Hidden Deceit: A Mafia Romance (Corrupt Minds Book 2)

by Camille Alexander

  “What exactly is your plan? It’s not money you need; you have more than enough of that, so what do you want?”

  “I want what I’ve always wanted, you little gold digger. I want Gino to take his rightful place as the heir apparent of the Coli dynasty. He is the eldest son and should, by rights, take over from Antonio, not that little snot nose, Joe.”

  “Sorry to burst your bubble, Abriana, but that’s never going to happen. Even if, God forbid, something were to happen to Joe, Gino still wouldn’t take over from Antonio.”

  “Oh, really? And why is that?”

  “Because he’s an idiot with no people skills and the moral compass of a cockroach.”

  She slapped me hard across my face. More stars, great!

  “You little bitch! You have no idea the sacrifices a real mother makes for her child. Gino is my son, and even if his father won’t acknowledge him, I will always be in his corner.” Her face was red and her hands were shaking. This woman had some serious anger issues. I thought it better not to toy with her too much. I was too young to die.

  “Why take me? What’s your plan?”

  “My plan is to rid the Coli family of you and Joe. I can’t have another line of descendants getting in Gino’s way of claiming what is his. I’m using you to lure Joe. Then I’ll take care of both of you, personally. You know what they say, darling, ‘if you want the job done…’”

  My mind was racing. Then, it hit me like a bad smell. I remembered something else I was doing before they nabbed me. I was waiting for the results of the pregnancy test I’d taken. The tube was still sitting on the side of the vanity cabinet.

  JOE

  The word on the street was that there was no word on the street. How the hell a woman could be taken from her house at night without anybody seeing or knowing about it blew my mind. My gut was telling me that it wasn’t a crime of opportunity. Whoever had Ella had planned it for a while. They knew that we’d be back in Palermo and that it was the perfect time to strike.

  “Mario, who can help us roll over a few stones? The lowlife must be hiding somewhere nearby. Nothing in Palermo happens in a vacuum. Somebody must know something.”

  “This isn’t just any old criminal, Joe. It smells like money. None of the usual lowlifes were hired for the job, which tells me the kidnappers have their own people. It took pros to pull this off.”

  “Where does that leave us?”

  “Up Shit Creek without a paddle,” Franco chirped. “Can’t we break some faces until someone squeals?”

  “As satisfying as that sounds, Franco, we can’t start a turf war. If we whack the wrong people, we’ll be in a world of pain and all destruction. We better make damn sure or we’ll fuck up.” Mario turned away from Franco, back to me.

  “Joe, I’ve got a friend down at the precinct who owes me a favor. I’ll find out if the fingerprints they lifted from the house matches anyone we know. I’ll be right back.”

  He went to a callbox and dialed. After talking briefly to someone on the line, he hung up and made his way back to us.

  “And? Anything?”

  “One of the prints they lifted was partially visible. He’s doing comparisons to their database, now. He should have an answer for me within the hour.”

  “Let’s have a coffee. My nerves could do with a caffeine kick.”

  “Actually, that’s not a bad idea, Franco. Come, Joe, you need sustenance. It may be a long day.”

  The three of us sat in the coffee house, waiting for news of the identity of the filthy bastard that took my Ella. I saw her beautiful face every time I closed my eyes. I should have never left her alone in Sicily. What was I thinking? A wave of guilt washed over me as I thought of her lying somewhere, alone and afraid.

  After forty-five minutes, Mario went back to the callbox to check with his contact, while Franco and I waited. He hung up and shook his head. Fuck!

  “Sorry, Joe. They’ve got nothing.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? How can they have no clues whatsoever? Why do we bother lining their pockets if they can’t come up with shit?”

  “I’m sorry, Joe. I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Let’s go back home and see if there’s any news.” I stalked off to the car, Mario, Franco, and Fabio in tow.

  Back at the house, I found my father talking to Alicia and mama. The gang waited outside for me out of respect for the family. Poor Alicia was in a state; the woman had been through enough. They looked up at me as I entered the room.

  “Joe, my son, where did you go? We were worried about you.” My mother came over to me and hugged me.

  “Have you heard anything, Joe?” Alicia was in tears. I sat down next to her on the sofa and held her hand.

  “Alicia, I promise we’ll find her. Please, don’t worry. We have everybody out there looking for her.”

  “Joe, there's something I haven’t been able to show you, yet.” Alicia took a handkerchief from her bag and opened it slowly. She gave the contents to me. It was a glass tube, wrapped in plastic.

  “What is it?” I stopped dead as I realized what it was. It was a pregnancy test, and the little donut shape was as clear as day. Oh my god! My wife is pregnant. Ella is carrying our baby!

  ELEANORA

  I’d been alone in the dank coffee spot for quite some time when a young man in a fancy suit brought in a glass of water and a sandwich. For a batshit crazy bitch on wheels, Abriana had good manners. I was starving, and after sniffing and tasting the filling with the tip of my tongue, I dove in and devoured the food. I had no idea why I was so hungry. It probably had something to do with the fact that I’d vomited four times since waking up in the dump of a room I was in. It was most likely due to the concussion I sustained when Abriana’s gorilla whacked me on the head.

  Still woozy, I looked around the room to see if there was anything lying around I could use as a weapon. I refused to play the sitting duck again when they came to grab me. This time, I’d be ready for the cowards. A pallet in the corner of the room had potential. Nothing like a sharp wooden spike to the eye to get rid of an attacker. I wasn’t going down without a fight.

  I was thankful that they hadn’t tied me up. That was their second mistake. Snatching me was their first. Joe and the boys were going to make them pay. And God help them if Bria got into the mix! She could ballet kick the shit out of Rambo.

  I took off my jacket and wrapped it around my hand to prevent splinters from sinking into my flesh. On my second pull, I yanked a piece of wood off the pallet, steel nails included. I stood quietly, listening for footsteps, but heard none. The plank was a decent size, big enough to do the damage required in order for me to escape.

  The clock ticked on slowly as I waited for signs of life from the other side of the door. My stomach was in a knot. I didn’t think I could vomit anymore than I had already done. I was wrong. Maybe it was a stomach bug on top of being manhandled by a gorilla of a man. To add insult to injury, the room was cold. A blanket would have been an idea—then again, Abriana wasn’t exactly a warm and fuzzy sort. Fire breathing dragons didn’t need blankets.

  I had no other option than to wait to be rescued—or kick some ass trying to rescue myself. Where are you, Joe?

  Chapter Twelve

  JOE

  The shock of Ella’s pregnancy stunned me into silence. A myriad of thoughts cascaded through my mind as I stood staring at the tube with the floating donut. My mother looked at me with tears in her eyes.

  “Don’t you worry, Son. We’re going to get Ella and your baby back safely.” She turned and left the room, leaving me sitting on the couch, pale and suddenly exhausted.

  “Joe!” My father called my name as I heard the front door close.

  “Papa?”

  “Come here, Son. Come listen to this.”

  A young man, I reckoned in his early twenties, sat in my father’s study. He had his head bowed down as a show of respect to my father, nervously wringing his hat in his hands.

 
“Tell my son what you’ve told me.”

  “Yes, sir. I know who took your wife, sir. I’ll need protection from your family, Mr. Coli. If they find out I’ve told you, they’ll kill me and my family.”

  “Yes, we agree. Now out with it! Where the hell is she? Who’s done this?” My nerves were frayed, and I was in no mood to play the patient detective, interviewing a suspect for hours on end.

  “My cousin works for a very wealthy family. He came to me about two weeks ago and asked if I would help him with a very important job. My family is poor, sir. I’m not in the habit of turning down an opportunity to earn money.” He stopped as if he were afraid to continue.

  “Yes, yes. Out with it!” I was running out of patience, fast. I didn’t want to lose my shit and scare the boy into silence.

  “Yes, sir. When I asked him what the job was about, he said that it would be a quick snatch and deliver. I’m no saint, but when I heard who they were planning on snatching, I backed out. My cousin swore me to secrecy. If they find out I’ve squealed, I’m dead, and so is my mother and sisters.”

  “I will make sure no one touches you or your family,” my father said. “Now, tell us who’s taken my son’s wife.”

  The words he spoke next, hit me like a freight train. Never in my wildest imaginations did I see it coming.

  “Abriana Ferrari has your wife, Sir.”

  I sank into a chair in the study. I tried to get up but my legs wouldn’t obey my will. Abriana! What the fuck was she thinking? Then, the next thought arrested my racing mind. Did Gino know anything about it? Was he in on it?

  “If Gino has anything to do with this, Papa, I’ll kill him.”

  “Now, son, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He looked at the young man. “Do you know where they are keeping her?”

  “Not exactly, sir, but I remember my cousin saying something about a warehouse near the docks.”

  “Abriana’s family owns many export businesses. I know most of the operations and where they conduct them from. Thank you, young man. I’ll send someone with you to collect your family. You’ll be kept safe.”

  My father called one of his trusted men and instructed him to take care of the snitch’s family. After the boy had left, he instructed one of his men to call Gino to the study. I sat very still while my anger rose within me with hot, pulsing waves.

  Before Gino entered, my father spoke to me. “Son, I want you to leave this to me. If Gino is in on this, I’ll find out. I know you’re furious right now, and I don’t blame you. But let me handle this, please.”

  I sat very still as Gino entered. My father motioned for him to sit.

  “Any news, Papa?” If he were acting, he was doing a damn good job of it.

  “Yes, we have news, but you’re not going to like it. I want you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to tell you.”

  Gino shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but he didn’t speak. I tried not to rip off his fucking head—it was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.

  Gino looked at me and then back to my father. He kept his silence.

  “If you know anything about this situation, Gino, I’m going to come down hard on you. This is your opportunity to tell the truth. If you lie to me, I will forget the fact that we are blood. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “I understand, Papa. I can assure you that I have no idea who’s responsible. It’s no secret that Joe and I don’t get along, Father. It has been a strained relationship from the get-go. But I would never do anything to harm Ella. I would not disrespect you like that, Papa. Why are you asking me all these questions?”

  “I’ve had word that your mother is behind this. I know that you two are close. I’m giving you one more chance to come clean.”

  Gino’s face was gray. He was either a fucking accomplished actor, or he was as shocked about the revelation as we were.

  “My mother? Are you sure? It must be a mistake.”

  “There’s no mistake, Gino. Your bitch of a mother has taken my wife. If she harms even one hair on her head, I’m going to kill her. And if you are in cahoots with her, I’m going to forget that we are brothers and kill you too.” I glowered at Gino. He saw the rage in my eyes and visibly backed up in his chair. He turned to my father and spoke.

  “Papa, I swear. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I would never disrespect you like that. Never!”

  “Joe, I swear it’s not me. I have nothing to do with this. I love my mother, but she’s always been a loose cannon. She does what she pleases. I’m sure you know that better than anyone, Papa.”

  “Gino, I want you to keep your silence on this. If we’re going to get Ella back, safely, we cannot let your mother know that we have wind of her plot. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Papa, I understand. If I can help get her back, I will.”

  “Joe, I swear to you this is not my doing. I will help you in any way I can.”

  “You better be telling the truth, Gino.”

  “I am.”

  ELEANORA

  I must have fallen asleep from pure exhaustion. I woke up to the sounds of keys rattling in the lock. Abriana entered unannounced. Her ubiquitous presence filled the room as she looked down at me as one would at a small bug.

  “I hear your husband is desperate to find you. Isn’t that sweet?”

  “Smile while you still can, Abriana. Pretty soon, you’ll be laughing out the other side of your face.”

  Her expression took a dark turn—Cruella was pissed. Good. Come closer, bitch. I dare you. The nail will make a beautiful mess of your ugly face.

  “You’re rather brave considering where you are. Feisty only serves when you’re in a position of power, my dear.”

  “What do you want, Abriana?” I was tired of her rhetoric.

  “I thought I’d check in on my bait. You can’t catch a fish if the worm is dead.”

  “An interesting analogy, Abriana, seeing as you’ll be swimming with the fishes, real soon.”

  She let out a genuine cackle. “Oh, my goodness. It’s a pity I have to kill you. I could use a vicious little mouth like yours in different circumstances.”

  “The only useful thing that will come out of this mouth, Abriana, is for you to fuck off.”

  Her expression hardened. Her eyes shone with lava. She turned, walked out, and slammed the door behind her. The familiar sound of rattling keys announced her departure. If I were determined to kick her ass before, I was practically gagging for it at that moment.

  Ugh! Again with the nausea. What the hell did Mama put in that lasagna?

  JOE

  A note came. No name, no reason, just an instruction for me to bring five hundred thousand dollars in a bag and deliver it by myself to the address scribbled below. Very clever, Abriana; make it look like some illiterate lowlife threw the note together. The spelling was appalling.

  “There’s absolutely no way you’re going anywhere by yourself, Joe,” my father stated, unequivocally.

  “Papa, if Abriana suspects that I’m with muscle, Ella is dead.”

  “Son, we both know that she’s not short on cash. It’s not about the money. What do you think is going to happen when you go alone? She’s going to kill you is what’s going to happen.”

  “Papa, for now, she still thinks we have no idea that she’s behind this. That works in our favor.”

  “I agree, my son, but I can’t, I won’t, send you to your death.”

  “I won’t be alone, Papa. I’ll have Mario and Franco with me. Mario’s father has taught him well. He knows how to handle himself.”

  “That may be so, but you don’t know how many of her men will be waiting for you.”

  “I’m going with them, Papa.” Gino came and stood next to me. “I’m going with you, Joe. I want to help.”

  I looked him up and down. There had to be a reason he’d turn on his mother. I supposed that choosing the Coli family power and prestige was more his speed than being the illegitimate son of a Ferrari
. His lack of loyalty to the woman who brought him up was despicable. Fortunately, it worked in my favor. I was cool with that.

  “I’m sending my best men with you. They will be discrete and hang back, out of sight, just in case you need them.”

  “But, Papa I …”

  He cut me off mid-sentence. “But, nothing. It’s my way or no way. End of discussion.”

  There was no point in arguing with Antonio Coli. He was the poster child for “Because I said so!”

  “Si, Papa.”

  ***

  Fabio, Mario, and Franco were gobsmacked when I told them of Abriana’s betrayal. The first thing Mario wanted to do was beat the shit out of Gino. It took a fair amount of persuasion on my part to stop him. He eventually calmed down to a panic, and agreed, begrudgingly, to give Gino the benefit of the doubt. The latter was relieved, to say the least—Mario wasn't a small man by any stretch of the imagination, and when he was pissed he grew another few inches.

  Fabio was stunned. I’d never seen him so angry. I was unfamiliar with this side of him. He had a steely determination, mixed with rage oozing from every pore of his being. The boys were armed and ready. Before we left, my father kissed me on the cheek. His expression told me more than words ever could.

  “Don’t worry, Papa. I’ll be fine. I’m in good hands.”

  “I love you, my son. Gino, look after your brother.” He turned and walked back into the house.

  “Right, boys, let’s go kick some ass,” Mario said, as the gang, armed to the teeth, hit the road.

  “Are you guys sure you want to do this? I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to you.”

  Fabio spoke, putting a bullet in the chamber of his gun. “Let’s go get that bitch.”

  Franco chimed in. “Of course we’re sure, Joe. We’re with you all the way.”

  Mario followed soon after. “Fuck yeah, we’re sure! I’m dying to see the look on their faces when we open a can of whoop ass on them. Don’t you worry, buddy, we’ve got this.”

  “There’s one more thing you need to know before we leave, boys. I want you to be very careful with Ella when we find her.”