Vendetta del Cuore

by Leigh Kenzie

  “Allesandro!” The woman’s voice rings out, jolting me from my observations. I look up to see the woman barreling toward Master, her high heels not slowing her down at all. The silver dress she’s wearing sparkles with every step. I can’t decide how old she must be, other than she must be well over Allesandro’s age. Despite her white hair and wrinkled face, her joy makes her radiate a beauty I don’t even see in women my own age.

  I watch her hug Master tightly, kissing both of his checks before stepping back and repeating the same process with Luca. Only after she draws back does she look at me. I shuffle my weight between my feet, uncomfortable with her weighted gaze. I worry foolishly that she might find me not worthy of Master and make him send me away. However, I don’t wait long before she nods, and another smile graces her face as she pulls me forward into a hug. At first, I’m stiff, but then I melt into her arms. It’s been too long since I’ve been held this way. Not since my mother passed have I felt this level of comfort.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me?” the woman questions with a scolding look at Master. My jaw almost drops in shock that anyone would talk that way to him. She must realize it because she sends a wink my way.

  “Zia Giavonna, please meet my newest boy, Emilio. Emilio, this wonderful woman is my aunt Giavonna.” Master grins, clearly amused at his aunt’s tactics.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Emilio. And please, call me zia like the rest,” she says with a musical laugh. “Now, don’t let these two get you into too much trouble.”

  Luca just shakes his head and gives her a sweet smile. “Zia Gia, you know I’m always innocent! In fact, so innocent that shouldn’t I be allowed to have one of your famous cookies?”

  I feel like I’ve walked into the twilight zone as I watch their banter. I can’t imagine the years it must have taken Luca to be this comfortable with the woman. For now, she flutters around both of them, or actually all three of us, I guess, like a concerned grandmother instead of the aunt of a feared Mob boss with escorts living in her house. By the time she takes her departure, my head is swimming. I’ve often seen Luca’s soft side, but so rarely have I seen Master’s, and never to this extent. It leaves me wanting in a way I don’t even understand. The need to please him sinks even deeper in my soul.

  After she leaves, I hear the hushed whispers between Luca and Master. I can’t figure out what they’re saying, but it sounds like an argument so I’m glad I can’t make it out. I want to stay away from any possible trouble. Finally, Luca hangs his head and I watch as Master strides over to the man who argued with his aunt. He grabs the man’s arm and marches him out of the room. I can hear the protests, but Master says nothing in response. I’m not sure whether to follow or not, but as Luca stays, I do as well. With a weary sigh, Luca turns to me.

  “Let that be a lesson to you. Never upset his aunt,” Luca states, and I have to swallow hard to keep from getting sick. I did briefly forget my place, and I’m sure Luca could tell. He gazes into my eyes and must be satisfied as I give a nod of my head.

  “Is…?” I can’t force words out of my mouth to ask what will happen to the young man.

  “He won’t be a problem in this life anymore,” Luca says carefully and sternly. I pale a bit before nodding my head frantically and looking around the enclosed courtyard. Focusing on anything other than someone getting killed over an argument would be beneficial.

  Chapter Nine

  The little pest I’m dragging behind me is trying to give all sorts of excuses for arguing with zia. As if I fucking care. He was there for one reason, and that was to make her life easier. This ball is the most important event of the year to her, and I’m not letting some fucking kid ruin that. By the time we’re out in the yard and I shove him into the shed, he’s shaking like a damn leaf. Fucking weakling. The world should consider the fact I do everyone a favor by getting rid of these worthless shits. He looks like he’s in his early twenties, maybe even Emilio’s age, and the tears running down his face are ridiculous.

  I shove him to the corner and reach for my gun. I don’t expect there to be problems tonight, but I never go anywhere without one. Times like this, it’s a bonus.

  “Wait! Please. I’m Brendan’s nephew! One of the O’Connel’s,” the man shouts. He’s already pissed himself like the disgrace he is and is shaking even more violently than he was a moment ago. If he wants me to spare him that’s definitely the wrong fucking way.

  “Lies. Neither Brendan nor his brother have any fucking kids!” I roar and watch him cringe back, shaking at my loudness.

  “No! Not them. They...they had a sister. Half. And I’m her son. Look, I just wanted to meet your family!”

  “And you thought arguing with my aunt would be a good idea?” I sneer, although I’m beginning to consider the implications and whether there would be any use in keeping this kid alive.

  “Why did you want to meet my family? Shouldn’t you be looking for yours?” I snarl and back him completely into the wall. There’s not much room in the shed. It’s really only a concrete enclosure with a dim light bulb.

  “I tried. But Eamon wouldn’t let me see Brendan and told me if I valued my life, I’d never come around. I have letters from my mom to yours, saying that she was supposed to marry you. But then your mom went missing, and I heard my uncle is part of your family now.” The kid gulps as he shudders.

  I can’t disagree with his desire to find family. After all, it’s why I’ve created my boys. Family is necessary, so long as they can be controlled. I frown as I consider the man in front of me. He seems so fucking young. Even if he wasn’t fully a part of the O’Connel family, it doesn’t mean he is completely useless intel-wise. I just need to make sure he isn’t a spy.

  “You want to meet your uncle?” I say soothingly, lowering my gun. I watch his head nod like a fucking bobblehead.

  “Yes, yes, Sir. Please,” he squeaks out.

  “I tell you what. I’m going to send someone in here, and if we determine you’re telling the truth, I’ll consider allowing it,” I say with a smile, but it’s not tinged with kindness. No, I watch as the young man goes completely pale. I’m surprised he’s still standing. I give him a wink before I leave the shed with the door thudding close behind me. I flick the lock and call over one of the guards hidden from view. With a few whispered words he nods and goes to guard the shed. I’ll send Ignacio in later to have fun. His mayhem should be able to get answers. Whether the kid survives it or not…well, that doesn’t really matter. If he’s telling the truth and not here under false pretenses to spy for the O’Connel family, then it’s one less person in the world. If he’s here for the O’Connel’s, then his death works even better.

  Chapter Ten

  People begin to trickle in before I see Master return, and it’s like my body instantly lets out a sigh of relief. Luca must be able to tell because he sends me a smile and puts his hand on my shoulder. I haven’t had to interact with anyone, thankfully. It’s been like a procession of who’s who in our town slowly filling the room. There’s a string quartet playing softly as I discreetly try not to gape at the prosecutor coming up and talking with Luca in a cheerful voice. Even more, the man I once inspired to be like, a millionaire in this town, intercepts Master on his way over to us. I’m not sure what Master says, but my once idol throws his head back laughing. I haven’t had a single drop of champagne but my head is spinning at all these sights and sounds.

  Once the prosecutor leaves, I lean over and whisper to Luca, “Does he know?”

  “Everyone here knows that Allesandro rules this town,” he responds nonchalantly as he adjusts his cuffs. “You’re just finally important enough to know.”

  With that simple statement, I go back to thinking while people come and go. Occasionally, I’m introduced to someone, but for the most part, I’m ignored as part of the scenery. Luca, they know, but I’m some unknown entity. I keep glancing at Master, wishing he’d come back here, but he keeps being distracted by others. It’s easier to
hide when there are two people to duck behind. I look around and see Antonio moving through the crowd effortlessly, and I wish I could be that confident. Marcus is around as well, but I don’t see Ignacio. My heart clenches a bit on that because I like the man with his infectious laugh and quick wit, especially now that I’m no longer afraid of his tattoos and fierce look.

  “Lio!” I jolt in shock at hearing my name. Luca is in deep discussion with someone so I’m not sure he noticed. It only takes a moment for me to see one of my professors storming up to me. The flushed look on his face makes me cringe. Professor Larson is one of the senior professors at the university I attended and one I expect to make department chair easily when the position becomes available. He’s also the one who offered to let me participate as a research assistant on his projects, a rarity among undergraduates.

  “Professor,” I manage to say. My mouth feels dry, and I wish I had something to drink, preferably alcohol. Anything at all to get through this.

  “Now, I haven’t believed any of what’s been said about you. And the Dean must be completely off his rocker. Seeing you here just cements it. Come on, let’s get you out of here before anyone notices,” the Professor rambles as he grabs my arm. In my shock, he manages to move me a few feet, but I recover enough to stop our forward momentum.

  “Lio. What are you doing?” he whispers as he sees a few men converge on us. My face goes blank as I try to swallow what feels like glass.

  “Professor. It’s great to see you,” I respond weakly.

  “Look, Lio. I know you must be scared. Come home with me. You can stay with me, and we’ll get this all figured out,” he says soothingly. I can tell he’s really trying to get through to me. He’s a good man, a brilliant mathematician, and someone I absolutely would never want touched by this.

  “I am exactly where I should be, Professor,” I state calmly, drawing on all of my inner strength to hide the nerves flooding my system.

  “You can’t mean that, son,” he gasps and moves closer. “No matter what you’re mixed up in, I’ll stand by you.”

  I’m touched by his caring. I also know it’s foolish. There’s nothing for me to go back to now. Radcliff betrayed our family. Even if Master hadn’t destroyed my life so thoroughly, I wouldn’t leave. I was left floating without an anchor until Master extended his hand to me. It took me a while, but I’ve finally learned this is my place. It makes it easier to stand up tall, knowing I belong with the rest of the boys.

  “I do mean it. This is exactly where I should be, where I’m meant to be and where I want to be,” I assert confidently, feeling the last shackles of my past fall off.

  I can tell he’s ready to continue arguing, but we’re interrupted by the Dean who claims to urgently need to speak with the Professor about some grant. I don’t bother stopping the eye roll or sneer I direct towards the Dean. His own nose wrinkles in disgust at me. All I do is take one step in his direction. I watch his eyes widen and how he scurries away, forcibly leading the professor along. I want to laugh at the feeling, but instead I search for Luca who was oddly silent throughout the exchange. The first person I see, however, is Master, and the look in his eyes. It’s like looking at a fire that burns too hot, his crystal blue eyes are so intense, I actually have to avert my gaze.

  It sends a thrill through me to know I put that look in Master’s eyes. I glance at Luca, whose lips are tipped up in a lazy grin. He gives me a nod of approval before he walks off, leaving Master and me standing close.

  Chapter Eleven

  If I had a heart, I’d say it was filled with pride. Watching my boy assert himself and claim his place is exactly what I want to see. I didn’t miss the look the Dean gave him, and the fact Emilio responded aggressively instead of cowering confirms I made the right decision choosing Emilio to join my group. I happily tore out his guts when he tried to cause problems within the rank. Emilio may have been given to me by his fucked-up brother, but I would have chosen him the moment I met him, anyway.

  For the next hour, things run smoothly. I keep Emilio tucked by my side or hand him off to Luca if a sensitive discussion needs to happen. Ignacio strolls back into the room as we turn to meet yet another couple. Catching his eye, he sends a nod my way. I make a mental note to discuss our guest with him later. Just as the party is drawing to a close, I hear a commotion. I can barely believe what I see when I find the source of trouble.

  “Holy fuck,” Luca breathes next to me, “Is that Brendan?”

  Holy fuck is right. I give Ignacio a look, and he glides forward to stand at my side, so I’m flanked by him and Luca. Emilio is at my back, and if I had my way, he wouldn’t have to deal with yet another asshole brother.

  “Brendan, I wasn’t aware you were invited,” I comment as I tap my uncle’s shoulder. I watch one of my guards come forward to lead him away. The last thing I need is to deal with whatever is going on with my uncle at the same time as the fucking Irish mob shows up.

  “We’re invited every year. This is simply my first time attending,” Brendan says tightly, “Christmas is, after all, a neutral time.” I don’t hide my frown, but I can vaguely remember his father used to attend before his untimely death. That’s years ago now.

  “Well, I wish you a good time. I’ll take my leave so you can mingle,” I say with a nod, already turning around when I hear a growl slip from Ignacio.

  Turning back, I can see Brendan’s outstretched hand and how Ignacio moved in front of me. Brendan is lucky we’re surrounded by so many people. I’ve seen Ignacio kill people for touching me without permission, and that was our soldiers. An O’Connel wouldn’t stand a chance on his give-a-fuck list.

  “Please, Allesandro. May we talk?” Brendan asks and gestures around him. I note that several people are looking our way, uncomfortably, the police chief being the main one. I nod my head briefly and stepping up, I put my arm around him like we’re friends, in an effort to calm the room.

  “Fine. Let’s go. How many guards do you have?” I ask as I start to steer him towards the door.

  “Four with me, three mingling,” he responds, and I watch as four fall in line behind my boys. I’m not worried about them doing anything. I do believe that despite being an ass Brendan will adhere to the policies put in place.

  As soon as we’re out of view, I drop my arm and stride towards the library. When I open the door, I watch as Marcus and Ignacio enter, then two of Brendan’s men. Finally, we both go in, leaving Luca and Emilio and two of his to follow. The library is large, with floor to ceiling bookcases. I hope there’s no bloodshed because my aunt would kill me. This is one of her favorite rooms, but it also is secluded enough for us to talk. As always, there are two comfortable chairs sitting across from each other, one for zia and one for zio, not that my uncle appreciates the written word as much. I take a seat and gesture Brendan toward the other, waiting as the men position themselves.

  I can tell Brendan is preoccupied looking at Emilio. I raise a hand, and Luca guides my boy over to me. He stands next to me, and while his eyes occasionally stray to his half-brother, he mainly looks at me, waiting for direction. I never had too much interaction with the O’Connel Family, but I can now see the similarities between the two brothers. Both have the same strong chin, the delicate nose and high cheekbones. I wouldn’t call Brendan pretty like I do my Emilio, but there are similarities there. More than between Emilio and Cliff.

  “You took us by surprise. But we can tell that you weren’t aware he was related to us,” Brendan begins carefully. No shit. And I’m sure when Cliff went missing, it tripped their fucking wires.

  “Your point?” I respond harshly. I have no tolerance for these bullshit games.

  “I would like to remedy the situation before it becomes...volatile.” I almost snort at that. Like their reaction didn’t set off enough warning bells?

  “And how do you believe it should be remedied?” I ask, sarcasm laying thickly over the word my last word.

  “Give us Emilio. Regardless of how h
e was raised, he is still our blood, and that means he belongs to us, and his place is secure,” Brendan responds with a frown at my reaction. To him, I’m sure it’s clear, but I watch as Ignacio draws closer to where Emilio stands next to me. If Brendan thinks we’re giving my boy up, he can go fuck himself.

  I grab Emilio’s wrist so he doesn’t move forward. I can tell his eyes are pinned on Brendan’s, though, his brother is no longer giving him any consideration. No, this is a game of fucking chess between two bosses.

  “Why are you interested in him now?”

  “What do you mean now? I just found out he existed! He’s the spitting image of Dad,” Brendan growls, the red staining his cheeks, clashing with the deep burgundy chair he’s sitting in.

  “You may have just found that out. But I know others in your organization knew of him. How do you think Cliff got the information? It’s a miracle my boy is even alive. Cliff gave me Emilio but killed their mom. Seems brotherly love exists but only to a small degree. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have waited all this time and trotted in with a fucking line of ‘belonging to you’. Maybe you should look at your organization,” I sneer at him. I can’t believe this fucker. I stand, tired of this shit already.

  “Wait,” Brendan says as he stands with a sigh. “I really don’t want this to be an issue. But I can’t have one of my…brothers...calling you ‘Master’. I’d like to find a mutually beneficial solution.”

  The disgust on his face for me and for my boys is clear. Emilio pulls at my hand, but I grip it a little tighter, and he relaxes. Ignacio comes forward and steps in front of Emilio to further prevent him from doing anything to upset the balance.