Warning [Part Three]

by A. D. Justice

  The squealing and screaming that followed was nothing short of the loudest ear-piercing alarm. Mama flew up from her seat and grabbed Jillian in a full embrace. Happy tears flowed from her eyes, and a huge smile was plastered on her face. “Of course I’ll go with you, bellissima regazza. And don’t you worry about a thing with the wedding. I would be so happy to oversee every detail so you don’t have to stress over anything.”

  “There is one detail I’ve already settled on.”

  Mama leaned back to look at Jillian. “Whatever you want, bella, you will have. Just tell me, and I’ll make it happen.”

  Jillian kissed Mama’s cheek then moved her gaze to meet mine. “Damon took me to look at a house today. I want us to become husband and wife in our new home.”

  “That is a great idea, doll.”

  “I agree, Jillian. That is a perfect idea. Where is the house? What does it look like?” Mana grilled me for answers, wanting all the details of our soon-to-be new home.

  To satisfy her curiosity, I grabbed my phone and pulled up the real estate office website. We scrolled through the pictures they had online, giving her time to examine each one. She was thrilled for us, and I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she planned the shower, wedding, and reception in the enormous house and grounds. That was fine with me, though. I wanted to fill the property with love, laughter, and the best memories when we moved in, from the very first second.

  Mama, Carrie, and Jillian spent the rest of the evening talking about the wedding and making plans to go furniture shopping together. Dad took advantage of their distraction and asked me to join him in his home office for our own discussion.

  “Son, I’ve given this a lot of thought. My mind was mostly made up before we found out about Leo’s betrayal, but that just solidified my decision. It’s time for me to retire and enjoy my remaining years with your mother while we’re still healthy and young enough to do what we want.

  “We’ve talked about returning to Italy for an extended trip for a long time now. After the babies are born, I won’t be able to drag your mom away from them long enough to go on a trip. So, after your wedding and honeymoon are over, I’m retiring and handing the reins over to you. You’ll be the official Boss of the Marchetti family. Have you thought about who your next-in-command will be?”

  “I have, and I’ve decided to ask Marco. He’s had my back my whole life, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else running the family with me than him.”

  A pained expression crossed Dad’s face, an unusual show of emotion for him. “I once thought the same of Leo. But he and I were not close as children as you and Marco were. This family is much closer. Plus, Marco knows he’d answer to all of us if he stepped out of line.”

  “Marco has never been jealous of me, Dad. He probably doesn’t even want to be the Underboss, but he’ll do it because of his allegiance to me.”

  “You’re right—he’s never been too interested in creating the rules, but he’s good at enforcing them. He’ll serve the family well in that role. Good choice, son.”

  We spent the hours following that conversation poring over every business transaction Dad had set up during his time as Boss. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but not by much. Going through the list with him was more eye-opening in a different way. Dad had taught me everything he knew—but he hadn’t kept up with the times and technological advances. Carrie was right when she said our family had to join the current century or our rivals would get the upper hand on us before we even knew what happened.

  She deserved credit for that, but I couldn’t give her a high-ranking position and put her in an automatic line of fire. But I could make her a lieutenant on the business side, separated from the enforcers. Her expertise would be acknowledged at least, and she would gain the respect of the men in that aspect. If they admired her, they’d also protect her, knowing she was an asset to the family but not a threat to their standing. My mind was made up, and I planned to share the idea with Carrie when Jillian and I went to her house the following day.

  After my training session in the antiquated methods Dad used was over, he locked his desk and the office door behind us. “Let’s find the women and see if we have any money left after they’ve been shopping on the computer all evening.”

  My brothers were in the den, watching a reality TV show and mocking the people who believed the hype. We found Mama, Jillian, and Carrie in the formal living room. All three of them were glued to the computer screen, oohing and ahhing over whatever had captured their attention.

  “Have you three set the wedding date, closed on the house, and finalized the wedding plans yet?” I walked straight to Jillian and leaned down to kiss her.

  Carrie quickly clicked the mouse, changing the screen before I could even get a glimpse of what was there. I cut my eyes at her, unconsciously narrowing the corners while I read her expression.

  “We’re looking at wedding dresses, babe. You can’t see any of them before the wedding, or you’ll ruin the surprise and the fun of it. I want the one I choose to be a complete surprise.”

  Funny how just a few words from Jillian cooled my flaming temper and set my mind at ease. And just the opposite was also true. Just a few words from her could set my whole body on fire and push my mind to the limits. I fucking loved the hold she had on every part of me.

  “Fair enough, doll. That’s one secret I don’t mind you keeping since I’m the one who gets all the benefits from it.”

  “As for the date, we’ve decided when the wedding will be. Jillian is four and a half months pregnant now, so you’ll get married when she’s around six months. That’ll still give us time to arrange everything after you move in to your new house, and Jillian will still feel good before the third trimester begins.” Mama wasn’t asking if I approved of the timing; she was telling me I approved.

  Jillian looked down and ran her hand across her protruding stomach. “In six weeks, I’ll be huge.”

  “Don’t worry about it, doll. In six weeks, you’ll still be just as beautiful as you are now. Probably even more so with the pregnancy glow.”

  “Maybe I should wait until closer to the time to pick out a wedding dress. If I wake up the day of our wedding and it doesn’t fit, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  “You’ll walk down whatever aisle at the new house you three have picked and marry me wearing your pajamas for all I care. Our vows are what I care about the most. Putting the ring on your finger and changing your last name are tied for a close second.”

  “Oh yeah, that reminds me.” Jillian stood and walked over to my father. I could tell she was nervous by the slight shake in her hand before she laced her fingers together. “Dad?”

  My father looked up at her, his eyes wide, his eyebrows reaching for his hairline, and his bottom jaw hanging open. She’d called him Dad for the first time, and my usually stoic father forgot all about keeping his poker face intact.

  “Yes, cara?”

  “I wanted to ask you for a favor, but I don’t want you to feel obligated. If you’d rather not, just tell me and it’ll be fine.

  “For you, I will do whatever you ask of me. What is the favor, cara?”

  “Will you walk me down the aisle? I don’t have anyone left in my family to do it, but now I can’t imagine it being anyone but you.”

  Dad stood and pulled Jillian into a bear-sized embrace. He would deny it until his dying breath, but I heard the quiver in his voice when he answered. “I would be honored to walk you down the aisle, bella. But I can’t guarantee that I’ll give you away now that I have you. You and Carrie will always be my little girls.”

  “You might be able to convince me to share her from time to time for odd jobs around the house, as a loaner. But I have to insist you give her to me on our wedding day. You have no idea how badly I need her to take my last name so I can say I have papers on her
.”

  “Is this really what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life?” Jillian’s deadpan expression was a ruse. She couldn’t hide the teasing glimmer in her eyes any more than I could.

  “You know it, doll. Till death do us part.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jillian

  Our prenatal visit with Dr. Bowers went as expected, with one minor point. He was very old-school, and though I insisted I felt fine, he insisted on treating me as a high-risk pregnancy. That meant more frequent office visits—and more of Damon watching my every move like a hawk zoned in on its prey.

  Good thing I enjoyed being my man’s prey.

  When the doctor announced I’d need more frequent sonograms to monitor the twins’ growth, the extra visits suddenly didn’t seem all that bad.

  “But everything’s okay with Jillian and the babies, right?” Damon instinctively slid his hand across my stomach, cupping the ever-growing bulge in a protective move.

  “Everything’s just fine. This is more precautionary since twins tend to come prematurely. The extra sonograms let us measure growth rates from month to month. I prefer to get ahead of any potential problems if at all possible. We’ll do the next one when you come back in two weeks. Do you want to know what you’re having?”

  “No, we don’t want to know until the moment they’re born. It’ll kill me to wait from now until then, but I love the thought of being surprised.”

  “Technically, Doc, she doesn’t want to know until they’re born. I want to know right now, but I’m going along with this plan because I love her. And because she’s the one who has to go through the pregnancy and delivery, so I figure she deserves to make this call.”

  Dr. Bowers laughed with us and nodded. “With her small frame, carrying twins may be a little rough on her toward the end. She’ll be beyond ready to get this over with. But we’ll take good care of her, don’t you worry.”

  Of course, that only made Damon even more hypervigilant about my comfort and safety. Had I been the type to take advantage of someone, I could’ve milked the situation for everything I wanted. But since I still enjoyed being moderately independent, I wasn’t ready to give in to being a kept woman. Even if my quote-unquote prison was a beautiful mansion.

  “Seriously, Damon, I’m fine. Dr. Bowers just told you not to worry. That doesn’t mean you should worry more than you already do.” We walked out of the doctor’s office, Damon’s hand on my lower back, and headed toward the car.

  “He said twins are considered high-risk. That means we have to be more careful with everything you do. More rest. Less stress. Definitely no more shootouts in the middle of the night.”

  “Well, I’ll agree to the last part. I’m not staying in bed all the time, though. Your mom is doing all the heavy lifting for the wedding, but I plan to be intimately involved. Put your caveman tendencies away, and realize women have been giving birth to babies for centuries upon centuries now. I’m sure we can manage with all the high-tech care we have today.”

  “So, I guess dropping you off at home before I go to Carrie’s to discuss the embezzlement scheme is out of the question, then?”

  “That is absolutely out of the question. I’m the one who found every bit of that information. You’re not cutting me out now.”

  Later that evening, we pulled into Carrie’s driveway for our working session, but Damon grabbed my arm when I started to reach for the car door handle.

  “Babe, seriously, I can open the door for myself. I’m pregnant—not helpless.”

  One side of his mouth quirked up in the sexiest smirk. He tilted his head to the side and arched one eyebrow. “Believe me, I know how capable you are, doll. But something is off, I can feel it. Indulge me for a minute and sit right here while I check it out. When I’m sure the coast is clear, I’ll let you know.”

  “Okay. We’ll wait right here until you signal it’s safe.” I patted my stomach then watched him exit the car.

  The truth was I didn’t like Damon being in the line of fire any more than he liked the idea of me being a target. But since he had more experience in that area than I did, I heeded his warning while I held my breath. He walked around the car, appearing nonchalant when he approached my side, but I knew better. His keen eyes scanned our surroundings, homing in on any potential danger with pinpoint accuracy.

  When he opened my door, I knew he’d spotted what had raised his hackles.

  “Want to fill me in on what you know, Damon?”

  “It seems Lorenzo has volunteered as Carrie’s personal security detail. I wonder if she knows.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s sitting in his car over there.” Without moving his head, Damon indicated the direction with his eyes. “From the look of him, he’s been there for a while. I’d almost think he was on a stakeout if I didn’t already know he’s not a Fed.”

  “He worries about Carrie the same way you worry about me. You should cut them some slack, you know. I don’t even know him, and I can tell he’s crazy about her. If he makes her happy, where’s the harm in supporting their relationship?”

  “Maybe you’re right, I don’t know. All I know is I was the last one to find out about it, and that didn’t sit well with me. We’ll see. I’m not the Boss yet.”

  I laughed out loud before I caught myself. “Damon, you may not have the official title yet, but that doesn’t mean you accept anything less. I mean, your approval of Carrie’s boyfriend holds more weight than anyone else’s.”

  “You have a solid argument there, doll. But there’s a reason why they look to me for the final say-so. That’s because my reputation proceeds me, and they’re more afraid to cross me than anyone else.”

  “Thank you for further making my point, Damon.”

  Carrie met us at the door, and we followed her into the command center in her basement. True to her word, she’d been doing her homework on the accounts and money transfers we believed Geno had made.

  “This whole plot just took a new twist.” The excitement in her voice immediately conjured a vision of her rubbing her hands together in an evil madman fashion. “I may have broken in to the offshore account where the money is being deposited and found other deposits. I also may have backtracked those funds to their origins…and found the money that has been trickling out of Lorenzo’s account—the Ponzi scheme account.”

  “So, who is behind this—Lorenzo or Geno?” Damon’s expression hardened, and I knew exactly where his thoughts went. If Lorenzo was behind the scheme, his presence outside Carrie’s house might not be benevolent, after all.

  “My opinion is this has Geno written all over it. The funds transfers started before the showdown at his garbage station. He wanted his son to take the fall for the money and for Jillian’s mother. He wanted you to kill Lorenzo that night, then while a war raged between the families, he’d take the money for himself and run.” Carrie clicked between screens, showing us the dates and amounts deposited into the offshore account.

  “But you don’t know that for sure, right?”

  “No, I don’t know for sure, Damon, but I can make an educated guess.”

  “You know I don’t work off guesses. I want confirmation.”

  “Well, let’s just call up Geno and ask him ourselves. I’m sure he’ll be forthcoming with us about all of his plans.”

  “Smartass. I have a better idea. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

  Carrie looked at me with raised eyebrows when Damon rushed out of the room. That was one battle I wasn’t interested in getting caught in the middle of, so I shrugged my shoulders. “You know how your brother is. Give him a minute, and you’ll have more questions than answers.”

  “You just summed up my life with him in one sentence.”

  The front door slammed shut just before we heard the sound of heavy
footfalls on the stairs—from more than one set of feet. I didn’t have to turn around to see what had so completely caught Carrie’s attention. Or, more accurately, who caught her attention.

  “Lorenzo.” She scrunched her eyebrows together while her eyes darted between the two men. “What are you doing here?”

  “So you didn’t know, after all.” Damon took his seat next to me and pointed to an empty chair. “Have a seat, Lorenzo.”

  “I didn’t know what?” Carrie was still trying to catch up.

  “Lorenzo has been parked outside your house for what appears to be a while now. I wasn’t sure if you didn’t know or if you’d hired him as your new security detail.”

  “Why have you been sitting outside my house? Has something happened?”

  “I don’t trust my dad. He’s still around here somewhere, moving frequently so he doesn’t get caught in one place too long. He’s still in the area for a reason. I don’t want that reason to be you.”

  “As it turns out, your presence outside my sister’s house today is very fortunate. If you’re the one running this scheme, we’ll back off and let you have at it. If not, we have other plans for the money. I just need you to be upfront with me either way. Are you running money through the Blaine Financial accounts into an offshore bank?”

  “No. I stopped everything when I quit working there soon after Jillian went back to Louisiana. I left my offshore account in place, but that’s the extent of my activities right now. My mind has been otherwise preoccupied.” Lorenzo cut his eyes to Carrie for a split second before meeting Damon’s gaze again. “Who do you think is behind it?”

  “We’re almost one hundred percent sure it’s Geno’s operation. You should also know it’s set up to trickle money out of your offshore account. Looks like your father plans to bleed you dry.” Damon kept his eyes locked on to Lorenzo’s, gauging his reaction to the news. Deciding if Lorenzo was telling the truth or not.

  When Damon realized Lorenzo honestly didn’t know anything about it, Damon’s facial features relaxed and a shadow of empathy passed across his eyes. He understood how a close family member’s betrayal shook the very core of a man.