And when he left, when he made the decision that cost him his life, I guess I felt like he deserted me…us. He made a conscious decision to break our connection, to tear apart those bonds, to leave us on our own to battle the heartache and life on our own.
Roman pulls me into his arms, stroking the back of my head as my body quakes with sobs.
I’m still fighting that battle.
And yet it’s a war I will never win.
Chapter Nineteen
Roman
I stand there, holding her as she weeps like her heart is breaking.
And here I am, getting ready to break it all over again.
“I lost my mother, too,” I murmur, stroking the back of her head. “I know it hurts, and I’m sorry.”
Her tears soak through the thin fabric of my t-shirt, grief quaking her whole body. We stand there, silent save for her soft sobs. I can’t fix this for her, much as I want to take away her pain and sadness.
I can only make it worse.
That’s what I’m good for.
When she finally pulls away, I sweep my finger under her eyes, wiping away her tears. “Chella, I know you feel like you’re isolated and alone right now. But don’t miss a chance to fix things with your father. If you’ve never listened to his side, maybe you should hear him out. He lost a lot, too, you know?”
She raises her tear-filled eyes up at me. They’re greener now, because she’s upset. It’s a realization that makes my chest tighten, and one I can’t really do much about since telling her the truth will open up a can of worms that needs to stay sealed for the time being. I can’t tell her how I know the truth. I can only urge her to find it out for herself.
“Why do you even care? I mean, he hurt your family way back when. And it’s because of him that Frankie screwed you over.” She sniffles.
I capture her chin in my hand. “I care because of you. Your father made mistakes, yeah. But it’s hard for me to hold a grudge when my family has been so successful. He definitely deserves to be punished for his scumbag ways, but trust me, he is. Rikers is a fucking hellhole, Chella. He’s paying big time.”
Jesus, if my brothers and father heard me talking like this, they’d go crazy. Me, being all forgiving and shit. Me, being so affected by a woman. Me, being…I don’t know…human, I guess.
She furrows her brow. “Are you saying all this so that I make amends before he loses something else?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m telling you this as a friend. Don’t waste any more time. Fix things while you have the chance.”
She backs away, wiping her eyes. “Is this because of what you’re going to do to Frankie if he doesn’t come through? If he fails you? You want me to let my father know he still has at least one kid left?”
I grasp her wrist and pull her back toward me. “Stop being so suspicious,” I say. “This doesn’t have anything to do with Frankie. This is about you and your pop. Period.”
Chella nods slowly. “It’s just weird that Frankie hasn’t called back and you’re here telling me to make amends with my dad.”
“Don’t read into it, Chella. I told you, I’m gonna take care of things.”
“Okay,” she whispers. “And I’ll think about the other stuff.” Bella yaps, winding her leash around our ankles as we walk up the five flights of stairs. I’m out of breath once we get upstairs, again. I really need to get some more cardio in.
I can think of a very carnal set of exercises to add into my day, too.
I open the door and grab my phone out of my pocket when it vibrates against my leg. A text from Bobby flashes on the screen.
I’ve got him.
I take a deep breath. “Chella, I need you to hang out here for a little while, okay? I have something to handle for work before the event tonight.”
She flashes a small smile. “So you trust me enough not to bolt once you’re gone?”
I wrap my arms around her and gather her close. “I’m pretty confident that you’ll stay put, especially if you know what’s gonna happen after the event tonight.”
“Are you going to leave me in suspense?”
“Let’s just say dessert won’t be served to you at the event. It’ll be served to you right here. By me.”
“Sounds delicious,” she murmurs.
I give her ass a squeeze and she lets out a tiny squeal. Of course, Bella joins in, jumping in between us for her turn to play. She nips at my ankles and Chella giggles. “You sure you have to go? Your girls want to play.”
“Later,” I murmur, dropping a kiss onto her lips. “Be ready.”
I walk out of the apartment and close the door behind me, leaning my back against it for a second. I hate like hell that I’m lying to her. If what Matteo told me is true, the Volkovs are edging closer. And they won’t wait. They’ll just plunder the shit out of our organization.
And God only knows what they’ll do to Marchella if they find her.
I need to do this.
I need to handle Frankie.
I need to show the Volkovs that they can’t fuck with our business.
I take the elevator down to the basement and jump into my car, the tires squealing as I pull the car out of the private parking garage. Twenty minutes later, I’m hurrying into the same deserted warehouse where I handled Dario less than twenty-four hours ago.
I’d really hoped I wouldn’t have to see the inside of this place again so soon.
The air is dank and damp, and a chill seeps into my bones as I near the single light shining toward the back of the building.
The interrogation room.
Or the maiming room.
Depending on the nature of the business being conducted.
I walk into the room to find Frankie sitting in a chair with Bobby holding a gun to the back of his head. His wrists are bound with duct tape, but he’s not tied to the chair. At least he’s smart enough not to make any moves to leave.
“Why am I here?” he yells. “And where the fuck is my sister, you bastard?”
I glare at him, my fingers itching to punch a hole into his jaw. But I stand down. I need him conscious to get my information.
There will be plenty of time later to knock him into next year if he doesn’t learn to keep his goddamn mouth shut.
“I know everything, Frankie,” I seethe, grabbing his hair and yanking his head back. “I know you have access to the drugs. I know you fucked with the Volkovs. And I know it was you who made that hit, not your father.”
He narrows his still-swollen eyes at me. “You don’t know anything,” he spits out. “I don’t have access to anything!”
“Bullshit!” I yell, pulling his hair harder. “You fucking banded together with Salvatore to set us up. Was it all about revenge, Frankie? Huh? You figured you’d screw us and walk away with a wad of our product at the same time? Enough to pay off the Volkovs and then some for yourself? Was that it? You’re looking to make a name for yourself, Frankie, since nobody in this fucking town will take you seriously because of who and what you are?”
“No!”
I let go of his hair and grab him by the neck. “Then tell me what I don’t know!”
“They were gonna kill my dad and Chella!” he chokes out, his voice raspy as he struggles for air. “Unless I got them the drugs! I can’t get what you asked for!”
“Goddammit!” I scream, shoving him against the back of the chair.
“But I can tell you one thing,” he says, clutching his throat as he gasps for breath. “They want more. And they’re planning another hit.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I hiss.
“Because you have my sister. And I’m afraid they’ll come for her, too. I need you to be ready for them or else you’re gonna lose a fuck ton more than you already have.”
“And I’m supposed to believe you…why? You’re a two-faced scumbag, just like your father. Why would I trust you?”
“Because of Marchella,” he says. “I know you don’t want her to get hurt. He
ll, I knew it years ago when we were kids. I saw the way you’d look at her. You haven’t forgotten about that, have you? You won’t put her in danger, Roman.”
“I don’t fucking believe you,” I seethe, clenching my fists at my side.
“If you don’t listen to me, the Volkovs will crush you! They smell blood and they’re gonna attack, don’t you get it?”
“Okay, fine,” I say. “Say I do believe you? How the fuck am I supposed to stop them?”
“They’re planning to hit you again tonight. You need to be ready for them. You need to move your shit before they show up. Get things outta that storage room as soon as possible.”
“And why the hell are you telling me? They’ll kill you if they find out.”
Frankie lets out a dry laugh. “I’m dead either way. Nobody will work with me because of my dad. I’m no use to the Volkovs now that I’ve already delivered for them. I should be the one rotting in jail,” he mutters.
“So I hear,” I say.
He looks up at me, his breathing labored. His eyes are heavy, riddled with anger and dejection. They used to be full of fire, but now they’re just filled with defeat. “You don’t know what it was like, Roman. To be yanked out of a life you loved and thrown into a new one. A fucking horrible one where you constantly have to look over your shoulder because you never knew when someone might jump out and slit your throat. All because of shit your father did.” He takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Do you know how many times I needed to run into the fire because of some shit he pulled? I bailed him out so many times because if I didn’t, I knew my mother and Chella would get hurt. Or worse. I know Chella thinks I’m just like him, but the reality is, I needed to be, so I could stay a step ahead of him.”
“What the hell happened with the Volkovs, then? Why’d you do it?”
“I was desperate,” he mumbles. “We had no money, shit was being repossessed left and right. We’d just lost Mama. I just snapped, I guess. I was tired of always being the one to bail out Papa and I figured this could be an easy way to make some quick cash. I had buyers lined up.” He shrugs. “The car was supposed to be empty. It wasn’t. The soldier manning the stash saw my face so I knew if I didn’t kill him, the Volkovs would come back for us. Papa got there just in time to save my ass from the cops. He took the fall, I don’t know, I guess because he thought my life was worth more than his on the outside.” He lifts an eyebrow. “Guess not, huh?”
I kneel down in front of him, looking at the beaten, broken down man who used to be my best friend so many years ago.
I give a swift nod. “I’ll be ready.”
“You can’t be there,” he says, his forehead pinched.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“If you’re there, they’ll know I told you about it. And they’ll come after Marchella and my dad and kill us all. You need to stay with her. I know you can protect her.”
“Why should I give a damn what happens to you or your father?” I growl.
“You shouldn’t. But you won’t hurt Chella like that,” he says. “You won’t let her lose the rest of her family. I know you, Roman.”
“Not anymore you don’t.” I hover over him. “You’re a piece of shit, Frankie. And I don’t owe you a goddamn thing. But Chella doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“You have the power to keep her safe and to keep her from getting hurt again,” Frankie mutters. “Don’t let the Volkovs win. I told you what you need to know. Get your guys on it and watch over my sister.”
I stare at him for a long minute, my arms folded over my chest before meeting Bobby’s gaze. “Make the call,” I grunt. He nods and pulls out his phone to give the order as he walks out of the room.
The corners of Frankie’s lips curl slightly upward. “What are you out to prove this time, Roman?” he says. “That baby bro can actually deliver for the family? That he’s just as much of a badass as the rest of the Villani men? That he can keep the empire protected?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I growl.
“You were always looking for your time to shine. You fucked around a lot because you knew you could get away with it. But then when you wanted to be taken seriously, nobody believed you’d amount to anything.” He lets out a menacing laugh. “I remember it all. You rebelling and then trying to find your place in a family that thought you were a useless fucking peon.”
“Fuck you!” I bellow, pulling him up from the chair and grabbing him by the shirt collar.
“You’re as weak and stupid now as you were back then,” he snarls, clearly not giving a damn that I’ve got a gun and he can’t protect himself at all.
I turn and throw him against the cement wall, letting out a loud roar that reverberates in the space.
And the sonofabitch just laughs.
At me.
The one thing I’ve been trying for so long to overcome is the one insecurity he just tore open like a wound that’s been scabbed over for over a decade.
“You really think I’d help you, Roman? Huh? After you fucked me over and kicked me to the curb back in Sicily? Little fucking prince. You knew who was gonna butter your bread and you weren’t gonna do anything to screw up your place!”
I launch my fist backward, ready to let it fly against his already bruised and swollen jaw.
Then I remember his wrists are taped together.
And I want him ready to fight!
I pull out a knife and cut the tape off his wrists. Then I toss the knife onto the concrete, edging close to him. He sways left and right, trying to get his bearings.
I catch Bobby’s incredulous stare as he walks back in but I don’t give a damn.
I want Frankie free right now.
I want to pummel him into the ground knowing that it’s because I’m stronger and more powerful.
I don’t want to pussy out and beat the shit out of him while he can’t protect himself.
That’s pathetic and weak.
And I’m not that guy!
Not any fucking more!
“Come on, you bastard!” I yell, holding up my fists. “You’re free! So fucking take the shot!”
He swings at me and I duck backward before landing a solid punch to his gut. He lets out a loud moan and hunches over.
“That’s all you’ve got, Frankie? That’s the best you can do?” I launch my fist out again once he lifts his head. It explodes against his jaw and he stumbles backward against the concrete. Blood oozes from the corner of his mouth and he glares at me. “It’s about time you learned how to throw a goddamn punch,” he hisses, launching himself at me. We crash into the chair, landing on the cold ground with a loud thud. I swing like my life depends on it, smashing my fists into his midsection, since I know that’s his weakness.
At least, since yesterday when my guys kicked the crap out of him before dragging him to my office.
I slam my fists into his face, his throat, his temple, all while my vision is blanketed in a deep red haze.
Fury floods my insides until my fingers can’t take any more and I collapse on the ground next to Frankie. His lip is split, his jaw bloody and even more bruised than before.
He rolls away from me, groaning as he lands on his side. “You can’t stop it,” he hisses. “I led the Volkovs to you to save my ass, Roman. I more than made up for what I took from them. I gave them the keys to your kingdom, and now they’re gonna plunder it until there’s nothing left! Because that’s what you deserve! You took for so long, now someone else is gonna take from you!” He struggles to get up and turns to look at me. “How’s that for karma, bitch?”
With all the force I can muster, I land one final punch and Frankie goes down like a bag of cement, his head cracking on the floor.
I stagger to my feet, raking a hand through my hair. “That asshole is working with the Volkov Bratva,” I mutter. “Did you lock down the drugs?”
Bobby nods. “I had more security put on the new location since we moved them after the first robbe
ry. The Volkovs won’t find anything if they show up again at Risk.”
I nod. “Good. Now help me get this piece of shit into my trunk. I’m not letting him out of my sight.”
“But what about the bratva? Frankie said they’re coming.”
“Make sure security is prepped at the club.” But a nagging feeling tells me the club isn’t the target. “I’ve gotta get back to my place now.”
Except, I don’t really know what the hell to do once I get back there.
I don’t have any bad blood with the Volkovs.
They run their territories and we run ours. Why the hell would they come into Manhattan to mess with our businesses, especially knowing we’re connected to the Severinov Bratva, our Russian counterparts in Las Vegas?
The Severinovs would decimate them.
They know that.
It doesn’t make sense.
I rub the back of my neck once Frankie is locked in my trunk, and I drive back to my building with crazed thoughts flying through my mind.
I feel like I’m missing something and I fucking hate it!
I dropped the ball once by not calling Matteo.
He needs to hear this firsthand.
I’ve been so focused on making a name for myself that I forgot the whole reason why I’m in this position in the first place.
I need to do what’s right for the family, not for myself.
Every time I lose sight of that, something else crumbles.
My chest tightens as I think of Chella back at my place, wondering where the hell I am.
What would she say if she knew I had her beloved brother laid out in my trunk?
I scrub a hand down the front of my face.
I can’t think about that now.
I need to focus!
I pull my car into the garage and dart up the stairs, bypassing the elevator completely.
Somehow, it feels wrong to take it.
Especially now.
I throw open the door to the apartment to find Dante lounging on the couch, flipping through Netflix shows. “Where’s Chella?” I say in a low voice.
He nods toward the bathroom. “Getting ready for that charity thing. She’s been in there for over an hour.”
Savage Beast: A Dark Mafia Enemies to Lovers Romance (Sinfully Savage) Page 20