Anthony

by Sydney Landon

  “And Caulder?” I ask, finding my voice for the first time in a while. I have a bad feeling that none of us are meant to leave here alive, so our only hope may be to keep him talking until someone comes up with a plan. I hope to God Tony can regroup enough to do it.

  He laughs, looking delighted at the question. “He was a dismal piece of humanity, wasn’t he, my dear? I mean, I really had no idea about all the years you were forced to be your father’s whore to protect your sister.” I freeze in horror when his eyes go to Jade. “Apparently, your lovely sister had to fuck business associates and whatever else your monster of a father dreamed up or he threatened to make you do it instead. Do you realize how rare that type of sacrifice is?”

  “Jacey.” Oh shit. Her pain. I can hear it. I try so hard to keep my expression blank, but somehow, she sees the truth there anyway, and she breaks before me. There are no tears, no screams, she simply shuts down and stares at some point straight ahead.

  Lee curses under his breath before turning his ire on Marcel. “What in the fuck is wrong with you?”

  Marcel steeples his fingers as if giving Lee’s question careful thought. “I believe you should recognize it well, my friend. It’s called retribution after a lifetime of being kicked around. Isn’t it very much what you did for Victor and for your daughter? Why is it acceptable for you, but not for me? You took Wrenn Wear for my brother. You interfered in things that were none of your business. Which is why I’ve returned the favor by telling your wife what the lot of you would have kept from her because you consider her too weak to handle the truth. It’s a pity she won’t live long enough to truly know how that type of thing eats away at you until you barely recognize yourself anymore.”

  “That doesn’t answer the question of Caulder,” Tony asks, sounding more focused. Thank God.

  “Oh yes, sorry I got off course. Well, Cassandra was nice enough to record the conversation between you and Jacey for me. After all, if not for me, she never would have seen her son. That’s right, I let her see you when Draco was off on one of his trips. No harm done. I even fixed her up with my old high school friend Lester, which worked out quite well for me later on. I’ll admit, I killed Caulder simply for the shock value and because I could. I got a bit overzealous, but he was a mouthy bastard and brought it on himself.”

  “Marco and Nic will know I’m here by now. I told Mike to pass it along when he called to confirm my meeting with Rutger.”

  Marcel doesn’t appear in the least concerned at Tony’s words. In fact, he appears smug and vastly amused. And seconds later, I know why. Mike walks into the study as if nothing is amiss. “Ah son, there you are. Haven’t we talked about how important it is to be punctual?” Marcel scolds lightly. What the hell? Mike’s his son?

  “Sorry, Dad. It took longer to get away from Nic than I planned on. Didn’t want to make him suspicious.”

  “Dad?” Tony croaks out, once again shell-shocked. When does this sideshow end?

  Mike has the audacity to clap Tony on the shoulder as if they’re still the best of friends. “It’s true. You know I was adopted at birth, right? Oh wait, my adoptive family didn’t share that news with any of you. They also didn’t impart the fact that they were paid very handsomely by my dad here to raise me.”

  Marcel looks like an eager kid at Christmas as he enjoys the stunned expressions on our faces. “I’m sure you’re not aware of it, Anthony, but John and Carmen already had a child when he became an active member of the family. Why would anyone question the infant’s parentage?”

  Tony shoots Mike a look of utter contempt before staring at his uncle. “The better question here would be why you gave what I assume is your only son away?” He glances at Mike. “And you don’t harbor any resentment that he never even acknowledged you as his? I can’t imagine doing the dirty work for someone who tossed me aside at birth.”

  I cringe, expecting Marcel to lose it, but he doesn’t. If anything, he acts as if this is going exactly as he wants it to, which makes me even more nervous. There’s more. “You raise a valid point, Anthony. It does seem a bit odd. And I feel almost as if I’m neglecting Michael by not having a surprise for him.” Marcel opens the desk drawer and pulls an envelope from inside it. He taps it against his other hand in a way that is like nails on a chalkboard. Mike is trying hard to feign indifference, but his eyes are riveted on the envelope. “Michael, as much as I’ve enjoyed being a father figure to you the past few years, it would be unfair of me to continue the charade when I’ve been so forthcoming with everyone else in this room. So, let me start by saying that you were born a twin. Granted you were the sickly of the two and weren’t expected to survive. But your father believed you to be weak, and he had no respect or patience for what he perceived as a severe character flaw. Therefore, one son remained with him and arrangements were made for you to go to another family.”

  “What are you saying?” Mike smiles uncertainly, still believing this is part of the game Marcel is playing.

  “Give your father credit. He did keep you close but not out of love. He wanted to make sure your identity was never discovered. He didn’t like to leave things to chance and having you used against him at some point in the future was not an option.”

  “You’re fucking insane,” Tony snarls. “I could give a fuck about this traitor,” he adds as he points a finger at Mike. “But enough with the fucking stories. The only proven fact so far is that you’re a sadistic, lying son of a bitch.”

  Marcel narrows his eyes at Tony and then opens the envelope and pulls something out. He tosses it in Tony’s direction, where it lands at his feet. “I think you’ll recognize your father in that picture and possibly yourself as well, but the infant the nurse is holding is Michael. Your brother.”

  Jade comes out of her daze long enough to gasp, which mirrors my own reaction. Even Lee seems shaken, which scares me more than anything. Nothing perturbs him other than his wife’s distress. Tony studies the photo in stunned disbelief. “Why?” he asks, clearly taken aback at the proof he’s clutching in his hand.

  Mike looks from Tony to Marcel. “This can’t be true. I wouldn’t…how could you ask me to…my brother?”

  “Yes, yes,” Marcel says grandly. “Let’s save another ten minutes of denial and reassurances. Anthony is indeed your blood brother. Cassandra gave birth to twins. If it’s any consolation to you, Michael, she left the hospital thinking you were dead. You were not expected to live, and Draco told her that you had not. He didn’t want to deal with the unnecessary drama of her growing a conscience at the thought of you being given away. You know mothers and their bleeding hearts. A sick child could have made her change her mind about leaving. And really what did she have to offer? A career military officer with no family and two infants? She simply wasn’t strong enough to deal with that emotionally or financially.”

  “But she came back.” I speak up, having no idea why I’m defending a woman who sold her babies to a mafia king.

  “She did.” Marcel nods. “After all the dirty work was over. But I’m not going to quibble over it. She’s been a great asset. Without her spying on her son, I’d never have stayed ahead of him, even with Michael’s help.”

  “But why?” Tony asks. “Why would she supposedly come back because of me, then basically assist you in your attempt to kill me?”

  “Oh, she thought she was keeping you safe. I may have filled her head with a bunch of nonsense about the family wanting to kill you because you were investigating your father’s death. I told her I needed the information to protect you. And a mother would do most anything for their child…especially when there’s a healthy dose of guilt involved for abandoning them.”

  As Tony visibly struggles to process this, Lee says skeptically, “So this whole elaborate web of lies, murder, and whatever the fuck else you’ve done was all because your brother scored more women than you did? Isn’t that taking jealousy too far?”

  Lee, shut up. I realize everyone wants answers while Marcel is so
eager to talk, but I’m not sure that insulting a madman is exactly the way to go. For the first time, it dawns on me that we’re all staying of our own free will, as he doesn’t even have a gun. Or if he does, he hasn’t shown it yet. But I also know Tony isn’t likely to leave until he’s heard everything Marcel has to say. There might never be another opportunity. Because either we’ll be dead, or he will. There is very little hope that we’ll come out of this alive. Marcel laughs, but there’s a decided edge to it now. “Empires have been toppled, fortunes acquired and lost, and countless murders have been committed in the name of love. Ask yourself, Lee, what wouldn’t you do for the woman at your side? Then imagine yourself loving not one woman, but several in your lifetime, and each time losing her to an arrogant man. Can you even fathom the gut-wrenching betrayal of overhearing the woman who you loved with every part of you laughing at the idea that she’d really have left her husband for you? And then discovering that the whore had packed her bags and was leaving everything behind, including her own children, for your brother, a man to which everything was expendable. He may have been infatuated with Jasmine Wrenn, but it would have burned out. He didn’t know how to be faithful to anything other than the crime empire he’d built and the blood money he’d acquired through it.”

  “And what of Victor? Why was it necessary to murder him as well?” Lee asks softly. I can hear the pain in his voice as he speaks of his former mentor and the man who had been his only real father figure.

  Marcel waves a hand indifferently. “Collateral damage. I had nothing against him. It was simply the fact that Draco let his guard down when he was with his best friend. He wasn’t as paranoid after he’d had a few drinks and was goofing off with Victor. And there was the small fact that he possibly recognized me that day. I’m not sure why you’re upset. You benefited handsomely from his death. If I hadn’t taken him out, he’d still be alive, and there would have been no inheritance. You’d still be an active member of the Moretti family and the little family you prize so much would be in grave danger every moment of their lives.”

  “I’ve had enough of this shit,” Tony snarls before turning to Mike. “If you want to continue being the lackey for this bastard, then more power to you. After the way you’ve betrayed our brotherhood, I don’t even care.” He glances at Lee before adding, “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  Marcel clicks his tongue. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple, kid. Why don’t you look closely at the beautiful Wrenn sisters?” I see Tony’s face go pale, then hear Lee’s indrawn breath. What? I have no idea what has made Tony look so helpless, but it’s then that I truly understand what the hell I’ve been through is nothing compared to the thoughts of losing the man who just hours earlier had declared his love for me. If those moments of happiness are all there is for me, then I’ll die knowing I loved more in hours than some people do in their entire lives.

  * * *

  TONY

  I swallow hard as I stare at the red points on light on the foreheads of Jacey and Jade. Lee has seen them as well, and he’s livid. But he’s also terrified. This entire thing is so surreal, and I feel as if I’m in the middle of a nightmare. My uncle murdered not only my father but also Jacey’s mother. I have a twin brother, who enabled my uncle to spy on me. And I have a mother who has lived in my house for years under false pretenses. What the fuck else? I have just opened my mouth to ask my uncle where the guns are located that are trained on Jacey and her sister when I notice the bookcase behind the desk is ajar. Has that been open this entire time? I knew the panic room existed, but to my knowledge, it hasn’t been accessed in years. The barrels of two pistols emerge first, then one of Jacey’s guards, Bishop, appears carrying a pistol in each hand. All that’s missing here is fucking Santa Clause. Cassandra’s role in arranging my security has come back to haunt me in a big way. My own mother was privy to enough details in my life to literally bury me alive. Bishop doesn’t appear contrite at all. He simply tilts one pistol slightly in greeting before saying, “Sorry about this, boss. Nothing personal; it’s just business. Got a family to support and your uncle here pays better.”

  Marcel motions at Mike. “Please collect Tony’s and Lee’s guns. Gentlemen, don’t insult my intelligence by denying that you’re carrying. I’m fully aware you’d never leave home without.” I bite back a curse as I pull my Glock from my ankle holster and hand it to Mike. He refuses to make eye contact and seems in a hurry to get away from me. Lee also has his gun in an ankle holster, and he narrows his eyes in anger as he gives it to Mike. Brother or no brother, he is our enemy. Mike tucks both guns in his waistband before dropping his shirt back down.

  Marcel leans forward in his chair, and it strikes me again how much he looks like my father. Which seems to make this even worse somehow. Distract him. Keep him talking. My mind is desperately searching for a plan, and I know that Lee is as well. There are two guns and four of us. There is no way Bishop can take us all—but he doesn’t have to. Marcel knows we’d never risk their lives by attacking. Right now, our hands are truly tied. A thought occurs to me. “I assume you poisoned Marco?”

  “Actually, it was Mike, but yes, I’m indirectly responsible.” Indirectly, my ass.

  Mike has been quiet since Marcel broke the news of his true parentage to him. I steal a quick look his way and find him watching me as well. I have no idea what he’s thinking, but I can’t imagine it’s good. “And the fact that he ended up being found by a Gavino. I’ve never bought into that being a coincidence.”

  “We couldn’t fully ensure that would happen”—Marcel nods— “but we hedged the bets in our favor. You boys should really have learned something from Draco’s death and stop being so predictable. You frequent the same restaurants quite often. In researching the Gavino family, I come across the lovely Nina—Franklin’s stepdaughter. She seemed the easiest point to sow a seed of distrust between the two families. And as luck would have it, she lives in the city very close to one of Marco’s favorite restaurants. Mike suggested eating there, then he canceled at the last minute. Luckily, Marco decided to eat alone since he was already there. Granted, he had passed out too far away from her place for her to find him, so we were forced to relocate him. We planned to leave him closer to her building, but it was simply too risky with the number of people around that evening. Walking that dog was a real lifesaver, especially for Marco.”

  “And what of Tommy and Frankie? Are they involved in this as well?” I ask. If I’m to die, then I fucking well want all the answers.

  Marcels snorts. “The only thing they’re guilty of is stupidity. According to Mike, they skim a bit off the top at times when they can, but it’s nothing a lot of the other guys don’t do as well. They had nothing to do with your father’s death. They aren’t smart enough for something of that scope.”

  Bishop shifts his hold on the pistols in his hands as he says, “This is dragging on for too long. I don’t know how much longer Lester will be out. Trust me, you don’t want him waking up; the dude’s nuts.”

  “So where’s Clint?” I ask, attempting to keep one of them talking.

  Bishop rolls his eyes. “Clint’s straight as an arrow. There’s not enough money in the world worth him selling his honor. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that way.”

  Marcel gets to his feet and pulls a gun from his lap. “Yes, well, as my associate has pointed out, it’s time to wrap this up. I think I’ll keep the Wrenns for a bit longer. After all, one does remind me so much of her mother, so it would be like stepping back in time. Perhaps young Jade can watch as her sister suffers for her one last time.”

  “Over my fucking dead body,” Lee hisses. “You will stay away from my wife and her sister.”

  Marcel raises a brow, looking amused as he asks, “And who do you think will stop me, Jacks? With you and Tony out of the way, there really is no one left. I can promise you that I’ll play the grieving uncle so well that the family will never question a few more disappearances. Hell, I’ll be doing them a fa
vor. I’ll keep the Wrenns out of sight while I enjoy them, then they too will disappear. So, this is the end of the line for you, my friend. There is no one to save either of you.”

  At that moment, the unmistakable sound of a round being chambered has me turning toward the doorway. Cass…with her Glock in her hand. Her eyes are full of apology as she looks at first me, then Mike. She knows. She takes a few steps farther into the room until she’s facing Marcel. “That’s where you’re wrong. I may be almost forty years late, but this time, I will save my boys.” There are tears in her eyes as she comes to a stop between my brother and me. “I’m so sorry. I was young and alone. I didn’t have any options.” Turning to Mike, she adds, “And they told me that you were dead. I never knew any differently until I overheard it on the household intercom.”

  “This is so touching,” Marcel utters as if he’s bored by the whole ordeal. “But you’re just as expendable as your offspring, Cass. You should have stayed away.”

  And then it starts. A moment of complete chaos much like the night Hunter Wrenn was killed. Gunshots are fired as I leap across the room, dragging Jacey onto the floor and falling on top of her. Lee does the same with Jade. There is so much noise that I have a hard time believing it’s being made by only the people in this room. Finally, it is quiet. I raise my head but can see nothing through the smoke around us. “Stay down,” I say to Jacey as I get to my knees and move at a crouch to survey the room.