Poisoned Rose (Dark Roses #1)

by Nathalie Saade

  She made sure not to flinch as the card turned to ash, the reality of the ceremony and the new life she was about to embark on beginning to sink in. Once there was nothing left, Johnny stepped around the desk, held her by her shoulders and kissed both her cheeks. Vince then did the same, hugging her afterwards.

  ‘Welcome to the Family, Soldier.’

  Seven

  Hawk turned his face as blood spurted towards him, then wiped his forehead and continued hacking at the body. He and Ty were leaning over the bathtub, Ty sawing at the hands and Hawk using a cleaver to decapitate the man. It was one in the morning and the night hadn’t gone as planned.

  One of the detectives on their payroll owed the De Matteo Family two hundred thousand plus two and a half points of interest. The Masons weren’t debt collectors but since the guy was one of theirs, Hawk had agreed to manage the situation. The detective had paid the interest owed for a month, then disappeared. For two weeks they’d searched for him and had tracked him down to Vegas, but when they’d arrived at the hotel, his room had been empty. They’d set up surveillance on his house and a day later, half an hour after he’d walked through the front door to collect the rest of his belongings, Hawk and Ty had shown up.

  They hadn’t bothered ringing the bell; instead they’d smashed through the back door. The man had tried to run but they had been faster, shooting him in the thigh and sending him crashing down to the floorboards. He’d crawled to a side table and grabbed a gun from the drawer, clipping Ty in the bicep before Hawk had shot him in the shoulder. They’d tied him up and searched the place, finding money hidden around the house and taking anything of value. They’d beaten him but he had untied himself and tackled Hawk. A short brawl later, Hawk had smashed the man’s head against the corner of the coffee table. They’d had no choice but to dispose of the body and destroy the evidence.

  Hawk was pissed off. Any night that ended with a body disposal wore him out. They’d dragged the body into the bathroom, dumped it in the bathtub and used knives from the kitchen to do their thing. They planned on wrapping the body in garbage bags, weighing it down with weights and dumping it in the ocean. Then they’d drive out to one of the Family farms and bury the head and hands. Ty winced and checked his bicep, the blood seeping through his makeshift bandage.

  ‘Son of a bitch.’

  ‘I’ll change your bandage after we clean up. No point doing it now.’

  Ty agreed and they hacked through the flesh, muscle and bone, Hawk sitting back on his haunches when he was done and shoving the head into a garbage bag, then a duffle bag. He stood up to find towels and start the cleanup, flicking on the shower head as he went so the blood would wash away. He was emptying the linen closet when his phone rang. He rubbed his hand on his pants before reaching into his pocket to pull out his cell, leaving a streak of blood down his leg.

  ‘Tony Hannam’s been murdered.’

  He dropped his phone. He could hear Honor’s voice asking him if he was ok and he groaned, rubbing his hand over his face before picking the phone back up.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘I don’t have specifics but Dante’s also gone missing. I thought you should know.’

  Her voice was cracking. Out of everyone who could have been killed, why did it have to be Tony? But that was the way their lives went; anyone they got close to died. He cleared his throat.

  ‘Thanks.’

  He hung up and walked back into the bathroom, tossing the towels on the ground and helping Ty haul the body out of the bathtub. They wrapped it up and started cleaning but he was distracted, thinking about how he was feeling and imagining how much worse it would be for the Hannam family. For Aurora. He wished things were different between them but knew they never could be.

  Their age difference was what had caused the drift. She had been five when his mother had died and eight when he had had his first kill. Both events had changed him, hardened him towards the world. By the time she was thirteen and had developed feelings for him, he was eighteen and a made man, with more kills under his belt than many twice his age. She was innocent and each time they came face to face she would blush as she spoke to him. When she’d turned seventeen, he’d wanted to approach her, but the thought of bringing her into his world had stopped him. Tony had kept her out of the Hannam Family, so what right did he have to drag her in to his own?

  He had been divided, part of him wanting so bad to be with her and the other part urging him to stay away, to give her a chance of escaping their world and living a life that didn’t revolve around crime and death. A few months later, Angelina had been kidnapped and his decision had been made for him. After that night, he could no longer bring himself to approach her. He and his siblings were cursed to live with those memories and the consequences of their actions. Aurora deserved to find someone better than him, someone who wasn’t vicious and brutal. Someone who wouldn’t even contemplate doing the things he had done.

  Then she had turned eighteen and started dating Michael. Hawk’s heart had been destroyed and he’d spent months in a fit of rage, taking it out on anyone who crossed his path. He had taken all the calls that he knew would end in murder and had spent time in different states with his uncles, carrying out the worst of the worst and earning himself the title ‘The Executioner.’ He became a hitman for hire, carrying out cold blooded slayings for the other Families. Every time he’d come home he’d see the hope in her eyes, the search for any feelings he might have towards her, and he would take off again to New York or Chicago or Texas, whoever was experiencing the most problems at the time. He’d spent a year that way and would have continued if his father hadn’t made him Captain and put an end to his travels. It killed him, but he had made his decision.

  ‘You ok?’

  Ty’s voice broke through his thoughts.

  ‘Yeah… Tony Hannam’s dead.’

  They were carrying the body to the car and Ty almost dropped the legs, catching them before they hit the ground and wincing as he regained his grip. Once they’d thrown the body into the boot and were headed to their docked boat at Venice Beach, Ty spoke.

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  Hawk nodded.

  ‘Thanks man.’

  There was nothing else to say. By the time they’d dumped the body and buried the duffel bag it was seven in the morning. Hawk drove Ty home and crashed in the spare room after taking a shower. He’d sleep until eleven then make his way home. Then over the next few days, he would try to prepare for Tony’s funeral.

  Eight

  Aurora took deep breaths to get her emotions under control and promised herself that she would make it through the day without crying. The church ceremony was to be held in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, and the empty coffin was to be buried at Oak Hill Memorial Park. Her brothers had decided that a four hour motorcade to San Jose, as notable as it would have been, was out of the question. That was how she found herself standing in her underwear in one of the bedrooms of their Rosewood Sand Hill villa, staring at the outfit laid out on her bed.

  She let out a sigh and started getting dressed. Vince had told her that her training would commence the day after the funeral. She didn’t know what to expect but she had seen enough Family soldiers to know she was in for a rough ride. Fastening her diamond earrings and necklace in place, she looked at her engagement ring. It was sitting in its wooden box on the bureau. She closed the lid and tossed it into her open luggage. Whether she liked it or not, that part of her life was over and she had to force herself to turn the page. She would get revenge soon enough. She opened the bedroom door and was hit with the overwhelming scent of flowers. The villa was filled from wall to wall with wreaths, bouquets and large vases topped with flowers of different colors. Vince was staring out the window of the living room, dressed in the family favored black Tom Ford with a crisp black shirt and no tie.

  ‘Mom needs you.’

  She headed across the villa to the other bedroom and felt her heart drop when she opened the
door. Her mother was seated at the bureau, legs crossed at the ankles, hands in her lap clutching a tissue like a lifeline. She looked composed and immaculate in her designer clothes, but the shredded tissues that lay scattered across the dresser told a different story. Her mother was staring at her reflection without seeing herself, her eyes vacant and far away.

  ‘Your father liked my hair this way.’

  Her mother touched her chignon with her fingertips.

  ‘It looks beautiful mom. Let me help you with your necklace.’

  She walked over and picked up the heavy diamonds, positioning herself behind her mother and fastening the necklace in place.

  ‘He bought me these when I gave birth to you, when I gave him a girl. He loved you so much Aurora…’ her voice started to crack and she paused, clearing her throat, ‘I shouldn’t cry or my makeup will run.’

  Aurora kept waiting for her mother’s inevitable meltdown, something even worse than her reaction to Mike’s death. But instead she had been calm, and that made Aurora worry more than any breakdown ever could. If she didn’t show some emotion soon, something would snap, and when it did, it would be irreparable.

  She gave her mother a few minutes to compose herself and together they made their way back out to the living room where Johnny had joined Vince. Johnny took his mother’s hand in the crook of his arm and Vince took hers, and as the front door opened her breath caught in her throat. Over two hundred men dressed in black suits stood on the lawns in front of the villa. The hearse was parked in the hotel’s motor court, and a limousine was parked behind it. In front were six Harleys and behind were too many black cars to count. They made their way to the limousine, waited until all the men got back to their cars, then the procession to the cathedral began.

  As they pulled up to the entry of the white and gold sanctuary, she couldn’t help but think it was shadowed by a different sight. The street was filled with mourners, so many that they had spilled out onto the street and had to move aside to let the motorcade through. It was incredible, but she was torn between humility and anger. The mourners were not divided the way they had been at Mike’s funeral. Everyone belonged on a red carpet, and the news anchors with their mikes and cameras made it all that much more insulting. Johnny ran a hand over his shaved head.

  ‘OK, let’s do this.’

  Her brothers got out in unison and walked towards the hearse. She followed her mother out of the limousine and found her aunt waiting at the bottom of the steps, where she hugged Santina and kept a hold of her arm. The coffin was morbidly striking, made out of deep cedar wood with gold handles. The top was adorned with a large gold cross and the family insignia on a sash. On one side Psalm 23:4 was written in gold calligraphy; the other side had a gold plaque with their father’s name, date of birth and date of death.

  The pall bearers lifted the coffin up onto their shoulders and began their slow walk into the church. By the time they reached the octagonal altar, every pew was filled with mourners, and those who couldn’t find a place to sit stood at the back of the church. Taking her seat in the front pew, she noticed that the area behind the lectern was filled with purple magnolias in black marble vases, each vase with the surname of a Family soldier in gold calligraphy. Beside the coffin was a large photo of her father. His smile had been infectious and she could still hear his laughter in her ears. Her chest constricted with guilt and regret. She wondered if he’d died knowing she still loved him, even after all the harsh words that stained their relationship. She looked down when the priest took the lectern and didn’t look up again until it was time for Johnny to give the eulogy. He stood at the altar and looked at their father’s photo. The similarities between them had never been more evident. Then he cleared his throat.

  ‘John Anthony Hannam, known to his friends and family as Tony, was born in New York City to Anthony and Blair Hannam. In high school he played quarterback and in his final year of college received offers from the Giants and the Cowboys. But when a different opportunity came his way, Tony packed up and moved to L.A with his best friend. Here they built separate empires, growing successful with such speed that by twenty eight, Tony thought he had everything, until the day he met Santina Bonnano. A whirlwind courtship and six months later the two were wed. They were married for thirty two years and had three sons and a daughter who never wanted for anything. My father was a good man. He was generous, kind and honorable. He valued loyalty, honesty and respect above all else, and those are the values he instilled in his children. Our loss is Heaven’s gain and while we will spend the rest of our lives missing him, our father raised us and so we shall follow in his footsteps.’

  Johnny’s yellow eyes scanned the gatherers before he stepped down from the pulpit. She sucked in a breath. Her brother’s warning could not have been clearer. Organ music from the interior balcony filled the church and an Italian opera singer began the first notes of Ave Maria in soprano. When the song came to an end and the final notes sang out, the pall bearers picked up the coffin and walked back down the aisle. She held her mother’s hand and stole a glance at her as they made their way out of the church. She hadn’t shed a tear.

  The trip to Oak Hill was drawn out by the silence in the limousine. Once the procession reached the burial site, Johnny started humming under his breath and bouncing his leg as he glared at the mourners from inside the car. Vince placed a hand on Johnny’s knee and squeezed. Johnny’s head whipped around to stare at him but once his eyes locked on Vince’s he calmed down.

  As a family, they joined the guests gathered around Tony’s final resting place. The priest began the final prayer and she noticed from the corner of her eye the sun bouncing off something shiny across the plot. Distracted, she looked over to find the offending object and discovered it was a large gold family crested ring worn by a man she knew well. He radiated such power that she was surprised she hadn’t noticed him earlier. Mario was dressed in a full length black wool coat that was unbuttoned, showing his expensive black suit underneath. His hair was so dark it was black and he had a thick salt-and-pepper moustache. He demanded attention, but to Aurora he was a mere afterthought. Standing behind him was Hawk, and that all too familiar feeling barreled into her the way it always did.

  He was beautiful, his black shirt stretched tight across his huge chest, the start of his taught pecs visible as his shirt opened into a V. The sun was at its finest and Hawk had his sunglasses on, but she wished he would take them off and glance her way. He was staring at a spot behind Honor’s head as they whispered to one another. Halo turned and hissed at them, causing Hawk and Honor to stop mid conversation. Yet the moment Halo turned back, Honor leant towards Hawk and they continued. Aurora wasn’t offended at their behavior. They would never disrespect her father. Their reason for talking would be to distract themselves from their emotions. She had no doubt they were in pain, they’d spent most of their childhoods in her parents’ home, and she found herself wishing that she and Hawk could comfort each other. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be held by him, and just as she started daydreaming, her mother let out a gut wrenching shriek and started sobbing.

  Aurora covered her mouth with one hand as her mother continued to weep, watching the coffin being lowered into the ground. Vince wrapped his arm around their mother’s shoulders and led her back to the limousine as the crowd began to disperse. There would be no catering after the burial, Johnny and Vince refused to surround their family with strangers for any longer than was necessary.

  By the time they got home it was after eight and their aunt met them at the house, letting them know that she would take care of their mother. Aurora started to make her way up the stairs but her brothers were heading to the living room. They were speaking in hushed tones and she watched them in silence until she heard Vince ask Johnny if he was serious.

  ‘What’s going on?’

  She hurried back down the stairs and with his back to her, she imagined Johnny rolling his eyes as he replied.

  �
��The matter doesn’t concern you.’

  ‘But I’m one of you now.’

  Surprised at her own response she snapped her mouth shut as Johnny turned to stare at her. His voice was low and lethal, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge.

  ‘If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut unless I ask you to talk.’

  Vince moved to stand between them.

  ‘Listen Roar, it’s been a long day and John and I need to go out. Even if you were trained already, this isn’t a meeting you would ever be invited to. Let’s get this straightened out here and now so that there are no misconceptions about your place. Johnny is the boss of this Family and I am his advisor, you are not our equal, those are things you must never, ever forget. Now go upstairs and get some rest. We expect you in the training centre at five AM.’

  Her brothers walked out of the living room and made their way down to Johnny’s office. She had known it all along but hearing Vince speak to her that way had shocked her regardless. Just because she was their sister didn’t give her any special standing in the Family. She went upstairs and flung herself onto her bed, groaning as she thought of Dante. He was the sibling that she quarreled with the most, but there wasn’t a single time that he hadn’t been there for her. He had saved her ass so many times that she’d lost count by the time she was seventeen. God she missed him. She refused to believe that he was dead when in her heart she knew he was still alive. But she also knew that if they didn’t find him soon he would be damaged forever.

  With that dark thought, she stood up and walked to her balcony, sliding the glass doors open and stepping out into the cool night. She looked out at the grounds, watching the moonlight play games with the water in the pool, and waited until the light shining from Johnny’s office turned off and she heard the front door slam. Mike had been murdered, because of her. Her father was dead, and she would never get the chance to apologize. She was in love with Hawk, and he would never return her feelings. She could feel the anger rising, the rage making its way through her veins, pumping faster than her blood, and then, she could no longer control it. She screamed out into the night and pushed at the railing, as if she could make the sandstone go crashing down. Then the tears started falling and she let them, let all her emotions that she had controlled since Mike had died race out of her. She slid down, keeping her back against the stone, until she was on the floor with her legs curled to the side. She looked up at the sky, searching for an answer she knew she wouldn’t find, and let out a tortured cry.