Untamed (Omertà Book 2)

by Anna Widzisz

  Anger coursed through the Capo’s body seeing one of his men had been murdered. And even more, so that no one had contacted him yet.

  "What the fuck is this?" He roared, ramming his fist into the counter with a full force.

  Inéz flinched. She had never heard the man being so bluntly furious that his body started shaking. His eyes darkened. Such behavior was what suited his position of power, but never before had he displayed it in her presence. And for the very first time, Inéz realized that the man was capable of more wrong than right. A monster hiding under the mask of a calm and wit.

  Flavio took out his phone to find out why they hadn’t heard of the news yet. And by listening on the conversation, it appeared that he was the one to break the news to the Capodecina’s son who immediately went in search of his father.

  Isaac swallowed, trying to figure out if it was wise to continue. "That’s not the worst part yet," he began, turning to the other page which was a document with a picture of Lynette and one sentence.

  Stop looking for Selvaggio or else…

  The message made Noah even more furious. He pulled back, lifted one of the armchairs and viciously threw it downstairs. It landed on the piano, completely destroying it. The change of the Capo's character almost left Inéz speechless, however, she took it upon her to say something. Comfort the man. She opened her lips, but feeling a strong hand wrapped around her wrist, she backed out. Flavio looked at her, shaking his head. It was never a good idea to try to talk down the Capo when he was in such a state.

  The Underboss wanted to say something himself as he’d repeatedly told his brother to stop looking for Lynette. She was nothing but trouble, and today his words became reality. Even far away from them, the girl managed to bring problems for the Famiglia. Someone didn’t want them to find her and was ready to kill to make sure it stayed that way. However, what worried Flavio more was the fact that Noah would still want to find her. These acts were making him more curious and focused on the task. No one would be able to talk him out of it now. The determination too strong to be eliminated.

  Noah was pacing from one end of the corridor to the other. Flavio turned towards Isaac. "How did you find it?"

  "That’s the thing, I didn’t. It just appeared on my screen. Someone hacked the laptop to give this message but hasn’t left any trace behind. They logged out as if it wasn’t their intention to spy on us," he stated.

  "You let someone hack into the laptop? I thought you were smarter than that," Noah screamed, staring directly at Isaac.

  "I am. But that doesn’t mean I am the best. Obviously, I'm not. I can immediately see when someone is trying to hack me, but I wasn’t able to stop this one. Whoever it was, they were quick enough to send the message to us and vanish without a trace."

  Flavio sighed, looking at his brother. "I’ll take care of it," he said, mad that he would be the one to repair the damage occurred because of the one person he truly hated.

  Noah seethed. "Don’t give me that look, Flavio."

  He knew what his Underboss was thinking.

  "I told you Selvaggio meant trouble. Why are you so fixated on her? It’s not like you want her. You never did. So why the fuck do you care where she is and what’s happening to her?" he said calmly but still in a commanding voice. Something that shouldn’t be there when he was with his Capo. No one was supposed to challenge him like that.

  Inéz looked at the younger brother. He too didn’t know his brother’s intentions with Lynette. It was strange, judging by the fact that he was one of few people the Capo trusted.

  Noah glared at him. "That’s my business for now. Just take care of the body," he said and left the penthouse grabbing the car keys on his way out.

  CHAPTER 13

  The funeral of the Phoenix Capodecina - Andrea Gaspari took place three days later. For this occasion, both Noah and Flavio flew to Arizona to show their respect, as well as to meet up with their people and make a plan on how the things were going to work from then on. Searching for Lynette wasn’t Capo’s only problem anymore since whoever had taken her, was out and killing his people. They were making a statement and Noah, sure as hell, wouldn’t allow them to have the last word. There wasn’t a chance for him to stop looking for the girl like his younger brother had tried to convince him to for the past days. Considerably more often now than before. He needed to show strength. Las Vegas Famiglia wasn’t one to mess with. Noah was a person to fear. No one was going to make him cower just because of one fucking warning. But his captains had to be aware of what was happening so they could be prepared.

  There was just one problem - none of them wanted to hear the name Lynette Selvaggio again.

  The Capo dei capi was sitting by the desk with a glass of cognac, trying to figure out where to go with the search from here. In a few minutes, all the captains were to come into the room and he needed a strong tactic to share. He had nothing yet.

  "I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it," Flavio said as he came into the room.

  "I won’t like the reaction of the captains once I tell them I have no fucking idea what to do either so you might as well just spit it out."

  The Underboss sat down next to his brother. "We will contact New York and get their insight on the Bratva."

  Noah snorted. "Bazzoli is not going to agree. We have his cousin and niece for fuck’s sake. That conversation will be a disaster."

  "Not if he wants them back. And even if he’s bastard enough not to care whether his women live or die, he still has three other Capos that he needs to convince it’s a bad idea to do business with us. They don’t want war if there’s a slight chance of peace. Half of their drugs coming from Colombia are getting lost because of us. The Tempa and Chicago Capos will vote in our favor. Maybe Pittsburgh will be harder to convince as he’s Bazzoli’s uncle and an old prick, but they have to consider it."

  "So you want me to step down from intercepting their shipments and give Anastasia and her mother back to Bazzoli for information on the Bratva? Are you out of your mind?"

  As far as the Capo was concerned, he was at war with half of the States and just because he needed to be on top of Bratva’s moves wasn’t a good enough reason to trade their upper hand for. The New York Famiglia was fighting off the Russians too and had more problems getting them out of their territories, so there was a possibility that they would use the proposition to settle their deals with Bratva and then turn against him. Noah wasn’t a fool and he had to take this into account.

  "No, we can make a deal with the shipments. We have enough merchandise of our own. The only reason we intercept their drugs is to get under their skin. And we won’t lose on this. With the women, we can give them the idea that they will be set free. Later we will keep them on their tiptoes making sure they won’t double-cross us. Bazzoli wants his family back, but he’s a cheap fucker who will settle for the drugs. It’ll be his priority."

  It was an acceptable deal. The Famiglia wouldn’t lose much by backing off their shipments, and could still have leverage on the New York Capo through Anastasia and her mother. They would give them information on the Bratva and whether they had something against his Famiglia. Possibly even the location where Lynette was being held. Flavio had come up with a rational idea.

  "And if Bazzoli mentions something about his cousin being held in a whorehouse, we will be certain that Gastone keeps in touch with him," he said.

  That wasn’t true. Despite Noah's many flaws, he wasn’t one to condemn any woman to such fate. Just like Anastasia, her mother was simply men’s power play. However, his Capodecina was to think otherwise. That is why he had him put her in a whorehouse, where Noah later took her from. The woman was safely kept away from his eyes. Another one of Noah’s games.

  For women to work for him, they had to want it, or feel like there was no other choice. Money played a big role in it, as they earned far more than they could otherwise. And he was making a fortune out of whorehouses, especially the ones meant for the high-rol
lers, politicians and other famous, important people. But none of the women was there against their will. However, what he made people think was a completely different story.

  Noah nodded. "Make an offer."

  Soon after, all the captains went in for the meeting. They greeted the Capo and his Underboss warmly as it was supposed to be. They all respected Noah for the things he had accomplished for the Famiglia. He had been a huge part of the business ever since he was initiated and handled his part very well. But what was more important for others was that when Marco failed to keep their organization a priority, Noah had done everything in his power to stop it from falling victim to his father’s wrong ways. When he took over after Marco’s death, he not only showed that he was capable of staying in charge but also expand. Just like he always wanted to. He’d made a name for himself much earlier, but it was his strategies and plans that made a difference and convinced people to vote in favor of him being Capo. Because of Marco’s betrayal, for the first time, there had to be a vote on whether the Falcones would stay or go. However, Noah was in the middle of planning to move half of the Famiglia business to the States back then. It was the reason why he had been able to become Capo dei capi. It was no longer a Sicilian mafia with a few businesses in the States, it was a legit Sicilian-American one - Cosa Nostra. And from this day it operated both in Europe and America, giving the captains all the right reasons to respect and listen to the Falcones.

  Their rules governed Las Vegas. The city was a neutral ground for many Famiglias, gangs and other criminal undertakings. Everyone had a piece of the puzzle and criminal activities were everyday occurrences. As a soldier on the way to becoming boss one day, Noah took over casinos and a few restaurants, wanting to have something for himself. But it wasn’t enough. He loved Las Vegas and needed to rule over it. Having dealings with ’Ndrangheta’ made it easier and slowly he cast out most of the other organizations. As he became Capo, he just banished the last of them, having garnered more power and supporters. From that day, he began expanding more. He took over Arizona and a part of California. By appointing new captains, he was able to rule successfully, balancing it with the half of Sicily that was under his supervision as well.

  The men sat down around the table all wearing their best suits, looking at their Capo with anticipation. They had no idea what was really happening. All they knew was that one of them was dead and it wasn’t because of natural causes.

  Noah looked from one to the other until his eyes rested on the man who was here for the first time. Angelo Gaspari was the new Phoenix Capodecina and also the son of the deceased. He was twenty-nine years old which made him the youngest to take such a responsibility. Other than Noah and Flavio who’d fought tooth and nail for their positions. He was known as a man of his word just like his father and, because of that, trustworthy to lead his people.

  "Before we start, I would like to welcome our newest member, Angelo Gaspari. He took over this important position as Capodecina in order to make his father, and our friend Andrea Gaspari proud. Let’s keep him in our prayers and hope that we will be able to keep the Famiglia as great as it was the first time we set up in the United States. Make him welcome and help whenever it is required or asked for," he said, nodding his head as a gesture of respect towards the man.

  All Made Men acknowledged Angelo the same way their boss did. None of them would admit it openly, but it was clear as day that they admired Noah more than they thought they would.

  "Now that we’ve got this over with, you are probably thinking why all this happened. And why it came down to us meeting here so suddenly. Unfortunately, the Bratva is closing in on us. They are not able to do business on our territory the way they used to before we moved here, and they are acting up. Killing Andrea was their way of declaring war. You know me as a man who doesn’t back down easily. I will avenge our friend; you can be certain of that. However, there wouldn’t be a meeting if that was all I wanted to say. We cannot afford to go against the New York Famiglia too. The Bratva gets on their case just as much as on ours. If not more. But they could form an alliance and we can’t afford that. So, my Underboss will contact them with a deal. We won’t be intercepting their shipments anymore. In return, they will provide us with all their information on the Bratva, as they operate more in their territory than in ours."

  "Why would they agree? From what I heard you are holding their women hostage. Perhaps they are seeking revenge rather than wanting to make peace." Angelo took this opportunity to show his strength. Noah knew that, but he was stepping on thin ice, venturing close to questioning his Capo’s decisions. And judging by the disapproval on other captains’ faces, they felt the same.

  "Their women are not dead, so if there’s a chance for peace and maybe even getting them back at one point, they won’t risk turning the offer down. And if they try, Flavio is more than capable of getting them to listen and accept, Angelo. We are not playing around. Whether they want it or not, they have to agree. Besides, there is more than one Capo. They all have to be in agreement."

  No one said anything against the plan. Even though Gastone Conte clearly disliked the mention of the New York women. However, there was still more to be said. Noah had to reveal his decisions but with each one, he was pushing further towards having a mutiny on his hand. He looked at his brother who immediately realized that he had to be the person to break the news. Even if they had already been heard before.

  "We’ve taken two outsiders under our wing. They are training as we speak and sooner rather than later, they will be initiated," he began. "Their names are Isaac Henderson and Drew Ryder."

  The whispers started going around the room. There was a chance that this could go south any second. Outsiders had no business being in the Famiglia. They never had. Especially a man who was an FBI agent’s son.

  "Why? So feds can reopen an investigation on us and have even more evidence in court because we allowed in our midst one of their own?" asked Angelo.

  Noah looked at him angrily. He’d given him a pass after his earlier words, but there was no way he would do it again. Made Men all turned their gazes at the new Capodecina. He was no Andrea and that was more than certain. "What? Everyone was thinking it, I just said it out loud," he added.

  The Capo stood up, resting his hands on the table, making himself visible. He had to be taken seriously no matter what. Having one of his people raise hell wasn’t the right way to go about that.

  "As far as I’m concerned, people who get initiated swear their loyalty and omertà. They become one of us. So, when Drew Ryder does that, he will have more to lose by betraying us than sticking with the Famiglia. I am not choosing them on a whim, but because it’s going to help. One day we will have problems with the FBI again. Maybe even bigger than four years ago, and we will need someone who is able to get shit done. Ryder is that person. And Henderson is one hell of a hacker who can make unbelievable shit happen with one click," he roared. "You will receive an invitation to their initiation soon, and I expect you to come. Am I making myself clear?"

  The captains nodded rapidly, knowing that Noah was on the verge of making them regret coming here. Angelo didn’t respond.

  "You are to watch out for the Bratva. Double your guards on the loved ones, on yourselves. Whatever you need. Other than that, keep your businesses flowing," Flavio stated, standing up as well. The meeting was over because any minute now, his brother would send more than one of them to their grave, or in the best-case scenario - to the hospital.

  As Made Men started going out of the room, Noah nodded his head toward Angelo, making his brother stop him. Soon the two were left alone. The Capodecina regarded his boss cautiously, adjusting his tie. Noah stepped up to him slowly but when he was a few steps away, he upped the pace, pinning a surprised Angelo to the wall, restricting his breath.

  "Listen to me carefully, Angelo. You might be new to this and I can be very understanding, but if you challenge me again, you will smell the flowers from six feet underground. Under
stood?”

  The Capodecina coughed. "Yes."

  "Good." Noah let him go and walked away to the other side of the room. "You have balls, I have to admit it. More than your father ever had. Use them on everyone but me. Because with others, you might win, but you will lose if you stand against me. Each and every fucking time. All men see the things I did for the Famiglia. Believe me, it wasn’t easy. It was one hard fucking job that needed to be done. They see the good because they want to. But there’s no flicker of fucking light in me. I am the embodiment of darkness. You’d do well to keep that in mind," he said and dismissed Angelo.

  With a long sigh, he sat down and took a big gulp of his drink. As much as Angelo had impressed him, he was a fucking Capo and came above all those trying to make a statement - he wasn’t a person to mess with. He was a fucking king for all that mattered to the whole Famiglia.

  CHAPTER 14

  "I suppose there’s no need to explain to you how it’s going to play out," said Noah, standing in the doorway of the bedroom.

  Inéz was dressed in a white silky dress that reached her knees. It contrasted perfectly with her darker skin and red lipstick. Everything looked well put together, but daring and far from her usual style at the same time. Another barrier that had to be broken in order for her to become a part of the Famiglia.

  She shook her head, turning to face her soon-to-be Capo. "It feels like I’m about to get married," she admitted, pointing at her attire.

  Noah laughed. "Because it’s not that far off from a wedding ceremony. Sicilians take vows very seriously. And Made Men take omertà even more so. So, you can actually treat this as a marriage to the Famiglia. You might not have an official initiation, but it doesn’t mean it’s not valid."

  "Why even go through all this trouble? It’s not like I’m going to bail on the task. Besides, I cannot become a real soldier for you. No one can find out that I’m a part of the Famiglia anyway. As soon as I complete the task, you can simply dismiss me."