Untamed (Omertà Book 2)

by Anna Widzisz

  The younger brother came back to them, a hard expression on his face. Narrowed eyes and tight jaw. One look at him and there was no doubt he wasn’t the harbinger of good news.

  "Don’t fucking give me this look, Flavio. What the fuck happened now?"

  "This Anastasia chick doesn’t want to talk to anyone," he said. "Cristian even took his wife to try to speak to her, thinking that maybe she would feel more comfortable around a woman."

  Noah rolled his eyes. Such situations could show why he never liked girls for anything more than sex. They were useless most of the time. "I will go to her tomorrow."

  "Oh yes, because that’s going to go so fucking well. You’re not a ball of rainbow and sunshine, brother."

  Capo raised his eyebrow and smiled evilly as if the words had been compliments. Because as vain as Noah was, no one could deny that they were good traits for him. Something he was able to take advantage of.

  "I never pretended otherwise. I’m that girl’s worst nightmare," he stated, already thinking of ways to make her talk. None of them was pleasant.

  Isaac swallowed. "What do you mean?"

  The Underboss had a look of disapproval. "He doesn’t fucking mean anything."

  Noah grinned. "Really? And why is that?"

  The younger Falcone gestured for the brother to stop getting off on the bad thoughts that were running wild through his mind. It was Flavio who'd spent some time with her today to make sure she had food. She hadn’t said a word, but she had reacted to kindness. And even though he was one of the last people that could master gentleness, he was determined to know what she did. And no torture would make it any easier. Hard-pressed minds worked differently.

  "I will take care of it," he said matter-of-factly.

  The boss nodded in agreement. "Then do. You have until tomorrow evening to deal with her your way. If not, we will do it my way."

  Drew raised his hand. "That’s just great. So we are not going to find out anything with any of your methods. And Noah’s will actually kill her at the end."

  They might have been cruel mobsters, but knew close to nothing when it came to women unless it was how to fuck them.

  "What’s wrong with my method?" asked Flavio as he actually believed it to be the logical one.

  "Nothing, per se. It is a good one, but you can hardly make the girl talk, Flavio. You staring at her alone can probably make her cry. I don’t think any of you realizes what people think of you when they see you for the first time. Especially girls. So, unless your goal is to arouse her by taking off your t-shirt, I suggest both of you stay away from her."

  Drew was making the brothers mad with his statement, yet, they grew to respect him because of it. He was no longer scared of telling them exactly what he thought and started to act as a part of the Famiglia. Without any persuasion from them.

  "Prove yourself then. You will go to her tomorrow with Flavio. Do whatever you want. It’s not like I care. She needs to talk unless she wants to end up like her mother, who is on her way to Las Vegas."

  They nodded in agreement.

  § § §

  It was more than obvious that people were scared of Noah when he walked into the nightclub. They all politely greeted him, however, no-one dared speak more than two words. The dancers were already preparing themselves for a night full of work, while a few of the soldiers watched their every move, looking for a new conquest.

  His eyes searched the area carefully and rested on the booth at the end of the dance floor directly to the right of the stage. It was the best place to sit if you were to watch the performances. There were three men, one of whom was his Capodecina Gastone Conte.

  He made his way over there and as soon as one of the soldiers saw him, he whispered into his boss’ ear. The conversation among the men died down when he approached. Clearly, they had no intention to include him in it. And unless they talked about how they were taking advantage of the Famiglia, Noah didn’t even want to hear it.

  "Boss, it’s great to see you. Have you come to please your eyes with the new dancers?"

  It was all the Capodecina ever talked about with him anymore. Other than when he had to report his work once a month. That was the first mistake he’d made because a while ago he used to ramble on and on about many other aspects of his life which Noah didn’t give a fuck about. But this kind of behavior stopped so rapidly that it got the Capo’s attention. Doubts about the man’s loyalty had shortly appeared.

  He shook his head. "I need you to take care of someone for me," he said, taking the chair from another table and sat in front of the booth making the men even more uneasy. The Capo never really asked for favors. He had his men for that.

  Gastone narrowed his eyes. He was a man in his late fifties, which wasn’t that obvious because he was overweight, and it made him seem even older. Normally, Noah preferred his men to work out and rely on their fighting skills as much as on shooting. But there was only so much he could interfere in. Criticizing his soldiers wasn’t one of them. They wouldn’t take it well.

  It was the same with their private affairs. Marriage and children were out of the question when it came to the Famiglia. Those were separate concerns not meant for Noah to care about. They still favored seeking out his opinion on individual subjects, but it wasn’t required of them. Although, sometimes the matter of marriage was taken upon the Capo to issue his approval when it was connected to the business side. Arranged marriages being a part of their traditions.

  "Who? I thought your hitmen were more than capable of taking care of tasks like that."

  "Nicodemo is my Enforcer, and he is the best one, yes. But I don’t mean it the way you think. I arranged for the cousin of the New York Capo to visit us and she needs to be placed somewhere when she comes. You seem to have a sense in which direction she should be headed."

  It was a test whether his Capodecina worked with New York, or not. Taking advantage inside the Famiglia was one issue, working with another Capo was a betrayal that cost not just death but a painful one at that. And now, Gastone couldn’t refuse his boss as the job doesn’t appear to be a problem. But Falcone wasn’t sure who actually was his boss at the moment. Because it certainly wasn’t him.

  The two soldiers left the booth and went to talk to the dancers leaving them alone.

  "Why have you kidnapped her? It means war between our Famiglia and theirs," he said prolonging the inevitable.

  Noah nodded. "It does. I’ve made it perfectly clear at our meeting yesterday, haven’t I? So why are you so surprised that I decided to act on it?"

  The man shook his head, seeing that Falcone was starting to get angry at his comments. They most certainly weren’t welcome. "I’m not. I am honored that you thought of me."

  For Noah it wasn't about honor, just a simple political tactic to rule out options. If he was to kill his Capodecina, he needed to be sure as to why exactly he had to be eliminated. Not everything will Inéz be able to find out on her own.

  Capo got up from the chair and the soldiers came up to the booth once again, seeing as the conversations were coming to an end.

  "I will send you the details. I trust you will take care of our dear, honored guest," he stated, taking out his phone. Flavio sent him a message to come home whenever he finished.

  Gastone rose from his booth as well. "Of course. You’re my Capo," he answered but that was a complete lie. They shook hands anyway. There was no use to go all in for now. Inéz would take over from here in the hopes that she would be more successful in making his man talk.

  "You’re not staying for the show? I have quite a few new dancers. They are more than happy to take care of your needs," Gastone said looking at the dancer who was now on stage. She was dressed in a black one-piece suit that did nothing to hide her slim body. The blonde met his gaze and smiled seductively, but he wasn’t interested. And satisfying men wasn’t even in their job description, but rather Conte’s whim.

  There were still many things to take care of today.

&nb
sp; "I’m more than satisfied at the moment. Don’t worry," he stated, smirking.

  "I heard that you are about to induct two outsiders into the Famiglia," said one of the soldiers whose name was Alberto Bianchi. He took care of the girls himself after they passed the audition for the job. Everything went through him as far as the dancers were concerned.

  Noah nodded. "Yes. We need a computer guy and the other one has great connections with the FBI. It’s never too late to strengthen the Famiglia, am I right?"

  He was fairly sure that they didn’t think the same, and he wouldn’t take their objections lightly. What’s more, he actually counted on them to speak up. His Capodecina would help him get rid of him without breaking a sweat that way. Inéz wouldn’t have to audition for the dancer position then and his Famiglia would be free of rats and usurpers once and for all.

  "As always," said Gastone instead, disappointing his boss with the words. His smirk as obvious as before, he took his leave.

  CHAPTER 12

  Watching MMA fights was Flavio’s favorite thing to do. He considered them instructive as he then used many moves in his workout sessions, and in the jobs that required fighting skills. Now, he was showing Drew maneuvers he could adapt. The Underboss had taken over his training as it had become essential to him that Ryder developed into a good fighter. He had the potential, and since he answered directly to Flavio as a soon-to-be Famiglia soldier, it was crucial for his people to be the best. It was a matter of power-play among Made Men.

  "Have you found out who the assassin is?" asked Noah as soon as he returned from his meeting with Gastone.

  Flavio shook his head. "Anastasia said that she wasn’t told why she was there with Cesarino. He told her to sit and order something. All she saw were the customers come and go, and didn’t recognize anyone else but her father’s workers at some of the other tables. At least no one stood out to her," he said.

  "I guess I am going to have a talk with her."

  "For God’s sake, Noah, she doesn’t know anything," murmured Drew rolling his eyes at the boss. "She has nothing to gain by keeping quiet and she knows it. Her father is dead, mother on the way to Las Vegas, and it’s not like there is someone left to rescue her. So why on earth would she hide anything?" he added but his eyes hadn’t left the fight.

  He was getting more and more confident in his training and becoming pretty good at it too. He could see himself easily enjoying it after a few more sessions.

  Drew was a fast learner when it came to any sport. Isaac had more problems with it but was doing the best he could. As Ryder couldn’t complain about his muscles and strength, his friend was to gain a few pounds more to be able to effectively defend himself. Even more to attack with full force. No fight would be easy when it came to the mafia.

  The Capo looked around the penthouse. "Where are the others?"

  "Isaac is doing research on Lynette. He said he has a few ideas on how to track her down. And Inéz went to the gym."

  Noah raised his eyebrow. "Alone?"

  The girl shouldn’t be left by herself even though there was no safer building in Las Vegas. Knowing her, she would get bored by sitting idly inside pretty soon, and they couldn’t risk someone seeing her leave his property.

  The younger Falcone took a sip of the coke. "Chill out. I had someone put together the pole and there are cameras if you really want to make sure she’s safe. But that’s probably not the real reason why you would watch her train," he stated, smirking at his brother.

  No one knew Noah better than him. And even though he knew neither of them had a free pass to harbor feelings towards anyone, there was a part of his brother that respected Inéz enough to be interested in her.

  Drew made a face, thinking about the possibility of his best friend getting involved with his Capo. Ever since Inéz had met him four years before, he’d been able to see the chemistry between them. Barely visible for other people, but still there. And he hated it because he knew Noah better than he wanted to. And Inéz was like his sister. Someone to care for and keep safe at all times. That would never change.

  "Can we stop talking about Inéz like that?" he asked glaring at the men.

  Flavio chuckled. "Don’t tell me you don’t find Díez attractive." He met his brother’s serious expression. "What? She’s hot," he added.

  "Didn’t need to know your thoughts when it came to Inéz, really," said Drew turning off the TV after the fight had come to an abrupt ending.

  The Underboss gave them an amused look. He tilted his head, reaching for the laptop to log into the cameras installed in the gym and check on the girl. She had loud music on and was trying the same move time and time again. It required her to push out both legs in the air and turn from being with her back to the pole to facing it. Sometimes it gracefully worked, but then she forgot to hold on tight and loudly fell on her butt.

  Noah came behind the couch leaning over to see the screen. "With those attempts, she will gain quite a few bruises before she learns," he chuckled.

  "It’s a shame she needs to sell that body of hers to finish the job," stated Flavio making Drew stiffen. He looked at the brothers, hoping to see that those words were said in a joking manner. However, Flavio was many things but not the joking type.

  Drew fisted his hands. "There’s no fucking way that will happen," he grunted.

  The Capo gripped his forearm. "No one is selling their body. I’ll make sure that the fucker spills his secrets before that."

  Inéz had fallen under his protection from the second she’d decided to join his Famiglia. No matter her reasons for doing so. It might have been her desire to help find Lynette, or something completely different. Regardless. She was loyal and that made her worth keeping safe. Even when he’d given her such a task. The girl was more suited for the job than she thought.

  Noah smirked as the brunette walked up to the bottle of water and bent over to grab it. The camera was showing her backside. She was wearing shorts and a tank top which perfectly emphasized the shape of her body.

  Seeing the brothers’ faces, Drew got up from the couch and went to the kitchen for something to drink. "I still don’t know what her job is exactly, but I am certain that I don’t like it. And she probably hates it even more if it requires her to learn pole dancing," he said making the men look at him as he returned with a soft drink can. "What?"

  The boss narrowed his eyes. "Why would she hate it? She was actually pretty good at dancing on her birthday," said Noah, reminding himself of the way the girl had swayed on the pole in front of all those people. He wished he’d been there to see it in person, but he’d had to send Cristian instead.

  Drew laughed. They clearly knew nothing about his best friend.

  "If not for me and Isaac, she would have never gone to that club. She hates going to those places. We pestered her to do something remotely crazy at least once in her life."

  The smirk on Noah’s face widened. As innocent as the girl seemed to act, she was a completely different person around him. One who didn’t turn around when he was torturing a man, who looked fascinated to some extent by the bloody scene, and took the lead when she wanted to gain the advantage.

  There was more to her than Drew thought, but while he based his facts on what Inéz let him know, Noah had learned how to read her, and the things she didn’t want to the world to see. His way was more entertaining.

  § § §

  "Good workout?" asked Flavio when the brunette returned from the gym after another hour. They had been watching her train most of the time while also engaging in some needed business talk.

  The girl meaningfully looked at him. "As if I didn’t see the camera there. Don’t ask me things you already know the answer to. Leave that to Noah. It’s enough as it is," she stated freeing her hair from a messy bun.

  The Capo smirked at her words. He did ask despite already knowing the answers quite often. That was true. He found it was unnerving to a lot of people, and that gave him even more satisfaction so he kept doing
it. The Falcone brothers seemed to enjoy her confidence to some extent. Yet, she knew that there would come a time when she would anger them. That’s why she only tried to do it after being absolutely certain that they were in a good mood.

  "Yes, we could easily see what a pleasure it was to fall from the pole so many times. The bets were on about how long you would last." He winked at her.

  They heard Isaac’s voice from upstairs telling them to come to the bar area. He was still tracking down Lynette to the best of his capabilities, but the way he called them up unsettled both Drew and Inéz. They’d come to know the man pretty well, and he was rarely frustrated, which he clearly was right now. But there was something more. Something they couldn’t put a finger on.

  As they reached the area, Isaac was sitting at the bar with the laptop in front of him. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost. Blood completely drained from his face.

  "What’s going on?"

  Drew swallowed because there was only one thought running through his head.

  That Lynette was dead.

  He came closer to his friend. On the screen, there was a photo of a man’s body. Blood was everywhere. It looked barbaric, even to Noah who certainly wasn’t the softest killer out there. He took in the scene. The man was slim and tall. His arms were stretched out on both sides, completely covered in blood. One of the hand was cut off. Fingers laying separately from the palm spread all around the body. He was wearing an expensive suit which was no longer grey. Soaked in red without an inch of a dry spot. He has lost a lot of blood. However, that wasn't what caught Noah's attention. As he looked at his face, there was a long cut going from one ear to the other, through the mouth. All the teeth were exposed.

  "Noah," whispered Flavio, moving closer to the screen. Recognition flashed on his face.

  Soon after Capo followed his brother's thinking, identifying the man as his Capodecina, who’d taken over the businesses in Phoenix. Andrea Gaspari.