by Bella J.
I took a deep breath and pulled my hands through my hair. My gut felt like someone shoved concrete slabs through my stomach. I wasn’t normally the type of guy who stressed too much about shit. But this wasn’t just any shit. This was Layla. This was the woman I loved, and that kind of upped the stakes. For years, I had lived like a man with nothing to lose, because truth be told, I really had nothing I could lose. Layla tore my heart out and took it with her, leaving behind a heartless bastard who didn’t give a shit. Now that she was back, I was suddenly a monster with a fucking heart, a beast with a weak spot…a demon with a goddamn soul. Karina was right. If I had to lose Layla all over again, I wouldn’t survive it. Not again. Not this time.
“Dante.”
I looked up and found my dad staring at me.
“Come join me in my study.”
Oh, fuck me sideways.
“Dad, I really—”
“It wasn’t a request.” The warning in his glare was loud and clear, and I sighed as I reluctantly walked into his study. I glanced at the grandfather clock, the loud tick-tock annoying the fuck out of me. As a boy, I used to daydream about taking a ten-pound hammer and smashing the fucking thing until it was nothing more than splinters. It was a miracle the damn thing was still standing with me living in the house.
It was just before ten in the morning, and since I couldn’t destroy the irritating as fuck clock, I thought it was as a good a time as any to start drinking. I poured myself a glass of bourbon.
My dad closed the door behind him. “Make that two.”
I shot him a sideward glance. “That’s very much unlike you, Dad. Drinking before noon.”
“Oh, trust me, it’s not the first time.” He took a seat on one of the leather couches, rubbing his palm down his face. Only then did I notice how tired he looked with the bags of fatigue under his eyes. The old man was getting—well, old.
“Dad, are you okay?” I handed him his drink.
“What do you think? Our family is on the verge of a full-on war. My son is a walking time bomb because of some woman. And I have a nephew with the potential to be the next American psycho walking around the house.”
I took a seat across from him. “You forgot having Lorik as a future son-in-law.”
“Don’t remind me.” He rubbed his temples, and I was once again reminded why I didn’t envy my dad, or Antonio, for that matter. All the worries and responsibilities causing the wrinkles around my father’s eyes would one day be Antonio’s. Thank God for the whole “the firstborn will take the throne” thing. I was not ashamed to admit I would have sucked being the boss. I was a lot of things, but a role model to others by adhering to the rules wasn’t one of them.
“Listen, Dante—”
“Dad, I know what you’re going to say.”
His brows knitted together. “You do?”
“Yes.” I tossed back my drink and placed the empty glass on the table next to me. “I understand your concern about the Layla and Matteo situation. But my instincts are telling me there’s something bigger going on, and—”
“Dante—”
“No, let me finish.” I took a deep breath. “For years, I’ve done everything you expected of me. You and Antonio trusted me enough to eliminate every threat, and to deal with delicate matters, things you couldn’t afford to get your hands dirty with. Now I’m asking you to trust me, to trust my instincts. Because, by God, I know I’m right about this.” I stood, my determination driving every action. “I know Layla is nothing more than a pawn to the Mancusos, and all of this is their plan to put our family in fucking checkmate. Am I the only one seeing the bigger picture here?”
My dad raised his hand. “Calm down, son. We are well aware.”
I balked. “We?”
“Yes, we.”
The door opened, and I expected Antonio to walk in, but what do you know, it was the “favor” I had called.
“Hello, Dante.”
I smiled, knowing that along with him, my fucking victory walked in as well. “Castello Fattore.”
A grin tugged at the edges of his mouth. “I believe you’re in need of my help.”
“That’s the fucking understatement of the year.” I shook his hand before pulling my palm down my face. The relief I felt was indescribable. If anyone had the influence and the means to help me, it was Castello Fattore. He was the fucking mobster king of New York City. Those who thought they had the balls to go against him usually lost them. And having him as an ally meant mountains could be moved on your behalf. Having this man owe you a favor was like owning the key to Heaven.
My father stood. “Castello and his family arrived early this morning. It appears he has been in your debt.” He shot me a knowing look, but I pretended to not notice.
Castello walked closer while unbuttoning his suit jacket. “Indeed I am. Your son here is quite…resourceful, Lorenzo. And this has proved quite valuable to me and is also a give and take friendship I’d like to keep for a very long time.”
I saw the way my father looked at me with a giant question mark on his forehead. But the little fact that I supplied Castello with a very hard-to-get-your-hands-on anesthetic drug in order to torture one of his employees was not something my father needed to know.
Castello gave a slight nod, and I knew it would remain our secret. After all, it was something he needed to do to save the woman he loved—which was exactly what I was trying to do right now. Castello and I had what you would call a mutual understanding.
Castello took a seat. “As I’ve shared with your father earlier, I have managed to gather some useful information regarding the Mancusos. Information I’m sure would be quite valuable to your cause, Dante.”
“What kind of information?”
His lips curled upward. “Information which would give you exactly what you need.”
“And what’s that?”
His gaze remained etched on mine. “Time.”
Man, it was easy to see why he intimidated ninety-nine percent of the population. The man reeked of confidence, demanding everyone’s attention simply by walking into a fucking a room. He was a hard as fuck, ruthless Italian crime boss, and someone you didn’t want to fuck with. Ask the poor bastard who once was his head of security but ended up six feet under because Castello tortured him to death in the most horrific—or as Lucio would say, most beautiful—ways.
I sat, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. “I’m listening.”
Castello folded his hands as he leisurely leaned back on the couch. “There’s a shipment coming in tonight at Boston Harbor.”
“What kind of shipment?”
Castello seemed amused. “Fruit.”
“Fruit?”
He nodded. “Pineapples from Brazil, to be exact.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
Castello rubbed his chin. “Apparently, the Mancusos have become increasingly creative with how they import their shipments of illegal narcotics.”
For an intelligent man, I felt really fucking stupid at this stage. “And the pineapples—”
“Basically, they are stuffing the pineapples with cocaine and heroin. They cut the tops off, hollow it out, and place the drugs inside before putting the top back on.”
And then the lightbulb went on. Click. “Ohhhhhhhh.”
My dad poured some bourbon into a glass and handed it to Castello. “This is why we couldn’t figure out how they were getting the drugs into the city without us knowing. Our contact at the harbor had no clue.”
I leaned back. “Fuckers aren’t as stupid as I thought. So, what exactly are we planning to do with this information?”
Castello took a sip of his drink. “I’ll arrange for the container to be held at the harbor. The Mancusos won’t be able to get to it, and word on the street is they are running dangerously low on stock. They can’t afford a holdup on this shipment.”
“Okay. What’s the plan after you hijack—so to speak—the container?”
He smiled
. “By holding back the container, it will give you leverage to use to your advantage. How you use it is up to you.” The smirk on his face screamed of amusement.
Sly motherfucker. There was a reason he was one of the most feared in our society, yet the most sought-after ally.
“How long do I have?”
“I can keep the container on lockdown until morning. Just keep in mind,” he stood, buttoning up his suit jacket, “by paying you back a favor in this way, I am putting myself and my family at risk, which is why I will only stay here with my wife and daughter until sunrise.”
That little fact set him apart from other men in our position. Where most men would put their family in hiding when business was going down, Castello chose to take his wife, Tatum, and daughter, Emily, with him. He believed there was no better person to keep them safe than himself. Where he went, they went. Rumor had it his wife was also a force to be reckoned with. An all-American girl turned Mafia queen. Go figure.
I stood and shook Castello’s hand. “Thank you.”
“My debt to you will be paid by this time tomorrow. Some advice, though.” He leaned closer. “A man’s strength is measured by the way he loves, and by the way he is loved. So if you have to slit the throat of every motherfucker who threatens your woman, then you do it with a goddamn smile on your face.”
I’d swear to God, I was on the verge of getting a hard-on. This man had instantly become my fucking idol.
I nodded in acknowledgement, and when Castello walked out the door, I turned to my dad. “Thank you.”
“I’ve never doubted you, Dante. But you must remember, my first priority is the safety of this family.”
“I know that.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “But one thing I’ve learned from Karina’s debacle with Enzio is that my family’s happiness is just as important as their safety. If Layla is what you want, then I will do everything in my power to help you.”
“Thank you, Father.” I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and hugged him. Times I saw eye-to-eye with my father happened few and far in between. But when it happened, it felt good.
“Does Antonio know about this? About Castello helping us?”
“I invited him to join our meeting, but he said he had something to take care of first.”
I poured myself another drink. “I’m pretty sure Antonio is going to have a mouthful of opinions over everything we just discussed without him.”
The door was flung open, and Lucio stormed in with a big “shit is about to go down” look on his face. “Antonio is taking Layla.”
I put my glass down. “What?”
“Move your ass, cousin.”
I rushed after Lucio, out of the study, straight to the front door. When I got outside, I was just in time to see Layla get into Antonio’s car.
“Layla, where are you going?”
The way she stared at me with a sullen look, I knew. I just fucking knew.
“Layla, no!” I moved down the stairs as fast as my feet could carry me. “Antonio, don’t do this!”
“I’m sorry, brother.” Antonio got into his car, started the engine, and my heart felt like it was about to leap out of my throat.
“Antonio, stop!”
The engine roared, and tires screeched across the asphalt.
“Motherfucker!” I ran so damn fast. But there was no way I could have caught up with them. When I stopped, watching Antonio’s Audi speed down the driveway, I knew. I didn’t need it spelled out for me. I knew what he was doing. What they were doing. Layla was running again, and because Antonio never approved of my relationship with Layla, he was helping her.
Antonio was helping her by taking her back…taking her back to them.
Chapter 16
Layla
I couldn’t stop staring at him in the side mirror. Dante.
My heart broke over and over and over again the longer I stared at him. He looked defeated as he fell down on his knees, screaming after us.
“Layla!”
A tear slipped down my cheek as I closed my eyes. The sound of my name mixed with heart-wrenching desperation in his voice killed me little by little. But he left me no choice. He didn’t know the risk, what really was at stake. And I couldn’t tell him. If I did, it would have only placed him in more danger than he already was.
“He’ll understand.” Antonio’s voice was strong, but the low note of uncertainty echoed through.
I fixed my gaze on the road ahead, the large black gates already open, allowing Antonio to race out of the estate. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Antonio shifted gears. “I am. Once he knows the truth, he will be able to put the pieces together.”
I sighed, the heaviness in my chest making it increasingly difficult to breathe.
“Why me, though? Why ask for my help?”
I gave him a sideways glance. “I’m aware of your dislike for me, Antonio. But even though we never got along, you were always the voice of reason.”
“Things change.”
“What things? Are you going to tell me you’re no longer the one who thinks with his head and not his heart?”
His gaze cut my way before returning to the road. “I was talking about me disliking you.”
Surprised, I kept looking at him for a few seconds. I never thought I’d see the day when Antonio Valenti would actually start liking me.
He cleared his throat. “I disliked you because I thought you were making my brother choose between you and his family. And then I disliked you even more when you broke his heart.” He snorted. “You have no idea what that did to him. It turned him into…” His voice trailed off. “Never mind. The point is, I understand now.”
I smiled through my heartache. “I knew you would. Dante can’t help but think with his heart when it comes to me—to us. Unfortunately, that is his blessing and his curse. I couldn’t chance it by telling him the truth. Not before I know everyone is safe.”
As Antonio sped through the streets of Boston, I didn’t even bother to look out the window. I had no interest in anything other than making sure my family was safe. The people on the streets were going on with their lives, completely unaware that I was about to sacrifice mine. I envied them the simplicity. My life was anything but simple. But it was the price I paid for falling for a man like Dante. Yet I was convinced that no matter the outcome if I had to do it all over again, I would still give him my heart. Only I wouldn’t have run. It was a foolish mistake…a mistake I would pay for in full.
“Are you sure it will work?” Antonio’s voice was no longer hard, but rather soft and compassionate.
I bit my bottom lip, doubt poking out its ugly head. “I’m not sure about anything anymore. But I have no choice but to believe it will.”
He turned to me, his gaze settling on the hollow at my inner arm. “And what about that?”
“That’s not my biggest problem right now.”
“When was your last hit?”
“I said I can handle it,” I snapped at him. Truth was I had been handling it since last night. Dante thought I was just restless in my sleep, but I was restless because my veins felt like they were pumping lava instead of blood. Sweat trickled down the side of my face, and I wiped it away.
“I might be a junkie, Antonio, but when it comes to him, my instinct to protect is much stronger than my craving for a hit.” And that was the God’s honest truth. He was the only reason I was doing this. He was the only reason I was still staying strong, determined to see this through. Matteo underestimated me by thinking the heroin would control me and persuade me to do his bidding. But I was stronger than that. He made me stronger than that.
I rubbed my elbow, my skin starting to itch. “You have the address Kate gave you?”
“Yes.”
I breathed out. “Good. You’ll go straight there after?”
Antonio rubbed his temple. “Yes, just like we discussed.”
It was written all over his worried face. He hated
lying to his little brother. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, Antonio. If there was any other way, I never would have asked you to do this. But there is just no other way.”
If I had a nickel for every time I had tried to think of a plan to get us out of this mess with all of us alive and well, I’d be fucking rich by now. There was simply no way. No matter how hard I tried, there was no solving this puzzle without someone dying. But this was the only way for me to ensure I was that someone, rather than someone I loved. I’d already started my eternity in hell the second Matteo placed that very first needle in my arm. After that, I never saw the light again.
“I know I said he’ll understand,” Antonio started, “but there’s no way in hell he’ll ever forgive me for this—even after he finds out the truth.”
Sorrow filled me to the bone while my chest cracked wide open. “I’m sorry. I know now that leaving was the worst mistake I ever made. I wish I could go back and change the past, but I can’t.” I choked back more tears.
“I just don’t get it,” Antonio said. “Dante was ready to give everything up for you, his family. So why still leave when you knew he was giving up the life he had held a secret from you?”
I closed my eyes. I could still remember how confused I was, how unsure I felt about anything back then.
“You can’t leave, Layla.”
Kate stood by my bedroom while I sat on my bed, tears running freely down my cheeks.
“You need to stay here so we can deal with this together.”
My heart thudded painfully inside my chest. “He can’t know.”
“Why not? He has a right to know.”
I shook my head, my mind a maze of thoughts. Thoughts which only led to one conclusion—I had no choice but to run. The day I fell for Dante Valenti, I didn’t realize what I was signing up for. He kept a huge part of his life a secret from me, and now I was stuck in the middle of this huge mess, and the only way out was to run.