by Ella Jade
“I wouldn’t feel very safe.” She shrugged. “I’ve already made a ton of mistakes tonight.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” She reached for the door handle when Tommy pulled over.
“Wait.” I took out my wallet and removed my card. “This has my cell and a direct line to my office.” I handed it to her as an uneasiness surrounded me over letting her walk away. “Call me anytime.”
“That’s very generous of you but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“You weren’t tonight.”
“Thanks for your help.” She glanced at the card. “It was all a misunderstanding but I’m glad I ran into you.”
“I hope you’re right about it being a misunderstanding but if you change your mind I’ll be there to take the call.”
Before she opened the door, she glanced back at me. “Do you think if Franco knows I’m your friend, he’ll drop this?”
“Depends on what it is he has to drop.” Come on, tell me what you know. “If it happened like you say it did then he’ll probably leave it alone. He has other issues to deal with.”
“Okay.” Her lips curved into an unconvincing smile but it was enough for me to see the sweet dimples in her cheeks. “Thanks again.”
“Nadia.” I took her hand, trying to stall her. “What’s your last name?”
When she let go of my hand, I wondered if I’d see her again. Did I want to? “Does it matter?” She quickly hopped out of the car and darted across the street.
“Do you want me to follow her?” Tommy asked.
“She’s been through enough tonight.” I took out my phone. “We need to figure out who she is and what her connection to Franco is.”
“I doubt he’ll be very forthcoming,” Tommy said. “What do you need me to do?”
“Let’s sniff around him and see what he was up to tonight. Maybe that will give us an idea of why he was chasing her. It’s not like him to go after women unless...” I wondered what she had seen when she was in the wrong place. She was clearly shaken.
“You don’t want to bring your family in on this?”
“Not yet.” I wanted to see if there was anything to bring them in on. “In the meantime, see what you can find out. I know we don’t have much but maybe we’ll get lucky.”
I wasn’t sure if finding out who she was and what her connection to Franco was would end up being a good thing or not. Instinct told me my encounter with the elusive Nadia wasn’t going to end here.
Maybe she wasn’t the only one in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Chapter Three
NADIA
I Need Your Help
I hurried into my apartment and locked the door, bolting it shut. Kicking off my shoes, I rubbed my swollen feet. Running in heels was not something I’d recommend. My calves ached and I twisted my knee but I made it home. I couldn’t say the same for the guy who ended up at the bottom of those stairs with bullets riddled through him.
Why did they kill him?
I closed my eyes, sobbing into my hands. Franco’s words haunted me. We have people everywhere. Would he find me? Maybe I should go back to Connecticut with my mom and sister. I was safe there. My mother had shielded me from the truth my whole life and now I understood why. For twenty-five years, she kept a secret that I should have left buried. Antonio Collandra? That would make that killer Franco my half-brother.
Maybe if I was proactive and went to Antonio and told him who I thought I was they’d leave me alone. They couldn’t exactly kill their flesh and blood, could they? What if my investigation turned out to be wrong? What if he wasn’t my father? Would they kill me for what I’d seen tonight? There was no way I could bring my mother in on this without telling her what I’d seen. I couldn’t risk her life too. And the police? Forget that. I’d be dead by morning.
I waited my whole life to meet my father. When I’d received confirmation tonight I went straight to that warehouse. I had no reason to believe he would be there. I didn’t have anything to go on. Not even a plan. I wasn’t sure I would even tell him what I had suspected. Impulse took over and now look where it got me. Instead of finding my long lost family, I stumbled onto a group of killers. Not one, but two families with a great deal in common. What were the odds that as I ran from a Collandra, I’d smack into the son of a rival family member?
I curled up into the fetal position in front of the door, shaking when I thought of what could happen. How was I going to fix this? If someone tried to break in, I wanted to hear it so I stayed by the door. I closed my eyes, drained from exhaustion. When I settled my mind, sleep began to take over. The adrenaline rush I’d been surviving off the last hour faded away, allowing me to crash. Of all the images I could have fallen asleep to tonight, the most prominent was Vincenzo Marchelli’s face. His dark hair, stubble-covered jaw, and strong arms were front and center in my mind. As I slipped into sleep, I imagined him holding me, protecting me, and making all of this mess disappear.
VINCENZO
A little after nine a.m., I arrived at my office. It was later than usual but I’d spent most of the night figuring out how to find Nadia. I never should have let her get out of my car. I should have insisted she come with me. She looked so helpless, but she didn’t trust me enough. I didn’t want to traumatize her any more than she’d already been. Sometimes being polite put me in the wrong situation. If I’d been more controlling like my brother, Dominick or even as cunning as my brother Gianni, maybe Nadia would be safe now. My lack of criminal prowess could get her killed.
“I have something that might help us.” Tommy came into my office and tossed the morning paper on my desk. “I think I know why your mystery woman was running.”
“Oh.” I read the story about a body found in a warehouse overnight. “This is Antonio’s territory.”
“It’s awfully sloppy of them to leave that mess there.” Tommy leaned against the door. “Not like Franco at all.”
“If he was distracted he would’ve chased the witness before going back to dispose of the body.”
“You think Nadia interrupted him?”
“It’s a good theory.”
“If he didn’t anticipate her, he wouldn’t have factored her into his job.”
“She was only a few blocks away from the crime scene when she found me. If she saw what happened, Franco would have come after her and worried about the unattended body later.”
“But it took longer than he expected and the police got to it first.”
“Which puts Nadia in even more danger since she can corroborate what happened to the dead man. She’s the star witness.” Damn it! I should have taken her right to my father.
“She’ll never live to see the stand.” Tommy shook his head. “They’ll get to her first. I hope she knows she has to keep her mouth shut.”
“Which is why we need to find her immediately.” I reread the article. “It doesn’t say they have any leads or witnesses. At the time of print, she hadn’t gone to the police.”
“I think it’s time to bring your father in on this. His reach is wide. He’ll find her.”
“I know but even he won’t have enough to go on. He’d have to go to Antonio and I’m not sure if that would put Nadia in more danger than she’s already in.”
“What do you suggest?” Tommy asked. “You can’t protect her if you don’t know who she is.”
“The old man is going to throw a fit when he finds out I’m in the middle of this. Santino, Salvatore, and I are supposed to stay out of this shit storm.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“He doesn’t deal in excuses and for all we know, Franco could have found her by now.” I balled my fist in my lap over the thought of Nadia at his mercy. He was a born enforcer and if someone interfered in his work, he would show little mercy. Even if that person happened to be a woman. “That would open up a whole new set of problems. My father avoids Collandra for a reason.” Our families had bad blood between them for years.
“You know they have a truce and make it a point to stay away from one another. They don’t get into each other’s affairs.”
“Then you want to leave it alone?” Tommy shrugged. “It would make your life a hell of a lot easier.”
“That may be true but how can I leave her out there with Franco after her?”
“Maybe Franco has given up. He probably doesn’t even know who she is.”
“She lost her phone.” I slammed my hand on the desk. “If he finds that, he finds her.”
“Mr. Marchelli,” my assistant buzzed me.
“Not now, Luca,” I answered. “Hold everything today.”
“I think you’re going to want to see this... client?”
“Why?” It wasn’t like Luca to ignore my request.
“She has your special card, the one with your cell and direct line.”
I shot Tommy a hard glare just before he moved into the hallway to check the situation. He looked back at me, nodding his confirmation.
“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.”
“Sir?” Luca responded. “She won’t give me her name but she said you would see her.”
“Send her in, please.”
It took her longer to come down the hall than it should have. If she had witnessed that murder, she’d been through a hell of a lot in the last twelve hours. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning. I’d have no choice but to take her to my father. At this point, he was the only one who could get her out of this safely.
“Hi, Tommy,” her soft voice said before I saw her.
“We’re happy to see you, Nadia.” He held the door open for her as she stepped into my office. “Do you want me to stay?”
“We’re okay for now,” I told him. “Have the car ready. We’ll be needing it.”
“Sure thing.” Tommy closed the door as I got up and walked around my desk.
Nadia didn’t say anything as I took in her appearance. The dark circles under her eyes and the messy bun piled on her head indicated she probably hadn’t slept much last night. Her black yoga pants and athletic tank top fit her toned body in all the right places. As disheveled and as empty as she looked there was a striking beauty to her. It was her eyes that captivated me the most. They didn’t go with her dark hair and olive complexion but they were stunning. Somehow complimentary.
What am I doing? The woman didn’t need me gawking at her. No matter how alluring she was.
When she finally spoke, he words put me on edge.
“I need your help.” She gazed into my eyes, almost pleading with me. “Again.”
Chapter Four
VINCENZO
I Deal In Real Estate
“What happened?” I took her hand and guided her to the chair in front of my desk.
“I went out this morning to get coffee and when I got back my door was ajar. I didn’t leave it that way.”
“Franco?”
“I heard voices but they didn’t see me. I came straight here. I didn’t know where else to go.”
“You did good.”
“They know who I am. How?”
“They saw your face last night. You lost your phone. If they found it, they could have traced it back to you. There are many ways to locate you.” If I had gone to my father last night, I would have found her too. “Is this why you were running?” I showed her the paper. “Did you witness this?”
Her hands trembled when she took the paper from me, quickly reading it. She closed her eyes and nodded. “It was awful.”
“What were you doing there?”
She didn’t answer.
“I can’t help you if I don’t have all the facts.”
“I don’t need a lawyer.” She stood, placing the paper back on my desk. “I don’t know what I need. Maybe I should go to the police.”
“That’s probably not the best idea.”
“Do you advise all of your clients to stay away from the police?”
“I thought you didn’t need a lawyer.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Besides, I deal in real estate.”
“I would have thought with your family history you’d be a criminal attorney.”
“Wow.” I smirked. “Ungrateful much?”
“I’m sorry.” She sat back down. “I’m on edge. I saw a man murdered last night. That’s never going to leave me.”
“Don’t apologize.” I crouched down in front of her. “I’m sorry you saw what you did but I can help you.”
“How?”
“My family is very powerful.”
“I don’t want anyone else to know what I saw.” Her eyes filled with tears. “My mom and sister... I can’t be involved.”
“We can protect them too.”
She roughly wiped her cheeks. “They shouldn’t need protection. What kind of people go around killing other people? Who are these animals?”
I gazed down at the floor, trying not to show my shame. It had taken me years to come to terms with who I was and where I came from. At thirty, I still struggled with my father’s choices. The stigma that came with being born into such an unscrupulous family wasn’t an easy burden.
“I didn’t mean your family,” she said. “I know I’m fortunate that I collided with you last night. Someone else might not have helped me.”
“No, if I were someone else, Franco would have removed me from the situation. You were lucky it was me you bumped into.” Franco knew that anyone in the Marchelli family was off-limits. Once I had Nadia in my reach, there wasn’t much he could do. “We have to go to my father.”
“Why?”
“He’ll negotiate your safety.”
“Can he do that? If he tells them to leave me alone, will they?”
“He’ll do everything he can to help you.” I kept myself out of these types of situations. I had no idea about the deal or the code my father had with these people. I was perfectly fine living my life away from all the destruction his business had caused through the years.
“What are we waiting for?”
“I’ll have Tommy bring the car around.”
Nadia
An hour later, we were at a huge home just outside the city. Judging from the place, organized crime was very lucrative. I’d watched a documentary on the Marchelli family a few months ago. For some reason, the subject of the Mafia had intrigued me for as long as I could remember. I’d read books about true accounts from different branches around the country. I’d gone through a phase when I was about fifteen where I’d watched every mob movie ever made. It worried my mother. Now I knew why. Was it always in my veins?
As we walked through the foyer of the elaborate home nestled on a hill overlooking a lake, I tried not to ogle.
“It’s a bit much,” Vincenzo said.
“The wine business must be gainful.” That was the slant on the documentary I’d watched. They portrayed the Marchellis as legitimate business people. Maybe most of them were? The man helping me right now seemed sincere.
“It can be. Drinking wine is quite trendy these days. We’ve been in business for years but our brand is really exploding. We’re in most of the finest restaurants around the country. My mother and brother Salvatore are in Italy now finishing a deal to bring our product there. My brothers are in the process of building a winery on vineyards my father bought years ago.”
“I saw the Boss Wine documentary.”
“Yeah.” When he laughed, it put me at ease. “My father enjoyed that.”
“Vince.” A muscular man came out of a door at the end of the hall. “Dad said you were coming.” When he stopped in front of us. I saw the resemblance between the two men. “What’s up?”
“Dominick, this is Nadia,” Vince said. “She needs Dad’s help.”
“Nice to meet you, Nadia.” He shook my hand. “I’m Vince’s brother Dominick. Are you in the wine business?”
“I’m a graphic designer.” Hell! I hadn’t even called my office to tell them I wasn’t coming in today. “I run a small agency
in the city. We create logos and websites.”
“That’s impressive,” Vincenzo said. “Can you work from home?”
“Yes, I suppose.” That was an odd question. “The agency is mine. I have a few employees.”
“Dad has a couple minutes if you want to go in.” Dominick suspiciously looked at his brother. “Is it private or do you want me to sit in?”
“You should probably be there,” Vincenzo said.
“You’re not here to tell him you’re getting married or having a kid or anything?” Dominick laughed as he opened the door to an elaborate study. The pool table in the center of the room was ornate to say the least. The room smelled of leather. I felt like I was on a movie set. Organized crime always appeared so glamorous in film. After last night, I would never look at it the same way again.
“Can you be appropriate for a few minutes?” Vincenzo shook his head. “This is important.”
“Okay, Mr. Serious.” Dominick winked at me. “He’s always been the responsible one in the family, so if you’re not dating him–”
“Vincenzo.” His father got up from his desk and greeted us. “What a nice surprise to see you on a weekday.”
“I know how busy you are,” Vincenzo said. “This is an emergency.”
“I see.” His father gazed in my direction. “I’m Dante Marchelli.”
“I’m Nadia.” I shook his hand. “I drink your wine.” Seriously? I drink your wine? That’s all you could come up with?
“How lovely.” He motioned toward the overstuffed leather couch. “Please, have a seat.”
Vincenzo took my hand and led me over to the sofa, sitting next to me as Dominick stood in front of the large picture window by the desk. Dante sat on the edge of his desk, looking fit and youthful. I wouldn’t have imagined him appearing that way. He was the father of five men and according to that documentary he came off older, more menacing. It didn’t do him justice.
“What seems to be the problem?” Dante asked. “I’m sure it isn’t anything we can’t solve.”
I squirmed in my seat, uneasy over having to explain what I was doing there. Vincenzo squeezed by hand, creating a calming vibe. He’d done that a few times for me. He was a stranger but that didn’t stop me from taking comfort in him.