and the reputation. Apparently, the man was looking to take over. I just wasn’t sure if it was my territory he was itching for or if it was Jack Parrish’s piece of the pie he wanted. I tried to voice my concerns to Jack, but he still had the line drawn in the sand and wanted no part of me. To him I was nothing more than a guard dog to my aunt and her daughters.
A role I played well.
Once I got word that the G-Man was dead, I beefed up the security on Aunt Grace’s house and Bianci’s gym, making it clear to all the families that Grace Pastore and her children were under my protection. I would’ve put even more of an effort in, maybe stop by on a Sunday to make sure Aunt Grace wasn’t feeling lonely, but tragedy struck.
On the day that Jack Parrish was to marry the love of his life, Reina DeCarlo, one of his many enemies decided to strike and bombed the clubhouse right before they said I do. The attack took lives and left the entire club in ruins. It also shook me to the fucking core because Gina’s new beau was there when the blast went off. She had been difficult, giving Johnny a run for his money, and refusing my protection. That’s when I learned she was involved with one of Jack’s men. Yeah, you read that correctly, my prim and proper sister was dating a biker and being the stand-up guy Stryker—that’s his name—he offered to guard her. I still kept Johnny on her, but with Stryker spending most of his nights at Gina’s apartment, I loosened the leash. Now she was a target for both my enemies and Stryker’s.
I couldn’t fucking win.
After the bomb, he assured me Gina wasn’t at risk, but it was all bullshit. We were in the middle of a turf war and they were coming at us from every angle.
Things got even worse, though, when the news broke that Uncle Vic has passed. I knew it was coming, but when it finally happened it came as a shock. I guess in the back of my head there was a small part of me that thought he’d prevail like he had so many times before. It didn’t matter that he refused treatment, he was built like an ox. He was a fighter and most of all, he was a winner. But all the wins didn’t mean anything when he died in solitary confinement.
They flew his body back to New York and Aunt Grace gave him a sendoff fit for a king. Everyone from the west coast to the east coast came to pay their respects but the biggest shock of all was when my sister showed. She was being difficult, giving Johnny a run for his money, and refusing my protection. It wasn’t that she came to the funeral that surprised, it was that she slid into the pew beside me that stunned me. Thinking back, I needed my sister that day. I was close to Uncle Vic and his death was hitting me hard and having Gina there made me feel like I had someone in my corner. Odd, I know, especially considering how fast she jetted out of the cemetery after the casket was lowered into the earth.
Violet would’ve been with me, but I knew all eyes would be on me and I didn’t want to bring any more attention to her. She was already being photographed every time she left the Academy and after she got the part in the production, the press somehow got a hold of her name and the program that wasn’t even printed yet. Hell, the fucking Daily News did a full spread on us, titling it “The Mobster and The Ballerina.”
After the funeral, I approached Jack. His club had already gotten revenge on the men he believed were responsible for the attack on his club, but Yankovich’s name continued to pop and I started to wonder if we were missing something. What if this guy had a hand in the bomb? What if he was trying to throw us off his scent.
Jack blew me off as he usually does, but I gave him a pass because his wife had gone into labor. Again, I pushed Yankovich to the back of my head and got back to business. If Parrish wasn’t concerned, why should I be? I had enough enemies, including a whole fucking crew in Sicily with a vendetta against my father.<
br />
I also had a girlfriend that I was neglecting. Violet would never tell me that she was feeling slighted, but I could tell something was off. With my hectic schedule and her rehearsing day and night for the big show, we barely saw one another. She spent more time with Richie then with me and I fucking hated it.
That’s why I paid Tiffany’s to close their doors to the public tonight. Soon my girl would be taking the stage, her dreams a reality and I wanted her dripping diamonds.
“What about this one?” I question, pointing to one of the several diamond necklaces the sales associate has taken out of the display case. Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, she diverts her attention to the necklace, but doesn’t say a word. “You don’t like it?”
“I love it,” she whispers, lifting her eyes to mine. “But it’s too much. I mean, Rocco, come on, I can’t wear this every day. I can’t even wear it on opening night.”
“Sure you can,” I argue, turning to the salesman. “May I?”
“Please,” he says, pushing the velvet board closer to me. I gently unclasp the necklace and turn back to Violet, instructing her to face the mirror. She sweeps her hair away from her neck as I fasten the necklace onto her. Once the clasp is secure, I kiss the back of her neck and fan her blonde hair around her shoulders. My eyes cut to the mirror and I watch as she lifts her hand to touch her fingertips to the diamonds.
“Beautiful,” I rasp.
“It is,” she whispers.
“I wasn’t talking about the necklace.”
She turns to face me, and I wink at her. Closing the distance between us, she throws her arms around my neck and presses her lips to mine.
“Tell me this is real life,” she whispers against my mouth. “Because sometimes I think I’m living a fairytale.”
Touching my hands to her hips, I bring her even closer and kiss her again. It takes every ounce of self-control not to give the salesman a show and lift her on top of the sparkling display cases. I fucked her while she wore nothing but my mother’s diamonds, now I want to fuck her while she wears nothing but her own diamonds. My dick twitches at the thought and I reluctantly pull away form her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I rasp, “Not a dream, Bug, we’re as real as it gets.”
I tear my gaze away from her face and glance at the salesman.
“We’ll take it, we’re also going to need a pair of earrings to match. Studs.” I look back at Violet. “You can wear those on opening night, can’t you?”
“Rocco, you’re not buying my earrings too.”
“Watch it, Bug, if you keep pressing, I might just buy the whole fucking store,” I volley, taking her hand. I lace our fingers together and follow the salesman to another display case. He takes out a few pairs of earrings and Violet busies herself trying each pair on. I on the other hand am too distracted to have an opinion because I’m too busy staring at the diamond engagement rings in the next showcase.
My mind wanders and I imagine myself on one knee, asking Violet to marry me. The thought steals my breath and I brace a hand on the edge of the showcase to steady myself. I never could see myself settling down, much less entertaining the idea of marriage and yet here I am. My life is full of chaos but the woman next to me is my safe haven. She’s my grace and I want to spend the rest of my life loving her and spoiling her.
“What do you think?” Violet asks, diverting my attention back to her.
I think I want to marry you.
I think I want to make a family with you.
I think I want to—
My phone rings, interrupting my thoughts. I sigh heavily and reach into my pocket to retrieve it, but Violet steps forward and lays her hand over mine.
“You said you weren’t going to answer it tonight,” she reminds me as I take it out of my pocket. Out of habit, I glance at the screen and note it’s Parrish calling.
“Rocco?” Violet pushes.
“I’m sorry, baby, I can’t ignore this one.”
When the fucking self-proclaimed bulldog decides to call, one must answer, or they may never get the fucking chance again.
I lean in, stealing another quick kiss as I wipe the frown from her lips and accept the call.
“Spinelli,” I answer.
“Meet me at the Ramada Inn off the Victory Boulevard exit on the Staten Island Expressway and come alone.”
My eyebrows pinch together at the command, but before I say a word, he disconnects the call. Thinking I imagined the short exchange I stare at the phone. The screen lights up with another call and this time its Joaquin.
“Don’t you dare,” Violet warns, but I’ve already accepted the call. Lifting the phone to my ear, I’m about to tell him Parrish called when he speaks first.
“Where are you?” he barks.
“Why?”
“The cops found Johnny’s body floating in the Hudson.”
Johnny.
The man who should be guarding my sister.
They say a man can sense doom.
That he can feel it in the pit of his stomach long before it rears its ugly head.
I didn’t believe it.
Until now.
Chapter 30
Rocco Spinelli
On my way to meet Jack, I got another call—this time it was from Dino and he had intel on the illusive Yankovich. There was a rumor swirling around the docks that the Russian cunt was planning on moving cargo through the harbor. The thing was we weren’t sure if he was trying to push drugs or women. Apparently, Johnny had discovered Yankovich was trafficking girls, when or how he got this information remains to be see, but it’s a fair to assume that Yankovich is the reason Johnny’s body was pulled out of the Hudson.
With Johnny out of the picture, I ordered Dino to check on Gina. I wanted to do it myself, but my meeting with Jack took priority. The man was going to fucking listen to me once and for all before the streets we love are painted with blood. It was also time to tell him Gina was dating his man Stryker and that I had recruited him to guard my sister.
Bruno pulls into the parking lot of the Ramada Inn and I quickly jump out, spotting Jack leaning against his Harley. I’m sure he has some choice words for me considering I’m running late, but I couldn’t leave Violet at Tiffany’s. I paid for the necklace and earrings and dropped her back at the house much to her dismay, dodging all of her countless questions. I don’t know how long that’s going to fly. As much as she understands my business is off limits, a woman can only turn the other cheek for so long. But that’s a worry for another time.
“Parrish,” I acknowledge as I reach him.
“Spinelli,” he volleys, rolling a toothpick between his teeth.
I ignore the sinister look on his face and continue to ramble on.
“I’m surprised you called, but I’m happy you finally came around.” My eyes do a quick sweep of the parking lot and I decide to cut straight to the chase. I’m about to tell him about Johnny and reveal the whole Yankovich saga to him when he says, “I didn’t call you to break bread. One of my brothers found something that belongs to you.”
Narrowing my eyes suspiciously, I ask, “What could one of your men have that belongs to me?”
“Your sister.”
The air deflates from my lungs as I stare at him. If this was about him finding out I had agreed to have Stryker guard Gina, he wouldn’t look so fucking tormented. I swallow hard and follow Jack toward one of motel’s rooms. He pounds his fist on the door and a second later Stryker appears. There is nothing comforting about the expression on his face and I feel my throat tighten.
“Where is she?” I grind out. Suddenly, a guttural groan sounds from behind him and it’s followed by an anguished cry. Those noises vibrate through my body and I realize they’re coming from my sister.
I shove Parrish out of my way and grab a hold of Stryker’s leather jacket, pushing him inside the room. Releasing him, I follow the sounds of my sister’s cries and pause at the side of the bed. Shock fills me as I stare at the girl l
ying in bed.
This woman can’t be my sister.
The blood.
The bruises.
The cries that ring endlessly.
Her clothes are ripped to shreds and all that covers her battered body is a thin sheet.
I close my eyes and shake my head, naively hoping I’ll wake up from this nightmare. Wishing my sister is somewhere safe, busting Johnny’s chops and laughing at some bullshit television show while she online shops for designer duds she doesn’t need. Praying that my eyes are playing tricks on me and she isn’t lying in this bed a victim of violence.
Stryker rushes to her side and gathers her into his arms. Still asleep, haunted her nightmares, she stops tossing and turning and I look to Jack for some answers. He doesn’t blatantly say the words, but the truth is written all over his face.
My sister wasn’t just beaten.
She was violated.
Absorbing that, I force a swallow and silently vow to make whoever did this pay in the most brutal way. I’m about to reach for my phone and call Joaquin when a knock sounds at the door. My gaze cuts to Parrish and I narrow my eyes. “Are we expecting anyone else?” My sister and I might be at odds, but no one knows Gina like I do. She’d hate for anyone else to see her like this.
“Cobra went to get a doctor,” Stryker reveals.
“A doctor?” I fireback. “You don’t think we should take her to a hospital?”
Sure the cops will be flagged for a rape, but she needs to be checked out. She needs…God…I don’t know what she needs.
“You take that girl to the hospital and the cops will be all over this—all over her. They will violate what’s left of her,” Jack says as he struts to the door. I watch as he pulls it open and my cousin Celeste enters the room. Narrowing my eyes, I look from her to Jack. I know she and Gina have remained closed, I even ran into her at Gina’s apartment once, but it takes me a minute to process why she’s here.
The girl is a nurse.
She’s also dating one of the Knights.
Straightened Out (The Pastore Crime Family Book 1) Page 22