Gavino has figured it out. I’m still in the dark, but I can tell by the way he’s asking the questions, that he knows or at least suspects.
“I want to hear it,” Gavino demands.
“Gold,” Kade breathes.
“Fuck,” I snap.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
ARLO
Illegal gold is huge right now. It’s also not something that the famiglia has dipped their fingers into. I know that Gavino has looked into it, now that the Commissioner of the Port Authority is on our side, and under our thumb, he’s been looking a bit more seriously into the buying and supplying of gold.
However, having the clientele for gold is not the same as gambling, drugs, guns, and women. It takes time to build up the type of buyers that would be needed, to earn their trust and their business. Which is why Gavino and I decided against it for now.
“You’ve fucked up, Kade,” Gavino states.
“I know. This is really fucking bad,” he begins to ramble as he paces back and forth.
Looking from him to McClain, I think about Wynter who is in another room, hopefully still alive.
“What part does Wynter play into all of this?” I ask.
Gavino’s head snaps up and his eyes find mine. I can tell he’s surprised by my question, but not because it’s wrong, because he didn’t think of it first.
Wynter has a role in all of this, I have no doubt. Just like I was to play a role. Wynter was supposed to be my wife to benefit the famiglia, but it appears as though we’ve all been played.
I don’t wait to find out what Kade has to say. Instead, I make my way toward where Wynter is being held. I didn’t even think about her when her father was killed. I assumed that she didn’t have anything to do with the reason he was gunned down, but I have a feeling that Wynter McClain has her hands filthy fucking dirty.
“So good of you to finally make an appearance, husband,” she sneers from her place.
She’s sitting in the chair, right where we left her, but she’s no longer tied to it. Shifting my gaze around, I find myself alone, but I don’t know how she was untied. She lifts a brow, her lips smirking in a cat-ate-the-canary smile.
“I allowed them to leave after freeing me. After they killed my father, of course. I didn’t want to go without seeing the look on your face when everything came to light.”
“Like what? The fact that you used me without my knowledge?”
She snorts. “Oh, Arlo, don’t be so naïve. We used each other. It was fun at first, but you had to go and ruin it by falling in love. I knew once you bought a place for the two of you that you would be looking for a reason to bolt, so you forced my hand and I had to speed up my plan.”
Frowning, I tilt my head to the side. “How long was the original plan going to last?”
She shrugs a shoulder, crossing one leg over the other and showing off her entire thigh as her silk robe shifts. She begins to fiddle with the tie on her robe when she catches me looking at that leg.
Lifting my gaze back up to hers, I wait for her to speak. “It was going to last as long as I wanted it to.”
“What have you done?” I breathe.
She stands, slowly walking toward me in her best sex kitten move. Two of her fingers touch the middle of my chest and slowly she walks them up until her entire hand wraps around the side of my throat.
“Arlo, I haven’t done anything. I was always meant to be queen, but you were never going to be my king. You’re just a pawn,” she purrs.
Dipping my chin, I wrap my hand around her wrist and squeeze. “You mistake me for being weak, Wynter. Everyone does, so don’t feel special,” I growl.
“He is not weak,” Gavino announces.
I don’t even flinch from his appearance, nor do I turn my head to look at him. Instead, I keep my gaze focused on her. She rolls her eyes, then looks between me and Gavino. She shifts her focus completely to him, a flirty grin playing on her lips.
“I know he’s not physically weak, but emotionally, a child. That isn’t what any of this is about. This is about a proposition,” she announces, sidestepping me and slowly walking closer to Gavino.
He holds out his hand, forcing her to keep her distance. “What could you possibly offer me that I cannot obtain myself?” Gavino asks, giving absolutely nothing away.
“I’ll give Arlo an annulment like he wants so that he can continue on with his mistress. However, I want a deal. I want you to work with me and the Columbians. Cut Kade out and just use me as your middle man for gold sales.”
Gavino snorts. “I don’t work in gold sales, puttana.”
She slowly slides her gaze down the length of his body, then brings it back up in an attempt to look even more seductive. It doesn’t work, not on me and certainly not on Gavino. He clears his throat, then tilts his head to the side. Watching her, waiting to see what she’ll do or say next.
“That’s not how this is going to go, Gavino. If you don’t give me what I want, I’ll make Arlo’s life a living hell, and I’ll try to get you thrown in jail at every opportunity.”
“If you weren’t such a zoccola, I would think that this was cute,” Gavino chuckles. “Your father is dead. Although I can’t lay claim to being the one who pulled the trigger, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s dead. The men you’ve aligned yourself with will do the same to you if you don’t get them what they want.”
Gavino leans forward. “And they will not get what they want from you or me, Wynter. I do not take kindly to threats. Besides, Arlo already has everything he needs to get an annulment. You fucked up, plain and simple.”
Wynter actually growls, leaning forward, I watch as her hand extends. Before she can touch Vino, I reach out and wrap my fingers around her wrist stopping her movements. Tugging her arm, I twist it so that it’s behind her back as I move around, pulling her back against my front as I look over her shoulder at Gavino.
“Someone decided to play with the big boys.” He chuckles, his eyes focused on mine and completely ignoring Wynter’s gaze, which I’m sure is full of hate and fire.
I smirk, lifting my chin. “Not very smart,” I state as she begins to struggle. She doesn’t get much accomplished. I’m stronger, bigger and more pissed off than she could ever be.
“Wrong. I’m plenty smart. You can’t kill me, I’m the wife of your Underboss. Plus, why wouldn’t you want my deal? It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
Gavino shakes his head. “I am beholden to nobody, Wynter. Not you, not the Columbians, no one. I am not going to start now. The deals that I have, they are mutually beneficial, not that I have to explain a fucking thing to you. But this, it only benefits the Columbians and possibly you. It doesn’t benefit me because I would have to create a need for it, which I don’t already have.”
“But…” she begins.
Spinning her around, I look down into her eyes. For the first time since meeting her, she looks scared. I shake my head once, looking into her eyes and wishing that this shit was done with.
I am suddenly filled with a huge sense of regret. I regret every decision that I ever made, every one that caused me to put my own good sense aside for the good of the famiglia.
I knew marrying her was wrong, I felt it from day one, but I’d talked myself into it for the good of the famiglia, and now just fucking look. I can’t even blame Gavino, he was willing to look for an out, but I insisted that he didn’t.
“You’re done, Wynter,” I state.
She blinks, her eyes wide and she swallows. “I’m still your wife. You can’t do this to me,” she breathes.
“I haven’t done anything, yet. Tell us what you know, what you promised them and what your father promised them. Tell us everything and maybe you can live,” I offer, knowing that I don’t have the ability to make the deal with her.
Only Gavino can decide if she lives or dies.
She opens her mouth, then her eyes go wide and before I can say anything else, before she can speak, the back of her head e
xplodes and she goes completely limp in my arms.
“Fuck,” Vino hisses as he lifts his palm to wipe the blood, grey matter, hair, and fucking brain off of his face.
Lifting my gaze to his, I swallow a knot that’s formed in my throat. “What in the fuck?” I exhale.
He looks past me, up to the second story of the warehouse where there is just a small walkway around the entire building and some storage. “It’s too fucking dark up there,” he grunts as he tugs his gun out of his holster.
“They don’t want them talking, and I want to know what they knew. What don’t they want us to know?” I ask, murmuring low, just in case whoever these men are, are still in the building.
“I’m calling Benicio,” Gavino announces.
We leave the two dead bodies where they are, crumpled on the floor. Lifting my phone out of my pocket, I call a cleanup crew, then go about calling Salvatore, Massimo, and Luca. I need as many brains here to figure this out as I can get, brains of men that I’m fairly certain we can trust.
ELENORA
Lying down, I stare at the ceiling for what feels like hours. Forcing my eyes to close, I try to clear my mind so that I can sleep. Tonight. It’s been nothing but a cluster.
Rolling onto my side, I bite the corner of my lip when I feel that familiar ache between my legs. It feels good, I missed having him inside of me. Tears fill my eyes when I realize that was probably the last time I’ll ever be with him.
It doesn’t matter that he claims his marriage is over, it doesn’t matter that I love him more than I’ve ever loved another man. All that matters is that he lied to me. He cheated. He did everything I said I would never accept in a relationship.
How can I simply turn a blind eye to that?
Love can only go so far.
Eventually, my tears dry as I drift off to sleep. I’m thankful for the reprieve from my busy mind.
A knock on the door causes my heart to leap into my chest as I sit straight up in bed. There is a small amount of sunlight drifting through the closed curtains. The sun is just rising, which means it can’t be later than four or five in the morning.
“Bella,” Massimo calls out as he knocks again.
Tugging the comforter up to my neck, I call out for him to come inside. His eyes find mine and as soon as he sees the comforter at my chest, he grins.
“Get dressed. I have a meeting and you’re going to have to join me.”
I blink, then frown. “Join you?”
He nods. “Luca is going as well. I’m sure Chloe will be there. Hurry up now,” he urges.
Massimo turns around and leaves me alone in my room, my face still set in a frown as the door closes behind him. Grabbing my phone, my eyes widen when I see that it is actually four-thirty in the morning. I don’t think I’ve ever been awake this early in my entire life.
Rushing around, I quickly shower, throw my hair up in a messy top knot then tug on a pair of jeans and a tank top before I slide a comfortable hoodie on over the top. Slipping my feet into a pair of sandals, I shove my phone in my back pocket and make my way into the living room.
Massimo is standing by the door, his head dipped as he looks down at his phone. He slowly lifts his gaze to mine and his lips immediately lift into a smile.
“How do you still look hot when you’re in a sweatshirt and jeans?” he asks.
“It’s too early for this,” I grumble.
He chuckles, pushing off of the front door and stepping to the side as he tugs it open for me. “Never too early to tell a woman she’s beautiful,” he murmurs as I walk past him.
“Massimo,” I warn.
“F-word, I know,” he grunts. “You’re still hot.”
Rolling my eyes, I start to walk down the hall as he closes the house up. My phone rings in my pocket and I tug it out, staring at a number that I don’t recognize. Since my shop was broken into, everything makes me jumpy and this strange number makes my stomach clench with fear.
Before I can slide my finger across the screen, Massimo plucks the phone from my grasp and holds it to his ear.
“Hello. Yes, this is her phone. What’s this about?” he demands. “Fuck. Okay.”
He ends the call and stops walking. Turning to me, I can see it in his eyes, something is very, very wrong.
“Arlo?” I breathe. He lifts a brow before he shakes his head once. “Chloe?” I guess. He shakes his head again.
“The shop, bella. It’s been torched,” he whispers.
My knees give out. I’m unable to hold myself up. As if I’m moving in slow motion, I sink to the floor, landing hard on my ass. Looking up to Massimo, I’m unable to stop the tears from flowing. I didn’t think that I had any more in my body after last night, but here they are.
Massimo crouches down in front of me on his haunches. My bottom lip quivers as he reaches forward and touches my temple with his index finger, slowly sliding it down my jawline and my chin.
“Don’t cry, Lenora,” he murmurs.
“It’s been torched?” I breathe.
He nods once. “We need to go, you aren’t safe.”
“Why would she do that?” I demand.
He shakes his head a couple of times, extending his palm as he stands to help me up. Sliding my hand in his, I bite my trembling lip and force myself to stand on my shaky legs.
“I don’t know, bella, why don’t we go and find out?”
Narrowing my eyes, not at Massimo, but in general anger, I nod. “Yes, let’s.”
His lips twitch into a smile at my words and together we leave the safety of the building and head to where this meeting is going to take place. Each mile we drive, the angrier I become.
I want to question this bitch myself.
I’m going to pull her hair, maybe even slap her around a little bit.
Then, I’m going to junk punch Arlo.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
ELENORA
The casino comes into view and I frown, a bit disappointed that this is where the meeting will be held. I was hoping for some dungeonous place, maybe even an office building, but here? It’s a letdown, for sure.
“You look disappointed,” Massimo points out as he pulls into a parking spot.
“I assumed a meeting meant something nefarious,” I point out.
He snorts. “It does, but there is no way that Gavino or Arlo are going to have you somewhere unsafe, this is almost impenetrable.”
Scrunching my nose, I tilt my head to the side. Wondering why it would need to be, and what exactly these men are in to. It has to be more than just illegal gambling, but none of them will tell me.
Massimo opens the car door for me and places his hand on the small of my back as he guides me into the casino.
The entire place feels different than it did the last time I was here, it’s as if it’s lost some of its magic and allure in the daylight hours. It feels like the veil has been lifted.
“They’re in the back, in Arlo’s office,” he explains as he continues to guide me across the casino floor.
Tables are empty, there aren’t any more beautifully made-up women in sparkling dresses or men wearing tuxedos. It just looks so blah, so sad.
Massimo and I walk down a dark hallway, toward the sound of muffled voices where I assume Chloe and Luca are, as well. Massimo doesn’t bother knocking when we reach the closed office door, instead he turns the knob and pushes it open.
The room is full of men and three women. Chloe, Luciana, and Mia’s eyes lift to look over to mine. Chloe lets out a sigh of relief at the sight of me. She starts to take a step toward me, when Luca’s arm slides around her and tugs her back against his front.
“What’s going on?” I ask, shifting my gaze from Chloe to the man behind the desk.
I thought it was going to be Arlo, but I’m surprised to see Gavino sitting there. His green eyes meet mine and they almost twinkle. Well, I would think they were twinkling, except his face is set so hard, that the only thing I notice is the fact that a muscle jumps in hi
s cheek.
“Good, we can get started,” Gavino announces, ignoring my question. “Mia, take the women to the kitchen for some food,” he orders.
Mia takes a step toward him, her mouth open and her body language obviously preparing for an argument. Gavino holds his palm up to stop her from speaking.
“Not today. I haven’t slept, I’m fucking pissed. Just go, I’ll update you with the information that pertains to you,” he grumbles.
Her back stiffens, and she turns to face me, without a word she marches past me. Before I turn to follow her, I catch Arlo’s gaze. He looks pissed off, his back leaning against a wall in the corner of the room and his eyes focused directly on me.
My heart leaps, it jumps straight out of my body and lands on the floor at his feet. Before I can say anything, like beg him to get his shit together, to kiss me, or anything else equally as pathetic, Chloe saves me.
She wraps her hand around mine as she walks past me and gently tugs me after her. Turning my body, I keep my eyes on him as long as I physically can. I hold my breath the entire time. Once we’re out of the office and in the hall, I finally let the breath I’d been holding out.
“We’re going to do some talking once we’ve been fed,” she grumbles.
“Hungry?” I ask with a smile in my voice.
She lifts her eyes up to me, her expression completely serious. “I’ve had about twenty minutes of sleep. Luca kept me up all night with the promise of breakfast and sleeping in before a few more orgasms. I’m grumpy and hungover.”
Lifting my hand to cover my smile, I let out a small laugh at her expense. Squeezing her hand with my own, I shake my head.
“I didn’t get much sleep either, but I really think you had a lot more fun in your sleeplessness than I did.”
She grins. “Probably,” she says, shrugging a shoulder.
We walk behind Mia and Luciana into the kitchen and only then do I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I reopen them, I’m surprised to see everyone watching me.
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