by Jax Hart
“Johnny’s apartment.”
“Take me there. If it’s still clear, we’ll find what we need there. I lead her back through the tunnel. She was right. Johnny’s place was full of cash, weapons, and car keys. Romina took a twenty second shower and put on his clothes. She was even able to pull the bed back in place from inside her perch in the tunnel before closing and bolting the door from the inside. “I bet you hate me right about now.”
“No. He’s innocent… at least of this… he was freeing those girls. For me. For you. He betrayed the underworld to do it. The Feds had it all wrong. The pictures they took were slanted to fit their own narrative. But they have his diaries and yours and now they will use that to lock him up.”
“How did I get it so wrong? I-I’m so sorry, Chloe.”
“That’s okay. You can make it up to me.”
“How?”
“By being my bad-ass super-villain, mom?”
She shakes her head. “How can you be funny at a time like this?”
“Oh, I’m dead serious. You can’t testify against your spouse. I saw it on a Lifetime movie.”
“I can’t marry a jailed man.”
“Can’t or won’t? You’ve pulled of much crazier stunts, Blue. I have faith.”
“You are a little shit. I see why he kept you.”
“Gee thanks. We need to come back for your ring when they leave.”
“My what?”
“It’s amaze, trust me. Six or eight carats of flawless ruby in a cushion cut. He threw it into the fire but I’m sure it’s still good. I mean he said it was platinum.”
“How can he love me after this?”
“How could he stop?”
“Give me your phone?”
“What?”
She takes it from me, uses the point of her knife to open the sim card tray and snaps it in half. “They would track us.” She hands it back to me. “But all your contacts are still good. Disable the wireless and power it off to be safe.”
We waited until almost dawn, traveling from the heart to the guts of the building. Roque had quite the matrix of tunnels. Romina found one that led under the garage it was full of wires and electric cables. We were carefully not to touch any. Finally, we made it to a metal set of stairs that led to a drainage pipe in a back alley three blocks from the penthouse.
Romina took the gun, going first.
“Now what?” I looked around at the empty streets where dew clung to cars. She grins. “Johnny is a lazy fuck.” She presses the fob key on one of the sets we took and sure enough a car chirps nearby. “Jackpot.”
“I guess Roque owns this building too.” We find the car parked beneath another apartment building, but we can’t get in through the iron gates. There is a keypad though. Romina inspects it.
“Try 0007.”
“Seriously?”
“He has a dorky side.”
She presses the combination and the gates open.
We hurriedly get inside the Tesla and power the engine. “A full tank, too.” Romina then taps the screen and enters an address in Boca, Florida.”
“Florida?”
“Are you ready to meet Tati and Seb?”
I fist pump in the air. “This is so cool. Like meeting every celebrity or character you’ve read about in a book.”
“Buckle up, Chloe. This is real life.”
“I know and it fucking rocks!”
“They might be pissed at me still, but my blood did save Roque and they’ll adore you. They’ll hide us until we can contact Johnny and come up with a plan. Either that or between Seb and Rafe will hire so attorneys that will make us untouchable for a while.”
“We have hours to go. Did I ever tell you about the time Roque tried to give me a sex talk?”
“He did what?”
“I almost died. Seriously….”
10
ROMINA & CHLOE, then ROQUE
Two months later…
“In breaking news, Rumored mob boss Roque Salvatore is expected in court today. Where a grand jury will be hearing charges and the evidence against him for racketeering, attempted murder, and sex trafficking. Salvatore, no stranger to the tabloids, and is often photographed at charity events. There’s already a grassroots social media movement to free the mogul started by housewives. You heard that right; the hashtag #FreeRomeoRoque is trending high. In an unprecedented move, Mr. Salvatore’s attorneys have requested that the hearing be made public. The cameras will be rolling folks. We will bring you all the drama live. For now, stay tuned to WFBV Chicago.”
“Is everything set?” I turn to Romina who looks stunning in her black dress.
“Yes. You saved us, Chloe. It was brilliant what you did.”
I feel the brush spreading across my cheeks. “I loved you before I met you. I dreamed of the three of us as a family.”
Romina places a hand on her belly, “Do you think there’s room for four?”
I grin. “Totally and maybe a dog or two?”
“Sure.”
The ring glows on her left hand. “He’s going to freak when you show up in court wearing his ring.
“Do you think he’ll forgive me?”
“Um, he’ll probably get tased, vaulting over the bench to get to you. He’s so crazy in love. He forgave you when you hid me, kept me safe and away that night. But what about you? You’ve been on the lam… the Feds will still deport you.”
“Let them. Italy is beautiful. You’ll love it there. Rafe’s calling. Rafe?”
“It’s all set. I have three copies of the copyright. I’ve already sent it to a dozen agents here in Manhattan. They’re going crazy over the rights to Romeo Roque. But they also like Villainous Poet. It could go either way. It’s up to the publishing house what to title the book after we sell the rights to it. Are you sure?”
“Well, the ending is still incomplete…”
“It’ll be a trilogy. A bestselling one.”
“Okay. We are on our way to the courthouse. Keep us posted.”
“This is going to be big ratings.”
The press goes nuts as we exit the car. Guards and police have to shove the crowd back from us as we climb the courthouse steps. “Romina! Chloe! How can you love a monster! A sex trafficker!”
“Free Romeo Roque!” A mob of women dressed in curlers and house robes descend.
“Damn those housewives don’t play around!”
Finally, we are safe inside, where a clerk working for the prosecutor’s escort us into a heavily guarded courtroom. The grand jury is already seated. Their judgey eyes wander over to us. The only people sitting behind Roque’s defense team. Johnny is still underground, taking over with Roque’s cousins while this plays out.
The judge enters and we all rise. Then Roque is brought out. He’s in his favorite black Armani tux. He waltzes in with his devil’s smile and Hollywood charm. Every woman on the jury melts. I see it.
“I love you, dad!” I mouth. He winks at me. The raises his hand and swears on the bible to tell the truth as he takes the witness stand.
“Here we go,” Romina whispers as she takes my hand in hers. Roque pauses. His nostrils flare as he notices the ruby on her ring finger. Then he winks at her, too. A shudder runs through her. Yep, their love story is so not over…
ROQUE
She’s stunning. It takes everything in me not to break everything in the way between me and her. I need this to work. The life I have planned for Little Red is an epic one. Right after I tan that ass for thinking I could traffic women.
“Mr. Salvatore, are you aware of the charges being brought against you?”
I straighten my tie, causally leaning back in the chair. “I am.”
“Has your counsel advised you it’s in your best interest to remain silent?”
“He said no such thing. I am innocent.”
The judge raises his brows. “All right. Prosecution may proceed.”
“Mr. Salvatore…,” the cocky as fuck prosecutor thinks he has
me by the balls but thanks to my superhero women sitting across the aisle, we are about to throw him a major curveball. “Why don’t you save the taxpayers some time and money and plead guilty? We can sweeten the deal if you sing about other operations.”
“Objection!”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I reply at the same time my attorneys go berserk.
The judge picks up his gavel, banging it angrily. “Sustained.”
The prosecutor goes for the bait, he saunters over to his desk, puts in a pair of gloves and picks up my journal. “Mr. Salvatore have you see thus before.”
“Of course. I’d recognize that anywhere.”
“And it is?”
“My notebook.”
“Your notebook?”
“Yes.”
His eyes light with excitement thinking I’m going to fall into his trap all the while he’s diving headfirst into mine. “May I read a passage to the court?”
“Certainly,” I nod.
He clears his throat. “I THRUST MY BALLED FISTS into the pocket of my trousers. I’m only fifteen but I already dress like il sovrano… the ruler of the family. My shoes are handmade from the finest Italian leather and they silently tread on the marble floor as I eavesdropped on my Uncle Franco, eating dinner with the heads of three different crime families.
He pretends otherwise, but I knew my uncle yearned to rule. But I’m my father’s eldest living son and it was my turn to reign next. That is if my Zio Franco doesn’t off me to take his shot. He and the rest of the made men held council as they drank red wine and boasted about our latest victory. It took a while for all the men to gather while the police and the government condemned the latest blood bath. We even caught the consternation of the Vatican in Rome, so the celebration that we won the war had to wait. But tonight, The Fiorelli’s are no more. We drove them out of Palermo and extinguished their flame. Only I knew one tiny candle still burned.
“It’s Roque’s crown to wear.”
“The boy is not ready. His hand not bloodied enough, his dick’s never been wet.”
“He took care of the Fiorelli girl. He snuffed her out without blinking once. His father would be proud.”
Zio Franco’s large hand smacked the table. The dishes jumped with a clatter. “I rule until he comes of age. He’s not ready. He’s full of teenage hormones. He’d make rash decisions that would jeopardize all our businesses.”
“Like a mass murder at a funeral gathering? Even our own women and children were hit in the crossfire. It was foolish, the order you gave. We could have held him, his, and his brat while escorting our own out the backdoor. Instead it was mayhem.” The head of the Castellione outfit shook his head and puffed on a cigar.
Through the crack in the door, I watched my uncle shrug. “Collateral damage. Fiorelli killed my wife and my baby on Christmas Eve. If my mistake was passion, so be it. Vengeance was ours.”
“You’ll groom Roque as your brother wanted. I promised your brother his son would wear the crown. I make good on my word.”
“His shoulders aren’t strong enough to support his head. The crown can be heavy, full of thorns and soaked with blood.”
“If you hurt him there will be payback, Franco. Murdering the next-in-line is against our code.”
My uncle laughed. “Hurt him? Roque? The boy is all I’ve got since Fiorelli murdered mi familigia.”
But I saw it in the glaze in his eyes. The way he balled his fist next to his wine glass. Uncle Franco was no longer family. His lust for power was stronger than blood. He wanted me dead and gone, buried like all the rest. I knew he had a mistress. With me out of the way—he’d start over as the DON with a new wife and baby. I could feel it just as strong as the little Fiorelli’s girl’s heartbeat against the flat of my hand where I held it on her neck before I squeezed…” shall I go on?”
I shrug. ‘It is riveting fiction.”
“Fiction?”
“What did you think it was? Romina and I have been working on it for years. Since we met as children at a garden party. We wanted to capture a Romeo and Juliet type love story and be rich and famous someday. But we wanted ours to be edgier, more Pulp Fiction…did you like it? We already have multiple offers for the book rights.”
“Using your real names?”
“Like I said we were kids and wanted to be famous. Using our real names accomplishes that.”
His face turns the color of my woman’s hair. “Preposterous!”
“Really? I thought it was quite good. My daughter Chloe even thinks so.”
“You let her read this… this crap?”
“Hey! That’s a work of art! He’s brilliant and talented!” Chloe yells out.
The judge puts his head in his hands, pounding the gavel down again.
“My attorneys have the copyright, registered with the US Patent office, Romeo Roque or Twisted Poet? Which is a better title?”
“Savage Poet!”
“Villainous Poet!”
“Get them out of here!” The judge roars at my “#team Roque hash taggers who snuck inside the courtroom.
I snap my fingers at my attorneys, “Write those down. They were good.”
“Step down,” he orders.
“Mrs. Fiorelli, will you please approach the bench with counsel.”
I nod and my attorneys walk with Red. We brush by one another and I stop her, lift her left hand to my lip and grin as I kiss the back of her hand where my ring sits. From my seat I hear every word.
“Ms. Fiorelli is that your diary?” The judge motions for the prosecutor to bring her books.
“No. Those are my writing journals. Roque wrote the antagonist slash hero/villain and I wrote the protagonist. We were supposed to meet up someday and put it all together. But then… we grew up and grew apart.”
“But you both kept writing?”
“I knew. I always knew. Not every girl falls in love at ten. Meets the love of her life that young but I did. The story is my imagination of what would’ve happened if Roque and I really were the enemies our parents wanted us to be, but we never wanted that. We just wanted to be together.”
“At ten?”
She shrugs. “I always had a romantic heart.”
“And your dream man a dark character?”
“I grew up in the mob, sir.”
He waves her away.
“What about the other charges. Trafficking?”
“My client’s a hero. He did what the government couldn’t. When he realized what was happening, he single handedly went in and freed hundreds of missing girls from around the glove, getting shot in the process. Every one of them will testify under oath. All two hundred.”
“We added that to the book!” Romina pipes up.
“Silence. Or you’ll be held in contempt of court.”
“I’m calling a recess while I look over the evidence in my chambers.”
“All rise.”
“I think it worked!”
“Shush, Chloe.” But she’s right. I taste victory and one hell of an unexpected pay day. My attorney shows me the figures Rafe negotiated for a three-book deal with movie rights. During the pandemic, the movie studios started getting into the publishing business to make money and picked their bestsellers to turn into films.
“My phone’s blowing up! The media is going crazy! We are on every major network. YouTube already has two million hits! Chloe, shows me her phone.
Ten minutes later the judge comes back, dismissing all charges. As we rise, he stops. “I expect tickets to the premiere… I like Romeo Roque.”
I turn to Red. “Destination wedding? Elope in Vegas?”
“Hell, no!” Chloe chimes in. “I want the works. The church, the big white dress, and horses. Your love story must end with a carriage and horses.”
“She did save both our asses,” Red grins.
“Well, Squirt, is this a happy ending or what?”
“It is. I have a family a real, bad-ass family. And a ba
by brother or sister…”
“What?”
Red nods. I don’t care who sees me weep on live TV as we circle Red and place our hands on her tummy. I might be a monster or a villain or maybe just a dark prince. Take your pick, you’ve read my story. You can judge. All I know is I’m one lucky bastard to have these two women in my life, loving me for all my faults, mistakes and bad pieces that make me. But I’m not all bad pieces, somewhere along the way an angel came down and sprinkled some good ones in.
Here in their arms, I’ve found my redemption and I thank God every night I did.
Epilogue
ROQUE
“Roque! Over here! Who do you think will be cast to play you in the movie?”
I smirk, pausing for a second. Camera’s flash. The reporters fight, each vying to get their microphones closer, eagerly waiting my response.
“Is there anyone who could portray me? Please? I’ll play myself.”
“What about Romina? Who will play her?”
“Maybe, I’ll scrap the movie deal and make it a documentary.”
My phone lights up immediately. My agent’s name flashing. I already signed the multi-million book and movie deal to Universal for the rights to turn my fucked-up love story into an adapted screenplay.
“Told ya’ it was the best love story never written.”
“Not any longer, squirt. Who do you want to play you?”
“I don’t care as long as they do me justice. I can’t believe we are famous. That our story is famous, and everyone knows it.”
“There wasn’t much I could do after the confiscated it.”
“You mean, besides, copyrighting it. Thank God, you had photocopied everything and kept it in your safe at the country house. Did you really like the title?
“Loved it. You nailed it, Chloe.”
“Are you ready?”
“Are you?”
“Definitely. It’s not every day a girl gets to walk her super famous, super villain, bad-ass mafia king dad down the aisle.”