“I haven’t had a chance to say anything, Anastacia. I’ve been busy …”
“Angelo! Why would you not warn them that the woman you had ordered them to capture and bring to you if they saw her is here?”
Angelo shrugged and waved her off as he collected his things. “They won’t do anything when you walk in with me.”
Anastacia groaned. “You’re such a fucking idiot,” she muttered.
Angelo shot a glare at her. “Watch that shit, Anastacia. I’m not putting up with your damn attitude today. I think I took enough insults last night!”
“Oh, you mean when I found out about the other woman you’re fucking?”
“It’s not that big of a deal, Anastacia.”
“Bullshit! You moved that bitch into your house …”
“I don’t give a shit about Cynthia— I tried to tell you that. Having her in my life makes me look good. That’s something you taught me! Your father married Morgana because she made him look good, not because he loved her!”
“I will not be my mother!” Anastacia screamed “I will not be your dirty little secret! You can keep the woman who makes you look good, she can attend all of your events and shit— but you can’t have her and me!”
“Fine!” Angelo shouted. “Whatever! I’ve already accepted that. I kicked her out, but that’s not enough for you!”
“No, it’s not! You tell you love me, but you have yet to put me first! All you care about is money, business, and your reputation! Sometimes I wish I hadn’t helped you! Sometimes I wish I would have just left you alone! I shouldn’t have stolen that money from the Luchinis and helped you get to America. You’ve become a selfish asshole. I shouldn’t have taught you the ways of my father. Now you are too much like him.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“No!” Anastacia yelled, and hurt flashed across her face. “It will never be good for me. Soon you will have to move Cynthia back in with you. You’ll marry her and maybe even have more children. She’s what? 33? She’s young, Angelo. You have to give her children.” Anastacia ran her fingers through her hair. “She does make you look good, doesn’t she? She comes from the perfect political family. She can do much more for you than I can. If you want the front my father had, you need the socialite …” Anastacia’s jaw tightened as she tried to fight off emotions. She locked eyes with Angelo. “We tried,” she whispered, pain lacing her words. “But I can’t go back to being your mistress, Angelo. Not now that I know what it feels like to be loved, truly loved, by a man who put me and my daughter first …”
Angelo tried desperately to endure the pain of his heart breaking. He knew she’d been talking about Robert, and it tore him to pieces. He could put Anastacia first— all she had to do was give him another shot.
“Ana, I just need a little time, and I promise I’ll end it …”
“Please—” Anastacia waved him off. “That’s what you said about Anya. It had been enough time Angelo, but you stayed married to her and used me as your fuck buddy.”
“Ana—”
Anastacia raised her hand to silence him. “Don’t,” she said firmly “You used the money I gave you to start your business. You became successful fast, and you needed a good front. Anya fit as your wife. You could show her off to business partners, and they loved her. I didn’t fit. So you kept me a secret, and I let you.”
Angelo didn’t like where this conversation was going, he didn’t want them to be over. He needed Anastacia. “Ana, I love you …”
“Obviously, love is not enough. But we can save that talk for later …” she said quickly, changing the subject. “We need to focus on Nathan and Carter.”
Angelo nodded, ready to change the subject, too. It was beginning to take a bad turn anyway. “Do you think they’re okay?”
Anastacia sighed and shook her head. “We can only hope so,” was all she said before leaving the room.
***
Thirty minutes later— After the meeting.
Every man in the Salerno crime family stood completely still, too terrified to breathe. The screaming, the begging, and the sounds of knives ripping through flesh had finally died out, and a silence had washed over the room. What transpired in this family meeting would go down in history as the day every man present— both physically and via satellite from Italy and Las Vegas— learned a valuable lesson that each one of them would take very seriously … Do not, under any circumstances, fuck with Mrs. Salerno. Her message had been clear from the moment she walked through the sanctuary doors. Betrayal of any kind would not be tolerated … This day would go down in Salerno family history as the last family meeting to address the subject of betrayal …
Carterina “La pericolosa bellezza” Salerno, aged 23. Fathered by the most notorious hit-man that ever lived, Spook Steele, and mothered by one of the few highly feared and influential woman in the criminal underworld, Anastacia Stone. She is the wife of Nathan “The Russian” Salerno, business man, feared leader of “The Five”, and underboss of the Salerno crime family. Her place in the criminal underworld has been explained simply in her own words … “By my husband’s side” …
Carterina Salerno had taken the throne as the Princess of the Salerno crime family. A title earned, deserved, and taken in the most brutal of ways … the way every title in the criminal world was taken …
***
Thirty minutes earlier— The Meeting.
Nathan and Carter entered the long hallway just as Anastacia and Angelo exited the office, the guys and their men following behind them.
The guards lining the hallway to the sanctuary watched as the underboss and Carterina moved hand in hand down the hallway, a large entourage surrounding them. Nathan Salerno spoke in a low tone as they all walked and listened to his instructions. Men began to file out from behind them to stand alongside the other guards present in the hallway. Mikilo Valente came forward and yelled, “Line up,” while jogging forward toward the doors. He ran past Angelo and Anastacia Stone to stand in front of the large double doors leading to the sanctuary.
Angelo Salerno stood at the doors with Anastacia Stone at his side. They and everyone else watched as Nathan and Carterina stopped in front of the sanctuary doors and turned to face each other. The underboss reached forward and brushed his fingertips along Carterina’s cheek. She turned into his touch, closing her eyes and exhaling softly. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, and everyone heard him whisper his love for her. She immediately pressed her lips against his in a deep, passionate kiss. No one really knew whether they should be watching the exchange, but none could look away. There was something about their kiss, about the way they touched one another. It was … unnerving.
Eventually, the kiss ended, and when Carterina looked up at Nathan, a smile spread across her face and a dangerously beautiful laugh fell from her lips. The underboss looked at her with an evil smirk, confirming everyone’s fear— they had something planned, and only the two of them knew what it was.
Nathan took a step back from Carter as she smoothed the wrinkles from her sleek black pants suit and her black lace undershirt. She removed her jacket, revealing a shoulder holster with two gold knives and a holster around her waist packing five smaller knives.
Nathan nodded to the guys, and they removed their jackets as well, handing them off to the men behind them. He reached into his pants pocket and took out a cell phone. He placed the phone in Carter’s hand, lingering for a moment before releasing her.
Surprising everyone there— except Nathan— Carter asked Mikilo to step aside as she walked forward and opened the double doors of the sanctuary, making it clear to all that she would be taking the lead in this meeting.
Angelo frowned, immediately walking forward and pulling Nathan aside. “What the hell is going on?” he asked in confusion. “I told you to take the lead in this meeting, son. It would be better if Carterina stood at your side. It’s important that the men see you as a leader—”
“The
men know exactly who I am,” Nathan interjected. “Carterina’s not going anywhere. She’s going to be in this organization until we pass it on to our children. What’s important is that they see my wife as someone they should never think of fucking with. Not because they’re afraid of me, either, because I won’t always be by her side. They need to see her like this … and so do you …”
Without another word, Nathan turned from his father and joined Carter and the guys.
The men were the first to enter the sanctuary. The massive space was packed with the Capos, soldiers, and a few associates of the Salerno crime family. There were three large screens on the main wall— one showed the men in Italy and another showed the men in Las Vegas. They would be attending the meeting via satellite.
The floor of the sanctuary was a cold, gray stone, and the wall was a steel gray marble. Hundreds of men— and a few women— stood on each side of the room, leaving only a narrow walkway allowing the men to enter and join them.
The boss entered right after his men. When he did, the entire room went silent. Verbal reaction to what they witnessed would not be accepted by Angelo Salerno, and all of them knew it. So although a fear jolted through each of them when Anastacia Stone entered the room alongside the boss, no one said a word or made a sound. Many of the men were gazing upon her for the first time, and some were seeing her again after many years. And then there were the few who were smiling on the inside, happy to be in the presence of their stunning boss once again.
Angelo and Anastacia made their way to the left side of the sanctuary. They took their seats in the bosses’ seating area along with the Capos and invited associates.
After the Angelo was seated, Mikilo Valente stalked into the room. “Step back!” he commanded.
Immediately, they all did as he said, widening the walkway as Carterina Stone entered, the rest of ‘The Five’ in step with her. The underboss was on her left, and Kyle Valente was on her right. Lucca Salerno and Dante Luciano followed closely behind her, boxing her in as they made their way to the lone table in the front center of the room.
The men were unable to contain themselves this time. Shocked gasps echoed in the room when they saw Carterina Stone— alive— looking unscathed from the trauma they all knew she’d endured. The majority of them were happy to see the young woman alive, having mourned her death. But then there were the few men who knew Carterina Stone’s presence here meant absolutely nothing good for them. Giovanni Mancini’s entire body visibly tensed, and he had a sudden urge to run for his life.
Once they had reached the table, Mikilo ran to the back of the room and locked the double doors. He then turned and stood in front of them. His job today was a simple one. If anyone tried to escape, kill them in the most brutal of ways.
Carter strolled up to the table and turned to face the men of the Salerno crime family. A person in her position would normally feel jitters, but Carter was calm and composed. She showed no weakness because she felt none. She was pissed off. And to her surprise, it had nothing to do with confronting the men who had taken her father’s money.
A few minutes ago, Carter had been numb. She couldn’t feel anything because she was still in a state of shock. She had no idea how to react to all the bombs Anastacia had dropped in that motherfucking conference room. But the closer they got to the sanctuary, the more her reaction to the shit entered familiar territory. Carter didn’t know why she hadn’t expected this deadly turn in her emotions. Her reaction had been the same the day she’d witnessed her father’s death. Numbness and emptiness— and then all-consuming rage. Rage so powerful that it could cause one to do uncharacteristically brutal things.
Carter was filled with that same rage now, but this time it was a little different. This rage was accompanied by something still forming within her. She could feel a whisper of it behind the anger. It was an intense … sadness. A sadness twisting her heart into a painful knot. A sadness Carter had no intention of exploring because she dreaded it, feared it. She feared what it would make her do.
She was abruptly jolted from her thoughts when she felt Nathan’s hand on her shoulder. She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t remember she was standing in front of a large and curious audience. All eyes were on her, and she knew what they were thinking. They looked at her with pity. Like she was broken, fragile, or frightened. They probably thought she’d been weakened after what happened to her. And her mother and Angelo probably thought she wouldn’t be able to conduct the meeting because of what they’d just shared with her.
Carter gave her husband a reassuring wink. She was more than ready for this. She finally began to speak. “Gentleman, ladies …” She turned her gaze to the crowd. “I know you’ve all missed me. There’s no need to hide your excitement. Most of you thought I had died.”
Deep chuckles filled the room.
“We didn’t, Ms. Stone,” one of the men spoke up. “You didn’t fool us for a second.”
Many voiced their agreement with smiles on their faces. They became silent when Carter spoke again.
Carter laughed softly. “I’m glad you all had faith in me.” She lifted herself up onto the table behind her, and smoothed her flared black pants before crossing her legs. “Reno, dear. Bring me my gun.” Reno obediently came forward with Carter’s weapon.
Carter unstrapped one of her two gold knives, moving it to the holster around her hips. She attached her gun as she talked to the crowd.
“It wasn’t an easy recovery, but I made it with the support and care of my loved ones. My husband— yes, I said husband— and I took a little time off.”
She heard the whispers start, and she chuckled.
“Yes, I’m a Salerno now. I married the underboss.” She looked at Nathan. “And we’re deliriously happy.”
Nathan leaned forward and kissed her. The men ‘ooo-ed’ and ‘ahh-ed’. Nathan laughed, and Carter turned to them, holding up her middle finger.
“All right, silence now,” she commanded softly. “We need to get to business. First of all, I know you’ve noticed the presence of someone you were not expecting to be present here … ever. That person is my mother, Anastacia Stone. You will be seeing a lot of her. I advise you to treat her with respect. She will accept nothing less. Stay on her good side, and you won’t get your ass killed.” She paused for a moment to let that sink in. “Now, as for why we’re in the sanctuary … We have a handful of men who need to be punished today.”
Carter expected the looks of confusion she received, and she was ready to explain. She didn’t have a specific plan. Basically, she was just going to wing it.
Nathan watched his wife closely, her actions thus far sparking his curiosity. He wanted to see her handle this situation, like she’d handled many situations for the Salerno organization. At first, her long silence made him think she had gotten too nervous, that the information they’d found out today had finally gotten to her. But she was doing well. To be honest, he had no idea when he’d have a reaction to the information— he could barely think about that when he was too busy worrying about his wife.
The sound of Carter standing up from the table interrupted Nathan’s thoughts and forced him to tune in to her making her way across the sanctuary. Her heels clicked against the stone floor as she walked over to one of her men standing near the third large screen. She handed him the cell phone with the incriminating footage, and then she entered the crowd of men. They parted to make way for her with every step she took until she found— and stood directly in front of— Giovanni Mancini, twin brother of the late Gianni Mancini.
Nathan shifted a little. He didn’t know if he liked this particular move. Giovanni looked close to the edge when they had walked in. Nathan was sure the man thought Carter had died that day along with his brother.
“Giovanni …” Carter said his name softly.
Nathan stood up straight, ready to attack if the man dare put one finger on his wife. Then Carter surprised him.
She reached out and wrapped
her arms around him, pulling him into a warm embrace. Giovanni visibly hesitated at first before slowly wrapping his arms around her and hugging her back. The hug lasted a little too long for Nathan’s liking, but he couldn’t say anything. All he could do was watch. Carter knew exactly what Giovanni had done, yet she was hugging him, running her hand up and down his back. Comforting him the way one would comfort a grieving friend. Nathan saw all hesitation leave Giovanni at once, and he sort of melted into her warm embrace. He lifted her small body from the floor and hugged her tighter. When he held her closer, Carter tilted her head and put her lips very close to his ear. She looked to be … whispering?
It was an interesting sight. Nathan knew for a fact that Carter hated Giovanni. She’d ranted and screamed and had even broken a few pricey vases when she found out what he’d done. Now she was hugging him? Nathan tightened his fists at his sides. He was about three seconds from pulling them apart and shooting Giovanni in his head. But then hug ended.
“She hugged that bitch too long …” Kyle whispered tensely to Nathan.
Nathan nodded his agreement. “I was two seconds from killing him.”
Kyle chuckled. “Not the jealous type, huh?” he asked sarcastically.
Suddenly the atmosphere changed, forcing Nathan to tune back into what Carter was doing.
“Come,” she commanded Giovanni in the exact tone one would use when commanding a dog. Giovanni obediently followed her.
Once they’d arrived at the table, Carter took her seat and Giovanni stood by her like a good dog. Nathan smirked. The motherfucker kept his eyes forward, too afraid to look at the men standing to his side.
Nathan leaned back on the table to enjoy the show.
“About four months ago, there was a security breach in the Salerno Organization building,” Carter informed them. “Mitchell Romano was able to obtain the code— without the knowledge of the boss or the underboss— and set up an attack on the 27th floor. In all, he hired five hit men to help him kill me and my husband that day. I killed two, Nathan killed two, and the boss killed the last one while I was in the hospital. Mitchell nearly killed my husband and me, but my mother stabbed him in the throat— I envy her for that sweet pleasure. I would have enjoyed dissecting Mitchell alive, but hey …” she shrugged. “We can’t always get what we want.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, Mitchell is also the man who hired six hit men to kill my … my … fa-father …”
Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess Page 31