by Reilly, Cora
“I’m coming over now. We need to consider what to do.”
Pietro made a small affirming noise. I hung up and closed my eyes. My God, Samuel. Remo would tear him apart piece by piece and record it for all of us to see. Maybe he’d even do it in a live video and force us all to watch or he’d kill Serafina as well.
We didn’t hear anything from Samuel or any of his companions nor could we reach them—until the next day, when a beaten but alive Samuel and a badly tortured and dead Outfit soldier were delivered to our outpost near Camorra territory.
I called Pietro the moment I got the news then headed over to their mansion. Danilo was already there when I arrived. He hadn’t bothered with a suit like he usually did when he met me. This time he was in casual chinos and a white shirt. He like Pietro looked as if they hadn’t slept at all. I had been in the safehouse until way past midnight and hardly slept two hours, so I knew I didn’t look any better.
Pietro stalked toward me the moment I was in the lobby. “He’s alive?”
“Yes, and not seriously injured. They beat him up. He suffered a broken wrist and a few broken ribs but apart from that he’s okay.”
Ines and Sofia hovered in the doorway to the living room. Relief settled on my sister’s face and she leaned against the doorframe as if her legs couldn’t carry her much longer. “What about Fina?”
I shook my head. “We don’t know anything. I didn’t talk to Samuel yet. He’s flying over with a private jet now. He should be here soon.”
Sofia hugged Ines tightly, crying softly.
Pietro released a deep breath.
“I’m surprised Remo let him live,” Danilo said with a deep frown. “I think we can all agree that it’s not an act of mercy. That bastard doesn’t do mercy.”
I had to agree. Samuel should have shared the same fate as the other Outfit soldiers. That he hadn’t could only mean Remo had something worse in mind. Something that would hit us just as hard or harder in the end.
I didn’t voice my thoughts because I feared it meant Serafina would suffer.
Danilo’s eyes conveyed he thought the same thing. He came closer to me, his voice low and insistent. “Remo’s going to be furious the Outfit breached his territory. He’s going to make us pay through Serafina. We must do something.”
“Another attack won’t save her. He’s now alerted, even more than he was before. If we try to free her, we sign her death sentence.”
“Maybe Samuel did already,” Danilo growled.
Pietro’s face was ashen as he listened. At least, Ines and Sofia were too far away to hear what Danilo had said.
“Let’s go into my office,” Pietro suggested.
Ines stepped in my way and touched my chest, her eyes swimming with worry. “What will you do with my son?”
It took me a moment to follow her train of thought then it hit me. Samuel had acted against my explicit order, had led several of my men into death. That was betrayal. Rocco was locked in our cell for that very reason, because he was worth more alive than dead, now more than ever. But Samuel didn’t have any worth for me. At least not a strategic worth.
For the kind of betrayal he had committed there was only one punishment: death.
Danilo slanted me a curious look. As one of my Underbosses, he had to put trust in me that I didn’t favor certain Made Men because of their status. I risked the distrust of all my men if I favored family.
Yet, Danilo was practically family too. Could I trust in him to keep the details of Samuel’s behavior to himself? Or had he perhaps already told others?
Ines’ hands trembled against my chest and her eyes begged me to be merciful. I’d killed for her, a man who was meant to become my Consigliere. I’d do it again. I’d never regretted my decision because Ines’ happiness had been on the line, her life even.
And today I was faced with a similar choice. Only now I had to decide not to kill a soldier deserving of death for his betrayal.
“Dante—” Pietro began but I raised my palm to stop him. I respected him but this wasn’t between him and me.
I lowered my head and said quietly. “For you, Ines. Only for you.” I covered her hands briefly and she released a shuddering breath. She nodded and I stepped back.
Pietro touched her back briefly as we moved to the office.
Danilo’s face was perfectly neutral. He was difficult to read.
“I’ll talk to Samuel. I’ll make sure he never acts out of line again,” Pietro said as we settled on the plush armchairs in his office.
I tilted my head. “I appreciate it. But he’ll have to answer my questions first. I’ll make my point very clear to him.”
Pietro searched my eyes, then nodded.
He knew I had to make sure Samuel obeyed my commands in the future. I didn’t want to be faced with another choice like today again. I cared deeply for Samuel, and I wasn’t sure if I could go through with killing him. And giving a kill order to Arturo or Santino was out of the question. If anyone did it, it had to be me. I hoped it would never come to it.
We discussed possible reasons for Samuel’s release but in the end, they remained speculations, until Samuel shed some light on the situation.
A while later, I got a call that Samuel was almost at the mansion.
Pietro hurried out to tell Ines but I stayed put to talk to Danilo. “You kept your thoughts regarding my decision about Samuel’s punishment carefully hidden.”
Danilo pushed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “You are Capo. Your word is law.”
“It is, and yet I’d like to know your thoughts on the matter. You are Underboss and practically family.” I put an emphasis on the last word.
Danilo lowered his face. “Sometimes I’m not sure if it’ll still come to a bond between our families. Do you really believe we get Serafina back alive?” He glanced up, eyes tortured and angry.
“Yes. I think Remo’s plan is to send her back. If he wanted to torture and kill her, he could have done so right away. This is a mind game, and I think ultimately it’ll end in him sending her back to us in exchange for something.”
I realized he’d avoided answering my question once more. I stepped closer to him and squeezed his shoulder. “You are going to be family. This incident is a family matter and I expect it not to make the rounds.”
Understanding flickered in Danilo’s dark eyes. “Don’t worry. I can keep a secret if required.”
Rocco had said something similar to me many years ago. I hoped things with Danilo wouldn’t end in a similar manner.
I allowed Pietro, Sofia and Ines to have a few minutes for their family reunion after Samuel arrived. Bruises bloomed on his face and his eyes were bloodshot. His right arm was in a cast and his movements suggested his ribs made movement painful.
Danilo excused himself. He’d return for another meeting tomorrow morning. Then we’d know the details of Samuel’s release.
I glanced at my watch. Val and the kids would come over for dinner but I wanted to get my conversation with Samuel over by then.
Samuel caught my gaze and resignation filled his blue eyes. Ines’ eyes. My eyes.
I doubted I could kill him—ever.
Pietro clapped his shoulder lightly then Samuel headed for the office and I followed, knowing everyone was watching, waiting…
I was furious at him. Furious about his rash actions, but seeing him and the broken expression in his eyes, I realized that Samuel was already experiencing his own personal torture.
I closed the door of the office so we’d have privacy.
Samuel sank down in one of the armchairs and buried his face in his palms, letting out a shuddering breath.
I walked closer and regarded him for a moment. My nephew looked up.
“You went to Las Vegas behind my back.”
Samuel’s mouth twisted. “For nothing. Everything was for nothing.” He shook, closed his eyes. “I know I betrayed the Outfit, betrayed you by going behind your back. You should punish me for it.”
Yes, I should. I remembered when he’d taken his first steps. Carla and I had paid a visit to Ines at the time. Samuel was the first of the twins to discover the mansion on his legs but Serafina soon followed, always determined to be close to him.
I sank down on the sofa. “What happened?”
My voice was firm but free of anger, and I realized that was because surprisingly I hardly felt any. I would have tried to save Ines too. Samuel was young. He’d learn from his mistakes. It was painful but necessary.
Samuel swallowed. “We got overpowered. The Falcones, they are a unit. Nino and Remo…” His mouth pulled into a grimace. “They can’t be beaten in their territory…”
I gritted my teeth. It was something I’d told him before. “That’s why I didn’t agree to an attack. I knew it would fail.”
Samuel’s gaze became distant. “Yeah… but I thought I could save her.” He let out a tormented laugh. “Remo tortured Fina because of me. I heard her screams. Every time I close my eyes, I imagine what she went through… I… fuck, this is the worst.” His anguish was palpable. I remembered my turmoil when Ines was supposed to marry Jacopo, my worry over her well-being. I’d risked everything to protect her, had killed a fellow Made Man, my designated Consigliere. Samuel had gone against my order, true, but his transgression was small in comparison to mine from the past. I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. His blue eyes were full of misery when he met my gaze. Samuel and Serafina were twins, they’d always been together. What Samuel must be feeling now, knowing that she was in the hands of our enemy, not to mention one as cruel and twisted as Remo Falcone, it would have driven most men to rash actions.
“I’m sorry, Dante. I accept any punishment you have in mind for me. I deserve torture… I deserve to die for this.”
He shuddered under my hand.
“But please allow me to live until Fina is safe. I must know she’s safe before I pay for my betrayal. That’s all I ask of you.”
I shook my head and Samuel’s eyes turned down with resignation.
“I won’t kill you, Sam. Not now and not when Fina’s back home either.”
“Because of Mom.”
“Because of your mother and because I care about you. But don’t go against my orders again.”
“I won’t,” he said fiercely, but I knew that a promise like that was easily broken.
“And I won’t torture you either. I think you’re already experiencing the worst kind of torture.”
“Yeah… knowing that Fina’s suffering because of my stupidity.” He fell silent.
I pulled my hand away and leaned back in the chair, feeling exhausted. “Remo’s playing with us. He wants to break us.”
“He’s succeeding, isn’t he?” Samuel rasped. “I feel fucking broken. Leaving Fina in his clutches feels as if I left my heart behind. I wished he’d exchanged me for her.”
“He knows he can break us better by keeping her.”
“Fuck, I don’t care about his fucking plans. I just want to save Fina, Dante. We have to save her. You didn’t hear her screams. You don’t understand. Just imagine if he had Anna…”
I couldn’t. The mere idea that someone might hurt my daughter, it made any logical thought impossible, and I needed to keep a clear head in this situation.
“Attack Las Vegas, Uncle. Ask every Underboss and Captain and every fucking soldier for help and stomp that shithole to the ground.”
“We wouldn’t succeed. Remo would know about our attack before we’d reach Vegas and he’d prepare for it. He’d hide Fina somewhere else or kill her to punish us.”
Samuel shook his head. “We can’t just wait for him to give her back. He’ll have broken her by then.”
“I’ll reach out to him and try to come to an understanding. And while I do, I’ll see if we have any options to get our hands on someone we can exchange for Fina.”
“Remo doesn’t care about anyone like we care about Fina. I doubt he even cares about his goddamn brothers. They are close because they know they’re stronger together. Like a pack. Those psychos aren’t capable of human emotion.”
I worried Samuel might be right, but Remo had his own demons. Remo had one thing he wanted more than anything else. “There’s still the option of exchanging Fina for Luca’s new Enforcer. Rumor has it Remo wants nothing more than to kill him.”
“Luca won’t hand him over to us.”
“No, he won’t. But if all fails, we can risk an attack on Luca’s territory and try to get our hands on the man.”
Samuel considered that and seemed mollified by this option. It was a last resort. I preferred a solution with Remo that didn’t force me to heave war with the Famiglia to another level.
Remo had lain low for a while now and it made me suspicious.
It made all of us suspicious.
“He’s up to something,” Danilo said. He hadn’t returned to Indianapolis yet. A sense of urgency had taken hold of all of us.
Samuel nodded but he’d been quiet and subdued these last few days. He was struggling. I knew how it felt to carry the weight of past decisions.
“Giovanni’s trying to renew Rocco’s contacts to the MCs in Luca’s territory but it’s difficult.” If we wanted any chance of getting our hand on Growl, it had to be with the help of those erratic bikers.
“It’s not really my father’s scene,” Val said. “He feels more comfortable talking to politicians than to bikers.”
She and Ines were playing a board game with the children at the dining table while we men had settled on the sofas to discuss possible solutions. It was futile trying to keep everything from the children. After weeks of living in a state of emergency they had gotten used to it.
The bell rang.
Pietro frowned, glancing at his watch.
“I ordered clothes,” Ines said. Pietro had told her not to go shopping for the time being. I too had asked Val to stay home as much as possible. Once we returned to Chicago and I’d established new safety measures, she could return to her usual routine.
Samuel rolled his eyes but pushed to his feet. The guards wouldn’t have let anyone close to the door who hadn’t passed their initial screening anyway.
“I want to ride on a bike!” Leonas exclaimed.
“It’s too dangerous,” Val said.
“I’m going to be a Capo. That’s more dangerous!”
A smile tugged at my mouth despite the situation and Pietro even laughed. Danilo, as usual, looked stern. He was lost in his thoughts most of these days, probably imagining scenarios of Serafina’s current situation. Splitting his attention between Indianapolis and Minneapolis was getting more difficult by the day. I avoided thoughts of what Serafina was going through at all costs. They didn’t lead to anything but despair and rage. Neither was useful.
Samuel came into the living room, looking ashen. He held a parcel in his hands. “This was just delivered. A package from Remo Falcone.” His voice shook and when he looked up from the parcel, terror shone in his eyes.
Ines let out a whimper, covering her mouth with her palm.
Danilo shoved to his feet and I, too, stood, only Pietro seemed frozen in his seat.
“Do you think he sent us a piece of Serafina?” Leonas asked. I stalked toward the table, grabbed his arm and jerked him to his feet. He winced. “Upstairs,” I growled.
Leonas’ eyes flashed with shock. I released him and he stormed upstairs.
“You too,” Valentina said to Anna and Sofia who didn’t hesitate.
“Open it,” Ines whispered, pushing to her feet, throwing over her glass. She stormed toward Samuel as if she wanted to rip the parcel from him to see what was inside. I couldn’t allow that. Not before I knew what was inside. Ines was a strong woman, but some things were simply beyond what she could endure.
I slung my arm around her waist, stopping her. She struggled fiercely. “Let me go, Dante! Let me go!”
I didn’t.
“Ines, calm down,” I urged.
&nb
sp; She glared. “Would you calm down if Anna was in Serafina’s stead? If there could be her finger or ear inside? Don’t you dare tell me to calm down ever again, you hear?”
Ines had always been a poised, calm woman. She’d never screamed at me. Pietro finally stumbled to his feet and came around the table, hugging Ines to his body. “Ines, let us—”
“No!” Ines hissed and ripped away from Pietro. She staggered toward Samuel, who didn’t try to fight her as she ripped the parcel out of his hands and tore it open. A white bedsheet fell out of the box. It spilled onto the ground in soft waves, revealing a bloodstain.
Ines made a choked sound. For a moment, we were all frozen. There was no mistaken what the blood meant.
Samuel bent down, picking up a piece of paper attached to the sheets and began to read in a low, trembling voice:
Dear Dante, Danilo, Pietro, and Samuel,
I’m sure you’ve all gathered in this challenging time to congregate. This allows me to present my gift to all of you. Sharing is caring, right?
I always thought the Famiglia’s bloody sheets tradition was a ridiculous relict from the past, but I have to say I consider myself reformed. It has something very satisfying to present proof of your victory to your adversaries. You’ll be happy to hear that I let Luca know how I borrowed his Famiglia’s tradition to send you a very graphic message. He sends his regards.
In case your worry-riddled brains have trouble deciphering the sheets, let me spell it out to you. These beautiful virgin-snow-white sheets bore witness to Serafina’s deflowering.
I have to say, Pietro, you raised a firecracker. She fought me tooth and nail to defend her honor. It made my claiming of your beautiful daughter all the more entertaining.
Samuel’s voice died into a rasp. Ines sank to her knees, crying. Tears streamed down Val’s face, her fingers trembling against her mouth, her horror-struck eyes on me.
Danilo stared at the sheets, his face frozen, his arms hanging slack beside him.
Pietro had his back turned to us, his shoulder shaking. My muscles had seized up in a state of shock and an anger so profound it threatened to tear down walls I’d built over decades.